Method and apparatus for article authentication

• US 20060191022A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZIH Corp. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsirline, Boris Y., Hohberger, Clive P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed-disabling devices responsible to material breakage or exhaustion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 35/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed disabling devices responsive to ink ribbon breakage or exhaustion
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

An authentication method for authenticating an article in a device includes the steps of (a) reading an identification number stored on the article, (b) reading an authentication number stored on the article, (c) determining an input number based at least in part on the identification number, (d) applying an authentication function to the input number to calculate an output number, (e) determining that the article is authentic only if the authentication number corresponds to the output number, and (f) permitting use of the article in the device if the article is authentic, and disabling use of the article in the device if the article is not authentic.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A media holder for use with a media processor, said media holder comprising:

a spool having a shaft defining an axis and an end flange; and

an antenna located on the end flange, wherein said antenna comprises a body comprising at least one arcuate portion concentric with the axis of the shaft.

3. The media holder of claim 2, wherein said body of said antenna is a deposited trace.

4. The media holder of claim 2, wherein said antenna comprises a body extending between end points wherein said body is formed into a series of concentric circles.

5. The media holder of claim 2, wherein said transponder is an RFID transponder.

6. The media holder of claim 2, wherein said transponder comprises a data memory that comprises encrypted datum.

7. A media holder for use with a media processor, said media holder comprising:

a spool having a shaft defining an axis and an end flange; and

an antenna located on the end flange, wherein said antenna comprises a body comprising a series of coupled concentric circles located on the flange of said spool.

8. A media holder for use with a media processor, said media holder comprising:

a spool having a shaft defining an axis and an end flange;

an antenna located on the end flange;

a data memory in communication with said antenna.

9. A media holder for use with a media processor, said media holder comprising:

a spool having a shaft defining an axis and an end flange; and

an antenna located on the end flange.

10. The media holder of claim 9, wherein said antenna comprises a body comprising at least one arcuate portion concentric with the axis of the shaft.

11. The media holder of claim 10, wherein said body of said antenna is a deposited trace.

12. The media holder of claim 9 further comprising a data memory coupled to said antenna.

13. The media holder of claim 12, wherein said data memory contains encrypted datum.

14. The media holder of claim 9 further comprising a transponder coupled to said antenna.

15. The media holder of claim 14, wherein the transponder is an RFID transponder.

16. A media holder for maintaining media comprising:

a shaft comprising a body extending along an axis between first and second ends for maintaining media thereon; and

an antenna located on at least one of said ends of said shaft.

17. The media holder of claim 16, wherein said antenna comprises a body that is at least partially circular in shape.

18. The media holder of claim 16, wherein said antenna comprises a body comprising at least one arcuate portion concentric with the axis of the shaft.

19. The media holder of claim 18, wherein said body of said antenna is a deposited trace.

20. The media holder of claim 16, wherein said antenna comprises a body extending between end points wherein said body is formed into a series of concentric circles.

21. The media holder of claim 16, wherein said shaft further comprises a flange coupled to at least one end of said body of the shaft, said flange having a width extending substantially perpendicular relative to the axis of said shaft, wherein said antenna is located on said flange.

22. The media holder of claim 16, wherein the antenna is connected to a data memory comprising encrypted datum.

23. The media holder of claim 16, wherein the antenna is a component of a wireless transponder.

24. The media holder of claim 16, wherein said antenna is a component of an RFID transponder.

25. A media processing system, comprising:

a media holder configured to hold media, said media holder comprising;

a spool having a shaft defining an axis and an end flange;

a transponder comprising a first antenna located on the end flange;

a processing system for processing the media, said processing system comprising;

a second antenna positioned in said processing system to wirelessly coupled with said first antenna; and

a reader coupled to said second antenna for communicating with said transponder of said media holder via said first and second antennas.

26. The media processing system of claim 25, wherein said first antenna comprises a body that is at least partially circular in shape.

27. The media processing system of claim 25, wherein said first antenna comprises a body comprising at least one arcuate portion concentric with the axis of the shaft.

28. The media processing system of claim 25, wherein said antenna comprises a body extending between end points wherein said body is formed into a series of concentric circles.

29. The media processing system of claim 25, wherein said transponder is an RFID transponder.

30. The media processing system of claim 25, wherein said transponder comprises a data memory that comprises encrypted datum.

31. The media processing system of claim 30, wherein said data memory comprises authentication information, and wherein said reader accesses the authentication information to determine whether the media holder comprises authorized media.

32. A media processing system, comprising:

a media holder for maintaining media comprising;

a shaft comprising a body extending along an axis between first and second ends for maintaining media thereon; and

an antenna located on at least one of said ends of said shaft;

a processing system for processing the media, said processing system comprising;

a second antenna positioned in said processing system to wirelessly coupled with said first antenna; and

a reader coupled to said second antenna for communicating with said transponder of said media holder via said first and second antennas.

33. The media processing system of claim 32, wherein said antenna comprises a body that is at least partially circular in shape.

34. The media processing system of claim 32, wherein said antenna comprises a body comprising at least one arcuate portion concentric with the axis of the shaft.

35. The media processing system of claim 32, wherein said antenna comprises a body extending between end points wherein said body is formed into a series of concentric circles.

36. The media processing system of claim 32, wherein said shaft further comprises a flange coupled to at least one end of said body of the shaft, said flange having a width extending substantially perpendicular relative to the axis of said shaft, wherein said antenna is located on said flange.

37. The media processing system of claim 36, wherein said flange is circular in shape and said antenna comprises a body that is circular in shape for attaching to said flange.

38. The media processing system of claim 36, wherein said flange is circular in shape and said antenna comprises a body extending between end points wherein said body is formed into a series of concentric circles for attaching to said flange.

39. The media processing system of claim 36, wherein said flange is circular in shape and said antenna is located on said flange and comprises a body comprising at least one arcuate portion concentric with the axis of the shaft.

40. The media processing system of claim 36, wherein the antenna is connected to a data memory.

41. The media processing system of claim 36, wherein said transponder is an RFID transponder.

42. The media processing system of claim 32, wherein said transponder comprises a data memory that comprises encrypted datum.

43. The media processing system of claim 32, wherein said data memory comprises authentication information, and wherein said reader accesses the authentication information to determine whether the media holder comprises authorized media.

44. A media processing system, comprising:

a media holder configured to hold media, said media holder comprising;

a spool having a shaft defining an axis and an end flange;

a transponder comprising a first antenna located on the end flange; and

a processing system for processing the media, said processing system comprising;

a second antenna positioned in said processing system to wirelessly coupled with said first antenna;

a reader coupled to said second antenna for communicating with said transponder of said media holder via said first and second antennas; and

a media usage counter configured to track usage of media from media holder by said processing system.

45. The media processing system of claim 44, wherein said reader stores media usage data in a memory associated with said transponder.