Merchandise verification and information system
First Claim
1. A machine verification device for use with a specific unit of merchandise, comprising:
- a verification tag comprising a medium having a measurable uniqueness characteristic;
identification indicia on said tag;
verification indicia on said tag related to said uniqueness characteristic; and
means for affixing said verification tag to said specific unit of merchandise whereby said identification indicia is accessible for sensing or observing.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is disclosed for individually tracing units of merchandise with authentication devices or tags as such tags (with merchandise) move through channels of commerce. The total system incorporates a non-counterfeitable authenticator or verification tag which bears a machine-readable identification number and which in one form includes perforated, tear-off sections bearing the identification number and in another form is adhesively integrated with a product package. Operating with the tag, the physical system includes a central processor with a memory means that is addressable by using the tag identification number. A tag reader senses the machine-readable identification number (may also verify the tag) and addresses the memory means for registering information to specifically identify the tag and indicate batch information. As the tag (and unit of merchandise) move to commerce, the memory information is supplemented to provide a history of such movement. In subsequent operations, the memory can then be tested for meaningful information on the merchandise. As one key to using the method to procure significant data, the system incorporates apparatus for testing the content of the memory to manifest the identification of specific tags that are related as a subset of merchandise of interest.
60 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A machine verification device for use with a specific unit of merchandise, comprising:
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a verification tag comprising a medium having a measurable uniqueness characteristic; identification indicia on said tag; verification indicia on said tag related to said uniqueness characteristic; and means for affixing said verification tag to said specific unit of merchandise whereby said identification indicia is accessible for sensing or observing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of auditing the commercial history of individual units of merchandise, comprising the steps of:
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selecting sheets of medium having a measurable uniqueness characteristic; sensing said uniqueness characteristic of said sheets to provide representative verification data; assigning identification data to said individual sheets of medium; imprinting said sheets of medium with indicia representative of said verification data and said identification data; affixing said sheets to said individual units of merchandise; registering at least one status of said units of merchandise in a record storage using said identification data; and tracing said units of merchandise by verifying said uniqueness characteristic and indexing said record storage with said identification data. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A merchandise verification and information system for use with identification devices, each of said devices being associated with a specific unit of merchandise and comprising a medium having a measurable uniqueness characteristic, said devices bearing indicia identifying said specific unit of merchandise, said system comprising:
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means for sensing said measurable uniqueness characteristic of said devices to provide representative characteristic data signals; means for printing indicia on said devices representative of ssid characteristic data signals; a central processor apparatus including a memory means comprising cells to register data on each of said specific units of merchandise; means for entering data in a cell on said specific unit of merchandise as manifest by said indicia, including data identifying the specific unit of merchandise and the characteristic data; and means to enter status data in a cell identified by data identifying a specific unit of merchandise representative of at least one status of said specific unit to thereby provide a verifiable record of said specific unit in said central processor. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification