Apparatus and method for authenticating products

• US 20060138221A1
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: T3C, Inc. (Information Resources Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sun, David, Mohanram, Karthik, Varshavsky, Alexander, Swan, Richard James, Mohan, Shantha
• Granted Patent: US 7,156,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A computer readable medium including executable instructions to analyze radio frequency (RF) tag information includes executable instruction to access cross-enterprise RF tag information, identify a product transition based upon the cross-enterprise RF tag information, and define a new product path based upon the product transition, where the new product path defines product pedigree information. Additional executable instructions authenticate a user, secure product information, supply product pedigree information corresponding to the product information, and verify the pedigree of the product based upon the product pedigree information.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium including executable instructions to analyze radio frequency (RF) tag information, comprising executable instruction to:

access cross-enterprise RF tag information;

identify a product transition based upon said cross-enterprise RF tag information;

define a new product path based upon said product transition, said new product path defining product pedigree information;

authenticate a user;

secure product information;

supply product pedigree information corresponding to said product information; and

verify the pedigree of a product based upon said product pedigree information.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to supply product pedigree information include executable instructions to supply additional product pedigree information in response to a user request.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 2 wherein said executable instructions to supply additional product pedigree information include executable instructions to supply information indicating visual characteristics of an authentic product.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said product pedigree information includes information selected from a product code, a product description, and a product image.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said product pedigree information includes information selected from information indicating whether a product is recalled, damaged, stolen, expired, returned, quarantined, lost and destroyed.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said product pedigree information includes information sequentially specifying a product event, location, and date.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to supply failed authentication information.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein said failed authentication information includes information specifying actions to be followed in connection with the disposal of the product that failed authentication.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising executable instructions to solicit discrepancy information from a user.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising executable instructions to process said discrepancy information to identify flaws in a supply chain.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein said executable instructions to authenticate include executable instructions to authenticate to a prescribed information access level.

12. A method of authenticating a product, comprising:

authenticating a user;

securing product information;

linking said product information to product pedigree information derived from cross-enterprise RF tag information;

supplying said product pedigree information; and

verifying the pedigree of a product based upon said product pedigree information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein authenticating includes authenticating a user to a prescribed information access level.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein supplying includes supplying additional product pedigree information in response to a user request.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein supplying includes supplying information indicating visual characteristics of an authentic product.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising supplying failed authentication information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein supplying failed authentication information includes specifying actions to be followed in connection with the disposal of the product that failed authentication.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising soliciting discrepancy information from a user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising processing said discrepancy information to identify flaws in a supply chain.