DETECTION OF COUNTERFEITED PRODUCTS BASED ON SENSOR MEASUREMENTS

• US 20090144199A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Oertel, Nina
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

Implementations may include a computer system for detecting counterfeited products. The system may include a communication unit and a processing unit. The communication unit may be configured to receive a representation of sensor data being measured at different times by a sensor unit associated with a product. The processing unit may be configured to compute a deviation of the sensor data from data of a transport profile for the product and to compute from the deviation a counterfeit value representing an estimate value for the probability that the product is counterfeited.

Claims

1. A computer system for detecting counterfeited products, the system comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive a representation of sensor data being measured at different times by a sensor unit associated with a product; and

a processing unit configured to compute a deviation of the sensor data from data of a transport profile for the product and to compute from the deviation a counterfeit value representing an estimate value for the probability that the product is counterfeited.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is further configured to identify the transport profile by identifying a class representing the product and by using an assignment of the transport profile to the class.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the class is any one of the following classes:

a class assigned to a product type of the product, a class assigned to one or more locations of a transport path of the product, a class assigned to an authentication requester having read the sensor data from the sensor unit, a class assigned to manufacture data of the product, and a class assigned to one or more events of the transport path of the product, the events being recorded by a radio frequency identifier reader device reading a tag associated with the product.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to compute the deviation by comparing the sensor data to a threshold value of the transport profile and to compute the counterfeit value by specifying a first counterfeit value qualifying the product as possibly counterfeited when the sensor data is non-compliant with the threshold value.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the threshold value is any one of the following values:

a minimum value for the sensor data, a maximum value for the sensor data, a minimum value for the average of the sensor data, and a maximum value for the average of the sensor data.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the processing unit is further configured to compute the threshold value by receiving sensor data of a plurality of sensor units and by identifying the threshold value with a statistical value of the sensor data of the plurality of sensor units.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to compute the deviation by comparing a mapping of the sensor data to mapping values of the transport profile and wherein the processing unit is configured to compute the counterfeit value by specifying a second counterfeit value qualifying the product as possibly counterfeited when the differences between mapped sensor data and the mapping values of the transport profile are outside a predefined range.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is further configured to compute the mapping values by receiving sensor data of a plurality of sensor units and by identifying each one of the mapping values with a mapped average value of the sensor data of the plurality of sensor units.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is configured to compute the deviation by comparing representative values of consecutive values of the sensor data to segment values of the transport profile and wherein the processing unit is configured to compute the counterfeit value by specifying a third counterfeit value qualifying the product as possibly counterfeited when a predefined number of differing representative values and segment values is reached.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing unit is further configured to compute the segment values by receiving sensor data of a plurality of sensor units and by identifying each one of the segment values with a value configured to represent consecutive values of sensor data of each sensor unit of the plurality of sensor units.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the processing unit is further configured to compute a segment by accessing data describing events of a transport path of a sample product and by defining a segment as being limited by two events of the transport path, the data describing events being recorded by a radio frequency identifier reader devices reading a tag associated with the sample product.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is further configured to decrypt the representation of the sensor data with a key of an encryption system, the representation of the sensor data being an encryption of the sensor data generated by the sensor unit from the sensor data with a secret key of the encryption system.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is further configured to participate in an authentication protocol with the sensor unit by receiving challenge data from the sensor unit, by generating response data with a cryptographic function from the challenge data and an identifier of a secret key accessible to the sensor unit, and by sending the response data to the sensor unit.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processing unit is further configured to participate in a further authentication protocol with the sensor unit by sending further challenge data to the sensor unit, by receiving further response data from the sensor unit, and by verifying that the further response data are generated with a further cryptographic function from the further challenge data and an identifier of a further secret key accessible to the sensor unit.

15. A computer-implemented method for detecting counterfeit products, the method comprising:

receiving a representation of sensor data being measured at different times by a sensor unit associated with a product;

computing a deviation of the sensor data from data of a transport profile for the product; and

computing from the deviation a counterfeit value representing an estimate value for the probability that the product is counterfeited.

16. The method as in claim 15 further comprising identifying the transport profile by identifying a class representing the product and by using an assignment of the transport profile to the class.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein the class is any one of the following classes:

a class assigned to a product type of the product, a class assigned to one or more locations of a transport path of the product, a class assigned to an authentication requester having read the sensor data from the sensor unit, a class assigned to manufacture data of the product, and a class assigned to one or more events of the transport path of the product, the events being recorded by a radio frequency identifier reader device reading a tag associated with the product.

18. The method as in claim 15 wherein:

computing the deviation comprises comparing the sensor data to a threshold value of the transport profile; and

computing the counterfeit value comprises specifying a first counterfeit value qualifying the product as possibly counterfeited when the sensor data is non-compliant with the threshold value.

19. The method as in claim 18 wherein the threshold value is any one of the following values:

a minimum value for the sensor data, a maximum value for the sensor data, a minimum value for the average of the sensor data, and a maximum value for the average of the sensor data.

20. The method as in claim 18 further comprising computing the threshold value by receiving sensor data of a plurality of sensor units and by identifying the threshold value with a statistical value of the sensor data of the plurality of sensor units.

21. The method as in claim 15 wherein:

computing the deviation comprises comparing a mapping of the sensor data to mapping values of the transport profile; and

computing the counterfeit value comprises specifying a second counterfeit value qualifying the product as possibly counterfeited when the differences between mapped sensor data and the mapping values of the transport profile are outside a predefined range.

22. The method as in claim 21 further comprising computing the mapping values by receiving sensor data of a plurality of sensor units and by identifying each one of the mapping values with a mapped average value of the sensor data of the plurality of sensor units.

23. The method as in claim 15 wherein:

computing the deviation comprises comparing representative values of consecutive values of the sensor data to segment values of the transport profile; and

computing the counterfeit value comprises specifying a third counterfeit value qualifying the product as possibly counterfeited when a predefined number of differing representative values and segment values is reached.

24. The method as in claim 23 further comprising computing the segment values by receiving sensor data of a plurality of sensor units and by identifying each one of the segment values with a value configured to represent consecutive values of sensor data of each sensor unit of the plurality of sensor units.

25. The method as in claim 23 further comprising computing a segment by receiving data describing events of a transport path of a sample product and by defining a segment as being limited by two events of the transport path, the data describing events being recorded by radio frequency identifier reader devices reading a tag associated with the sample product.

26. The method as in claim 15 further comprising decrypting the representation of the sensor data with a key of an encryption system, the representation of the sensor data being an encryption of the sensor data generated by the sensor unit from the sensor data with a secret key of the encryption system.

27. The method as in claim 15 further comprising participating in an authentication protocol with the sensor unit by receiving challenge data from the sensor unit, by generating response data with a cryptographic function from the challenge data and an identifier of a secret key accessible to the sensor unit, and by sending the response data to the sensor unit.

28. The method as in claim 27 further comprising participating in a further authentication protocol with the sensor unit by sending further challenge data to the sensor unit, by receiving further response data from the sensor unit, and by verifying that the further response data are generated with a further cryptographic function from the further challenge data and an identifier of a further secret key accessible to the sensor unit.

29. A computer program product for detecting counterfeited products, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause a computer system to:

receive a representation of sensor data being measured at different times by a sensor unit associated with a product;

compute a deviation of the sensor data from data of a transport profile for the product; and

compute from the deviation a counterfeit value representing an estimate value for the probability that the product is counterfeited.