How to establish product authenticity

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for encoding an existing product identifier or barcode of an authentic product by determining a combination of tagants corresponding to the existing product identifier or barcode, where the existing product identifier or barcode comprises a set of characters. The method involves providing a list of different tagants having various luminescence peaks that are distinguishable from one another, and assigning a different tagant to each character of the product identifier. This then involves attaching the combination of tagants to the product to indicate the product identifier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a first method of encoding an existing product identifier (or an existing barcode) for a genuine product by determining a combination of taggants corresponding to the existing product identifier or barcode, and a second method including obtaining at least a part of the emission spectrum of a product for use in evaluating or determining whether the product is a genuine product having a combination of taggants (optionally determined by the first method).

Background Art

[0002] In many technical fields, high-priced products and materials tend to be more expensive and may have special characteristics such as high purity, high durability, and compatibility with harsh usage conditions. Similarly, medium- and low-priced products and materials tend to be less expensive and do not necessarily have the same characteristics as high-priced products and materials. There is no international standard for easily confirming that appropriate quality, grade, and specification of production materials are used in a specific product.

[0003] Counterfeit high-end products are available in the black market but tend to have visible differences from the genuine ones. When there is no visual difference between high-end and low-end products, there is an opportunity to fraudulently substitute high-end products with low-quality products or materials.

[0004] Subcontracting work often has a low profit rate, and subcontractors have an incentive to reduce costs as much as possible. Specifically, they often provide and use products that are cheaper than the specified products. Since there are no visible differences in products and materials, it is difficult for customers and regulatory authorities to verify that the correct products and materials have been used. This is particularly true for paints and coating materials, which are generally difficult to distinguish after drying. However, the same risks exist for various other products such as textile products, tiles, refractory coatings, petrochemical products such as fuels and lubricants. Renewable resources and various consumables are also vulnerable to this type of fraud.

[0005] In situations where safety is paramount or a certain degree of redundancy is required, it is crucial to use genuine products (authentic products) rather than third-party substitutes. For example, certain products or components may be "over-engineered" for safety or other reasons, and different products or parts may be insufficient. This issue is particularly relevant to aircraft parts and other areas of the aerospace industry. Currently, product authenticity is defined by a reference number printed on the product or packaging and associated documentation. While this system is relatively robust, it cannot guarantee that the product and documentation will match. This is considered a statement of fact by the manufacturer, but it cannot prove product authenticity without destructive analysis.

[0006] Ensuring traceability in military supply chains is also crucial. This is to mitigate the risk of counterfeit products and parts being used or installed in military equipment. Counterfeit products refer to any product or part that is not genuine (authentic), but especially to parts that do not meet standards or parts that have been tampered with by hostile forces. The Ministry of Defense's supply chain is enormous in scale, making monitoring and detecting counterfeit parts a difficult task. The Ministry of Defense can only visualize the supply chain up to a certain stage, and does not necessarily know which suppliers major manufacturers are selecting. For example, the F-35 fighter jet issue in the summer of 2022 highlighted the complexity and lack of transparency of the Department of Defense's supply chain. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) relies on approximately 12,000 direct suppliers, but the network expands to approximately 1 million companies downstream in the supply chain.

[0007] More generally, while it is possible to take samples and analyze their properties, this type of testing is time-consuming and labor-intensive, requires external facilities and equipment, and tends to destroy samples. This is extremely unsuitable for paints and coatings. Even if it is possible to test the composition and properties of a product, it does not definitively prove which manufacturer's product was used.

[0008] The present invention aims to mitigate or substantially eliminate the aforementioned problems. [Overview of the project]

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for determining a combination of taglines corresponding to a product identifier or barcode of an authentic product. The product identifier comprises a set of characters, and the method comprises the following steps: a) A step of providing a list of multiple different Tagants, each having an emission spectrum containing one or more peaks, wherein one or more peaks (within a given wavelength range) in the emission spectrum of a given Tagant in the list are substantially distinguishable from one or more peaks (within the same wavelength range) in the emission spectra of other Tagants in the list. b) A step of assigning a tag to each character from a list, where each character in the product identifier is associated with a different tag, and by adding this unique combination of tag to the product, a chemically or spectrally unique product identifier is indicated. c) Optionally, the step of obtaining or recording the emission spectrum of an assigned tagant or combination of assigned tagants in order to pair it with a product identifier.

[0010] Claim 1 defines a preferred embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention.

[0011] Any feature is described in the dependent claim.

[0012] This invention provides a concealed means of marking products, enabling on-the-spot verification of product authenticity. The Tagant combination provides manufacturers and consumers with safety, traceability, and protection against counterfeiting. It complements existing barcode technology, which is widely accepted and has been in use for over 50 years. It is expected to provide a simple, globally available means of establishing product authenticity and support standard regulatory mechanisms for identifying approved materials and protecting against fraud.

[0013] The method described above allows for the selective preparation of tagants based on existing barcodes. That is, the emission spectrum (or color spectrum) of the tagant is prepared to match the barcode or other identifier of the finished product. One tagant combination or preparation method is provided for each barcode or product identifier.

[0014] By preparing combinations of tagants with specific wavelength emission combinations, the overall emission spectrum can be matched or associated with a product's barcode. In other words, for products with barcodes or other unique identifiers, a combination of tagants with an emission spectrum (or the emission spectrum of a tagant) can be prepared that essentially corresponds to or indicates that barcode.

[0015] It is important to note that it is desirable to acquire or record the infrared emission spectrum of the Tagant combination. That is, it is the infrared signature of all Tagants in a unique combination, for example, when they exist together as part of the same particle or nanoparticle. This is because the infrared emission spectrum acts as a fingerprint of the unique Tagant combination and may possess characteristics that would not be apparent if only the individual infrared emissions or the signatures of each selected Tagant recorded individually were combined.

