COMPUTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ELECTRONICALLY INDICATING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A PRODUCT

• US 20120175412A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Temptime Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Temptime Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Lentz, Carl M., Moore, Emily, Prusik, Thaddeus, GRABINER, Frederick R., Puro, Nicholas, Osborn, Bruce-Erik
• Granted Patent: US 9,224,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of patient-related medical or healthcare data for medical reports G16H15/00; for therapies or health-improving plans G16H20/00; for the handling or processing of medical images G16H30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

In part, the invention relates to computing systems and methods for electronically indicating the acceptability of a product. An image capture and communication device may analyze a product label that includes one or more monitors, authentication elements, and identification elements. The image capture and communication device may determine the type and features of the monitors, authentication elements, and identification elements. The image capture and communication device may transmit data based on the type and features to a host server, which may transmit data associated with the host product to the image capture and communication device in, inter alia, the form of an acceptability report.

Claims

1. A method of optically processing a product label implementable using an image capture and communication device comprising:

capturing image data from a product label using a camera, wherein the product label comprises an environmental monitor having a first shape and a monitor state;

capturing image data from a first identifier defined by a patterned region using the camera;

processing the image data in response to the first shape to identify a first subset of image data obtained with respect to the first environmental monitor;

determining the monitor state from the first subset of image data; and

generating an acceptability report based upon the determined monitor state.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of processing the image data in response to the patterned region to identify a second subset of image data obtained with respect to the first identifier;

and determining a source of the identifier, wherein the acceptability report further comprises information relating to the determined source.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first identifier is disposed on or near the product label and wherein the processing, determining, and generating steps are performed using the image capture and communication device, and, optionally, the image capture and communication device is configured for communication with a host server for performance of at least one of the processing, determining, and generating steps.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the image capture and communication device is a mobile device comprising a display and the camera and the acceptability report is human readable.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of controlling an application programming interface used to control the camera to prevent the captured image data from being pre-processed.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the image data comprises a plurality of frames of image data and wherein the method further comprises differentiating between the plurality of frames and removing optical defects or selecting a frame or frames for subsequent processing.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of adjusting a dynamic range for the image data using the patterned region as a reference, the patterned region comprising a black and white barcode.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of displaying an instruction to a user to capture the image data from multiple angles using the camera.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the product label is configured for use with a product that requires cold storage, but that can be exposed to an ambient room temperature for a predetermined time period such that the monitor state undergoes a change detectable in the image data if the predetermined time period is exceeded.

10. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of determining a first optical density value correlated with the monitor state and comparing the first optical density value with a plurality of optical densities correlated with residual shelf lives of the product.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of providing an estimated shelf life for the product in the acceptability report.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of identifying a plurality of ellipses in the image data to locate the first environmental monitor when the first shape is approximately circular.

13. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of processing the image data to compensate for curvature of an object to which the product label is disposed upon before determining the monitor state.

14. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

capturing image data from a second label using the camera, wherein optionally, the second label comprises a second identifier defined by a patterned region; and

populating a records management system with event data associated with an event relating to a product associated with the product label and an entity associated with the second identifier.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the event is selected from the group consisting of:

vaccination of the entity with the product;

delivery of the product to the entity;

performing a procedure on the entity;

rejection of the product by the entity;

consumption of the product by the entity;

acknowledgement of the acceptability report by the entity;

the entity performing an experiment using the product; and

combinations of two or more of the foregoing events.

16. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of obtaining supplemental label data from the first identifier or other indicia on the label and processing the image data using the supplemental label data.

17. An automatic processor-based system for processing a product provided with a product label, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the memory comprises instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

automatically store a first set of image data in the memory, wherein the first set of image data comprises a first subset of image data containing environmental monitor information and a second subset containing authentication information, wherein the first set of image data is obtained with respect to the product label;

process the first subset of image data such that a monitor state is determined;

process the second subset of image data such that an authentication state is determined; and

display an acceptability report indicating that the product is acceptable if the monitor state satisfies a predetermined acceptance level and the authentication state is verified as authentic.

18. The automatic processor-based system of claim 17 wherein the memory and processor are disposed in a host server or a mobile device.

19. The automatic processor-based system of claim 17 wherein the memory device further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

automatically store a second set of image data in the memory, wherein the second set of image data comprises a third subset of image data containing entity information, wherein the second set of image data is obtained with respect to a label associated with the entity; and

route the monitor state, the authentication state, and entity information to a database.

20. The automatic processor-based system of claim 19 wherein the entity is selected from the group consisting of a patient;

a product transport company;

a clinical trial administrator;

a hospital;

a pharmaceutical company;

a supplier;

a distributor;

a quality control service provider;

a manufacturer; and

a consumer.

21. The automatic processor-based system of claim 17 wherein the image data is obtained with a camera and wherein the memory device further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to control the camera such that the first subset of image data and the second subset of image data captured using the camera is unprocessed image data when stored in the memory.

22. The automatic processor-based system of claim 17 wherein the memory device further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to automatically compensate for noise or glare in the first set of image data.

23. The automatic processor-based system of claim 17 further comprising a display in electrical communication with the processor and wherein the memory device further comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to inform a user, using the display, to capture the first set of image data from multiple angles.

24. The automatic processor-based system of claim 17 wherein the environmental monitor experiences a detectable change in color when exposed to an environmental stimulus damaging to the product.