Determination device and determination method

Abstract

To provide a judging device and a judging method that can easily manage whether two objects, such as a work of art and an appraisal certificate for that work, are appropriately associated with each other. [Solution] In an authenticity determination system including a reading device 20, a network 30, a server 40, and a server 50, the reading device 20 acquires first label identification information that identifies the work ID indicated on a first label (work label 121) attached to a first object (work 12), and second label identification information that identifies the label ID indicated on a second label (certificate label 141) attached to a second object (certificate 14). The server 50 includes a determination unit that determines whether the first object and the second object are associated with each other based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a determination device and a determination method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses "an information processing method, an authenticity determination device, and a program used in a distribution management system that can guarantee the authenticity of distributed products." Patent Document 2 discloses "a counterfeit prevention laminate that is difficult to counterfeit." [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2024-56398 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2024-10517 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] It is desirable to be able to easily manage the proper association between two objects: the artwork itself and its certificate of authenticity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first embodiment of the present invention, a determination device is provided comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires first label identification information that identifies the first label shown on a first label attached to a first object, and second label identification information that identifies the second label shown on a second label attached to a second object; and a determination unit that determines whether or not the first object and the second object are associated based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information.

[0005] In the determination device, the determination unit may determine whether the first object and the second object are associated with each other by referring to registered information in which the first label identification information and first object identification information that uniquely identifies the first object are associated and registered, and the second label identification information and second object identification information that uniquely identifies the second object are associated and registered.

[0006] In any one of the determination devices, the first object identification information and the second object identification information may be registered in association with each other in the registration information.

[0007] In any one of the determination devices, the acquisition unit may further acquire third label identification information that identifies a third label attached to a third object.

[0008] In any of the determination devices, a third symbol indicating access destination information for a storage unit that stores the registration information may be added to at least one of the first label and the second label.

[0009] In any of the determination devices, the first label identification information and the second label identification information may be the same information.

[0010] In any of the determination devices, the first label may be made of a first substrate, a first symbol indicating the first label identification information may be attached to the first substrate, and a first pattern optically readable by a reading device may be formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern. The second label may be made of a second substrate, a second symbol indicating the second label identification information may be attached to the second substrate, and a second pattern optically readable by a reading device may be formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern.

[0011] In any of the determination devices, the determination unit may determine whether the first object and the second object are associated based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information when the authenticity determination results of the first label and the second label based on the first pattern and the second pattern read by the reading device are authentic.

[0012] In any of the determination devices, the first pattern and the second pattern may be the same pattern, and the determination unit may determine whether the first object, the second object, and the third object are associated with each other, further based on the third label identification information.

[0013] In any of the determination devices, the determination unit may determine whether the first object, the second object, and the third object are associated by referring to registered information in which the first label identification information and first object identification information that uniquely identifies the first object are associated and registered, the second label identification information and second object identification information that uniquely identifies the second object are associated and registered, and the third label identification information and third object identification information that uniquely identifies the third object are associated and registered.

[0014] In any one of the determination devices, the first object identification information, the second object identification information, and the third object identification information may be registered in association with each other in the registered information.

[0015] In any of the aforementioned determination devices, the second object may be a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing that the first object is genuine.

[0016] In any of the determination devices, the second object may be a certificate of authenticity that certifies that the first object is genuine, and the third object may be an accessory of the first object.

[0017] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a determination method including a step in which an acquisition unit acquires first label identification information that identifies a first label indicated on a first label attached to a first object and second label identification information that identifies the second label indicated on a second label attached to a second object, and a step in which a determination unit determines whether the first object and the second object are associated with each other based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information.

[0018] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system for determining the authenticity of an art work or the like using a counterfeit prevention label according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is another example of the configuration of a system for determining the authenticity of an art work or the like using a counterfeit prevention label according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reading device 20. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 40. [Figure 5] A sample configuration of server 50 is shown below. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of registration information referenced by the server 50. [Figure 7] 1 shows an example of a label 200 for preventing counterfeiting of a product according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of a flowchart showing a process performed by a reading device 20. [Figure 9] 10 is an example of a flow diagram showing a process performed by the server 40. [Figure 10] 10 is an example of a flow diagram showing processing performed by a server 50. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a system for determining the authenticity of works of art, etc., using an anti-counterfeiting label according to an embodiment. The system for determining the authenticity of the artwork 12 and the certificate of authenticity 14 comprises a reader 20, a network 30, a server 40, and a server 50.

[0022] Artwork 12 is an example of an artwork whose authenticity is determined by the system. Artwork 12 is fitted with an artwork label 121 for reading by the system according to the embodiment. Artwork 12 is an example of a "first object". Artwork label 121 is an example of a "first label".

[0023] Artwork 12 is an example of an artwork whose authenticity is determined by this system. In this embodiment, art work 12 is a painting. However, the artwork is not limited to artworks, and may be, for example, a print, a sculpture, or a vase. For example, if the artwork is a bronze sculpture, multiple pieces of the same shape may be produced from a mold (master). Also, for example, if the artwork is a print, multiple identical pieces may be produced from a printing board.

[0024] Furthermore, the artwork 12 may be an industrially producible item, produced in limited quantities (for example, several tens of pieces), with a traceable individual item ID. For example, the artwork 12 is a luxury watch. In this embodiment, the artwork 12 is described as a so-called one-of-a-kind artwork such as a painting, but the artwork to be subjected to the authentication determination may also be an item in which multiple items of the same type are produced and circulated in a form that allows tracing of each specific item, such as a luxury watch with an individual item ID.

