Alert options for electronic-paper verification

• US 8,621,224 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nobahar, Abdulhakim
• Application Number:
  US12/802,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A system and method to control the writing on electronic paper (e-paper). An e-paper device may incorporate authentication indicia as part of informational data written on e-paper material. The informational data is protected by a security methodology that is accessible to authorized entities. A reader device may be used to help make a verification determination of whether encrypted or encoded data has been altered. In some instances an output alert operably coupled to the reader device serves as a verification status indicator.

Claims

1. A system for providing verification status for an e-paper document having an electronically written image associated with an item, comprising:

at least one non-transitory signal bearing medium configured by one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices, perform a method including at least;

scanning the image and encrypted or encoded data indicia included in the image on the e-paper document;

making a validation determination using the encrypted or encoded data indicia to determine whether the image has been altered; and

providing a status output based on a result obtained by the validation determination, including at least;

if the validation determination indicates at least one of the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered, providing a detectable warning status alert on at least one of the e-paper document, an associated item, an associated product, an associated container, or an associated package; and

if the security validation determination indicates no alteration, providing a detectable “

ok”

status alert on at least one of the e-paper document, an associated item, an associated product, an associated container, or an associated package.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein making a validation determination using the encrypted or encoded data indicia to determine whether the image has been altered includes:

using one or more of the following types of data structures to determine whether the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered;

code, cipher, key, checksum, hash, algorithm, or digital signature.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein providing the status output based on a result obtained by the validation determination includes:

providing a separate alert responsive to the validation determination for each type of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein providing the status output based on a result obtained by the validation determination includes:

providing a same alert responsive to the validation determination for multiple types of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein providing the same alert responsive to the validation determination for multiple types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

generating the same alert responsive to the validation termination of an unauthorized alteration of any of the multiple types of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein scanning one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia included in the image on the e-paper document includes:

scanning one or more of the following types of encrypted or encoded data indicia;

document authentication, data authentication, item authentication, product authentication, packaging authentication, container authentication, item information, product information, service information, usage instruction, product ingredient, product component, service requirement, certification, testing, endorsement, warranty, legal notification, government approval, destination, delivery, document origination date, item origination date, product origination date, tracking, history, tracking history, modification history, access history, verification history, validation, corporate approval, or ownership.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein providing the status output based on a result obtained by the validation determination includes:

providing an alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

identifying the type of encrypted or encoded data indicia associated with the alert.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

providing the alert at a location separated from the e-paper document.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

generating the alert that includes one or more of the following outputs;

text, alphanumeric, symbol, audio, visual, audiovisual, or color.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

displaying an output that is detectable under one or more of the following conditions;

normal ambient light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, filtered light, specific environmental condition, specific time period, placement in electromagnetic field, or customized image processing.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

generating a visual alert output incorporated in a pixel display on the e-paper document.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein providing the alert associated with at least one of the one or more types of encrypted or encoded data indicia includes:

providing the alert on the e-paper document.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein providing an alert on the e-paper document includes:

generating automatically on the e-paper document and/or at a separate location a detectable “

warning”

status alert output in the event a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered without authorization.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein providing the alert on the e-paper document includes:

maintaining an ongoing detectable alert output for a given period of time.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein maintaining the ongoing detectable alert output includes:

providing an ongoing detectable “

ok”

status alert output if a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has not been altered.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein maintaining the ongoing detectable alert output includes:

providing an ongoing detectable “

warning”

status alert output if a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein providing the ongoing detectable “

warning”

status alert output includes;

displaying an unalterable detectable “

warning”

status alert output.

19. A first system for indicating a verification status of an e-paper document having an electronically written image related to an associated item, comprising:

a communication device configured to perform at least one of a reception of or a transmission of one or more signals in relation to a second system that includes at least;

a sensor device for scanning the image and encrypted or encoded information included in the image on the e-paper document;

a processing component for performing a security validation on the encrypted or encoded information to determine whether the image has been altered; and

an alert indicator disposed on the e-paper document for providing a first output responsive to the security validation performed by said processing component, including at least;

if the security validation determination indicates at least one of the encrypted or encoded information has been altered, providing a detectable warning status alert on at least one of the e-paper document or the associated item; and

if the security validation determination indicates no alteration, providing a detectable “

ok”

status alert on at least one of the e-paper document or the associated item.

20. The first system of claim 19 wherein said second system further includes:

a second alert indicator for providing a second output responsive to the security validation performed by said processing component.

21. The first system of claim 20 wherein the second alert indicator means is incorporated with the associated item.

22. The first system of claim 21 wherein the second alert indicator is incorporated with the associated item that is included in one or more of the following categories:

product, equipment, apparatus, device, packaging, container, printed material, service, vehicle, machine, merchandise, clothing, food, chemical, medicine, raw material, article of manufacture, component, or tool.

23. The first of claim 20 wherein the second alert indicator incorporated with the sensor device and/or with the processing component.

24. The first system of claim 20 wherein the second output is different from the first output.

25. The first system of claim 19 wherein said alert indicator generates automatically a detectable “

warning”

status output alert if a result of the validation determination indicates the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered without authorization.

26. The first system of claim 19 wherein said sensor device is configured to scan multiple types of encrypted or encoded information;

and

wherein said alert indicator provides a “

warning”

alert output responsive to an alteration detected in any of the multiple types of encrypted or encoded information.

27. The first system of claim 26 wherein said alert indicator is further configured to provide an identity of a type of encrypted or encoded information determined by said processing component to have been altered.

28. The first system of claim 19 wherein said alert indicator provides an “

ok”

alert output responsive to no alteration detected in the encrypted or encoded information.

29. The first system of claim 19 wherein said alert indicators includes a pixel display on the e-paper document.

30. The first system of claim 19 wherein said alert indicators includes an unalterable display on the e-paper document.

31. The first system of claim 19 wherein said alert indicator includes a display detectable under one or more of the following conditions:

normal ambient light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, filtered light, specific environmental condition, specific time period, placement in electromagnetic field, or customized image processing.

32. The first system of claim 19 wherein said sensor device includes a scanner capable of scanning encrypted or encoded information that includes one or more of the following categories:

alphanumeric text, symbol, geometric design, monochrome scheme, color scheme, repeated pattern, random pattern, boundary cross-over representation, legend, image, bar code, or hidden representation.

33. The first system of claim 19 where said sensor device includes a scanner capable of scanning encrypted or encoded information located on the e-paper document and/or on the associated item or product or container or package.

34. A system for providing verification status for an e-paper document associated with an item, comprising:

a monitoring device for periodically monitoring encrypted or encoded data indicia displayed on the e-paper document;

a detecting device for detecting an unauthorized alteration to the encrypted or encoded data indicia; and

an alert device for generating an automatic status output alert based on a result obtained by said detecting, including at least;

if the detecting device for detecting an unauthorized alteration indicates at least one of the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered, providing a detectable warning status alert on at least one of the e-paper document or the associated item; and

if the detecting device for detecting an unauthorized alteration indicates no alteration, providing a detectable “

ok”

status alert on at least one of the e-paper document or the associated item.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said monitoring device performs

initiating said periodically monitoring under one or more of the following circumstances:

upon receipt of the e-paper document by a different entity;

prior to transferring the e-paper document to a different entity;

prior to attachment of the e-paper document to the associated item;

after attachment of the e-paper document to the associated item;

after encrypted or encoded data indicia has been added to the e-paper document;

after encrypted or encoded data indicia has been changed or deleted from the e-paper document; and

upon transfer of the associated item to a new location.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein said alert device performs

generating and maintaining an ongoing detectable alert output for a period of time, wherein the alert output includes an “

ok”

status alert or a “

warning”

status alert based on the result obtained by said detecting means.

37. The system of claim 34 further comprising:

a selecting device for optionally selecting desired output information regarding a basis for the result obtained by said detecting device.