Digital Fine Printing

Abstract

The method includes the steps of providing a machine-readable identifier attached to an item of clothing, wherein each of a plurality of identification codes is disposed within a predetermined discrete area; receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier to detect the identification code for each of the predetermined discrete areas; retrieving a predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas; comparing the identification code for each of the predetermined discrete areas with the predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas to determine whether each identification code in each predetermined discrete area matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas; and determining that the item of clothing is authentic in response to determining that each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 945,639, filed December 9, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 031,118, filed May 28, 2020.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates generally to computerized systems and methods for authenticating physical retail products. More particularly, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for digitally fingerprinting physical retail products in order to authenticate such products. [Background technology]

[0003] Manufacturers of quality footwear have long been plagued by the sale of counterfeit footwear, i.e., imitation products created with the intent of deceiving buyers into believing they are purchasing authentic goods from genuine manufacturers. Similar problems exist in the digital sphere, where digital products are often subject to unauthorized sales and reproduction. Such unauthorized / counterfeit production and / or digital reproduction can undermine brand value and / or exclusivity, negatively impact a company's profitability, and undermine users' subjective perception of a product as "collectible."

[0004] Market participants and brand enthusiasts in a free market typically assign a higher value to an item when supply is limited and / or there is excess demand for that item. Therefore, it is desirable to develop anti-counterfeiting technologies to identify counterfeit products and prevent their unauthorized sale. Specifically, it would be beneficial to develop anti-counterfeiting technologies that directly influence and / or control the nature and ultimate supply of physical retail products in this market. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure describes anti-counterfeiting technologies for tracking individual apparel and shoes, such as collectible shoes, with minimal hardware. These anti-counterfeiting technologies are used to manufacture and authenticate unique articles of clothing, such as clothes and shoes, thereby preventing the sale of counterfeit products.

[0006] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a method for authenticating an article of clothing may include providing a machine-readable identifier. The machine-readable identifier may be attached to the article of clothing. The machine-readable identifier may indicate the authenticity of the article of clothing attached thereto. The machine-readable identifier may include a plurality of identification codes. Each of the plurality of identification codes may be disposed in a respective one of a plurality of predetermined discrete areas of the machine-readable identifier. The method may further include receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier to detect the identification code for each of the predetermined discrete areas. The method may further include retrieving a predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas, each of the predetermined discrete areas corresponding to one of the plurality of predetermined discrete areas. The method may further include comparing the identification code for each of the predetermined discrete areas with the predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas to determine whether each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas. The method may further include determining that the clothing item is authentic in response to determining that each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete regions matches a corresponding stored code for each respective predetermined discrete region.

[0007] The machine-readable identifier may be a digitally printed image on the article of clothing, and the digitally printed image may include a plurality of predetermined discrete regions.

[0008] The machine-readable identifier may include a unique logo placed directly on the clothing item. The machine-readable identifier may be a barcode. The identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions may include a plurality of encoding symbols. At least one of the plurality of encoding symbols may include a graphic, and the graphic may include at least one selected from a circle, a rectangle (square), and a triangle. The identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions may have a grayscale color, and the grayscale color represents a binary number. The method may further include receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier using a camera of the interface device, including continuously receiving image data from the machine-readable identifier. The clothing item may be an article of apparel and / or an article of footwear. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper. The predetermined discrete regions may be a plurality of magnetic zones in the sole structure. The magnetic zones may include a plurality of naturally magnetic particles and / or a plurality of magnetized particles. Each of the predetermined discrete regions may have a respective magnetic flux density value. The identification code for each of the predetermined discrete regions may be a respective magnetic flux density value, and the sensor may include a magnetometer.

[0009] The identification code for each of the predetermined discrete regions may be a magnetic flux density value for each of the predetermined discrete regions. The predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete regions may be a stored value. The stored value for each of the predetermined discrete regions may be compared to the magnetic flux density value for each of the predetermined discrete regions to determine whether each magnetic flux density value in each of the predetermined discrete regions matches the corresponding stored value for each of the predetermined discrete regions. The article of clothing may include a location feature for locating each of the predetermined discrete regions within the article of clothing.

