METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING AND REPORTING WITNESS VERIFICATION DATA IN AN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

• US 20120284320A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• 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
• Application Number:
  US13/547,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284320A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• 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 capturing and reporting witness verification data in an agricultural production. In an example embodiment, computing apparatus comprises a machine-readable computer database to store machine-readable agricultural production data in the computer database, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product. The database also stores machine-readable witness verification data, the witness verification data representing a witness verification of the agricultural production data. The computing apparatus also includes one or more programmed computers operable to retrieve the machine-readable production data from the computer database for use by the one or more programmed computers in a computer-implemented process or to communicate the agricultural production data to another computing device.

Claims

1. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a machine-readable computer database to;

store machine-readable agricultural production data in the computer database, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product;

store machine-readable witness verification data in the computer database, the witness verification data representing a witness verification of the agricultural production data; and

one or more programmed computers operable to;

retrieve the machine-readable production data from the computer database for use by the one or more programmed computers in a computer-implemented process or to communicate the agricultural production data to another computing device.

2. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a machine-readable computer database to;

store machine-readable, digitally signed agricultural production data in the computer database, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product;

wherein the digital signing of the agricultural production data signifies that the agricultural production data has been verified by a witness, the witness being a person other than the person or process sourcing the agricultural production data; and

one or more programmed computers operable to;

retrieve the machine-readable, digitally signed production data from the computer database for use by the one or more programmed computers in a computer-implemented process or to communicate the digitally signed agricultural production data to another computing device.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

a hand-held device including;

a display; and

at least one processor to;

a) capture or record machine-readable agricultural production data or agricultural product data, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product and being entered by a data entry person or process;

b) receive an indication of witness verification of the agricultural production data by a human witness other than the data entry person;

c) store machine-readable witness verification data, the witness verification data representing a witness verification of the agricultural production data; and

d) transfer the agricultural production data and the witness verification data to another computer.

4. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a computer or hand-held device including;

a display; and

one or more input devices;

at least one processor on the computer or hand-held device to;

a) capture or record machine-readable agricultural production data or agricultural product data, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product and being entered by a data entry person or process;

b) receive an indication of witness verification of the agricultural production data by a human witness other than the data entry person;

c) store machine-readable witness verification data, the witness verification data representing a witness verification of the agricultural production data; and

d) transfer the agricultural production data and the witness verification data to another computer.

5. The computing apparatus of claim 4, 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.

6. The computing 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 computing apparatus, comprising:

a hand-held device including;

a display; and

at least one processor to;

a) capture or record machine-readable agricultural production data or agricultural product data, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product and being entered by a data entry person or process;

b) receive an indication of witness verification of the agricultural production data by a human witness other than the data entry person;

c) digitally sign the verified agricultural production data to signify its verification;

d) store machine-readable, digitally signed agricultural production data in the computer database; and

e) transfer the digitally signed agricultural production data to another computer.

8. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a computer including;

a display; and

one or more input devices; and

at least one processor to;

a) capture or record machine-readable agricultural production data or agricultural product data, the agricultural production data specifying at least one attribute concerning the production of an agricultural product and being entered by a data entry person or process;

b) receive an indication of witness verification of the agricultural production data by a human witness other than the data entry person;

c) digitally sign the verified agricultural production data to signify its verification;

d) store machine-readable, digitally signed agricultural production data in the computer database; and

e) transfer the digitally signed agricultural production data to another computer.