Charles Hartman

Title: Charles Hartman and Secure Component Provenance

Introduction

Charles Hartman is an inventor associated with Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His patent work addresses the challenge of distinguishing authentic components from counterfeit or altered items, including components made through additive manufacturing.

Latest Patents

Hartman is associated with 1 patent: “Counterfeit Detection and Provenance with Grating Interferometry, Blockchain, and Smart Contracts.” The invention describes a method and apparatus for verifying items throughout their lifecycle. It uses laser power modulation to create selective porosity in a component, encoding digital information as programmable invisible ink. X-ray grating interferometry reads that information and the component’s distinctive texture.

The system can also use a QR code and other anti-counterfeiting features. A smart contract links X-ray radiography instruments with a blockchain database to establish provenance. The approach is designed to work with additive manufacturing, injection molding, and casting, while having minimal impact on fabrication. It is intended to detect counterfeiting and sabotage and to conform to existing item-identification standards.

Career Highlights

The supplied information associates Hartman with the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, as well as Louisiana Tech Research Corporation. These affiliations connect his work with academic and research organizations in Louisiana.

Collaborations

Hartman’s listed coworkers include Leslie G. Butler and Michele L. Maasberg. Their names are provided as professional associations; the available information does not specify their roles in the patent.

Conclusion

Charles Hartman’s patent combines embedded component identifiers, X-ray interferometry, and blockchain-based records to support authentication and provenance tracking.