System for verifying an item in a package using a database

• US 10,269,022 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TruTag Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TruTag Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Neill, Michael P., Pearson, Peter, Zhou, Ting, Learmonth, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Tae W
• Application Number:
  US14/482,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20150060548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 235454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2007/10504 Data fields affixed to objects or articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud

Abstract

A system for verifying an item in a package using a database comprises a database and a verifier. A package producer provides the database with an identifier for one or more items each of a type, wherein the package producer produces a package, where the package includes the one or more items each of the type with an associated one or more selected tag identifiers that are placed in a location on an item of the one or more items. The verifier verifies the one or more items of the type using 1) the associated one or more selected tag identifiers as detected using a spectral signature or 2) a tag characteristic as detected using an imager, and 3) the identifier retrieved from the database.

Claims

1. A system for verifying at least one item is in a package of a type using a database, comprising:

a verifier, wherein the verifier verifies that the at least one item is an item of the type by;

determining a presence or an absence of a plurality of tags at a corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item using a spectral signature, wherein each tag comprises silica microtags having a complex porous nanostructure, and wherein a first location and a second location are included in the plurality of locations, wherein the determining of the presence or the absence of the plurality of tags at the plurality of locations on the at least one item comprises;

determining a presence or an absence of a first tag at the first location to obtain a first result based on the spectral signature;

determining a presence or an absence of a second tag at the second location to obtain a second result based on the spectral signature; and

determining placement of the first tag at the first location and placement of the second tag at the second location based on an image using an imager;

concatenating determination results of the first location and the second location of the plurality of locations to obtain an identifier, wherein the concatenating of the determination results includes concatenating the first result and the second result to obtain the identifier; and

determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item of the type in response to a determination that goods information associated with the identifier matches goods information associated with the item of the type read from the database, wherein a producer produces the item of the type and provides the database with the identifier, wherein the determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item of the type comprises;

looking up the goods information in the database based on the identifier.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the identifier for the at least one item is based at least in part on a number encoded in a reflectance spectra of the each tag.

3. A system as in claim 1, wherein the goods information comprises one or more of the following:

an ingredient, a SKU number, identifier, physical characteristic, physical weight, physical dimension, physical volume, and nutrition information.

4. A system as in claim 1, wherein the database stores a marker identifier.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein the database stores an optical signature of a tag.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein the database stores encoded information relating to one or more of the following:

a spectral response of a tag associated with an item, a tag shape, and a tag placement information.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the producer produces a package for the item of the type, wherein the package is associated with the identifier.

8. A method for verifying at least one item is in a package of a type using a database, comprising:

providing a verification, using a processor, that the at least one item is an item of the type by;

determining a presence or an absence of a plurality of tags at a corresponding plurality of locations on at least one item using a spectral signature, wherein each tag on the plurality of locations each comprises silica microtags having a complex porous nanostructure, and wherein a first location and a second location are included in the plurality of locations, wherein the determining of the presence or the absence of plurality tags at the corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item comprises;

determining a presence or an absence of a first tag at the first location to obtain a first result based on the spectral signature;

determining a presence or an absence of a second tag at the second location to obtain a second result based on the spectral signature; and

determining placement of the first tag at the first location and placement of the second tag at the second location based on an image using an imager;

concatenating determination results of the first location and the second location of the plurality of locations to obtain an identifier, wherein the concatenating of the determination results includes concatenating the first result and the second result to obtain the identifier; and

determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item of the type in response to a determination that goods information associated with the identifier matches goods information associated with the item of the type read from the database, wherein a producer produces the item of the type and provides the database with the identifier, wherein the determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item of the type comprises;

looking up the goods information in the database based on the identifier.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the identifier for the at least one item is based at least in part on a number encoded in a reflectance spectra of the tags.

10. A method as in claim 8, wherein the goods information comprises one or more of the following:

an ingredient, a SKU number, identifier, physical characteristic, physical weight, physical dimension, physical volume, and nutrition information.

11. A method as in claim 8, wherein the database stores a marker identifier.

12. A method as in claim 8, wherein the database stores an optical signature of a tag.

13. A method as in claim 8, wherein the database stores encoded information relating to one or more of the following:

a spectral response of a tag associated with an item, a tag shape, and a tag placement information.

14. A computer program product for verifying that at least one item is in a package of a type using a database, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

providing a verification, using a processor, that the at least one item is an item of the type by;

determining a presence or an absence of a plurality of tags at a corresponding plurality of locations on at least one item using a spectral signature, wherein each tag on the plurality of locations each comprises silica microtags having a complex porous nanostructure, and wherein a first location and a second location are included in the plurality of locations, wherein the determining of the presence or the absence of plurality tags at the corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item comprises;

determining a presence or an absence of a first tag at the first location to obtain a first result based on the spectral signature;

determining a presence or an absence of a second tag at the second location to obtain a second result based on the spectral signature; and

determining placement of the first tag at the first location and placement of the second tag at the second location based on an image using an imager;

concatenating determination results of the first location and the second location of the plurality of locations to obtain an identifier, wherein the concatenating of the determination results includes concatenating the first result and the second result to obtain the identifier; and

determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item of the type in response to a determination that goods information associated with the identifier matches goods information associated with the item of the type read from the database, wherein a producer produces the item of the type and provides the database with the identifier, wherein the determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item of the type comprises;

looking up the goods information in the database based on the identifier.

15. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the identifier for the at least one item is based at least in part on a number encoded in a reflectance spectra of the each tag.

16. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the goods information comprises one or more of the following:

an ingredient, a SKU number, identifier, physical characteristic, physical weight, physical dimension, physical volume, and nutrition information.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the database stores a marker identifier.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the database stores an optical signature of a tag.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the database stores encoded information relating to one or more of the following:

a spectral response of a tag associated with an item, a tag shape, and a tag placement information.

20. A system for verifying at least one item is in a package using a database, comprising:

a verifier, wherein the verifier verifies that the at least one item is an item by;

determining a presence or an absence of a plurality of tags at a corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item using a spectral signature, wherein each tag comprises silica microtags having a complex porous nanostructure, and wherein a first location and a second location are included in the plurality of locations, wherein the determining of the presence or the absence of plurality tags at the corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item comprises;

determining a presence or an absence of a first tag at the first location to obtain a first result based on the spectral signature;

determining a presence or an absence of a second tag at the second location to obtain a second result based on the spectral signature; and

determining placement of the first tag at the first location and placement of the second tag at the second location based on an image using an imager;

concatenating determination results of the first location and the second location of the plurality of locations to obtain an identifier, wherein the concatenating of the determination results includes concatenating the first result and the second result to obtain the identifier; and

determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item in response to a determination that goods information associated with the identifier matches goods information associated with the item read from the database, wherein a producer produces the item and provides the database with the identifier, wherein the determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item comprises;

looking up the goods information in the database based on the identifier.

21. A system as in claim 20, wherein the identifier for the at least one item is based at least in part on a number encoded in a reflectance spectra of the each tag.

22. A system as in claim 20, wherein the goods information comprises one or more of the following:

an ingredient, a SKU number, identifier, physical characteristic, physical weight, physical dimension, physical volume, and nutrition information.

23. A system as in claim 20, wherein the database stores a marker identifier.

24. A system as in claim 20, wherein the database stores an optical signature of a tag.

25. A system as in claim 20, wherein the database stores encoded information relating to one or more of the following:

a spectral response of a tag associated with an item, a tag shape, and a tag placement information.

26. The system as in claim 20, wherein the producer produces a package for the item, wherein the package is associated with the identifier.

27. A method for verifying at least one item is in a package using a database, comprising:

providing a verification, using a processor, that the at least one item is an item by;

determining a presence or an absence of a plurality of tags at a corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item using a spectral signature, wherein each tag comprises silica microtags having a complex porous nanostructure, and wherein a first location and a second location are included in the plurality of locations, wherein the determining of the presence or the absence of plurality tags at the corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item comprises;

determining a presence or an absence of a first tag at the first location to obtain a first result based on the spectral signature;

determining a presence or an absence of a second tag at the second location to obtain a second result based on the spectral signature; and

determining placement of the first tag at the first location and placement of the second tag at the second location based on an image using an imager;

concatenating determination results of the first location and the second location of the plurality of locations to obtain an identifier, wherein the concatenating of the determination results includes concatenating the first result and the second result to obtain the identifier; and

determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item in response to a determination that goods information associated with the identifier matches goods information associated with the item read from the database, wherein a producer produces the item and provides the database with the identifier, wherein the determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item comprises;

looking up the goods information in the database based on the identifier.

28. A computer program product for verifying at least one item is in a package using a database, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

providing a verification, using a processor, that the at least one item is an item by;

determining a presence or an absence of a plurality of tags at a corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item using a spectral signature, wherein each tag comprises silica microtags having a complex porous nanostructure, and wherein a first location and a second location are included in the plurality of locations, wherein the determining of the presence or the absence of plurality tags at the corresponding plurality of locations on the at least one item comprises;

determining a presence or an absence of a first tag at the first location to obtain a first result based on the spectral signature;

determining a presence or an absence of a second tag at the second location to obtain a second result based on the spectral signature; and

determining placement of the first tag at the first location and placement of the second tag at the second location based on an image using an imager;

concatenating determination results of the first location and the second location of the plurality of locations to obtain an identifier, wherein the concatenating of the determination results includes concatenating the first result and the second result to obtain the identifier; and

determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item in response to a determination that goods information associated with the identifier matches goods information associated with the item read from the database, wherein a producer produces the item and provides the database with the identifier, wherein the determining that the at least one item corresponds to the item comprises;

looking up the goods information in the database based on the identifier.