Authentication system

• US 20060255130A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aegate Limited
• Original Assignee: Aegate Salus AG
• Inventors: Cox, Paul Nicholas, Gill, Andrew Jonathan, Whewell, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0043 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• 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: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

An authentication system for authenticating products at point-of-release, the system including housing the products in respective containers having respective unique product identifiers, e.g., numbers or codes, storing in an authentication database data relating to the product identifiers, reading at a trusted location terminal the data from one of the product identifiers, communicating at least some of the data read from the product identifier to the authentication database and comparing data of the product identifier with data of the authentication database so as to authenticate the corresponding product.

Claims

1. An authentication system for authenticating products at point-of-release, the products being housed in respective containers, each container including at least one unique product identifier, the system including:

at least one terminal located at a point-of-release of the product and for reading the product identifier;

an authentication database for storing data relating to the product identifier and the respective products; and

a communication channel by which data read by the at least one terminal can be compared with data stored in the authentication database so as to authenticate the corresponding product.

2. An authentication system according to claim 1, further including

a plurality of containers, each housing a respective product and each including a respective product identifier.

3. An authentication system according to claim 1 wherein the product identifier is selected from the group consisting of a machine-readable bar code and a number respectively.

4. An authentication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the product identifier is stored on an identification device provided to the container.

5. A container for housing a product for distribution and release, the container including at least one unique product identifier having or conveying data identifying the housed product and providing said data for reading by an external device.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein:

the container is arranged to be opened in a predetermined manner and the product identifier is arranged to indicate that the container has been opened.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein:

the product identifier is formed in or on the container such that opening the container at least partly destroys the product identifier.

8. A container according to claim 5, including:

additional data indicating one or more of;

the nature or type of product housed in the container;

the date of manufacture of the product;

the name of the manufacturer;

the place of manufacture of the product;

the date of housing the product in the container;

the sell-by date;

the use-by date; and

specials instructions.

9. A container according to claim 5, further comprising at least one sensor for environmental conditions including one or more of temperature and humidity and stores data from which it can be determined if the product has been subjected to environmental conditions beyond a predetermined limit.

10. A container according to claim 5, wherein the product identifier is selected from the group consisting of a number, preferably a randomly generated number, and a machine-readable code, preferably a bar code.

11. A container according to claim 5, wherein the product identifier is stored or otherwise accessible via an identification device provided to the container.

12. A container according to claim 11, wherein the identification device is a tagging device.

13. A terminal for use at a point-of-release of products held in respective containers, each container including at least one respective unique product identifier, the terminal including:

a reader for reading data from the product identifier;

a communication port for communicating at least some of said data to a remote authentication database and for receiving data from the authentication database; and

a controller for providing authentication of a product on the basis of the data received from the authentication database.

14. A terminal according to claim 13, wherein:

the terminal is arranged to conduct transactions relating to release of said products and the controller inhibits such transactions without said authentication.

15. A terminal according to claim 13, further including a user interface.

16. A terminal according to claim 15, wherein:

the controller indicates authentication of a product with the user interface.

17. A terminal according to claim 15, wherein:

the nature or type of the product is confirmed on the user interface on the basis of data received from the authentication database.

18. A terminal according to claim 13, wherein the reader is a bar code reader and the product identifier is a bar code.

19. An authentication database for authenticating products housed in respective containers, each container including a respective unique product identifier, the database including:

a communication port for receiving from a remote terminal data relating to the product identifier of a corresponding product and for communicating to the terminal data for authenticating the product; and

a memory for storing for each product data relating to the respective product identifier and optionally for indicating one or more of;

the nature or type of product housed in the container;

the date of manufacture of the product;

the name of the manufacturer;

the place of manufacture of the product;

the date of housing the product in the container;

the sell-by date;

the use-by date;

special instructions; and

data regarding unauthorized terminals.

20. A method of authenticating products at trusted location, said products having been previously housed in respective containers having respective unique product identifiers and data relating to the unique identifiers having been previously stored in an authentication database data relating to the products, said method comprising:

reading at a trusted location terminal the data from one of the product identifiers;

communicating at least some of the data read from the product identifier to the authentication database;

comparing data of the product identifier with data of the authentication database so as to produce an authentication result; and

communicating the authentication result from the authentication database to the trusted location terminal.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the product identifier is at least one of a number, for example, a randomly generated number, and a machine-readable code, for example, a bar code.

22. A method according to claim 20 further comprising:

communicating to the authenticating database data identifying the trusted location terminal and optionally the date and time; and

comparing the data identifying the trusted location terminal with data regarding unauthorized terminals as part of producing the authentication result.

23. A recording medium on which is recorded a control program for controlling a data processor used in conjunction with a product authentication system, the recording medium including machine-readable instructions for causing the data processor to:

read at or input into a trusted location terminal data from a unique product identifier;

communicate at least some of the data read from the product identifier to an authentication database;

compare data of the product identifier with data of the authentication database so as to provide an authentication result; and

communicate the authentication result from the authentication database to the trusted location terminal.

26. A recording medium according to claim 23, wherein the product identifier comprises at least one of a number, which is preferably randomly generated at the time the product is placed in the container, and a machine-readable code, such as a bar code.

27. A recording medium according to claim 23, wherein the authentication system includes access to third party data which can be considered as part of the authentication process.

24. A recording medium on which is recorded a control program for controlling a data processor used in conjunction with a trusted location terminal of an authentication system, the recording medium including machine-readable instructions for causing the data processor to:

read, receive or scan data from a unique product identifier provided on a product container;

communicate at least some data from the product identifier to a remote authentication database; and

provide authentication of a product on the basis of a comparison of data from the authentication database and data from the product identifier.

25. A recording medium on which is recorded a control program for controlling a data processor used in conjunction with an authentication database of an authentication system, the recording medium including machine-readable instructions for causing the data processor to:

receive from a remote terminal data relating to a unique product identifier provided on a container for a product; and

store for each product data relating to the product identifier for later retrieval in conjunction with product authentication.

28. A method of authenticating a product comprising:

providing at least one unique product identifier to a container of the product; and

storing the product identifier in an authentication database so that an authentication result can be provided to a remote trusted location terminal.

29. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, further comprising providing supplemental information to the authentication database after the container with product has been shipped, said supplemental information being provided as part of the authentication result.

30. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, further comprising providing third party information to the authentication database, as part of the authentication result.

31. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, wherein the product identifier has no value without access to the authentication database.

32. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, wherein the product identifier may not be soft programmed.

33. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, wherein the product identifier includes a unique number and/or code.

34. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, wherein, upon dispensing, the authentication database communicates with one or more parties within the supply chain to arrange for billing and/or replenishment of the product.

35. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, wherein the product identifier includes only security information without information about the product.

36. A method of authenticating a product according to claim 28, further comprising providing a product information tag or label on the container that includes only information relating to the product.