System, method, and apparatus for identifying and authenticating the presence of high value assets at remote locations

• US 20040177032A1
• Filed: 03/01/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TB Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TB Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Baych, Les, Bradley, A. (Tony) W., Snyder, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for identifying and authenticating the presence of high value assets at remote location includes associating an identification tag with the asset. The identification tag includes identification information that can be electronically read and sent to a remote location for verifying the authenticity of the asset.

Claims

13. A method for a first party to verify compliance by a second party with terms of an agreement related to an asset, comprising:

associating a unique identification tag with the asset;

requiring the second party to permit

(a) reading identifying information from the unique identification tag;

(b) sending the identifying information to the first party;

verifying by the first party that the asset is authentic at least partially based on the identifying information received from the second party.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of requiring further includes

(c) acquiring secondary information associated with the asset and

(d) sending the secondary information to the first party;

and

the method further comprising verifying the second party is in compliance with a term of the agreement at least partially based on the secondary information.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the secondary information includes location information.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the secondary information includes at least one video image.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the first party is a financier and the second party is a financee.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the asset is a vehicle and the second party is a dealer.

19. A system for remote verification comprising:

an asset;

an identification tag adapted to be secured to the asset, said identification tag containing a unique identifier associated with the asset;

a reader for reading the unique identifier of the identification tag;

a server;

a communications link between the server and the reader;

a database queryable by the server that associates the asset with the identification tag for remote verification.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the identification tag is secured to the asset with a strap and a lock.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the asset is a vehicle.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the identification tag includes at least one of a barcode, an invisible bar code, and a radio frequency identification transmitter.

23. The system of claim 19 further comprising an agreement between a first party and a second party, relating to the asset wherein the second party agrees to send the unique identifier of the identification tag over the communications link to the server for remote verification.

24. An apparatus for acquiring identification information from an identification tag secured to an asset, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a single form factor;

a processor disposed within the housing;

a memory operatively connected to the processor;

a display operatively connected to the processor;

a reader adapted to read the identification tag.

1. A method for remotely authenticating an asset, comprising:

associating a unique identification tag with the asset;

reading identifying information from the unique identification tag at a first location;

sending the identifying information from the first location to a remote location;

verifying authenticity of the asset at the remote location based on the identifying information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the asset is selected from a set comprising a car, a truck, a recreational vehicle, a boat, a motorcycle, construction equipment, farm equipment, manufacturing equipment, containerized freight, art, antiques, and collectibles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of verifying includes querying a database based on the identifying information.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending information identifying the first location to the remote location and wherein the step of verifying authenticity is partially based on the information identifying the location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identification tag includes a bar code and the step of reading is performed with a bar code reader.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identification tag includes a radio frequency identification chip and the step of reading is performed with an interrogator.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of reading and sending are required by a financier to be performed by a financee to verify that the financee possesses the asset.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the asset is a vehicle and the financee is a vehicle dealer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising acquiring additional information associated with the asset, sending the additional information from the first location to the remote location, and verifying a characteristic of the asset based on the additional information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the additional information includes a location of the asset.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the additional information includes video of the asset.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the steps of reading and acquiring are required by a financier to be performed by a financee.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the reader is a bar code reader.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the reader is a bar code reader and further comprising an interrogator operatively connected to the processor.

25-1. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the reader is an interrogator.

28. An apparatus for use with a PDA for acquiring information from an identification tag associated with an asset, the apparatus comprising:

a sled housing adapted for docking with the PDA;

a processor disposed within the sled housing;

a memory operatively connected to the processor;

a display operatively connected to the processor;

a bar code reader integrated into the sled housing, the bar code reader operatively connected to the processor.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising an interrogator operatively connected to the processor.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising a GPS receiver operatively connected to the processor.

31. A method for verifying compliance with an agreement associated with an asset comprising:

attaching an identification tag to the asset;

electronically reading the identification tag to provide identification information;

encoding the identification information to provide encoded information;

sending the encoded information to a remote location;

comparing at the remote location the identification information present in the encoded information with expected identification information;

determining that a party to the agreement is complying or not complying with the agreement at least partially based on the step of comparing.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the identification tag further includes a bar code.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the asset is a vehicle.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the agreement is a finance agreement between a vehicle dealer and a financial institution.