Data word analysis by spectroscopy

Abstract

Multisource fusion of data is used on a handheld device to create a portable analytical verifier, including the ability to verify based on product wrapping or using a returned code to check the product or wrapping. Data words are extracted from authentication media by testing to see whether particular taggants are present, using spectroscopic analysis.

1 . A method comprising:
 selecting a first identifier indicative of a first binary number comprising at least six bits;   for each bit of the at least six bits of the binary number, determining whether the bit is a “one” or a “zero”;   for each bit of the at least six bits that is a “one”, providing a respective taggant having a respective spectroscopic activity, whereby said taggant is associated with a respective bit position within the at least six bits;   for the provided taggants, joining them to a first authentication material; and   placing the first authentication material upon a first package.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first authentication material is a shrink-wrap material, the method further comprising the step, performed after the placing step, of shrinking the shrink-wrap material. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the shrink-wrap material is a shrink-wrap band, and the placing step further comprises placing the shrink-wrap band at a sealing location of the package. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the package is a bottle with a screw-top cap at a neck thereof, and the sealing location is the neck of the bottle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the shrink-wrap material surrounds the first package. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first authentication material is a sheet, and the first package contains a consumer product, and the joining step comprises laminating the sheet to a face of the package. 
     
     
         7 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the spectroscopic activity is fluorescence. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the number of bits that is a one is at least two. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the number of bits that is a one is at least three. 
     
     
         12 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . Apparatus comprising a package;
 the package having an authentication material placed thereon;   the authentication material having joined to it a plurality of taggants, each taggant having a respective spectroscopic activity.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the spectroscopic activity is fluorescence. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the package has a sealing location, and wherein the authentication material is a shrink-wrap band, the shrink-wrap band shrunk upon the sealing location. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42  wherein the package is a bottle with a screw-top cap at a neck thereof, and the sealing location is the neck of the bottle. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the authentication material is a shrink-wrap material, and wherein the shrink-wrap material is shrunk around the package. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the first authentication material is a sheet, and the first package contains a consumer product, and the joining step comprises laminating the sheet to a face of the package. 
     
     
         46 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the taggants are disposed on an inside surface of the authentication material. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the taggants are disposed within the material of the authentication material. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the taggants are disposed on an outside surface of the authentication material. 
     
     
         53 - 71 . (canceled) 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising said taggant being an ingestible and covert commodity chemical; and
 integrating the measured spectral data with information from at least one source selected from the set consisting of:
 portable communication device, camera, phone, electromagnetic radiation, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, fluorescence, Raman spectroscopy, Ion mobility spectrometry, temperature programmed desorption (TPD), mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, barcodes, Raster imaging sensor data, gyroscope sensor data, accelerometer sensor data, hyperspectral imaging, time/date information, geolocation, GPS records area episodes, historical data, light sensor data, magnetic field sensor data, orientation sensor data, pressure sensor data, proximity sensor data, temperature sensor data, sound (audio) data, acoustic sensor data, colorimetry data, pixel analysis, color, smell, weight, density, dimension (size/shape), pH, solubility, social networking, stored data, remotely accessed data, and chemometric analysis. 
   
     
     
         73 . A mobile telecommunication device with an integrated spectrometer that integrates measured spectral data with locally-collected sensor information. 
     
     
         74 - 80 . (canceled)