System for protection of goods against counterfeiting

• US 6,996,543 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Chai Wah, Tresser, Charles P., Greengard, Claude A., Coppersmith, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US09/182,279
• Time in Patent Office: 2,658 Days
• Field of Search: 711/115, 705/67, 705 26- 27, 705/28, 705/50, 235/492, 235/380, 235/375, 235/385, 713/169, 713/173, 713/180, 713/176, 713/178, 713/168, 380/279, 380/54, 380/30, 380/46, 380/200, 380/202, 380/51, 380/55, 283/901, 382/232, 382/260, 382/270, 382/284, 340/5.8, 340/5.86
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 5/00 Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

In order to verify the authenticity of manufactured goods, a smart tag is attached to the goods containing encrypted authentication information, such as a serial number, a description of the good'"'"'s physical appearance or chemical decomposition, its color, or digital images of the good etc. The encryption procedure comprises public/private key encryption with zero-knowledge protocols. Zero knowledge protocols allow a smart tag to be authenticatable and yet be duplication resistant by allowing the verifying agent to convince him/herself that the smart tag is authentic without revealing its authentication information. The verification procedure can be done using a reader at a point of sale (POS) machine equipped with the appropriate public key and zero-knowledge protocols to decrypt the authentication information. A printed version of the serial number or other authentication information may be placed on the goods in human readable form to quickly verify the information electronically read from the smart tag. With the present invention, only the manufacturer can create such smart tags with the associated data thus making it virtually impossible to pass off a counterfeit good as authentic. In addition to authenticating counterfeit goods, the present invention can be used to detect authentic goods being sold in a parallel market.

Claims

1. A system for verifying authenticity of a product, comprising:

an electronic tag attached to or embedded in one of said product and product packaging, said electronic tag comprising a memory storing authentication information for said product;

a reader for reading said authentication information from said electronic tag to verify that said product is authentic; and

a label attached to or printed on one of said product and product packaging having printed authentication information thereon to be verified against the authentication information stored in said memory of said electronic tag which is read by said reader;

wherein said authentication information in said memory of said electronic tag is encrypted using a private key and said reader decrypts said information using a corresponding public key, and wherein a zero-knowledge protocol is used to make said authentication information resistant to duplication, whereby authenticity of said product achieved by a comparison of said authentication information read by said reader and said printed authentication information on said label.

2. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic tag is a smart card.

3. A system for verifying, the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic tag is embedded into one of said product and product packaging product.

4. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 wherein said authentication information further comprises information for authenticating said electronic tag.

5. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 further comprising a point of sale machine, said reader being contained in or connected to said point of sale machine.

6. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 wherein said reader comprises means for reading said electronic tag without physically contacting said electronic tag.

7. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 wherein said authentication information is specific to the product.

8. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 1 wherein said authentication information is directed to a manufacturer of the product.

9. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 7 wherein said authentication information comprises an ownership history of the product.

10. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 7 wherein said authentication information comprises a graphic image of the product.

11. A system for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 7 wherein said authentication information comprises one or more of product color, product shape, product serial number, product weight, product routing information, and product chemical composition.

12. A method for detecting products being sold in a parallel market, comprising the steps of:

generating encrypted authentication information for a product using a private key, and wherein a zero-knowledge protocol is used to make said encrypted authentication information resistant to duplication, said encrypted authentication information including routing information for the product;

storing said encrypted authentication information in a memory of an electronic tag;

attaching said electronic tag to or embedding said electronic tag in one of the product and product packaging;

reading said encrypted authentication information from said electronic tag, said reading step including decrypting said encrypted information using a public key corresponding to said private key; and

verifying said routing information in said encrypted authentication information matches routing information at a point of sale to determine if said product is sold in a parallel market.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of attaching a label to or printing a label on one of said product and product packaging having printed authentication information thereon to be verified against the encrypted authentication information stored in said memory of said electronic tag, said printed authentication information including printed routing information.

14. A method for verifying the authenticity of a product, comprising the steps of:

generating encrypted authentication information for a product using a private key, and wherein a zero-knowledge protocol is used to make said encrypted authentication information resistant to duplication;

storing said encrypted authentication information in a memory of an electronic tag;

attaching said electronic tag to or embedding said electronic tag in one of said product and product packaging;

attaching a label to or printing a label on one of said product and product packaging having printed authentication information thereon to be verified against the encrypted authentication information stored in said memory of said electronic tag;

reading said encrypted authentication information from said electronic tag, said reading step including decrypting said encrypted authentication information using a public key corresponding to said private key; and

verifying that said manufactured product is authentic where authenticity of said product is verified by a comparison of said encrypted authentication information stored in said electronic tag and said printed authentication information on said label.

15. A method for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of erasing said authentication information from said electronic tag after reading.

16. A method for verifying the authenticity of a manufactured product as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of recording an ownership history of said product in said electronic tag.