Authenticity determination system, authenticity determination method, and printing layer

Abstract

To provide an authenticity determination technology that can be easily introduced.SOLUTION: An authenticity determination system comprises: an irradiation unit that irradiates a product identifier printed by an ink containing a fluorescent substance on at least either of a product and a packaging, with excitation light; a detection unit that detects a spectrum indicating an intensity for each wavelength of light emitted by the fluorescent substance caused by the excitation light; and a determination unit that determines an authenticity of the product based on a peak with a half value width of 180 nm to 250 nm, contained in the light spectrum detected by the detection unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an authentication determination system, an authentication determination method, and a printed layer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an authenticity determination method in which a light-emitting body is applied to an anti-counterfeiting medium. Examples of the anti-counterfeiting medium include cash cards, membership cards, banknotes made of resin sheets, and data pages in passports. The anti-counterfeiting medium includes a selectively transparent layer and two light-emitting layers sandwiching the selectively transparent layer. The selectively transparent layer is configured to transmit light of a first wavelength and block light of a second wavelength. The two light-emitting layers have light-emitting bodies that emit light when irradiated with light of either the first wavelength or the second wavelength. The authenticity determination method confirms that the two light-emitting layers emit light when irradiated with light of the first wavelength, and that only the light-emitting layer closest to the irradiation source emits light when irradiated with light of the second wavelength. If both confirmations are confirmed, the anti-counterfeiting medium is determined to be genuine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 168742 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The authentication method described in Patent Document 1 requires the incorporation of multiple layers into the anti-counterfeit medium, which may require time and cost for preparation. The present disclosure provides an authentication technology that can be easily implemented. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure provides the following [1] to [8]. [1] An irradiation unit that irradiates excitation light onto a product identifier printed with ink containing a fluorescent material on at least one of the product and the packaging; a detection unit that detects a spectrum indicating the intensity of each wavelength of light emitted by the phosphor in response to the excitation light; a determination unit that determines the authenticity of the product based on a peak having a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm included in the spectrum of light detected by the detection unit; An authenticity determination system including: [2] The authentication system according to [1], wherein the average particle diameter D50 of the phosphor contained in the ink is 100 nm to 500 nm. [3] The authenticity determination system according to [1] or [2], wherein the light emitted by the phosphor contained in the ink is infrared light. [4] The phosphor contained in the ink has the general formula (Sr 1-x EU x )3Li 0.84y Al 6.84+z Si 14.16-z O z N 28-z The authentication system according to any one of [1] to [3], comprising a phosphor represented by the general formula: [wherein x is 0.08 or less, y is 0.02 to 2.00, and z is 0.50 to 1.80]. [5] The phosphor contained in the ink is Ba 26 Si 51 O2N 84 or Ba 26 Si 51 O2N 84 The authentication system according to any one of [1] to [4], comprising a phosphor containing an inorganic compound in which Eu is dissolved as an activator in an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure as the crystal shown in [6] The phosphor contained in the ink has the general formula (Eu (1-x)(1-z) M1 x M2 (1-x)z )2(Si 1-y Al y)5N8 [in the general formula, M1 contains at least La and may further contain one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Y and lanthanoid elements other than La; M2 contains at least Ba and may further contain one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca and Sr; x is 0.005 or more and 0.2 or less, y is 0 or more and 0.1 or less, and z is 0.44 or more and 0.99 or less]. [7] The phosphor contained in the ink has a main crystalline phase having the same structure as the Li2MgGeO4 crystalline phase, contains tetravalent chromium as an activator element, and the main crystalline phase has the general formula: A2B(C 1-x Cr x )O4 (wherein A, B, and C represent different metal elements), and the Cr content is 8 mol% or less based on the total amount of C and Cr. [8] The authentication system according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the ink contains multiple types of phosphors having different light spectra. [9] An authenticity determination system described in any one of [1] to [8], further comprising a memory unit that stores the relationship between information about the product and the shape of the reference spectrum of the light, and the determination unit determines the authenticity of the product based on the shape of the spectrum of the light detected by the detection unit and the shape of the reference spectrum that is determined based on the information about the product and the relationship stored in the memory unit.

