Computer-implemented method and system for authentication of a product

A computer system for authenticating a product, the system comprising:

• a computer processor;
• a hapto-signature database comprising a plurality of reference hapto-signatures, each reference hapto-signature associated with a product;
• a communication interface operable to send and receive messages;
• and
• a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by the computer processor to direct the operation of the processor, wherein the computer processor, when executing the program instructions, comprises:
• a comparison module configured to compare a hapto-signature included in query message received from a scanner terminal via the communication arrangement, wherein the received hapto-signature is compared the plurality of reference hapto-signatures, to determine whether or not the received hapto-signature matches at least one of the reference hapto-signatures, wherein a determination that the received hapto-signature matches at least one of the reference hapto-signatures indicates that the product is authentic, wherein
• the comparison module is further configured to generate a response message indicative of whether or not the received hapto-signature matches at least one of the reference hapto-signature, and wherein
• the comparison module is further configured to send, via the communication interface, the response message to a designated recipient.

A computer program product for authenticating a product, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having stored thereon:
• first program instructions executable by a computer processor to cause the computer processor to receive, from a scanner terminal, a query message including a hapto-signature of the product to be authenticated, the hapto-signature including at least one haptic characteristic of the product as scanned by a touch-sensitive surface of the scanner terminal;
• second program instructions executable by the computer processor to cause the computer processor to compare the received hapto-signature against a hapto-signature database comprising a plurality of reference hapto-signatures, each reference hapto-signature having an associated product, to determine whether or not the received hapto-signature matches at least one of the reference hapto-signatures, wherein a determination that the received hapto-signature matches at least one of the reference hapto-signatures indicates that the product is authentic;
• third program instructions executable by the computer processor to cause the computer processor to generate a response message indicative of whether or not the received hapto-signature matches at least one of the reference hapto-signature;
• and
• fourth program instructions executable by the computer processor to cause the computer processor to send the response message to a designated recipient.