[0016] The emission spectrum can be recorded using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy).

[0017] The step of recording emission spectra (preferably in a database) is particularly useful when the combination of tags used produces an emission spectrum that exceeds the sum of its parts. That is, when the emission spectrum of a combination of tags provided together differs from the simple sum or accumulation of the individual emission spectra of those tags (when measured separately). However, it may be possible to record individual emission spectra, refer to known emission spectra, or utilize spectra without the need to record them from scratch.

[0018] When added to solid or liquid products (or materials), for example during the manufacturing process, a combination of tagants provides a barcode embedded within the product. This allows for the authentication of the precise identity (identifiability) of the product later on. This helps in identifying product substitution and provides traceability in events such as fuel spills or fires (such as the Grenfell fires in the UK).

[0019] This tagant composition possesses a degree of concealment, making it extremely difficult or time-consuming for competitors and counterfeiters to identify and imitate it. In other words, it is virtually impossible to decipher, through reverse engineering, the exact combination of tagants that generates the "spectral barcode" or spectral signature (or fingerprint) for a particular product.

[0020] One, some, or all of the Tagant particles may be provided in the form of nanoparticles.

[0021] For example, different tagants in a given product combination may be provided as composite nanoparticles; that is, particles containing the assigned tagants. Such composite tagants can be manufactured using known processes. This simplifies the incorporation of tagant combinations into products, allowing the product to contain fewer different composite nanoparticles than the total number of different tagants that make up the combination. In some embodiments, a given composite nanoparticle may contain all the tagants assigned to a particular encoded identifier / barcode.

[0022] The Tagant combinations determined by this method can be added to any suitable product or material, such as paints, inks, plastics (either thermosetting or thermoplastic), liquid polymers (either air-drying or catalytically curing), paper, additive manufacturing reagents, and other materials and products.

[0023] The present invention has applicability to the identification of plastics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, industrial manufacturing, the automotive industry, consumer goods, the identification and / or traceability of firearms, clothing and accessories, etc. More generally, the present invention has applicability to any of the following: component identification and tracking, anti-counterfeiting solutions, manufacturing traceability, regulatory compliance, and / or brand identification.

[0024] The present invention has applicability in the aerospace industry and is used, for example, for the identification of aircraft parts. In this case, the method according to the first aspect can be part of a manufacturing method of an aircraft or aerospace device or its components (constituent parts).

[0025] The present invention has applicability to the military supply chain, such as the traceability of components for military use. In this case, the method according to the first aspect can be part of a manufacturing method of military equipment or its components.

[0026] It is understood that the peaks of the emission spectra due to different taggants are distinguishable from the "noise" (e.g., low-level or non-coherent emission responses) within each spectrum and are distinguishable from each other in various ways. That is, the peaks of various taggants are distinguishable from each other. It is also possible to use taggants having multiple peaks and / or overlapping peaks, provided that those peaks are sufficiently distinguishable from each other.

[0027] For example, the emission spectral peaks of specific tagants do not overlap with each other or can be clearly distinguished, so identification is easy. In some examples, the emission spectral peaks are centered at different wavelengths. Also, the emission spectral peaks may have different peak widths (i.e., the narrowness or broadness of the peak in the wavelength range). That is, the sharpness and spread of a given peak vary depending on the tagant. In one example, the emission spectral peaks may have different intensities depending on the amount of tagant present and / or the excitation wavelength used. In one example, one peak or multiple peaks may be part of a multi-peak signal and may be uniquely associated with a specific tagant. In one example, the peak intensities measured on both sides of the peak maximum indicate the degree of peak asymmetry and may assist in the identification of different tagants.

[0028] Using any one, part, or all of the above factors, it is possible to distinguish the peak of one tagant from the peak of another tagant. This is useful when there is overlap or similarity between the emission spectra of two or more tagants in a given combination of tagants.

[0029] The present invention targets emission spectra including ultraviolet light, visible light, and infrared light. That is, it generally includes exciting outer shell electrons using light of an appropriate wavelength and then, ideally, detecting the light emitted in the visible light range (400 - 700 nm) or the near infrared range (700 - 1000 nm).

[0030] Near infrared emission may be preferred because it is easy to detect. However, it is also possible to use ultraviolet or visible light emission instead. Similarly, it is also possible to use Raman spectroscopy to implement the present invention.

[0031] In some preferred embodiments, the present invention relates to infrared emission using excitation wavelengths in the near-infrared region, for example, 950 nm or greater. The excitation wavelength is up to approximately 25,000 nm. In some cases, the wavelength is up to approximately 1050 nm, 1400 nm, 1600 nm, or 1930 nm. In some cases, the wavelength is up to approximately 15,000 nm. Any subrange within the range of 950 nm to 25,000 nm can be selected by independently selecting any of these wavelengths as an upper or lower limit.

[0032] This method may omit the acquisition or recording of either or both the ultraviolet spectrum and the visible light spectrum of the Tagant combination.

[0033] This method may include the step of encoding at least a portion of the character set of the product identifier to provide a set of encoded characters.

[0034] Therefore, the tagant combination is directly associated with the coded characters, not with the characters of the product identifier.

[0035] Product identifiers may be existing barcodes in a database. Identifiers or barcodes may already be pre-assigned to products; that is, barcodes may already be affixed to products currently on sale or assigned to products scheduled for release soon. The database may be a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) database or a Universal Product Code (UPC) database. These are just examples of global storage locations for product identifiers; any suitable storage location can be used.

[0036] By creating tag combinations that match existing barcodes, it becomes unnecessary to reassign new barcodes to product inventory, and corresponding system updates for a potentially large number of individuals and businesses are also avoided.

[0037] The relevant portions of the emission spectrum may be in the visible light and / or near-infrared ranges, respectively.

