Write accessibility for electronic paper

• US 20060265744A1
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,734 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4076 printing on rewritable, bistable "electronic paper" by a focused electric or magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals

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. An electronic paper device, comprising:

electronic paper material capable of storing informational data regarding a related item associated with the electronic paper material;

some informational data written onto a data portion of said electronic paper material, including encrypted or encoded informational data written by or on behalf of an authorized entity, wherein the encrypted or encoded informational data is intended to be non-alterable and to be readable only by an approved person or an approved entity that has access to an appropriate security methodology; and

wherein said electronic paper material includes authentication indicia to identify said electronic paper material and/or said informational data and/or the related item as having originated from a provider of the item or from another authorized entity.

2. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein the encrypted or encoded informational data is written by or on behalf of one or more of the following:

a provider or maker or manufacturer or distributor or seller of the related item.

3. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein the informational data is written by or on behalf of the item provider or the another an authorized entity regarding one or more of the following types of informational data:

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, receipt acknowledgement, billing term, invoice data, 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, and ownership.

4. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein said electronic paper material includes a label portion attachable to the related item or a related product or container or package.

5. The electronic paper device of claim 4 wherein the label portion includes the data portion of the electronic paper material

6. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein the authentication indicia are included in one or more of the following categories:

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

7. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein the authentication indicia includes one or more of the following types:

authentication indicia at least partially included in the data portion;

authentication indicia separated from the data portion;

authentication indicia intermixed with the informational data;

authentication indicia separated from the information data;

authentication indicia detectable on one surface of the electronic paper material, and authentication indicia on both surfaces of the electronic paper material.

8. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein the authentication indicia are incorporated in said electronic paper material for detectable scanning 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, and customized image processing.

9. The electronic paper device of claim 1 further comprising:

a status indicator for providing an output based on a verification confirmation with respect to the authentication indicia.

10. The electronic paper device of claim 9 wherein the status indicator includes:

an output based on the verification confirmation regarding the authenticity of the e-paper material.

11. The electronic paper device of claim 9 wherein the status indicator includes:

an output based on the verification confirmation regarding the authenticity of the informational data.

12. The electronic paper device of claim 9 wherein the status indicator provides the output based on one or more of the following types of verification schemes that determines whether the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered:

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

13. The electronic paper device of claim 1 wherein said electronic paper material is attachable to the related item or a related product or container or package;

and

wherein said electronic paper material includes a coupling link with an original related item or product or container or package, to provide confirmation that the electronic paper material has not been detached from its original related item or product or container or package.

14. The electronic paper device of claim 13 further comprising:

a status indicator for providing an output based on a verification confirmation with respect to the coupling link.

15. The electronic paper device of claim 13 wherein the coupling link includes a circuit link between said electronic paper material and the related item or product or container or package.

16. The electronic paper device of claim 13 wherein the coupling link includes an encrypted or encoded symbolic representation on the electronic paper material that correlates with another symbolic representation on the related product or container or package.

17. A reader device for use with electronic paper material having label-type information thereon, the reader device comprising:

a sensor capable of being operably coupled to the electronic paper material in order to scan encrypted or encoded informational data incorporated on the electronic paper material; and

wherein said sensor detects authentication indicia on the electronic paper material, which authentication indicia establishes that the electronic paper material and/or the informational data and/or an associated item originated from a provider of the item or from another authorized entity.

18. The reader device of claim 17 wherein the sensor can detect the authentication indicia 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, and customized image processing.

19. The reader device of claim 17 wherein the sensor can detect authentication indicia included in one or more of the following categories:

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

20. The reader device of claim 17 further comprising:

a status indicator operatively coupled to said sensor to indicate verification confirmation with respect to the encrypted or encoded informational data.

