Method and system for context-based automated product identification and verification

• US 20060043174A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bisdikian, Chatschik, Banavar, Guruduth Somasekhara
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method and a system for automated verification and status identification (context) of objects using data about the objects captured via computer-enabled sensing elements are provided. The object may include goods tagged with electronic identifiers. The objects are shipped from one location to another, and identified via their electronic identifiers. The objects are scanned at the various locations by a number of sensing devices. The outcome of sensing is then compared with stored information describing the object and pointed at by their electronic identifier. The comparison is used to automatically verify that the scanned object is as identified and evaluate its condition.

Claims

1. A system for identifying an individual item, comprising:

an object scanner, which collects physical properties of an item and records the physical properties;

an identification reader, which determines an identity of the item;

a module, which records the physical characteristics and associates the physical characteristics with the identity of the item such that a physical state of the item can be determined and compared to a physical state determined at a later time.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the object scanner includes one or more of a camera and a scanner.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the object scanner includes a plurality of scanners to provide data in a plurality of dimensions.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the identification reader includes a radio frequency identification tag reader.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the identification reader includes a bar code reader.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a database, which stores the physical characteristics and the identity of the item.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the database includes a product description database, which stores information about the item including one or more of a classification of the item, a description of the item, an image of the item, a weight of the item, dimensions of the item, and/or a history of the item.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the database includes an item description database which stores information about the item including one or more of a classification of the item, a description of the item, a color of a product, a date of manufacture, a shipping date, a current location and a next location.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the module includes a comparing module, which compares digital data of the item at a first time to digital data of the item at a second time and indicates changes therebetween.

10. A system for tracking a physical condition of an item, comprising:

a first station and a second station, each including;

an object scanner, which collects physical properties of an item and records the physical properties;

an identification reader, which determines an identity of the item;

a module, which associates the physical properties with the identity of the item; and

at least one comparison module, which compares physical properties measured at the first station with physical properties measured at the second station to determine a status of the physical properties.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the object scanner includes one or more of a camera and a scanner.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the object scanner includes a plurality of scanners to provide data in a plurality of dimensions.

13. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the identification reader includes a radio frequency identification tag reader.

14. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the identification reader includes a bar code reader.

15. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a database, which stores the physical characteristics and the identity of the item.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the database includes a product description database, which stores information about the item including one or more of a classification of the item, a description of the item, an image of the item, a weight of the item, dimensions of the item, and/or a history of the item.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the database includes an item description database which stores information about the item including one or more of a classification of the item, a description of the item, a color of a product, a date of manufacture, a shipping date, a current location and a next location.

18. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the first and second stations are remote and share a database such that comparing digital data of the item at a first time at the first station and a second time at the second station may be performed remotely.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first and second stations share the database over a network.

20. A method for determining a physical status of an item comprising the steps of:

identifying an object;

retrieving physical descriptors of the object;

collecting physical context data of the object;

correlating the collected physical context data with the retrieved physical descriptors; and

determining a physical state of the object as a result of the correlating step.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of identifying an object includes electronic identification.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the electronic identification includes a bar code identification.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the electronic identification includes a radio frequency identification (RFID).

24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of retrieving includes using electronic identification to locate a collection of information records describing physical characteristics of the object.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of retrieving physical descriptors involves sensing physical characteristics of the object.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the physical characteristics include one or more of dimensions, color, and weight of the object.

27. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of retrieving physical descriptors includes scanning the object with one or more of a camera and a scanner.

28. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of collecting includes collecting the physical descriptors from a database using an identity of the object.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the database includes a product description database, which stores information about the item including one or more of a classification of the item, a description of the item, an image of the item, a weight of the item, dimensions of the item, and/or a history of the item.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the database includes an item description database which stores information about the item including one or more of a classification of the item, a description of the item, a color of a product, a date of manufacture, a shipping date, a current location and a next location.

31. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the step of correlating the collected physical context data with the retrieved physical descriptors includes comparing present physical descriptors to stored physical context data.

32. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising the step of taking corrective actions in accordance with the state of the object.

33. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for determining a status of an item as recited in claim 20.