Device and method for checking the integrity of physical objects

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for monitoring physical objects that comprises one or more short-range remote readers, memory elements to be attached to physical objects, and a controller adapted for executing a reading function capable of interaction with the one or more remote readers in order to acquire data contained in adjacent memory elements, and for executing an integrity validation function capable of distinguishing, from the acquired data, individual identifiers particular to each of the memory elements as well as group description data stored in at least some of said memory elements, and of checking the sufficiency of group description data while checking the compliance of individual identifiers with corresponding group description data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for verifying the integrity of a set of objects intended for a given recipient, each of said objects of the set bearing one or more respective memory element(s) each storing at least one identifier which is specific to said memory element, said method comprising the following steps:
 reading, in each memory element of each of said objects, the identifier which is specific to said memory element, using a short-range remote reader; and   writing, in one of said memory elements, which is borne by at least one of said objects, using the short-range remote reader, group identifier data established based on said identifiers read in the memory elements of said objects and as well on identification data for a recipient of the set of objects.   
     
     
         2 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identification data for the recipient includes an identifier of a memory element associated with the recipient of the set of objects. 
     
     
         3 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 2 , wherein the identification data of the recipient includes a public key consistent with private key data stored in the memory element associated with the recipient. 
     
     
         4 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 1 , wherein the memory elements include radiofrequency-type labels. 
     
     
         5 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 1 , wherein the group identifier data results from the application of a hash function to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and to the identification data of the recipient. 
     
     
         6 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 1 , wherein sub-group identifier data established based on said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects, independently of the identification data of the recipient, is also written in one of said memory elements, which is borne by at least one of said objects, using the short-range remote reader. 
     
     
         7 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 6 , wherein the subgroup identifier data results from the application of a hash function to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects. 
     
     
         8 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said objects is a container containing at least some others of said objects. 
     
     
         9 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 1 , wherein one of said objects is a container containing each other object of the set of objects. 
     
     
         10 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 8 , wherein the group identifier data is written in one of said memory elements, which is borne by said container. 
     
     
         11 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 6 , wherein the subgroup identifier data is written in one of said memory elements, which is borne by at least one container. 
     
     
         12 . A method for verifying the integrity of a set of objects intended for a given recipient, each of said objects bearing one or more memory element(s) each storing at least one identifier which is specific to said memory element, a memory element borne by at least one of said objects also storing group identifier data, said method also comprising the following steps:
 reading the group identifier data in said memory element borne by said at least one object, using a short-range remote reader;   reading, in each memory element of each of said objects, the identifier which is specific to said memory element, using the short-range remote reader;   obtaining identification data for a recipient of the set of objects;   determining the result of a first function of said identifiers of the memory elements of the objects and of the identification data of the recipient;   comparing the determined result of said function and the read group identifier, the integrity of said set, and the verification of its recipient being determined as a function of the result of said comparison.   
     
     
         13 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 12 , wherein said identification data of the recipient is obtained by reading, in a memory element associated with the recipient of the set of objects, a identifier which is specific to said memory element, using a short-range remote reader. 
     
     
         14 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 13 , wherein said identifier of the memory element associated with the recipient includes a private key stored in the memory element of the recipient. 
     
     
         15 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 12 , wherein the memory elements include radiofrequency-type labels. 
     
     
         16 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first function is a hash function applied to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and the identification data of the recipient. 
     
     
         17 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of said objects is a container containing at least some others of said objects. 
     
     
         18 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 17 , wherein one of said objects is a container containing each other object of the set of objects. 
     
     
         19 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 17 , wherein the group identifier data is read in one of said memory elements, which is borne by said container. 
     
     
         20 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 12 , wherein said set of objects is found within a closed container and provided with a controllable opening/closing device for the container, and wherein the opening of the container is controlled as a function of the result of said comparison. 
     
     
         21 . The integrity verification method according to  claim 12 , wherein said set of objects is arranged in an open container and provided with a controllable opening/closing device for the container, and also comprising the following steps:
 reading, subgroup identifier data in one of said memory elements, which is borne by said at least one object, using a short-range remote reader;   determining the result of a second function of said identifiers of the read memory elements of said objects;   comparing the determined result of said second function and the read subgroup identifier, the device being commanded to close the container as a function of the result of said comparison.   
     
     
         22 . A batch of memory elements each storing at least one identifier which is specific to said memory element, at least one memory element being intended to be affixed on each respective object of a set of objects, one of said elements intended to be affixed on one of said objects also comprising group identifier data established based on said identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and on identification data of a recipient of the set of objects. 
     
     
         23 . The batch of memory elements according to  claim 22 , wherein the group identifier data is the result of a hash function applied to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and to the identification data of the recipient. 
     
     
         24 . The batch of memory elements according to  claim 22 , wherein at least one of said objects is a container containing said other objects, one of said memory elements, which is intended to be affixed on said container, comprising said group identifier data. 
     
     
         25 . The batch of memory elements according to  claim 24 , wherein one of said memory elements, which is intended to be affixed on the container, also includes subgroup identifier data established on the basis of said identifiers of the memory elements of said objects, independently of the identification data of a recipient of the set of objects. 
     
