Method for authentication and security of coffee machine or coffee grinder
Through the authentication method combined with blockchain and NFC tags, digital certificates and encrypted data are used to verify the authenticity of coffee machines and coffee grinders on the blockchain, solving the problem of forgery and ensuring the authenticity and security of the product.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410937422.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-07-12
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-12
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-08
AI Technical Summary
The prior art is difficult to effectively prevent the forgery of coffee machines and coffee grinders, and forged products may not meet design requirements or threaten consumer health, and existing anti-counterfeiting methods are vulnerable to cyber attacks and fraud by counterfeiters.
Blockchain technology is used to combine NFC tags and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for product certification, and bidirectional authentication is carried out through the communication unit of mobile devices with coffee machines or coffee grinders, generating and verifying digital certificates, ensuring the authenticity of the product, and storing encrypted data on the blockchain to prevent forgery.
The authenticity verification of coffee machines and coffee grinders is achieved, ensuring that only updates and data transmission are carried out on the original products, preventing the operation of counterfeit products, and improving the security and reliability of anti-counterfeiting.
Smart Images
Figure CN120278726A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for authenticating and anti-counterfeiting a coffee machine or a coffee grinder. Background Art
[0002] Counterfeiting is a major problem for both companies that have seen their profits decline and their reputation damaged, and for consumers who have taken the risk of having their safety and health endangered.
[0003] In fact, counterfeit products are usually made of cheaper materials than the original products without the consumers' knowledge. Such materials may not meet the minimum design requirements or legal regulations related to food health, especially if the counterfeit products are coffee machines or coffee grinders.
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to protect products (specifically coffee machines or coffee grinders) from counterfeiting in order to protect companies that invest part of their annual revenue in research and innovation on the one hand, and to protect consumers' safety on the other hand.
[0005] There are known technical tools for combating counterfeiting, which are designed to identify products. In the prior art, anti-counterfeiting solutions are based on the use of optical codes, markings, radio frequencies of the RFID / NFC type, chemicals, and dedicated databases. Some of these technologies enable, for example, tracing a brief self-declaration of product authenticity by reading a QR code placed on the product label.
[0006] On the other hand, newer technologies based on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) enable tracing more complete documents by interacting with information extracted from several interconnected websites. In fact, algorithms of the AI type are very effective in combating counterfeiting and preventing users from being forced to use a specific application. In particular, blockchain technology is now widely used. The latter, initially used for encrypting electronic currencies, is now increasingly present in various fields, such as in the insurance or automotive industries, etc.
[0007] Blockchain technology belongs to the following technologies, in which a register (a virtual place that transcribes all information considered to be of interest) is constructed as a chain of blocks containing transactions distributed over all nodes of a network, and its verification is entrusted to a consensus mechanism. Such nodes participate in the process of verifying transactions to be included in the register.
[0008] There is known the use of anti-counterfeiting systems related to general products that combine the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and near-field communication (NFC) tags. There is also known the use of a transaction control system based on blockchain technology, which relates to household appliances such as coffee machines.
[0009] In the case of interacting with multiple websites linked to each other, one of the limitations encountered is not knowing which site or link a QR code links to. Therefore, counterfeiters can attach a QR code proving their originality to counterfeit products.
[0010] In addition, systems that allow verification through Internet sites have several drawbacks. For example, the server may be subject to a cyber attack, and thus the information contained therein may be modified in a malicious manner. It should be noted here that each known anti-counterfeiting solution requires that the consumer must be equipped with its application himself to evaluate the authenticity of a product in question, for example by reading a QR code, a barcode or an RFID using NFC technology.
[0011] On the other hand, the use of blockchain technology according to the teachings of the prior art also has some drawbacks. In fact, it often happens that a device needs to update some data stored in its control card to work best. In the exemplary case of a coffee machine, the user may need to update the beverage preparation recipe. The data related to the update may be located on the blockchain. In this case, following the teachings of the prior art, such an update can also be applied to counterfeit products. In addition, counterfeit accessories can be connected to the original product. Summary of the Invention
[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for authenticating and anti-counterfeiting a coffee machine or a coffee grinder that can overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.
[0013] The object of the present invention is to ensure that the product owned by the user or being operated by him is an original product.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to be able to update the product or transfer data from the blockchain only in the case where such an operation is performed on a non-counterfeit (i.e., original) product.
[0015] The technical tasks mentioned and the objects stated are basically achieved by a method comprising the technical features set forth in the appended claims.
