Label for enabling verification of an object

• US 9,361,532 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linksmart Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Linksmart Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• Inventors: Anand, Ashish
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US14/813,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20150332109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/494, 235/375, 235/487
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06009 with optically detectable marking G06K19/063, G06K19/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/067 Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/10 at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation

Abstract

A label for enabling verification of an object includes a scannable region that enables determination of auto-acquired unique spatial orientation of the scannable region with respect to a reference thereby enabling determination of a spatial orientation of the label with respect to the reference. The label is applied onto the object and a change in the spatial orientation of the label indicates tampering of the label, thereby enabling verification of the object. Further, a method for detecting tampering of an object includes providing label on the object. The label has at least a portion which is scannable region with a plurality of patterns and is associated with an external reference point. Further, the method includes determining a first and a second spatial orientations of the label based on computation between the patterns and the reference point, and generating an alert on noticing a change between first and second spatial orientations.

Claims

1. A system to enable verification of an object, the system comprising:

a security label configured to be affixed to the object and that includes;

a scannable region configured to enable determination of a spatial orientation of the scannable region with respect to a reference point external to the security label, wherein the scannable region includes at least one pattern, and

wherein a change in the spatial orientation is indicative of tampering due to a removal of the security label from the object, reorientation of the security label on the object, replacement of the object, change in position of the object, or replacement of the security label on the object with another security label.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern includes at least one imprinted pattern of a particular color and is disposed between a first layer of the security label with a first color different from the particular color and a second layer of the security label with a second color different from the particular and first colors, such that the at least one imprinted pattern is invisible but becomes scannable by use of a machine with a specific illumination.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern includes at least one invisible imprinted pattern.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the security label has a circular shape.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the change in the spatial orientation that is indicative tampering includes being indicative of counterfeiting.

6. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a storage device configured to store a reference image that represents the spatial orientation;

an imager device configured to obtain a subsequent image that represents the spatial orientation; and

a monitor unit communicatively coupled to the storage device and the imager device, and configured to compare the obtained subsequent image with the reference image to determine whether the spatial orientation has changed, wherein the change in the spatial orientation is represented by a mismatch between the reference image and the subsequent image.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein to be affixed to the object, the security label is configured to be affixed to a packaging of the object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pattern includes at least one imprinted pattern that includes radio-opaque material disposed between multiple layers of the security label.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the security label is visually symmetrical with respect to an orientation on a surface of the object on which the label is affixed.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference point external to the security label includes a reference point located on the object.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reference point external to the security label includes a reference point located at a scannable region of another security label affixed to the object.

12. A system to enable verification of an object, the system comprising:

a storage device configured to store a reference image that represents a first spatial orientation, wherein the first spatial orientation is based on a spatial relationship between a pattern of a security label affixed to an object and a reference point on the object external to the security label; and

a monitor unit communicatively coupled to the storage device, and configured to compare a subsequent image with the reference image to determine whether the first spatial orientation has changed, wherein the change in the spatial orientation is represented by a mismatch between the reference image and the subsequent image,

wherein a change in the spatial orientation is indicative of tampering due to a removal of the security label from the object, reorientation of the security label on the object, replacement of the object, change in position of the object, or replacement of the security label on the object with another security label.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an imager device communicatively coupled to the monitor unit and configured to obtain the subsequent image and to provide the subsequent image to the monitor unit, wherein the subsequent image represents a second spatial orientation, wherein the second spatial orientation is based on a spatial relationship that involves the reference point on the object external to the security label, and wherein the monitor unit is configured to determine that the first spatial orientation has changed if there is a mismatch between the first and second spatial orientations.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the monitor unit is configured to verify the object in response to a match between the reference image and the subsequent image, and configured to fail verification of the object in response to the mismatch between the reference image and the subsequent image.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the spatial relationship between the pattern of the security label and the reference point on the object external to the security label includes a spatial relationship between the pattern of the security label and a pattern of another security label affixed to the object.

16. A method to enable verification of an object, the method comprising:

scanning a security label affixed to the object to obtain a first spatial orientation, wherein the first spatial orientation is based on a spatial relationship between the pattern and a reference point on the object external to the security label;

determining a second spatial orientation, wherein the second spatial orientation is based on a spatial relationship that involves the reference point on the object external to the security label;

verifying the object in response to a match between the first and second spatial orientations; and

failing verification of the object in response to a mismatch between the first and second spatial orientations, the mismatch being due to a removal of the security label from the object, reorientation of the security label on the object, replacement of the object, change in position of the object, or replacement of the security label on the object with another security label.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein scanning the security label to obtain the first spatial orientation includes scanning the security label to obtain a spatial relationship between the pattern and a pattern of another security label affixed to the object.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing, in a storage device, a first image that represents the first spatial orientation;

generating a second image that represents the second spatial orientation; and

comparing the generated second image with the stored first image to determine whether there is a match between the stored first image and the generated second image, wherein verification of the object occurs in response to a match between the stored first image and the generated second image, and wherein failure of verification of the object occurs in response to a mismatch between the stored first image and the generated second image.

19. A security label usable with the method of claim 16.