U.S. patent application number 14/965641 was filed with the patent office on 2016-04-07 for method and system for tracking and authenticating articles.
This patent application is currently assigned to Martex Potos , S.A. de C.V.. The applicant listed for this patent is Claudia Virginia FELIX MART NEZ, Santiago MART ASCENCIO, Luis Fernando MART NEZ NIGUEZ, Herman MIKLAUTSCH. Invention is credited to NEZ FELIX MARTIacute, Santiago MART ASCENCIO, Luis Fernando MART NEZ NIGUEZ, Herman MIKLAUTSCH.
Application Number | 20160098581 14/965641 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55633015 |
Filed Date | 2016-04-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160098581 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MART ASCENCIO; Santiago ; et
al. |
April 7, 2016 |
Method And System For Tracking And Authenticating Articles
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and system for
tracking, issuing, and authenticating gear or articles, such as
uniforms, badges, equipment, weapons, etc, for use in law
enforcement or other official capacity. An authentication system
retrieves encoded information read by a reader from a plurality of
different markers. A database is queried to retrieve biometric data
corresponding to each marker whereby the biometric data is
displayed on a display. A uniform having a computer-readable marker
visible under ultraviolet light and an additional marker. A system
for issuing one of the articles by authenticating an officer and
storing the identity and encoded information in a database. An
apparatus for applying a plurality of markers by way of a conveyor
belt conveying the article by an ink jet printer and a laser
engraver.
Inventors: |
MART ASCENCIO; Santiago;
(NAUCALPAN, MX) ; MIKLAUTSCH; Herman; (ZAPOPAN,
MX) ; FELIX MARTIacute;NEZ; Claudia Virginia;
(ZAPOPAN, MX) ; MART NEZ NIGUEZ; Luis Fernando;
(ZAPOPAN, MX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MART ASCENCIO; Santiago
MIKLAUTSCH; Herman
FELIX MART NEZ; Claudia Virginia
MART NEZ NIGUEZ; Luis Fernando |
NAUCALPAN
ZAPOPAN
ZAPOPAN
ZAPOPAN |
|
MX
MX
MX
MX |
|
|
Assignee: |
Martex Potos , S.A. de C.V.
San Louis Potosi
MX
|
Family ID: |
55633015 |
Appl. No.: |
14/965641 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62090217 |
Dec 10, 2014 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/5.82 ;
235/491; 358/3.28 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/087 20130101;
H04N 1/0057 20130101; H04N 1/32144 20130101; H04N 1/00702 20130101;
H04N 1/00278 20130101; G06Q 50/265 20130101; G06K 19/0614 20130101;
G06Q 10/00 20130101; G06Q 50/26 20130101; H04N 1/233 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06K 7/00 20060101
G06K007/00; G06K 19/10 20060101 G06K019/10; H04N 1/00 20060101
H04N001/00; H04N 1/23 20060101 H04N001/23; G06K 19/06 20060101
G06K019/06; H04N 1/32 20060101 H04N001/32 |
Claims
1. A system of authenticating an official comprising: a display; a
processor; a memory unit comprising instructions to configure the
processor to: retrieve encoded information read by a reader from a
plurality of different markers on at least one article; query, over
a network transceiver, a database stored on a server using the
encoded information to retrieve biometric data corresponding to
each marker; and display at least a portion of the biometric data
on the display.
2. The system according to claim 1, the memory unit further
comprising instructions to configure the processor to: in a case of
a mismatch between the biometric data corresponding to each marker,
display a notification indicating the mismatch.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reader comprises at
least one of a barcode reader, a Quick Response reader, a black
light reader, radio frequency reader, or a digital camera.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the article comprises a
uniform.
5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the article further
comprises a badge.
6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the article further
comprises at least one of a flashlight, handcuffs, a vehicle key,
eye protection, a riot shield, a baton, a personal video camera,
boots, belts, gloves, a pepper spray, a conducted electrical
weapon, or a knife.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the biometric data
comprises at least one of an institution identifier, a photograph,
a name, a badge number, fingerprints, physical measurements, or
retinal information.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is
portable.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system further
comprises a metal detector.
10. The system according to claim 1, the memory unit further
comprising instructions to configure the processor to: transmit
location identifying and time information to the server for
recording in the database.
11. A uniform comprising: a computer-readable marker visible under
ultraviolet light; and at least one additional computer-readable
marker.
12. The uniform according to claim 11 wherein the additional
computer-readable marker comprises at least one of a barcode, a
two-dimensional barcode, a laser engraved code, or an radio
frequency tag.
13. An apparatus of applying a plurality of markers to an article
comprising: a conveyor belt conveying the article past a plurality
of coding devices; the coding devices comprising: an ink jet
printer applying at least a first marker to the article; and a
laser engraver engraving at least a second marker to the
article.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the ink jet
printer applies ink that fluoresces under ultraviolet light.