[0016] Advantages of the Invention
[0017] Due to one embodiment, a method for proving the authenticity of a coffee machine or a coffee grinder can be obtained.
[0018] Due to one embodiment, a method can be created that enables the operation and update of a coffee machine or a coffee grinder and updates the identification data of the product only if the product has been proven to be original.
[0019] Due to one embodiment, a system for implementing the anti-counterfeiting method of the present invention can be created. Brief Description of the Drawings
[0020] The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of its possible practical embodiments, shown by way of non-limiting examples in the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0021] - Figure 1 a schematic diagram of a system for performing the method of the present invention is shown,
[0022] - Figure 2 a block diagram of the steps of the method according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Embodiment
[0023] The present invention relates to a method for authenticating and anti-counterfeiting a coffee machine 1 or a coffee grinder (such as a coffee grinder-dose feeder, etc.). It should be noted that the method of the present invention can also be applied to other types of products.
[0024] The method includes step a): providing an application residing in a mobile device 2 connected to the Internet and a network (web) server 3 associated with the application. Preferably, the network server 3 is a backend in the cloud. Preferably, the mobile device 2 is configured to support both Internet connection and short-range communication such as NFC or Bluetooth. Specifically, the mobile device 2 is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the network server 3. It should be noted that the network server 3 in the cloud is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the coffee machine 1 or with the coffee grinder and with a blockchain 4 in the cloud via communication over the Internet. Preferably, the blockchain 4 is a public blockchain of a known type. Still preferably, this step involves downloading and installing the application on an external mobile device 2 such as a smartphone, a tablet or a PC. The mobile device 2 is provided with a radio interface of, for example, NFC type, and the application (referred to as APP) is configured to dock directly with the coffee machine 1 or with the coffee grinder. It should be noted that the docking of the APP with the coffee machine 1 or with the coffee grinder is bidirectional.
[0025] The method further provides step b): installing a control unit in the coffee machine 1 or in the coffee grinder, the control unit being associated with a database and a radio frequency communication unit, and the radio frequency communication unit communicating with the mobile device 2, for example, through NFC technology. In addition, the radio frequency communication unit allows communication with the network server 3, for example, through a Wi-Fi router 5. This step is preferably performed by the manufacturer of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder in the factory.
[0026] The method includes step c): obtaining identification data associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder via the network server 3. In other words, the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder is digitized, thereby generating an identification data file which preferably includes information or documents related to the product, such as serial number, owner's data, normal and abnormal maintenance brochures, change of ownership, data related to recipes and updated firmware, etc.
[0027] The method further includes step d): generating encrypted data via the network server 3 by performing a hash function on the identification data. The encrypted data is also defined as a digest in the reference sector. As is well known, an inverse function cannot be performed on the digest to trace back to the original file, that is, in the current case, an inverse function cannot be performed on the encrypted data to obtain the identification data. It should be noted that in this step, the digitized file related to the identification data undergoes a hashing operation, and an alphanumeric sequence (hash) uniquely associated with the digitized file (i.e., with the identification data) by the network server 3 is obtained through the hashing operation.
[0028] The method further includes step e): generating a digital certificate associated with a public key and a private key, in particular an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). It should be noted that this step is preferably performed in the factory by a specific manufacturing application which is configured to interface with both the coffee machine and the coffee grinder as well as with the blockchain 4 for generating the digital certificate, and allows the transfer of the digital certificate (e.g., NFT) to the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder via a short-range connection (NFC or Bluetooth). Optionally, the digital certificate is a temporary certificate which has a predetermined duration and expires when the predetermined duration is exceeded. Obviously, the manufacturing application is installed on the equipment used in the factory and is configured to communicate with both the coffee machine 1 and the coffee grinder as well as with the blockchain 4 and the network server 3.
[0029] The method further includes step f): storing the encrypted data in the blockchain 4 via the network server 3 by using the unique association of the private key of the digital certificate (preferably, NFT) and the public key of the digital certificate (preferably, NFT). Preferably, the blockchain 4 is a cloud service. In other words, the hash (i.e., the encrypted data) is stored within the blockchain 4, that is, stored in a distributed ledger technology (DLT). Such an operation first requires the creation of a digital certificate (in particular an NFT (Non-Fungible Token)) which is obtained using a known platform. It is worth noting here that the generation of the digital certificate (in particular an NFT) determines the creation of two keys: a public key and a private key. It should be noted that the network server 3 acting as an intermediary with the manufacturing application uses the public key and the private key of the digital certificate to send the encrypted data to the blockchain 4 for storing them according to the prior art.