[10] A step of irradiating an excitation light onto a product identifier printed with ink containing a fluorescent material on at least one of the product and the packaging; detecting a spectrum indicating the intensity of light emitted by the phosphor in response to the excitation light for each wavelength; determining the authenticity of the product based on a peak having a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm contained in the spectrum of the detected light; A method for determining authenticity, including:

[11] A printing layer printed on at least one of a product and its packaging with an ink containing a fluorescent material as a product identifier, A printed layer, wherein a spectrum showing the intensity of light emitted by the phosphor in response to excitation light for each wavelength has a peak with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, an authenticity determination technology that can be easily implemented is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system including an authenticity determination system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence table. [Figure 3] Each of (A) to (C) in FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a spectral shape. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the authenticity determination method. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the authentication system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the authentication system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0009] [Overview of the management system] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system equipped with an authenticity determination system according to an embodiment. The management system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an authenticity determination system 1 that determines the authenticity of a product 10. The product 10 is an item that is subject to anti-counterfeiting measures, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a tangible object. Examples of the product 10 include shoes, clothing, leather goods, electrical appliances, perfumes, cosmetics, toys, watches, medicines, and food.

[0010] The management system 100 includes a terminal 20 and a server 30. The authenticity determination system 1 is included in the terminal 20. The terminal 20 includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) which is a processor, a storage device including a memory and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an input device including a keyboard and a microphone, a communication device, a speaker, and a display device, and a light source-integrated spectroscopic device. The terminal 20 may also include a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, and a light source-integrated spectroscopic device connectable to the mobile terminal. The server 30 is a computer including, for example, a CPU, a storage device, and a communication device. The authenticity determination system 1 exchanges information necessary for authenticity determination with the server 30 via communication, and performs authenticity determination by irradiating light onto the product 10.

[0011] A product identifier 11 is printed on at least one of the product 10 and the packaging. The product identifier 11 is a letter, symbol, number, or graphic, or a combination of these, such as a product lot number. The product identifier 11 is printed with ink. The ink is not particularly limited as long as it can be printed on the product 10 and the packaging, and may be water-based or oil-based. Structurally, the product identifier 11 is a printing layer printed on the article. The printing method is not particularly limited as long as it can be printed on the product 10 and the packaging, and may be offset printing, flexographic printing, gravure printing, screen printing, digital printing, or the like.

[0012] The product identifier 11 is the object that is irradiated with light when authenticating the product. The ink used to print the product identifier 11 contains a phosphor. A phosphor is a substance that emits light when irradiated with excitation light. The emission spectrum indicates the intensity for each wavelength (intensity corresponding to the wavelength) and has a broad peak with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm. The spectrum of light emitted by general phosphors containing rare earth elements has a narrow half-width, making it less difficult to counterfeit. The use of a phosphor that emits light with a broad peak can increase the difficulty of counterfeiting.

[0013] The average particle diameter D50 (median diameter) of the phosphor contained in the ink may be 100 nm to 500 nm. Phosphors with particle diameters of 100 nm to 500 nm have little effect on color and printing even when contained in the ink. Therefore, ink used in existing lot number printing processes can be replaced with ink containing the phosphor. Therefore, there is no need to add new processes or equipment for authenticity determination.

[0014] The light emitted by the phosphor is, for example, infrared light. Infrared light has a wavelength range longer than visible light, for example, a wavelength range of 700 nm or more. The phosphor may be a near-infrared light-emitting phosphor, and may emit near-infrared light having a peak wavelength in the range of, for example, 650 nm to 2500 nm.

[0015] An example of the phosphor having the broad peak described above is a phosphor represented by the general formula (Sr 1-x EU x )3Li 0.84y Al 6.84+z Si 14.16-z O z N 28-z The phosphor is represented by the general formula: [wherein x is 0.08 or less, y is 0.02 to 2.00, and z is 0.50 to 1.80]. When this phosphor is irradiated with light having a wavelength of 450 nm, the spectrum obtained has a peak wavelength in the range of 650 nm to 720 nm. The half-width of the peak is 185 nm to 230 nm.

[0016] The proportion of europium (Eu) in the phosphor is maintained low, while the proportions of lithium (Li) and oxygen (O) are adjusted to fall within the above-mentioned ranges. This prevents a decrease in luminescence intensity during high-temperature use, resulting in a phosphor with a peak wavelength in the near-infrared wavelength range that exhibits excellent luminescence intensity even at 200°C. While the reason for the above-mentioned effects is unclear, it is an unexpected effect that by increasing the Li content and decreasing the O content, which were previously thought to result in longer wavelengths, it is possible to provide a phosphor with excellent luminescence intensity at high temperatures while maintaining the wavelength in the near-infrared range.

