US 9,177,281 B2Granted

Systems and methods for a secure shipping label

AssigneeUnited Parcel Service of America, Inc.

InventorsSathiyan Parameswaran, Bruce Besserer, Nicholas Costides, Mark Hilbush

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Abstract

According to various embodiments, a shipping label validation system is provided for determining whether a shipping label is valid or counterfeit. The system may be used, for example, by a shipping entity (e.g., a common carrier) to prevent counterfeiting by generating and embedding onto the shipping label a shipping label hash index based upon at least a portion of the data located on the shipping label. The shipping label data may include, for example, a sender's address, recipient's address, package weight, tracking number, routing code, service code, and/or MaxiCode. The system may also be used to detect existing counterfeit shipping labels by independently generating a confirmation hash index based upon the same portion of the data used to calculate the shipping label hash index. In various embodiments, the system identifies counterfeit shipping labels based upon any discrepancies revealed when comparing the shipping label hash index to the confirmation hash index.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A shipping label validation system comprising:

one or more memory storage areas;
and
one or more computer processors that are configured to receive data stored in the one or more memory storage areas, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured for:
(A) receiving a shipping label hash index that has been obtained by reading the shipping label hash index from a shipping label;
(B) receiving un-encoded hash index verification information that has been obtained by capturing the un-encoded hash index verification information from the shipping label, the un-encoded hash index verification information comprising a combination of address data and non-address data and being received separately from the shipping label hash index of (A);
(C) using the un-encoded hash index verification information to calculate a confirmation hash index, said calculating being performed without reference to the shipping label hash index and including:
i. retrieving at least one hash key value from the one or more memory storage areas;
ii. determining whether the retrieved at least one hash key value is valid;
iii. inputting the at least one hash key value into a calculation tool, activation of said calculation tool being dependent, at least in part, upon inputting of a valid hash key value;
and
iv. calculating the confirmation hash index based on the at least one hash key value and the un-encoded hash index verification information;
and
(D) determining whether the shipping label is a valid shipping label, said determination including:
i. determining whether the retrieved at least one hash key value is valid;
ii. comparing the shipping label hash index with the confirmation hash index;
iii. in response to the shipping label hash index and the confirmation hash index being the same and the hash key value being valid, determining that the shipping label is a valid shipping label;
and
iv. in response to at least one of the shipping label hash index and the confirmation hash index not being the same or the hash key value being invalid, determining that the shipping label is not a valid shipping label.

15 more elements

A non-transitory computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion configured for receiving data associated with a shipping label, wherein the data comprises un-encoded label content data and an embedded hash index, the un-encoded label content data comprising a combination of address data and non-address data;
a second executable portion configured for calculating a confirmation hash index, the confirmation hash index being based upon and derived from the un-encoded label content data without reference to the embedded hash index and including retrieving at least one hash key value, determining whether the retrieved at least one hash key value is valid, inputting the at least one hash key value into a calculation tool, activation of said calculation tool being dependent at least in part, upon inputting of a valid hash key value, and calculating the confirmation hash index based on the at least one hash key value and the un-encoded label content data;
and
a third executable portion configured for determining whether the shipping label is a valid shipping label, said determination including determining whether the retrieved at least one hash key value is valid, comparing the embedded hash index with the confirmation hash index, in response to the embedded hash index and the confirmation hash index being the same and the hash key value being valid, determining that the shipping label is a valid shipping label, and in response to at least one of the embedded hash index and the confirmation hash index not being the same or the hash key value being invalid, determining that the shipping label is not a valid shipping label.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.