[0030] The method includes step g): storing the public key and the private key in a database (or memory unit / control card) installed in the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder. In other words, the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder includes a control card (CPU) (specifically, a database or a memory unit), in which both the public key and the private key obtained during the generation of the digital certificate, in particular the NFT, are stored. The private key is generated and transmitted to the database of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, and the private key cannot be extracted. As described above, the method contemplates that a short-range communication device (such as NFC), which consists of an antenna and an NFC integrated circuit (which is suitable for two-way wireless communication with the control card (CPU) and towards an external mobile device 2 (such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, and a PC, etc.)), is also added to the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder. It should be noted that the above steps are preferably performed in the factory, especially when the product is new, or in any case when the method is executed for the first time (even for an item using a collector), or in any case when it is already on the market. Still preferably, step g) is performed in the factory using a specific manufacturing application used by the manufacturer.
[0031] The method further includes step h): sending an authentication request containing a message with the public key to the control unit through the application by making the mobile device 2 communicate with the communication unit. It should be noted that once the APP is installed on the mobile device 2, access to the APP is performed after the user's registration / authentication according to the prior art. Once the user is registered / authenticated, he can directly select a authenticity verification request for the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder from the mobile device 2. Preferably, for this purpose, the user must first type in the product data (coffee machine 1 or coffee grinder). For example, such data includes the model number and / or the serial number. Subsequently, the user must bring the mobile device 2 closer to the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder. Thereby, the short-range data exchange using the NFC mode between the coffee machine / grinder and the mobile device 2 is activated.
[0032] The method further includes step i): generating a signature message by digital-signing the message with the public key received from the application using the private key stored in the said database. This step also includes sending the signature message to the application in response to the authentication request by means of the communication between the mobile device 2 and the communication unit.
[0033] The method includes step j): receiving the signature message through the application and sending the signature message to the network server 3. Specifically, in the previous step, the control card of the coffee machine / grinder transmits the signature message to the mobile device 2. Subsequently, the mobile device 2 sends the digitally signed message on the platform of the network server 3 in the cloud through the APP.
[0034] The method further includes step k): when the communication unit receives an authentication request, via the communication between the control unit and the network server 3, an authentication request notification is sent to the network server 3 via the control unit. That is, when the communication between the coffee machine / grinder in the state of receiving an authentication request and the mobile device 2 is activated, the same machine / grinder control card directly transmits an authentication request notification to the platform of the network server 3 in the cloud via the Internet. It should be noted that step k) can also be executed before or simultaneously with step i), and in any case when the control unit receives an authentication request. Preferably, the communication unit of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder can communicate with the network server 3 via the Internet by connecting to the Wi-Fi router 5 or by using a SIM card.
[0035] The method includes step l): if the network server 3 identifies that both the signed message and the authentication request notification are from the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, the received signed message is sent to the blockchain 4 via the network server 3. It should be noted that the network server 3 is capable of verifying that the public key is uniquely associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, because the network server 3 itself stores this association at the moment of generating the digital certificate (especially NFT).
[0036] The method further includes step m): only when the following conditions are met, it is identified that there is no forgery of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder:
[0037] - When both the public key and the private key of the digital certificate match, the blockchain 4 identifies that the signed message associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder is authentic.
[0038] The verification result, whether positive or negative, is retransmitted to the platform of the network server 3 in the cloud, which in turn transmits the information to the APP and the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder. Preferably, the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder is provided with a user interface that allows the display of product-related information, such as the confirmation of the originality of the machine in this case.
[0039] Preferably, the method further includes step n): when the above conditions do not occur, it is identified that there is a forgery of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, that is:
[0040] - If the blockchain 4 identifies that there is no match between the public key and the private key of the digital certificate in the signed message associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, and / or even
[0041] - If the network server 3 identifies that the signed message and the authentication request notification are not both from the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder.
[0042] Preferably, the method further includes step o): when it is recognized that there is a forgery of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, receiving an alert message from the blockchain 4 through the network server 3. Preferably, this step further includes sending a notification to the application to display a message on the mobile device 2, where the displayed message indicates the forgery of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder.
[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, step c) of obtaining the identification data associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder through the network server 3 includes storing the identification data associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder in the network server 3.
