SYSTEMS AND/OR METHODS FOR DETERMINING ITEM SERIAL NUMBER STRUCTURE AND INTELLIGENCE

• US 20110251911A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Inventors: PRELLWITZ, Jeremy, JUNGER, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to techniques for determining the correct item serial number structure, even when information regarding the serial number data and/or structure is lacking. Such techniques advantageously promote data integrity by helping to ensure that the desired data is captured correctly, while also reducing (and sometimes even eliminating) the need to obtain detailed information regarding serial number structure and intelligence that sometimes is guarded by producers/manufacturers. Statistical sampling of collected unknown data formats may be used to help decipher product identification numbers (or other numbers) such as product serial numbers through a repetitive process of scanning a known constant such as the UPC number, followed by a variable number such as a products serial number. Certain exemplary embodiments check serial number against a database containing algorithms to determine if and which algorithm is used to create such serial numbers.

Claims

1. A method for determining a serial number structure when such information is missing or incomplete, the method comprising:

(a) providing a non-transitory computer readable storage location storing at least one serial number mask, each said serial number mask having an associated length;

(b) receiving a serial number for a product, the serial number having an associated length;

(c) if the length of the serial number does not equal the lengths of any existing masks stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage location as determined via at least one processor, creating a new serial number mask and storing the new serial number mask to the non-transitory computer readable storage location via the at least one processor;

(d) if the length of the new serial number equals a length of an existing mask stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage location as determined via the at least one processor, altering the existing mask as minimally as possible to allow the serial number to match the existing mask when the new serial number otherwise would not match the existing mask via the at least one processor; and

(e) repeating (b)-(d) until a stable serial number mask is identified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stable serial number mask is identified when a predetermined number or percentage of matches are made without requiring any changes to the corresponding mask.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising flagging the stable serial number mask for manual follow-up.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising following (b), searching for one or more possible check digits in the serial number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the searching is performed each time an existing mask is altered.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising validating one or more characters to determine whether the one or more characters is/are a check digit(s).

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising running all known predefined check digit algorithms against a range of one or more characters in the serial number in validating the one or more characters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the range of characters to be used in connection with the check digit algorithms is the longest set of contiguous characters preceding the digit(s) being validated as possible check digit(s).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising proceeding validating the digit(s) from left to right and, if more than one digit or group of digits matches a run algorithm, then recording the digit or group of digits that has had the largest range of values used in its calculation as the check digit(s), and designating any remaining characters as either alphanumeric constants or alphanumeric place holders in the mask.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a system, cause the method of claim 1 to be performed.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a system, cause the method of claim 11 to be performed.

10. A method for determining a serial number structure when such information is missing or incomplete, the method comprising:

receiving a UPC for a product;

validating, via at least one processor, the UPC for the product in connection with a check digit algorithm, a length validation routine, and/or a database of active UPCs;

receiving a serial number for the product;

checking, via the at least one processor, the serial number against the UPC to determine whether the serial number and UPC are the same;

creating, via the at least one processor, a serial number mask for the serial number;

attempting to locate a check digit or check digits within the serial number via the at least one processor; and

storing the serial number mask to a storage location;

wherein the created serial number mask is iteratively refinable, until a stable serial mask pattern is detected, as further UPCs and further serial numbers are received for further products.

13. A system for determining a serial number structure when such information is missing or incomplete, comprising:

a first non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising at least one known, predefined serial number mask, each said serial number mask having an associated length;

a second non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising at least one known, predefined check digit algorithm; and

at least one processor configured to;

(a) receive a serial number for a scanned product, the serial number having an associated length,

(b) create a new serial number mask and store the new serial number mask to the first non-transitory computer readable storage medium if the length of the serial number does not equal the lengths of any existing masks stored in the first non-transitory computer readable storage medium,

(c) if the length of the new serial number equals a length of an existing mask stored in the first non-transitory computer readable storage medium, alter the existing mask as minimally as possible to allow the serial number to match the existing mask when the new serial number otherwise would not match the existing mask, and

(d) cause (a)-(e) to be repeated until a stable serial number mask is identified.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify the stable serial number mask when a predetermined number or percentage of matches are made without requiring any changes to the corresponding mask.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to flag the stable serial number mask for manual follow-up.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to search for one or more possible check digits in the serial number each time a serial number for a scanned product is received.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the search is performed each time an existing mask is altered.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to validate one or more characters to determine whether the one or more characters is/are a check digit(s).

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to run all known predefined check digit algorithms stored in the second non-transitory computer readable storage medium against a range of one or more characters in the serial number in validating the one or more characters.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the range of characters to be used in connection with the check digit algorithms is the longest set of contiguous characters preceding the digit(s) being validated as possible check digit(s).

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to proceed validating the digit(s) from left to right and, if more than one digit or group of digits matches a run algorithm, then record the digit or group of digits that has had the largest range of values used in its calculation as the check digit(s), and designate any remaining characters as either alphanumeric constants or alphanumeric place holders in the mask.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein each said serial number is received from a point-of-sale (POS) system.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receiving a UPC for a product and validate the UPC for the product in connection with a cheek digit algorithm, a length validation routine, and/or a database of active UPCs.