System for identifying authenticating and tracking manufactured articles
First Claim
1. A system for identifying, authenticating and tracking articles of manufacture, said system comprising:
- one or more manufacturing meters that are located at authorized manufacturing location, said meters produce encrypted information that is uniquely associated with each manufactured article and the operator of the equipment that produced the manufactured article;
one or more printers located at the authorized manufacturing locations wherein each of said printers is coupled to one of said manufacturing meters, that is located at the same location as said printer, so that said printers print the information encrypted by said meters, which encrypted information is affixed to the manufactured article;
means for producing information that is used to identify the manufactured article; and
means for identifying the authenticity of the manufactured articles by comparing the encrypted information printed on the article with the information produced by said producing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to a system for identifying, authenticating and tracking articles of manufacture throughout their manufacturing and distribution channels. The foregoing system utilizes: manufacturing meters that are located at authorized manufacturing locations and produce encrypted data that is uniquely associated with each manufactured article; a printer located at the authorized manufacturing locations so that the printer will print the information encrypted by the meter, which encrypted information is affixed to the manufactured article; a data center coupled to the manufacturing meters and located at a site remote from the manufacturing meters; means for producing information that identifies the manufactured articles; and a plurality of means located where the authenticity of the manufactured articles are checked by comparing the encrypted information on the article with the information produced that identifies the article.
179 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for identifying, authenticating and tracking articles of manufacture, said system comprising:
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one or more manufacturing meters that are located at authorized manufacturing location, said meters produce encrypted information that is uniquely associated with each manufactured article and the operator of the equipment that produced the manufactured article; one or more printers located at the authorized manufacturing locations wherein each of said printers is coupled to one of said manufacturing meters, that is located at the same location as said printer, so that said printers print the information encrypted by said meters, which encrypted information is affixed to the manufactured article; means for producing information that is used to identify the manufactured article; and means for identifying the authenticity of the manufactured articles by comparing the encrypted information printed on the article with the information produced by said producing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for determining if a manufactured article is the same article described in a medium of expression, comprising the steps of:
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a. producing encrypted data on a manufactured article that is uniquely associated with the manufactured article and the operator of the equipment that produced the manufactured article; b. producing information pertaining to the manufactured article on a medium of expression; c. encrypting at least a portion of the produced information on a medium of expression; d. placing at least a portion of the encrypted information derived in step c on the medium of expression; e. comparing the information encrypted on the manufactured article with the information encrypted on the medium of expression; f. determining if the information in step e compares in order to authentic the article. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification