×

Database systems and methods for consumer packaged goods

  • US 9,436,770 B2
  • Filed: 12/18/2014
  • Issued: 09/06/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A system handling product packages and responsive to a QR code scanning device, said system comprising:

  • a package handling device receiving the product packages and guiding the product packages through the package handling device;

    a printer associated with the package handling device printing one of a plurality of different, unique, individual scannable QR codes on each package as the packages are guided through the package handling device;

    wherein each scannable QR code corresponds to only one of a plurality of data records stored in a selectively accessible database and comprises package parameters, wherein each scannable QR code is configured to provide a unique, non-sequential URL compressing a combination of an alpha-numeric manufacturing identifier and an alpha-numeric, unique time-based parameter based on a unique time of printing of each scannable QR code on its package wherein the compressed URL has less alpha-numeric characters than the combination of the alpha-numeric manufacturing identifier and the alpha-numeric time-based parameter,wherein the time-based parameter comprises a unique obfuscated period of time based on a difference between a preset time and a unique clock time indicating the time of printing of each scannable QR code on its package,wherein the manufacturing identifier includes a compressed form of at least one of a manufacturer identifier, a plant identifier, and a line identifier, andwherein each unique, non-sequential URL includes a compressed combination of the obfuscated period of time and the compressed manufacturing identifier;

    a database device storing a plurality of data records comprising package parameters, each data record linked to only one, non-sequential URL defined by one of the plurality of scannable QR codes;

    an enabler processor configured to link to the printer and configured to generate and provide to the printer the plurality of different, unique, individual scannable QR codes, each of which for printing on one of the product packages guided through the package handling device, wherein the enabler processor is further configured to generate a plurality of unique data files having a preset notation, wherein each data file represents a corresponding one of the plurality of scannable QR codes and the non-sequential URL provided thereby that have been printed on one of the product packages;

    a loader processor configured to link to the enabler processor and configured to receive from the enabler processor the plurality of unique data files, said loader processor configured to populate the selectively accessible database with information corresponding to each of the data files after each corresponding different, unique, individual scannable QR code including its unique time-based parameter has been printed on its unique product package, said information including the non-sequential URL represented by each corresponding data file;

    a parameter portal of the database device linked to a network, said parameter portal providing to the database device individual package parameters for a particular individual package, which package parameters are added to a particular data record which corresponds to a particular individual scannable QR code on the particular individual package; and

    an access portal of the database device linked to a network, said access portal controlling selective access to at least some of the individual package parameters of the data record corresponding to the received unique, non-sequential URL stored in the database device based on the unique, non-sequential URL provided in response to the QR code scanning device, wherein scanning a particular scannable QR code by the code scanning device only provides the data record linked to the non-sequential URL of the particular scannable QR code,wherein the non-sequential URL comprises 11 ASCII characters compressed from a 16 alphanumeric character code defined as CCCCCsssssssssss wherein;

    CCCCC is 5 alpha-numeric characters which includes 9 alpha-numeric characters compressed to 5 alpha-numeric characters; and

    sssssssssss is 11 alpha-numeric characters based on a timestamp every 100th of a second.

View all claims
  • 3 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×