[0010] The location feature may be a near field communication (NFC) enabled device and / or a digitally printed image. The article of apparel may be a footwear product. The footwear product may include an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper. The plurality of predetermined discrete regions may be disposed on the upper and / or the sole structure.

[0011] The machine-readable identifier may be a private key for a wallet. The private key may be set as a token uniquely registered on the blockchain. The article of clothing acts as the wallet and embodies the private key. The blockchain may be a private chain. A sensor may be configured to read the machine-readable identifier to obtain the machine-readable identifier from the article of clothing to unlock the digital collectible. The digital collectible may be associated with the blockchain.

[0012] The present disclosure also describes an article of clothing, the article of clothing including a machine-readable identifier, the machine-readable identifier may include a plurality of predetermined discrete regions, the machine-readable identifier may include a plurality of identification codes, each of which may be disposed in a respective predetermined discrete region of the plurality of predetermined discrete regions of the machine-readable identifier, and each of the identification codes in each of the predetermined discrete regions may match a remotely-stored code for each respective predetermined discrete region to facilitate authentication of the article of clothing.

[0013] The article of apparel may be a footwear product. The footwear product may include an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper. The machine-readable identifier may be a logo digitally printed on the upper. The logo may be a digitally printed image on the upper. The logo may include conductive ink. The plurality of identification codes may include a plurality of colors. Each color may have color values. The color values ​​may be grouped into a plurality of predetermined value ranges. An encoding bit may be associated with each of the predetermined value ranges. At least one of the plurality of identification codes may be an encoding symbol.

[0014] The article of clothing may be a garment. The garment may be a shirt. The shirt may include a main shirt body, a first sleeve attached to the main shirt body, and a second sleeve attached to the main shirt body. The machine-readable identifier may be disposed on the main shirt body. The machine-readable identifier may be a logo. The logo may include conductive ink. At least one of the plurality of identification codes may be a geometric shape. The geometric shape may be a triangle, a square, and / or a circle.

[0015] The article of clothing may be a footwear product. The footwear product may include an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper. Each of the predetermined discrete regions may be a magnetic zone on the sole structure. Each magnetic zone may have a corresponding magnetic flux density value that matches a remotely stored magnetic flux density value for each respective magnetic zone to facilitate authentication of the footwear product. The sole structure may include an insole that is fully magnetized to prevent bacterial growth in the sole structure. Each of the magnetic zones may include a plurality of randomly dispersed magnetic particles. The magnetic zones may have different magnetic flux density values ​​from one another.

[0016] The article of clothing may further include a location feature for locating each of the predetermined discrete regions within the article of clothing. The location feature may be a near field communication (NFC) enabled device and / or a digitally printed image.

[0017] The present disclosure also describes a method of manufacturing an article of clothing. The method may include disposing a machine-readable identifier on the article of clothing. The machine-readable identifier may indicate the authenticity of the article of clothing. The machine-readable identifier may include a plurality of identification codes. Each of the identification codes may be disposed in a respective one of a plurality of predetermined discrete regions of the machine-readable identifier. The method may further include determining content and characteristics of the plurality of identification codes within the machine-readable identifier.

[0018] The method may further include determining a size of a grid based on the content of the plurality of identification codes and the content of the features in the machine-readable identifier, and each square of the grid may be one of the predetermined discrete regions. In this disclosure, the terms "predetermined discrete region" and "grid" are used interchangeably.

[0019] The method may further include inputting encoding parameters into the remote host system, which may include a manufacturing date, a manufacturing ID, a serial number, a product style, a color, and / or a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) for the apparel item.

[0020] The method may further include assigning a bit value to each of the plurality of identification codes. The method may further include assigning an electrical resistance value to each bit value. The assigning electrical resistance value step may include assigning an electrical resistance value to each of a plurality of predetermined discrete regions.

[0021] The method may further include generating inkjet printing instructions based on the assigned electrical resistance values ​​to print a machine-readable identifier on the article of clothing.

[0022] The step of placing the machine-readable identifier on the apparel item may include printing the machine-readable identifier based on the assigned electrical resistance value. The machine-readable identifier may be printed with a conductive ink having an assigned electrical resistance value for each of a plurality of discrete regions of the machine-readable identifier. The step of placing the machine-readable identifier on the apparel item may include adding a magnetic material to a polymeric material used to mold the sole structure to form magnetic zones within the sole structure. The magnetic zones may be predetermined discrete regions of the machine-readable identifier. The step of adding the magnetic material may include adding randomly dispersed naturally magnetic particles to the polymeric material used to mold the sole structure. The step of adding the magnetic material may include adding a magnetizable material to the polymeric material used to mold the sole structure.

