Authentication and anti-counterfeit tracking system

• US 20030179902A1
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ambrogio F. Carl, John Alan Jones
• Original Assignee: Ambrogio F. Carl, John Alan Jones
• Inventors: Jones, John Alan, Ambrogio, F. Carl
• Application Number:
  US10/336,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10

Abstract

A method for authenticating an association of an object with an entity. The method comprises the steps of providing entity data associated with the entity, generating a unique identification code, combining the unique identification code with a watermark, and connecting the watermark to the object. The entity data associated with the entity is provided for associating the entity with the object. The unique identification code is generated for association with the entity data in an object tracking system. The watermark with which the unique identification code is combined is a non-removable, substantially invisible watermark. The watermark is connected to the object wherein the watermark indicates the association between the object and the entity, and allows tracking, tracing and authentication of the object with the tracking system.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating an association of an object with an entity, the method comprising the steps of:

providing entity data associated with the entity for associating with the object;

generating a unique identification code for association with the entity data in an object tracking system;

combining the unique identification code with a non-removable, substantially invisible watermark; and

connecting the watermark to the object, wherein the watermark indicates the association between the object and the entity and allows tracking, tracing and authentication of the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is an autographable collectible, an autographed collectible, an article of clothing, a shoe, a handbag, a watch, an art object, a car, a motorcycle, a computer, a pair of sunglasses, an airplane part, a music compact disk, a weapon, a toy, a food product, a drink product, a book, a musical instrument, a tournament trophy, a medal, an antique, a greeting card, a tobacco product, an alcoholic product, a pharmaceutical product, a film article, a digital photograph, a DVD, packaging, a label or a bar code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is a company, a person, a producer of the object, a manufacturer of the object, or a distributor of the object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity data is an identifier of the entity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier is at least one word.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity data is an identifier of a service provided by the entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity data is an identifier of a person.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

reading the watermark connected to the product to acquire the unique identification code;

accessing the product tracking system with the read identification code;

if the read identification code does not match any identification code in the product tracking system, displaying an authentication response of invalid; and

if the read identification code matches one of the unique identification codes in the product tracking system, displaying at least some of the entity data associated with the unique identification code as the authentication response.

9. A method for authenticating an association of a document with an entity, the method comprising the steps of:

providing entity data associated with the entity for associating with the document;

generating a unique identification code for association with the entity data in a document tracking system;

combining the unique identification code with a non-removable, substantially invisible watermark; and

connecting the watermark to the identification document, wherein the watermark indicates an association between the document and the entity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the document is a badge, an identity card, a license, corporate identification, motor vehicle related documents and identification plates, a passport, a digitally downloaded file, or a postage stamp.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity is a security organization, a company, a government agency, person, or an issuer of the document.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity data is an identifier of the entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifier is at least one word.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity data is an identifier of a service provided by the entity.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the entity data is an identifier of a person.

16. The method of claim 9, comprising:

reading the watermark connected to the document to acquire the unique identification code;

accessing the document tracking system with the read identification code;

if the read identification code does not match any identification code in the identification code tracking system, displaying an authentication response of invalid; and

if the read identification code matches one of the unique identification codes in the identification code tracking system, displaying at least some of the entity data associated with the unique identification code as the authentication response.