SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF SECURING ARTICLES ALONG A SUPPLY CHAIN

• US 20130277425A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zortag Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zortag Inc.
• Inventors: SHARMA, Satya Prakash, Hart, Robert James
• Granted Patent: US 8,714,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2211/00 Anti-theft means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/0083 Computer or electronic system, e.g. GPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/00 Component parts, details or accessories for large containers B65D88/34 - B65D88/78 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and method for securing articles of commerce passing through points along a supply chain against theft, diversion, product overruns, counterfeiting and like unauthorized activity, capture authentication information and identification information associated with the articles with an interrogation device at one or more points in the supply chain. The articles may be authenticated from the captured authentication information as being authorized or unauthorized at each point, and may be identified from the captured identification information at each point. Transactional information about the article, e.g., authorized/unauthorized status and a time and place of the authentication, is reported to a brand manager/law enforcement.

Claims

1. A method of securing articles of commerce passing through points along a supply chain, comprising:

capturing authentication information and identification information associated with an article with an interrogation device at at least one of the points in the supply chain;

authenticating the article from the captured authentication information as being authorized or unauthorized at the at least one point;

identifying the article from the captured identification information at the at least one point; and

sending transactional information about the article in response to the authenticating and identifying.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing is performed by imaging the authentication information to generate an image pattern;

and wherein the authenticating is performed by comparing the image pattern with a reference authentication signature, and by indicating that the article is authorized when the image pattern matches the reference authentication signature.

3. The method of claim 1, and creating a label with a first dataset configured as a random distribution of three-dimensional light-modifying elements as the authentication information, and with a second dataset configured as data elements as the identification information;

and associating the label with an article to be secured.

4. The method of claim 3, and capturing void information when an attempt to disassociate the label from the article is made, and wherein the authenticating is performed by determining that the article is unauthorized from the captured void information, and wherein the sending is performed by reporting the captured void information.

5. The method of claim 1, and creating a fixed number of labels, each label having a first dataset configured as a random distribution of three-dimensional light-modifying elements as the authentication information, and a second dataset configured as data elements as the identification information;

associating the labels with the articles to be secured;

activating the labels by capturing the authentication information and the identification information at a secure one of the points in the supply chain, and by storing the authentication information and the identification information captured at the secure point in a database; and

wherein the authenticating and the identifying performed at the at least one point in the supply chain compares the authentication information and the identification information captured at the at least one point with the authentication information and the identification information stored in the database.

6. The method of claim 1, and determining at least one of a time and a place at which the capturing, authenticating, and identifying are performed, and wherein the sending is performed by sending at least one of the time and the place to one of a brand manager and law enforcement.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining of the place is performed at a plurality of points in the supply chain, and wherein the sending is performed by reporting all of the places to track the article along the supply chain.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending is performed by sending the transactional information to one of a brand manager and law enforcement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sending is performed in response to a query from the one of the brand manager and the law enforcement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing, authenticating, identifying, and sending are performed for any of the articles, including products, logistical units for conveying the products, services, and documents relating to the products and the services, and at any of the points in the supply chain, including at captive manufacturers, outside manufacturers, importers, exporters, freight forwarders, repackagers, central distributors, regional distributors, local distributors, retailers, institutional users, end users, and return centers.

11. A system for securing articles of commerce passing through points along a supply chain, comprising:

an interrogation device for capturing authentication information and identification information associated with an article at at least one of the points in the supply chain;

a server for identifying the article from the captured identification information at the at least one point, and for authenticating the article from the captured authentication information as being authorized or unauthorized at the at least one point; and

a report engine for sending transactional information about the article in response to the authenticating and identifying server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the interrogation device is operative for imaging the authentication information to generate an image pattern;

and wherein the server is operative for comparing the image pattern with a reference authentication signature, and for indicating that the article is authorized when the image pattern matches the reference authentication signature.

13. The system of claim 11, and a label manufacturing facility operative for creating a label with a first dataset configured as a random distribution of three-dimensional light-modifying elements as the authentication information, and with a second dataset configured as data elements as the identification information;

and wherein the label is associated with an article to be secured.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the interrogation device is operative for capturing void information when an attempt to disassociate the label from the article is made, and wherein the server is operative for determining that the article is unauthorized from the captured void information, and wherein the report engine is operative for reporting the captured void information.

15. The system of claim 11, and a label manufacturing facility operative for creating a fixed number of labels, each label having a first dataset configured as a random distribution of three-dimensional light-modifying elements as the authentication information, and a second dataset configured as data elements as the identification information;

and wherein the labels are associated with the articles to be secured; and

a label activating facility operative for activating the labels by capturing the authentication information and the identification information at a secure one of the points in the supply chain, and for storing the authentication information and the identification information captured at the secure point in a database; and

wherein the server at the at least one point in the supply chain compares the authentication information and the identification information captured at the at least one point with the authentication information and the identification information stored in the database.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the server is operative for determining at least one of a time and a place at which the article is to be secured, and wherein the report engine is operative for reporting at least one of the time and the place to one of a brand manager and law enforcement.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server is operative for determining all the places at which the article is to be secured at a plurality of points in the supply chain, and wherein the report engine is operative for reporting all of the places to track the article along the supply chain.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the report engine is operative for reporting the transactional information to one of a brand manager and law enforcement.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the report engine is operative for reporting the transactional information in response to a query from the one of the brand manager and the law enforcement.

20. The system of claim 11, and a return management server operative for processing article returns.

21. The system of claim 11, and an analysis server operative for analyzing the status and progress of the articles passing along the supply chain.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the articles include products, logistical units for conveying the products, services, and documents relating to the products and the services, and wherein the points include captive manufacturers, outside manufacturers, importers, exporters, freight forwarders, repackagers, central distributors, regional distributors, local distributors, retailers, institutional users, end users, and return centers.