Alert options for electronic-paper verification

• US 20110055587A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A system and method to control the writing on electronic paper (e-paper). An e-paper device may incorporate authentication indicia as part of informational data written on e-paper material. The informational data is protected by a security methodology that is accessible to authorized entities. A reader device may be used to help make a verification determination of whether encrypted or encoded data has been altered. In some instances an output alert operably coupled to the reader device serves as a verification status indicator.

Claims

1. A system for providing verification status for an e-paper document having an electronically written image associated with an item, comprising:

an article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to;

scanning the image and encrypted or encoded data indicia on the e-paper document;

making a validation determination using the encrypted or encoded data indicia to determine whether the image has been altered; and

providing a status output based on a result obtained by the validation determination.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to making the validation determination includes:

one or more instructions related to using one or more of the following types of data structures to determine whether the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered;

code, cipher, key, checksum, hash, algorithm, and digital signature.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to scanning the image and encrypted or encoded data indicia on the e-paper document includes:

one or more instructions related to scanning one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia included in the image on the e-paper document.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the status output includes:

one or more instructions related to providing a separate alert responsive to the validation determination for each type of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the status output includes:

one or more instructions related to providing a same alert responsive to the validation determination for multiple types of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the same alert responsive to the validation determination for multiple types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to generating the same alert responsive to the validation termination of an unauthorized alteration of any of the multiple types of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to scanning one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia included in the image on the e-paper document includes:

one or more instructions related to scanning one or more of the following types of encrypted or encoded data indicia;

document authentication, data authentication, item authentication, product authentication, packaging authentication, container authentication, item information, product information, service information, usage instruction, product ingredient, product component, service requirement, certification, testing, endorsement, warranty, legal notification, government approval, destination, delivery, document origination date, item origination date, product origination date, tracking, history, tracking history, modification history, access history, verification history, validation, corporate approval, and ownership.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the status output based on a result obtained by the validation determination includes:

one or more instructions related to providing an alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to identifying the type of encrypted or encoded data indicia associated with the alert.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to providing the alert at a location separated from the e-paper document.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to generating the alert that includes one or more of the following outputs;

text, alphanumeric, symbol, audio, visual, audiovisual, and color.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to displaying an output that is detectable under one or more of the following conditions;

normal ambient light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, filtered light, specific environmental condition, specific time period, placement in electromagnetic field, and customized image processing.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to generating a visual alert output incorporated in a pixel display on the e-paper document.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

one or more instructions related to providing the alert on the e-paper document.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing an alert on the e-paper document includes:

one or more instructions related to generating automatically on the e-paper document and/or at a separate location a detectable “

warning”

status alert output in the event a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered without authorization.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited^- to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the alert on the e-paper document includes:

one or more instructions related to maintaining an ongoing detectable alert output for a given period of time.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to maintaining the ongoing detectable alert output includes:

one or more instructions related to providing an ongoing detectable “

ok”

status alert output if a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has not been altered.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to maintaining the ongoing detectable alert output includes:

one or more instructions related to providing an ongoing detectable “

warning”

status alert output if a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said article of manufacture including but not limited to a signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to providing the ongoing detectable “

warning”

status alert output includes;

one or more instructions related to displaying an unalterable detectable “

warning”

status alert output.

20. A first system for indicating a verification status of an e-paper document having an electronically written image related to an associated item, comprising:

means for performing at least one of a reception of or a transmission of one or more instructions in relation to a second system that includes at least;

sensing means for scanning encrypted or encoded information incorporated in the e-paper document;

processing means for performing a security validation on the encrypted or encoded information to determine whether the image has been altered; and

alert indicator means disposed on the e-paper document for providing a first output responsive to the security validation performed by said processing means.

21. The first system of claim 20 wherein said second system further includes:

second alert indicator means for providing a second output responsive to the security validation performed by said processing means.

22. The first system of claim 21 wherein the second alert indicator means is incorporated with the associated item.

23. The first system of claim 22 wherein the second alert indicator means is incorporated with the associated item that is included in one or more of the following categories:

product, equipment, apparatus, device, packaging, container, printed material, service, vehicle, machine, merchandise, clothing, food, chemical, medicine, raw material, article of manufacture, component, and tool.

24. The first of claim 21 wherein the second alert indicator means is incorporated with the sensing means and/or with the processing means.

25. The first system of claim 21 wherein the second output is different from the first output.

26. The first system of claim 20 wherein said alert indicator means is configured to generate automatically a detectable “

warning”

status output alert if a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered without authorization.

27. The first system of claim 20 wherein said sensing means is configured to scan multiple types of encrypted or encoded information;

and

wherein said alert indicator means is configured to provide a “

warning”

alert output responsive to an alteration detected in any of the multiple types of encrypted or encoded information.

28. The first system of claim 27 wherein said alert indicator means is further configured to provide an identity of a type of encrypted or encoded information determined by said processing means to have been altered.

29. The first system of claim 20 wherein said alert indicator means is configured to provide an “

ok”

alert output responsive to no alteration detected in the encrypted or encoded information.

30. The first system of claim 20 wherein said alert indicator means includes a pixel display on the e-paper document.

31. The first system of claim 20 wherein said alert indicator means includes an unalterable display on the e-paper document.

32. The first system of claim 20 wherein said alert indicator means includes a display detectable under one or more of the following conditions:

normal ambient light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, filtered light, specific environmental condition, specific time period, placement in electromagnetic field, and customized image processing.

33. The first system of claim 20 wherein said sensing means includes scanning means capable of reading encrypted or encoded information that includes one or more of the following categories:

alphanumeric text, symbol, geometric design, monochrome scheme, color scheme, repeated pattern, random pattern, boundary cross-over representation, legend, image, bar code, and hidden representation.

34. The first system of claim 20 where said sensing means includes scanning means a-scanner capable of reading encrypted or encoded information located on the e-paper document and/or on the associated item or product or container or package.

35-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A system for providing verification status for an e-paper document associated with an item, comprising:

monitoring means for periodically monitoring encrypted or encoded data indicia on the e-paper document;

detecting means for detecting an unauthorized alteration to the encrypted or encoded data indicia; and

alert means for generating an automatic status output alert based on a result obtained by said detecting.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said monitoring means for periodically monitoring includes:

means for initiating said periodically monitoring under one or more of the following circumstances;

upon receipt of the e-paper document by a different entity;

prior to transferring the e-paper document to a different entity;

prior to attachment of the e-paper document to the associated item;

after attachment of the e-paper document to the associated item;

after encrypted or encoded data indicia has been added to the e-paper document;

after encrypted or encoded data indicia has been changed or deleted from the e-paper document; and

upon transfer of the associated item to a new location.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said alert means for generating an automatic status output alert includes:

means for generating and maintaining an ongoing detectable alert output for a period of time, wherein the alert output includes an “

ok”

status alert or a “

warning”

status alert based on the result obtained by said detecting means.

49. The system of claim 46 further comprising:

selecting means for optionally selecting desired output information regarding a basis for the result obtained by said detecting means.