METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A UNIVERSAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR FOOD PRODUCTS

• US 20120273569A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SureHarvest, Inc. (Where Food Comes From, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SureHarvest, Inc. (Where Food Comes From, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dlott, Jeffrey W., Rosenberg, Harry W., Ohmart, Clifford P., Connolly, Rebecca
• Granted Patent: US 9,619,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and apparatus for a universal certification process for food products. In an example embodiment, an apparatus comprises a hand-held device including a display and one or more input devices to sense product identification indicia associated with or affixed to a food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation. The hand-held device includes at least one processor to determine a machine-readable identification code from the product identification indicia; send the identification code to at least one remote server; receive, from the at least one remote server, agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information indicating compliance of the product with at least one of a plurality of different agricultural certifications, each from different certification authorities and each having different requirements; and display the certification information on the display in human readable form.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a hand-held device including;

a display; and

one or more input devices to sense product identification indicia associated with or affixed to a food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation;

the hand-held device including at least one processor to;

a) determine a machine-readable identification code from the product identification indicia;

b) send the identification code to at least one remote server;

c) receive, from the at least one remote server, agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information indicating compliance of the product with at least one of a plurality of different agricultural certifications, each from different certification authorities and each having different requirements, wherein the at least one agricultural certification is generated by a universal computerized certification process that determines compliance of the agricultural product with at least one of the different certifications by comparing machine-readable product data associated with the product with respective machine-readable certification requirements for the different certifications; and

d) display the certification information on the display in human readable form.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

a keyboard;

bar code reader;

an imaging camera; and

, a radio frequency identification means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

optical, radio, infrared, audio, and video input devices.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer including;

a display;

one or more input devices; and

at least one processor to;

a) receive an identification code from one or more of the input devices, the identification code corresponding to a food product;

b) send the identification code to at least one remote server;

c) receive, from the at least one remote server, agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information indicating compliance of the product with at least one of a plurality of different agricultural certifications, each from different certification authorities and each having different requirements, wherein the at least one agricultural certification is generated by a universal computerized certification process that determines compliance of the agricultural product with at least one of the different certifications by comparing machine-readable product data associated with the product with respective machine-readable certification requirements for the different certifications; and

d) display the certification information on the display in human readable form.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

a keyboard;

a bar code reader;

an imaging camera; and

, a radio frequency identification means.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

optical, radio, infrared, audio, and video input devices.

7. A system comprising one or more processors to:

a) an identification code from one or more input devices, the identification code corresponding to a food product;

b) receive or store agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information indicating compliance of the product with at least one of a plurality of different agricultural certifications, each from different certification authorities and each having different requirements, wherein the at least one agricultural certification is generated by a universal computerized certification process that determines compliance of the agricultural product with at least one of the different certifications by comparing machine-readable product data associated with the product with respective machine-readable certification requirements for the different certifications; and

c) send to a display, in response to receiving the identification code, at least some of the certification information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the processors is further to receive or store at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product at one or more remote servers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system further includes a computer or hand-held device comprising at least one of the processors, and wherein the at least one processor is further to receive, from the one or more remote servers, at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer or hand-held device includes the display to which at least some of the certification information is sent.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

a keyboard;

a bar code reader;

an imaging camera; and

, a radio frequency identification means.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

optical, radio, infrared, audio, and video input devices.

13. A system comprising:

a network;

at least one database, accessible on the network, the database including agricultural certification information that is associated with a food product, the certification information indicating compliance of the product with at least one of a plurality of different agricultural certifications, each from different certification authorities and each having different requirements, wherein the at least one agricultural certification is generated by a universal computerized certification process that determines compliance of the agricultural product with at least one of the different certifications by comparing machine-readable product data associated with the product with respective machine-readable certification requirements for the different certifications; and

a server, operatively connected to the network, wherein the server includes;

a processor,

a memory,

software operable on the processor to;

a) receive an identification code from one or more input devices, the identification code corresponding to the food product;

b) receive or store information that is associated with the product, the information including at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product; and

c) send to a display, in response to receiving the identification code, at least some of the certification information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the software is further operable to receive or store at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product at one or more remote servers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the software is further operable to receive, from the one or more remote servers, at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

a keyboard;

a bar code reader;

an imaging camera; and

, a radio frequency identification means.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

optical, radio, infrared, audio, and video input devices.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising using one or more processors to:

a) receive an identification code from one or more input devices, the identification code corresponding to a food product;

b) receive or store agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information indicating compliance of the product with at least one of a plurality of different agricultural certifications, each from different certification authorities and each having different requirements, wherein the at least one agricultural certification is generated by a universal computerized certification process that determines compliance of the agricultural product with at least one of the different certifications by comparing machine-readable product data associated with the product with respective machine-readable certification requirements for the different certifications; and

c) send to a display, in response to receiving the identification code, at least some of the certification information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing or receiving at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product at one or more remote servers.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving at a computer or hand-held device, from the one or more remote servers, at least some of the certification information that is associated with the product.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer or hand-held device includes the display to which at least some of the certification information is sent.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

a keyboard;

a bar code reader;

an imaging camera; and

, a radio frequency identification means.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more input devices includes one or more of the following:

optical, radio, infrared, audio, and video input devices.

24. A method for producing a certification data product, the method comprising:

storing machine-readable certification requirement data in a computer database, the requirement data specifying certification requirements received from a respective plurality of different certification authorities for a respective plurality of product certifications;

storing machine-readable agricultural production data in the computer database, the agricultural production data received for a respective plurality of different agricultural products;

determining compliance of at least one of the agricultural products with at least one of the product certifications using the machine-readable certification requirement data and the machine-readable agricultural production data; and

producing a certification data product including certification data indicating compliance of the at least one agricultural product with the at least one product certification.

25. A certification apparatus, comprising:

a machine-readable computer database;

to store machine-readable certification requirement data in a computer database, the requirement data specifying certification requirements received from a respective plurality of different certification authorities for a respective plurality of product certifications; and

to store machine-readable agricultural production data in the computer database, the agricultural production data received for a respective plurality of different agricultural products;

one or more programmed computers operable to;

determine compliance of at least one of the agricultural products with at least one of the product certifications using the machine-readable certification requirement data and the machine-readable agricultural production data; and

produce a certification data product including certification data indicating compliance of the at least one agricultural products with the at least one product certification.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a hand-held device including;

a display; and

one or more input devices to sense product identification indicia associated with or affixed to a food product that is grown or raised in an agricultural operation;

the hand-held device including at least one processors to;

a) determine a machine-readable identification code from the product identification indicia;

b) send the identification code to at least one remote server;

c) receive, from the at least one remote server, agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information being associated with the product using the machine-readable identification code; and

d) display the certification information on the display in human readable form.

27. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer including;

a display; and

one or more input devices; and

at least one processor to;

a) receive an identification code from one or more of the input devices, the identification code corresponding to a food product;

b) send the identification code to at least one remote server;

c) receive, from the at least one remote server, agricultural certification information that is associated with the product, the certification information being associated with the product using the machine-readable identification code; and

d) display the certification information on the display in human readable form.