15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first marker
is selected from at least one of a one-dimensional barcode, a
two-dimensional barcode, alphanumerical text, a pattern, and an
identifiable graphic.
16. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising at
least one sensor to determine a location of the article on the
conveyor belt.
17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second marker
is selected from at least one of a one-dimensional barcode, a
two-dimensional barcode, alphanumerical text, a pattern, and an
identifiable graphic.
18. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a
digital camera imaging the article following an application of the
first and second markers.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a
source of ultraviolet illumination.
20. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first marker
and second marker overlie each other.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/090,217, filed Dec. 10, 2014, the contents of
which are herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to tracking and
authenticating articles. More particularly, the present invention
relates to a method and system for tracking and authenticating
issued gear or articles for use in law enforcement or other
official capacity such as uniforms, badges, equipment, etc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Police officer impersonation presents a significant problem
for law enforcement. Police officers typically have a respected
position in society and the public is reliant on these officers in
order to keep them safe from crime. As the public inherently trusts
a law enforcement official, an impersonator is able to make demands
without resistance. This impersonation erodes the public trust.
Historically, society has relied on uniforms and badges to identify
people of authority. Uniforms and badges were elaborate and
difficult to reproduce and the capability of producing these was
from secured manufacturers. In modern times, much of the equipment
has been made available for purchase by the general public enabling
imposters to obtain the necessary materials to commit such a
crime.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 8,406,480 to International Business Machines
Corp., herein incorporated by reference, discloses an officer
showing a badge to a user who is unsure of whether the badge is
actually legitimate. The user captures an image of the badge using
a cell phone camera and transmits the image to a badge information
service over the web. The badge information service includes
databases containing badge information and issuing authority
information. The badge information service uses this information to
verify the particulars of the badge and the officer. Upon receipt
of a request from the user, the badge information service analyzes
the image against images stored in one or more databases. The badge
information service determines, based on the image analysis,
whether the badge presented by the officer is valid. If not, the
badge information service informs the user that the badge appears
to be invalid.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 7,522,056 to V.H. Blackinton & Co., Inc.,
herein incorporated by reference, discloses a badge including a
badge body constructed and arranged to support one or more
components of the badge, such as an officer's badge number, and
indicia indicating the organization with which the officer is
affiliated. The badge body is made of metal, and an RFID device is
attached to the badge body. The RFID device includes a coil antenna
and a processor in communication with the coil antenna arranged to
function as an RFID transponder. At least one antenna-enhancing
structure may be attached to the badge body and be adjacent the
coil antenna so as to enhance an ability of the RFID device to
communicate wirelessly with an RFID reader.
[0006] Although the aforementioned references provide improvements
on the badge, police officers have been known to occasionally
misplace or lose their badge. A person who finds the badge may
still use the badge for illicit purposes as it is identical to an
official badge. This is especially a problem if the person has
acquired a facsimile uniform which is relatively easy to do.
Furthermore, guards at checkpoints may assume the "officer" is
legitimate as the imposter has a badge. Therefore, one object of
this invention to at least provide a novel method and system for
independently authenticating an official using multiple
authentication criteria.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, there is
provided a system of authenticating an official comprising: a
display; a processor; and a memory unit. The processor retrieves
encoded information read by a reader from a plurality of markers on
at least one article, each of the markers being different. The
processor queries, over a network transceiver, a database stored on
a server using the encoded information to retrieve biometric data
corresponding to each marker. The biometric data is displayed on
the display. If the processor detects a mismatch between the
biometric data corresponding to each marker, a display shows a
notification indicating the mismatch. The display may be touch
enabled and the system may be portable. Optionally, it may further
have a metal detector.
[0008] When the article is read, the processor transmits location
identifying and time information to the server for recording in the
database.
[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, a
computer-implemented method comprising: retrieving encoded
information read by a reader from a plurality of markers on at
least one article, each of the markers being different; querying a
database stored on a server using the encoded information;
retrieving biometric data corresponding to each marker from the
server; and displaying the biometric data on the display. In a case
of a mismatch between the biometric data corresponding to each
marker, a notification is displayed indicating the mismatch. The
method may also transmit location identifying and time information
to the server for recording in the database.
[0010] According to any aspect of the invention, the reader may be
one or more of a barcode reader, a Quick Response reader, a black
light reader, radio frequency reader, or a digital camera.
[0011] According to any aspect of the invention, the article may be
a uniform or one or more of a badge, a flashlight, handcuffs, a
vehicle key, eye protection, a riot shield, a baton, a personal
video camera, boots, belts, gloves, a pepper spray, a conducted
electrical weapon, another type of weapon, or a knife.
[0012] According to any aspect of the invention, the biometric data
may be one or more of an institution identifier, a photograph, a
name, a badge number, fingerprints, physical measurements, or
retinal information.
