Methods for quality control
First Claim
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1. A method of authenticating a coated product, comprising the steps of:
- a) associating a population of entities with the product, wherein the population comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster;
b) assigning a signature array of the population of entities to the product as a product authentication code, wherein the signature array comprises information about the absolute counts or relative counts of entities of at least two distinct clusters of entities within the population;
wherein information about the signature array and the product authentication code is recorded and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or a portion of said coated product and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
c) analyzing the product to obtain a measured signature array of the population of entities associated with the product;
d) comparing the measured signature array with that which is expected based on the recorded information; and
e) accepting the product as authenticated when the measured signature array matches that which is expected.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to method for quality control of surface coated objects used independently or in conjunction with product authentication; methods for assuring proper product handling; methods for assuring that product contents'"'"' match product'"'"'s label, comprising the use of microparticulate taggants having different detectable physical properties, wherein each combination of properties is used as an encoding bit to create codes.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A method of authenticating a coated product, comprising the steps of:
- a) associating a population of entities with the product, wherein the population comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster;
b) assigning a signature array of the population of entities to the product as a product authentication code, wherein the signature array comprises information about the absolute counts or relative counts of entities of at least two distinct clusters of entities within the population;
wherein information about the signature array and the product authentication code is recorded and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or a portion of said coated product and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
c) analyzing the product to obtain a measured signature array of the population of entities associated with the product;
d) comparing the measured signature array with that which is expected based on the recorded information; and
e) accepting the product as authenticated when the measured signature array matches that which is expected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- a) associating a population of entities with the product, wherein the population comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster;
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16. A method for quality control and release of products from a manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:
- a) associating a population of entities with a product during the manufacturing process, wherein the population of entities comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster, wherein a signature array that comprises information about the absolute counts or relative counts of entities of the at least two distinct clusters of entities is recorded and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or a portion of said product thereof and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
b) analyzing the product to obtain a measured signature array of the population of entities associated with the product;
c) comparing the measured signature array with that which is expected based on the recorded information; and
d) releasing products manufactured by the manufacturing process when the measured signature array matches that which is expected. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
- a) associating a population of entities with a product during the manufacturing process, wherein the population of entities comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster, wherein a signature array that comprises information about the absolute counts or relative counts of entities of the at least two distinct clusters of entities is recorded and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or a portion of said product thereof and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
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31. A method for assuring the proper handling of a product comprising the steps of:
- a) associating a population of entities with a product during a manufacturing process, wherein the population of entities comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster and wherein the absolute counts or relative counts of entities within at least one of said clusters changes in response to exposure of the product to an environmental stimulus and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or portion of said product and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
b) analyzing the product to obtain a measured value of the counts of said cluster(s) that change(s) in response to exposure of the product to an environmental stimulus;
c) comparing the measured counts with a corresponding expected counts acceptance value; and
d) releasing products manufactured by the manufacturing process when the measured value is within an acceptable range of the expected value. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
- a) associating a population of entities with a product during a manufacturing process, wherein the population of entities comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster and wherein the absolute counts or relative counts of entities within at least one of said clusters changes in response to exposure of the product to an environmental stimulus and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or portion of said product and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
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46. A method for minimizing the occurrence of packaging mismatch errors comprising the steps of:
- a) associating a population of entities with a product label to be applied to a container during a manufacturing process, wherein the population of entities comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster, wherein a signature array that comprises information about the absolute counts or relative counts of entities of the at least two distinct clusters of entities is recorded and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or portion of said product and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
b) determining that the signature array is consistent with proper match between the label and the container; and
c) rejecting labeled containers that are determined to be mismatched. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
- a) associating a population of entities with a product label to be applied to a container during a manufacturing process, wherein the population of entities comprises at least two distinct clusters of entities having detectable absolute counts or relative counts of entities per cluster, wherein a signature array that comprises information about the absolute counts or relative counts of entities of the at least two distinct clusters of entities is recorded and wherein absolute count is the count or number measured in all or portion of said product and relative count is a ratio between two or more absolute counts;
Specification