Product authentication using end-to-end cryptographic scheme

• US 8,839,459 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jozwiak, John, Rose, Gregory G., Gantman, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, THONG P
• Application Number:
  US12/888,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20120069992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 726/30, 726/4, 713/171
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

A system is provided for inside-to-outside or outside-to-inside cryptographic coding that facilitates product authentication along a distribution channel. An association of authenticated, secured codes is generated between inner items (e.g., pharmaceutical doses such as pills, capsules, tablets) and outer items (e.g., packaging containing inner items). For instance, an inner code associated with a first item is used to generate (at least partially) an outer code associated with a second item that contains one or more first items. This process may be repeated multiple times with codes for outer items being a function of codes for inner items. The sequence of items may be authenticated by the dependent relationship between their codes.

Claims

1. A method for inhibiting introduction of forged items in a distribution channel, comprising:

recursively generating a hierarchy of codes, each code associated with a different item in a hierarchy of items and wherein at least some of the codes are recursively generated based on either a lower code or a higher code from another level in the hierarchy of codes;

cryptographically binding each code in the hierarchy of codes to obtain a corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag; and

physically appending a different code from the hierarchy of codes and its corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag to each item in the hierarchy of items according to corresponding levels in the hierarchy of codes and hierarchy of items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein cryptographically binding each code in the hierarchy of codes includes signing each code with a private key to obtain the forgery resistant tag, wherein the private key has a corresponding public key that is used for verification of the forgery resistant tag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the same private key is used to generate the forgery resistant tags for a plurality of items in the hierarchy of items.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least two different private keys are used to generate the forgery resistant tags for the items in the hierarchy of items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower code in the hierarchy of codes is a code at the next lower level of the hierarchy of codes and the higher code in the hierarchy of codes is a code at the next higher level of the hierarchy of codes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower code in the hierarchy of codes is a code at least two levels lower in the hierarchy of codes and the higher code in the hierarchy of codes is a code at least two levels higher in the hierarchy of codes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an item at a particular level of the hierarchy of items within an item at either a higher level or a lower level of the hierarchy of items.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein storing an item at a particular level of the hierarchy of items within an item at either a higher level or a lower level of the hierarchy of items includes

storing a first physical item within a first container;

and

storing a plurality of first containers in a larger second container.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing an item at a particular level of the hierarchy of items within an item at either a higher level or a lower level of the hierarchy of items includes

storing one or more first items at a first level of the hierarchy of items in a second item in the hierarchy of items;

storing one or more second items at a second level of the hierarchy of items in a third item in the hierarchy of items; and

storing one or more third items at a third level of the hierarchy of items in a fourth item in the hierarchy of items.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing the items in the hierarchy of items as a unit along the distribution channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the items in the hierarchy of items are physical products.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the items in the hierarchy of items are pharmaceutical products and packaging thereof, and the pharmaceutical products include at least one of a pill, a tablet or a capsule.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy of codes includes a first hierarchy of codes associated with a first party and a second hierarchy of codes associated with a second party, wherein at least one code in the second hierarchy of codes is based on at least one code in the first hierarchy of codes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the forgery resistant tags associated with codes in the first hierarchy of codes are verifiable using a first public key while codes in the second hierarchy of codes are verifiable using a second public key.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating additional codes for the hierarchy of codes along the distribution channel, each additional code associated with a different additional item in the hierarchy of items and based on either a lower code or a higher code in the hierarchy of codes.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing codes in the hierarchy of codes by generating one or more new codes for the hierarchy of codes along the distribution channel.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein appending a different code to each item according to their corresponding levels in the hierarchies includes

matching a first code at a first level of the hierarchy of codes with a first item at a first level of the hierarchy of items;

matching a second code at a second level of the hierarchy of codes with a second item at a second level of the hierarchy of items; and

matching a third code at a third level of the hierarchy of codes with a third item at a third level of the hierarchy of items.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein recursively generating a hierarchy of codes includes:

generating a first code for identifying a first item in the hierarchy of items;

recursively generating a second code based on the first code for identifying a second item in the hierarchy of items, the second item containing one or more first items; and

recursively generating a third code based on the second code for identifying a third item in the hierarchy of items, the third item containing one or more second items.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy of codes defines a bottom-to-top relationship among the codes where at least some of the codes identify the next lower code in the hierarchy of codes to establish a verifiable relationship among the corresponding items in the hierarchy of items.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the verifiable relationship identifies that a first item having a first code comes from within a second item having a second code, where the second code identifies the first code, and each code being authenticatable by their respective cryptographic forgery resistant tag.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein recursively generating a hierarchy of codes includes:

generating a first code for identifying a first item in the hierarchy of items;

recursively generating a second code based on the first code for identifying a second item in the hierarchy of items, the first item containing one or more second items; and

recursively generating a third code based on the second code for identifying a third item in the hierarchy of items, the second item containing one or more third items.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy of codes defines a top-to-bottom relationship among the codes where at least some of the codes identify the next higher code in the hierarchy of codes to establish a verifiable relationship among the corresponding items in the hierarchy of items.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the verifiable relationship identifies that a first item having a first code comes from within a second item having a second code, where the first code identifies the second code, and each code being authenticatable by their respective cryptographic forgery resistant tag.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising a preliminary step of non-recursively generating an initial set of codes for inclusion in the hierarchy of codes and wherein the various recursively generated codes of the hierarchy of codes are recursively generated based, at least in part, on the initial set of codes.