[0025] Therefore, such artworks are not necessarily unique works, but by registering each individual piece of artwork in a database (for example, the storage unit of the server 50), an appraisal can be made to determine whether the created artwork is genuine or a counterfeit.

[0026] The certificate 14 is an example of a certificate that indicates that the artwork 12 is genuine. The certificate 14 is affixed with a certificate label 141 that can be read by the system according to the embodiment. The certificate 14 is an example of a "second object." The certificate label 141 is also an example of a "second label."

[0027] In the circulation of art works, the Certificate of Authenticity 14 circulates together with the art work itself. The Certificate of Authenticity 14 is an appraisal that guarantees that the artwork 12 is genuine. In other words, the Certificate of Authenticity 14 indicates the provenance and authenticity of the art work, and guarantees the value of the art work. Art works without a Certificate of Authenticity 14 are more likely to be counterfeits, and the value of art works circulating without a Certificate of Authenticity 14 decreases. Therefore, the Certificate of Authenticity 14 itself has monetary value.

[0028] For example, if work 12 is a painting, certificate 14 is affixed by the appraiser to the back of work 12 (e.g., the backing of the frame that houses the painting). The appraiser may be an individual who is a relative of the artist of work 12, an organization composed of multiple relatives of the artist of work 12, or an individual or organization with the ability to appraise work 12 through aesthetic sense or scientific techniques such as dating. For example, each time work 12 enters circulation, the appraiser will assess the authenticity of work 12 at the request of the owner of work 12 and affix a new certificate 14 to the backing or support embedded in the frame that houses work 12. In this case, certificate 14 must be replaced each time the work enters circulation, and replacing certificate 14 may result in damage to the work itself.

[0029] Furthermore, in order to guarantee the value of the artwork 12, it is necessary to guarantee that both the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 are authentic and that the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 are properly linked. Furthermore, when using an appraisal certificate without the appraisal certificate label 141 as in this embodiment, these two points must be guaranteed in the latest appraisal certificate 14 affixed to the artwork 12.

[0030] In the system of this embodiment, the association between the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 is determined based on the label ID of the artwork label 121 affixed to the artwork 12 and the label ID of the appraisal certificate label 141 affixed to the appraisal certificate 14 corresponding to the artwork 12. The system of this embodiment makes it possible to determine the association between the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 without having to replace the appraisal certificate 14 each time the artwork is transferred. The artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 may be labels that have been treated to prevent counterfeiting, for example. By using the level of the counterfeit prevention measures, it is possible to determine the authenticity of the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 as well as determine the association between the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14.

[0031] The artwork label 121 is, for example, configured to be composed of a base material on which a thin line pattern is formed as an anti-counterfeiting pattern, with a visible code further applied thereon. Similarly, the certificate label 141 is, for example, configured to be composed of a base material on which a thin line pattern is formed as an anti-counterfeiting pattern, with a visible code further applied thereon. Details of these configurations will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. The thin line pattern formed on the artwork label 121 is an example of a "first pattern." The thin line pattern formed on the certificate label 141 is an example of a "second pattern."

[0032] The reading device 20 reads the thin line patterns affixed to the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141, and transmits the results of reading each thin line pattern to the server 40. The reading device 20 reads each thin line pattern using an imaging unit included in the reading device 20. Note that the thin line patterns on the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 may be the same pattern.

[0033] In this embodiment, a reading device 20 equipped with a smartphone is exemplified as the reading device 20. The reading device 20 may be configured to be connected to a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, a PDA (registered trademark), a laptop computer, or a desktop computer in order to communicate with the server 40 and the server 50.

[0034] The reading device 20 acquires the label IDs of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141. The reading device 20 acquires the label IDs associated with the visible codes by reading the visible codes of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141. The reading of the visible codes by the reading device 20 may be performed by an imaging device unique to the reading device 20, or by a camera of a smartphone or the like attached to the reading device 20. The reading device 20 transmits the label IDs of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 to the server 40 to determine the authenticity of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141.

[0035] Furthermore, when the reading device 20 receives the authenticity determination results of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 from the server 40, it transmits the label ID to the server 50 to determine whether the work ID of the work label 121 and the certificate ID of the certificate label 141 are appropriately related. The label ID of the work label 121 is label identification information attached to the work to identify the work, such as work 12, and the label ID of the certificate label 141 is label identification information that identifies the certificate 14. The label ID of the work label 121 is an example of "first label identification information," and the label ID of the certificate label 141 is an example of "second label identification information."

[0036] For example, the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are a combination of a predetermined number of numbers, letters, etc. The label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 are the label IDs of the work 12 and the certificate 14 for the work 12, and so may be managed using the same label ID. In this way, the first label identification information and the second label identification information may be the same information. However, the label IDs of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 may be managed using different label IDs, and it may be configured to verify whether these different label IDs are appropriately associated.

[0037] For example, the reading device 20 may be owned by an appraiser of artwork. In this case, the owner of the artwork who wishes to have it appraised, the organizer of the art auction, or the dealer of the art may request an appraisal from the appraiser, and the appraiser may read the artwork label 121 and the certificate of authenticity label 141 during the appraisal.

