Authenticating and Managing Item Ownership and Authenticity

• US 20150134552A1
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vattaca, Llc
• Original Assignee: Vattaca, Llc
• Inventors: ENGELS, Daniel W., SMITH, Eric M., MANDEL, Ross
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements involving time stamps H04L9/3297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system for authenticating and managing the ownership of an item comprises a tagging device affixed to the item, wherein the tagging device comprises tagging device data, an item information system receiving the tagging device data and associated item data and storing the tagging device data and the item data, an owner registration and transfer system receiving owner registration data and ownership change requests and storing the ownership history, and an authentication system receiving authentication requests and generating a response based upon the information stored in the system or a connected system.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating and managing the ownership of an item comprising:

a physical tagging device affixed to the item, wherein the physical tagging device comprises tagging device data;

an item information system receiving the tagging device data and associated item data and storing the tagging device data and the item data;

an owner registration and transfer system receiving owner registration data and ownership change requests and storing the ownership history; and

an authentication system receiving authentication requests and generating a response based upon the information stored in the system or a connected system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a linear bar code, and wherein the linear bar code is printed directly on the item.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the linear bar code is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a QR code.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the QR code is printed directly on the item, and wherein the QR code is physically etched into the item.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the QR code is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises an RFID device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID device is embedded within the item.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID device is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises an NFC compatible device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the NFC device is embedded within the item.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the NFC device is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a Bluetooth enabled device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the Bluetooth device is embedded within the item.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises an optically readable pattern.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the optically readable pattern is printed directly on the item or etched into the item.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the optically readable pattern is printed on a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a WiFi enabled device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the item information system further receives data and information related to the item and stores the information for use by one or more of the item information system, the owner registration and transfer system, or the authentication system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the data and information related to the item comprises information from an authentication request, tagging device read event data, authentication request event data, item information system event data, owner registration and transfer event data, authentication system event data, ownership event data, updated owner data, product registration data, manufacturer event data.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the owner registration and transfer system further provides product registration information to an item manufacturer or item registration service.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a key management system, wherein the authentication system communicates with the key management system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the key management system comprises a hardware security module (HSM), and wherein the HSM stores one or more authentication keys.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the authentication system is configured to generate a response to the authentication request by accessing at least one authentication key in the key management system.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the owner registration and transfer system further comprises:

an owner registration system receiving one or more requests, owner data, and owner authentication to establish the current owner of the item;

an owner release system receiving one or more requests, current owner data, and current owner authentication to remove the current owner of the item;

an owner transfer system receiving one or more requests, current owner data, second owner data, current owner authentication, and second owner authentication to establish the second owner as the current owner of the item, and

an owner history system that records the requests and activities regarding the ownership of the item.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a notification system generating a notification message to one or more users involved in an ownership request.

27. The system of claim 25, further comprising a notification system generating a notification message to one or more entities after a change in the current ownership of an item.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the item data comprises at least one of image data of the item or a serial number of the item.

29. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification system configured to generate a message based upon the information stored in the system or a connected system.

30. The system of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement server, wherein at least one of the item information system, the owner registration and transfer system, or the authentication system are further configured to supply information to the advertisement server, and wherein at least one of the item information system, the owner registration and transfer system, or the authentication system is configured to receive an advertisement or a coupon from the ad server.