Authenticity tag and method for operating an authenticity tag

• US 20050121898A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Laackmann, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article

Abstract

An authenticity tag includes a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller attached to the carrier. The controller includes a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive area, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating at least one of the comparative quantity, the electrically detectable quantity detected and a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside.

Claims

1. An authenticity tag comprising:

a carrier for attachment to an object;

a plurality of electrically conductive areas; and

a controller attached to the carrier, comprising;

a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas;

a memory for storing a comparative quantity; and

a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison between the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside.

2. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

3. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the memory is arranged in a semiconductor chip.

4. The authenticity tag according to claim 3, wherein the memory can only be written on by an authorized institution.

5. The authenticity tag according to claim 3, wherein the communicator for communicating is arranged in the semiconductor chip.

6. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the communicator for communicating includes a wireless transmitter.

7. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the detector for detecting is formed to detect at least one electrically detectable quantity selected from the group consisting of a continuity, a resistance, a capacity and an inductivity value between at least two of the electrically conductive areas.

8. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the carrier includes an adhesive area.

9. The authenticity tag according to claim 8, wherein the adhesive area is arranged over one of the electrically conductive areas, the adhesive area including a conductive adhesive material.

10. The authenticity tag according to claim 9, wherein at least one electrically conductive area is covered by a plastic foil.

11. The authenticity tag according to claim 10, wherein the plastic foil comprises openings at those positions where the carrier comprises an adhesive area.

12. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive areas basically have a form of stripes and are arranged in parallel to one another.

13. The authenticity tag according to claim 1, wherein the comparative quantity is formed by a version of the electrically detectable quantity detected.

14. A method for operating an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising the steps of:

detecting an electrically detectable quantity at at least one of the electrically conductive areas;

addressing the memory to read out a comparative quantity stored in the memory from the memory; and

communicating at least the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the comparative quantity and a version of the electrically detectable quantity detected to the outside.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of detecting includes measuring at least one electrically detectable quantity selected from the group consisting of a resistance, a capacity and an inductivity value.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of storing the comparative quantity in the memory or the step of detecting the electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive area includes analog-to-digital conversion of the electrically detectable quantity.

17. A device for tagging an object with an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising:

an attacher for attaching the authenticity tag to the object;

a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at an electrically conductive area; and

storage for storing a version of the electrically detectable quantity detected as a comparative quantity in the memory.

18. The device for tagging according to claim 17, wherein the carrier comprises an adhesive area and the attacher for attaching is formed to stick together at least two of the electrically conductive areas using the adhesive area.

19. The device for tagging according to claim 18, wherein the adhesive area includes an electrically conductive adhesive material and wherein an electrically conductive connection between at least two of the electrically conductive areas can be established by the attacher for attaching.

20. The device for tagging according to claim 17, wherein the attacher for attaching is configured to attach a first authenticity tag to a first object and a second authenticity tag to a second object, wherein, by the attacher for attaching, at least two of the electrically conductive areas of the first authenticity tag can be coupled to each other to provide a first pattern and at least two of the electrically conductive areas of the second authenticity tag can be coupled to each other to provide a second pattern, the first pattern differing from the second pattern.

21. The device for tagging according to claim 17, wherein the detector for detecting is formed to detect at least one electrically detectable quantity selected from the group consisting of a resistance, a capacity and an inductivity value.

22. The device for tagging according to claim 17, which is configured to emit a read-out signal to the authenticity tag.

23. The device for tagging according to claim 17, wherein the detector for detecting is formed in the authenticity tag.

24. The device for tagging according to claim 17, wherein the storage for storing is formed in the authenticity tag.

25. The device for tagging according to claim 17, which is configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion of the electrically detectable quantity detected by the detector for detecting.

26. The device for tagging according to claim 17, which is configured to encrypt a version of the detected, electrically detectable quantity with a key of an encrypting algorithm.

27. A method for tagging an object with an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the detected, electrically detectable quantity or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising the steps of:

attaching the authenticity tag to the object;

detecting an electrically detectable quantity at at least one electrically conductive area; and

storing a version of the electrically detectable quantity detected in the memory as the comparative quantity.

28. The method for tagging according to claim 27, wherein storing the electrically detectable quantity detected in the memory takes place in a binary form.

29. A device for checking an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising:

a comparer for comparing the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected to obtain the result of a comparison; and

a checker for checking the result of the comparison and for signaling an authenticity in a case in which the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected are in a predetermined relation to each other.

30. The device for checking an authenticity tag according to claim 29, wherein the predetermined relation includes at least partial contents matching of the comparative quantity and the version of the electrically detectable quantity detected.

31. The device for checking an authenticity tag according to claim 29, wherein the comparer for comparing is formed in the authenticity tag.

32. The device for checking an authenticity tag according to claim 29, wherein the checker for checking is formed in the authenticity tag.

33. The device for checking an authenticity tag according to claim 29, wherein an activation signal can be provided by the device for checking and wherein the controller of the authenticity tag is configured to provide the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected to the comparer for comparing responsive to the activation signal.

34. A method for checking an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising the steps of:

comparing the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected in order to obtain the result of the comparison; and

checking the result of the comparison and signaling an authenticity in a case in which the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected are in a predetermined relation to each other.

35. A computer program having a program code for performing a method for operating an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising the steps of:

detecting an electrically detectable quantity at at least one of the electrically conductive areas;

addressing the memory to read out a comparative quantity stored in the memory from the memory;

communicating at least the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the comparative quantity and a version of the electrically detectable quantity detected to the outside when the program runs on a computer.

36. A computer program having a program code for performing a method for tagging an object with an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the detected, electrically detectable quantity or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising the steps of:

attaching the authenticity tag to the object;

detecting an electrically detectable quantity at at least one electrically conductive area; and

storing a version of the electrically detectable quantity detected in the memory as the comparative quantity when the program runs on a computer.

37. A computer program having a program code for performing a method for checking an authenticity tag, the authenticity tag comprising a carrier for attachment to an object, a plurality of electrically conductive areas and a controller connected to the carrier, the controller including a detector for detecting an electrically detectable quantity at the electrically conductive areas, a memory for storing a comparative quantity and a communicator for communicating the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected or a result of a comparison of the electrically detectable quantity detected and the comparative quantity to the outside, comprising the steps of:

comparing the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected in order to obtain the result of the comparison; and

checking the result of the comparison and signaling an authenticity in a case in which the comparative quantity and the electrically detectable quantity detected are in a predetermined relation to each other when the program runs on a computer.