[0038] As another example, the reading device 20 may be owned by an art auction organizer, an art dealer, etc. In this case, the art auction organizer, an art dealer, etc. may read the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 via the reading device 20, and send information that will assist in the appraisal, such as images of the art piece and appraisal certificate, to the appraiser, and request an appraisal.

[0039] The server 40 determines the authenticity of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 based on the thin line patterns of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 and the label IDs of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 received from the reading device 20. The server 40 receives from the reading device 20 the thin line patterns of the work label 121 and the thin line patterns of the appraisal certificate label 141 and the label IDs associated with the first symbol and the second symbol.

[0040] Server 40 may be a server connected to a blockchain and may store line patterns and authentic patterns of line patterns on the blockchain in a form that cannot be additionally rewritten. For example, Server 40 reads line patterns and authentic patterns of line patterns corresponding to label IDs from the blockchain.

[0041] Server 40 compares the genuine line pattern of the artwork label 121 with the line pattern of the artwork label 121 received from the reader 20. If the patterns match, Server 40 determines that the received line pattern of the artwork label 121 is genuine; if the patterns do not match, Server 40 determines that the received line pattern of the artwork label 121 is not genuine. Similarly, Server 40 performs the same determination for the line pattern of the certificate of authenticity label 141. Server 40 transmits these determination results to the reader 20 as the results of the authenticity determination of the artwork label 121 and the certificate of authenticity label 141.

[0042] The server 50 determines whether the work 12 and the certificate 14 are associated based on the label ID that identifies the work label 121 attached to the work 12 and the label ID that identifies the certificate label 141 attached to the certificate 14.

[0043] Server 50 stores in its memory the registration information in which the artwork ID associated with the label ID of the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate ID associated with the label ID of the appraisal certificate label 141 are registered in association. Based on the label ID, Server 50 refers to the artwork ID and appraisal certificate ID to determine whether or not the artwork 12, etc., is associated with the appraisal certificate 14. Server 50 transmits the determination result to the reader 20.

[0044] The artwork ID is information that uniquely identifies artwork 12, etc., and the appraisal certificate ID is information that uniquely identifies appraisal certificate 14. The artwork ID is an example of "first object identification information," and the appraisal certificate ID is an example of "second object identification information." The registration information may be registered in association with the artwork ID and the appraisal certificate ID.

[0045] Figure 2 shows an example of a label 200 for preventing counterfeiting of a product according to an embodiment. The label 200 includes a base material 202, fine lines 204, a fine line pattern 210, and a visible code 206. The artwork label 121 and the certificate of authenticity label 141 may have the structure shown in the label 200.

[0046] The label 200 is a laminate formed by attaching a fine line pattern 210 of fine metal wires 204 to a base material 202. The laminate is not limited to labels; for example, tags may be used. The label 200 has a fine line pattern 210 formed on a transparent base material 202 that is optically readable by a reader 20, serving as information for determining the authenticity of the label 200.

[0047] The substrate 202 is, for example, a transparent substrate. The fine wires 204 are metal fine wires applied to the substrate such that when electromagnetic waves (e.g., visible light) are irradiated, the reflected light from the fine wire pattern 210 produces a specific diffraction pattern. For example, the fine wires 204 are made of metal wires with a width of 5 μm or less, and the pitch between the fine wires 204 is about several hundred μm. For example, the fine wires 204 are made of gold, silver, copper, or aluminum.

[0048] For the artwork label 121, the substrate 202 corresponds to the "first substrate." For the appraisal certificate label 141, the substrate 202 corresponds to the "second substrate."

[0049] The fine-line pattern 210 is an invisible pattern composed of fine lines 204. When the fine lines 204 are configured to have a width of 5 μm or less and spacing of several hundred μm, the fine-line pattern 210 becomes invisible or difficult to see with the naked eye. Due to this invisibility or difficulty in seeing, the fine-line pattern 210 is difficult to duplicate, and therefore the label 200 is also difficult to duplicate. Thus, the fine-line pattern 210 is formed as an "anti-counterfeiting pattern".

[0050] The fine line pattern 210 may be a polygonal grid pattern (mesh pattern) (in this embodiment, a grid-like pattern is shown, and a quadrilateral pattern is shown). Alternatively, the diffraction pattern formed by the reflection image of the fine line pattern 210 may include two-dimensional images such as diffraction spot images, diffraction fringes, numbers, symbols, marks, and / or figures. Furthermore, the fine line pattern 210 may form a periodic pattern.

[0051] The pattern drawn by such thin line pattern 210 corresponds to the "first pattern" for the artwork label 121 and corresponds to the "second pattern" for the appraisal certificate label 141. The diffraction image formed by the reflected image by the thin line pattern 210 can be optically read by the reading device 20.

[0052] The thin line pattern 210 may be protected by a protective film made of a resin or the like that transmits electromagnetic waves (e.g., visible light). The visible code 206 may be a code that is printed on the protective layer. As another example, the visible code 206 may be attached to the substrate 202.

[0053] The visible code 206 is a character, planar figure, or combination thereof that represents a two-dimensional code, barcode, text, and trademark. If the substrate 202 and protective layer are transparent, even with the visible code 206 applied, it is possible to obtain both a diffraction pattern from reflected light by the fine line pattern 210 and an image of the visible code 206 read.

