GB2448482A

GB2448482A - Self-contained electronic apparatus with pseudo-random number generator

Info

Publication number: GB2448482A
Application number: GB0426245A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Parry; John Oakley
Original assignee: ADVANCED SECURITY DESIGN Ltd
Current assignee: ADVANCED SECURITY DESIGN Ltd
Priority date: 2004-11-30
Filing date: 2004-11-30
Publication date: 2008-10-22
Also published as: GB0426245D0

Abstract

A self contained electronic apparatus comprises an internal power supply 9 and a display window 7 to display a pseudo-random number or quasi pseudo-random number, the number being generated when a first internal electronic beam is broken. The number is illuminated for a predetermined length of time then ceases to be illuminated, and may be re-illuminated when a second internal electronic beam is broken. The apparatus is also arranged to illuminate a warning when the internal power supply is reducing. The apparatus may be a security seal comprising a flexible cable 3 with an end 2 which is received in a socket 4 in a housing 1. The cable end may be released using a release button 5, and when re-inserted into the socket may pass between sensors 11 to break the first beam, thus generating the number. The second beam may be broken by a user placing a finger between sensors 11, thus re-illuminating the number. Any change in the displayed number will indicate that the seal has been tampered with. The security seal may be used to lock a container, such as an airline trolley (14, Fig. 4).

Description

TITLE: A SELF CONTAINED AND DISPOSABLE ELECTRONIC SEAL

DESCRIPTIQN

The requirement for tamper evident seals is growing almost daily as companies and organisation seek to protect their property against theft and or contamination, particularly although not exclusively for the protection of small containers often associated with the airline industry, particularly where it is important that food trolleys and or duty free trolleys used on aircraft are received by the crew with a guarantee they have not been interfered with.

At present all airlines and associated air companies use disposable plastic or metal seals which are expensive and difficult to read in enclosed galleys where insufficient lighting leads to transcription errors on cargo manifest sheets. In addition, plastic seals have proved susceptible to surreptitious attack in that in some case it is possible to hide the fact the seal has been broken and goods stolen or possibly contaminated. This is of particular concern when world terrorism is a daily threat to all airline companies.

At present no mechanical or electronic reusable seal is in use in the air industry including use in cargo holds. There is an urgent need for such a device that will not only offer a high level of security to combat surreptitious attack by terrorist organisations but will also prove easy to use and read and be able to withstand the rigours of washing and steam cleaning when permanently attached to in flight food containers.

Many such seals are available on the market and vary from plastic tags with identification numbers embossed onto them to permanent random number generating seals which are either mechanical or electronically operated but the new invention described below is designed to eliminate all of the problems associated with the current seals available on the market and meet the requirements of the airline industry Plastic Seals all have sequential numbers embossed on them because this is the only way to keep track of the numbers used. More seriously, some plastic seals have been the subject of surreptitious attack which means the seals have been defeated and glued or otherwise secured back into place thus hiding the fact the container has been opened.

Alternatively, Mechanical and Electronic Seals all generate four random numbers and as such, because there are limited permutations selected at random, these seals can and do generate the same number in succession.

Mechanical random number generated seals are difficult to manufacture small enough size to be practical for use on airline trolley containers and those electronic random number generated seals which can be small in size have problems in withstanding daily pressure washing and heat cleaning without breakdown or without failing in a relatively short period of time. Further problems are associated with electronic seals that suffer from erratic battery life often leading to failure within days and weeks.

Further problems are associated with electronic seals in that these seals use a mechanical linkage between the seal cable and the trigger device to generate a new number. it has been shown possible to destroy the electronic circuitry of these seals by arcing the two seal cable entry unions with an external power source, thus rendering the seal inoperative.

Patents numbers: US4766419 (1988); W08g01673 (1989); US5876076 (1999); US6097305 (2000) and WO 0233682 (2002) all describe a reusable seal that generates either sequential numbers or random numbers or quasi-random numbers displayed by an LED. These units all have an internal power source and in receipt of a signal generate a sequential, random or quasi random number.

The new invention differs from all of the above methods of sealing containers in that the new seal does not generate either sequential numbers or random numbers. The new invention effectively generates a pseudo-random number which looks random but is in reality a number generated through a computed mathematical formula which prevents the previous number from being reselected.

In addition, the new seal differs because it is wireless in design and has no internal mechanical linkages in order to prevent a power surge or spike attack by destroying the electronic sensors within the printed circuitry and rendering the seal inoperative.

Furthermore the new seal has no moving parts relating to the electronic circuitry and all signals used to cause the generation of pseudo-random number are by way of an electronic beam projected through the outer casing of the seal with the effect that there is no direct connection between the external cable, either end of which locates in the seal housing and forms the external element of the seal which is looped through external lugs on the container which unless released, prevents the door of the container from opening. Releasing this external cable from the seal in order to unthread it through the lugs on the container door causes a new manufactured number to be generated if the cable is reinserted in the seal thereby indicating that the door has been opened.

