Method and system for deterring product counterfeiting, diversion and piracy

• US 20060180661A1
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: YottaMark, Inc. (Silgan Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grant, Elliott, Self, Matthew, Stirling, Warwick Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,614,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating goods and thereby detecting and deterring counterfeits are disclosed. According to one aspect of the invention, a client utilizes data received from a host to generate a plurality of security codes and to direct a printing device to print the plurality of security codes on a plurality of products, without retaining the plurality of security codes after the printing device has printed the plurality of security codes on the plurality of products. After the security codes have been printed, a person can communicate the security code to the host, which can verify its authenticity.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a client including code generation logic to utilize data received from a host to generate a plurality of security codes and to direct a printing device to print the plurality of security codes on a plurality of products without retaining the plurality of security codes after the printing device has printed the plurality of security codes on the plurality of products; and

a host including code authentication logic to receive a code authentication request that includes a security code that has been printed on a particular product and to authenticate the security code by determining whether the security code was generated by the client.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the code generation logic is to utilize a portion of the data from the host to generate a verification value and to include the verification value in a security code, and the code authentication logic is to authenticate the security code by comparing the verification value included in the security code with a second verification value generated by the host using the same portion of the data from the host.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the code generation logic is to encrypt the security code after the verification value has been included in the security code, and the code authentication logic is to decrypt the security code prior to comparing the verification value with the second verification value generated by the host.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the code generation logic is to utilize an encryption algorithm identified in the data received from the host to encrypt the security code.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from the host is generated at the host in response to a client request received at the host, the client request including a number indicating the quantity of security codes to be generated by the client and/or product data associated with the plurality of products on which the security codes are to be printed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the host is configured to communicate with a plurality of clients in different geographical locations, and the code authentication logic is to authenticate security codes generated by any one of the plurality of clients.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving data from a host, utilizing the data from the host to generate a plurality of security codes; and

directing a printing device to print the plurality of security codes on a plurality of goods without retaining the security codes after the printing device has printed the security codes on the plurality of goods.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

prior to receiving the data from the host, communicating a client request to the host, the client request including a number indicating a quantity of security codes to be generated by the client and/or product data associated with a product on which the plurality of security codes are to be printed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein utilizing the data from the host to generate a plurality of security codes further comprises:

utilizing a portion of the data from the host to generate a verification value; and

,

including the verification value in a security code of the plurality of security codes so as to enable code authentication logic at the host to authenticate the security code by comparing the verification value with a second verification value generated by the host using the same portion of the data from the host.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein generating a verification value for each security code further comprises:

generating a serial number for each security code to be generated; and

generating a verification value for each security code by combining the serial number and a portion of the data from the host using a predetermined encryption algorithm.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein generating a verification value for each security code further comprises:

using a portion of the data from the host as a seed for a pseudo-random number generator; and

iteratively running the pseudo-random number generator a number of times equal to the serial number for that security code, wherein each iteration of the pseudo-random number generator uses the output from the previous iteration as the input for the subsequent iteration; and

using the final output of the pseudo-random number generator as the verification value for that security code.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

inserting an encryption key into the security code in a predetermined position, the encryption key indicating an encryption algorithm utilized to encrypt the security code.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the security codes comprise alpha-numeric text.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the security codes comprise alpha-numeric text encoded as machine readable graphic symbols.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein directing a printing device to print the plurality of security codes on a plurality of goods includes directing the printing device to print the security codes on tamper-evident seals, the tamper-evident seals positioned on the plurality of products in a manner that prevents a security code from being reused if a product is opened or used.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, over a network, a code authentication request including a security code that has been printed on a product; and

authenticating the security code without comparing the security code to a previously generated security code stored in a repository of previously generated security codes that have been printed on products.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to receiving the code authentication request, receiving product data associated with a plurality of products on which security codes are to be printed, wherein the product data indicates an intended destination for the products on which the security codes are to be printed; and

responsive to receiving the code authentication request, communicating the product data indicating the intended destination to a user, if the security code is successfully authenticated.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to receiving the code authentication request, receiving product data associated with the plurality of products on which security codes are to be printed, wherein the product data indicates a manufacturing date, sell-by date, or use-by date for the products on which the security codes are to be printed; and

responsive to receiving the code authentication request, communicating the product data indicating the manufacturing date, sell-by date, or use-by date to a user, if the security code is successfully authenticated.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein authenticating the security code includes decoding the security code into alpha-numeric text if the security code included with the code authentication request is encoded as a graphic symbol.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

recording one or more attributes associated with the code authentication request, wherein the one or more attributes include any of the following;

an occurrence of the code authentication request, a time at which the code authentication request is received, or a location from which the code authentication request originated.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

maintaining a count of the number of code authentication requests received that are associated with a particular security code.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

analyzing patterns of code authentication requests received that are associated with a particular security code; and

reporting statistical data associated with a result of the analysis.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

analyzing the number, timing, frequency, and/or location of code authentication requests received in order to identify potential fraudulent activity.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

automatically alerting a person or an entity if a rule associated with the analysis of code authentication requests is satisfied, thereby indicating potential fraudulent activity.