[0017] The upper limit of the value of x in the above general formula may be, for example, 0.07 or less, 0.06 or less, 0.05 or less, 0.04 or less, or 0.03 or less. When the upper limit of the value of x is within the above range, a decrease in luminescence intensity during use at high temperatures can be more sufficiently suppressed. The lower limit of the value of x in the above general formula may be, for example, 0.009 or more, 0.01 or more, 0.015 or more, 0.02 or more, or 0.021 or more. When the lower limit of the value of x is within the above range, better luminescence intensity can be exhibited during use at high temperatures.

[0018] The upper limit of the value of y in the above general formula may be, for example, 1.50 or less, 1.30 or less, 1.10 or less, 1.00 or less, 0.80 or less, 0.70 or less, 0.65 or less, 0.62 or less, 0.60 or less, 0.50 or less, 0.40 or less, 0.35 or less, 0.30 or less, 0.29 or less, 0.28 or less, 0.27 or less, 0.26 or less, 0.25 or less, 0.24 or less, 0.23 or less, or 0.22 or less. By setting the upper limit of the value of y within the above range, it is possible to further suppress the generation of defects due to the excessive addition of Li to the crystal structure, and it is possible to further increase the emission intensity. The lower limit of the value of y in the above general formula may be, for example, 0.02 or more, 0.10 or more, 0.14 or more, 0.15 or more, 0.16 or more, 0.17 or more, 0.18 or more, 0.19 or more, 0.20 or more, or 0.21 or more. By setting the lower limit of the value of y within the above range, the ink can exhibit superior luminescence intensity when used at high temperatures. The value of y in the above general formula may be adjusted within the above range, and may be, for example, 0.02 to 1.30, 0.02 to 1.00, 0.02 to 0.80, 0.08 to 0.30, 0.10 to 0.70, 0.14 to 0.60, 0.15 to 0.50, 0.16 to 0.40, 0.17 to 0.30, 0.18 to 0.28, 0.19 to 0.26, 0.20 to 0.24, or 0.21 to 0.22.

[0019] The value of z in the above general formula is Sr3Li 0.96 Al 8.586 Si 12.432 O 1.608 N 26.392 The ink is prepared by assuming an inorganic crystal represented by the formula (I) and adjusting the ratio of O to be lower than the ratio of oxygen (O). The upper limit of the value of z in the general formula may be, for example, 1.75 or less, or 1.70 or less. By setting the upper limit of the value of z within the above range, the luminescence intensity can be further increased. Furthermore, the ratio of heterogeneous phases of the phosphor contained in the ink can be reduced. The lower limit of the value of z in the general formula may be, for example, 0.10 or more, 1.10 or more, 1.20 or more, 1.30 or more, or 1.4 or more. By setting the lower limit of the value of z within the above range, the loss of oxygen sites in the crystal structure can be further suppressed, and the luminescence intensity at high temperatures can be further increased.

[0020] Another example of the phosphor having the broad peak mentioned above is Ba 26 Si 51 O2N 84 or Ba 26 Si 51 O2N 84 The phosphor may contain an inorganic compound in which Eu is dissolved as an activator in an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure as the crystal represented by the formula (1). In the emission spectrum obtained by irradiating the phosphor powder with excitation light having a wavelength of 450 nm, when the emission intensity at a peak wavelength in the range of 700 nm to 1500 nm is defined as P0 and the emission intensity at a peak wavelength in the range of 500 nm to less than 700 nm is defined as P1, P0 and P1 satisfy the relationship P1 / P0≦0.20. The half width at the peak wavelength in the range of 700 nm to 1500 nm is 100 nm to 400 nm. The half width at the peak wavelength may be 180 nm to 250 nm. Alternatively, in the spectrum obtained when this phosphor is irradiated with light having a wavelength of 450 nm, when the emission intensity at a peak wavelength in the range of 750 nm to 950 nm is defined as P0 and the emission intensity at a peak wavelength in the range of 520 nm to 600 nm is defined as P1, P0 and P1 satisfy the relationship 0.01≦P1 / P0≦0.12. The half width at the peak wavelength in the range of 750 nm to 950 nm is 100 nm to 400 nm. The half width at the peak wavelength may be 180 nm to 250 nm.