[0054] The visible code 206 corresponds to a "first symbol" that indicates first label identification information and is applied to the first substrate for the artwork label 121. Similarly, the visible code 206 corresponds to a "second symbol" that indicates second label identification information and is applied to the second substrate for the certificate label 141.

[0055] In this way, the work label 121 may be made of a base material 202, on which a visible code 206 that is a first symbol indicating first label identification information is attached, and a thin line pattern 210 that is optically readable by the reading device 20 may be formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern. Similarly, the certificate label 141 may be made of a base material 202, on which a visible code 206 that is a second symbol indicating second label identification information is attached, and a thin line pattern that is optically readable by the reading device 20 may be formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern.

[0056] 3 shows an example of functional blocks of the reading device 20. The reading device 20 includes an imaging unit 22, a communication unit 24, a control unit 25, a display unit 26, and a storage unit .

[0057] The imaging unit 22 captures the thin line pattern 210 affixed to the work label 121 and the fine line pattern 210 affixed to the appraisal certificate label 141 for determining the authenticity of the labels, as well as the label ID and other information of the labels affixed to the work. The imaging unit 22 has the performance to satisfy imaging conditions for making it possible to read the thin line pattern 210 affixed to the work label 121 and the fine line pattern 210 affixed to the appraisal certificate label 141 with sufficient resolution.

[0058] The communication unit 24 communicates with external servers or terminals such as the server 40 and the server 50. For example, if the reading device 20 is a smartphone-mounted reading device 20, the communication unit 24 may be a communication function of the smartphone.

[0059] The control unit 25 controls the operation of the reading device 20 and performs processes such as arithmetic processing. The control unit 25 is a general term for a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the reading device 20 or an MPU (Microprocessing Unit).

[0060] The display unit 26 outputs information to the user such as the result of the authenticity determination of the label to be sent to the server 40 or server 50, and the result of the determination of whether or not the first label identification information and the second label identification information are associated. The display unit 26 may temporarily display the data read from the artwork label 121 and the certificate of authenticity label 141. In addition, the system of this embodiment provides an interface for the user to perform processing. The display unit 26 may be a device that allows user operation directly through it, such as a touch screen.

[0061] The storage unit 28 stores temporary data associated with the processing performed by the control unit 25. For example, if the reader 20 is a smartphone-mounted reader 20, the storage unit 28 corresponds to the smartphone's memory. However, even if the reader 20 is a smartphone-mounted reader, the reader itself may include a separate memory from the smartphone's memory.

[0062] 4 shows an example of the configuration of the server 40. The server 40 includes a communication unit 41, a control unit 42, an acquisition unit 44, a determination unit 46, a registration unit 48, and a storage unit 49. The server 40 is, for example, a server managed by the manufacturer of the labels that produced the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141, and is managed separately from the server 50.

[0063] The communication unit 41 communicates with the reading device 20 via the network 30. The communication unit 41 receives data read by the reading device 20 and transmits the determination result by the determination unit 46 to the reading device 20.

[0064] The control unit 42 is a processor such as a CPU of the server 40. The control unit 42 includes an acquisition unit 44, a determination unit 46, and a registration unit 48.

[0065] The acquisition unit 44 acquires a label ID identifying the work label 121 indicated on the work label 121 affixed to the work 12, and a label ID identifying the appraisal label 141 indicated on the appraisal certificate label 141 affixed to the certificate 14. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 44 acquires the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121, which is formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern and optically read by the reading device 20. Similarly, the acquisition unit 44 acquires the thin line pattern 210 of the appraisal certificate label 141, which is formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern and optically read by the reading device 20.

[0066] The determination unit 46 determines the authenticity of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141. The determination unit 46, for example, compares the authenticity pattern of the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 that was stored and that was attached to the work label 121 at the time of shipment of the work label 121 with the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 that was read by the reading device 20 to determine whether or not the work label 121 is authentic. Similarly, the determination unit 46, for example, compares the authenticity pattern of the thin line pattern 210 of the appraisal label 141 that was stored and that was attached to the appraisal label 141 at the time of shipment of the certificate label 141 with the thin line pattern 210 of the appraisal label 141 that was read by the reading device 20 to determine whether or not the certificate label 141 is authentic. The determination unit 46 may derive the similarity between the thin line pattern 210 and the authentic pattern by performing image analysis, and may determine that the work label 121 or the appraisal certificate label 141 is authentic if the similarity is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0067] The registration unit 48 registers the authenticity pattern of the thin line pattern 210 of the artwork label 121 and the authenticity pattern of the thin line pattern 210 of the appraisal certificate label 141 in the blockchain via the communication unit 41 when the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 are shipped. Furthermore, the registration unit 48 may also register the label ID of the artwork label 121 and the label ID of the appraisal certificate label 141 in the blockchain. In the anti-counterfeiting process for the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 in this embodiment, by storing this information in the blockchain, it is possible to prevent tampering with the association between the thin line pattern 210 of the artwork label 121 and the label ID and the association between the thin line pattern 210 of the appraisal certificate label 141 and the label ID after the artwork, etc. to which the labels are affixed have been distributed.

[0068] The label ID of the artwork label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 may be configured by additionally storing information in the blockchain at each stage of the manufacturing process of the artwork label 121 and the certificate label 141. In this case, at the time of shipping the label, the traceability of each stage of the manufacturing process up to shipping and the manufacturer can be guaranteed.

