Pedigree and integrity evaluation of packages
First Claim
1. A method of evaluating the pedigree of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, the method comprising steps of:
- (a) receiving first information concerning the package at at least one processor, the first information identifying location event information that was expected to have been accumulated by an electronic device associated with the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location;
(b) receiving second information concerning the package at the at least one processor, the second information comprising location event information that was actually accumulated by the electronic device associated with the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location; and
(c) with the at least one processor, comparing the second information with the first information to evaluate the pedigree of the package.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to novel systems and methods for authenticating the pedigree and/or confirming the integrity of a transported package. Among other things, a method is disclosed that involves receiving information from an electronic device associated with the package at an authentication appliance at a destination location, transmitting at least a first portion of the information from the authentication appliance to a server, receiving from the server a network address of an authentication computer to be used to evaluate the pedigree and/or integrity of the package, after receiving the network address from the server, transmitting at least a second portion of the information from the authentication appliance to the authentication computer at the network address, and receiving from the authentication computer a signal indicative of a determination made by the authentication computer concerning the pedigree and/or integrity of the package based upon a comparison of the at least the second portion of the information with data stored in a database.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of evaluating the pedigree of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, the method comprising steps of:
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(a) receiving first information concerning the package at at least one processor, the first information identifying location event information that was expected to have been accumulated by an electronic device associated with the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location; (b) receiving second information concerning the package at the at least one processor, the second information comprising location event information that was actually accumulated by the electronic device associated with the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location; and (c) with the at least one processor, comparing the second information with the first information to evaluate the pedigree of the package. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of evaluating the integrity of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, the method comprising steps of:
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(a) receiving first information concerning the package at at least one processor, the first information identifying acceptable parameters for a physical or environmental condition of the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location; (b) receiving second information concerning the package at the at least one processor, the second information identifying a physical or environmental condition of the package that was sensed by a sensor included in an electronic device associated with the package and stored in memory of the electronic device while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location, the second information having been retrieved from the memory of the electronic device at the destination location; and (c) with the at least one processor, comparing the first information with the second information to evaluate the integrity of the package. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for evaluating the integrity of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, comprising:
an authentication computer configured and arranged to receive data accumulated at the destination location from a memory of an electronic device including a sensor that had monitored a physical or environmental condition of the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location, to analyze the data to determine whether it falls within acceptable parameters for the physical or environmental condition of the package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location, and to transmit a signal to the destination location reflecting a determination made by the authentication computer concerning the integrity of the package. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for evaluating the pedigree of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, comprising:
an authentication computer configured and arranged to receive location event information accumulated by an electronic device associated with a package while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location, to analyze the data to determine whether the data sufficiently corresponds with location event information that was expected to have been accumulated by the electronic device while the package was being transported from the source location to the destination location, and to transmit a signal to the destination location reflecting a determination made by the authentication computer concerning the pedigree of the package. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of evaluating the pedigree and/or integrity of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, the method comprising steps of:
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(a) receiving information from an electronic device associated with the package at an authentication appliance at the destination location; (b) transmitting at least a first portion of the information from the authentication appliance to a server; (c) receiving from the server a network address of an authentication computer to be used to evaluate the pedigree and/or integrity of the package; (d) after receiving the network address from the server, transmitting at least a second portion of the information from the authentication appliance to the authentication computer at the network address; and (e) receiving from the authentication computer a signal indicative of a determination made by the authentication computer concerning the pedigree and/or integrity of the package based upon a comparison of the at least the second portion of the information with data stored in a database. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of evaluating the pedigree and/or integrity of a package transported from a source location to a destination location, the method comprising steps of:
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(a) receiving information from an electronic device associated with the package at an authentication appliance at the destination location; (b) transmitting at least a first portion of the information from the authentication appliance to a server; (c) receiving from the server a network address of an authentication computer to be used to evaluate the pedigree and/or integrity of the package; (d) after receiving the network address from the server, transmitting at least a second portion of the information from the authentication appliance to the authentication computer at the network address; and (e) with the authentication computer, comparing the at least the second portion of the information with data stored in a database to make a determination concerning the pedigree and/or integrity of the package. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for evaluating the pedigree and/or the integrity of a package, comprising steps of:
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(a) receiving first information concerning the package at at least one processor, the first information reflecting a containment relationship amongst components of the package and having been accumulated at least in part before the package left a source location; (b) receiving second information concerning the package at the at least one processor, the second information reflecting a containment relationship amongst components of the package and having been having been accumulated after the package reached a destination location; and (c) using the at least one processor to compare the second information with the first information to evaluate the pedigree and/or confirm the integrity of the package. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification