Method and apparatus for counterfeiting protection

• US 20070152056A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemimage Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chemimage Corporation
• Inventors: Tuschel, David, Voigt, Thomas, Hutchison, Wesley
• Granted Patent: US 7,757,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/10 at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation

Abstract

The disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for protecting against counterfeit products and for methods and apparatus for providing counterfeiting protection for an object. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: (a) accessing an object including an identifying mark having a first portion and a second portion wherein said second portion includes an encrypted feature; (b) reading the first portion to thereby obtain a first set of information; (c) transmitting the first set of information to a remote location; (d) receiving from the remote location a second set of information; and (e) reading the second portion using the second set of information to thereby determine the authenticity of the object.

Claims

1. A system for providing counterfeiting protection for an object, comprising:

an affixer for affixing to an object an identifying mark having a first portion and a second portion wherein said second portion includes an encrypted feature;

a first reading device for reading the first portion to thereby obtain a first set of information;

a transmitter for transmitting the first set of information to a remote location;

a receiver for receiving from the remote location a second set of information; and

a second reading device for reading the second portion using the second set of information to thereby determine the authenticity of the object.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry for determining at said remote location at least one parameter for affixing a second portion of the identifying mark; and

said affixer including circuitry for affixing to the object the second portion based on the at least one parameter, the second portion including said encrypted feature.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the parameter is chosen from the group consisting of:

a location of the second portion on the object, an orientation of the second portion on the object, and an attribute of the second portion.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the parameter includes an attribute of the second portion where the attribute is chosen from the group consisting of:

shape, size, dimensionality, material, spectral fingerprint, and encrypted feature.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said second reading device comprises:

circuitry for reading the second portion using the second set of information to thereby obtain a third set of information;

said transmitter for transmitting the third set of information to the remote location; and

said receiver for receiving from the remote location an indication of the authenticity of the object.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second reading devices are the same.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second portions is affixed to a package for the object.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said affixer embeds one of the first and second portions on the object.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said affixer writes one of the first and second portions using an inkjet.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein a dimension for one of the first and second portions is approximately one micrometer.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first portion includes at least one of:

object name, object type, object batch number, location of manufacture, date of manufacture, time of manufacture, date of expiration, and at least one of the object ingredients.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion includes at least one of a fluorescent material and a Raman-scattering material.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the determination of authenticity is a function at least one of:

a wavelength of emission from the fluorescent material, a wavelength of the Raman-scattering from the Raman-scattering material, an intensity of emission from the fluorescent material, an intensity of the Raman-scattering from the Raman-scattering material, a chemical image of the second portion, and combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion is invisible in the visual wavelength range.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion includes a two-dimensional barcode.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion includes a three-dimensional barcode.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said affixer is chosen from the group consisting of:

a photolithography device, a two-photon writing device, an inkjet printer, an embosser, engraver, and a stamper.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion comprises a fluorescent material having a first spectral fingerprint at a first location within the second portion and a second spectral fingerprint at a second location within the second portion.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion comprises a first fluorescent material having a first spectral fingerprint and a second fluorescent material having a second spectral fingerprint.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion comprises a Raman-scattering material having a first spectral fingerprint at a first location within the second portion and a second spectral fingerprint at a second location within the second portion.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion comprises a first Raman-scattering material having a first spectral fingerprint and a second Raman-scattering material having a second spectral fingerprint.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the second portion comprises a Raman-scattering material having a first spectral fingerprint and a fluorescent material having a second spectral fingerprint.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the object is chosen from the group consisting of:

pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biological material, food, food additives, spices, cosmetics, perfumes, paper money, coins, credit cards, digital video discs, compact discs, audio tapes, video tapes, electronic devices, and works of art.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein said second reading device includes a photon source for illuminating the second portion with photons of a predetermined wavelength.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the predetermined wavelength is in a range of wavelengths consisting of:

near infrared light, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said photon source is a laser.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein said second reading device includes circuitry for forming a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of at least a part of the second portion.