[0021] Still another example of the phosphor having the broad peak described above is a phosphor represented by the general formula (Eu (1-x)(1-z) M1 x M2 (1-x)z )2(Si 1-y Al y)5N8 [in the general formula, M1 includes at least La and may further include one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Y and lanthanoid elements other than La; M2 includes at least Ba and may further include one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, and Sr; x is 0.005 or more and 0.2 or less, y is 0 or more and 0.1 or less, and z is greater than 0.44 and 0.99 or less]. This phosphor has an emission peak in the wavelength range of 600 nm or more and 900 nm or less in the emission spectrum obtained by irradiating the phosphor powder with excitation light having a wavelength of 450 nm. The half width at the peak wavelength may be 180 nm to 250 nm.

[0022] Still another example of the phosphor having the broad peak described above is a phosphor in which the main crystalline phase has the same structure as the Li2MgGeO4 crystalline phase and contains tetravalent chromium as an activator element, and the main crystalline phase has a general formula: A2B(C 1-x Cr x)O4 (wherein A, B, and C represent different metal elements), and the Cr content is 8 mol % or less based on the total amount of C and Cr. In this phosphor, in the fluorescence spectrum obtained when irradiated with light having a wavelength of 450 nm, the value of Y / X is 50 or more, where X is the integral of the spectrum having a wavelength of 700 nm to 900 nm and Y is the integral of the spectrum having a wavelength of 1100 nm to 1300 nm. Alternatively, in the diffuse absorption spectrum of this phosphor, the value of Y / X is 3.8 or more, where X is the integral of the diffuse absorption spectrum having a wavelength of 330 nm to 430 nm and Y is the integral of the diffuse absorption spectrum having a wavelength of 600 nm to 800 nm. In this phosphor, the Cr content may be 6 mol % or less. In this phosphor, A in the general formula may contain Li, and the Li content in A may be 90 mol % or more. In this phosphor, B in the general formula may contain Mg, and the Mg content in B may be 90 mol % or more. In this phosphor, C in the general formula may contain Ge, and the Ge content in C may be 90 mol % or more. This phosphor has an emission peak in the wavelength range of 1100 nm to 1300 nm in an emission spectrum obtained by irradiating the phosphor powder with excitation light having a wavelength of 450 nm. The half width at the peak wavelength may be 180 nm to 250 nm.

[0023] As will be described later, the authenticity determination system 1 determines authenticity based on the shape of the emission spectrum of the phosphor contained in the product identifier 11. The authenticity determination system 1 detects the characteristic shape of the emission spectrum derived from the material and determines authenticity based on the detection results. The shape of the spectrum can be defined by the peak wavelength, half-width, number of peaks, etc. To achieve a more complex spectral shape, the product identifier 11 may include multiple types of phosphors with different light spectra.

[0024] The terminal 20 functionally comprises an operation unit 21, a terminal communication unit 22, an irradiation unit 23, a detection unit 24, a determination unit 25, and an output unit 26. The authenticity determination system 1 is configured to comprise the irradiation unit 23, the detection unit 24, and the determination unit 25.

[0025] The operation unit 21 is configured to accept operations by a user of the authenticity determination system 1. The functions of the operation unit 21 are realized by the CPU, storage device, and input device of the terminal 20. The operation unit 21 accepts operations to instruct communication between the terminal 20 and the server 30, operations to instruct the operation of the components of the terminal 20, and the like.

[0026] The terminal communication unit 22 is configured to establish communication with the server 30. The functions of the terminal communication unit 22 are realized by the CPU, storage device, and communication device of the terminal 20. The terminal communication unit 22 communicates with the server 30 based on a user operation accepted by the operation unit 21.

[0027] The terminal communication unit 22 queries the server 30 for information on the product identifier 11 of the product 10 based on a user operation received by the operation unit 21. The query is made using information about the product 10. The information about the product 10 includes information that can identify the product 10, information about the company that manufactured the product 10, and the like. If the server 30 has an image recognition function, the information about the product 10 may also be an image of the product 10. The information about the product identifier 11 includes information about the shape of the light spectrum (hereinafter referred to as the basic spectrum) of the phosphor of the product identifier 11. The shape of the light spectrum may be the shape of the spectrum itself, with the horizontal axis representing wavelength and the vertical axis representing intensity, or may be defined by characteristic parts of the spectral shape, such as the peak wavelength, half-width, and number of peaks. As described above, the basic spectrum has a broad peak with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm. The terminal communication unit 22 receives information about the product identifier 11 from the server 30 before authenticity determination.