[0044] Preferably, step d) of generating encrypted data through the network server 3 by performing a hash function on the identification data further includes storing the association between the encrypted data and the identification data related to the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder in the network server 3.
[0045] Still preferably, the method further includes step p): when it is recognized that there is no forgery of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, receiving the encrypted data sent by the blockchain 4 through the network server 3.
[0046] Still preferably, the method includes step q): sending the identification data associated with the data encrypted by the network server 3 to the application. Preferably, if the verification of the blockchain 4 is successful, the blockchain 4 can send the identification data through the application (or APP). For example, the blockchain 4 can perform one or more than one of the following steps: transmitting a certificate of the authenticity of the product (machine / grinder), documents proving its current and previous ownership, maintenance documents, and / or transmitting updated firmware and recipes to the APP.
[0047] Advantageously, the association between the encrypted data (i.e., the hash of the identification data) and the identification data itself is stored in the network server 3. Next, after the successful result of the check performed in the blockchain 4, that is, when the network server 3 receives the encrypted data back from the blockchain 4, the associated identification data can be tracked. The network server 3 then sends such identification data to the application to display them on the mobile device 2 and then possibly modify them.
[0048] Preferably, the method includes step r): displaying identification data on the mobile device 2 by means of an application. Preferably, the method further includes sub-step r2): displaying the telemetry data of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder on the mobile device 2 by means of an application. It should be noted that the telemetry data, i.e., the usage data of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder, is obtained from the machine itself and preferably indicates the status in case of faults such as temperature and milk shortage alarms. Through the APP, using NFC, the telemetry data can also be transmitted from the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder to the APP on the mobile device 2 for on-site consultation, i.e., without passing through the network server 3, yet still recording the data in its own database.
[0049] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes step s): inputting another identification data associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder through the application of the mobile device 2.
[0050] Preferably, the method further includes step t): obtaining this other identification data associated with the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder through the network server 3.
[0051] Still preferably, the method includes step u): through the network server 3, generating another encrypted data by performing a hash function on the other identification data.
[0052] Still preferably, the method includes step v): through the network server 3, storing the other encrypted data in the blockchain 4 by using the unique association of the private key of the digital certificate (i.e., NFT) with the public key of the NFT.
[0053] According to a preferred embodiment, the method further includes step w): repeating steps h) to o) for the identification data and the other identification data. Preferably, step w) also includes repeating steps p) to r) for the identification data and the other identification data. Advantageously, in the case of a non-counterfeited (and thus original) coffee machine 1 or coffee grinder, the user can update the product identification data in a secure and proven manner. For example, the identification data can be updated to account for updates in ownership, repairs, and alterations. Thus, after the update, the above steps of the method can be repeated to verify the absence of counterfeiting, thereby displaying the updated identification data from time to time.
[0054] According to a preferred embodiment of the method, step f) of storing the encrypted data in the blockchain 4 through the network server 3 by using the unique association of the private key of the digital certificate (i.e., NFT) with the public key of the NFT includes encrypting the encrypted data with the private key through the blockchain 4 to store them in the blockchain 4.
[0055] Advantageously, the disclosed method allows to avoid possible hacking of the coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder. Even if a hypothetical forger could copy the NFC but did not know the public key inserted into the control card of the machine, he could not access any sensitive data of the machine itself. In fact, the platform of the web server 3 waits for the signed message transmitted via the Internet by the APP and for the authentication request notification sent by the machine itself before transmitting the data to the blockchain 4. A forged machine cannot communicate with the platform of the web server 3 via the Internet. Therefore, the request will be aborted. Even if the forger knows the public key, the platform of the web server 3 is able to identify it as unregistered during the construction or upgrade of the forged machine according to the method of the present invention.
[0056] According to a preferred embodiment, the method comprises temporarily transmitting a copy of the digital certificate (token) of the machine to the mobile device 2 via the APP in order to allow the owner of the machine to enjoy temporary rights, such as participating in events reserved for the owners of the original and digitally certified machines, etc. The temporary certificate has a temporary validity and will automatically expire after the end of the rights or after a predetermined time.
[0057] In Figure 1 FIG. schematically shows an anti-counterfeiting system 100 for a coffee machine 1 or a coffee grinder for performing the method described so far. In this regard, the elements of the system 100 and their functions have been introduced in the previous part of the description.
