PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9036916-B2
Application Number: US-201213629561-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Unique part identifiers

Abstract:
A method of providing a unique identifier for a manufactured part includes defining a boundary area on at least one surface of the manufactured part, recording surface properties within a portion of the boundary area, interpreting the recorded surface properties with a pattern recognition algorithm to create the unique identifier, and storing the unique identifier in a database.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of generating a unique identifier for a manufactured part, the method comprising:
 identifying a reference feature on a surface of the manufactured part; 
 identifying a boundary area on the surface of the manufactured part based on a location of the reference feature; 
 quantifying one or more naturally occurring nodes within non-uniform boundary regions of the boundary area; 
 interpreting the one or more naturally occurring nodes based on a node total corresponding to each of the non-uniform boundary regions; and 
 generating the unique identifier based on a result of the interpreting. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference feature is a corner of the manufactured part, an edge of the manufactured part, an indicia disposed on the surface of the manufactured part, a fiducial marker disposed on the surface of the manufactured part, or change in contrast on the surface of the manufactured part. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the boundary area is a region of the surface of the manufactured part which includes identifiable surface features which form a unique pattern. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the surface is made from metal and the identifiable surface features comprise grain boundary patterns of the metal or crystal orientations of the metal. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein quantifying one or more naturally occurring nodes comprises imaging, measuring reflectivity, or measuring spectrum output of the non-uniform boundary regions of the boundary area. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein interpreting the one or more naturally occurring nodes comprises algorithmic assignment of individual digits of a serial number associated with surface features in a repeatable manner. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the individual digits are based on individual surface features. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the individual digits are based on a total number of the one or more naturally occurring nodes of the non-uniform boundary regions. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the individual digits are based on transitions between adjacent surface features. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the transitions between the adjacent surface features are changes in crystal orientation from a first surface feature to an adjacent surface feature. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the individual digits are based on groups of surface features. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying indicia representative of the unique identifier to the surface of the manufactured part. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the applying comprises etching the indicia on the surface of the manufactured part. 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor communicatively coupled with a computing device, cause the computing device to carry out steps that include:
 identifying a reference feature on a surface of a manufactured part; 
 identifying a boundary area on the surface of the manufactured part based on a location of the reference feature; 
 identifying a non-uniform boundary region of multiple non-uniform boundary regions within the boundary area; 
 quantifying one or more naturally occurring nodes within a perimeter of the non-uniform boundary region of the boundary area, wherein the one or more naturally occurring nodes result from a material property of the manufactured part; 
 interpreting the one or more naturally occurring nodes based on a pattern recognition algorithm; and 
 generating a unique identifier based on a result of the pattern recognition algorithm. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the boundary area is a region of the surface of the manufactured part which includes identifiable surface features which form a unique pattern. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the surface is made from metal and the identifiable surface features comprise grain boundary patterns of the metal or crystal orientations of the metal. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein interpreting the one or more naturally occurring nodes comprises algorithmic assignment of individual digits of a serial number associated with surface features in a repeatable manner. 
     
     
       18. A system configured to assign a unique identifier to a manufactured part, the system comprising:
 an imaging device; 
 a processor; and 
 a memory configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to carry out steps that include: 
 identifying a reference feature on a surface of the manufactured part; 
 identifying a boundary area on the surface of the manufactured part based on a location of the reference feature; 
 identifying one or more naturally occurring nodes within non-uniform boundary regions of the boundary area according to a surface feature of each of the one or more naturally occurring nodes, wherein the one or more naturally occurring nodes result from a material property of a grain region on the manufactured part; 
 quantifying the one or more naturally occurring nodes within the non-uniform boundary regions; and 
 generating the unique identifier based on a result of the quantifying. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the imaging device comprises an image sensor and at least one lens, and the image sensor is configured to record an image of identifiable surface features of the manufactured part on a microscopic scale. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein generating the unique identifier comprises automatically assigning unique identifiers to a plurality of manufactured parts. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the reference feature defines in part the boundary area.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS 
     The described embodiments relate generally to identification, and more particularly, to identification of devices or parts thereof through unique identifiers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventionally, device and part manufacturers may assign serial numbers to individual products or portions of products for discerning origin information, for identifying manufacturing information of defective parts, for anti-counterfeit measures, or for other uses. Conventional serial number assignment methodologies include physically labeling a part with the pre-assigned serial number. It follows that physical labeling may be tampered with, for example, through changing, re-labeling, removing, or other manipulation. 
     Accordingly, what is needed is a process or processes for device and part identification that reduces the possibility of physical tampering. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS 
     This paper describes various embodiments that relate to methodologies of implementing a natural and unique part identifier which uses naturally occurring surface properties along a defined area. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of providing a unique identifier for a manufactured part includes defining a boundary area on at least one surface of the manufactured part, recording surface properties within a portion of the boundary area, interpreting the recorded surface properties with a pattern recognition algorithm to create the unique identifier, and storing the unique identifier in a database. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of providing a unique identifier for a manufactured part includes defining a boundary area on at least one surface of the manufactured part, capturing an image of a portion of the boundary area, interpreting the captured image to create the unique identifier, and storing the unique identifier in a database. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for assigning a unique identifier to a manufactured part includes an imaging device configured to capture at least one image of a portion of a defined boundary area on at least one surface of the manufactured part, a controller in operative communication with the imaging device configured to interpret the captured image to create the unique identifier, and a database in operative communication with the controller configured to store the created unique identifier. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the described embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a manufactured device. 
         FIG. 2  is an alternate perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an expanded view of a portion of a surface of the device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an interpreted expanded view of a portion of a surface of the device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a system for assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method of assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a method of assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a method of assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart of a method of verifying a unique identifier of a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart of a method of verifying a unique identifier of a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart of a method of verifying a unique identifier of a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED EMBODIMENTS 
     Representative applications of methods and apparatus according to the present application are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. 
     In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is understood that these examples are not limiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. 
     According to embodiments of the invention, systems and methods have been provided which significantly increase the difficulty in producing counterfeit serial numbers for parts. For example, unique surface features which vary uniquely between each part may be identified, quantified, and translated into serial numbers for use in identifying the parts. The serial numbers may be stored in a database for retrieval/authentication in subsequent processing. The unique surface features may include grain boundary patterns, attributes of the same (e.g., number of nodes, segments, vertices, etc), crystal orientation or patterns between grain boundaries, and/or other suitable attributes. 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a device  100  is illustrated. The device  100  may include a housing  101  and an interface portion  102 . The housing  101  may be an suitable housing, and may include a plurality of individual panels, joints, segments, bands, inlays, and/or other features. According to one embodiment, the housing  101  is formed substantially from a metal or metal alloy. The metal or metal alloy may include aluminum, stainless steel, or titanium. According to one embodiment, the housing  101  includes a panel or window formed of glass, ceramic, or a compound of the two. The panel may be a radio-transparent or substantially radio-transparent window for wireless communication. The interface portion  102  may be integrally or fixedly attached to the housing  101  through a variety of forms of attachment including adhesive, snap-construction, fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.) or any other suitable forms of attachment. 
     Although particularly illustrated in a rectangular form, it should be understood that  FIG. 1  is illustrative of only a single aspect of the invention, and can take a plurality of forms. Furthermore, it should be readily understood that the methodologies discussed herein are applicable to any form of a part, including individual parts for forming a housing or other component of a device. 
       FIG. 2  is an alternate perspective view of the device  100 . As shown, the housing  101  may include one or more markings or indicia  103  and  104 , including, for example, a corporate logo or serializing indicia  104 . The location of the indicia may be relatively stable and easily located amongst a plurality of different iterations of the housing  101 . Therefore, a portion or entirety of the indicia  103  and/or  104  may be used in defining a boundary region as described herein. Alternatively, optical fiducial markers may be used for defining a boundary region or at least identifying a portion of a boundary region. Optical fiducial markers may include cross-hairs, dots, barcodes (both single and two-dimensional), or any other suitable fiducial marker. Furthermore, physical corners, segments, boundaries, and/or edges may also be used to at least partially define a boundary region as described herein. Moreover, cosmetic or surface treatments may be used to define at least a portion of a boundary region (e.g., contrast between a texture and smooth interface on a surface). Even further, any other form of defining a boundary region and functional equivalents should be included in the scope of embodiments of the invention. 
     Hereinafter, a more detailed discussion of boundary regions and their application in unique identification of parts is described more fully with reference to  FIGS. 3-4 . 
