Remote authentication system

• US 7,277,601 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Ascent Group, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Ascent Group, Ltd.
• Inventors: Jacobs, Michael, Zorab, James Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KANJIBHAI B
• Application Number:
  US10/311,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 382/180, 382/306, 382/103, 382/143, 382/305, 705/5, 705/28, 705/50, 340/571, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/48 Elements suited for physical verification, e.g. by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

An authentication and/or tracking system for identifying, tracking, authenticating and/or otherwise checking the legitimacy of one or more items which include a coded identity tag or mark, the system comprising identification means for reading said coded identity tag or mark and identifying said one or more items, storage means for storing information relating to the location, whether actual or intended, origin and/or ownership of said one or more items, and means for displaying or otherwise providing or verifying said information relating to an item when its identity tag or mark has been read.

Claims

1. An authentication system for authenticating one or more items, said system comprising:

means for applying substantially identical validation references to each of a plurality of items in a batch of items to be transported from a first location to at least one second location,

means for allocating an identity code to identify said entire batch, first storage means for storing information associated with said identity code, said information relating to the location, origin or ownership of said batch,

means at said second location for logging the arrival of said batch and for allocating a unique identifier to each of a plurality of consignments of items selected from said batch, second storage means for storing information associated with each of said unique identifiers, said information relating to the location of each of said consignments,

identification means for reading each of said validation references and identifying said one or more items,

third storage means for storing information relating to the location, origin and/or ownership of said one or more items from said identification means, and

means for displaying said information relating to a respective item when the validation reference thereof has been read,

wherein said unique identifier comprises a hash value having 20 or more characters.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said validation reference is incorporated in or on said plurality of items, and is in the form of a coded fiber or filament.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said coded fiber or filament carries a barcode, which is optically readable by barcode reader or scanner.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said coded fiber or filament is incorporated into a label carried by the respective item.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for applying different validation references in, on or to each of a plurality of items, and means for storing information relating to the departure of each of said items from said first location and/or the arrival thereof at said second location.

6. A system according to claim 5, including means for identifying validation references on items leaving a predetermined location, means for identifying whether said item is legitimately permitted to leave said location, and means for raising an alarm or warning if said item is not permitted to leave said location.

7. A system according to claim 5, including means for storing information relating to the contents of a further batch of items having different validation references applied thereon, information relating to the departure of said further batch from a first location, information relating to the arrival of said further batch at a second location, and information relating to the subsequent (actual or intended) destination of said further batch.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said information relating to the locations origin and/or ownership of said one or more items, is stored on unreadable media (in addition to any storage on standard media) in a number of alternative locations, remote from said first predetermined location.

9. An authentication method for items in a batch of items each having substantially identical validation references and to be transported from a first location to a second location, said method comprising:

converting information from a plurality of said validation references at a first location into individual first hashes having 20 or more characters using a predefined algorithm,

storing said first hashes,

converting information from a plurality of said validation references at a second location into individual second hashes using said predefined algorithm after the arrival of said batch of items at a second location,

comparing said second hashes against said first hashes to determine whether a respective validation reference is legitimate,

dividing said batch of items into a plurality of smaller consignments of said items to be transported from said second location to one or more third locations, and

storing information relating to the departure of said consignments from said second location and their arrival at said one or more third locations.

10. An authentication system for authenticating items each having substantially identical validation references, said items to be transported as a batch from a first location to at least one second location, which system comprises:

(a) first storage means for storing information relating to the location, origin or ownership of said batch of said items,

(b) coding means for allocating a unique random identifier to each of the items in said batch and storing said allocated unique random identifiers,

(c) second storage means for storing information associated with said unique random identifiers allocated by said coding means,

(d) conversion means for converting said stored information from said second storage means into a respectively substantially unique hash using a predetermined algorithm,

(e) third storage means for storing said hash, and

(f) means for retrieving information relating to a respective item after said unique random identity identifier has been stored in said second storage means.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said validation references each comprise coded fibers each carrying a barcode which is optically readable by a barcode reader or scanner.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said coded fibers are incorporated into labels carried by said items.

13. A system according to claim 10, which further includes:

g) first identifying means for identifying said validation references on items leaving a predetermined area,

h) second identifying means for identifying whether any said items leaving said area are legitimately permitted to leave said area, and

i) means for raising an alarm if an item identified by said second identification means is not permitted to leave said area.

14. A system according to claim 13, which further includes:

j) means for storing information relating to the contents of said batch and a plurality of further batches of said items, individual items in each said batch having substantially identical validation references which are different in different ones of said batches having different validation references.

15. A system according to claim 10, wherein said at least one of said second storage means and said third storage means includes a publicly accessible database.

16. A system according to claim 10, which includes means for transmitting information associated with said unique random identifiers allocated by said coding means to said second storage means.

17. A method of authenticating items each having identical validation references, said items to be transported as a batch from a first location to at least one second location, which method comprises:

(a) storing information relating to the location, origin or ownership of said batch of said items,

(b) allocating a unique random identifier to each of the items in said batch and storing said allocated unique random identifiers,

(c) storing information associated with said unique random identifiers allocated in step (b),

(d) converting said stored information from step (c) into a respectively substantially unique hash values using a predetermined algorithm,

(e) storing said hash values, and

(f) retrieving information relating to a respective item after said unique random identity identifier has been stored in step (c).

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said validation references each comprise coded fibers each carrying a barcode which is optically readable by a barcode reader or scanner.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said coded fibers are incorporated into labels carried by said items.

20. A method according to claim 17, which further includes

g) identifying said validation references on items leaving a predetermined area,

h) identifying whether any said items leaving said area are legitimately permitted to leave said area, and

i) raising an alarm if an item identified in step h) is not permitted to leave said area.

21. A method according to claim 20, which farther includes

j) storing information relating to the contents of said batch and a plurality of further batches of said items, individual items in each said batch having substantially identical validation references which are different in different ones of said batches having different validation references.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein said hash values have 20 or more characters.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein said hash values are stored on unerasable media in a plurality of other predetermined locations, remote from said first predetermined location.