[0038] Tagant's peak emission wavelength may be substantially in the range of 400 nm to 800 nm. Tagant's peak emission wavelength may also be substantially in the range of 700 nm to 1000 nm. Near-infrared peak emission may be preferred because it is more easily detectable or identifiable.

[0039] In some preferred embodiments, the excitation wavelength is substantially in the range of 950 nm to 25000 nm, or a portion thereof. The corresponding infrared emission can be recorded.

[0040] Each character is encoded into a two-part coded character, such as a pair of letters or numbers (or an alphanumeric pair). Each character is encoded based on its position in the character order within the product identifier.

[0041] This allows for the encoding of information beyond the numbers, letters, and symbols contained in product identifiers and barcodes. Therefore, two barcodes containing the same numbers in different orders will have different tag combinations.

[0042] Each character is encoded using a conversion table. The conversion table contains a two-part set of encoded characters. The first part of each encoded character becomes the horizontal identifier in the table, and the second part becomes the vertical identifier. For example, there may be 10 vertical identifiers corresponding to the digits 0-9 in a barcode.

[0043] The conversion table can be used to convert product identifiers and barcode numbers into encoded formats. The first digit of the product identifier is identified in the first column of the table, and the corresponding two-part encoded format is established by the horizontal and vertical markers associated with its position in the table. Each subsequent digit of the product identifier is identified in its respective subsequent column, and the two-part encoded format for each digit is established.

[0044] Tagant can map characters or coded characters using tables such as lookup tables or conversion tables. Lookup tables may contain a two-part list of coded characters.

[0045] A lookup table provides a means of quickly finding the tag corresponding to a specific character or coded character.

[0046] It is understood that any means of providing a fixed correspondence or predetermined correlation between the characters of a product identifier or barcode, whether in the form of a conversion table (or lookup table) or other formats, is acceptable. In other words, the product identifiers or barcodes used as input should be output as combinations of tags specific to the characters or barcodes of that identifier.

[0047] A conversion table (or equivalent means) can be considered to provide a means of mutual conversion between characters and tags.

[0048] For example, product identifiers and barcodes can be processed using flowcharts or computer programs to determine tag combinations. Conversion tables, flowcharts, computer programs, and other means are used to convert or process each character individually, a subset of characters, or an entire set of characters together to generate or determine tag combinations unique to that product identifier or barcode.

[0049] The Tagant used in this invention is preferably not a light-emitting material. More preferably, it is not a light-emitting material having a short-lived spectrum such as fluorescence.

[0050] Product identifiers may consist of characters selected from a set of 10 different characters, such as the digits 0 through 9. It will be understood that alternative sets (e.g., a set of 16 characters from 0 through 9 and A through F, a set of 26 characters from A through Z, or a set of 36 characters from A through Z and 0 through 9) may be used in some cases. Conversion tables or lookup tables can be set up accordingly.

[0051] The Tagant in the list is preferably one that is relatively stable in air and also relatively stable in the presence of water. This is to avoid degradation or changes in the emission spectrum over time.

[0052] Tagant lists may consist of inorganic or ceramic tagants.

[0053] This list may include one, some, or all of the following, selected independently: graphite, metals or their oxides, transition metals or their compounds (preferably their oxides or complexes), rare earth metals or their compounds (preferably their oxides or complexes), Sc or its oxides / complexes, Ti or its oxides / complexes, V or its oxides / complexes, Cr or its oxides / complexes, Mn or its oxides / complexes, Fe or its oxides / complexes, Co or its oxides / complexes, Ni or its oxides / complexes, Cu or its oxides / complexes, Zn or its oxides / complexes, Y or its oxides / complexes, Zr or its oxides / complexes, Nb or its oxides / complexes, Mo or its oxides / complexes, Ru or its oxides / complexes, Rh or its oxides / complexes, Pd or its oxides / complexes, Ag or its oxides / complexes, Cd or its oxides / complexes, Hf or its oxides / complexes, Ta or its oxides / complexes, W or its oxides / complexes, Re or so Oxides / complexes of Os or its oxides / complexes, Ir or its oxides / complexes, Pt or its oxides / complexes, Au or its oxides / complexes, Hg or its oxides / complexes, La or its oxides / complexes, Ce or its oxides / complexes, Pr or its oxides / complexes, Nd or its oxides / complexes, Sm or its oxides / complexes, Eu or its oxides / complexes, Gd or its oxides / complexes, Tb or its oxides / complexes, Dy or its oxides / complexes, Ho or its oxides / complexes, Er or its oxides / complexes, Tm or its oxides / complexes, Yb or its oxides / complexes, Lu or its oxides / complexes, B or its oxides, Al or its oxides, Si or its oxides, P or its oxides, Ga or its oxides, Ge or its oxides, As or its oxides, Se or its oxides, In or its oxides, Sn or its oxides, Sb or its oxides, Te or its oxides, Tl or its oxides, Pb or its oxides, Bi or its oxides.

[0054] It should be understood that any suitable compound containing any of the above elements (including one, two, or three or more independent selections) may be provided as a tagant, and the oxides / complexes of the above elements are merely examples.

[0055] All of the above are provided independently as elemental materials (in the case of transition metals, rare earth elements, and other elements), powders, particles, or nanoparticles.

[0056] The list may include one or more tagants (elemental, oxide, or otherwise) based on transition metals and / or rare earth metals. Some compounds used as tagants may contain multiple transition metals, multiple rare earth metals, or combinations of transition metals and rare earth metals.

[0057] From a chemical stability standpoint, various oxides may be preferred over other compounds.

[0058] In some cases, the list may consist of (or consist solely of) biocompatible or biotolerant tagants. This is preferable when the tagants are incorporated into products such as clothing, jewelry, food, beverages, supplements, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements. It is also preferable when the tagants are incorporated into products that people touch or hold.

