Authenticating and managing item ownership and authenticity

• US 9,256,881 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vattaca, Llc
• Original Assignee: Vattaca, Llc
• Inventors: Engels, Daniel W., Smith, Eric M., Mandel, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleischer, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US14/536,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements involving time stamps H04L9/3297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system for authenticating and managing the ownership of an item comprises a tagging device affixed to the item, wherein the tagging device comprises tagging device data, an item information system receiving the tagging device data and associated item data and storing the tagging device data and the item data, an owner registration and transfer system receiving owner registration data and ownership change requests and storing the ownership history, and an authentication system receiving authentication requests and generating a response based upon the information stored in the system or a connected system.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating and managing the ownership of an item comprising:

a server comprising at least one processor and a non-transitory memory, wherein the server comprises;

an item information system that configures the at least on processor to;

receive tagging device data and associated item data from a physical tagging device affixed to the item, and store the tagging device data and the item data in the non-transitory memory, wherein the physical tagging device stores the tagging device data, wherein the tagging device data comprises a tagging device identification number and a certificate, wherein the certificate comprises a digital signature over a data package, and wherein the data package comprises the tagging device identification number;

an owner registration and transfer system that configures the at least one processor to;

receive owner registration data and ownership change requests, and store the ownership history in the non-transitory memory, wherein the owner registration data comprises an identification of a current owner of the item and current owner access credentials; and

an authentication system that configures the at least one processor to;

receive the current owner access credentials;

verify the current owner access credentials are valid based on the identification of the current owner of the item in response to the receipt of the current owner access credentials;

receive, from a reading device, an authentication request comprising the certificate and the tagging device identification number based on the verification of the current owner access credentials;

access at least one key stored in a key management system using the tagging device identification number in the authentication request;

verify the tagging device identification number in the certificate using the at least one key; and

generate an authentication response in response to the verification of the tagging device identification number in the certificate.

2. The system claim 1, wherein the physical device comprises a linear bar code, and wherein the linear bar code is printed directly on the item.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the linear bar code is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physica1 tagging device is removed from the item.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a QR code.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the QR code is printed directly on the item and wherein the QR code is physically etched into the item.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the QR code is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-way adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises an RFID device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID device is embedded within the item.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the RFID device is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises an NFC compatible device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the NFC device is embedded within the item.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the NFC device is affixed to a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a Bluetooth enabled device.

14. The system of claim 13, Wherein the Bluetooth device is embedded within the item.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises an optically readable pattern.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the optically readable pattern is printed directly on the item or etched into the item.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the optically readable pattern is printed on a peel-away adhesive layer, and wherein a portion of the peel-away adhesive layer is configured to remain affixed to the item if the physical tagging device is removed from the item.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical tagging device comprises a WiFi enabled device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the item information system further configures the at least one processor to:

receive data and information related to the item from a source other than the tagging device, and store the information for use by one or more of the item information system, the owner registration and transfer system, or the authentication system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the data and information related to the item comprises information from an authentication request event data, item information system event data, owner registration and transfer event data, authentication system event data, ownership event data, updated owner data, product registration data, manufacturer event data.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the owner registration and transfer system further configures the at least one processor to:

provide product registration information to an item manufacturer or item registration service.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the key management system comprises a hardware security module (HSM), and wherein the HSM stores one or more authentication keys.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the owner registration and transfer system comprises:

an owner registration system that configures at least one processor to;

receive one or more registrations requests, owner data, and owner authentication, and establish the current owner of the item based on the one or more registration requests, owner data, and owner authentication;

an owner release system that configures the at least one processor to;

receive one or more release requests, current owner data, and current owner authentication, and remove the current owner of the item based on the one or more release requests, current owner data, and current owner authentication;

an owner transfer system that configures the at least one processor to;

receive one or more transfer requests, current owner data, second owner data, current owner authentication, and second owner authentication, and establish the second owner as the current owner of the to based on the one or more transfer requests, current owner data, second owner date, current owner authentication, and second owner authentication, and

an owner history system that configures the at least one processor to;

record the requests and activities regarding the ownership of the item.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a notification system that configures the at least one processor to:

generate a notification message to one or more users involved in an ownership request.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising a notification system that configures the at least one processor to:

generate a notification message to one or more entities after a change in the current ownership of an item.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the item data comprises at least one of image data of the item or a serial number of the item.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification system that configures the at least one processor to:

generate a message based upon the information stored in the system or a connected system.

28. The system of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement server, wherein at least one of the item information system, the owner registration and transfer system, or the authentication system further configures the at least one processor to:

supply information to the advertisement server, and receive an advertisement or a coupon from the ad server.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the item information system further configures the at least one processor to receive the tagging device data from the physical tagging device affixed to the item and second tagging device data from a second physical tagging device affixed to the item, wherein the second tagging device comprises a second tagging device identification number and a second certificate comprising a digital signature over a second data package, wherein the second data package comprises the second tagging device identification number.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the authentication request further comprises the second certificate and the second tagging device identification number wherein the authentication system further configures to the at least one processor to:

access at least one second key stored in the key management system using the second tagging device identification number in the authentication request; and

verify the second tagging device identification number in the certificate using the at least one second key, wherein the authentication response is generated in response to the verification of the tagging device identification number in the certificate and the verification of the second tagging device identification number in the second certificate.