NANOSTRUCTURE TRACKING OF PRODUCT DATA SIGNATURES

• US 20130006878A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brooks, Bradford O., Pollyea, Scott W., Tummalapenta, Srinivas B., Yaswi, Hamza, Kohlscheen, Alan L.
• Application Number:
  US13/174,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/318
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking

Abstract

Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to incorporating one or more nanoprocessors to one or more physical structures of one or more components of a product. The product is transportable via a chain of supply. Some embodiments are further directed to configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to store data that describes characteristics of the one or more components, the product, and/or the chain of supply. Some embodiments are further directed configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to transmit one or more signals that contain the data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for configuring a product for use in a chain of supply comprising:

incorporating one or more nanoprocessors to one or more physical structures of one or more components of the product, wherein the product is transportable via the chain of supply;

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to store data that describes characteristics of one or more of the one or more components, the product, and the chain of supply; and

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to transmit one or more signals that contain the data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to receive one or more additional signals that contain additional data from one or more additional nanoprocessors associated with subcomponents of the one or more components; and

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to include the additional data for the subcomponents in the data for the one or more components.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the additional data includes values associated with the subcomponents, and further comprising configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to calculate the values associated with the subcomponents.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to transmit the one or more signals to an additional processor associated with the product.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the incorporating the one or more nanoprocessors to the one or more physical structures of the one or more components of the product comprises:

affixing nanoparticles to the one or more physical structures of the one or more components;

writing one or more of electrical, photonic, and magnetic charges to alterable portions of the nanoparticles; and

configuring the charges as the data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to detect an activating command provided via device at a location associated with a chain of supply;

and

configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to transmit the data in response to detection of the activating command.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the incorporating the one or more nanoprocessors to the one or more physical structures of the one or more components of the product is performed by a component processor applicator, wherein the configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to store the data that describes the characteristics of the one or more of the one or more components and the configuring the one or more nanoprocessors to transmit the one or more signals that contain the data are performed by an encoder.

8. A computer program product for detecting and using data from a product at a point in a chain of supply, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to,

detect one or more wireless signals transmitted from one or more nanoprocessors attached to one or more components of the product, wherein the one or more wireless signals include the data, wherein the data describes one or more characteristics of the one or more components, and

use the data to verify the one or more characteristics of the one or more components at the point in the chain of supply.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, said computer readable program code being configured to use the data to verify the one or more characteristics of the one or more components being further configured to:

transmit the data to a server,

request the server to provide a copy of the data that was stored during manufacture of the one or more components,

receive the copy of the data,

evaluate the data against the copy of the data, and

determine one or more of authenticity and completeness of the component based on evaluation of the data against the copy of the data.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, said computer readable program code being further configured to

detect, via the data, one or more first unique identifiers associated with the one or more components, wherein the one or more first unique identifiers, in aggregate, specify a measured data signature for the product as measured at the point in the chain of supply for the product,

evaluate the measured data signature against a recorded data signature, wherein the recorded data signature comprises an aggregate of one or more second unique identifiers attained from on a database accessible via a communications network, wherein the one or more second unique identifiers were recorded on the database, via the communication network, throughout a manufacturing processes of the product, and

determine, based on evaluation of the measured data signature against the recorded data signature, one or more of an authenticity, a completeness, a modification and a secureness of the one or more components.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the one or more components are organized according to tiers of component levels, wherein one or more tier values are stored on the one or more nanoprocessors to indicate the tiers of component levels, and said computer readable program code being further configured to:

detect at least one of the one or more nanoprocessors that is assigned to a highest of the tier values; and

transmit a command to the at least one of the one or more nanoprocessors, wherein the command requests the at least one of the one or more nanoprocessors to transmit the one or more wireless signals.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, said computer readable program code being further configured to:

transmit power with the command to energize the at least one of the one or more nanoprocessors.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processing units; and

a component identification module operable to, via the one or more processing units,

detect a plurality of first unique identifiers associated with components of a product, wherein the plurality of first unique identifiers, in aggregate, specify a measured data signature for the product,

evaluate the measured data signature against a recorded data signature, wherein the recorded data signature comprises an aggregate of one or more second unique identifiers recorded on the components throughout manufacturing of the components, and

determine, based on evaluation of the measured data signature against the recorded data signature, one or more of an authenticity, a lack of authenticity, a completeness, and a lack of completeness of the components.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a scanning unit associated with a checkpoint in a chain of supply for the product, wherein the scanning unit is configured to measure the plurality of first unique identifiers via one or more additional processing units, and

transmit the plurality of first unique identifiers via a communications network to the component identification module, wherein the evaluation of the measured data signature against the recorded data signature is processed via the one or more processing units associated with the component identification module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the scanning unit is further operable to

transmit a first wireless signal to at least one of the components, wherein the first wireless signal includes a command for the at least one of the components to transmit at least one second wireless signal that includes the plurality of first unique identifiers, and

detect the at least one second wireless signal from the at least one of the components, in response to transmission of the first wireless signal.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a nanoprocessor affixed to the at least one of the components, wherein the nanoprocessor is configured to transmit the at least one second wireless signal.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first unique identifiers are stored on nanoparticles affixed to the components.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the second plurality of unique identifiers are stored on a database during a plurality of manufacturing procedures for the components.

19. A computer program product for reading and using data from a product at a point in a chain of supply, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to,

detect a plurality of first unique identifiers associated with components of the product, wherein the plurality of first unique identifiers, in aggregate, specify a measured data signature for the product,

evaluate the measured data signature against a recorded data signature, wherein the recorded data signature comprises an aggregate of one or more second unique identifiers recorded on the components throughout manufacturing of the components, and

determine, based on evaluation of the measured data signature against the recorded data signature, one or more of an authenticity, a lack of authenticity, a completeness, and a lack of completeness of the components.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the plurality of first unique identifiers are stored on nanoparticles affixed to the plurality of components.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, said computer readable program code being further configured to:

present a report, via a graphical user interface, of the one or more of the authenticity, the lack of authenticity, the completeness, and the lack of completeness of the components.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, said computer readable program code being further configured to:

assign an indication of the one or more of the authenticity, the lack of authenticity, the completeness, and the lack of completeness of the components to a database recorded associated with an additional unique identifier for the product.

23. A system comprising:

a component configuration module operable to, via one or more first processors,

request a unique identifier for a component of a product,

receive the unique identifier, and

write the unique identifier to nanoparticles incorporated with a physical structure of the component in association with a manufacture of the product, wherein the unique identifier uniquely identifies the component; and

a component identification module operable to, via one or more second processors,

receive the request for the unique identifier,

provide the unique identifier in response to the request, and

store a copy of the unique identifier for subsequent access via a scan of the product at a checkpoint associated with a chain of supply.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising:

a scanning unit associated with the checkpoint, wherein the scanning unit is configured to

detect the unique identifier stored on the nanoparticles,

request the copy of the unique identifier from the component identification module via a communications network,

evaluate the unique identifier against the copy of the unique identifier, and

determine, based on evaluation of the unique identifier against the copy of the unique identifier one or more of a completeness and an authenticity of the component.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the component identification module is further operable to

receive an additional request to evaluate the unique identifier against the copy of the unique identifier,

evaluate the unique identifier against the copy of the unique identifier in response to the additional request, and

determine, based on evaluation of the unique identifier against the copy of the unique identifier, an authenticity of the component.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the component configuration module is further operable to

incorporate a nanoprocessor with the component,

configure the nanoprocessor to access the unique identifier from the nanoparticles, and

configure the nanoprocessor to transmit one or more signals that contain the unique identifier.