Authentication method and system
AssigneeCopilot Ventures Fund III LLC
InventorsDavid I. Durst, Norman Kaish, Jay Fraser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides an efficient means for the production of labels and verification of authenticity, whereby a recording apparatus which includes a recording medium, having anisotrophic optical domains, along with a means for transferring a portion of the recording medium to a carrier, wherein a bulk portion of the recording medium has macroscopically detectable anisotrophic optical properties and the detecting apparatus thereon.
Claims20
A method of authenticating an object, comprising:
- providing an object having a surface having a plurality of visible features whose position is defined by a random process;
- illuminating the plurality of visible features on the surface;
- digitally capturing at least one image of at least a portion of the surface having a pixel resolution sufficiently high to statistically preclude an recreation of a pattern of the plurality of features to a degree sufficient for successful authentication;
- authenticating the digitally captured at least one image with respect to a digital record representing the authentic object with an automated processor, wherein the digital record representing the authentic object is pre-encoded to provide reliable authentication with a tolerance to at least a predefined loss of or distortion of at least one of the plurality of visible features;
- and
- outputting an indication of the authenticating.
A system for authenticating an object, comprising:
- an illuminator configured to illuminate visible features formed as a result of random manufacturing variations of the object, on at least a portion of a surface of an object;
- a camera configured to digitally capture at least one image of at least a portion of the surface of the object, having a pixel resolution sufficiently high to statistically preclude an recreation of a patter of the visible features to a degree sufficient for authentication;
- an automated processor configured to authenticate the digitally captured at least one image with respect to a prior digital record of the respective position of each respective feature in the portion, and the at least one image has sufficient resolution to statistically ensure that a counterfeit has different image characteristics than an authentic object, wherein the prior digital record is pre-encoded to provide reliable authentication with a tolerance to at least a predefined loss of or distortion of at least one of the visible features;
- and
- an output configured to present an indication of the authenticity of the object.
A method for authenticating a unique object having features, comprising:
- illuminating features on at least a portion of a surface of an object;
- digitally capturing at least one image of light from the illuminated features, wherein the captured at least one image has a pixel resolution sufficiently high to statistically preclude a counterfeit recreation of at least a positional pattern of the features to a degree sufficient for successful authentication of the unique object;
- authenticating the digitally captured at least one image with respect to a previously created digital record of the features of the same object, wherein the previously created digital record is derived from at least one previously created image which has sufficient resolution to ensure to a statistical degree of reliability that a digitally captured at least one image of a counterfeit has different image characteristics than the previously created digital record of the unique object, wherein the digital record is pre-encoded to provide reliable authentication with a tolerance to at least a predefined loss of or distortion of at least one of the illuminated features;
- and
- presenting an indication of the authenticity of the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.