METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROTECTING PRODUCTS AGAINST COUNTERFEITING

• US 20080196106A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Friedrich, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A method for protecting a product against counterfeiting is provided that has a transponder associated with the product, upon which at least one unique identifier is stored, wherein a flag in a set or cleared state is associated with the identifier, and when the flag is set, read access to the identifier by a reader is only permitted after authentication. The invention further relates to a transponder for protecting a product against counterfeiting.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a product against counterfeiting with a transponder associated with the product, the method comprising:

storing at least one unique identifier; and

associating a flag in a set or cleared state with the identifier,

wherein read access to the identifier by a reader is only permitted after authentication when the flag is set.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one binary variable is set as the flag.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flag is set in a non-reprogrammable memory area and/or is protected by hardware against overwriting once the flag is set.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a flag is emulated, wherein at least one bit of the identifier is used to emulate flagging of the identifier.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a security element, a check digit, or polynomial for error correction, is associated with the identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifier and/or the security element is stored in a protected memory area, wherein the memory area is only accessible following authentication.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifier and/or the security element is stored in a hidden memory area, wherein the address of the memory area is not made public and/or access to the memory area requires a command that is not made public.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifier and/or the security element is written to a non-reprogrammable memory area of the transponder and/or is protected by hardware against overwriting.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the identifier and/or the security element is written to the transponder during manufacture, in particular during a wafer test.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier includes data relating to a lot number, a wafer number, and/or a position on the wafer.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is stored on the transponder in encrypted form.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is a transponder-specific identifier, wherein an EPC is constructed, at least in part, using the transponder-specific identifier.

13. A transponder for protecting a product associated with the transponder against counterfeiting, upon which at least one unique identifier is stored, wherein a flag, in a set or cleared state, is associated with the identifier, and wherein read access to the identifier by a reader is only permitted after authentication when the flag is set.

14. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the flag includes at least one binary variable.

15. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the flag is protected against overwriting.

16. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the transponder includes an emulator circuit for forming the flag, wherein an input signal for the emulator circuit includes at least one bit of the identifier.

17. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the identifier contains a security element, such as a check digit or polynomial for error correction.

18. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the identifier is stored in a hidden memory area, and wherein the address of the memory area is not public and/or access to the memory area requires a command that is not made public.

19. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the identifier is protected against overwriting.

20. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the identifier includes data relating to a lot number, a wafer number, and/or a position on the wafer.

21. The transponder according to claim 13, wherein the identifier is stored on the transponder in encrypted form.