Secure product identification and verification

• US 10,515,333 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2018
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Solutions Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Vivier, Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tungate, Scott M
• Application Number:
  US16/158,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20190043008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0832 Special goods or special handling procedures, e.g. handling of hazardous or fragile goods
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0838 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

A device may receive an indication that a product has arrived at a destination. The product may have been shipped by an entity to the destination. The device may perform an analysis on the product to determine an attribute of the product. The device may perform a comparison of information identifying the attribute of the product and information included in an encrypted record, for the product, of a blockchain, to verify the attribute of the product. The information included in the encrypted record may be related to attributes of the product. The attributes of the product may have been determined by the entity that shipped the product to the destination. The device may determine whether the attribute of the product is verified based on performing the comparison. The device may perform an action based on determining whether the attribute of the product is verified.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive information regarding a product to be shipped to a destination,

the product having an origin;

perform an analysis on the product using an analysis technique,

the analysis technique being used to determine a chemical identity of the product, and

the chemical identity uniquely identifying the product with respect to a plurality of other products from origins differing from the origin of the product;

determine, from the chemical identity, an attribute of the product,

the attribute being an identifier for the product; and

create a block or a transaction of a blockchain for the product,

the block or the transaction storing;

the information regarding the product,

information identifying the chemical identity of the product,

information identifying the attribute of the product, or

information identifying a quantity of the product,

the blockchain to be accessible during transportation of the product to the destination, and

the blockchain to be analyzed during transportation of the product to the destination to verify the attribute or the chemical identity.

2. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

provide a set of instructions to another device to cause the other device to obtain a sample of the product based on a mode of transportation of the product; and

provide another set of instructions to the other device to cause the other device to perform an analysis using an infrared (IR) spectrometer based on obtaining the sample.

3. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

perform an action related to the product based on creating the block or the transaction, the action including causing the product to be shipped to the destination.

4. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

provide a set of instructions to another device to cause the other device to perform the analysis; and

where the one or more processors, when performing the analysis, are to;

perform the analysis based on providing the set of instructions to the other device.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

compare the information identifying the chemical identity and information stored by another device,

the other device being associated with a first entity different than a second entity associated with the device; and

where the one or more processors, when determining the attribute of the product, are to;

determine the attribute of the product based on a result of comparing the information identifying the chemical identity and the information stored by the other device.

6. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine a type of the product or a transportation mode being used to transport the product based on the information regarding the product; and

select the analysis technique from among multiple analysis techniques based on the type of the product or the transportation mode; and

where the one or more processors, when performing the analysis, are to;

perform the analysis based on selecting the analysis technique.

7. The device of claim 1, where the attribute of the product includes:

a quality level of the product, or

a source of the product.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, information regarding a product to be shipped to a destination,

the product having an origin;

performing, by the device, an analysis on the product using an analysis technique,

the analysis technique being used to determine a chemical identity of the product, and

the chemical identity uniquely identifying the product with respect to a plurality of other products from origins differing from the origin of the product;

determining, by the device and from the chemical identity, an attribute of the product,

the attribute being an identifier for the product; and

creating, by the device, a block or a transaction of a blockchain for the product,

the block or the transaction storing;

the information regarding the product,

information identifying the chemical identity of the product,

information identifying the attribute of the product, or

information identifying a quantity of the product,

the blockchain to be accessible during transportation of the product to the destination, and

the blockchain to be analyzed during transportation of the product to the destination to verify the attribute or the chemical identity.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a set of instructions to another device to cause the other device to obtain a sample of the product based on a mode of transportation of the product; and

providing another set of instructions to the other device to cause the other device to perform an analysis using an infrared (IR) spectrometer based on obtaining the sample.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing an action related to the product based on creating the block or the transaction,

the action including causing the product to be shipped to the destination.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a set of instructions to another device to cause the other device to perform the analysis; and

where performing the analysis comprises;

performing the analysis based on providing the set of instructions to the other device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the information identifying the chemical identity and information stored by another device,

the other device being associated with a first entity different than a second entity associated with the device; and

where determining the attribute of the product comprises;

determining the attribute of the product based on a result of comparing the information identifying the chemical identity and the information stored by the other device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a type of the product or a transportation mode being used to transport the product based on the information regarding the product; and

selecting the analysis technique from among multiple analysis techniques based on the type of the product or the transportation mode; and

where performing the analysis comprises;

performing the analysis based on selecting the analysis technique.

14. The method of claim 8, where the attribute of the product includes:

a quality level of the product, or

a source of the product.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive information regarding a product to be shipped to a destination,

the product having an origin;

perform an analysis on the product using an analysis technique,

the analysis technique being used to determine a chemical identity of the product, and

the chemical identity uniquely identifying the product with respect to a plurality of other products from origins differing from the origin of the product;

determine, from the chemical identity, an attribute of the product,

the attribute being an identifier for the product; and

create a block or a transaction of a blockchain for the product,

the block or the transaction storing;

the information regarding the product,

information identifying the chemical identity of the product,

information identifying the attribute of the product, or

information identifying a quantity of the product,

the blockchain to be accessible during transportation of the product to the destination, and

the blockchain to be analyzed during transportation of the product to the destination to verify the attribute or the chemical identity.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide a set of instructions to another device to cause the other device to obtain a sample of the product based on a mode of transportation of the product; and

provide another set of instructions to the other device to cause the other device to perform an analysis using an infrared (IR) spectrometer based on obtaining the sample.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

perform an action related to the product based on creating the block or the transaction,

the action including causing the product to be shipped to the destination.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide a set of instructions to another device to cause the other device to perform the analysis; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the analysis, cause the one or more processors to;

perform the analysis based on providing the set of instructions to the other device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

compare the information identifying the chemical identity and information stored by another device,

the other device being associated with a first entity different than a second entity associated with the device; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the attribute of the product, cause the one or more processors to;

determine the attribute of the product based on a result of comparing the information identifying the chemical identity and the information stored by the other device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, where the one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a type of the product or a transportation mode being used to transport the product based on the information regarding the product; and

select the analysis technique from among multiple analysis techniques based on the type of the product or the transportation mode; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to perform the analysis, cause the one or more processors to;

perform the analysis based on selecting the analysis technique.