[0013] Another aspect of the invention is a uniform having a
computer-readable marker visible under ultraviolet light; and one
or more additional computer-readable markers. The additional
computer-readable markers may be one or more of a barcode, a
two-dimensional barcode, a laser engraved code, or an radio
frequency tag.
[0014] A further aspect of the invention is a system of issuing at
least one piece of gear. The system has a display, a processor, and
a memory unit comprising instructions to configure the processor to
authenticate an identity of an officer; retrieve encoded
information read by a reader from a plurality of markers on the
gear, each of the markers being different; and transmit the
identity of the officer and the encoded information over a network
transceiver to a database stored on a server.
[0015] Another aspect of the invention is an apparatus of applying
a plurality of markers to an article. The apparatus has a conveyor
belt conveying an article past at least one coding device. The
coding devices may be an ink jet printer applying at least a first
marker to the article; and a laser engraver engraving at least a
second marker to the article. The ink may be fluorescent under
ultraviolet light. The two markers may be selected from one or more
of a two-dimensional barcode, a conventional barcode,
alphanumerical text, a pattern, and an identifiable graphic. The
apparatus may optionally have one or more sensors to determine the
location of the article on the conveyor belt. The apparatus may
also have a digital camera to image the article following
application of the first and second markers. The digital camera may
take the images under a source of ultraviolet illumination. A
computer system may generate two sets of unique codes for each
marker and transmit them to the inkjet printer and laser engraver.
The unique codes are stored in a database on the computer system or
may be stored on a remove server. The markers may overlie each
other.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] An embodiment will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1A shows a selection of gear and a plurality of
authentication codes;
[0018] FIG. 1B shows an architecture of an authentication system
for an officer;
[0019] FIG. 1C shows an issuance station and a verification station
for the officer;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows an architecture of a computing device that may
be used to implement various parts of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows an architecture of a mobile computing device
that may be used to implement various parts of the invention;
and
[0022] FIG. 4 shows an apparatus of applying markers to an
article.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0023] While the Background of Invention described above has
identified particular problems known in the prior art, the present
invention provides, in part, a new and useful application for
tracking and authenticating gear or articles. Although the
embodiments described herein below refer to an officer, the
inventor contemplates that the method and system may be used for
any official such as, but not limited to, a firefighter, security
guard, emergency medical technician (EMT), doctor, nurse, orderly,
soldier, postal carrier, airline pilot, etc.
[0024] FIG. 1A shows a set of gear 100 for an officer comprising a
uniform 102, a badge 104, and a piece of equipment 106. Other gear
or equipment (not shown) may comprise a flashlight, handcuffs,
vehicle keys, eye protection, riot shields, other weapons, personal
video camera equipment, boots, belts, gloves, and/or weapons such
as pepper spray, Taser.TM. conducted electrical weapon, knives,
etc. or any combination of equipment thereof. The uniform 102
comprises a hat, pants, and a shirt but additionally may include a
coat (winter or otherwise), gloves, bullet proof vest, body armor,
helmet, riot gear, etc. Each of the pieces of gear 100 are marked
with a marker corresponding to a code as further disclosed below.
Each of the markers comprise a sufficient number of digits or
characters (or other complex pattern) to ensure a unique code for
each of the officers in the population. Alternatively, in instances
where a unique code is not required, the code may be shorter, such
as codes associated with information common to a plurality of
officers. For example, if the marker is associated with the
precinct or region, the code may be shorter as there will be fewer
precincts than the number of officers. If the system runs out of
codes, the code may be automatically lengthened on new
articles.
[0025] The uniform 102 has an optically encrypted security code 110
represented by a barcode allowing the validation of the
authenticity of the corresponding garment. Scanning this code 110
shows the information of the article 100, such as the size of the
garment and a picture. The scan may also show private or
confidential information on the owner of the garment such as the
fingerprints, home address, performance records, etc. This barcode
110 is typically placed under the pocket flap of a shirt or on the
interior of the shirt to reduce the public exposure of this
confidential information.
[0026] The uniform 102 also has a Quick Response (QR) code 112
placed on the exterior of the shirt. Optionally, this QR code 112
may be placed in other locations on the uniform 102. Scanning this
two-dimensional code 112 shows the information for an institution
associated with the officer as well as the officer's photograph,
name, and badge number. The code 112 enables scanning by the
general public using an application executing on a mobile phone 174
in order to verify the officer 122 and the authentication of the
uniform 102. This permits a member of the general public to
independently confirm the officer 122 is authentic for their own
safety. Also, other pertinent information to confirm the
authenticity of the officer may be displayed.
[0027] The uniform 102 may optionally be marked with a laser
engraved serial number 114 in the fabric. This engraving may be
done on several parts of the garment in order to identify and
verify the person originally assigned a garment. Engraving the
garment in several locations permits identification even if the
whole garment is not recovered. Typically, the serial number 114
may be engraved on each sleeve, shirt back, each pant leg, and hat
and the number of engravings is limited only by the laser engraving
technology and the time to engrave.
