System to authenticate 3D printed objects

• US 10,218,509 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Pangrazio, III, Donald M., Levine, Jonathan D., Eschbach, Reiner, Vandervort, David R., Evanitsky, Eugene S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/635,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 700 95, 700 97, 700 98
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 1/00 Apparatus or methods whereby a given sequence of signs, e.g. an intelligible text, is transformed into an unintelligible sequence of signs by transposing the signs or groups of signs or by replacing them by others according to a predetermined system cryptographic typewriters G09C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

When printing 3D objects designed by a particular designer, authentication information such as a serial number and a digital signature of the designer are inserted into a CAD file for printing the object. The authentication information is represented as physical structures in or on the 3D-printed object. The physical structures (e.g., pits, cavities of one or more shapes, etc.) can be detected by a scanner (e.g., an ultrasound or the like), and the detected authentication information can be transmitted to an authentication server that determines the authenticity of the 3D-printed object and transmits the authenticity determination to a user.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates encoding authentication information as physical structures in a 3D-printed object, comprising:

an authentication values database that stores authentication information describing one or more serial numbers and one or more digital signatures for authenticating 3D printed objects;

an authentication module programmed to;

receive authentication information for a 3D object to be printed; and

insert authentication information code describing the authentication information at a predetermined location in a CAD file comprising instructions for printing the 3D object; and

a 3D printer that executes the CAD file with the inserted authentication information code and thereby generates the 3D object with authentication information embedded therein as one or more physical structures at a predetermined position within the 3D object that is indicated by the inserted authentication information code,

wherein the authentication module further comprises an encryption module that encrypts the authentication information prior to insertion into the CAD file.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the physical structures generated in the 3D-printed object have a size that is not visible to an unaided human eye.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the physical structures generated in the 3D-printed object are cavities in the 3D printed object.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the cavities are generated to have different shapes relative to each other, the different shapes corresponding to different alphanumeric values.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined position is selected to have a negligible impact on the integrity of the 3D-printed object.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is on the surface of the 3D printed object, and wherein the physical structures comprise one or more of pits and raised structures.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more of the pits and the raised structures are generated to have one or more of different shapes and different sizes relative to each other, the one or more of the different shapes and different sizes corresponding to different alphanumeric values.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the physical structures generated in the 3D-printed object represent encrypted authentication information values.

9. A method of encoding authentication information as physical structures in a 3D-printed object, comprising:

storing authentication information describing one or more serial numbers and one or more digital signatures for authenticating 3D-printed objects;

receiving authentication information for a 3D object to be printed;

inserting authentication information code describing the authentication information at a predetermined location in a CAD file comprising instructions for printing the 3D object; and

executing the CAD file with the inserted authentication information code thereby generating the 3D object with authentication information embedded therein as one or more physical structures at a predetermined position within the 3D object that is indicated by the inserted authentication information code,

wherein the authentication information is encrypted prior to insertion into the CAD file.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the physical structures generated in the 3D-printed object have a size that is imperceptible to an unaided human eye.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the physical structures generated in the 3D-printed object are cavities in the 3D printed object.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cavities are generated to have different shapes relative to each other, the different shapes corresponding to different alphanumeric values.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined position is selected to have a negligible impact on the integrity of the 3D-printed object.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined position is on the surface of the 3D printed object, and wherein the physical structures comprise one or more of pits and raised structures.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the one or more of the pits and raised structures are generated to have one or more of different shapes and different sizes relative to each other, the one or more of the different shapes and different sizes corresponding to different alphanumeric values.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the physical structures generated in the 3D-printed object represent encrypted authentication information values.

17. A system that facilitates determining the authenticity of a 3D-printed object, comprising:

a 3D scanner programmed to scan a 3D-printed object and detect physical structures representative of authentication information encoded into the 3D object;

an authentication server configured to;

receive the detected authentication information from the 3D scanner;

compare the detected authentication information to authentication information values stored in an authentication values database; and

transmit an authenticity determination based on results of the comparison for display to a user.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the 3D scanner is an ultrasound device.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the 3D scanner is an x-ray device.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the authentication server is further configured to decrypt encrypted authentication information received from the 3D scanner.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein the authentication server is further configured to:

receive information related to the position of the physical structures within the 3D-printed object;

compare the received position information to position information in the authentication values database; and

consider the position of the physical structures within the 3D-printed object when determining the authenticity of the 3D printed object.