[0069] Alternatively, the label ID of the artwork label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 may be stored, for example, in a storage unit 49 of a server 40 in a data center managed by the manufacturer that produced the artwork label 121 and the certificate label 141. In this way, by having the label ID of the artwork label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 managed by the manufacturer of the labels that have been subjected to blockchain or anti-counterfeiting treatment, the label ID of the artwork label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 can be managed robustly in a situation where it is difficult to subsequently alter the label ID.

[0070] The memory unit 49 is a memory unit that temporarily stores data related to the processing of the control unit 42. However, the server 40 may be configured to store the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the appraisal certificate label 141 in the server 40, rather than recording them on the blockchain. In this case, the memory unit 49 may be configured to store the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the appraisal certificate label 141.

[0071] 5 shows an example of functional blocks of the server 50. The server 50 includes a communication unit 51, a control unit 52, an acquisition unit 54, a determination unit 56, a registration unit 58, and a storage unit 59. The server 50 is, for example, a server managed by an appraiser who issues the appraisal certificate 14, and is provided separately from the server 40.

[0072] The communication unit 51 communicates with the reading device 20 via the network 30. The communication unit 51 receives data read by the reading device 20, and transmits the determination result by the determination unit 56 to the reading device 20.

[0073] The control unit 52 is a processor such as the CPU of the server 50. The control unit 52 is composed of an acquisition unit 54, a determination unit 56, and a registration unit 58.

[0074] The acquisition unit 54 acquires a label ID for identifying the work label 121 indicated on the work label 121 attached to the work 12 and a label ID for identifying the certificate label 141 indicated on the certificate label 141 attached to the certificate 14.

[0075] The determination unit 56 determines whether the artwork 12 and the certificate 14 are associated with each other based on the label ID of the artwork label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141. After making the determination, the determination unit 56 outputs the determination result, which the server 50 transmits to the reading device 20 via the communication unit 51.

[0076] The determination unit 56 may refer to the registered information stored in the memory unit 59 for its determination. In short, the determination unit 56 may determine whether the artwork 12 and the certificate of authenticity 14 are associated by referring to the registered information in which the label ID of the artwork label 121 is associated with the artwork ID that uniquely identifies the artwork 12, and the label ID of the certificate of authenticity label 141 is associated with the certificate of authenticity 14.

[0077] For example, in the distribution of works of art, each time a work of art is transferred, an appraisal may be requested from an appraiser of the work of art to guarantee its value. In this embodiment, instead of preparing an appraisal certificate 14 each time a work of art is transferred, the provenance information, such as the transfer record, is updated in the registration information. As a result, the record of the official owner is stored in the registration information without updating the appraisal certificate 14 itself, and the owner of the work of art can be traced.

[0078] In this embodiment, the registration information is shown as information stored in the storage unit 59, but the registration unit 58 may store the registration information on a blockchain separate from the blockchain where the server 40 records the authentic patterns of the fine line pattern 210 of the artwork label 121 and the fine line pattern 210 of the appraisal certificate label 141. In this case, the registration unit 58 will additionally register provenance information such as the transfer record on the blockchain each time an artwork such as the artwork 12 is transferred. Blockchain technology is based on the premise that even if information is added to the blockchain, information already recorded cannot be tampered with later. Therefore, when the registration information is stored on the blockchain, it is possible to record the transfer of ownership of the artwork, similar to the endorsement of a promissory note.

[0079] The storage unit 59 stores the registration information and information used for control performed by the control unit 52. In another embodiment, as described above, the registration information may be stored not in the storage unit 59 but in an external storage unit or the like that constitutes the blockchain.

[0080] Figure 6 shows an example of registration information referenced by server 50. The registered information includes the artwork ID and the certificate of authenticity ID.

[0081] When the acquisition unit 54 receives the label ID, the control unit 52 searches the storage unit 59 to see if the work ID and certificate ID associated with the label ID are stored as registered information. The work ID corresponds to the "first object identification information," and the certificate ID corresponds to the "second object identification information."

[0082] The example shown in the figure is an example where there is only one label ID. In this example, the label IDs shown on the first label and the second label are the same. The label ID corresponds to "first label identification information" or "second label identification information." However, the first label identification information corresponding to the artwork label 121 and the second label identification information corresponding to the certificate label 141 may be different.

[0083] The determination unit 56 searches for the work ID of the work 12 and the certificate ID of the certificate 14 from the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141, respectively. If the work ID and the certificate ID are found, the determination unit 56 determines whether the work ID and the certificate ID are associated with the same work in the registration information. This makes it possible to determine that the work 12 and the certificate 14 are correctly associated as authentic.

[0084] In this manner, in this embodiment, the registration information is stored in an organized format using labels whose authenticity is guaranteed. Therefore, the integrity of the data is guaranteed in the database that stores the association between the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 in the server 50, and the accuracy of the judgment made by the judgment unit 56 of the server 50 can be improved.

[0085] In this case, the appraiser may refer to the registered information when conducting the appraisal. That is, the registered information may store information for organizing the works, such as the artist, type of work, and date of creation, as well as information to assist in appraising the works. In the figure, an example is shown in which the type of work 12 is a print. Furthermore, when the owner of the artwork accesses the storage unit 59 storing the registered information using the access destination information for the storage unit 59, part of the registered information (e.g., the artist, type of work, and date of creation) may be shown to the owner. In this case, part of the label ID, work ID, appraisal certificate ID, etc. may be kept secret from the owner of the artwork.

