Package distinguishing system

• US 7,466,234 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Deolalikar, Vinay, Brignone, Cyril, Mesarina, Malena, Oget, Guillaume, Ortiz, Lester, Simske, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US11/264,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/539.1, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/825.69, 340/5.8, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.42, 340/568.1, 340/5.65, 340/825.72, 340/572.8, 235/383, 235/385, 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/14 by lifting or attempted removal of hand-portable articles

Abstract

A system for distinguishing a package includes a plurality of identifiers, where at least one of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional. The system also includes an identifier indicator that indicates the identity of the at least one of the identifiers that is intentionally non-functional. In addition, the identifier indicator is stored on at least one of the package and a database and is accessible by a user to authenticate the package.

Claims

1. A system for distinguishing a package, said system comprising:

a plurality of identifiers for the package, wherein at least one of the plurality of identifiers is intentionally non-functional and visible to the naked eye, and wherein non-functionality of the at least one of the plurality of identifiers is indistinguishable to the naked eye; and

an identifier indicator that indicates the identity of the at least one of the plurality of identifiers that is intentionally non-functional, wherein the identifier indicator is stored on at least one of the package and a database, and wherein the identifier indicator is accessible by a user to authenticate the package.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of identifiers comprises at least one of a radio frequency identification device, a printed circuit, a bar code, and an ink mark.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identifier indicator comprises a printed mark configured to be interpreted to identify the at least one of the plurality of identifiers that is intentionally non-functional.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a package indicator positioned on the package that substantially uniquely identifies the package.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the identifiers are intentionally non-functional, wherein a difference between functional and non-functional identifiers is indistinguishable to the naked eye.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the package includes a plurality of sub-packages, and wherein the plurality of identifiers are associated with respective ones of the sub-packages, to thereby distinguish the package based upon which of the respective plurality of identifiers associated with the sub-packages are non-functional.

7. A method for distinguishing a package, the method comprising:

providing identifiers with respect to the package, wherein at least one of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional and visible to the naked eye, and wherein non-functionality of the at least one of the identifiers is indistinguishable to the naked eye;

identifying which of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional in an identifier indicator; and

storing the identifier indicator.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein providing identifiers further comprises providing a plurality of intentionally non-functional identifiers with respect to the package.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein storing the identifier indicator further comprises storing the identifier indicator inn database with a package indicator configured to substantially uniquely identify the package.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein storing the identifier indicator further comprises storing the identifier indicator on the package such that the identification of the intentionally non-functional at least one of the identifiers is capable of being determined through information provided from the identifier indicator located on the package.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the package includes a plurality of sub-packages, and wherein providing identifiers further comprises providing identifiers on the plurality of sub-packages, wherein at least one of the identifiers associated with respective ones of the sub-packages is intentionally non-functional.

12. A method for authenticating a package having identifiers, said method comprising:

reading the identifiers;

identifying from an identifier indicator which of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional and visible to the naked eye wherein non-functionality of the identifiers is indistinguishable to the naked eye;

comparing the read identifiers with the identities of intentionally non-functional identifiers; and

authenticating the package based upon the comparison of the read identifiers and the identities of the intentionally non-functional identifiers.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

outputting an indication that the package is authentic in response to the identity of a non-functioning read identifier substantially matching the identity of an intentionally non-functional identifier.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

outputting an indication that the package is in authentic in response to the identity of a non-functioning read identifier substantially differing from the identity of an intentionally non-functional identifier.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the identifier indicator is stored in a database, and wherein identifying which of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional further comprises accessing the database to retrieve the identity of the one or more identifiers that are intentionally non-functional.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the identifier indicator is stored on the package, and wherein identifying which of the identifiers is intentionally non-functional further comprises interpreting the identifier indicator to determine the identity of the one or more identifiers that are intentionally non-functional.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the package comprises a plurality of sub-packages having identifiers, and wherein reading the identifiers further comprises reading the identifiers of the sub-packages.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the identifier indicator includes information pertaining to a percentage of the identifiers of the sub-packages that are intentionally non-functional, and wherein authenticating the package comprises comparing the percentage of non-functional identifiers from the road identifiers with the percentage of the intentionally non-functional identifiers.

19. A system comprising:

a plurality of means for storing information pertaining to a package, wherein at least one of the means for storing information is intentionally non-functional and visible to the naked eye, and wherein non-functionality of the at least one of the means for storing information is indistinguishable to the naked eye;

means for identifying which of the means for storing information is intentionally non-functional; and

means for storing the means for identifying.