       FIG. 3  is an expanded view of a portion of a surface of the device  100 . The expanded portion is noted by the broken line which defines a boundary region  301  on a portion of a surface of the device  100 . Upon magnification of the boundary region  301 , a plurality of grain boundary patterns are visible and discernible by an imaging device. The grain boundary patterns include a plurality of nodes  304  and associated segments which further define individual grain regions  302  and  303 . Each individual grain region is unique across a plurality of parts due to variations in the structure of the material comprising the device  100  (e.g., aluminum or other metals). Therefore, the boundary region  301  includes a unique pattern of grain boundary regions which may be used to uniquely identify the device  100 , for example, somewhat similar to a fingerprint varying across a plurality of persons in a population. As such, through quantification of at least a portion of the pattern contained in boundary region  301 , a unique and natural part identifier may be interpreted for formal assignment to the device  100 . Furthermore, recreation of the unique grain pattern of the boundary region  301  may be difficult, and therefore counterfeiting may be reduced. 
     Turning to  FIG. 4 , an example pattern-recognition algorithm is described with reference to the boundary region  301  and its unique pattern. 
     As illustrated, a portion  401  of the surface features within the boundary region  301  may be examined. The portion  401  may be identified through an optical fiducial marker  402  applied to the surface. Alternatively, the portion  401  may be identified as a central region of the boundary region  301 . Additionally, the portion  401  may be identified through any other suitable process, for example, using contrasting patterns (e.g., features of printed or etched letters), identifiable indicia (e.g., the dot over the letter “i” or “j”), or any other process. Moreover, the portion  401  may be identified as a percent surface area at a central or predefined corner of the boundary region  301 . Other methods of identifying the portion  401  may also be applicable to embodiments of the invention, and exhaustive description of every form is omitted herein for the sake of brevity. 
     Upon identification of the portion  401 , a number of nodes contained within each grain region may be quantified as illustrated. In this example, grain regions proximal to the optical fiducial marker  402  (or alternatively central to the portion  401 ) have been quantified as having the number of nodes illustrated. As shown, some of the regions have an equal number of nodes, albeit of different total surface area. Therefore, using a simple algorithm consisting of identifying a central grain region proximal the fiducial marker  402  (in this example having 8 nodes), identifying the grain region immediately north (in this example having 6 nodes), and subsequently moving clockwise about the central region and quantifying nodes, an example unique serial number would be “864584485”. This number may be augmented or reduced according to any number of desired digits for the unique identifier. Similarly, other pattern recognition algorithms may be used (e.g., moving counter-clockwise, in parallel rows, in vertical rows, along an identifiable edge, about a helix, etc.). Furthermore, other attributes may also be used rather than a number of nodes. 
     For example, a crystal orientation of each grain boundary region may be identified. Thereafter, a pattern of crystal orientation changes between each region may be used to quantify the underlying pattern as a unique serial number. The crystal orientations may be interpreted through one or both of an extruding plane {X,Y,Z} and an extruding direction &lt;X,Y,Z&gt; to use in quantifying a value for each grain region. 
     Additionally, other quantifiable surface attributes relating to individual grain regions may be used, including relative color, darkness, reflectivity, and other suitable attributes. Moreover, an image of a portion or entirety of the boundary region  301  may also serve as a form of product or part identification, and may be compared to images stored in a database during device manufacturing. The images may be compared through direct image-comparison or pattern recognition algorithms to determine a match and identifying counterfeit parts (e.g., parts not having matched images in the database). 
     As described above, a plurality of forms of identification may be associated with a portion of a surface of a part. The part may be a metallic part having a plurality of grain boundary regions associated therewith that form a unique pattern associated with the part. The grain boundary regions may be interpreted to form a unique serial number, and/or may be imaged and stored as a record of a part. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a system  500  for assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the system  500  includes a database  501  configured to store serial numbers, part identifiers, and/or associated images. The database  501  may be any suitable database, including a relational database, which may be queried with a product serial number and/or image of a boundary region to determine if a part is counterfeit and/or the manufacturing origins of the queried part. 