[0028] The uniform 102 also optionally has a black light (BL)
identification 116 where words, initials, or pictures are printed
in a random manner on the fabric and which is not visible without
the aid of a "black" light 128. The black light 128 is also known
as an ultraviolet light and emits long wave (UV-A) ultraviolet
light and not much visible light. The lamp 128 has an ultraviolet
filter material, either on the bulb or in a separate glass filter
in the lamp housing, which blocks most visible light and allows
through UV light so the lamp 128 has a dim violet glow when
operating. The UV light causes the ink to phosphoresce displaying
the code. A digital camera (not shown) may optionally capture an
image and optical character recognition (OCR) may be performed to
recognize the code. The recognized code may then automatically be
queried in a database 152. For a similar reason as the laser
engraved serial number, the BL identification 116 permits
identification even if the whole garment is not recovered. Since
the BL identification 116 is not visible without the black light
128, it is less likely to be discovered and more difficult to
duplicate by conventional printing methods. The ink may also be
chemically identifiable further permitting forensic analysis.
Optionally, the ink may phosphoresce only in response to a specific
band of ultraviolet light and the ink may phosphoresce in a
particular color. Alternatively, the ink may comprise quantum dots
(QD) that shift a wavelength of incident light to a different
wavelength based on the particle size in the ink.
[0029] The badge 104 and the piece of equipment 106 have a radio
frequency identification (RFID) chip 118 placed within each of
them. The RFID tag 118 in the badge 104 may or may not be the same
as the RFID tag 120 in the piece of equipment 106. The RFID tag 120
is sealed within each of these devices and presents significant
difficulty in removing it without damaging the badge 104 and/or the
piece of equipment 106. The RFID tag 120 may also be placed within
the piece of equipment 106 in such a manner that removal of the tag
120 renders the piece of equipment 106 inoperable. The RFID tag 118
and 120 are read using an RFID reader that transmits an
interrogation signal. The RFID tag 118, 120 responds to the
interrogation signal with a response signal encoded with the
information present on the RFID tag 118, 120. Alternatively, the
RFID tag 118 may be replaced with a Near Field Communication (NFC)
tag and is readable by an NFC scanner present in many modern mobile
phones 174.
[0030] Depending on the requirements of the security environment,
different numbers of codes (e.g. barcode 110, QR code 112, serial
number 114, BL code 116, badge RFID 118 and piece of equipment RFID
120) may be used to increase security and authenticity of the gear
100. In the most secure instance, all five of the codes may be used
as all five of the codes would have to be replicated in order for a
forgery to succeed. For less secure situations, fewer codes may be
used. In order to provide increased security, a less secure code
such as the QR code 112 may be paired with a more secure code such
as a laser engraved code 114. The QR code 112 is assumed to be less
secure due to the ability for someone to easily copy it using
photographic or photocopying equipment. Optionally, one code may be
overlaid on another code to increase the difficulty in copying. For
example, the laser engraved code 114 may overlay the QR code 112.
Photocopying both the codes would result in the laser engraved code
114 appearing but not being laser embossed/engraved indicating that
the code is a forgery.
[0031] The officer 122 also has a number of biometrics recorded and
stored on the database server 152. For example, images of the
officer's face 124 and/or retinal information may be taken,
fingerprints 126 may be recorded as well as measurements of the
officer (shoulder width, waist size, inseam, etc).
[0032] Prior to having the gear 100 issued to the officer 122, the
officer 122 may be registered into the system at a registration
station 130. An image is taken of the officer 122 (typically the
face of the officer 122) using a digital camera 134 which may
comprise a charge-coupled device (CCD), CMOS, or other type of
image sensor, a processor, memory, and a communication channel.
Alternatively, the camera 134 is solely an image sensor and relies
on the computing device 132 for processing and storing the image.
Once the image of the officer 122 is captured, it is displayed to
the registrar (not shown) in order to verify that the officer 122
is identifiable in the image. If not, then the registrar retakes
the photograph. Optionally, an existing image may be retrieved from
the database server 152 for comparison by the registrar.
Alternatively, facial recognition may be performed and compared
with an existing image in the database server 152.
[0033] The fingerprints of the officer 122 are also recorded using
a fingerprint scanner 136. The fingerprint scanner 136 may use
optical, ultrasonic, capacitive, or thermal technologies to capture
the fingerprint data. The procedure for capturing a fingerprint
using a sensor involves rolling or touching with the finger onto a
sensing area, which according to the physical principle in use
captures the difference between valleys and ridges. When a finger
touches or rolls onto a surface, the elastic skin deforms. The
quantity and direction of the pressure applied by the user, the
skin conditions and the projection of an irregular 3D object (the
finger) onto a 2D flat plane. The image of the fingerprint should
preferably be consistent in the case of different types of
fingerprint readers being used at different locations.
