Authentication systems and methods

• US 9,870,496 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARK Ideaz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ARK Ideaz Incorporated
• Inventors: Feldman, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRMA, FEKADESELASS
• Application Number:
  US14/754,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20160086004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

A system includes a machine-readable storage medium, a processor in communication with the machine-readable storage medium, communication circuitry in communication with the processor; and a plurality of sensors in communication with the processor. Each of the plurality of sensors is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to receiving wave energy. The processor is configured to control data acquisition for authenticating an object using at least a subset of the plurality of sensors, calculate an authentication value based on signals received from the subset of the plurality of sensors, and cause the communication circuitry to transmit an authentication request including the authentication value to an authentication entity.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium;

communication circuitry;

a plurality of sensors; and

a processor in signal communication with the non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the communication circuitry, and each of the plurality of sensors, the processor configured to;

acquire data concerning one or more characteristics of an object from one or more of the plurality of sensors in response to a user input,

calculate an authentication value for the object based on the data acquired from the one or more of the plurality of sensors and based on a number of sensors used to acquire the data concerning the one or more characteristics of the object, the authentication value for the object for use in determining whether the object is an authentic real thing, and

cause the communication circuitry to transmit an authentication request to an authentication entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication value is further based on a type of the one or more of the plurality of sensors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to apply weights to the data acquired by the one or more of the plurality of sensors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to

process a message received by the communication circuitry from the authentication entity,

determine if the object is an authentic real thing based on the message received from the authentication entity, and

cause a notification to be generated.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the notification requests for additional data acquisition to be performed.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to cause one or more of the plurality of sensors to perform additional data acquisition in response to user input.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication request includes the authentication value calculated by the processor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a pharmaceutical.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a pharmaceutical container.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a piece of apparel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes a consumer product.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the object includes automotive parts.

13. A method, comprising:

acquiring data concerning one or more characteristics of an object from one or more of a plurality of sensors;

calculating an authentication value for the object based on the data acquired from the one or more of the plurality of sensors and based on a number of sensors used to acquire the data concerning one or more characteristics of the object, the authentication value for the object for use in determining whether the object is an authentic real thing; and

causing communication circuitry to transmit an authentication request to an authentication entity over a network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the authentication value is further based on a type of the one or more of the plurality of sensors.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying weights to the data acquired by the one or more of the plurality of sensors.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

processing a message received by the communication circuitry from the authentication entity;

determining if the object is authentic based on the message received from the authentication entity; and

causing a notification to be generated.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the notification requests for additional data acquisition to be performed.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising causing one or more of the plurality of sensors to perform additional data acquisition in response to user input.