[0023] The method may further include magnetizing each of the magnetic zones. The method may further include measuring a magnetic property value of each of the magnetic zones and storing the magnetic property value of each of the magnetic zones on a remote host system.

[0024] The above summary is not intended to represent all embodiments or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an illustration of some of the concepts and features described herein. The above features and advantages, as well as other features and attendant advantages of the present disclosure, will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated examples and exemplary modes for carrying out the present disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims. Moreover, the present disclosure expressly includes any and all combinations and subcombinations of the elements and features set forth above and below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a lateral side view of an exemplary article of footwear having a machine-readable identifier according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front, isometric view of an article of clothing having a machine-readable identifier according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary distributed computing system for authenticating clothing items.

[0028] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the functional structure of the distributed computing system of FIG. 3 for authenticating clothing items according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] [Figure 5] 3 is a front view of a machine-readable identifier for the article of footwear of FIG. 1 or the article of clothing of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] [Figure 6] 3 is a front view of a machine-readable identifier for the article of footwear of FIG. 1 or the article of clothing of FIG. 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a front view of a machine-readable identifier according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart of a method for authenticating an article of clothing according to an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0033] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a user scanning an article of clothing (e.g., an article of footwear) to authenticate the article of clothing.

[0034] [Figure 9] 3 is a flowchart of a method of manufacturing the clothing item shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 having a machine-readable identifier.

[0035] [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart of a detailed method for authenticating an article of clothing.

[0036] [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a side, isometric view of an article of clothing (e.g., an article of footwear) including a ferromagnetic material for authenticating the article of clothing.

[0037] [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of an article of clothing including a magnetic zone that is scanned by a user using an interface device.

[0038] [Figure 13] 1 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing an article of clothing having a magnetic zone.

[0039] [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart of a method for authenticating an article of clothing using magnetic zones.

[0040] The present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, and several representative embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the novel aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the particular forms shown in the drawings listed above. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, combinations, subcombinations, substitutions, groupings, and alternatives within the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] This disclosure describes unique methods for storing one or more digital identifiers directly within an article of footwear or clothing. These identifiers can be used to verify the authenticity of the product or for other purposes as desired. In some embodiments, multi-factor authentication techniques can be used with multiple embedded identifiers; for example, one encoded identifier can provide instructions on how or where a second encoded identifier can be extracted.

[0042] In the case of footwear, magnetic or selectively magnetizable particles may be embedded within a foam midsole or outsole during the initial manufacturing of the sole. Due to the nature of the molding process, it is likely that these particles will achieve random distribution / dispersion throughout the foam. In one configuration, magnetic profiles, or discrete portions thereof, may serve as one method of embedding a registrable identifier. Similarly, other identifiers may be digitally printed or encoded with a design, such as a logo or graphic. In the footwear example, an identifier encoded in a logo or graphic on the upper of the footwear product may point to a specific area of ​​the magnetic or magnetizable sole of the footwear product from which a second identifier code may be extracted.

[0043] When used in an authentication context, the identifier may comprise an encrypted code that, when run through an appropriate decryption algorithm, can verify the authenticity of the product. Alternatively, the identifier may be a unique identifier recorded in a private or public database at the time of manufacture. Subsequent authenticity checks may involve simply reading the identifier and referencing the database. To complicate the ability to spoof the authentication routine, it may be beneficial to embed the identifier in an integral component of the product, i.e., a component that is not easily removed or replaced without causing significant or irreversible damage to the product.

