FIELD
The subject matter relates to data protection technologies, and more particularly to an anti-tamper device.
BACKGROUND
Electronic devices usually store confidential data such as account information in components of the electronic devices. In order to prevent an unauthorized person from accessing the components storing the confidential data, the components are located in a sealed housing. However, the housing of the electronic device must be able to be easily opened in order for a service repairman or technician to repair or replace any components when maintenance is required.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an anti-tamper device including a printed circuit board (PCB) and a signal connector.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the signal connector of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the signal connector with a plurality of terminals.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view showing the signal connector separating from the PCB.
FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing the PCB with the terminals in a first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing the PCB with the terminals in a second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.
The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like.
The present disclosure is described in relation to an
anti-tamper device 100.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an
anti-tamper device 100 for securing data. The
anti-tamper device 100 can be a set-top box, router, a computer, or a portable device. The
anti-tamper device 100 includes a
top cover 10, a
bottom cover 70, a printed circuit board (PCB)
30, and a
signal connector 50. The
top cover 10 is detachably coupled to the
bottom cover 70 defining a receiving space for receiving the
PCB 30 and the
signal connector 50. The
signal connector 50 is coupled to the
top cover 10 and located between the
top cover 10 and the
PCB 30. When the
top cover 10 is coupled to the
bottom cover 70, the
signal connector 50 makes contact with the
PCB 30. When the
top cover 10 is disengaged from the
bottom cover 70, the
signal connector 50 is separated from the
PCB 30 synchronously.
FIGS. 2,
3 and
4 illustrate that a
bulge 130 and a pair of
first clamps 110 both protrude from a surface of the
top cover 10 facing the
PCB 30 towards the
bottom cover 70. The
signal connector 50 includes a supporting
base 510, a plurality of
terminals 530 received in the supporting
base 510, and a plurality of
elastic pieces 550. The supporting
base 510 is a rectangular board. The supporting
base 510 includes a
first surface 5110 and a
second surface 5120 opposite to the
first surface 5110, the
first surface 5110 faces the
PCB 30, and the
second surface 5120 faces the
top cover 10. A pair of
second clamps 5160 protrudes from the supporting
base 510 and is located at opposite ends of the supporting
base 510. The supporting
base 510 further defines a plurality of
terminal grooves 5130 and a receiving
groove 5150. The
terminal grooves 5130 are defined in the
first surface 5110. In at least one embodiment, the
terminal grooves 5130 number six. Each of the
elastic pieces 550 is located in a corresponding one of the
terminal grooves 530. In at least one embodiment, each of the
terminal grooves 5130 runs through the
first surface 5110 and the
second surface 5120. A locating
protrusion 5140 protrudes from the
first surface 5110 towards the
PCB 30. The
receiving groove 5150 is defined in the
second surface 5120. In at least one embodiment, the
receiving groove 5150 is communicating with the
terminal grooves 5130. In other embodiments, the
receiving groove 5150 is not communicating with the
terminal grooves 5130. A
magnet 570 is detachably received in the receiving
groove 5150. The
terminals 530 are received in the
terminal grooves 5130 correspondingly. The
terminals 530 received in the
terminal grooves 5130 are attracted by the
magnet 570 preventing the
terminals 530 from falling out of the corresponding
terminal groove 5130. In at least one embodiment, the
terminals 530 are metal balls; a diameter of each
terminal groove 5130 is larger than a diameter of the
terminal 530, which allows the
terminal 530 to move freely in the
terminal groove 5130. In other embodiments, the
terminals 530 can be metal columns. In at least one embodiment, the
terminals 530 number four. In other embodiments, the number of the
terminals 530 can be more or less than four, but cannot exceed the number of the
terminal grooves 5130.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate that a plurality of
terminal couplers 310 are located on the
PCB 30 corresponding respectively to the plurality of
terminal grooves 5130. A locating
hole 330 is defined in the
PCB 30 corresponding to the locating
protrusion 5140. In at least one embodiment, each of the
terminal couplers 310 includes two
metal pads 310 a,
310 b, and the two
metal pads 310 a,
310 b are spaced from each other.
In assembly, first, the four
terminals 530 are placed in the four of the six
terminal grooves 5130; the four
terminals 530 are attached to and held in the
receiving groove 5150 by the
magnet 570. Second, the locating
protrusion 5140 is inserted into the locating
hole 330 coupling with and preventing the
signal connector 50 from moving relative to the
PCB 30. The
terminals 530 are pressed by the corresponding
elastic pieces 550 to electrically couple to the corresponding
terminal couplers 310. Third, the
magnet 570 is detached from the
receiving groove 5150. Fourth, the
top cover 10 is coupled to the
bottom cover 70, the
first clamps 110 are engaged with the
second clamps 5160 to fix the
signal connector 50 to the
top cover 10, and the
bulge 130 blocks the
second surface 5120 to limit a movement of the
signal connector 50, at this time, the
anti-tamper device 100 has been assembled. When the anti-tamper device is powered on for the first time after assembly, a first relative signal is generated by the
PCB 30 to enable the
anti-tamper device 100. The first relative signal indicates which
terminal couplers 310 are electrically connected to the terminals, an original location relationship of the
terminals 530 and the
terminal grooves 5130. A memory device (not shown) on the
PCB 30 is utilized to store the first relative signal.
When the
top cover 10 is disengaged from the
bottom cover 70 by an unauthorized person, the
signal connector 50 is separated from the
PCB 30 by the engagement of the
first clamps 110 and the
second clamps 5160, which cause the four
terminals 530 to drop from the
corresponding terminal grooves 5130 and disconnect from the
terminal couplers 310. Because the
terminals 530 drop from the
terminal grooves 5130, the unauthorized person cannot put the
terminals 530 back in the
corresponding terminal grooves 5130. As a result, when the
anti-tamper device 100 is assembled again as described above, a current location relationship between the
terminals 530 and the
terminal grooves 5130 will be different from the original location relationship described above. Furthermore, when the
anti-tamper device 100 is powered on again after the reassembly, a second relation signal is generated for indicating the current location relationship between the
terminals 530 and the
terminal grooves 5130. The
PCB 30 is utilized to compare the first relation signal to the second relation signal, when the second relation signal is different from the first relation signal; the
PCB 30 disables the
anti-tamper device 100.
With the
anti-tamper device 100 described above, when an unauthorized person tries to manipulate data in the system by detaching the
top cover 10 from the
bottom cover 70, the
terminals 530 drop from the corresponding
terminal grooves 5130 which makes the unauthorized person unable to decide which
terminal coupler 310 is electrically connected by the
terminal 530. When the
signal connector 50 is assembled to the
PCB 30 and the
terminals 530 are electrically connected to the
terminal coupler 310 again, a second relation signal failing to conform to the first relation signal is generated to prevent the unauthorized person from operating the
anti-tamper device 100.
Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of a shielding plate. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.