Authenticity verification methods, products and apparatuses

• US 20070192850A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingenia Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Ingenia Technology Limited
• Inventors: Cowburn, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/305 Associated digital information record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10762 Relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0043 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/01 Testing electronic circuits therein
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/121 Apparatus characterised by sensor details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining a digital signature from an article made of paper, cardboard, plastic or many other material types. A coherent light source directs a beam to illuminate the article and a detector arrangement collects data points from light scattered from many different parts of the article to collect a large number of independent data points, typically 500 or more. By collecting a large number of independent signal contributions specific to many different parts of the article, a digital signature can be computed that is unique to the area of the article that has been scanned. This measurement can be repeated whenever required to test authenticity of the article. Using this method, it has been discovered that it is essentially pointless to go to the effort and expense of making specially prepared tokens, since unique characteristics are measurable a in a straightforward manner from a wide variety of every day articles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining a signature from an article arranged in a reading volume, comprising:

a source for generating a coherent beam;

a detector arrangement for collecting a set comprising groups of data points from signals obtained when the coherent beam scatters from different parts of the reading volume, wherein different ones of the groups of data points relate to scatter from respective different parts of the reading volume; and

a data acquisition and processing module for determining a signature of the article from the set of groups of data points.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each group of data points includes more than one data point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein it is ensured that different ones of the data points relate to scatter from different parts of the reading volume, in that a drive is provided for causing the coherent beam to move over the reading volume and the coherent beam is dimensioned to have a cross-section substantially smaller than a projection of the reading volume in a plane normal to the coherent beam so that the coherent beam samples different parts of the reading volume under action of the drive.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a focusing arrangement for bringing the coherent beam into focus in the reading volume.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the focusing arrangement is configured to bring the coherent beam to an elongate focus, and wherein the drive is configured to move the coherent beam over the reading volume in a direction transverse to the major axis of the elongate focus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein it is ensured that different ones of the data points relate to scatter from different parts of the reading volume, in that the detector arrangement includes a plurality of detector channels arranged and configured to sense scatter from respective different parts of the reading volume.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a housing for accommodating at least a part of the detector arrangement and having a reading aperture against which an article is placeable so that it is positioned in the reading volume.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an article conveyor for moving an article past the coherent beam.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a physical location aid for positioning an article of a given form in a fixed position in relation to the reading volume.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement consists of a single detector channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement comprises a group of detector elements angularly distributed and operable to collect the group of data points for each different part of the reading volume.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signature incorporates a contribution from a comparison between data points of the same group.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the comparison involves a cross-correlation.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source is mounted to direct the coherent beam onto the reading volume so that it will strike an article with near normal incidence.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement is arranged in reflection to detect radiation back scattered from the reading volume.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data acquisition and processing module is operable to further analyse the data points to identify a signal component that follows a predetermined encoding protocol and to generate a reference signature therefrom.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the data acquisition and processing module is operable to perform a comparison to establish whether the reference signature matches the signature obtained by reading an article that has been placed in the reading volume.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a database of previously recorded signatures, wherein the data acquisition and processing module is operable to access the database and perform a comparison to establish whether the database contains a match to the signature of an article that has been placed in the reading volume.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the data acquisition and processing module is operable in to allow the signature to be added to the database if no match is found.

20. Use of the apparatus of claim 1 in order to populate a database with signatures by reading a succession of articles.

21. Use of the apparatus of claim 1 in order to verify authenticity of an article.

22. Use of the apparatus of claim 1 in order to ascertain whether an article has been tampered with.

23. A method of identifying an article made of paper or cardboard, comprising:

exposing the paper or cardboard to coherent radiation;

collecting a set comprising groups of data points that measure scatter of the coherent radiation from intrinsic structure of the paper or cardboard, each group corresponding to a respective different region of the article; and

determining a signature of the article from the set of groups of data points.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein each group comprises more than one data point.

43. A method of labelling an article with a signature characteristic of its intrinsic structure, comprising:

obtaining the signature by applying either the method of claim 23 or any one of the methods of claims 34 to 42, and

marking the article with a label that encodes the signature according to a machine-readable encoding protocol.

47. An article labelled according to the method of claim 43.

24-33. -33. (canceled)

35. A method of identifying an article made of plastic, comprising:

exposing the plastic to coherent radiation;

collecting a set comprising groups of data points that measure scatter of the coherent radiation from intrinsic structure of the plastic, each group corresponding to a respective different region of the article; and

determining a signature of the article from the set of groups of data points.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein each group comprises more than one data point.

37. A method of identifying a product by its packaging, comprising:

exposing the packaging of the product to coherent radiation;

collecting a set comprising groups of data points that measure scatter of the coherent radiation from intrinsic structure of the packaging, each group corresponding to a respective different region of the packaging; and

determining a signature of the product from the set of groups of data points.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein each group comprises more than one data point.

39. A method of identifying a document, comprising:

exposing the document to coherent radiation;

collecting a set comprising groups of data points that measure scatter of the coherent radiation from intrinsic structure of the document, each group corresponding to a respective different region of the document; and

determining a signature of the document from the set of groups of data points.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein each group comprises more than one data point.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the signature is encoded in the label using an asymmetric encryption algorithm.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the label represents a public key in a public key/private key encryption system.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the label is an ink label applied with a printing process.

41. A method of identifying an item of clothing or footwear by a tag secured thereto, comprising:

exposing the tag to coherent radiation;

collecting a set comprising groups of data points that measure scatter of the coherent radiation from intrinsic structure of the tag, each group corresponding to a respective different region of the tag; and

determining a signature of the tag from the set of groups of data points.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein each group comprises more than one data point.