[0086] In addition, the registration information of this embodiment stores history information indicating a transfer of ownership. When storing such history information in the registration information, by using a blockchain or the like as a storage destination for the registration information, the history information that has already been stored cannot be subsequently tampered with. This makes it possible to cumulatively store the history information in the registration information in a secure format.

[0087] 7 is an example of a flow diagram showing the process performed by the reading device 20. The process performed by the reading device 20 of this embodiment includes steps S102 to S120.

[0088] The imaging unit 22 of the reading device 20 captures an image of the work label 121 attached to the work 12 and the appraisal certificate label 141 attached to the appraisal certificate 14. The control unit 25 reads the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line pattern 210 of the appraisal certificate label 141 from the captured images of the work label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141 (S102).

[0089] Next, the control unit 25 reads the visible code 206 from the captured images of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141. The control unit 25 acquires the label ID of the work label 121 from the visible code 206 read from the work label 121. Furthermore, the control unit 25 acquires the label ID of the certificate label 141 from the visible code 206 read from the certificate label 141 (S104).

[0090] The reading device 20 transmits the read thin line patterns 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line patterns 210 of the certificate label 141, as well as the label IDs of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141, to the server 40 via the communication unit 24 so that the server 40 can determine the authenticity of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 (S106). In response to S106, the server 40 executes the process of determining the authenticity of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 shown in FIG.

[0091] When the server 40 has completed authenticating the work label 121 and the certificate label 141, the reading device 20 receives the authenticity determination results of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 from the server 40 via the communication unit 24 (S108). The processing branches based on the received authenticity determination results of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 (S110). If a determination result is received that both the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are authentic, the processing proceeds to S112. On the other hand, if a determination result is received that either the work label 121 or the certificate label 141 is not authentic, or if a determination result is received that neither the work label 121 nor the certificate label 141 is authentic, the processing proceeds to S120.

[0092] If both the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are true, the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 are then sent to the server 50 (S112) to allow the server 50 to determine whether the work 12 to which the work label 121 is attached and the certificate 14 to which the certificate label 141 is attached are appropriately associated. In response to S112, the server 50 executes the process shown in Fig. 9 to determine whether the association between the work and the certificate is appropriate.

[0093] When the server 50 completes the determination of the association, the server 50 transmits the determination result to the reading device 20. The reading device 20 receives the determination result as to whether the artwork 12 and the appraisal certificate 14 are associated with each other from the server 50 via the communication unit 24 (S114).

[0094] The process branches depending on whether or not a determination result has been received that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are properly associated (S116). If a determination result has been received that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are properly associated, the process proceeds to S118. If a determination result has not been received that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are properly associated, the process proceeds to S120.

[0095] When the display unit 26 receives a determination that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are properly associated, it displays the determination that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are genuine and that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are correctly associated (S118). This allows the appraiser or the owner of artwork 12 to confirm that artwork 12 and certificate of authenticity 14 are correctly associated.

[0096] If the artwork label 121 and the certificate of authenticity label 141 are not determined to be authentic, or if the reading device 20 does not receive a determination that the artwork 12 and the certificate of authenticity 14 are properly associated, the reading device 20 issues a warning that the labels are not authentic or the association is incorrect (S120). The warning may be a visual warning via the display unit 26, or it may be a warning in another form such as audio, or a combination thereof. With this, the reading device 20 completes its processing.

[0097] 8 is an example of a flow diagram showing the processing performed by the server 40. The processing performed by the server 40 of this embodiment includes steps S202 to S214.

[0098] First, the server 40 receives, via the communication unit 41, the fine line pattern 210 of the artwork label 121 and the fine line pattern 210 of the certificate of authenticity label 141, and the respective label IDs associated with the visible code 206 of the artwork label 121 and the visible code 206 of the certificate of authenticity label 141 (S202).

[0099] The acquisition unit 44 acquires authenticity patterns for each of the thin line patterns 210 of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 linked to the label ID (S204). The authenticity patterns are patterns that indicate that the thin line patterns 210 of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are authentic if the thin line patterns 210 of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are identical to the authenticity patterns. The determination unit 46 compares the thin line patterns 210 of the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 with the authenticity patterns linked to the label ID, and determines the authenticity of the labels (S206).

[0100] Next, the process branches depending on whether the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line pattern 210 of the certificate label 141 match the authenticity pattern or not (S208). If the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line pattern 210 of the certificate label 141 match the authenticity pattern, the process proceeds to S210, and if the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line pattern 210 of the certificate label 141 do not match the authenticity pattern, the process proceeds to S212.

[0101] If the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line pattern 210 of the certificate label 141 match the authenticity pattern, the determination unit 46 generates an authenticity determination result that the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are authentic (S210). Then, the process proceeds to S214.

[0102] If the thin line pattern 210 of the work label 121 and the thin line pattern 210 of the certificate label 141 do not match the authenticity pattern, the determination unit 46 generates an authenticity determination result that the work label 121 and the certificate label 141 are not authentic (S212). After this, the process proceeds to S214.

[0103] The server 40 transmits the result of the authentication to the reading device 20 via the communication unit 41 (S214). With the above, the server 40 completes the authentication of the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate label 141.

