Data management

• US 20080120710A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pride Technologies LLC (Pride Capital Partners LLC)
• Inventors: Roth, Joseph D., Holz, John B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,845,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A data management system comprises a data store for storing at least one entry. The entry includes (i) information associated with an item, and (ii) information about a security feature associated with that item. The system also includes an authenticator operable to access the data store in response to a request from a remote reader. The authenticator includes (i) a reader validator to authenticate the remote reader, and (ii) a security feature validator to authenticate a security feature read by the remote reader. The authenticator is also operable to issue an authenticity confirmation in the event that a security feature is successfully validated: The system includes a port for coupling the remote reader and the authenticator to enable requests to be transmitted from the reader to the authenticator and responses to be transmitted from the authenticator to the remote reader.

Claims

1. A data management system comprising:

a data store for storing at least one entry, the entry including (i) information associated with an item, and (ii) information about a security feature associated with that item;

an authenticator operable to access the data store in response to a request from a remote reader and including (i) a reader validator to authenticate the remote reader, and (ii) a security feature validator to authenticate a security feature read by the remote reader and also operable to issue an authenticity confirmation in the event that a security feature is successfully validated; and

a port for coupling the remote reader and the authenticator to enable requests to be transmitted from the reader to the authenticator and responses to be transmitted from the authenticator to the remote reader.

2. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one data store entry further includes (iii) information about remote readers permitted to request authentication of that item.

3. A data management system according to claim 2, wherein the information about remote readers includes information about a hardware component within the remote readers.

4. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the information associated with an item includes a description of the item, a serial number of the item, or a place of manufacture of the item.

5. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the information associated with the item includes a global identification in addition to a UCC Company Prefix.

6. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the information about a security feature associated with that item includes a representation of a unique spectral signature.

7. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the information about a security feature associated with that item may include information indicating the type of security feature used.

8. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the security feature validator authenticates a security feature read by the remote reader by processing data transmitted by the remote reader and comparing the processed transmitted data with the data store entry for that item.

9. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the reader validator authenticates the remote reader by verifying that the remote reader is included as a permitted remote reader in the data store.

10. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the authenticator increments a transaction identifier counter after each authenticity confirmation.

11. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the authenticator is operable to update an entry for an item to indicate each occasion on which that item is validated by the data management system.

12. A data management system according to claim 11, wherein the authenticator also updates the entry for an item to include the location of the remote reader that requested authorization of the item.

13. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the authenticator is operable to create a log file for each authentication failure.

14. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the authenticator includes an exception condition that triggers a notification process in the event of an authentication failure.

15. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the port includes a customer interface to allow a customer to send requests for analyzing or processing data transferred from the data store.

16. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the data management system allows a customer to request a list of all authentications requested by readers, including any authentication requests that were not successful.

17. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein the authenticator includes a parameter issuing object that issues parameters to a remote reader to instruct the remote reader about what parameters to apply when reading the security feature and/or processing data read from the security feature.

18. A data management system according to claim 1, wherein a request from a remote reader may be stored in non-volatile memory and then erased when actioned.

19. A method of managing data, the method comprising:

storing information associated with an item including information about a security feature associated with that item;

receiving a request from a remote reader where the request includes data read from a security feature;

authenticating the remote reader;

processing the data read from the security feature to ascertain an item associated with the read data;

accessing the data store using the ascertained item as an index;

comparing the processed data with data associated with the item from the data store;

generating an authenticity confirmation in response to a successful authentication of the security feature read by the remote reader.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the step of storing information about an item includes storing information derived from reading a spatial code on the item from which a customer number is derived.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the step of authenticating the remote reader includes confirming that a unique number provided by the remote reader is associated with the customer number derived from the spatial code.

22. An authentication system for authenticating an item, the system comprising:

a data management system; and

at least one remote reader coupled to the data management system, the remote reader comprising;

(i) a security module, and (ii) a read engine for reading a security feature carried by an item.

23. An authentication system according to claim 22, wherein the data management system further comprises:

a data store for storing at least one entry, the entry including (i) information is associated with an item, and (ii) information about a security feature associated with that item;

an authenticator operable to access the data store in response to a request from a remote reader and including (i) a reader validator to authenticate the remote reader, and (ii) a security feature validator to authenticate a security feature read by the remote reader and also operable to issue an authenticity confirmation in the event that a security feature is successfully validated; and

a port for coupling the remote reader and the authenticator to enable requests to be transmitted from the reader to the authenticator and responses to be transmitted from the authenticator to the remote reader.

24. A method of populating an authentication record in a data store for a customer, the method comprising:

receiving spatial code data and security feature data captured by a remote reader operated by or for the customer;

identifying the customer based on at least a portion of the spatial code data;

validating that the remote reader is permitted to create authentication records;

and

populating an authentication record in the data store, the record including customer identification information, item information, and security feature information.

25. A method of populating an authentication record according to claim 24, wherein the step of receiving spatial code data and security feature data includes receiving barcode data and luminescence data;

26. A data management system for tracking an item, the system comprising:

a data store for storing at least one entry, the entry including (i) information identifying an item, and (ii) information about a security feature associated with that item;

an authenticator operable to access the data store in response to a request from a remote reader and including (i) a reader validator to authenticate the remote reader by ascertaining the identity and location of the remote reader, and (ii) a security feature validator to authenticate a security feature read by the remote reader and to issue an authenticity confirmation in the event that a security feature is successfully validated;

a tracker for maintaining a record in the data store of each occasion on which the item is authenticated and the location of the remote reader that requested authentication of that item; and

a port for coupling the remote reader and the authenticator to enable requests to be transmitted from the reader to the authenticator and responses to be transmitted from the authenticator to the reader.