The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 18, 2022
Filed:
Feb. 06, 2020
University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees, Kingston, RI (US);
The Curators of the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (US);
University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees, Kingston, RI (US);
The Curators of the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for using the impedance inhomogeneity pattern (IIP) of a transmission line, or one or more segments thereof, to verify the identity of the transmission line and/or detect whether or not the transmission line has been altered or tampered with. Because the impedance inhomogeneity pattern of a transmission line is unique, unpredictable, and uncontrollable, it can be used as a physical unclonable function (PUF). The IIP can be obtained by a method such as frequency domain reflectometry or time domain reflectometry, and is then compared with a previously stored intrinsic IIP obtained from a transmission line (or segment(s)) prior to first use through the use of, for example, correlation or coherence functions. The method can be used on any transmission line, including electrical, optical and acoustic transmission lines. The method is useful for enabling or enhancing physical layer communication link security, transmission line sensing security, supply chain security, product authentication, physical encryption, anti-counterfeiting, manufacturing traceability, and the like.