[0104] 9 is an example of a flow diagram showing the processing performed by the server 50. The processing performed by the server 50 of this embodiment includes steps S202 to S214.

[0105] The server 50 receives, via the communication unit 51, the label IDs associated with the visible code 206 of the artwork label 121 and the visible code 206 of the appraisal certificate label 141 (S302).

[0106] The acquisition unit 54 searches the registration information stored in the storage unit 59 to acquire the work ID linked to the label ID based on the label ID obtained by reading the visible code 206 of the work label 121 (S304). If the label ID is invalid, the work ID registered in the label ID may not correspond to the registration information.

[0107] The process branches based on whether or not a work ID corresponding to the label ID of the work label 121 can be obtained from the registration information (S306). If a work ID corresponding to the label ID of the work label 121 can be obtained, the process proceeds to S310. On the other hand, if a work ID corresponding to the label ID of the work label 121 cannot be obtained, the process proceeds to S308.

[0108] If the work ID corresponding to the label ID of the work label 121 cannot be acquired, the determination unit 56 generates a determination result that the work ID could not be acquired (S308).Then, the process proceeds to S310.

[0109] The acquisition unit 54 searches the registered information to acquire the certificate ID linked to the label ID based on the label ID obtained by reading the visible code 206 of the certificate label 141 (S310). In particular, if the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 are not identical information, the certificate ID may not be found for the certificate label 141 even if the work ID is found for the work label 121.

[0110] On the other hand, even if the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 are the same information, it is possible to recognize whether the label ID was read from the visible code 206 of the work label 121 or the visible code 206 of the certificate label 141. Therefore, if the label ID of the work label 121 and the label ID of the certificate label 141 are the same information, verification may be performed in S310 as to whether the label ID read from the work label 121 and the label ID read from the certificate label 141 are the same information.

[0111] The process branches based on whether or not a certificate ID corresponding to the label ID of the certificate label 141 can be obtained from the registered information (S312). If a certificate ID corresponding to the label ID of the certificate label 141 can be obtained, the process proceeds to S316. On the other hand, if a certificate ID corresponding to the label ID of the certificate label 141 cannot be obtained, the process proceeds to S314.

[0112] If the certificate ID corresponding to the label ID of the certificate label 141 cannot be acquired, the determination unit 56 generates a determination result that the certificate ID cannot be acquired (S314), after which the process proceeds to S316.

[0113] The determination unit 56 determines whether the conditions that both the artwork ID and the certificate of authenticity ID exist and are associated are met (S316). Depending on whether the conditions that both the artwork ID and the certificate of authenticity ID exist and are associated are met, the process branches (S318). If the conditions are met, the process proceeds to S320; otherwise, the process proceeds to S322.

[0114] If the condition is met, the registration unit 58 updates the registration information, and the determination unit 56 generates a determination result that the association was valid (S320). If the condition is not met, the determination unit 56 generates a determination result that the association was invalid or that the work ID or certificate ID could not be obtained (S322).

[0115] The server 50 transmits the determination result made by the determination unit 56 to the reading device 20 via the communication unit 51 (S324). By performing the above processing, the server 50 completes the determination of whether the artwork 12 with the artwork label 121 and the appraisal certificate 14 with the appraisal certificate label 141 are appropriately associated.

[0116] This embodiment makes it possible to guarantee the authenticity and association of the artwork 12 and the certificate of appraisal 14 without issuing the certificate multiple times. This prevents the artwork 12 from being damaged by affixing the certificate of appraisal 14 multiple times.

[0117] Figure 10 shows another example of the configuration of a system for determining the authenticity of works of art, etc., using an anti-counterfeiting label according to the embodiment. This embodiment will be explained mainly by focusing on the differences from the embodiment in Figure 1. In this embodiment, a work of art 15 is shown. The system includes a box 18 as an accessory to the work of art 15. The certificate of authenticity 16 is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity label 161 including visible codes 163 and 165. In this embodiment, the work of art 15 is shown as a vase.

[0118] Artwork 15 is an example of a "first object," certificate 16 is an example of a "second object," and box 18 is an example of a "third object."

[0119] For example, if the artwork is tea utensils or the like, the inscription on the box containing the artwork may reinforce the authenticity of the artwork. Therefore, an accessory such as box 18 may reinforce the value of the artwork. Thus, in this embodiment, the third object is an accessory to the first object. Alternatively, the third object may be a part of the artwork that can be separated from the first object, which is the main body of the artwork.

[0120] Artwork 15, certificate 16, and box 18 are respectively affixed with art work label 151, certificate label 161, and accessory label 181. Artwork label 151, certificate label 161, and accessory label 181 may have the same symbol. The symbol affixed to art work label 151 is an example of a "first symbol," and visible code 163 affixed to certificate label 161 is an example of a "second symbol."

[0121] By reading the visible code 165 attached to the certificate 16, access destination information for the memory unit of the server 50 that stores the registered information is indicated. The visible code 165 is an example of a "third symbol." In this embodiment, the certificate label 161 includes the visible code 165, but the work label 151 may also include a symbol that indicates access destination information for the memory unit that stores the registered information. In this way, a third symbol that indicates access destination information for the memory unit that stores the registered information may be attached to at least one of the work label 151 and the certificate label 161. The access destination information may be, for example, a URL for accessing a server that has a memory unit that stores the registered information.

