# US 2023/0053576 A1 · Real-time robust tampering detection of products using piezoelectric containers

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- Number: US 2023/0053576 A1
- Document ID: US20230053576A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/820,298
- Filed: 2022-08-17
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-20
- Assignees: Vanderbilt University
- Applicants: Vanderbilt University
- Inventors: Carlos David Olea; Jules White; Michael Sandborn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230053576A1

## CPC

- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- H04L 9/006: {involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models (network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)}
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A piezoelectric container for tamper detection and damage monitoring of products within supply chains is described. The piezoelectric container enables tamper monitoring for a variety of items in transit including but not limited to those in the following sectors: medical, pharmaceutical, industrial, automotive, textiles, electronics, gems, precious metals, semiconductor chips, high value items, art, antiquities, safety critical components. For example, a sealed blister pack of prescription medicine may be stored and shipped in a piezoelectric container. The piezoelectric container can indicate tampering such as punctures, partial or total replacement of container contents, partial removal of contents, or other adverse or unwanted changes to the contents during transport.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A piezoelectric container comprising:
a container; and
a piezoelectric transducer,
wherein the piezoelectric container has a piezoelectric signature that is a unique identifier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The piezoelectric container of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric signature is dependent on the structural state of the container.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The piezoelectric container of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is a piezoelectric sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The piezoelectric container of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric transducer is attached to the container or is embedded into the container.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The piezoelectric container of claim 1, further comprising at least one of packing material or sealed contents.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The piezoelectric container of claim 5, wherein the piezoelectric signature is further dependent on the physical state of the at least one of the packing material or the sealed contents.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The piezoelectric container of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric signature is based on a piezoelectric signature of the container and cyber-information.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The piezoelectric container of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric signature is signed using a public key infrastructure (PKI) technique.

### Claim 9

A system comprising:
a piezoelectric container; and
a signature generator that generates a first piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the signature generator generates a second piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container, and further comprising a comparator that compares the first piezoelectric signature with the second piezoelectric signature to determine whether the piezoelectric container has been tampered with.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein when the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are identical or within a predetermined amount of difference, then it is determined that the piezoelectric container has not been tampered with, and wherein when the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are not identical or have a difference greater than a predetermined amount, then it is determined that the piezoelectric container has been tampered with.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric container comprises sealed contents, and wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each dependent on the structural state of the container and the physical state of the sealed contents.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each based on a piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container and cyber-information.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the first piezoelectric signature is signed using a public key infrastructure (PKI) technique.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising cloud-based storage that stores the first piezoelectric signature.

### Claim 16

A method comprising:
generating a first piezoelectric signature of a piezoelectric container;
generating a second piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container; and
comparing the first piezoelectric signature with the second piezoelectric signature to determine whether the piezoelectric container has been tampered with.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
storing the first piezoelectric signature in cloud-based storage after generating the first piezoelectric signature and prior to generating the second piezoelectric signature; and
retrieving the first piezoelectric signature from the cloud-based storage prior to comparing the first piezoelectric signature with the second piezoelectric signature, wherein the comparing uses the retrieved first piezoelectric signature.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising storing contents in the piezoelectric container and sealing the piezoelectric container prior to generating the first piezoelectric signature.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each dependent on the structural state of the piezoelectric container and the physical state of the contents sealed in the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each further dependent on the physical state of packing material in the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the generating the second piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container is performed upon receipt of the piezoelectric container from transit.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein when the comparing identifies that the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are identical or within a predetermined amount of difference, then it is determined that the piezoelectric container has not been tampered with, and wherein when the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are identified as not identical or have a difference greater than a predetermined amount, then it is determined that the piezoelectric container has been tampered with.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each based on a piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container and cyber-information.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the first piezoelectric signature is signed using a public key infrastructure (PKI) technique.

### Claim 25

A system comprising:
a computing device; and
a comparator in communication with the computing device, wherein the comparator compares a first piezoelectric signature of a piezoelectric container with a second piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container to determine whether the piezoelectric container has been tampered with.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, further comprising:
a piezoelectric signature generator that generates the first piezoelectric signature or the second piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, further comprising cloud-based storage that stores the first piezoelectric signature in cloud-based storage.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each dependent on the structural state of the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 29 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each dependent the physical state of contents sealed in the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 30 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each dependent on the physical state of packing material in the piezoelectric container.

### Claim 31 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the second piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container is generated upon receipt of the piezoelectric container from transit.

### Claim 32 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein when the comparing identifies that the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are identical or within a predetermined amount of difference, then it is determined that the piezoelectric container has not been tampered with, and wherein when the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are identified as not identical or have a difference greater than a predetermined amount, then it is determined that the piezoelectric container has been tampered with.

### Claim 33 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the first piezoelectric signature and the second piezoelectric signature are each based on a piezoelectric signature of the piezoelectric container and cyber-information.

### Claim 34 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the first piezoelectric signature is signed using a public key infrastructure (PKI) technique.