     The database  501  may be in communication with a controller  503  over a network  502 , or may be in direct communication with the controller  503  over one or more communication channels. The controller  503  may be a computer processing apparatus configured to translate images of a boundary region of a part into a unique serial number of identifier, and/or relay the same for storage in the database  501 . The controller  503  may include a memory for storing computer executable instructions executable by a processor contained therein, the computer executable instructions directing the processor to perform one or more portions of the methods described herein. 
     The system  500  may further include an imaging device  504  in communication with the controller  503 . The imaging device  504  may be any suitable imaging device capable of capturing an image of the surface of a part within, about, or containing at least a portion of a defined boundary region. The imaging device  504  may include one or more optical lenses and light sources, for example, for capturing images on a microscopic scale. The imaging device may also include other forms of image capture, including non-optical images (infrared, ultraviolet) and or spectrometer measurements as an alternative or in combination with traditional imaging. 
     As further show, the system  500  includes inspection station  506  configured to receive non-serialized parts  505  for inspection and subsequent serialization. The serialized parts  507  may also be re-inspected for counterfeit verification or other purposes. The inspection station  506  may be any suitable station, including a support member for supporting a part or device for imaging with the imaging device  504 . 
     One or both of the imaging device  504  and the inspection station  506  may include translation stages for movement of the supported part relative to an imaging sensor of the imaging device  504 . In this manner, a support part (e.g., placed in the inspection station  506 ) may be moved in at least one plane to allow for locating and imaging a defined boundary area. 
     The system  500  may be a relatively automated system integrated with a manufacturing line. As such, the controller  503  may be configured to perform one or more methods as described below, including methods of automated assignment of unique identifiers to a plurality of manufactured parts through controlling/directing components of the system  500  to repeatedly assign unique identifiers as described below. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method  600  of assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. The method  600  includes identifying a boundary area on a surface of a part at block  601 . The identifying may be facilitated through identification of a known feature, such as, for example, a corner, edge, indicia (e.g., letter or portion of a letter), change in contrast, or receipt of coordinates relative to the surface of the part. The boundary area may be a region of the surface of the part which includes identifiable or translatable surface features which form a unique pattern. For example, translatable surface features may include surface features such as grain patterns, crystal orientations, reflectivity, or other features which can be quantified, measured, and/or recorded (e.g., through images or otherwise). Therefore, the surface features may be translated into a unique part identifier or serial number. 
     The method  600  further includes recording surface properties and/or features within at least a portion of the boundary area at block  602 . The recording may include imaging, reflectivity measurements of the surface features, spectrum measurements of the surface features, or other forms of recording. 
     The method  600  further includes interpreting the recorded surface properties and/or features to create a unique part identifier at block  603 . The interpreting may include any form of interpretation discussed above, including pattern recognition, quantification, measuring, and/or algorithmic assignment of individual digits of a serial number associated with surface features in a repeatable manner. The individual digits may be based on individual surface features (e.g., grain boundary patterns), transitions between adjacent surface features (e.g., changes in crystal orientation), multiple surface features (e.g., total number of nodes within a predetermined region of surface area), or any other suitable approach to quantifying surface features. 
     The method  600  further includes storing the created unique part identifier in a database at block  604 . The storing may include associating the unique part identifier with the actual part, storage of the actual identification or serial number, and/or storing of the recorded surface features as an image, images, processed image, and/or processed group of images. 
     The method  600  may further include other steps, acts, and/or functions not explicitly illustrated and described, including application of a label with indicia representative of the created identifier, etching of the surface of the part to include indicia representative of the created identifier, and/or any other desired functions or steps. 
     As described above, recording of the surface features may be facilitated through an imaging device.  FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a method  700  of assigning a unique identifier to a part or device using a system comprising an imaging device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The method  700  includes identifying a boundary area on a surface of a part at block  701 . The identifying may be facilitated through identification of a known feature, such as, for example, a corner, edge, indicia (e.g., letter or portion of a letter), change in contrast, or receipt of coordinates relative to the surface of the part. The boundary area may be a region of the surface of the part which includes identifiable or translatable surface features which form a unique pattern. For example, translatable surface features may include surface features such as grain patterns, crystal orientations, reflectivity, or other features which can be quantified, measured, and/or recorded (e.g., through images or otherwise). Therefore, the surface features may be translated into a unique part identifier or serial number. 