[0059] In some cases, the list may consist of (or consist only of) non-combustible tags.

[0060] Organic compounds can be included in the tagant list if their emission spectrum contains one or more peaks. Organic compounds in the list may have a chromophore. Preferably, organic compounds or other tagants in the list should have water stability and / or air stability.

[0061] It is envisioned that temporary or time-limited tags (organic or inorganic) will be used as timestamps or time-limited barcodes. Therefore, tags may be selected based on their properties of decomposing or changing when exposed to one, some, or all of the following: air (especially oxygen), water, and / or light (e.g., sunlight).

[0062] By selecting different sizes (or size ranges) of a given particle / nanoparticle, it is possible to include in the list tagants that, while based on the same element, provide clearly distinguishable emission spectra.

[0063] It will be understood that by selecting metals in different oxidation states, it is possible to provide tagants that exhibit clearly distinguishable emission spectra, even though they are based on the same element.

[0064] Each tagant may be at a microscopic level or virtually invisible to the naked eye.

[0065] A combination of tagants can include substantially more than 10 different tagants. Preferably, a combination of tagants includes any of the following: 12 or more different tagants, 13 or more different tagants, 14 or more different tagants, 15 or more different tagants, 20 or more different tagants, 25 or more different tagants, or 30 or more different tagants. In some examples, even more tagants (e.g., 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 or more) may be used.

[0066] This allows for the representation of most, or even all, digits of a conventional barcode. Ignoring digit order, 10 tagants would allow for the representation of each digit from 0 to 9 using a different tagant. Alternatively, if tagants are selected to encode each product identifier character and its relative position within that identifier, 15 tagants would allow for the representation of all digits of a conventional 13-digit barcode. Simultaneously, spare tagants can be reserved for, for example, batch numbers or manufacturing years.

[0067] In some cases, a specific tagant A may be used to represent half of the possible character values ​​at a particular character position within an identifier, and another tagant B may be used to represent the other half. For example, characters 0 through 4 may be represented by A, and characters 5 through 9 by B. This technique can be repeated for subsequent character positions (e.g., tagants C and D for character position 2, tagants E and F for character position 3, and so on).

[0068] This makes it possible to represent some or most of the identifiers with a relatively small pool of tags.

[0069] A few characters in an identifier—one, two, or three (and possibly the last character)—can also be associated with a different tagant unique to each different possible character value. This ensures a sufficient number of unique tagant combinations to accommodate current and future product identifiers.

[0070] For example, in a 13-character barcode, if each character position can take on 10 different values ​​(e.g., numbers from 0 to 9), and 11 of these characters can be represented by different tagant pairs (a total of 22 tagant pairs), and the remaining 2 characters can be represented by different tagant pairs (a total of 20 tagant pairs), then the number of tagant types required to implement the present invention can be minimized while keeping the number of tagant pairs to 2 × 10 18 It can accommodate variations in the barcode of orders.

[0071] If more different tagants are provided in the list, and their spectrum is appropriately distinguishable (or resolvable) from one another, even more barcode variations can be supported. For example, using 140 different tagants, a 13-digit barcode ending in a standard "checksum" can be 5 x 10 29 Each one can be uniquely generated individually.

[0072] Even for a short 5-digit barcode (where each digit is assigned 10 different characters), if you have 50 different tagants to choose from, it would take 2.5 × 10 8 A unique combination of streets is possible.

[0073] This method may further include a step of determining one or more additional tagants corresponding to one or more secondary product identifiers selected from a group of batch identifiers, manufacturing date identifiers, country identifiers, and manufacturer identifiers.

[0074] Identifying batch numbers and / or other relevant identifiers can further identify products and aid in traceability. For example, it can be used to determine if older or expired products have been used. This is also useful in product recalls and / or replacements if defects are discovered later.

[0075] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for producing nanoparticles that spectrally correspond to existing product identifiers or barcodes (for example, by using a method that employs a fixed character-tagant correspondence in a conversion table, etc.). This method includes determining a combination of tagants for encoding an existing product identifier or barcode according to the method of the first aspect, and producing nanoparticles containing the determined combination of tagants.

[0076] Nanoparticles can be composite nanoparticles. Each composite nanoparticle contains each tagant included in the determined tagant combination.

[0077] A third aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing or marking a product having a product identifier. This method includes providing the method of the first aspect of the present invention, or a combination of tagants determined thereby, and adding or fixing the combination of tagants in, on, or to the product. This provides a marker (or concealing marker) whose emission spectrum can be used to determine that the product is an authentic product.

[0078] The advantages are similar to those of the first and second embodiments of the present invention. By adding to the product during the manufacturing stage, manufacturers can control the amount, position, or distribution of the combination of tagants in the product.

[0079] It will be understood that the method of the first embodiment only needs to be performed once for a particular product, and that it is not necessary to repeat the method of the first embodiment even if the product is manufactured multiple times thereafter.

[0080] An apparatus can be provided for detecting the emission spectrum of a combination or composite tagant. That is, it detects the product emission spectrum (which may include the combination tagant emission spectrum) and generates an authentication code locally or remotely for evaluating product authenticity based on that spectrum. This code is then compared against a set or database of known product identifiers to obtain a pass / fail result (or a near-pass requiring further verification) regarding authenticity.

[0081] This apparatus can be used to obtain a Tagant emission spectrum from a product (assuming Tagant exists) such as a product containing a combination of Tagant determined according to a first aspect of the present invention. If Tagant is not present, or if a Tagant different from the expected Tagant exists, the apparatus can easily identify this by providing relevant processing means or by connecting to / cooperating with a system having relevant processing means.