[0044] While authentication is one use of this technology, a second use may include storing unique codes for other purposes (e.g., “cold storage”). For example, in one configuration, the embedded identifier may function as an unlock code, an electronic ticket / pass, or a private cryptographic key to unlock digital collectibles, digital attributes, digital experiences, or to provide special functionality in an electronic application, or early access to later-release merchandise, etc. For example, in one configuration, the embedded identifier may be a cryptographic private key or a unique code linked to a cryptographic private key that may enable a user to obtain a cryptographically secured digital collectible (e.g., registered on an immutable ledger such as represented via blockchain technology). Examples of such cryptographically secured digital collectibles (e.g., "CryptoKicks") are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 423,671, which issued on December 10, 2019 as U.S. Patent No. 10,505,726, and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 707,720, filed on December 9, 2019, which published on June 11, 2020 as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0184547, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. In another embodiment, the embedded identifier may enable a user to obtain an attribute pack to modify attributes of the cryptographically secured digital collectible or to provide unique ability improvements or changes to the appearance of a user-controllable character in a video game application. It is also contemplated that the embedded identifier may provide access to a token, database entry, or other blockchain ledger entry having one or more product attributes recorded therein. For example, a product attribute may be an attribute of a footwear or clothing product and may include data regarding where the product was made, how the product was made, product features, and / or sustainability information about the product.As a non-limiting example, sustainability information may include designations that a product is made with certified organic materials or through environmentally friendly manufacturing methods (e.g., certified organic designations). Other applications may be further understood from the disclosure below.

[0045] The present disclosure is susceptible to embodiments in many different forms. Representative examples of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings and are described in detail herein, with the understanding that these representative examples are provided as illustrations of the disclosed principles, not as limitations on the broader aspects of the disclosure. To that extent, elements and limitations described in the Abstract, Technical Field, Background, Summary, and Detailed Description sections but not explicitly recited in the claims should not be incorporated into the claims, either individually or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise.

[0046] For purposes of this detailed description, unless otherwise expressly stated, the singular includes the plural, and vice versa. The words "and" and "or" are intended to be conjunctive and inconjunctive. The words "any" and "all" are intended to mean "all." The words "include," "have," "includes," "having," "including," and the like are intended to mean "including but not limited to," respectively. Additionally, approximation terms such as "about," "approximately," "substantially," and "nearly" may be used herein to mean, for example, "at, near, approximately," or "within 0-5%," or "within acceptable manufacturing tolerances," or any logical combination thereof. Finally, directional adjectives and adverbs such as front, rear, medial, lateral, proximal, distal, vertical, horizontal, front, rear, left, right, etc., may be relative to the article of footwear when worn on a user's foot, e.g., operatively oriented with the ground-engaging portion of the sole structure resting on a flat surface.

[0047] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like features throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a representative footwear product, generally designated 10, and for illustrative purposes, designated as an athletic shoe or "sneaker." The illustrated footwear product 10, also referred to herein simply as "footwear" or "shoe," is merely an exemplary application with which the novel aspects and features of the present disclosure may be implemented. In one embodiment, the illustrated footwear product 10 may be or resemble a CryptoKick (i.e., a computer-generated digital representation of the footwear product 10 that is uniquely registered in an immutable cryptographic database, such as a blockchain network). Similarly, implementations of the present concepts for digital shoes and footwear cryptographic tokens should also be understood as representative implementations of the disclosed concepts. Accordingly, it will be understood that aspects and features of the present disclosure may be utilized with other types of footwear and incorporated into logically related consumer products. As used herein, the terms "shoe" and "footwear" (including their permutations) may be used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to any suitable type of garment worn on a human foot. Finally, features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and are provided purely for instructional purposes. Accordingly, specific and relative dimensions shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting.

[0048] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an article of clothing 9, such as an article of footwear 10. The term "article of clothing" refers to coverings designed to be worn on the body, including, but not limited to, shirts, pants, and shoes. Footwear article 10 is shown as a bipartite construction primarily comprised of a foot-receiving upper 12, which may be collectible, attached atop a lower sole structure 14. While only a single shoe 10 for a user's left foot is shown in FIG. 1 , a mirrored, substantially identical counterpart for a user's right foot may be provided. As will be appreciated, the shape, size, material composition, and manufacturing method of shoe 10 may vary, individually or collectively, to practically accommodate conventional or non-conventional footwear applications.

