Secure Inventory Control Systems and Methods for High-Value Goods
AssigneeThe Jewellery Store
InventorGabriel G. Nasser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for tracking and monitoring high-value goods by scanning RFID tags associated with the goods. A central monitoring service verifies both the RFID tags and the devices used to scan the tags against a database of known and trusted tags and scanning devices. Local and centralized security protocols provide improved security and data integrity.
Claims18
A system for securely monitoring high-value items, the system comprising:
- (a) an inventory-monitoring agent comprising:
- (i) an identification module for receiving an identifier from an RFID scanning device and comparing the received identifier to a list of trusted identifiers, thereby confirming that the RFID scanning device is a trusted RFID scanning device;
- (ii) a security module for limiting communications to trusted RFID scanning devices;
- (iii) a scanning module for receiving, from the trusted RFID scanning device, RFID tag scan data associated with a high-value item and a trusted RFID tag;
- and
- (iv) a local data store for storing the scan data;
- and
- (b) a central monitoring service located remotely from and in secure communication with the inventory-monitoring agent, the central monitoring service comprising a communications module for securely accessing the contents of the local data store.
A method for monitoring high-value items, the method comprising:
- identifying, at an inventory-monitoring agent, an RFID scanning device as a trusted RFID scanning device by comparing an identifier transmitted from the RFID scanning device to a list of trusted identifiers;
- limiting communications to the trusted RFID scanning device;
- receiving, at the inventory-monitoring agent, from the trusted RFID scanning device, RFID tag scan data associated with a high-value item and a trusted RFID tag;
- storing the result of the verification in a local data store;
- and
- transmitting the result of the verification to a central monitoring service via a secure connection.
An article of manufacture having computer-readable program portions embodied thereon for verifying the presence of high-value items;
- the article comprising computer-readable instructions for:
- identifying, at an inventory-monitoring agent, an RFID scanning device as a trusted RFID scanning device by comparing an identifier transmitted from the RFID scanning device to a list of trusted identifiers;
- limiting communications to the trusted RFID scanning device;
- receiving, at the inventory-monitoring agent, from the trusted RFID scanning device, RFID tag scan data associated with a high-value item and a trusted RFID tag;
- storing the result of the verification in a local data store;
- and
- transmitting the result of the verification to a central monitoring service via a secure connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.