[0034] Optionally, the signature of the officer 122 may be recorded
using a tablet computing device 138 or other type of digitizer at
the registration station 130. Optionally, signature recognition may
be further used to confirm the identity through comparison with the
existing signature stored in the database server 152. The tablet
computing device 138 may also record pressure information of the
signature if the touch technology of the tablet is able to record
this information. The pressure information may further be used to
verify the signature.
[0035] Other documents such as registration forms may be scanned
using a scanner 140 or entered by way of a keyboard, touch screen,
or mouse (not shown). Additionally, the measurements of the officer
122 are also recorded at this time. Optionally, a 3D laser scanner
may be used to obtain the precise measurements of the officer such
as height, shoulder width, inseam, etc.
[0036] The camera 134, fingerprint scanner 136, digitizer 138, and
scanner 140 are controlled by a registration computer 132. The
registrar logs into the registration computer 132 using a username
and password combination or other biometric methods of
authentication. The registrar then activates each of the devices
134-140 by way of a graphical user interface displayed on a monitor
connected to the registration computer 132. On activation, the
biometric information is retrieved from each device 134-140 over a
communication channel such as a universal serial bus (USB),
Bluetooth.RTM., or other type of communication channel. This
biometric information is stored locally on the registration
computer 132 until registration is complete. Once the registrar is
satisfied that the biometric information is sufficiently recorded,
the registrar initiates a secure biometric data transfer over a
wired network connection and over the Internet 150 to a database
server 152 (typically located in a police station or other secure
location). The data may be secured using secure hypertext transport
protocol (HTTPS) or other type of secure encryption such as a
Virtual Private Network (VPN). Additionally, the location of the
registration computer 132 is transmitted and recorded, which may
comprise the address, phone number, precinct, GPS coordinates, or
other such identifiable information. Optionally, the registrar
information may also be transmitted and associated with the
biometric data for auditing purposes.
[0037] Turning now to the registration computer 132 and further
described with reference to FIG. 2, the exemplary registration
computer 200 has a processor 202 executing instructions from
volatile or non-volatile memory 204 and storing data thereto. The
registration computer 200 has a number of human-user interfaces
such as a keypad or touch screen 206, a microphone and/or an
additional camera 208, a speaker or headphones 210, and a display
212. A wired power supply 214 provides power to all the components
of the registration computer 200.
[0038] The registration computer 200 has a keyboard or touch screen
206, and display 212 designed for ease of use. For example, the
keyboard 206 may be sized for the user permitting them to type at
an increased speed. Another example is that the touch screen 206
and display 212 may be large or have increased functionality such
as being a multi-user, multi-touch screen. The keypad 206 could be
a conventional keyboard found on most desktop computers or a
soft-form keyboard constructed of flexible silicone material. The
keyboard 206 could be a standard-sized 101-key or 104-key keyboard,
a laptop-sized keyboard lacking a number pad, a handheld keyboard,
a thumb-sized keyboard or a chorded keyboard known in the art.
Alternatively, the registration computer 200 could have only a
virtual keyboard displayed on a touch screen 206. The touch screen
206 can be any type of touch technology such as analog resistive,
capacitive, ultrasonic, infrared grid, camera-based, or any other
touch technology known in the art. The touch screen 206 could be a
single touch, a multi-touch screen, or a multi-user, multi-touch
screen. Alternatively, the microphone 208 may be used for input
into the mobile device 200 using voice recognition.
[0039] If a touch screen 206 is present in the device, the display
212 is typically sized to be approximately the same size as the
touch screen 206. The user(s) controls the information displayed on
the display 212 using either the touch screen or the keyboard
206.
[0040] The registration computer 200 has a number of network
transceivers coupled to antennas for the processor to communicate
with other devices. For example, the registration computer 200 may
have a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver 220 and antenna
240, and/or a WiFi.RTM./Bluetooth.RTM. transceiver 222 and antenna
242. The registration computer 200 also may have a wired network
adapter 224 such as Ethernet to communicate with the Internet 150.
The registration computer 200 may have a wired interface 230 such
as USB for connection to and communication with other devices such
as the aforementioned biometric sensors. At least one of the
network transceivers is able to communicate over the Internet 150
to the database server 152.
[0041] Once the biometric data is received by the database server
152, the database server 152 securely stores this data in the
memory of the server 152. The database server 152 comprises similar
components as the registration computer 132 such as a processor
202, memory 204, keyboard 206, power supply 214 and wired network
adapter 224. However, the database server 152 may lack elements
unnecessary for the operation of a server such as a display 212 or
keyboard 206. The measurement data is then retrieved and used to
place an order for a uniform and badge from the manufacturing
plant(s) 154 using the measurements of the officer 122. The server
152 then proceeds to order the uniform and badge 104 and may
optionally send the codes to be placed on the uniform to the
manufacturer otherwise the manufacturer generates the codes. By
only ordering a uniform 102 and badge 104 after registration, no
additional gear 100 is produced reducing costs and preventing (or
reducing the instance of) excess gear from being illicitly sold.