[0049] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , the upper 12 is shown to have a shell-like, closed toe and heel shape for accommodating a human foot. The upper 12 in FIG. 1 is generally defined by three adjacent sections: a toe box 12A, a vamp 12B, and a rear quarter 12C. The toe box 12A is shown as a rounded, forward tip of the upper 12 extending from the distal phalanges to the proximal phalanges to encase and protect the user's toes. In contrast, the vamp 12B is located posterior to the toe box 12A and is an arched central portion of the upper 12 extending from the metatarsals to the cuboid. As shown, the vamp 12B also provides a series of lace eyelets 16 and a tongue 18. Located posterior to the vamp 12B is the rear quarter 12C, which extends from the transverse ankle joint to the calcaneus and comprises the rear portion of the upper 12. Although depicted in the drawings as including three main segments, upper 12 may be manufactured as a single piece construction or may be composed of any number of segments, including a toe cap, heel cap, ankle cuff, inner liner, etc. In sandal and slipper applications, upper 12 may have an open-toe or open-heel configuration, or may be replaced with a single strap or multiple interconnecting straps.

[0050] The upper 12 portion of the footwear 10 may be manufactured from one or a combination of various materials, such as textiles, engineered foams, polymers, natural and synthetic leathers, and the like. Once cut to shape and size, the individual segments of the upper 12 may be stitched, glued, fastened, welded, or otherwise joined to one another to form an interior cavity for comfortably receiving the foot. The individual material elements of the upper 12 may be selected and positioned relative to the footwear 10 to impart desired characteristics, such as durability, air permeability, abrasion resistance, flexibility, appearance, and comfort. An ankle opening 19 in the rear quarter 12C of the upper 12 provides access to the interior of the shoe 10. The girth of the upper 12 may be altered using laces 20, straps, buckles, or other conventional mechanisms to more securely hold the foot within the shoe 10 and to facilitate entry and removal of the foot from the upper 12. The laces 20 may be threaded through eyelets 16 within or attached to the upper 12. The tongue 18 may extend between the laces 20 and the interior cavity of the upper 12 .

[0051] The sole structure 14 is securely fastened to the upper 12 such that the sole structure 14 spans between the upper 12 and the support surface on which the user stands. The sole structure 14 may be fabricated as a sandwich structure having an upper insole 22, an intermediate midsole 24, and a lower outsole 26 or outsole surface. Alternative sole configurations may be fabricated with more or fewer than three layers. The insole 22 is shown partially positioned within the interior cavity of the footwear 10 and operatively attached to the bottom of the upper 12 such that the insole 22 abuts the plantar surface of the foot. Beneath the insole 22 is a midsole 24 that incorporates one or more materials or embedded elements that enhance the comfort, performance, and / or ground reaction force attenuation characteristics of the footwear 10. These elements and materials, individually or in any combination, may include polymer foam materials such as polyurethane or ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), filler materials, moderators, air-filled bladders, plates, lasting elements, or motion control members. Outsole 26 is positioned below midsole 24 and defines some or all of the lowermost ground-engaging portion of footwear 10. Outsole 26 may be formed from a natural or synthetic rubber material that provides a durable, wear-resistant surface for contact with the ground. Additionally, outsole 26 may be contoured and textured to enhance traction (i.e., friction) characteristics between footwear 10 and the underlying supporting surface. As a general matter, each element, panel, section, and material of footwear article 10 shown in FIG. 1 may be separately depicted or defined in Digital CryptoKicks. Additionally, these attributes may similarly be reflected within the genetic code of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), such as those described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 423,671, which issued on December 10, 2019 as U.S. Patent No. 10,505,726.