[0082] This device may be adapted to include processing means for performing product authentication on the spot, for example, as part of an automated system. In other cases, the device may be adapted to transmit data corresponding to the emission spectrum to a system (e.g., a telephone or computer) configured to perform product authentication. The authentication results are then sent back to the device and used to indicate whether the product is genuine or nearly genuine (approximate match).

[0083] The term "authentication code" can be interpreted as meaning an encoded form of a product identifier (such as a barcode). An authentication code consists of characters or encoded characters. An authentication code can be decoded by the reverse process of the encoding process used in the first aspect of the present invention. An authentication code is valid if, after conversion or transposition, it results in a product identifier that matches the expected product identifier. An authentication code is valid if, after conversion or transposition, it results in a product identifier that substantially matches the expected product identifier, and additional checks may be performed as necessary. An authentication code is invalid if, after conversion or transposition, it results in a product identifier that does not substantially match the expected product identifier.

[0084] An example of a conventional device suitable for this purpose is the Agilent® 4300 handheld FTIR spectrometer. It should be understood that this is not the only option, and other devices and scanners can also be used, regardless of whether they utilize IR detection, UV detection, Raman detection, or other spectral detection methods.

[0085] A mobile device is provided to detect the emission spectrum, and the processing means is provided in a second device or system (e.g., a phone, tablet, or computer). This allows authentication to be performed remotely from the mobile device.

[0086] Alternatively, emission spectra may be detected and authenticated using a single device that integrates a spectrophotometer and processing equipment. This is suitable for automated systems.

[0087] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for evaluating or determining whether a product is genuine or counterfeit. A genuine product is associated with a product identifier or barcode that includes a set of characters, and a tag combination corresponding to the product identifier is present or attached to a genuine product but not to a counterfeit product. This method includes the following steps: a) A step of irradiating the product with light (preferably infrared or near-infrared) at one or more wavelengths in order to excite the Tagant present in the product. b) A step of detecting at least a portion of the emission spectrum (preferably an infrared emission spectrum) of the product. c) A step of encoding at least some of the peaks detected in the emission spectrum and generating a set of (encoded) characters as an authentication code. d) A step of evaluating the authenticity of a product by comparing the authentication code with an existing set of product identifiers for products containing Tagant.

[0088] The advantages are similar to those of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention. By scanning or reading a combination of tags (integrated into the product), the resulting authentication code can be compared to an internationally recognized, predetermined product identifier such as a barcode. This enables rapid testing to determine the authenticity of a product, with the results optionally displayed to the tester (usually on a timescale of a few seconds). The results can optionally be forwarded to a third party, such as a regulatory authority.

[0089] The expected product is provided or set as input / reference before, during, or after product inspection (e.g., for devices such as the aforementioned Agilent® devices). The comparison output indicates whether the scanned product matches the expected product.

[0090] The method may further include a step of providing a comparison output that identifies whether the authentication code matches an existing product identifier. That is, an expected product or product identifier is provided, and the output identifies whether the authentication code matches the expected product or product identifier.

[0091] The output may be a pass / fail result, or it may show an approximate match, a list of possible matches, a product match, or other appropriate results or output.

[0092] Output may include, for example, visual or graphic output on a display or screen. Output may also include, for example, audible sounds with different tones indicating pass and fail.

[0093] If an exact match of the authentication code is found and matches the expected result, the output may display a “Exact Match” or “Pass” result, which may include the identity of the product and identifier with a matching authentication code. If an approximate match of the authentication code is found, the output will display one or more “Approximate Match” results, which may include the identity of the product and identifier with a nearly identical authentication code. Otherwise, a “Mismatch” result will be displayed, which may include the identity of the product and identifier with an actual matching authentication code.

[0094] An exact match means that all the (encoded) characters in the authentication code, or all the characters decoded from it, correspond to all the numbers in the product identification code (identifier).

[0095] An approximate match refers to a situation where all but one of the encoded characters in the authentication code, or the characters decoded from it, correspond to all but one of the digits in the product identification code (identifier).

[0096] If neither an exact match nor an approximate match is found, it can be considered a mismatch.

[0097] Step (d) may include a step of decoding or converting the authentication code into a product identifier. This is done by a process corresponding to the inverse of the encoding process in the first aspect of the present invention, or by checking the authentication code against a reference database containing a set of (encoded) characters corresponding to the tagant combinations.

[0098] Alternatively, product identifiers in the database may already have an associated encoding format, in which case the authentication codes can be compared directly. However, in practice, it is expected that the most common approach will be to convert the peak or authentication code into a product identifier and then compare that product identifier to a list or database of existing product identifiers.

[0099] Step (d) may include the process of matching and searching for the authentication code (or its decryption format) in the GTIN database or UPC database.

[0100] One or more detected peaks are combined or concatenated in wavelength order with respect to the detected wavelength to provide an authentication code. One or more peaks are combined or concatenated in alphabetical or numerical order with respect to letters or coded characters to provide an authentication code.

[0101] This associates the authentication code with a product identifier encoded in alphabetical order.

[0102] The detected peaks in the emission spectrum may be substantially in the range of 400 nm to 800 nm and / or substantially in the range of 700 nm to 1000 nm.

[0103] In any of the above embodiments, it will be understood that, where appropriate, the use of a transmittance spectrum or an absorption spectrum may be considered instead of an emission spectrum.

[0104] Another aspect of the present invention is described in claim 26. The advantages and optional features are the same as those of the first aspect.

[0105] Another aspect of the invention is described in claim 27. The advantages and optional features are the same as those of the fourth aspect.

