Authenticating a package using noise level

• US 7,730,797 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Deolalikar, Vinay, Pradhan, Salil, Caban, Alipio, Lyon, Geoff, Ortiz, Lester
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAYYAZ, NASHMIYA SAQIB
• Application Number:
  US11/264,065
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 738/658, 283/74, 283/81
• US Class Current: 73/865.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence

Abstract

In a method of authenticating a package, an origin noise level of the package is determined based upon one or more identifying characteristics, where the origin noise level is a deviation from a normal condition caused by the one or more identifying characteristics. In addition, the package is authenticated based upon the origin noise level of the package.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a package to be authenticated, the method comprising:

obtaining a first optical reading of an original package;

measuring a normal signal level of the original package from the first optical reading;

introducing one or more identifying characteristics onto the original package;

obtaining a second optical reading of the original package and the one or more identifying characteristics;

measuring a modified signal level of the original package from the second optical reading;

determining a difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

determining an origin noise level of the original package, wherein the origin noise level comprises the difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

determining a noise level of a package to be authenticated;

comparing the noise level of the package to be authenticated with the origin noise level; and

indicating that the a package to be authenticated is authentic in response to the noise level of the package to be authenticated substantially equaling the origin noise level.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a noise level of the package to be authenticated further comprises generating a package image of the package to be authenticated, determining a signal level of the package image and a signal level of the original package and comparing the signal level or the package image with the signal level of the original package to determine the noise level of the package to be authenticated, wherein the noise level of the package to be authenticated comprises a difference between the signal level of the package image and the signal level of the original package.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

outputting an indication that the package to be authenticated is inauthentic in response to a determination that a noise level is not associated with the package to be authenticated.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the original package includes a package identifier, said method further comprising:

reading the package identifier of the original package; and

wherein the step of authenticating further comprises employing the package identifier to substantially distinguish the original package from other packages in authenticating the package to be authenticated.

5. A method of determining an origin noise level for an original package, said method comprising:

optically reading the original package to obtain a normal signal level;

introducing one or more identifying characteristics onto the original package;

optically reading the original package with the one or more identifying characteristics to obtain a modified signal level;

determining a difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

determining an origin noise level of the original package, wherein the origin noise level comprises the difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level; and

storing the origin noise level.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more identifying characteristics comprises indicia, and wherein introducing the one or more identifying characteristics comprises introducing the indicia onto the original package.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein introducing the indicia onto the original package further comprises printing the indicia using variable data printing, wherein the indicia is varied for at least one package other than the original package.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the one or more identifying characteristics comprises a structural feature of the original package, and wherein introducing the one or more identifying characteristics further comprises introducing the structural feature onto the original package.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein introducing the one or more identifying characteristics further comprises intentionally introducing the one or more identifying characteristics onto the original package to distinguish the original Package from counterfeit packages.

10. A system for authenticating a package to be authenticated, said system comprising:

an origin reading module configured to obtain a first optical reading of an original package without one or more identifying characteristics and to obtain a second optical reading of the original package with the one or more identifying characteristics, wherein the one or more identifying characteristics distinguish the original package from a normal package, and wherein the original package and the normal package appear identical except for the one or more identifying characteristics of the original package;

an origin noise analysis module configured to determine an origin noise level associated with the original package based upon a difference between a signal level of the first optical reading and a signal level of the second optical reading; and

an authentication module configured to authenticate the package to be authenticated based upon a comparison of noise level of the original package and a noise level of the package to be authenticated.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a destination reading module configured to obtain a package image of the package to be authenticated; and

wherein the authentication module is further configured to determine a noise level associated with the package to be authenticated from the package image of the package to be authenticated and the first optical reading of the original package, and wherein the authentication module is further configured to authenticate the package to be authenticated through a comparison of the noise level associated with the package to be authenticated and the origin noise level.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the destination reading module and the authentication module are separated from each other and are in communication through a network.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the authentication module is configured to communicate an indication of whether the package to be authenticated is authentic over the network to a destination output.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the package to be authenticated includes a package identifier, the system further comprising:

a database storing a plurality of origin noise levels associated with a plurality of original packages, wherein the plurality of original packages are also associated with respective package identifiers; and

wherein the authentication module is configured to select one of the plurality of origin noise levels in authenticating the package to be authenticated based upon a comparison of the package identifier of the package to be authenticated and the package identifiers of the plurality of original packages.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more identifying characteristics comprise at least one of an indicia placed on the original package and a structural feature of the original package.

16. A system for authenticating a package to be authenticated, said system comprising:

means for obtaining a first optical reading of an original package;

means for measuring a normal signal level of the original package from the first optical reading;

means for introducing one or more identifying characteristics onto the original package;

means for obtaining a second optical reading of the original package with the one or more identifying characteristics;

means for measuring a modified signal level of the original package from the second optical reading;

means for determining a difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

means for determining an origin noise level of the original package, wherein the origin noise level comprises the difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

means for determining a noise level of the package to be authenticated; and

means for authenticating the package to be authenticated based upon a comparison of the noise level of the package to be authenticated and the origin noise level.

17. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the following:

obtain a first optical reading of an original package;

measure a normal signal level of the original package from the first optical reading;

introduce one or more identifying characteristics onto the original package;

obtain a second optical reading of the original package and the one or more identifying characteristics;

measure a modified signal level of the original package from the second optical reading;

determine a difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

determine an origin noise level of the original package, wherein the origin noise level comprises the difference between the modified signal level and the normal signal level;

determine a noise level of a package to be authenticated; and

authenticate the package to be authenticated based upon a comparison of the noise level of the package to be authenticated and the origin noise level.