Method and system for preventing parallel marketing of wholesale and retail items

• US 20020143671A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Afzali-Ardakani, Ali, Schrott, Alejandro Gabriel, Feger, Claudius, Tresser, Charles P., Martens, Marco, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Gutfeld, Robert Jacob von
• Granted Patent: US 6,817,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1405 Capsule or particulate matter containing [e.g., sphere, flake, microballoon, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1467 Coloring agent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24934 including paper layer

Abstract

A system and method for detecting parallel marketing of an item, include forming at least one of a coating and a code on the item, interrogating the at least one of the coating and said code, and determining from the interrogating whether the item has been transferred from an authorized merchant to an unauthorized merchant.

Claims

1. A method for detecting parallel marketing of an item, comprising:

forming at least one of a coating and a code on said item;

interrogating said at least one of said coating and said code; and

determining from said interrogating whether said item has been transferred from an authorized merchant to an unauthorized merchant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating comprises one of an organic resin and polymer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said organic polymer comprises one of epoxy, organo-silanes, and cellulosics, containing at least one chemical marker, said at least one chemical marker being one of dissolved and dispersed in the coating.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating comprises one of epoxy, organo-silanes, and cellulosics, containing at least one chemical marker, said at least one chemical marker being one of dissolved and dispersed in the coating.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating has a thickness substantially within a range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 10 microns.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said coating has a thickness substantially within a range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 1 micron.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said coating has a thickness of approximately 0.1 micron.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein said chemical marker comprises at least one rare earth element.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating is applied to at least a portion of said item by one of dipping, spraying, and evaporating, wherein said coating includes a unique spectrum, thereby serving as an identifier assigned to a particular merchant licensed by a manufacturer of the item.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said code comprises a bar code, said method further comprising scribing said bar code onto at least one area of said item.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said item includes a label, said code being scribed on said item in an area of said item underneath said label.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said coating is cured by one of heat and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein said code comprises a bar code encrypted onto the item at at least one area of said item.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said bar code is scribed onto said item, and

wherein said code is configured to contain information regarding its location on the item and the number of codes that have been scribed onto the item.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said forming said code comprises forming said code by at least one of laser scribing, chemical etching and mechanical etching.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the item includes a label, and said code is formed under said label.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the label is overcoated with a protective layer.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein a coating is formed over said code, said coating having substantially the same index of refraction as the item such that the code is not visible to an observer'"'"'s naked eye.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said label contains an encrypted, visible bar code containing special information.

20. A method of detecting parallel marketing of an item, comprising:

applying a coating, incorporating a substance different from that of said item, to the item; and

interrogating said coating to determine whether parallel marketing of said item has occurred.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said coating comprises one of an organic resin and polymer.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said organic polymer comprises one of epoxy, organo-silanes, and cellulosics, containing at least one chemical marker, said at least one chemical marker being one of dissolved and dispersed in the coating.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein said coating comprises one of epoxy, organo-silanes, and cellulosics, containing at least one chemical marker, said at least one chemical marker being one of dissolved and dispersed in the coating.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein said coating has a thickness substantially within a range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 10 microns.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said coating has a thickness substantially within a range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 1 micron.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said coating has a thickness of approximately 0.1 micron.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein said chemical marker comprises at least one rare earth element.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein said coating is applied to at least a portion of said item by one of dipping, spraying, and evaporating,

wherein said coating includes a unique spectrum, thereby serving as an identifier assigned to a particular merchant licensed by a manufacturer of the item.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising applying a protective coating over said code, said protective coating having the same index of refraction as the material of said item.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein said item includes a label, further comprising applying a protective layer over said label.

29. A method of detecting unauthorized marketing of an item, comprising:

forming a code on an item; and

interrogating said code to determine whether said item is being marketed in an unauthorized manner.

32. A system for detecting unauthorized marketing of an item, comprising:

at least one of a coating and a code formed on said item;

a detector for determining information contents of said one of said coating and said code; and

a processor for determining, based on an output of said detector, whether said item has been transferred from an authorized merchant to an unauthorized merchant.