[0106] Features presented in relation to any aspect of the invention may be selected individually or in any independent combination to be provided in other aspects of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0107] To better understand the present invention and to more clearly illustrate its implementation, refer to the accompanying drawings for illustrative purposes only. [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a barcode as a product identifier. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a conversion table for converting barcodes to an encoded format. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a modified version of the conversion table in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a character pair sequence corresponding to the barcode in Figure 1 and the table in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a database with visible and invisible portions for end users. This database is used to match character pairs (or authentication codes) derived from the emission spectrum of a product against a list of genuine products and their corresponding product identifiers and genuine character pairs. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the barcode. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the conversion table for the barcodes in Figure 6. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0108] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a barcode, represented as 10 in total. Barcode 10 contains a set of 13 characters, "50001270014084", and is represented as 12 in total. This barcode is an identifier corresponding to a specific product. Although this barcode contains 13 characters, it will be understood that any appropriate number of characters can be used. Also, although all characters are numbers in this embodiment, it will be understood that in other embodiments the identifier may include non-numeric characters.

[0109] Figure 2 shows the conversion table used to encode the barcode in Figure 1, and is shown in 20 in total. The gray cells are provided to indicate the conversion of barcode characters to the encoding format.

[0110] The first character of the barcode is derived from the first column. The first character of the barcode is "5". Therefore, the row containing a cell that starts with "5" in the first column is applied. The column identifier and row identifier form a two-part encoded form ("Af") of the first character.

[0111] The second character of a barcode uses the second column. The second character of a barcode is "0". Therefore, the row of the first column containing a cell starting with "0" is applied. The column identifier and row identifier form a bipartite coded form ("Ba") or coded character pair of the second character.

[0112] It will be understood that the same procedure applies to the 3rd through 13th characters of the barcode number. Note that in this embodiment, zero ('0') is also encoded.

[0113] Furthermore, the conversion table 20 of this embodiment includes two additional columns for encoding the product year. In the case of 2020, the abbreviation "20" is used, and when the conversion process is performed according to the method described above, the additional encoded characters "Uc" and "Va" are obtained.

[0114] In this embodiment, the conversion table 20 contains 150 different coded character pairs.

[0115] After conversion, the encoded pairs are provided in alphabetical order according to the order of the pairs listed in the conversion table. This maintains the relative order of characters in the encoded format. However, encoded character pairs can also be added sequentially instead of being prepared individually and then joined later. In this example, the barcode characters are converted as follows: AfBaCaDaEbFcGhHaJbKeLaMiNeUcVa

[0116] Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of the conversion table, designated as 30. Table 30 is substantially similar to the table in Figure 2, but includes a “checksum” column instead of the two columns for product year. The checksum can be used as a means of verifying that a valid tagant combination has been detected.

[0117] Figure 4 shows an example of encoded string concatenation corresponding to the barcode in Figure 1, numbered 40. It corresponds to examples of exact match (all 13 expected character pairs), near match (all pairs except one character pair match the expected value), and mismatch (only 9 out of the 13 expected pairs match).

[0118] It will be understood that a single character pair may not match the corresponding product identifier character, resulting in a near-match result. It will also be understood that two or more character pairs may not match the corresponding number of product identifier characters, resulting in a mismatch result.

[0119] Figure 5 shows an exemplary table or database (or similar), shown as 50 in total. While Table 50 does not contain much exemplary data, it will be understood that all relevant barcode / product identifier strings, corresponding (encoded) character pairs, and optionally company names, product names, and other appropriate data can be entered.

[0120] Real-world databases, particularly (encoded) character pairs and character pairs generated by emission spectral detection of Tagant combinations, should be kept strictly confidential to prevent misuse aimed at circumventing or reverse engineering the present invention.

[0121] In some embodiments, the database contains only the signatures of composite tagants made from tagant materials listed in the relevant lookup table, and is therefore only able to "recognize" composite barcode tagants and not others.

[0122] Furthermore, background noise can be removed before the matching process with the database, resulting in a relatively high-intensity signal that enables accurate identification of tagants.

[0123] Figure 6 shows the abbreviated barcode 60. In this example, the characters are the first five characters of barcode 10, but it will be understood that any appropriate characters can be used.

[0124] Figure 7 shows the conversion or lookup table 70 corresponding to the abbreviated barcode 60. This is understood to be the corresponding portion of Table 20 mentioned above. The same principle applies to the method used for this version to establish and / or verify the authenticity of the product. Table 70 is 2.5 × 10 8 It can be used to support a vast number of different tag combinations covering more than 100 unique corporate barcode identifiers.

[0125] To carry out the present invention, any suitable multiple tagants (or a list of known tagants) can be provided. It will be understood that each tagant may be a different selection from the various tagants discussed earlier herein. These are zinc oxide, iron oxide, yttrium oxide, graphite, silver, or various other tagants discussed above. For example, in the examples of Figures 6-7, zinc oxide may represent 5 / Aa, iron oxide 0 / Ba, yttrium oxide 0 / Ca, graphite 0 / Da, and silver 1 / Eb.

[0126] No limitations regarding the identity of a tagant should be inferred from the very short list of tagants explicitly mentioned in the paragraph above. These are merely examples. The actual identity of each tagant is not important, provided that each tagant is distinct from the others, that each tagant's emission spectrum contains sufficiently distinguishable peaks, and that it is possible to precisely determine which tagant a particular peak corresponds to.

[0127] Each tagant corresponds to a unique (and only) single character pair from among the available combinations in the conversion table. For example, lookup table 20 contains 15 columns, each with 10 character pairs (in Xx format), providing 150 different character pairs. In other embodiments, additional tagants may be provided, for example, to encode batch numbers or country codes. In the embodiment of Table 20, each character pair is exclusively associated with one of the 150 different tagants.

[0128] In other words, each coded character pair in the lookup table corresponds to a unique tagant. In some embodiments, the same tagant may appear multiple times in the lookup table, in which case they correspond to different coded character pairs (preferably both coded characters in the coded character pair are different).