Once the uniform 102 is produced, the uniforms 102 for a particular
issuing facility are packaged together. Each package is provided
with a package identifier comprising a random serial number in the
form of a barcode associated by the database server 152 with the
codes of the uniforms 102 contained therein. The packages may pass
through a number of different distribution centers and/or secondary
warehousing prior to reaching the issuing facility as discussed
with further reference to FIG. 1C. At each point, the package
identifier is scanned and the location of the package is updated
with the database server 152. If a package goes missing, all the
codes of the uniforms 102 are invalidated. An investigation may be
started at the last known location where the package identifier was
scanned.
[0042] The issuing facility receives the package and scans the
package identifier. The database server 152 is updated to indicate
that the uniforms 102 have arrived at the issuing facility. The
issuing facility may be the same location as the registration
facility or may be a different facility such as a precinct. The
issuing computer 160 comprises similar elements as the registration
computer 132 shown in FIG. 2 such as a processor 202, memory 204,
keyboard 206, display 212, power supply 214, and wired network
adapter 224. The issuing computer 160 is connected to a camera (or
2D or conventional barcode reader) 134, fingerprint sensor 136 as
previously described. In addition, the issuing computer 160 is
operatively connected to an RFID reader 156. When the issuing
computer 160 receives a package, it is scanned using the camera 134
(or optionally using a barcode scanner, not shown). The encoded
barcode is then converted to electronic data which is submitted to
the database server 152. The database server 152 then transfers the
codes related to the uniforms 102 to the issuing server 160. The
issuing server 160 generates a list of officers 122 whose uniforms
have arrived and an administrator contacts them. Alternatively, the
issuing server 160 generates an email or other form of electronic
communication which is sent to each of the officers 122 on the
list.
[0043] Once the officer 122 arrives at the issuing facility, the
issuer scans the fingerprints of the officer 122 using the
fingerprint scanner 136 in order to confirm the identity. If the
identity is confirmed, the issuer retrieves the assigned gear 100
for the officer 122. The issuer scans the barcode 110 and QR code
112 using the camera 134. The laser engraved serial number 114, and
the BL identification 116 are optionally also entered at that time
or may be entered prior to the arrival of the officer 122. The
issuer also retrieves the badge 104 and scans the RFID tag 118
using the RFID reader 156. If the officer 122 has ordered a
replacement uniform 102, then their existing badge 104 may be
scanned. Alternatively for confirmation of identity, an image of
the officer may be taken using the camera 134 and facial
recognition compares this image to the data stored on the database
server 152.
[0044] If the officer 122 is permitted to keep their piece of
equipment 106 when not on duty, then the issuer also uses the RFID
reader 156 to scan the RFID tag 120 inside the piece of equipment
106. If not, then the RFID tag 120 inside the piece of equipment
106 is scanned prior to the officer 122 going on duty. Note that
this may result in the officer 122 receiving a piece of equipment
106 with a different RFID tag 120 for each shift. The check-out and
check-in information for the piece of equipment tag 120 is retained
on the database server 152 in order to verify which officer had a
particular piece of equipment 106 in case an investigation on the
appropriate use is necessary.
[0045] Once the officer 122 is on duty with their gear 100, the
officer 122 may encounter a number of mobile verification stations
170 (as shown in FIG. 1B) or fixed position security checkpoints
180 (as shown in FIG. 1C). The mobile verification stations 170 may
be a tablet 172, mobile phone 174, or laptop computer 176 executing
a security verification application as further described below.
Whereas the security checkpoints 180 are located at the
entranceways of secure venues such as conference centers, airports,
police stations, stores, etc. The security checkpoint 180 has a
checkpoint computer 182 connected to a camera 134 and a gateway
184. The camera 134 takes images of everyone passing through the
gateway 184. Optionally, the checkpoint computer 182 may perform
facial recognition on the image and retrieve any officer 122 data
from the database server 152. The information is displayed to the
security personnel at the security checkpoint 180 for
verification.
[0046] The gateway 184 detects metal on the person passing there
through to allow the security checkpoint 180 to screen for weapons.
The gateway 184 also transmits an RFID detecting interrogation
pulse which reads the RFID tags 118, 120 present in the badge 104
and/or the piece of equipment 106. When an RFID tag 118 and/or 120
are detected, the checkpoint computer 182 queries the database
server 152 to verify the officer 122 assigned the badge 104 and/or
the piece of equipment 106. The checkpoint computer 182 displays an
image of the officer 122 retrieved from the database server 152 to
allow the checkpoint guards to verify the identity of the officer
122. The time, date, and location of the RFID tag 118 and/or 120
are transmitted to the database server 152. The guard may also
indicate whether or not the officer 122 matches the photograph of
the officer 122 on file.