     The method  700  further includes capturing an image of at least a portion of the boundary area at block  702 . The capturing may include using an imaging device somewhat similar to imaging device  504  to capture/record an image of the portion of the defined boundary area. 
     The method  700  further includes interpreting the captured image to create a unique part identifier at block  703 . The interpreting may include any form of interpretation discussed above, including pattern recognition, quantification, measuring, and/or algorithmic assignment of individual digits of a serial number associated with surface features identifiable in the captured image in a repeatable manner. The individual digits may be based on individual surface features (e.g., grain boundary patterns), transitions between adjacent surface features (e.g., changes in crystal orientation), multiple surface features (e.g., total number of nodes within a predetermined region of surface area), or any other suitable approach to quantifying surface features. 
     The method  700  further includes storing the created unique part identifier in a database at block  704 . The storing may include associating the unique part identifier with the actual part, storage of the actual identification or serial number, and/or storing of the captured image. 
     The method  700  may further include other steps, acts, and/or functions not explicitly illustrated and described, including application of a label with indicia representative of the created identifier, etching of the surface of the part to include indicia representative of the created identifier, and/or any other desired functions or steps. 
     As described above, surface feature patterns on surfaces of a part may be unique across a plurality or relatively large number of parts. Therefore, unique identifiers may be interpreted or quantified through analysis of these surface features. However, other forms of unique identification may also be appropriate, including integration of conventional number assignment with identification/recording of surface features and underlying patterns as presented below with reference to  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a method  800  of assigning a unique identifier to a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. The method  800  may include assigning a serial number to a part at block  801 . The assigning may include any desired form of assigning, including generation of a random serial number of a predetermined format to the part. Additionally, the assigning may include generation of a serialized number of a predetermined format to the part. Furthermore, the assigning may include retrieving an unused serial number from a pool of available serial numbers and assigning the retrieved number to the part. 
     Thereafter, the method  800  includes identifying a boundary area on a surface of the part at block  801 . The identifying may be facilitated through identification of a known feature, such as, for example, a corner, edge, indicia (e.g., letter or portion of a letter), change in contrast, or receipt of coordinates relative to the surface of the part. The boundary area may be a region of the surface of the part which includes identifiable or translatable surface features which form a unique pattern. For example, translatable surface features may include surface features such as grain patterns, crystal orientations, reflectivity, or other features which can be quantified, measured, and/or recorded (e.g., through images or otherwise). Therefore, the surface features may be translated into a unique part identifier or serial number. 
     The method  800  further includes capturing an image of at least a portion of the boundary area at block  802 . The capturing may include using an imaging device somewhat similar to imaging device  504  to capture/record an image of the portion of the defined boundary area. 
     The method  800  further includes storing the assigned serial number with the captured image in a database at block  804 . The storing may include associating the serial number with the actual part and the captured image, storage of the actual identification or serial number, and/or storing of the captured image. In this manner, a reference of the unique surface features (e.g., through the captured image) may be associated with the assigned serial number and referenced at any subsequent time. Therefore, the assigned serial number may be verified through analysis of the defined boundary area such that counterfeiting is made difficult. 
     The method  800  may further include other steps, acts, and/or functions not explicitly illustrated and described, including application of a label with indicia representative of the assigned serial number, etching of the surface of the part to include indicia representative of the assigned serial number, and/or any other desired functions or steps. 
     As described above, a plurality of methods of assigning/creating unique identifiers based on surface features of parts may include a plurality of steps/functions including defining a boundary area on at least one surface of the manufactured part, recording surface properties within, or capturing an image of, a portion of the boundary area, interpreting the recorded surface properties or captured image with a pattern recognition algorithm to create the unique identifier, and storing the unique identifier in a database. The methods may also integrate pre-assigned serial numbers through storage of the image as well. 
     Hereinafter, methods of verifying unique identifiers are described in greater detail with reference to  FIGS. 9-11 . 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart of a method  900  of verifying a unique identifier of a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. The method  900  includes identifying a boundary area on a surface of a part at block  901 . The identifying may be facilitated through identification of a known feature, such as, for example, a corner, edge, indicia (e.g., letter or portion of a letter), change in contrast, or receipt of coordinates relative to the surface of the part. The boundary area may be a region of the surface of the part which includes identifiable or translatable surface features which form a unique pattern. For example, translatable surface features may include surface features such as grain patterns, crystal orientations, reflectivity, or other features which can be quantified, measured, and/or recorded (e.g., through images or otherwise). 