[0028] The irradiation unit 23 is configured to irradiate the product identifier 11 with excitation light. The excitation light is light that excites the phosphor in the product identifier 11. The functions of the irradiation unit 23 are realized by the CPU, storage device, and light source-integrated spectroscopic device of the terminal 20. The irradiation unit 23 irradiates the product identifier 11 with excitation light from the light source-integrated spectroscopic device based on a user operation received by the operation unit 21.

[0029] The detection unit 24 is configured to detect the spectrum of light emitted by the phosphor in response to the excitation light. The functions of the detection unit 24 are realized by the CPU, storage device, and light source built-in spectroscopic device of the terminal 20. The detection unit 24 separates the light from the phosphor of the product identifier 11 and detects the spectrum of the light.

[0030] The determination unit 25 determines the authenticity of the product 10 based on the shape of the spectrum of the light detected by the detection unit 24. The functions of the determination unit 25 are realized by the CPU and storage device of the terminal 20. The light emitted by the phosphor of the product identifier 11 of a genuine product will have a spectrum with a peak having a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm, similar to the reference spectrum. The determination unit 25 determines the authenticity of the product 10 based on the peak having a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm, which is included in the spectrum of the light detected by the detection unit 24.

[0031] The determination unit 25 may compare the shape of the fundamental spectrum with the shape of the spectrum of the light detected by the detection unit 24 and determine whether the two shapes are the same. For example, the determination unit 25 determines that the two shapes are the same if the peak wavelengths and half-widths of both fall within a predetermined range and the number of peaks of both are the same. The determination unit 25 may determine whether the two shapes are the same using a machine learning model that inputs the shapes of both spectra and outputs whether they are the same. If the determination unit 25 determines that the shapes of both are the same, it determines that the product 10 is genuine. If the determination unit 25 determines that the shapes of both are not the same, it determines that the product 10 is a counterfeit.

[0032] The output unit 26 is configured to output the authenticity determination result of the determination unit 25. The functions of the output unit 26 are realized by the CPU, storage device, and speaker or display device of the terminal 20. As an example, the output unit 26 displays the authenticity determination result of the product 10 on the display device.

[0033] Functionally, the server 30 comprises a server communication unit 31, a search unit 32, and a storage unit 33. The server communication unit 31 is configured to establish communication with the terminal 20. The functions of the server communication unit 31 are realized by the CPU, storage device, and communication device of the server 30. The server communication unit 31 receives an inquiry for information on the product identifier 11 from the terminal 20.

[0034] The search unit 32 refers to a correspondence table 330 stored in the memory unit 33 based on information about the product 10 included in the inquiry for information about the product identifier 11, and searches for information about the product identifier 11 that corresponds to the product 10. The correspondence table 330 stores the relationship between information about the product 10 and the shape of the reference spectrum of light. By using this relationship, once the information about the product 10 is determined, the shape of the reference spectrum can be determined. The functions of the search unit 32 are realized by the CPU and storage device of the server 30, and the functions of the storage unit 33 are realized by the storage device of the server 30.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence table. As shown in FIG. 2, the correspondence table 330 stores information about the product 10, such as a brand name and a spectral shape, in association with each other. For example, the brand name "XXX" and the spectral shape "Pattern A" are stored in association with each other. Similarly, the brand name "XXX" and the spectral shape "Pattern B" are stored in association with each other. Similarly, the brand name "△△ Triangle" and the spectral shape "Pattern C" are stored in association with each other. In this way, the server 30 manages the reference spectrum of the product identifier 11 assigned to the product 10 using the correspondence table 330 or the like. By referring to the correspondence table 330, the search unit 32 can acquire the basic spectral shape of the product identifier 11 based on information about the product 10 included in the query for information about the product identifier 11.

[0036] Each of (A) to (C) in FIG. 3 shows an example of a spectral shape. The shapes of "Pattern A," "Pattern B," and the like shown in FIG. 2 are defined by, for example, a peak wavelength, a half-width, and the number of peaks. For example, the shape pattern shown in (A) in FIG. 3 is defined by one peak wavelength P1 and its half-width. The shape pattern shown in (B) in FIG. 3 is defined by two peak wavelengths P2 and P3 and their half-widths. The shape pattern shown in (C) in FIG. 3 is defined by three peak wavelengths P4, P5, and P6 and their half-widths. In this way, the spectral shape pattern can be defined by the wavelength and half-width of each peak.