25. An apparatus adapted to inhibit introduction of forged items in a distribution channel, comprising:

a processing circuit including a code generator and a cryptographic forgery resistant tag generator,

the code generator adapted to recursively generate a hierarchy of codes, each code associated with a different item in a hierarchy of items and wherein at least some of the codes are recursively generated based on either a lower code or a higher code from another level in the hierarchy of codes, and

the cryptographic forgery resistant tag generator adapted to cryptographically bind each code in the hierarchy of codes to obtain a corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag; and

a printer adapted to print a different code from the hierarchy of codes and its corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag for appending to each item in the hierarchy of items according to corresponding levels in the hierarchy of codes and hierarchy of items.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein an item at a particular level of the hierarchy of items is stored within an item at the next higher level of the hierarchy of items.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the items in the hierarchy of items are subsequently distributed as a unit along the distribution channel.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the hierarchy of codes defines either a bottom-to-top or top-to-bottom relationship among the codes where each code identifies the next higher code or next lower code, respectively, in the hierarchy of codes to establish a verifiable relationship among the corresponding items in the hierarchy of items.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the code generator is further adapted to generate an initial set of codes for inclusion in the hierarchy of codes and wherein the various recursively generated codes of the hierarchy of codes are recursively generated by the code generator based, at least in part, on the initial set of codes.

30. An apparatus adapted to inhibit introduction of forged items in a distribution channel, comprising:

means for recursively generating a hierarchy of codes, each code associated with a different item in a hierarchy of items and wherein at least some of the codes are recursively generated based on either a lower code or a higher code from another level in the hierarchy of codes;

means for cryptographically binding each code in the hierarchy of codes to obtain a corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag; and

means for physically appending a different code from the hierarchy of codes and its corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag to each item in the hierarchy of items according to corresponding levels in the hierarchy of codes and hierarchy of items.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for generating an initial set of codes for inclusion in the hierarchy of codes and wherein the means for recursively generating the hierarchy of codes is operative to recursively generate additional codes based, at least in part, on the initial set of codes.

32. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions for inhibiting introduction of forged items in a distribution channel, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

recursively generate a hierarchy of codes, each code associated with a different item in a hierarchy of items and wherein at least some of the codes are recursively generated based on either a lower code or a higher code from another level in the hierarchy of codes; and

cryptographically bind each code in the hierarchy of codes to obtain a corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag; and

wherein a different code from the hierarchy of codes and its corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tag are adapted to be appended to each item in the hierarchy of items according to corresponding levels in the hierarchies, and

wherein an item at a particular level of the hierarchy of items is stored within an item at the next higher level of the hierarchy of codes and hierarchy of items.

33. A method for securing a plurality of related items against forgery, comprising:

generating a first code for identifying a first item;

physically appending the first code to the first item;

recursively generating a second code based on the first code for identifying a second item, the second item containing one or more first items; and

physically appending the recursively generated second code to the second item.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

generating a first cryptographic forgery resistant tag for authenticating the first code;

physically appending the first cryptographic forgery resistant tag to the first item;

recursively generating a second cryptographic forgery resistant tag for authenticating the second code; and

physically appending the second cryptographic forgery resistant tag to the second item.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

distributing the second item containing one or more first items, wherein the first and second items are secured against forgery during distribution by virtue of an inter-relationship between the first and second codes and their corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tags.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

authenticating the first and second items during distribution by

obtaining the second code and second cryptographic forgery resistant tag from the second item;

verifying the authenticity of the second code using the second cryptographic forgery resistant tag;

obtaining the first code and first cryptographic forgery resistant tag from the first item;

verifying the authenticity of the first code using the first cryptographic forgery resistant tag; and

verifying that the second code identifies the first code.

37. A method for securing a plurality of related items against forgery, comprising:

generating a first code for identifying a first item;

physically appending the first code to the first item;

recursively generating a second code based on the first code for identifying a second item, the first item containing one or more second items; and

physically appending the recursively generated second code to the second item.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

generating a first cryptographic forgery resistant tag for authenticating the first code;

physically appending the first cryptographic forgery resistant tag to the first item;

recursively generating a second cryptographic forgery resistant tag for authenticating the second code; and

physically appending the recursively generated second cryptographic forgery resistant tag to the second item.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

distributing the first item containing one or more second items, wherein the first and second items are secured against forgery during distribution by virtue of the inter-relationship between the first and second codes and the corresponding cryptographic forgery resistant tags for each code.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

authenticating the first and second items during distribution by

obtaining the first code and first cryptographic forgery resistant tag from the first item;

verifying the authenticity of the first code using the first cryptographic forgery resistant tag;

obtaining the second code and second cryptographic forgery resistant tag from the second item;

verifying the authenticity of the second code using the second cryptographic forgery resistant tag; and

verifying that the second code identifies the first code.