[0052] Continuing with reference to FIG. 1 , the article of clothing 9 includes a machine-readable identifier 7. As described above, the article of footwear 10 may be an article of footwear 10. The article of footwear 10 includes the machine-readable identifier 7. An interface device 39 ( FIG. 3 ) is configured to read the machine-readable identifier 7 to verify the authenticity of the article of footwear 9. To do so, the interface device 39 includes a sensor 41, such as a camera. The sensor 41 is configured to scan the machine-readable identifier 7 to determine the authenticity of the article of footwear 9. The interface device 39 may be referred to as a user device. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be a unique logo, such as the NIKE® Swoosh, and / or a barcode. The machine-readable identifier 7 may be directly attached to the upper 12 and / or digitally printed. For example, the identifier 7 may be integrally formed with the upper 12 of the article of footwear 10. Thus, the upper 12 and the machine-readable identifier 7 form a one-piece structure to prevent the machine-readable identifier 7 from separating from the article of footwear 10. While the machine-readable identifier 7 may be used to authenticate the article of clothing 9 as described above, it is contemplated that the machine-readable identifier 7 may additionally or alternatively be used for other purposes. For example, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be used to unlock a digital collectible, to unlock a digital attribute package of the digital collectible, and / or as a blockchain key. When used in an authentication context, the identifier 7 may include a cryptographic code that, when run through an appropriate deception algorithm, may verify the authenticity of the product 9. Alternatively, the identifier 7 may be a unique identifier recorded in a private or public database 60 ( FIG. 4 ) at the time of manufacture. Subsequent authenticity checks may simply involve reading the identifier 7 and referencing the database 60. To complicate the ability to spoof the authentication routine, it may be beneficial to embed the identifier 7 in an integral component of the product 9, i.e., a component that is not easily removed or replaced without significant or irreversible damage to the product 9.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 2 , the clothing item 9 may be a garment 11 (e.g., a shirt). The garment 11 may be a long-sleeved workout shirt. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the garment 11 includes a main shirt body 13, a first sleeve 15, and a second sleeve 17. The first sleeve 15 and the second sleeve 17 are attached to the main shirt body 13. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be a logo, such as the NIKE® Swoosh, and / or a barcode. The machine-readable identifier 7 may be attached directly to the main shirt body 13. For example, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be integrally formed with the main shirt body 13. Thus, the garment 11 and the machine-readable identifier 7 form a one-piece structure to prevent the machine-readable identifier 7 from separating from the garment 11. However, it is contemplated that the machine-readable identifier 7 may be attached to the first sleeve 15 and / or the second sleeve 17.

[0054] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary distributed computing system, generally designated 30. The distributed computing system 30 may include control logic for authenticating clothing items 9 using machine-readable identifiers 7. Additionally, the distributed computing system 30 may include control logic for mining, intermingling, and exchanging product and authentic digital fingerprints. In this disclosure, the term "product digital fingerprint" refers to a compact digital impression extracted from a clothing item 9 that characterizes the content and has sufficient detail to identify content variants when compared. A product digital fingerprint includes content extracted from the clothing item 9's machine-readable identifier 7 and has sufficient detail to identify content variants when compared. It is envisioned that the distributed computing system 30 may additionally have accompanying blockchain control logic for mining, intermingling, and exchanging blockchain-enabled digital collectibles. Users 5 are communicatively coupled to remote host systems 34 and / or cloud computing systems 36 via wireless communications network 38. Although a single user 5 is shown communicating with a single host system 34 and a single cloud computing system 36 via distributed computing system 30, it is envisioned that any number of users may communicate with any number of remote computing nodes that are suitably equipped to wirelessly exchange information and data.Wireless data exchange between user 5 and remote computing nodes on distributed computing system 30 may occur directly, for example, through direct communication between host system 34, cloud computing system 36, and interface device 39 (e.g., the user's smartphone, smartwatch, or other suitable personal computing device), or indirectly, for example, with all communications between user 5 and other computing nodes routed through host system 34. Only selected components of distributed computing system 30 are shown and described in detail herein. Nevertheless, the systems and devices described herein can include numerous additional and alternative features and other available hardware and well-known peripheral components for, for example, performing the various methods and functions disclosed herein.

[0055] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the host system 34 may be implemented as a high-speed server computing device or mainframe computer capable of handling bulk data processing, resource planning, and transaction processing. For example, the host system 34 may act as middleware in a client-server interface to facilitate the necessary data exchange and communication with one or more "third-party" servers to complete a particular transaction. On the other hand, the cloud computing system 36 may be used to connect to the cloud computing infrastructure of the Internet of Things (IoT), Web of Things (WoT), and Internet of Adaptive Apparel and Footwear (IoT). The network 38 may operate as middleware for Internet of Things (IoAAF), Infrastructure over Air (IoAAF), and / or Machine-to-machine (M2M) services, connecting various heterogeneous electronic devices with a service-oriented architecture (SOA) via a data network. As an example, a cloud computing system 36 may be implemented as a middleware node to dynamically onboard heterogeneous devices, multiplex data from each of these devices, and provide different functions for routing the data through reconfigurable processing logic for processing and transmission to one or more destination applications. The network 38 may be any available type of network, including a combination of public distributed computing networks (e.g., the Internet) and secure private networks (e.g., local area networks, wide area networks, virtual private networks). It may also include wireless and wired transmission systems (e.g., satellites, cellular networks, terrestrial networks, etc.). Most, if not all, data transaction functions performed by the user 5 may be performed over wireless networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs) or cellular data networks.

