Method of authenticating an object

• US 7,856,554 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers; Matthew B
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHOLEMAN, ABU S
• Application Number:
  US11/488,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 713155-176, 713/185, 713/186, 382119-123, 380/51, 380/55, 380/59, 726/2, 726/9, 726/20
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• 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 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A method of authenticating an object comprising an identifier is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) reading the identifier using a data reader to generate identity data; (ii) sending an authentication request from the data reader to a computer system, the request comprising the identity data; (iii) receiving, in the data reader, an authentication message from the computer system, the authentication message comprising an indication of authenticity, a description of an object associated with the identity data and a digital signature of the authentication message; (iv) verifying the digital signature; and (v) conveying the description of the object to a user if the signature is valid.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an object, the object having encoded thereon a plurality of data tags, each data tag encoding an object identifier for uniquely identifying the object, and a fragment of a digital signature of at least the object identifier, the digital signature comprising a plurality of fragments, said method comprising the steps of:

reading the object identifier and the fragment encoded in one of the tags using a data reader;

determining by the data reader a fragment identifier which identifies the fragment read by the reader;

sending an authentication request from the data reader to a computer system, said authentication request comprising the object identifier, the fragment and the fragment identifier;

receiving in the computer system the object identifier, the fragment and the fragment identifier;

determining in the computer system a determined digital signature by calculating a digital signature of at least the object identifier;

determining in the computer system a determined fragment from the determined digital signature using the fragment identifier;

authenticating the object in the computer system by comparing the determined fragment with the fragment received from the reader;

sending an authentication message from the computer system to the reader;

receiving, in the data reader, the authentication message from the computer system, said authentication message comprising an indication of authenticity, a description of an object associated with the object identity and a digital signature of the authentication message;

verifying the authentication message using the digital signature of the authentication message; and

conveying the description of the object to a user if the authentication message is valid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data tags comprises or is contained in any one of:

coded data disposed in or on a surface of the object;

an RFID tag;

a linear barcode;

a 2D barcode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each data tag encodes its own location on the surface, and the data reader uses the location of the tag to determine the fragment identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signature of the authentication message is a public-key signature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the public-key signature is generated using a private key associated with the manufacturer of the object.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the digital signature of the authentication message is verified using a public key associated with the private key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data reader obtains the public key from a certificate.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the certificate is associated with the manufacturer or a certificate authority.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the authentication message identifies the manufacturer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the data reader verifies the certificate.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the certificate includes a description of the manufacturer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data reader conveys the description of the manufacturer to the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the description of the object comprises at least one of:

an identity of the object;

a name or description of a manufacturer of the object;

a manufacturing date/time of the object;

a selling date/time of the object;

a sold status of the object;

a purchased status of the object; and

a pedigree of the object.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the description of the object is conveyed to the user visually on a display or audibly.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication request comprises a nonce generated by the data reader and the authentication message comprises the nonce.