[0129] Furthermore, it will be understood that conversion tables intended for actual use should be kept confidential to prevent counterfeiters from using them as part of reverse engineering attempts. Otherwise, it would be necessary to reconstruct them from a new table showing the correspondence between tags and characters, which, while possible, would result in unnecessary overhead.

[0130] After converting barcodes 10 and 60 to the encoding format as described above, a tagant corresponding to each encoded character pair can be selected or determined based on the relevant table (consisting of the desired tagant set), and that pair can be represented in the actual product. The emission spectrum of each tagant should contain one or more peaks that are distinguishable from the spectra of other tagants.

[0131] Once the combination of tagants is determined, all tagants can be added to the product (usually during or immediately after manufacturing). This marks the product as genuine. This can be done by adding (adding) the tagants individually, or by preparing the tagant combinations in advance as composite particles (each particle containing at least two types of tagants), which can be done in fewer steps than individual addition. This can be done in a single tagant addition step or in multiple steps.

[0132] The emission spectra of the determined Tagant combinations are recorded in the database.

[0133] Furthermore, after the tag combination is determined, the details of the encoded character (alphabetical) pair can be entered into a database (if necessary) along with related product identifiers, barcodes, product names, company names, brand names, and other reference data.

[0134] It is possible to prepare composite tagants (or their particles) that have a composite emission spectrum or signature emission spectrum. That is, the emission spectrum is unique to the combination of tagants used, and the emission spectrum resulting from a composite tagant is not simply an aggregate of the individually obtained emission spectra of the various constituent tagants.

[0135] Once a composite tag is formed, its emission spectrum is recorded in the database along with the product identifier and the corresponding character pair.

[0136] To obtain the emission spectrum of a product whose authenticity is being tested, appropriate equipment (such as the Agilent® equipment mentioned earlier in this specification) can be used, and the correct database can be loaded or made ready for access.

[0137] For example, the device can be brought into contact with dried paint on a painted wall surface (if the paint is the product). The identity of the product itself may still be unknown, but it may be expected to be a specific product. If a specific product is expected, input is possible at any stage.

[0138] After acquiring or during the acquisition of an emission spectrum, the device transmits data on relevant portions of the emission spectrum to a secondary device (a device that possesses or has access to a database) for spectral processing and analysis, or, for example, converts the relevant portions into character-pair authentication codes and then compares the relevant peaks with the database that possesses or has access to it. If a tagant exists in the product, the emission spectrum will include peaks or emissions corresponding to the tagant.

[0139] For example, in the presence of silver nanoparticles, excitation at 420 nm may result in emission at 485 nm or 550 nm. If a combination of Tagants is present, excitation at 365 nm or 420 nm will result in multiple emission corresponding to each Tagant.

[0140] From the detected emission spectrum, distinct peaks can be identified and converted into a series of encoded character (alphabetical) pairs via an associated lookup table. These encoded character (alphabetical) pairs are then combined into a string in the appropriate order. Using the precedent in Figure 1-2, if a genuine product exists and contains the required tags, emission peaks corresponding to 15 different tags are generated and converted into the following string as an authentication code: AfBaCaDaEbFcGhHaJbKeLaMiNeUcVa.

[0141] This code is decrypted by a secondary device and provides a product identifier or barcode, "50001270014084". This barcode is cross-referenced with the GTIN or UPC database to verify the product, manufacturer, and manufacturing date. If the expected product exists before the analysis begins, the results obtained from the database can be used to manually determine if the product is correct. Alternatively, if the expected product has been input into the main device or secondary device, an output indicating an exact match will be generated, meaning the product matches what was expected and is confirmed to be a genuine product.

[0142] In the first alternative scenario (see Figure 4), when the product under test is excited, it may generate an emission peak corresponding to the following authentication code: AfBaCaDaEbFc Gg HaJbKeLaMiNeUcVa. The central coded character pair "Gg" is shown in bold and underlined because it does not exactly match the expected coded character pair "Gh". However, all other coded character pairs are converted to the correct barcode characters corresponding to the barcode in Figure 1. In this case, output indicating an approximate match is generated, and the user may be presented with a list of products that could potentially correspond to all product identifiers except for the incorrect coded character pair.

[0143] In the second alternative scenario (see Figure 4), when the product under test is excited, it may generate an emission peak corresponding to the following authentication code: AfBaCaDaEbFc GgHbJcKf LaMiNeUcVa. The central coded character pair "Gg" does not match the expected coded character pair "GhHaJbKe," and is therefore shown in bold and underlined. In this case, output indicating a mismatch is generated, and the product fails authentication.

[0144] If there are insufficient exact or approximate matching tagant signatures, and the user has not set the expected product or identifier to be matched, the device may display a list of products that the user may consider as potential matches. For example, if only silver nanoparticles are present and no other tagants are present, purely as an example of system operation and outside the scope of protection, the authentication code will be "Hf" (for 550nm). The relative intensity of the emission may also be provided to verify the amount of silver nanoparticles remaining in their original form within the product. The user will be presented with a list of registered product candidates that contain silver nanoparticles.

[0145] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for encoding an existing product identifier or barcode for an authentic product by determining a combination of tagants spectrally corresponding to the existing product identifier or barcode, a) A step of providing an existing product identifier or barcode for the product, wherein the existing product identifier or barcode includes a set of characters unique to the product, b) Providing a list of several different tagants, wherein each tagant has an emission spectrum containing one or more peaks, and one or more peaks in the emission spectrum of a given tagant in the list are substantially distinguishable from one or more peaks in the emission spectra of other tagants in the list. c) A step of assigning a tagant from a list to each character of an existing product identifier or barcode in step (a), where each character is associated with a different tagant, establishing a fixed correspondence between the assigned tagant and each character of the existing product identifier or barcode, and subsequently adding the combination of assigned tagants to the product as a reference for spectrally representing the existing product identifier or barcode. d) A step of acquiring or recording the infrared emission spectrum or signature of an assigned tagant combination in order to pair it with an existing product identifier or barcode, A method that includes this.