[0037] When the search unit 32 acquires the shape of the fundamental spectrum of the product identifier 11, the server communication unit 31 transmits the shape of the fundamental spectrum of the product identifier 11 to the terminal 20. In this way, the terminal 20 can acquire the position of the product identifier 11 and the shape of the fundamental spectrum from the server 30, and can therefore determine the authenticity of the product 10.

[0038] [Outline of authenticity determination method] Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an authenticity determination method. The flowchart shown in Fig. 4 starts when the operation unit 21 of the terminal 20 receives a user operation to start processing. As shown in Fig. 4, first, in step S10, the terminal communication unit 22 of the terminal 20 queries the server 30 for information on the product identifier 11. For example, the terminal communication unit 22 transmits a query including the brand name of the product 10 to the server 30.

[0039] Next, in Step S12, the server communication unit 31 of the server 30 receives the inquiry. Then, in Step S14, the search unit 32 of the server 30 searches for the shape of the reference spectrum for the product identifier 11. When the search unit 32 acquires the shape of the reference spectrum for the product identifier 11, in Step S16, the server communication unit 31 transmits the shape of the reference spectrum for the product identifier 11 to the terminal 20.

[0040] In step S18, the terminal communication unit 22 of the terminal 20 receives the shape of the reference spectrum of the product identifier 11. Then, the user confirms the position of the product identifier 11 and aims the irradiation unit 23 of the terminal 20. In step S20, the irradiation unit 23 irradiates the product identifier 11 with excitation light based on the user operation.

[0041] In step S22, the detection unit 24 of the terminal 20 detects the spectrum of light emitted by the phosphor. Then, in step S24, the determination unit 25 of the terminal 20 determines the authenticity of the product 10 based on a peak with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm contained in the spectrum of the detected light. When step S24 is completed, the flowchart shown in Fig. 4 ends. In this way, the terminal 20 and the server 30 cooperate to perform the authenticity determination.

[0042] [Summary of the embodiment] According to the authentication determination system 1, excitation light is irradiated onto a product identifier 11, which is printed on at least one of the product 10 and its packaging and contains a phosphor. The spectrum of light emitted by the phosphor in response to the excitation light is then detected, and the authenticity of the product 10 is determined based on a peak in the detected light spectrum with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm. Because authenticity is determined based on the shape of the light spectrum in this way, there is no need to impart a pattern or other element to the product for authenticity purposes, and complex structures such as selective transmission layers are also unnecessary. Therefore, the authentication determination system 1 can be easily implemented. Furthermore, because the authentication determination system 1 determines authenticity based on the shape of the spectrum, which can be designed in various shapes, it is more difficult to create a duplicate of the product identifier 11 than when authenticity is determined based solely on color. This improves the reliability of the authentication determination. Furthermore, by utilizing the broad peak with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm for authenticity determination, it can be differentiated from the spectrum of light emitted by general phosphors containing earth elements, making it more difficult to counterfeit. Furthermore, if the product identifier 11 is already printed with ink, authenticity can be determined simply by replacing the ink used in the existing lot number printing process with ink containing phosphor. Therefore, there is no need to add new processes or equipment for authenticity determination, significantly reducing implementation costs.

[0043] According to the authenticity determination system 1, by emitting near-infrared light, the light emitted by the product identifier 11 can be made invisible. According to the authenticity determination system 1, by including multiple types of phosphors with different spectral shapes in the product identifier 11, the spectral shape can be made more complex, thereby further improving the difficulty of duplication and the reliability of authenticity determination. Furthermore, according to the authenticity determination system 1, the reference spectrum is acquired using the correspondence table 330 stored in the memory unit 33, so that the authenticity of multiple products can be determined using a single terminal 20.

[0044] Although exemplary embodiments have been described above, various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without being limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0045] For example, in the management system 100, the server 30 may perform the authentication determination. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a modified configuration of the authentication determination system. The management system 100A shown in FIG. 5 is the same as the management system 100 of FIG. 1 except that the determination unit 25 is not present in the terminal 20 and the determination unit 25A is present in the server 30. In this case, the determination unit 25A of the server 30 performs the authentication determination based on the shape of the spectrum of light detected by the terminal 20. The logic of the authentication determination by the determination unit 25A is the same as that of the determination unit 25. Even in this case, the authenticity determination system 1A can be easily introduced.

