Duo Codes for Product Authentication

• US 20080253560A1
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: YottaMark, Inc.
• Inventors: Grant, Elliott
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that employ two or more cryptographically linked codes. The codes, when encrypted, become cipher texts that appear unrelated. The codes described herein are characterized by a series of bits including one or more switch bits. The cipher text of a code having a switch bit in one state will appear to be unrelated to the cipher text of another code differing only in that the switch bit is in the opposite state. The cryptographically linked codes can be used in various combinations, such as on a product and its packaging, on a product and a component of the product, on a certificate packaged with the product and on the packaging, or on outer and inner packagings of the product.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a first code including bits representing an identification number and a switch bit having a first value;

generating a second code including bits representing the identification number of the first code, and a bit representing the switch bit having a second value;

encrypting the first code to generate a first cipher text; and

encrypting the second code to generate a second cipher text.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification number comprises a serial number.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the identification number further comprises a checksum.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification number comprises a batch number.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the identification number further comprises an item number.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein encrypting the first code includes the use of a secure cipher.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the secure cipher comprises a Triple Data Encryption Standard cipher.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second codes each comprise at least 60 bits.

9. A method comprising:

generating a first code consisting of a series of bits, each bit having a value, and at least one of the bits being a switch bit having a first value;

generating a second code consisting of the same series of bits with the same values as in the first code, except that the at least one switch bit has a second value;

encrypting the first code to generate a first cipher text; and

encrypting the second code to generate a second cipher text.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the series of bits of the first code, other than the one or more switch bits, comprises an identification number.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the identification number comprises a serial number.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the identification number comprises a batch number.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein encrypting the first code includes the use of a secure cipher.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the secure cipher comprises a Triple Data Encryption Standard cipher.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second codes each comprise at least 60 bits.

16. A system comprising:

a computer-readable medium including a data structure comprising

an encryption of a first code, the first code consisting of a series of bits including at least one switch bit, each of the bits of the first code having a value, and

an encryption of a second code logically related to the first code, the second code consisting of the same series of bits with the same values as the bits of the first code, except at least one of the switch bits of the second code has a different value than the same bit in the first code.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the data structure logically relates the first code to the second code by arranging the first and second codes as a pair.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the first and second codes each comprise the same identification number.

19. A system comprising:

a first object marked with a first cipher text comprising an encryption of a first code having a identification number and at least one switch bit; and

a second object marked with a second cipher text comprising an encryption of a second code having the identification number and the at least one switch bit, the at least one switch bit having a different value than in the first code.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first object comprises a certificate and the second object comprises a detachable tamper-evident portion attached to the certificate.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the first object comprises an outer packaging and the second object comprises an inner packaging disposed within the outer packaging.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the first object comprises a packaging and the second object comprises a product disposed within the outer packaging.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the first object comprises a product and the second object comprises a component of the product.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the first object marked with the first cipher text comprises the first cipher text printed onto the first object.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the first object marked with the first cipher text comprises the first cipher text printed on a label affixed to the first object.