The new invention will row be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows the Seal Body 1 with the Stop End 2 Permanently fixed to the Flexible Cable 3 detached from the Seal Socket 4 from which the Stop End 2 can be released by pressing the Release Button 5 thereby generating a pseudo-random number in the Display Window 7 for a short period of time before the display switches off but which can be recalled by placing a finger in the Recall Sensor indentation 6.

Fig. 2 shows the Seal Body 1 with the Stop End 2 Permanently fixed to the Flexible Cable 3 located in the Seal Socket 4 from where it may be released by pressing the Release Button thereby generating a pseudo-random number in the Display Window 7 for a short period of time before the display switches off but which number can be recalled by placing a finger in the Recall Sensor indentation 6.

Fig. 3 shows the Seal Body 1 with the Stop End 2 permanently fixed to the Flexible Cable 3 located in the Seal Socket 4 from where it may be released by pressing the Release Button thereby generating a pseudo-random number in the Display Window 7 for a short period of time before the display switches off but which number can be recalled by placing a finger in the Recall Sensor indentation 6. 8 showing the printed circuit board. 9 showing the battery power supply. 10 and 11 showing the switching sensors. 12 the micro-controller which generates the pseudo-random numbers or quasi pseudo-random numbers and oscillates and rotates power for display by 13 the LED number bank.

Fig. 4 shows 14 a typical airline trolley with opening door 15 secured by two lockable lugs 16 through which the flexible wire 3 and Stop End 4 is threaded prior to being inserted into the Seal Body 1. 3.

Claims

CLAIM5 Claim 1. A self contained electronic apparatus with a dedicated

internal power supply SO designed as to generate a pseudo- random number or quasi pseudo-random numbers in the display window in order to provide an individual identity whilst in operation, and programmed so that an identical or near identical number or quasi-number cannot be generated in successive operations and so arranged that the generated numbers or quasi-numbers are illuminated by means of an LED so designed as to rotate illumination from one LED segment to another LED segment at such high speed that the pseudo-random number or quasi pseudo-random number appears constantly illuminated for a pre-determined length of time, after which time it ceases to be illuminated, but is available for re-illumination and recall by an external source breaking an internal electronic beam to signal that the number or quasi-number should be re-illuminated for as many times as required and until such time as another selected number is generated by means of a signal being received by the apparatus from either an internal or external source or sources, such internal or external sources being recognised and or controlled by an electronic beam, which is broken by the external source allowing the design of the electronic apparatus to have no internal moving parts, which may be subjected to wear and subsequent failure and the self contained electronic apparatus to have a pre-determined range of operation in the generation of pseudo-random numbers or quasi pseudo-random numbers before the power source loses power, but so designed as to illuminate a warning, telling the operator that power is reducing and the apparatus should be replaced.
2. A self contained and disposable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, fully protected and sealed from the environment and able to operate in all climatic conditions designated from minus 4Odegrees centigrade to plus lOOdegres centigrade, an electronic apparatus housed, sealed and secured in a pre-formed housing, preferably manufactured from a high impact type plastic material, so as to be fully protected from all climatic conditions within the temperature range SO described and to withstand any mistreatment associated with heavy goods handling and designed for the purpose of sealing and protecting against attack, any lockable container so as to indicate if the said container has been opened by unknown and otherwise unauthorised persons, without the specific authority to gain entry to the container, by means of electronically generating and storing, whilst in operation, and once activated by an internal or external signal signifying that the seal has been closed, a non sequential pseudo-random number that can only be generated once in successive operations for identification purposes and to be subsequently recalled at will whilst in operation, by authorised personnel and until such time as the container has been opened officially or unofficially, and so programmed that an identical or near identical number or quasi-number cannot be generated again in successive operations for the purposes of identifying that specific lockable container as unopened.
3. Apparatus as described in claims 1 and 2 in which the outer body is manufactured from metal.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 and 3 in which the outer body of the seal has an oval, round or similar shaped indentation with an internally generated beam fired horizontally, vertically or diagonally across the indentation in such a way that if an operator places his or her finger in the indentation, the beam is broken and the manufactured number generated when the seal was locked is re-illuminated in the display window for the purposes of either checking the number with the cargo manifest or recording the number Onto the cargo manifest. 4.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claims 2 & 3 in which the outer body of the seal case has two receiver sockets into which both ends of an external cable of variable length locate once threaded through external lugs on the container door in order to prevent it from opening, and in doing so break an internal beam which sends a signal to the number generator to manufacture a new number.
6. Apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 5 in which the two sockets as described in claim 5 are protected by a spring loaded button which holds the seal cable inside the seal so that if either button on the left or the right of the seal housing is pressed, the cable will be released.
7. Apparatus as claimed in claims 2 to 5 in which one socket as described in claim 5 is protected by a spring loaded button which holds the seal cable inside the seal so that if the button is pressed, the cable will be released from one side only because the other end of the cable appears Permanently attached by an internal fixing that prevents release without the use of a tool.
8. Apparatus as claimed in Claims 2 to 7 in which if the external cable is relocated in the external socket by pushing the modified stop end of the cable past the spring loaded button, the button will allow the stop end to pass by compressing before snapping back into place to secure the cable and in so doing break the beam in that individual socket and cause a new number to be generated and displayed.