Item authentication
First Claim
1. An authentication system for authenticating items, comprising:
- a processing unit for generating indicia for imprints to be applied to items and authenticating imprints applied to items, each indicium including a cryptographically-encoded component;
at least one item printing station for printing imprints on items as generated by the processing unit; and
at least one item presentation station to which items are presented in authenticating the same, wherein the at least one item presentation station is configured to transmit data relating to the indicium on an item presented thereto to the processing unit, and receive an authentication message in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid,wherein the indicium comprises at least one security parameter which is not provided in human-readable form in the imprint,wherein data relating to a previously-authenticated indicium is stored by the processing unit and, if the transmitted data indicates the indicium is a duplicate of the previously authenticated indicium, the indicium is determined to be invalid.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for authenticating items includes: a processing unit for generating indicia for imprints to be applied to items and authenticating imprints applied to items, each indicium including a cryptographically encoded component; at least one item printing station for printing imprints on items as generated by the processing unit; and at least one item presentation station to which items are presented in authenticating the same. The item presentation station is configured to transmit data relating to the indicium on an item presented thereto to the processing unit, and to receive an authentication message in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid.
45 Citations
44 Claims
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1. An authentication system for authenticating items, comprising:
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a processing unit for generating indicia for imprints to be applied to items and authenticating imprints applied to items, each indicium including a cryptographically-encoded component; at least one item printing station for printing imprints on items as generated by the processing unit; and at least one item presentation station to which items are presented in authenticating the same, wherein the at least one item presentation station is configured to transmit data relating to the indicium on an item presented thereto to the processing unit, and receive an authentication message in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid, wherein the indicium comprises at least one security parameter which is not provided in human-readable form in the imprint, wherein data relating to a previously-authenticated indicium is stored by the processing unit and, if the transmitted data indicates the indicium is a duplicate of the previously authenticated indicium, the indicium is determined to be invalid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of authenticating items, the method, for each item, comprising the steps of:
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generating a transaction data stream for an indicium to be applied to an item as an imprint, the indicium including a cryptographically-encoded component; printing the imprint on an item; receiving data relating to the indicium; authenticating the indicium; comparing the data related to the indicium to stored data related to a previously authenticated indicium and, if the comparison indicates a dupliate, determining the indicium to be invalid; and providing an authentication message to the item presentation station in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid, wherein the indicium comprises at least one security parameter which is not provided in human-readable form in the imprint. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An authentication system for authenticating items, comprising:
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a processing unit for authenticating imprints applied to items, each imprint comprising an indicium including a cryptographically-encoded component and having at least one security parameter assigned thereto which is not provided in human-readable form in the imprint; and at least one item presentation station to which items are presented in authenticating the same, wherein the at least one item presentation station is configured to transmit data relating to the indicium on an item presented thereto to the processing unit and receive an authentication message in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid, with the assigned security parameter having to be satisfied in authenticating the indicium, wherein data relating to a previously-authenticated indicium is stored by the processing unit and, if the transmitted data indicates the indicium is a duplicate of the previously authenticated indicium, the indicium is determined to be invalid. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of authenticating items, the method, for each item, comprising the steps of:
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generating a transaction data stream for an indicium to be applied to an item as an imprint, the indicium including a cryptographically-encoded component and having at least one security parameter assigned thereto which is not provided in human-readable form in the imprint; printing the imprint on an item; receiving the item including the indicium at an item presentation station; providing data relating to the indicium on the presented item to the remote center; authenticating the indicium, with the assigned security parameter having to be satisfied in authenticating the indicium; comparing the data related to the indicium to stored data related to a previously authenticated indicium and, if the comparison indicates a duplicate, determining the indicium to be invalid; and providing an authentication message to the item presentation station in dependence upon whether the indicium is determined to be valid or invalid. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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Specification