Method and apparatus for use against counterfeiting

• US 4,463,250 A
• Filed: 05/21/1982
• Issued: 07/31/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oblon, Fisher, Spivak, McClelland (Oblon McClelland Maier and Neustadt LLP)
• Original Assignee: Oblon, Fisher, Spivak, McClelland (Oblon McClelland Maier and Neustadt LLP)
• Inventors: Lawrence, John G., McNeight, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lev, Robert
• Application Number:
  US06/380,713
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/375, 235/376, 235/383, 235/384, 235/385, 235/380, 340/825.36, 340/825.34, 340/825.54, 364/403
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• 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: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence

Abstract

A method for use in the detection of fake mass-produced articles that may be apparently identical to genuine articles involves marking genuine articles with a unique or restricted code mark generated by a secret algorithm, the gamut of such marks being underutilized so that attempts to generate seemingly genuine marks without knowledge of the algorithm will stand only a small chance of success. The marks can be scrutinized for genuineness--whether or not they conform to the algorithm--by a programmable hand held calculator or by a computer. Since one way to produce a seemingly genuine mark would be to copy genuine marks, the calculator or computer is also programmed to detect whether any particular mark has been read before.

Claims

1. A method for identifying genuine mass-produced articles from fake articles comprising the steps of applying to said genuine articles an open identifying mark generated by a secret algorithm which mark is unique for a particular small subset of articles taken from a set consisting of all such genuine articles marked according to the algorithm, the mark being selected from a set of such marks, which set is itself a small subset of a set of all possible such marks which can be generated by the algorithm, so that the probability of unauthorized identification of a mark that belongs to the said particular small subset of marks is small, and subsequently inspecting articles to distinguish genuine articles from fake articles which bear fake identifying marks by:

(a) testing a sample of applied marks attached to articles to be identified to determine if said applied marks correspond with the secret algorithm; and

(b) comparing thus tested and applied marks which correspond with the secret algorithm against previously tested marks to determine if there is a higher incidence of repeated marks in the sample than would be expected from the relative sizes of the particular small sub-set of articles identically marked and the set of all genuine articles marked according to the algorithm.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the said particular small sub-set of articles comprises a single article so that each article bears a unique mark and any repeated mark indicates that one at least of the articles bearing the repeated mark is fake.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which said identifying mark comprises a string of alphanumeric characters.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which said identifying mark comprises a string of machine-readable characters.

5. A method according to claim 1, in which said identifying mark comprises a bar code.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which a programmable, hand-held electronic calculator is used to determine whether a mark purporting to be genuine conforms to the secret algorithm and to store all marks examined and to check for repeated marks.

7. A method according to claim 6, in which data is periodically transferred from said calculator to a computer capable of storing larger numbers of tested marks than said calculator and the computer examines the marks it stores for repeated marks.