[0047] If there is a mismatch between the badge 104 and the piece
of equipment 106, then a warning is presented on the display of the
checkpoint computer 182 and/or an alarm may sound. The checkpoint
guard may require further verification by using a camera 134 to
read the barcode 110, QR code 112, laser engraved serial code 114,
and/or the BL identification code 116 using the methods previously
described. If the checkpoint 180 does not have the additional
sensors to read these codes, then the officer 122 is held in
custody until a guard arrives with one of the mobile verification
stations 170. The mobile verification stations 170 have a camera
134 in order to read the barcode 110 and/or QR codes 112. The
mobile stations 170 may also have an RFID reader 156 and a
blacklight light emitting diode (LED) 128 to enable true portable
verification of the uniform 102, badge 104, and piece of equipment
106. The mobile stations 170 may be used to conduct spot checks
during high security events.
[0048] The components of an exemplary mobile device 300 is further
disclosed in FIG. 3 having a processor 302 executing instructions
from volatile or non-volatile memory 304 and storing data thereto.
The mobile device 300 has a number of human-computer interfaces
such as a keypad or touch screen 306, a microphone and/or camera
308, a speaker or headphones 310, and a display 312. The mobile
device has a battery 314 supplying power to all the components
within the device. The battery 314 may be charged using a wired or
wireless charging.
[0049] The keyboard 306 could be a conventional keyboard found on
most laptop computers or a soft-form keyboard constructed of
flexible silicone material. The keyboard 306 could be a
standard-sized 101-key or 104-key keyboard, a laptop-sized keyboard
lacking a number pad, a handheld keyboard, a thumb-sized keyboard
or a chorded keyboard known in the art. Alternatively, the mobile
device 300 could have only a virtual keyboard displayed on the
display 312 and uses a touch screen 306. The touch screen 306 can
be any type of touch technology such as analog resistive,
capacitive, ultrasonic, infrared grid, camera-based, or any other
touch technology known in the art. The touch screen 306 could be a
single touch or multi-touch screen. Alternatively, the microphone
308 may be used for input into the mobile device 300 using voice
recognition.
[0050] The display 312 is typically small-size between the range of
2 inches to 14 inches to enable portability and has a resolution
high enough to ensure readability of the display 312 at in-use
distances. The display 312 could be a liquid crystal display (LCD)
of any type, plasma, e-Ink.RTM., projected, or any other display
technology known in the art. If a touch screen 306 is present in
the device, the display 312 is typically sized to be approximately
the same size as the touch screen 306. The user controls the
information displayed on the display 312 using either the touch
screen or the keyboard 306.
[0051] The mobile device 300 has a number of network transceivers
coupled to antennas for the processor to communicate with other
devices. For example, the mobile device 300 may have a near-field
communication (NFC) transceiver 320 and antenna 340; a
WiFi.RTM./Bluetooth.RTM. transceiver 322 and antenna 342; a
cellular transceiver 324 and antenna 344 where at least one of the
transceivers is a pairing transceiver used to pair devices. The
mobile device 300 optionally also has a wired interface 330 such as
USB or Ethernet connection.
[0052] A coding system 400 depicted in FIG. 4 shows an exemplar
manufacturing line for coding the gear. The coding system 400 is
placed after the sewing and construction of the gear 100, in this
case the uniform 102, but prior to packaging and shipping. The gear
100 may optionally be warehoused prior to entering the coding
system 400.
[0053] A conveyor belt 402 conveys the gear 100 past various coding
devices used to code the article. The conveyor belt 402 has a
working height of approximately 90 cm and travels at a speed of
between 20-25 m/min which equates to a maximum of one piece of gear
100 every 15 seconds. The conveyor belt 402 is approximately 10
feet long and has a modular structure to permit different coding
devices to be added or removed from the coding system 400. The
conveyor belt is controlled by way of a conveyor controller 428
that supplies power to the conveyor motor (not shown) and allows
the operator to stop and start it. The conveyor belt 402 is started
using a start button 404 and stopped using a stop button 406. An
additional stop button 406 is placed at the opposite end of the
conveyor belt 402 to permit quick stopping in the event of an
emergency. The gear 100 is placed on the head end 401 of the
conveyor belt 402 and as the belt rotates, the gear 100 passes
under an ink jet printer 408, a laser engraver 412, and an
ultraviolet enclosure 418. Optionally, the gear 100 may also pass
under an RFID reader (not shown).
[0054] The ink jet printer 408 is controlled by an ink jet printer
controller 410. In the present embodiment, the ink jet printer 408
is a Domino A420i ink jet printer, the technical specifications
A420i/0414 are herein incorporated by reference, which is a highly
reliable continuous ink jet printer with 99.75% availability and
low "makeup" (or ink) consumption. The A420i is capable of high
definition micro printing for discreet and high quality coding with
255 characters per line and up to 8 lines. In the present
embodiment, the ink jet printer 408 uses UV ink. The controller 410
communicates with rack computer system 422 as further described
below to obtain the code to be printed on the gear 100. A sensor
(not shown) detects the gear 100 passing under the printer 410,
causing the printer 410 to print the next available UV code 116 in
one or more places on the gear 100.