[0046] Furthermore, the management system 100 does not necessarily have to include the server 30. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a modified example of the configuration of the authenticity determination system. The management system 100B shown in Fig. 6 is the same as the management system 100 of Fig. 1 except that the search unit 32B and the storage unit 33B are located in the terminal 20 and the server 30 itself is not included. In this case, since the processing is completed in the terminal 20, the authenticity determination system 1B can perform authenticity determination without communication.

[0047] Furthermore, since phosphors that emit light with a spectrum including a broad peak (with a half-width in the range of 180 nm to 250 nm) are extremely unique, there is no need to change the shape of the basic spectrum for each product or brand. Since the terminal 20 only needs to store one basic spectrum, the search unit 32 and the correspondence table 330 of the server 30 can be omitted. In this case, the authentication system can be introduced even more easily. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1, 1A, 1B...authenticity determination system, 10...product, 11...product identifier, 23...irradiation unit, 24...detection unit, 25, 25A...determination unit, 33, 33B...storage unit.

Claims

1. an irradiation unit that irradiates excitation light onto a product identifier printed with ink containing a fluorescent material on at least one of the product and the packaging; a detection unit that detects a spectrum indicating the intensity of each wavelength of light emitted by the phosphor in response to the excitation light; a determination unit that determines the authenticity of the product based on a peak having a half-width in the range of 180 nm to 250 nm contained in the spectrum of light detected by the detection unit; An authenticity determination system including:

2. 2. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the average particle diameter D50 of the phosphor contained in the ink is 100 nm to 500 nm.

3. 3. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted by the fluorescent material contained in the ink is infrared light.

4. The phosphor contained in the ink is represented by the general formula (Sr １－ｘ EU ｘ ) ３ Li ０．８４ｙ Al ６．８４＋ｚ Si １４．１６－ｚ O ｚ N ２８－ｚ 3. The authentication system according to claim 1, comprising a phosphor represented by the general formula: [wherein x is 0.08 or less, y is 0.02 to 2.00, and z is 0.50 to 1.80].

5. The phosphor contained in the ink is Ba ２６ Si ５１ O ２ N ８４ or Ba ２６ Si ５１ O ２ N ８４ 3. The authentication system according to claim 1, further comprising a phosphor containing an inorganic compound in which Eu is dissolved as an activator in an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure as the crystal represented by the formula:

6. The phosphor contained in the ink is represented by the general formula (Eu （１－ｘ）（１－ｚ） M1 ｘ M2 （１－ｘ）ｚ ) ２ (Si １－ｙ Al ｙ ) ５ N ８ 3. The authentication system according to claim 1, comprising a phosphor represented by the following general formula: [in which M1 contains at least La and may further contain one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Y and lanthanoid elements other than La; M2 contains at least Ba and may further contain one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca and Sr; x is 0.005 or more and 0.2 or less; y is 0 or more and 0.1 or less; and z is 0.44 or more and 0.99 or less].

7. The phosphor contained in the ink has a main crystalline phase of Li ２ MgGeO ４ The main crystalline phase has the same structure as the main crystalline phase and contains tetravalent chromium as an activator element, and the main crystalline phase has the general formula: A ２ B (C １－ｘ Cr ｘ ) O ４ 3. The authentication system according to claim 1, comprising a phosphor represented by the general formula: (wherein A, B, and C represent different metal elements), in which the Cr content is 8 mol % or less based on the total amount of C and Cr.

8. 3. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein the ink contains a plurality of types of phosphors having different light spectra.

9. a storage unit that stores a relationship between information about the product and a shape of the reference spectrum of light; 3. The authenticity determination system of claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the authenticity of the product based on the shape of the spectrum of the light detected by the detection unit and the shape of the reference spectrum determined based on information about the product and the relationship stored in the memory unit.

10. irradiating an excitation light onto a product identifier printed with ink containing a phosphor on at least one of the product and the packaging; detecting a spectrum indicating the intensity of light emitted by the phosphor in response to the excitation light for each wavelength; determining the authenticity of the product based on a peak having a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm contained in the spectrum of the detected light; A method for determining authenticity, including:

11. A printing layer printed on at least one of the product and the packaging using an ink containing a phosphor as a product identifier, A spectrum showing the intensity of light emitted by the phosphor in response to excitation light for each wavelength has a peak with a half-width of 180 nm to 250 nm.

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