     
         26 . The batch of memory elements according to  claim 25 , wherein the subgroup identifier data is the result of a hash function applied to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects. 
     
     
         27 . The batch of memory elements according to  claim 22 , wherein the memory elements include radiofrequency-type labels. 
     
     
         28 . The batch of memory elements according to  claim 22 , wherein the identification data of the memory element of the recipient includes a public key consistent with the private key data stored in a memory element of the recipient. 
     
     
         29 . A device for verifying the integrity of a set of objects intended for a given recipient, each of said objects of the set bearing one or more respective memory elements each storing at least one identifier specific to said memory element, said device comprising a set of short-range remote reader(s), and being adapted to read, in each memory element of each of said objects, using said set of remote reader(s), the specific identifier, to establish group identifier data based on said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and as well on identification data for a recipient of the set of objects, and to write said group identifier data in one of said memory elements, which is borne by at least one of said objects, using the set of short-range remote reader(s). 
     
     
         30 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 29 , adapted to establish the group identifier data based on said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and as well on an identifier of a memory element associated with the recipient of the set of objects. 
     
     
         31 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 30 , adapted to establish the group identifier data based on said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects as well as a public key consistent with private key data stored in a memory element associated with the recipient. 
     
     
         32 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 29 , wherein the memory elements include radiofrequency-type labels and the set of short-range remote readers is adapted to read said labels. 
     
     
         33 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 29 , adapted to establish the group identifier data by applying a hash function to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and to said identification data of the recipient. 
     
     
         34 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 29 , adapted also to write subgroup identifier data established based on said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects, independently of the identification data of the recipient, in one of said memory elements, which is borne by at least one of said objects, using the set of short-range remote readers. 
     
     
         35 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 34 , adapted to obtain the subgroup identifier data by applying a hash function to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects. 
     
     
         36 . A device for verifying the integrity of a set of objects intended for a given recipient, each of said objects bearing one or more memory elements each storing at least one unique identifier specific to said memory element, one of said memory elements, which is borne by at least one of said objects, also storing group identifier data,
 said device comprising a set of short-range remote reader(s), and being adapted to read the group identifier data in said memory element borne by said at least one object, using the set of remote reader(s), to read its unique identifier in each memory element of each of said objects, using the set of remote reader(s), said device also being adapted to obtain identification data for a recipient of the set of objects and to determine the result of a first function of said identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and the identification data for the recipient, to compare the determined result of said function and the read group identifier, and to determine the integrity of said set and the verification of its recipient as a function of the result of said comparison.   
     
     
         37 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 36 , adapted to read in a memory element associated with the recipient of the set of objects, using the set of short-range remote reader(s), its specific identifier, the first function including as variables said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and as well said read identifier of the memory element associated with the recipient. 
     
     
         38 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 37 , wherein the first function includes as variables said read identifiers of the memory elements of said objects as well as a private key comprised in the identifier of the memory element of the recipient. 
     
     
         39 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 36 , wherein the memory elements include radiofrequency-type labels and the set of short-range remote readers is adapted to read said labels. 
     
     
         40 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 36 , wherein the first function is a hash function applied to the identifiers of the memory elements of said objects and to the identification data of the recipient. 
     
     
         41 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 36 , comprising at least one container adapted to contain said set of objects, at least one remote reader of the set of short-range remote reader(s) being adapted to read said set of objects contained in said at least one container. 
     
     
         42 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 41 , comprising a controllable opening/closing device for said at least one container, and wherein the opening of said at least one container is commanded as a function of the result of said comparison. 
     
     
         43 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 41 , comprising a controllable opening/closing device for said at least one container, said integrity verification device being adapted so as, when the set of objects is positioned in said at least one open container, also to read subgroup identifier data in a memory element borne by at least one of said objects, using the remote reader, to determine the result of a second function of said identifiers of the memory elements of said read objects, to compare the determined result of said second function and the read subgroup identifier, the closing of the container being commanded as a function of said comparison. 
     
     
         44 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 36 , comprising a plurality of containers and being adapted to maintain a data table indicating, for each container, an address datum of the container, a free or occupied status of the container, and the group identifier data of a set of objects read in the container when said container contains said set of objects. 
     
     
         45 . The integrity verification device according to  claim 44 , adapted so as, following the obtainment of the identification data of the recipient of a set of objects, to determine the address of the container containing said object set and command the opening of said container corresponding to said address thus determined by verifying the integrity of the obtained identification data of the recipient and set of objects in the respective containers. 
     
     
         46 . A package comprising a set of object(s), the package and object(s) each bearing one or more respective memory elements each storing at least one identifier which is specific to said memory element, one of said memory elements, which is borne by the package, also including group identifier data established based on said identifiers of the memory elements of the packets and objects and as well on identification data for a recipient of the set of objects. 
     
     
         47 . The package according to  claim 46 , wherein the memory elements include radiofrequency-type labels. 
     
     
         48 . The package according to  claim 46 , wherein the group identifier data results from the application of a hash function to the identifiers of the memory elements of said package and objects and to the identification data of the recipient.