[0055] The gear 100 then proceeds along the conveyor belt 402 until
the gear 100 is under the laser engraver 412 controlled by a laser
engraver controller 414. In the present embodiment, the laser
engraver 414 is a Domino D-Series laser, the technical
specifications DS/0113 herein incorporated by reference, which
produces unlimited lines of text in any orientation suitable for
graphics, and 2D QR codes. The laser engraver 412 may have a power
range of 10 W, 30 W, or 60 W and is capable of printing between 800
and 2000 characters per second. The laser engraver 412 has a sensor
(not shown) that detects the gear 100 in order to scribe the serial
number 114 on it.
[0056] A touch monitor 416 is present on the coding system 400 near
the beginning 401 of the conveyor belt 402. The touch monitor 416
is used by the operator to control the functionality of the
conveyor belt and/or to indicate to the system which uniform is
being marked.
[0057] The gear 100 then passes through an ultraviolet (UV) light
enclosure 418 where the UV code 116 that was printed by the inkjet
printer 408 is imaged by an Internet Protocol (IP) camera (not
shown). The images taken by the IP camera are used for quality
control purposes and displayed on the quality control touch monitor
424. A window 420 with a UV filter allows the operator to safely
view the gear 100 within the enclosure 418.
[0058] A rack computer system 422 has an operating system running
thereon and produces and aggregates production reports for quality
control purposes. The rack computer system 422 may supply the codes
to the laser engraver 412 and the inkjet printer 408. The rack
computer system 422 also may store the images from the IP camera.
The rack computer system 422 may additionally have security
software such as antivirus and/or firewall software and may be
secured from tampering. The rack computer system 422 is connected
to the controllers 410 and 414 of the laser engraver 412 and inkjet
printer 408 and collects and stores diagnostic information. All the
data from the peripheral devices are stored in an SQL database for
later query, auditing, and reporting.
[0059] Although the embodiments describe herein demonstrate the
barcode 110, QR code 112, serial number 114, and BL code 116 as
numerical representations of a code, the inventor contemplates that
other information may be encoded such as alphanumeric text, and/or
universal resource locators (URLs). Furthermore, the encoded
information may be encrypted.
[0060] Although the embodiments described herein demonstrate that
the serial number 114 and BL code 116 are alphanumerical text, the
inventor contemplates that any image may be used such as a
photograph, shapes, repeating patterns, or designs.
[0061] Although the embodiments herein describe an authentication
system, the inventor contemplates that this system may also be used
for secure inventory management.
[0062] The inventor further contemplates that medical information
for the officer 122 may also be entered into the database server
152.
[0063] The computing devices 200 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a standard server, or multiple times in a group of
such servers. It may also be implemented as part of a rack server
system. In addition, it may be implemented in a personal computer
such as a laptop computer. Alternatively, components from computing
device 200 may be combined with other components in a mobile device
200. Each of such devices may contain one or more of computing
device, and an entire system may be made up of multiple computing
devices communicating with each other.
[0064] Various implementations of the systems and techniques
described here can be realized in digital electronic circuitry,
integrated circuitry, specially designed ASICs (application
specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware,
software, and/or combinations thereof. These various
implementations can include implementation in one or more computer
programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable
system including at least one programmable processor, which may be
special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and
instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a
storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output
device.
[0065] These computer programs (also known as programs, software,
software applications or code) include machine instructions for a
programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level
procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in
assembly/machine language. As used herein, the terms
"machine-readable medium" "computer-readable medium" refers to any
computer program product, apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic
discs, optical disks, memory, Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs))
used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable
processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives
machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term
"machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide
machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.
[0066] To provide for interaction with a user, the systems and
techniques described here can be implemented on a computer having a
display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid
crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user
and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball)
by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of
devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well;
for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of
sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or
tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any
form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
[0067] The systems and techniques described here can be implemented
in a computing system that includes a back end component (e.g., as
a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an
application server), or that includes a front end component (e.g.,
a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web
browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of
the systems and techniques described here), or any combination of
such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components
of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of
digital data communication (e.g., a communication network).
Examples of communication networks include a local area network
("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), and the Internet.
[0068] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other.
[0069] In addition, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not
require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve
desirable results. In addition, other steps may be provided, or
steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other
components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems.
Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the
following claims.
[0070] A number of implementations have been described.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may
be made without departing from the scope of the claims and should
not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the
examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation
consistent with the description as a whole.
[0071] The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples
of the present invention and alterations and modifications may be
effected thereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing
from the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *