Three-dimensional authentication of microparticle mark

• US 7,831,042 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: StealthCo, Inc. (Wellness Center USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Smi Holdings, Inc. (Source Media LLC)
• Inventors: Zdon, Chris, Stierman, Thomas, Hunt, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier; Benjamin E
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARMOUCHE, HADI S
• Application Number:
  US11/685,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 380/54, 380/209, 380/217, 713/176, 713/179, 713/185, 713/186, 713/193, 709/204, 382/100, 235/380, 235/462.01, 283/113
• US Class Current: 380/54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06084 the marking being based on nanoparticles or microbeads
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper
• 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

A system, method, and apparatus for authenticating microparticle marks or marks including other three-dimensional objects. The authentication utilizes two or more sets of information captured or acquired for the mark in response to illumination of the mark by electromagnetic energy such as in the visible frequency range. These sets of information are then used to verify that the mark includes three-dimensional objects such as microparticles. The two or more sets of information about the mark preferably vary from each other in time, space/directionality, color, frequency or any combinations thereof, and can be captured or acquired as part of one, two, or more images of the microparticle mark.

Claims

1. A method for determining an authenticity of a microparticle mark having a plurality of microparticles and using a determination of authenticity for the microparticle mark in authenticating an article containing the microparticle mark, comprising:

acquiring at least a first set and a second set of information from the microparticle mark, the second set of information differing from the first set of information and the first set and the second set of information each based at least in part on the plurality of microparticles;

using a processing system to perform an automatic analysis of at least the first set and the second set of information to determine the authenticity of the microparticle mark for the article based on confirmation that the microparticle mark includes at least one difference between the first set and the second set of information due to characteristics that are producible only by three-dimensional microparticles; and

providing a tangible indication of an authentication of the article in response to the automatic analysis of the existence and authenticity of the microparticle mark,

wherein the automatic analysis is performed by an automated reader and comprises;

generating a code based on analysis of the microparticles in the microparticle mark;

determining if the code is valid;

if the code is valid, confirming the authenticity of the microparticle mark by comparing the first set and the second set of information to determine the at least one difference between the first set and the second set of information is due to at least one of an existence and placement of shadows from at least one three-dimensional microparticle or changes in features attributable to differences in orientation of at least a plurality of sides of at least one three-dimensional microparticle as the authentication that the microparticle mark contains at least one three-dimensional microparticle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining if the code is valid is performed by comparing the code to an authorized database of codes representing authentic articles.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining if the code is valid is performed by processing the code using an algorithm that determines if the code is valid.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of acquiring the at least first set and the second set of information comprises obtaining information about the microparticle mark by generating variations in images captured of the microparticle mark selected from the set including:

variations of frequencies of an illumination system of the microparticle mark, variations in geometries of at least one of the illumination system, the article and a detector system, variations in a time of capture of the images by the detector system, variations in a number of images captured by the detector system, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of acquiring the at least first set and the second set of information comprises at least one method selected from the set including:

using two or more differently-colored light sources, using two or more directionally-oriented light sources, using two or more directionally-oriented detectors, effecting movement of the article, a light source, a detector or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the sets of information is captured from the microparticle mark at a time the microparticle mark was created, the at least one set of information being capable of reproducing an existence and placement of shadows and changes in features observed on a plurality of the sides of a multiplicity of three-dimensional microparticles positioned in the microparticle mark.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the automatic analysis further comprises:

receiving a challenge based on an expected information pattern generated from the set of data captured from the microparticle mark at a time the microparticle mark was created, the challenge being variably changeable; and

analyzing the at least first set and second set of information to determine whether the expected information pattern is discernable for the microparticle mark.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of microparticles in the microparticle mark are multi-layer, multi-color microparticles.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring at least the first set and the second set of information is accomplished by providing an automated reader adapted to scan the microparticle mark and including a variable illumination system that is used to dynamically vary illumination of the microparticle mark while at least two different images of the microparticle mark are scanned.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of information are acquired by a reading device that is separate from the processing system.

11. A method comprising:

providing an article having a microparticle mark having a plurality of microparticles; and

providing instructions for determining the authenticity of the mark and using a determination of authenticity for the mark in authenticating the article, the instructions comprising;

acquiring at least a first set and second set of information from the microparticle mark, the second set of information differing from the first set of information and the first set and the second set of information each based at least in part on the plurality of microparticles;

using a processing system to perform an automatic analysis of at least the first set and the second set of information to determine the authenticity of the microparticle mark for the article based on confirmation that the microparticle mark includes at least one difference between the first set and the second set of information due to characteristics that are producible only by three-dimensional microparticles; and

providing a tangible indication of an authentication of the article in response to the automatic analysis of the existence and authenticity of the microparticle mark,

wherein the automatic analysis comprises;

generating a code based on analysis of the microparticles in the microparticle mark;

determining if the code is valid;

if the code is valid, confirming the authenticity of the microparticle mark by comparing the first set and the second set of information to determine the at least one difference between the first set and the second set of information is due to at least one of an existence and placement shadows from at least one three-dimensional microparticle or changes in features attributable to differences in orientation of at least a plurality of sides of at least one three-dimensional microparticle as the authentication that the microparticle mark contains at least one three-dimensional microparticle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of acquiring the at least first set and the second set of information comprises obtaining information about the microparticle mark by generating variations in images captured of the microparticle mark selected from the set including:

variations of frequencies of an illumination system of the microparticle mark, variations in geometries of at least one of the illumination system, the article and a detector system, variations in a time of capture of the images by the detector system, variations in a number of images captured by the detector system, and any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of acquiring the at least first set and the second set of information comprises at least one method selected from the set including:

using two or more differently-colored light sources, using two or more directionally-oriented light sources, using two or more directionally-oriented detectors, effecting movement of the article, a light source, a detector or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second sets of information are acquired by a reading device that is separate from the processing system.

15. A method, comprising:

providing a reading device configured to acquire information related to an article having a microparticle mark having a plurality of microparticles;

providing instructions for determining the authenticity of the microparticle mark and using a determination of authenticity of the mark in authenticating the article, the instructions comprising;

acquiring at least a first set and a second set of information from the microparticle mark with the reading device, the second set of information differing from the first set of information and the first set and the second set of information each based at least in part on the plurality of microparticles

using a processing system to perform an automatic analysis of at least the first set and the second set of information to determine the authenticity of the microparticle mark for the article based on confirmation that the microparticle mark includes at least one difference between the first set and the second set of information due to characteristics that are producible only by three-dimensional microparticles; and

providing a tangible indication of an authentication of the article in response to the automatic analysis of the existence and authenticity of the microparticle mark,

wherein the automatic analysis comprises;

generating a code based on analysis of the microparticles in the microparticle mark;

determining if the code is valid;

if the code is valid, confirming the authenticity of the microparticle mark by comparing the first set and the second set of information to determine the at least one difference between the first set and the second set of information is due to at least one of an existence and placement shadows from at least one three-dimensional microparticle or changes in features attributable to differences in orientation of at least a plurality of sides of at least one three-dimensional microparticle as the authentication that the microparticle mark contains at least one three-dimensional microparticle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of acquiring the at least first set and the second set of information comprises at least one method selected from the set including:

using two or more differently-colored light sources, using two or more directionally-oriented light sources, using two or more directionally-oriented detectors, effecting movement of the article, a light source, a detector or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the reading device is separate from the processing system.