28. In a system for providing counterfeiting protection for an object where the system includes a writing device for placing an identifying mark on the object and a reading device for reading the identifying mark at a distribution point for the object, the improvement comprising:

said writing device further comprising circuitry for receiving a first set of information from a remote location and an affixer for placing an encrypted feature on said object as a function of said first set of information; and

said reading device further comprising circuitry for receiving a second set of information from said remote location wherein said second set of information includes instructions for the reading device to read said encrypted feature.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said identifying mark is affixed to a package for the object.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein a dimension for said feature is approximately one micrometer.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein said identifying mark includes at least one of:

object name, object type, object batch number, location of manufacture, date of manufacture, time of manufacture, date of expiration, and at least one of the object ingredients.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature includes at least one of a fluorescent material and a Raman-scattering material.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said reading device further comprises circuitry for reading the feature using the second set of information.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said reading device includes circuitry for determining at least one of:

a wavelength of emission from the fluorescent material, a wavelength of the Raman-scattering from the Raman-scattering material, an intensity of emission from the fluorescent material, an intensity of the Raman-scattering from the Raman-scattering material, a chemical image of the feature, and combinations thereof.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein said reading device includes circuitry for forming a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of at least a part of the feature.

36. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature is invisible in the visual wavelength range.

37. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature includes a two-dimensional barcode.

38. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature includes a three-dimensional barcode.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the three-dimensional barcode is affixed by a device chosen from the group consisting of:

a photolithography device, a two-photon writing device, an inkjet printer, an embosser, an engraver, and a stamper.

40. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature comprises a fluorescent material having a first spectral fingerprint at a first location within the feature and a second spectral fingerprint at a second location within the feature.

41. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature comprises a first fluorescent material having a first spectral fingerprint and a second fluorescent material having a second spectral fingerprint.

42. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature comprises a Raman-scattering material having a first spectral fingerprint at a first location within the feature and a second spectral fingerprint at a second location within the feature.

43. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature comprises a first Raman-scattering material having a first spectral fingerprint and a second Raman-scattering material having a second spectral fingerprint.

44. The system of claim 28 wherein the feature comprises a Raman-scattering material having a first spectral fingerprint and a fluorescent material having a second spectral fingerprint.

45. The system of claim 28 wherein the object is chosen from the group consisting of:

pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biological material, food, food additives, spices, cosmetics, perfumes, paper money, coins, credit cards, digital video discs, compact discs, audio tapes, video tapes, electronic devices, and works of art.

46. The system of claim 28 wherein said reading device further comprises a photon source for illuminating the feature with photons of a predetermined wavelength.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the predetermined wavelength is in a range of wavelengths consisting of:

near infrared light, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein the illuminating photons are from a laser.

49. In a system for providing counterfeiting protection for an object where the system includes a writing device for placing an identifying mark on the object during the manufacture of the object and a reading device for reading the identifying mark at a distribution point for the object, the improvement comprising:

said writing device configured to include an encrypted feature in the identifying mark wherein the encrypted feature is not known by either a manufacturer of the object during the manufacture thereof or by an operator of the reading device at said distribution point.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein said writing device is configured to place the identifying mark on a package for the object.

51. The system of claim 49 wherein the writing device is configured to place the identifying mark on the object by embedding the identifying mark into the object.

52. The system of claim 49 wherein the writing device is configured to place the identifying mark on the object by writing the identifying mark on the object using inkjet printing methods.

53. The system of claim 49 wherein the encrypted feature includes at least one of a fluorescent material and a Raman-scattering material.

54. The system of claim 49 wherein the encrypted feature includes one of a two-dimensional bar code and a three-dimensional bar code.

55. The system of claim 49 wherein the improvement further comprising:

a remote location configured to generate said encrypted feature and to guide said manufacturer as to placement of said encrypted feature during manufacture of said object and said operator as to how to read said identifying mark containing said encrypted feature using said reading device so as to verify authenticity of said object.