{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9721260","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9721260","title":"Method and apparatus for marking manufactured items","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2011-12-21T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-08-01T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["G06Q","G06Q","G06Q","H04L","H04L","H04L","H04L","H04L"],"num_claims":14,"abstract":"A method and apparatus includes providing a cryptographic key, in an inactive state, to a point in a supply chain for manufactured items, providing the cryptographic key, in an active state, and an activation code for activating the cryptographic key, to a verification center, and providing the activation code to the point in the supply chain in response to the point in the supply chain transmitting information relating to the received cryptographic key. The method includes generating, at the point in the supply chain, an identification (ID) code for each manufactured item, derived from the cryptographic key in the active state and a dynamic key generated for each batch of manufactured items. Including providing the dynamic key for each batch of manufactured items to the verification center, marking each manufactured item with the ID code, and counting the actual or correct number of ID codes marked on the manufactured items."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Method and apparatus for marking manufactured items","description":"A method and apparatus includes providing a cryptographic key, in an inactive state, to a point in a supply chain for manufactured items, providing the cryptographic key, in an active state, and an ac","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9721260","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9721260","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Method and apparatus for marking manufactured items\" (US-9721260). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9721260","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9721260","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9721260","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T04:31:30.671Z"}