21. A system for protecting information incorporated on an electronic paper device, comprising:

electronic paper material with encoded or encrypted data relating to an associated item or product or service or container or package;

a sensing device capable of reading the encoded or encrypted data;

a processor unit operably coupled to said sensing device to determine verification of any alteration or deletion of the encoded or encrypted data; and

a status indicator that receives an input from the processor unit regarding a verification status for the encoded or encrypted data.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said status indicator is incorporated with the electronic paper material.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said status indicator is incorporated with said associated item or product or container or package.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein said status indicator is included with a unit separated from the electronic paper material.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein said status indicator is included with said processor unit or with said sensing device.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein said sensing device is incorporated with the electronic paper material.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein said sensing device includes a unit separated from the electronic paper material.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein said sensing device includes a scanner for reading the encoded or encrypted data in one or more of the following formats:

alphanumeric symbol, geometric design, monochrome scheme, color scheme, background, repeated patterns, random patterns, boundary cross-over representations, legend, image, bar code, visible representation, and hidden representation.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein said sensing device is capable of reading the encoded or encrypted data 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, and customized image processing.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein said sensing device includes a scanner for scanning authentication indicia on said electronic paper material to identify said electronic paper material and/or said encoded or encrypted data as having originated from a provider of the item or product or service or from another authorized entity.

31. The system of claim 21 wherein said electronic paper material is attached to said item or said product or said container or said package.

32. The system of claim 21 wherein said sensing device includes a scanner for determining a status of a coupling link with an original attached item or product or container or package, to provide confirmation that said electronic paper material has not been detached from its original item or product or container or package.

33. The system of claim 21 wherein said processor unit includes one or more of the following types of verification schemes to determine whether the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered:

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

34. The system of claim 21 wherein the encoded or encrypted data is written by or on behalf of a person or entity from one or more of the following categories:

item source, product maker, product manufacturer, product distributor, product wholesaler, product retailer, product dealer, service provider, service franchisee, service agency, and company subsidiary.

35. The system of claim 21 wherein the encoded or encrypted data is written by or on behalf of an authorized entity regarding one or more of the following types of informational data:

document authentication, data authentication, item authentication, product authentication, packaging authentication, container authentication, item information, product information, services information, receipt acknowledgement, billing term, invoice data, 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, and ownership.

36. A method of providing data security for an electronic paper material attachable to or associated with a particular item or product, the method comprising:

creating informational data from an authorized entity, which informational data regarding the item or product is intended to be non-alterable;

writing the informational data in encrypted or encoded format on the electronic paper material;

incorporating authentication indicia as part of the informational data, wherein the authentication indicia identifies the electronic paper material and/or the informational data as having originated from a provider of the particular item or product, or from an authorized third party; and

providing a security methodology to enable verification confirmation with respect to the electronic paper material and/or the informational data.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said providing the security methodology includes:

providing one or more of the following types of verification schemes to determine whether the encrypted or encoded data indicia has been altered;

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

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

generating a status output on the electronic paper material based on the verification confirmation.

39. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

generating a status output on the particular item or product, based on the verification confirmation.

40. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

generating a status output on a container or package for the particular item or product, based on the verification confirmation.

41. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

incorporating a coupling link between the electronic paper material and an original attached item or product or container or package; and

monitoring the coupling link to provide verification confirmation regarding such original item or product or container or package.

42. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

generating a status output based on the verification confirmation for the particular item or product associated with one or more of the following categories;

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

43. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

scanning and processing authentication indicia on the electronic paper material in accordance with the security methodology.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said scanning and processing authentication indicia includes:

scanning and processing authentication indicia in one or more of the following formats;

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

45. A computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions configured to perform a process that associates information in a computer system, the process including

creating informational data regarding an item or product,

writing the informational data in encrypted or encoded format on electronic paper material attachable to or associated with the item or product,

incorporating authentication indicia as part of the informational data, wherein the authentication indicia identifies the electronic paper material and/or the informational data as having originated from a provider of the particular item or product, or from another authorized entity, and

scanning authentication indicia incorporated on the electronic paper material in accordance with a security methodology to enable verification confirmation with respect to the electronic paper material and/or the informational data; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing media bearing the program instructions.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the signal-bearing media includes storage media and/or communication media.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the process further comprises:

generating an “

ok”

status output if the verification confirmation indicates that that electronic paper material and/or the informational data has not been altered.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the process further comprises:

generating a “

warning”

status output if the verification confirmation indicates that the electronic paper material and/or the information data has been altered.

49. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the process further comprises:

monitoring a coupling link between the electronic paper material and an original attached item or product or container or package, to provide verification confirmation regarding such original item or product or container or package.