Self-monitoring seal

Claim 2

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication means comprises optical communication means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the optical communication means comprises optical fibers having ends mounted in the container adjacent the monitoring means.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the optical fibers comprise a fiber-optic bundle.

Claim 6

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored, and a readout means connected to the container means and responsive to the monitoring means for indicating condition of the seal.

Claim 7

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored, and a readout means connected to the container means and responsive to the monitoring means for indicating condition of the seal.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the readout means comprises an alphanumeric display having changeable characters.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the monitoring means comprises electronic means connected to the display for sequentially changing the display in a predetermined manner.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the monitoring means comprises integrity sensor means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means to monitor the integrity of the communication means and pseudo-random generator means connected to the integrity sensor means and to the display and operative to sequentially change the display in a predetermined manner as long as the integrity sensor means does not indicate a violation of the integrity of the communication means and battery means connected to the pseudo-random generator means and to the integrity sensor means for providing power thereto.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the communication means comprises a light-transmitting loop having first and second ends connected to the container and wherein the integrity sensor means comprises a light source mounted in the container means adjacent the first end and light detector means mounted in the container means adjacent the second end and comparator means communicating with the light source and detector means for comparing the source and detector means.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the integrity sensor means further comprises a second light detector adjacent the light source and connected to the comparator whereby outputs of the light detectors are compared.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the psuedo-random generator comprises a shift register connected to the display and a clock means connected to the shift register for supplying clock pulses to the shift register, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a switch means connected to the integrity sensor means and connected to the shift register for providing integrity signals to the shift register and a keying means connected to the shift register for supplying keying signals to initially set the shift register whereby the shift register stores and shifts values according to clock pulse and signal inputs and sequentially changes the display in a predetermined manner when the communication means is intact and is connected to the container means.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the container means comprises a tamper resistant container means and further comprising a container integrity sensor connected to the switch means for changing status of the switch means upon container tampering.

Claim 15

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored, wherein the communicating means comprises a fiber optic bundle having first and second ends and further comprising clamping means for clamping the fiber optic bundle ends to the container means and wherein the monitoring means comprises a light source mounted in the container means adjacent one end of the fiber optic bundle and light detector means mounted in the container means adjacent the other end of the fiber optic bundle, comparator means for comparing output of the light source and the detector means and a comparing signal generator means connected to the comparator means for generating a signal when said comparator indicates a break in the communicating means and a changeable readout means connected to the comparing signal generator means for changing its readout in a predetermined manner in the absence of a signal from the comparing signal generator means.

Claim 16

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored, wherein the communicating means comprises a fiber optic bundle having first and second ends and further comprising clamping means for clamping the fiber optic bundle ends to the container means and wherein the monitoring means comprises a light source mounted in the container means adjacent one end of the fiber optic bundle and light detector means mounted in the container means adjacent the other end of the fiber optic bundle, comparator means for comparing output of the light source and the detector means and a comparing signal generator means connected to the comparator means for generating a signal when said comparator indicates a break in the communicating means and a changeable readout means connected to the comparing signal generator means for changing its readout in a predetermined manner in the absence of a signal from the comparing signal generator means.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the comparator means comprises second detecting means mounted adjacent the light source for detecting light from the light source and means for comparing the outputs of the two detector means.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the readout means comprises alphanumeric display apparatus.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a power source connected to the container means for supplying power to the light source, detector means, comparing signal generator means, and readout means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a container integrity switching means connected to the comparing signal generating means for causing comparing the signal generator means to produce a signal upon operation of the container integrity means.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the container means comprises a stressed glass case.

Claim 24

The method of claim 19 further comprising effecting generation of a comparing signal according responsive to the comparing step.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20 further comprising monitoring for tampering and changing the generation of a signal in response to the sensing of tampering.

Claim 26

The method of claim 20 further comprising displaying a readout responsive to the generation of the comparing signal.

Claim 27

The method of claim 20 wherein the generation comprises supplying a clocking signal to a microprocessor and creating a display signal in the microprocessor and supplying the display signal to a readout.

Claim 28

The method of claim 23 further comprising supplying container integrity signals and tampering signals to an analog to digital converter and supplying the resulting digital signals to the microprocessor.

Claim 29

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored, wherein the monitoring means comprises microprocessor means, readout means connected to the microprocessor means, and clock means connected to the microprocessor means, and further comprising communication means integrity sensor and container integrity sensor connected to the microprocessor means whereby the readout is changed by the microprocessor means in predetermined sequences while the communications means and the container means are integral.

Claim 30

Self-monitoring seal apparatus comprising container means, a continuous integral communication means extending from the container means for transmitting information from and to the container means, monitoring means mounted in the container means adjacent the communication means for communicating information into and out of the communication means and monitoring integrity of the seal, the communication means being passed through an article whose seal integrity is to be monitored, wherein the monitoring means comprises microprocessor means, readout means connected to the microprocessor means, and clock means connected to the microprocessor means, and further comprising communication means integrity sensor and container integrity sensor connected to the microprocessor means whereby the readout is changed by the microprocessor means in predetermined sequences while the communications means and the container means are integral.