[0056] As a decentralized platform, the computing system 30 may operate as an open but encrypted peer-to-peer network in which asset transaction records, known as "blocks," are linked via cryptographic hash functions in a distributed, immutable ledger of interconnected blocks, or "blockchain." Each block in the chain contains one or more digital asset transactions accompanied by corroboration information indicating the validity of each transaction as assessed by peer verification devices. The encrypted, decentralized computing architecture enables identity verification and authentication of transacted assets while preventing duplication of cryptographically secured ("encrypted") digital assets registered on the platform. In a blockchain, each node has a complete copy of the chain. Decentralized asset management may work by encrypting proprietary asset files, splitting the encrypted code into small "nonsense" pieces, and sending these pieces to many different computing nodes on the decentralized computing network. Verified owners are provided with private keys that indicate where their assets are located within the network and how to reconstruct or "decrypt" the files. For use as a distributed ledger, individual blockchains are typically managed by a host administrator and distributed to multiple peers that collectively follow a protocol for inter-node communication and block validation.

[0057] It should be appreciated that the disclosed systems and techniques provide many advantageous technical effects, including the construction and storage of a digital asset blockchain representing transactions between users of virtual collectibles associated with real-world products. The construction and storage of a digital asset blockchain enables networked computing devices to quickly and efficiently generate, verify, and process digital asset data, thereby improving the performance of individual computing devices. A distributed network of interconnected computational nodes can function as a "supercomputer" with access to many parallel processors, coordinating the allocation and reassembly of various computational chunks. In doing so, the network is more computationally efficient, faster, and cheaper than a centralized computing system or a single processing farm. Similarly, distributed storage provides each individual computing node with enormous storage capacity, limited only by the number of peer devices and their cumulative available memory space.

[0058] 3 and 4 illustrate an example of the functional structure of a distributed computing system 30 such as that shown in FIG. 2. As generally shown, a user 5 may operatively interface with an interface device 39 (i.e., interface device 39), which may include one or more of a smartphone, tablet computer, smartwatch, laptop computer, desktop computer, standalone video game console, smart footwear / apparel, or other similar internet-enabled device. The interface device 39 may be operatively configured to communicate with a database 60 (e.g., an authentic fingerprint database and / or a blockchain service / network, referred to herein as a blockchain) and / or one or more of a third-party integration service 66.

[0059] In general, database 60 may contain at least one authentic digital fingerprint registered therein, which represents the contents of an authentic clothing item 9 and / or encoded sole machine-readable identifier 7. User 5 may own or communicate with database 60, via interface device 39, containing authentic digital fingerprints each associated with a specific machine-readable identifier 7 for authenticating clothing items 9. Each stored authentic digital fingerprint represents at least one machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., clothing item 11, footwear 10, etc.). Additionally, database 60 may contain at least one non-fungible token registered therein, which includes genomic information representing a digital asset. User 5 may own or be linked, via interface device 39, to a locker / wallet containing a private encryption key that allows interface device 39 to read encrypted data associated with the token. This wallet may be a hot wallet connected to the Internet or cold storage, which is an offline wallet used to store private encryption keys. The machine-readable identifier 7 may be a private key. The key further allows the user 5 to freely transfer ownership of the token. The machine-readable identifier 7 may enable access to the token, a database entry, or other blockchain ledger entry that records one or more product attributes. For example, the product attributes may be attributes of an item of clothing 9 and may include data regarding where the product was made, how the product was made, product features, and / or sustainability information about the product. As a non-limiting example, the sustainability information may include an indication that the product was made with certified organic materials or through environmentally friendly manufacturing methods (e.g., a certified organic designation).

