Patent ID: 9202179
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: B65C,G06K,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A multi-component device Z to document processes R comprising at least two steps wherein, in a step i of the process, a product Di is made from one or more components Cij, this multi-component device Z comprising the following devices used for each of the process steps i an information-collecting device Y collecting information ICijp, from all n components Cij of step i, used to make the product Di of an individual process step i, by reading from a mark or a label attached to any component Cij which may be a starting product or a material used in that process step, or a product from a previous process step, information ICijp which identifies the said component Cij, where i is an integer number which may assume values from 1 to m, m being equal to the number of steps in the process comprising at least one step, and where j is an integer number which may assume values from 1 to n, where n is equal to the number of components Cij used in the said process step i, and where p can be different for each of the steps i and is an integer number which may assume values from 1 to q(ij), where q(ij) is the number of individual informations relating to each component Cij, which q(ij) may be different for each different Cij, the entirety of all informations ICijp for component Cij also being referred to as ICij, a hash-calculating device X calculating in the process step i, a hash code Hij for each j from 1 to n, and for all p from 1 to q(ij), from the said information ICijp read from component Cij, a hash-calculating device W calculating a hash code Ji from all n hash codes Hij of all n components Cij used in process step i, and optionally, additionally from data read from a timer V which provides a system time of the equipment used in process step i, and/or from a device U providing information about the geographical location where process step i is conducted, and a marking or labelling device T providing the product Di of step i with a mark or a label MDi comprising a visual representation of the hash code Ji, characterised in that the said marking or labelling device T applies a mark or label MDi, by printing or otherwise applying a mark or label MDi to a surface of the product Di of step i by a process conducted in the device T comprising providing a major amount of particles Pa and a minor amount of at least one kind of particles Pzk, wherein the particles Pa and the particles Pzk differ in at least one physical property which difference in physical properties between the particles Pa and the particles Pzk is detected by a detector device S, mixing the said particles Pa and the said minor amount of at least one kind of particles Pzk to provide a mixture Ml of particles, applying the mixture Ml to a substrate which is either the product Di made in process step i, or a container containing the product Di, or a label attached to the product Di, and fixing the distribution of the said mixture Ml of particles on the said substrate to provide a fixed mixture Mfi on the said substrate, which fixed mixture Mfi constitutes at least a part of the mark or label MDi, where any of j, k, l, m, n, p and q(ij) are, independently from each other, an integer number of at least 1, and i is an integer number of at least 2, characterised in that the mark MDi comprises two parts that are spatially separated, where one mark M 2 Di comprises information about the other mark M 1 Di, which information comprises information about the distribution of particles Pzi in the said fixed mixture Mfi of step i present in the mark M 1 Di which is converted to a hash code HMfi which hash code is then used to generate in device T, and apply by device T, the mark M 2 Di to the product Di.