# US 10,872,265 B2 · Database for detecting counterfeit items using digital fingerprint records

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- Number: US 10,872,265 B2
- Document ID: US10872265B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/862,556
- Filed: 2018-01-04
- Published: 2018-05-24
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-02
- Assignees: Alitheon, Inc.
- Applicants: Alitheon, Inc.
- Inventors: David Justin Ross; Brian J. Elmenhurst; Mark Tocci; John Forbes; Heather Wheelock Ross
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872265B2

## CPC

- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- G06T 1/005: {Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant}
- G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection}
- G06V 10/225: {based on a marking or identifier characterising the area}
- G06V 10/245: {by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning}
- G06V 20/46: {Extracting features or characteristics from the video content, e.g. video fingerprints, representative shots or key frames}
- G06V 30/412: Layout analysis of documents structured with printed lines or input boxes, e.g. business forms or tables
- G09C 5/00: Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages
- G06Q 50/60: Business processes related to postal services (shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00)
- G06T 2201/0065: Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
- G06T 2207/30128: Food products
- G06T 2207/30144: Printing quality
- G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
- G06T 2207/30164: Workpiece; Machine component
- G06T 2207/30204: Marker
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G09C: CIPHERING OR DECIPHERING APPARATUS FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES INVOLVING THE NEED FOR SECRECY
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Improvements are disclosed for detecting counterfeit objects, based on comparison to digital fingerprints that describe features found in images of objects known to be counterfeit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
acquiring a first image of a first physical object;
extracting first image data from the first image that describes one or more optically discernible features of the first physical object;
generating a first digital fingerprint of the first physical object that uniquely identifies the first physical object based on the extracted first image data wherein the first digital fingerprint includes a first piece of data identifying a plurality of locations of interest of the first physical object and, for each location of interest, a second piece of data forming at least one fingerprint feature vector that describes a fingerprint feature extracted from the location of interest;
storing the first digital fingerprint in a database, wherein the database stores a plurality of digital fingerprints associated with a plurality of physical objects;
acquiring a second image of a second physical object;
extracting second image data from the second image that describes one or more optically discernible features of the second physical object;
generating a second digital fingerprint of the second physical object based on the extracted second image data;
comparing the second digital fingerprint with the first digital fingerprint and at least one of the plurality of digital fingerprints in the database to obtain a result; and
executing a predetermined action based on the result.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first digital fingerprint includes:
accessing a predefined pattern associated with a category of physical objects to which the first physical object belongs, the predefined pattern including plural elements;
parsing the first image data to extract element values corresponding to the plural elements of the predefined pattern; and
generating the first digital fingerprint further based, at least in part, on one or more of the extracted element values.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein a first individual element value for at least one of the plural elements includes a number of pixels within a portion of the first image data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing comprises:
comparing pixel data that represents a concentration of pixels and surrounding white areas associated with the second image to corresponding pixel data that represents concentrations of pixels and surrounding white areas in images associated with at least some of the plurality of digital fingerprints in the database.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing comprises:
comparing a spatial relationship between one or more individual elements of the plural elements of the predefined pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the result reflects a match between the first physical object and the second physical object that is definitive within a predetermined range or that is above a determined probability or both.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
mapping a location of visible pixels of the second image, and wherein comparing the second digital fingerprint includes comparing mapped locations with mapped location data corresponding to the at least some of the plurality of digital fingerprints.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second image comprises:
a handwritten portion associated with a mailing address, and wherein comparing the second digital fingerprint includes analyzing the handwritten portion to determine a number of transitions from black to white across the handwritten portion.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose stored contents configure a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
acquiring a first image, the first image being an image at least a portion of a first physical object;
isolating image data associated with a first portion of the first physical object;
creating a first digital fingerprint of the first physical object based on indicia interpreted in the image data, wherein the first digital fingerprint includes a first piece of data identifying a plurality of locations of interest of the first physical object and, for each location of interest, a second piece of data forming at least one fingerprint feature vector that describes a fingerprint feature extracted from the location of interest; and
storing the first digital fingerprint in a database, the database having stored therein a plurality of digital fingerprints associated with a plurality of physical objects, wherein the first digital fingerprint identifies the first physical object as being unique among the plurality of objects.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 whose stored contents configure the computing system to perform the method, the method further comprising:
acquiring a second image, the second image being an image at least a portion of a suspect physical object;
isolating second image data associated with the second image that describes one or more optically discernible features of the suspect physical object;
generating a second digital fingerprint of the suspect physical object based on the isolated second image data;
comparing the second digital fingerprint with the first digital fingerprint and at least one of the plurality of digital fingerprints in the database to obtain a result; and
executing a predetermined action based on the result.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, whose stored contents configure the computing system to perform the method, wherein the result represents at least a threshold probability that the suspect physical object is an identified one of the plurality of physical objects whose digital fingerprint is stored in the database.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein generating the first digital fingerprint includes:
accessing a predefined pattern associated with a category of physical objects to which the first physical object belongs, the predefined pattern including plural elements;
parsing the first image data to extract element values corresponding to the plural elements of the predefined pattern; and
generating the first digital fingerprint further based, at least in part, on one or more of the extracted element values.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein a first individual element value for at least one of the plural elements includes a number of pixels within a portion of the first image data.