System and method for tracking authenticated items

• US 10,229,384 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prova Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Prova Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Jr., Tommy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US14/798,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 705 58, 713176, 713156, 3405721
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A system for tracking an authenticated item is provided. The system includes an authentication device affixed to the item. An item registration system receives authentication device data from the authentication device and associated item data and stores the authentication device data and the associated item data. An owner registration system receives owner registration data after a buyer has acquired the item. A buyer verification system receives the authentication device data, the associated item data and the owner registration data and stores buyer verified data if the associated item data correlates to the owner registration data, such as if the external tag number or event data entered by the owner matches external tag number or event data for the item.

Claims

1. A method of database management of a computing device comprising:

electronically generating a database structure having one or more fields for each of an identification tag type and chain of custody system data;

electronically reading identification number data from an RFID identification tag that uniquely identifies the RFID identification tag and an object;

storing identification tag type data for the RFID identification tag in the database structure;

storing identification number data for the RFID identification tag in the database structure;

associating the identification number data with the identification tag type data for the identification tag;

storing classification data in the database that identifies an item associated with the identification tag;

processing a state identifier received from a chain of custody system;

determining a change in state of the object;

modifying the state identifier as a function of the change in state of the object; and

storing the modified state identifier in the chain of custody system data field;

wherein processing the state identifier includes determining a state of custody and generating alert data if the state of custody is broken;

wherein the database structure comprises one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and chain of custody system data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data comprises the database structure having one or more for each of the identification tag type and chain of custody system purchase location data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for owner registration data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for owner transfer data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for chain of custody system transfer data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for manufacturer data entry.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner data; and

transmitting the owner data to a database system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

comparing the transmitted owner data to stored owner data in the database system; and

generating an alert if the transmitted owner data does not match the stored owner data.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data; and

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether owner registration data is present in a database system;

generating a query for a user interface to enter the owner registration data if it is determined that owner registration data is not present in the database system; and

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner password data; and

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query; and

locking out the owner in response to the owner transfer data.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data that includes new owner data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

locking out the owner in response to the owner transfer data; and

storing the new owner data in the database system.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data that includes new owner data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

locking out the owner in response to the owner transfer data;

storing the new owner data in a database system; and

storing the owner data in a previous owner chain of custody log.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a request for supplemental item data to a database system; and

transmitting the supplemental item data in response to the request.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein reading the identification data from the identification tag with the reader system comprises reading the identification data from the identification tag with the reader system at a chain of custody system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein transmitting the identification data to the database system comprises transmitting the identification data to the database system from the chain of custody system.

18. A method for computer database management comprising:

electronically generating a database structure having one or more fields for each of an identification tag type and chain of custody system data;

electronically reading identification number data from an RFID identification tag that uniquely identifies the identification tag;

storing identification tag type data for the RFID identification tag in a database structure;

storing identification number data for the RFID identification tag in the database structure;

associating the identification number data with the identification tag type data for the identification tag;

storing classification data in the database that identifies an item associated with the identification tag;

receiving a state identifier from a chain of custody system;

storing the state identifier in the chain of custody system data field;

wherein the database structure comprises one or more fields for each of an identification tag type and chain of custody system data;

wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data comprises the database structure having one or more for each of the identification tag type and chain of custody system purchase location data;

wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for owner registration data;

wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for owner transfer data;

wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for chain of custody system transfer data;

wherein the database structure having one or more fields for each of the identification tag type and the chain of custody system data further comprises the database structure having one or more fields for manufacturer data entry

reading identification data from an RFID identification tag with a reader system;

transmitting the identification data to a database system;

querying the database system with the identification data to retrieve associated item data;

transmitting the associated item data to the reader system;

generating a display containing the associated item data;

generating a query for a user interface to confirm the associated item data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

wherein receiving the entry from the user interface in response to the query further comprises receiving an alert that the associated item data does not match an item associated with the identification tag

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner data;

transmitting the owner data to the database system;

comparing the transmitted owner data to stored owner data in the database system;

generating an alert if the transmitted owner data does not match the stored owner data;

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

determining whether owner registration data is present in the database system;

generating a query for a user interface to enter the owner registration data if it is determined that owner registration data is not present in the database system;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner password data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

locking out the owner in response to the owner transfer data;

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data that includes new owner data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

locking out the owner in response to the owner transfer data;

storing the new owner data in the database system;

generating a query for a user interface to enter owner transfer data that includes new owner data;

receiving an entry from the user interface in response to the query;

locking out the owner in response to the owner transfer data;

storing the new owner data in the database system;

storing the owner data in a previous owner chain of custody log;

transmitting a request for supplemental item data to the database system;

transmitting the supplemental item data in response to the request;

reading the identification data from the RFID identification tag with the reader system at a chain of custody system; and

transmitting the identification data to the database system from the chain of custody system.