Method and apparatus for identifying, authenticating, tracking and tracing manufactured items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11144863-B2
Application number	US-201715617858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 17, 2008
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying manufactured items in containers, where each container is suitable for containing two or more units, and where the method comprises the steps of: associating each unit with a unique unit identifier, uniquely identifying each unit, allocating two or more units to be contained in each container, uniquely identifying each container, for each container, determining one or more ranges of unit identifiers of the two or more units allocated to the container, and storing, in a database, a container identifier for each container, each container identifier being coupled, in the database, to the one or more ranges of unit identifiers of the two or more units allocated to the container. There is also provided methods and apparatus for authenticating, tracking and tracing the units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for authenticating manufactured items allocated to containers for shipping, the method executed by at least one processor connected to a memory device and a communication network for communicating information related to the manufactured items, the memory device configured according to a memory requirement for storing first shipping information, the method comprising:
generating, at the at least one processor, a plurality of container identifiers, each container identifier being a first code;
generating, at the at least one processor, a plurality of unit identifiers, each unit identifier being a second code that (i) corresponds to a respective manufactured item among one of a plurality of manufactured items produced on a respective production line during a respective time period, and (ii) is an encrypted version of first production details associated with the respective manufactured item, the first production details including a production information code and a counter value indicative of a production run of the respective production line, wherein the second code for the respective manufactured item is generated by
combining the production information code and the counter value to obtain an item identifier for the respective manufactured item,
combining the item identifier with a noise code to obtain a resulting code, the noise code being generated based on a dynamic secret code and a static code matrix, and
obfuscating the resulting code to obtain the second code for the respective manufactured item;

adjusting, at the respective production line via the at least one processor, a current time period during which the plurality of manufactured items are produced on the respective production line, wherein the current time period is adjusted based on a rate at which the plurality of manufactured items are produced;
calculating, at the at least one processor, a memory requirement for storing second shipping information in the memory device, the second shipping information being linked with at least one production range of manufactured items stored in a container and including (i) the first code for the container, (ii) first production details common to manufactured items of a respective production range among the at least one production range, and (iii) unique production details among the first production details of first and second manufactured items of the respective production range, wherein
the second shipping information is linked with the respective production range using only the unique production details of the first and second manufactured items, and
the respective production range includes manufactured items having non-sequential first production details;

storing the second shipping information in the memory device;
receiving, over the communication network, second production details for a third manufactured item stored in a remote container, the second production details for the third manufactured item extracted from a unit identifier of the third manufactured item; and
authenticating, at the at least one processor, the third manufactured item by comparing the second production details for the third manufactured item against the second shipping information stored in the memory device to determine whether unique production details among the second production details of the third manufactured item are within the respective production range,
wherein the memory requirement of the first shipping information is determined for storing the first code of one of the containers and the second code of each manufactured item stored in the one of the containers, and
wherein the memory requirement for storing the second shipping information is smaller than the memory requirement for storing the first shipping information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, over the communication network, data related to the unit identifier of the third manufactured item; and
storing current location information contained in the received data in association with a specified container identifier in response to authentication of the third manufactured item.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first production details common to the manufactured items of the respective production range include at least one of a production location, a production date, a production time, or any combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first production details common to the manufactured items of the respective production range include a code generator identifier.

5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
comparing a previous location of the third manufactured item stored in the memory device with the current location information to identify a shipping route of the third manufactured item.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the respective production range identifies manufactured items produced during a specified period on the respective production line.

7. A system for authenticating manufactured items allocated to containers for shipping, the system comprising:
one or more production lines configured to produce manufactured items and prepare the manufactured items for shipment in at least one of a plurality of containers;
at least one processor connected to a memory device and a communication network for communicating information related to the manufactured items, the memory device configured according to a memory requirement for storing first shipping information, and the at least one processor configured to
generate a plurality of container identifiers, each container identifier being a first code,
generate a plurality of unit identifiers, each unit identifier being a second code that (i) corresponds to a respective manufactured item among a plurality of manufactured items produced on a respective production line during a respective time period, and (ii) is an encrypted version of first production details associated with the respective manufactured item, the first production details including a production information code and a counter value indicative of a production run of the respective production line, wherein the second code for the respective manufactured item is generated by
combining the production information code and the counter value to obtain an item identifier for the respective manufactured item,
combining the item identifier with a noise code to obtain a resulting code, the noise code being generated based on a dynamic secret code and a static code matrix, and
obfuscating the resulting code to obtain the second code for the respective manufactured item,

adjust, at the respective production line, a current time period during which the plurality of manufactured items are produced on the respective production line, wherein the current time period is adjusted based on a rate at which the plurality of manufactured items are produced,
calculate a memory requirement for storing second shipping information in the memory device, the second shipping information being linked with one or more production ranges of manufactured items stored in a container and including (i) the first code for the container, (ii) first production details common to manufactured items of a respective production range among the one or more production ranges, and (iii) unique production details among the first production details of first and second manufactured items of the respective production range, wherein
the second shipping information is linked with the respective production range using only the unique production details, and
the respective production range includes manufactured items having non-sequential first production details,

store the second shipping information in the me

Assignees

• Philip Morris Usa Inc

Inventors

• Chanez Patrick
• Sager Alain
• Chatelain Philippe
• Fradet Erwan

Classifications

• G06Q10/08 Primary

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title