2. (c) The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of encoding some or all of the set of characters of a product identifier and providing the encoded set of characters, wherein the assignment step involves assigning a tag to each encoded character from the list.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein existing product identifiers or barcodes exist in a database such as a GTIN or UPC database, and existing product identifiers or barcodes are pre-assigned to genuine products.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the infrared emission spectrum of Tagant is recorded using FTIR and / or an excitation wavelength in the range of 950 nm to 25000 nm, which is used to identify the Tagant combination.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when dependent on claim 2, each character is encoded into a two-part coded character based on the identifiability or value of the character and its position in the character order within the product identifier.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, if dependent on claim 2, each character is encoded in (c) by any of the following means: a conversion table, a flowchart, a computer program, or any other means for characters of an existing product identifier or barcode to have a fixed or predetermined correspondence with tags in a tagant list.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, as dependent on claim 5, the conversion table comprises a two-part set of coded characters for converting an existing product identifier or barcode into an encoded format, the first part of each coded character pair corresponding to either i) the identifiability or value of each character, or ii) the position of the character in character order, and the second part of each coded character pair corresponding to the other of i) and ii).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the tagant corresponds to a character, or, in the case of claim 2, an encoded character, by a lookup table.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the combination of Tagant comprises 10 or more different compounds as Tagant in nanoparticle form.

10. The method according to claim 6 or any of claims 7 to 9 dependent on claim 6, wherein the conversion table comprises 10 or more different tagants, and selectively comprises 12 to 15 or more different inorganic or ceramic tagants.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising the step of determining one or more additional tagants to be included in the combination, wherein the one or more additional tagants correspond to one or more secondary product identifiers selected from the group consisting of batch identifiers, manufacturing date identifiers, country identifiers, and manufacturer identifiers.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the tagant is an inorganic tagant or a ceramic tagant.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein Tagant comprises a metal oxide and / or a metalloid.

14. (d) The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the acquisition or recording of either or both the ultraviolet spectrum of the Tagant combination and the visible light spectrum of the Tagant combination is omitted.

15. A method for producing nanoparticles spectrally corresponding to an existing product identifier or barcode, comprising determining a combination of tagants encoding an existing product identifier or barcode according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 14, and producing nanoparticles containing the determined combination of tagants.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the nanoparticles are composite nanoparticles, and each composite nanoparticle comprises each of the Tagants included in the determined Tagant combination.

17. A method for manufacturing or marking a product having a product identifier, comprising providing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or a combination of tagants determined thereby, or providing nanoparticles comprising a combination of tagants, wherein a marker is provided that can be used to determine whether a product is genuine by using its emission spectrum, by adding or fixing the combination of tagants in, on, or to the product.

18. The method according to claim 17, which is a method for manufacturing or marking aircraft parts and / or aerospace components.

19. The method according to claim 17, which is a method for manufacturing or marking military parts and / or components.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein, if dependent on claim 12, an inorganic tagant or a ceramic tagant in the tagant combination is provided in the form of a composite nanoparticle, and each composite nanoparticle comprises each tagant in the tagant combination.

21. A method for determining whether a product is genuine or counterfeit, wherein a genuine product is associated with a product identifier or barcode comprising a set of characters, and the combination of tags corresponding to the product identifier (selectively determined by any of the methods of claims 1 to 14) is contained in or attached to the genuine product but not to the counterfeit product. a) A step of irradiating the product with infrared light at one or more wavelengths in order to excite the Tagant present in the product, b) A step of detecting at least a portion of the infrared emission spectrum of the product, c) A step of encoding at least some of the peaks in the detected infrared emission spectrum to generate an authentication code, d) A step of comparing the authentication code with an existing set of product identifiers for products containing Tagant to evaluate the authenticity of the product, A method that includes this.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein step (d) includes verifying an authentication code in a GTIN database or a UPC database.

23. Furthermore, the method according to claim 21 or claim 22, further comprising the steps of inputting an expected product or product identifier and providing an output indicating whether the authentication code corresponds to the product or product identifier entered.

24. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, which provides an authentication code by combining or concatenating one or more peaks in order of peak wavelength, alphabetical order, or digital order during encoding.

25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein (a) and (b) are carried out using FTIR and / or the excitation wavelength of the light is substantially in the range of 950 nm to 25,000 nm.

26. A method for determining a combination of tagants corresponding to an existing product identifier or barcode for a genuine product, wherein the product identifier includes a set of characters. a) Providing a list of multiple different tagants, wherein each tagant has an emission spectrum containing one or more peaks, and one or more peaks in the emission spectrum of a given tagant in the list are substantially distinguishable from one or more peaks in the emission spectra of other tagants in the list. b) A step of assigning a tag to each character in the list, thereby associating each character of the product identifier with a different tag, establishing a fixed correspondence between the assigned tag and each character of the product identifier, which in a subsequent step will be used as a reference when attaching the combination of assigned tag to the product to indicate the product identifier chemically or spectrally, and The process involves acquiring or recording the emission spectrum of each assigned tagant or combination of assigned tagants in order to pair it with a product identifier. A method that includes this.

27. A method for determining whether a product is genuine or counterfeit, wherein a genuine product is associated with a product identifier or barcode that includes a set of characters, and the tag combination corresponding to the product identifier is included in genuine products but not in counterfeit products. a) A step of irradiating the product with light at one or more wavelengths in order to excite the Tagant present in the product, b) A step of detecting at least a portion of the emission spectrum of the product, c) A step of encoding at least some of the peaks in the detected emission spectrum to generate an authentication code, d) A step of comparing the authentication code with an existing set of product identifiers for products containing Tagant to evaluate the authenticity of the product, A method that includes this.

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