[0122] In this embodiment, three labels are used: a work label 151, a certificate of authenticity label 161, and an accessory label 181. However, the number of labels used is not limited to three. For example, if there are two or more accessories, even more labels corresponding to "fourth label," "fifth label," etc., may be used. The reader 20 reads each of these labels, and servers 40 and 50 perform processing according to the reading results received from the reader 20.

[0123] Furthermore, as in the embodiment shown in Figure 10, if three or more types of labels are provided, the imaging unit 22 of the reading device 20 in Figure 3 will image the accessory label 181 and other labels, and the communication unit 24 of the reading device 20 will transmit the fine line pattern 210 and the like associated with the accessory label 181 and the like. In this way, the reading device 20 may perform the same processing on labels after the accessory label 181 as it does on the artwork labels 121, 151 and the appraisal certificate labels 141, 161, etc. Similarly, servers 40 and 50 may also perform the same authenticity determination processing on the accessory labels after the 181.

[0124] In particular, in the server 50, the determining unit 56 may determine whether the first object, the second object, and the third object are associated with each other, further based on the third label identification information.

[0125] In this case, the determination unit 56 may determine whether the artwork 15, the certificate of authenticity 16, and the box 18 are associated by referring to the registered information in which the label ID of the artwork label 151 is associated with the artwork ID that uniquely identifies the artwork 15, the certificate of authenticity 16 is associated with the certificate of authenticity 16, and the label ID of the accessory label 181 is associated with the accessory ID that uniquely identifies the box 18. The registered information may include the artwork ID, the certificate of authenticity ID, and the accessory ID. The accessory ID is an example of "third object identification information".

[0126] As a result, in this embodiment as well, the record of the official owner is stored in the registration information, making it possible to track the owner of the artwork, without having to update the appraisal certificate 16 itself. It is also possible to ensure that the artwork 15, appraisal certificate 16, and box 18 are properly associated. Furthermore, data integrity is guaranteed in the database in the server 50 that stores the association between the artwork 15, appraisal certificate 16, and box 18, improving the accuracy of the assessment made by the assessment unit 56 of the server 50.

[0127] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0128] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 12,15 works 14,16 Certificate of Authenticity 18 boxes 20 Reading device 22 Imaging unit 24, 41, 51 Communications Department 25, 42, 52 Control section 26 Display section 28,49,59 Storage section 30 Network 40,50 servers 44,54 Acquisition Department 46,56 Judgment part 48,58 Registration Department 121,151 work labels 141,161 Certificate of Authenticity Label 163,165 visible code 181 Accessories Label 200 labels 202 Base material 204 Thin line 206 Visible Code 210 Fine Line Pattern

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires first label identification information that identifies a first label indicated on a first label attached to a first object and second label identification information that identifies the second label indicated on a second label attached to a second object; a determination unit that determines whether the first object and the second object are associated with each other based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information; A determination device comprising:

2. 2. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the first object and the second object are associated with each other by referring to registered information in which the first label identification information and first object identification information that uniquely identifies the first object are associated and registered, and the second label identification information and second object identification information that uniquely identifies the second object are associated and registered.

3. The determination device according to claim 2 , wherein the first object identification information and the second object identification information are registered in association with each other in the registered information.

4. The determination device according to claim 2 , wherein a third symbol indicating access destination information for a storage unit that stores the registration information is attached to at least one of the first label and the second label.

5. The determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first label identification information and the second label identification information are the same information.

6. the first label is made of a first base material, a first symbol indicating the first label identification information is attached to the first base material, and a first pattern optically readable by a reading device is formed as a counterfeit prevention pattern; 2. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein the second label is made of a second substrate, a second symbol indicating the second label identification information is affixed to the second substrate, and a second pattern optically readable by a reading device is formed as an anti-counterfeit pattern.

7. 7. The determination device according to claim 6, wherein the determination unit determines whether the first object and the second object are associated with each other based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information when a result of determining authenticity of each of the first label and the second label based on the first pattern and the second pattern read by the reading device is authentic.

8. The determination device according to claim 6 , wherein the first pattern and the second pattern are the same pattern.

9. The acquisition unit further acquires third label identification information that identifies the third label attached to the third object, The determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines whether the first object, the second object, and the third object are associated with each other, further based on the third label identification information.

10. 10. The determination device according to claim 9, wherein the determination unit determines whether the first object, the second object, and the third object are associated with each other by referring to registered information in which the first label identification information and first object identification information that uniquely identifies the first object are associated and registered, the second label identification information and second object identification information that uniquely identifies the second object are associated and registered, and the third label identification information and third object identification information that uniquely identifies the third object are associated and registered.

11. The determination device according to claim 10 , wherein the first object identification information, the second object identification information, and the third object identification information are registered in association with each other in the registered information.

12. The determination device according to claim 1, wherein the second object is a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing that the first object is genuine.

13. The determination device according to claim 10 , wherein the second object is a certificate of authenticity that certifies that the first object is a genuine product, and the third object is an accessory of the first object.

14. an acquiring unit acquiring first label identification information for identifying a first label indicated on a first label attached to a first object and second label identification information for identifying the second label indicated on a second label attached to a second object; a determination unit determining whether or not the first object and the second object are associated with each other based on the first label identification information and the second label identification information; A determination method comprising:

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