[0058] In short, the system 100 includes at least one coffee machine 1 and / or at least one coffee grinder. The system 100 also includes a web server 3 and an application associated therewith and residing on the user's mobile device 2. The web server 3 is arranged to communicate with the blockchain 4, preferably provided by a cloud service. This communication also occurs via the Internet between the web server 3 and the application residing in the mobile device 2. The coffee machine 1 or the coffee grinder is provided with a communication unit adapted to communicate with the web server 3 via the Internet through a Wi-Fi router 5 or a SIM card, or adapted to perform proximity communication via NFC or Bluetooth with the application residing on the mobile device 2. It should be noted that the system 100 may include a plurality of coffee machines 1 and / or coffee grinders, since the method can be applied to each individual product using the same web server 3 and application (obviously also using different mobile devices 2 belonging to various users).
[0059] Advantageously, in the specific case of a coffee machine 1 or a coffee grinder, blockchain technology is particularly useful for avoiding the forgery of some new products as well as collections of historical or design interest. For example, in the latter case, identification data (such as some documents related to the design, the serial number of the product, its owner, the maintenance procedures carried out and the spare parts used) can be digitized. Thus, the digitization of the documents and their transcription in a distributed blockchain ledger allows the proof and certification of each event that has affected the product.
Claims
1. A method for authenticating and anti-counterfeiting a coffee machine (1) or a coffee grinder, the method comprising the following steps: a) Providing an application residing in a mobile device (2) connected to the Internet and a network server (3) associated with the application; b) Installing a control unit in the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder, the control unit being associated with a database and a radio frequency communication unit for communicating with the mobile device (2) and the network server (3); c) Using the network server (3) to obtain identification data associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder; d) Generating encrypted data using the network server (3) by performing a hash function on the identification data; e) Generating a digital certificate associated with a public key and a private key; f) Storing the encrypted data in a blockchain (4) by using the unique association of the private key of the digital certificate with the public key of the digital certificate; g) Storing the public key and the private key in the database installed in the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder; h) Using the application to send an authentication request containing a message with the public key by communicating the mobile device (2) with the communication unit; i) In response to the authentication request, generating a signature message using the private key stored in the database and the digital signature of the message with the public key received from the application, and sending the signature message to the application using the control unit and the communication between the mobile device (2) and the communication unit; j) Using the application to receive the signature message and send the signature message to the network server (3); k) When the communication unit receives the authentication request, sending an authentication request notification to the network server (3) via the control unit using the communication between the control unit and the network server (3); l) In the case where the network server (3) identifies that both the signature message and the authentication request notification are from the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder, sending the signature message received by the application to the blockchain (4) using the network server (3); m) Identifying that there is no forgery of the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder only when both the public key and the private key of the digital certificate match and the blockchain (4) identifies that the signature message associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder is authentic.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Step c) of using the network server (3) to obtain identification data associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder includes storing the identification data associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder in the network server (3), Step d) of generating encrypted data by means of the network server (3) by performing a hash function on the identification data further comprises storing, in the network server (3), an association between the encrypted data and the identification data associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder. The method further comprises the following steps: p) When it is recognized that there is no forgery of the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder, receiving, by means of the network server (3), the encrypted data sent by the blockchain (4); q) Sending the identification data associated with the data encrypted by the network server (3) to the application.
3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the following steps: r) Using the application to display the identification data on the mobile device (2).
4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the following steps: s) Using the application of the mobile device (2) to input another identification data associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder; t) Using the network server (3) to obtain another identification data associated with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder; u) Using the network server (3) to generate another encrypted data by performing a hash function on the another identification data; v) Storing the another encrypted data in the blockchain (4) by uniquely associating the another encrypted data with the public key of the digital certificate by using the private key of the digital certificate.
5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the following steps: w) Repeating steps h) to o) for the identification data and the another identification data.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein Step w) further comprises repeating steps p) to r) for the identification data and the another identification data.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Step f) of storing the encrypted data in the blockchain (4) by using the unique association of the private key of the digital certificate with the public key of the digital certificate comprises encrypting the encrypted data by using the private key by means of the blockchain (4) to store the encrypted data in the blockchain (4).
8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Performing step e) of generating a digital certificate associated with a public key and a private key by using a manufacturing application that communicates signals with the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder, the blockchain (4) and the network server (3).
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Also using the manufacturing application to perform step g) of storing the public key and the private key in the database installed in the coffee machine (1) or the coffee grinder.