     The method  900  further includes recording surface properties and/or features within at least a portion of the boundary area at block  902 . The recording may include imaging, reflectivity measurements of the surface features, spectrum measurements of the surface features, or other forms of recording. 
     The method  900  further includes interpreting the recorded surface properties and/or features to discern the previously created unique part identifier at block  903 . The interpreting may include any form of interpretation discussed above, including pattern recognition, quantification, measuring, and/or algorithmic assignment of individual digits of a serial number associated with surface features. The individual digits may be based on individual surface features (e.g., grain boundary patterns), transitions between adjacent surface features (e.g., changes in crystal orientation), multiple surface features (e.g., total number of nodes within a predetermined region of surface area), or any other suitable approach to quantifying surface features which was used to create the unique part identifier. 
     The method  900  further includes verifying the discerned unique part identifier through comparison with a database at block  904 . The verifying may include any suitable form of verification, including querying the database for existence of the discerned part identifier. 
     As described above, recording of the surface features may be facilitated through an imaging device.  FIG. 10  is a flowchart of a method of verifying a unique identifier of a part or device using an imaging device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The method  1000  includes identifying a boundary area on a surface of a part at block  1001 . The identifying may be facilitated through identification of a known feature, such as, for example, a corner, edge, indicia (e.g., letter or portion of a letter), change in contrast, or receipt of coordinates relative to the surface of the part. The boundary area may be a region of the surface of the part which includes identifiable or translatable surface features which form a unique pattern. For example, translatable surface features may include surface features such as grain patterns, crystal orientations, reflectivity, or other features which can be quantified, measured, and/or recorded (e.g., through images or otherwise). 
     The method  1000  further includes capturing an image of at least a portion of the boundary area at block  1002 . The capturing may include using an imaging device somewhat similar to imaging device  504  to capture/record an image of the portion of the defined boundary area. 
     The method  1000  further includes interpreting the captured image to discern the previously created unique part identifier at block  1003 . The interpreting may include any form of interpretation discussed above, including pattern recognition, quantification, measuring, and/or algorithmic assignment of individual digits of a serial number associated with surface features identifiable in the captured image. The individual digits may be based on individual surface features (e.g., grain boundary patterns), transitions between adjacent surface features (e.g., changes in crystal orientation), multiple surface features (e.g., total number of nodes within a predetermined region of surface area), or any other suitable approach which was used to create the unique part identifier. 
     The method  1000  further includes verifying the discerned unique part identifier through comparison with a database at block  1004 . The verifying may include any suitable form of verification, including querying the database for existence of the discerned part identifier. 
     As described above, other forms of unique identification and verification may also be appropriate, including integration of conventional number assignment with identification/recording of surface features and underlying patterns as presented below with reference to  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 11  is a flowchart of a method of verifying a unique identifier of a part or device, according to an embodiment of the invention. The method  1100  may include identifying a serial number assigned to the part at block  1101 . The identifying may include retrieving the assigned number from a database, reading/entering the serial number as identified through indicia marked on the part&#39;s surface, or any suitable form of identifying. 
     Thereafter, the method  1100  includes identifying a boundary area on a surface of the part at block  1101 . The identifying may be facilitated through identification of a known feature, such as, for example, a corner, edge, indicia (e.g., letter or portion of a letter), change in contrast, or receipt of coordinates relative to the surface of the part. 
     The method  1100  further includes capturing an image of at least a portion of the boundary area at block  1102 . The capturing may include using an imaging device somewhat similar to imaging device  504  to capture/record an image of the portion of the defined boundary area. 
     The method  1100  further includes verifying the identified serial number and the captured image through comparison with a database at block  1104 . The verifying may include any suitable form of verification, including querying the database for existence of the identified serial number associated with the captured image. 
     The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling manufacturing operations or as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling a manufacturing line. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, HDDs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20120927
Publication Date: 20150519
Grant Date: 20150519
Priority Date: 20120927
Inventors: LE DUY P.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06K9/00577", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06K2009/0059", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09C1/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06V20/80", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06V20/95", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06V20/95", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06V20/80", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L9/3278", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G09C1/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L9/3278", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 50338901