IP Library Granted Patent US 12706004
Granted Patent B2
US 12706004 · App. 19/042,739 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Package security utilizing tamper-resistant tape

Inventors: Robert James Norton, Jr. (Raleigh, NC); Robert J. Kapinos (Durham, NC); Igor Stolbikov (Apex, NC); Scott Li (Cary, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo Global Technology (United States) Inc.
G09F3/0297B65D5/0236B65D5/4233G06K7/1404
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12706004
App. No.
19/042,739
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, the method including: receiving, at a tamper detection system, a machine-readable capture of tape located on a package, wherein the tape includes at least two blocks of machine-recognizable characters generated utilizing at least one cryptographic technique, wherein the at least one cryptographic technique is used to generate a non-repeating signature having a length greater than a length of the tape; comparing, using the tamper detection system, the at least one block of machine-recognizable characters captured during the machine-readable capture of the tape on the package the non-repeating signature; and performing, using the tamper detection system, an action based upon a result of the comparing. Other aspects are claimed and described.

Claims (32)

1 . A method, the method comprising:

receiving, at a tamper detection system, a machine-readable capture of a tape located on a package, wherein the tape comprises at least two blocks of machine-recognizable characters, the blocks being generated utilizing at least one cryptographic technique, wherein the at least one cryptographic technique is used to generate a non-repeating signature having a length greater than a physical length of the tape;

comparing, using the tamper detection system, at least one of the blocks of machine-recognizable characters captured during the machine-readable capture of the tape on the package to the non-repeating signature to determine whether the at least one block corresponds to a valid portion of the non-repeating signature; and

performing, using the tamper detection system, an action based upon a result of the comparing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises tape securing the package closures.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the result comprises a match between the machine-readable capture and a previously captured machine-readable capture.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the result comprises a mismatch between the machine-readable capture and the previously captured machine-readable capture and wherein the performing the action comprises notifying a user of the mismatch.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the previously captured machine-readable capture is associated with metadata captured at a time of the previously captured machine-readable capture and wherein the comparing comprises verifying information contained within the metadata matches predetermined information.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the previously captured machine-readable capture and the metadata are accessible via a label attached to the package.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises tape authenticating the package.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises a plurality of sections of tape, the plurality of sections of tape comprising a plurality of signature blocks, and wherein the comparing comprises comparing the plurality of sections of tape.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the machine-readable capture comprises identifying a location of the tape on the package and wherein the comparing the machine-readable capture comprises verifying the location of the tape on the package matches a location of the tape on the package during the previously captured machine-readable capture.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a sequence of the blocks on the tape has a secondary asymmetric cryptography applied.

11 . A system, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory device that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to:

receive, at a tamper detection system, a machine-readable capture of a tape located on a package, wherein the tape comprises at least two blocks of machine-recognizable characters, the blocks being generated utilizing at least one cryptographic technique, wherein the at least one cryptographic technique is used to generate a non-repeating signature having a length greater than a physical length of the tape;

compare, using the tamper detection system, at least one of the blocks of machine-recognizable characters captured during the machine-readable capture of the tape on the package to the non-repeating signature to determine whether the at least one block corresponds to a valid portion of the non-repeating signature; and

perform, using the tamper detection system, an action based upon a result of the comparing.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises tape securing the package closures and wherein the result comprises a match between the machine-readable capture and a previously captured machine-readable capture.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises tape securing the package closures and wherein the result comprises a mismatch between the machine-readable capture and the previously captured machine-readable capture and wherein the performing the action comprises notifying a user of the mismatch.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the previously captured machine-readable capture is associated with metadata captured at a time of the previously captured machine-readable capture and wherein the comparing comprises verifying information contained within the metadata matches predetermined information.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the previously captured machine-readable capture and the metadata are accessible via a label attached to the package.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises tape authenticating the package.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the tape located on the package comprises a plurality of sections of tape, the plurality of sections of tape comprising a plurality of signature blocks, and wherein the comparing comprises comparing the plurality of sections of tape.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the receiving the machine-readable capture comprises identifying a location of the tape on the package and wherein the comparing the machine-readable capture comprises verifying the location of the tape on the package matches a location of the tape on the package during the previously captured machine-readable capture.

19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein a sequence of the blocks on the tape has a secondary asymmetric cryptography applied.

20 . A product, the product comprising:

a computer-readable storage device that stores executable code that, when executed by a processor, causes the product to:

receive, at a tamper detection system, a machine-readable capture of a tape located on a package, wherein the tape comprises at least two blocks of machine-recognizable characters, the blocks being generated utilizing at least one cryptographic technique, wherein the at least one cryptographic technique is used to generate a non-repeating signature having a length greater than a physical length of the tape;

compare, using the tamper detection system, at least of the one blocks of machine-recognizable characters captured during the machine-readable capture of the tape on the package to the non-repeating signature to determine whether the at least one block corresponds to a valid portion of the non-repeating signature; and

perform, using the tamper detection system, an action based upon a result of the comparing.