[0060] In one embodiment, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be a private cryptographic key used to access one or more stored digital tokens in association with a unique public cryptographic key. The stored tokens may be non-fungible tokens (NFTs), such as tokens conforming to the Ethereum Request for Comments (ERC) 721 or ERC 1155 protocols. NFTs may be uniquely created to represent a user's physical shoes on a distributed blockchain ledger. In this way, NFTs may be an authentication mechanism in which the shoes themselves serve as cold storage for their own authenticity verification keys. In some embodiments, NFTs may also (or alternatively) represent digital collectibles that can be freely traded once a user gains access to the original private key included in their manufacture.

[0061] In another embodiment, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be a private cryptographic key used to access one or more fungible tokens stored in association with a unique public cryptographic key. In addition, the public cryptographic key may also be digitally stored on the shoe, e.g., in the same or a different machine-readable identifier 7 used to represent the private cryptographic key. By including both the public and private cryptographic keys, the footwear product of this example may resemble a cold storage wallet in which an owner may securely store cryptocurrency such as BITCOIN™. Storing cryptocurrency in this offline manner thus provides a degree of security where access to the physical product is required to gain access to the cryptocurrency.

[0062] 4, computing system 30 may further include third-party integration services 66 that enable use of the authentic digital fingerprint in different contexts or manners. Third-party integration services 66 may operate as APIs on applications provided on interface device 39 (i.e., user devices) or as dedicated cloud-based services. In some embodiments, third-party integration services 66 may enable external uses of the authentic fingerprint. Examples of such uses may include digital artwork display, physical print generation, manufacturing production, etc.

[0063] 4, in one configuration, an enterprise host system 68 may communicate with the database 60 for the purpose of providing / creating new authentic digital fingerprints. Additionally, the host system 68 may provide one or more rules to constrain the manner and style in which information from the database is represented in visual / artistic form in the machine-readable identifier 7.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 5 , the machine-readable identifier 7 includes multiple identification codes 44 within each predetermined discrete region 40. In this disclosure, the plural terms “predetermined discrete regions” and “grid” are used interchangeably. Each of the identification codes 44 may include an encoding symbol, a grayscale color, and / or a geometric shape. The geometric shape may be a circle, a square, and / or a triangle. To create the predetermined discrete regions 40, the machine-readable authentic identifier 7, a grid 40 may be virtually placed on the machine-readable identifier 7 and its background 43 to maximize the number of identification codes 44 placed on the machine-readable identifier 7. When a grid 40 is used, all of the predetermined discrete regions 40 have the exact same size to facilitate scanning the machine-readable identifier 7. Accordingly, each square in the grid 40 is referred to herein as one of the predetermined discrete regions 40. Different combinations of identification codes 44 may be used to fill the machine-readable authentic identifier 7. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the predetermined discrete regions 40 do not contain more than one machine-readable authentic identifier 7 to facilitate authentication of the clothing item 9. Furthermore, each identification code 44 may be a geometric shape having a particular grayscale color. The machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) may have a border 45 that identifies the region of interest that includes the identification code 44. The border 45 has a color that is opposite to the color of the background 43 to facilitate detection of the machine-readable identifier 7. For example, if the background 43 of the machine-readable identifier 7 is white, the border 45 of the machine-readable identifier 7 may be black to facilitate detection of the machine-readable identifier 7 by the sensor 41 (e.g., a camera). The color may be either a specific color at a discrete location (e.g., the color in one of the predetermined discrete regions 40) or an average color in the squares of the grid 40.

[0065] If the identification code 44 has a grayscale color, the grayscale color may be represented by a binary number (i.e., zero or one). The grayscale color that is closest to the color of the background 43 of the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) may be represented by the binary number zero. For example, if the color of the background 43 is black (i.e., has a grayscale value of zero), a grayscale color with a grayscale value between 0 and 0.99 represents the binary number zero. Grayscale colors with grayscale values ​​between 1 and 2 are reserved and not used. A grayscale color with a grayscale value greater than two represents the binary number one. The above grayscale values ​​and associated binary numbers facilitate detection of the machine-readable identifier 7 by a sensor 41 (e.g., a camera) of the interface device 39.

[0066] The identifier 7 may be digitally printed on the product 9 using conductive ink. To generate the conductive ink printing instructions, a binary number may be associated with the electrical resistance of the conductive ink to be used for each discrete location (e.g., a predetermined discrete region 40). For example, the binary number 0 may be associated with conductive ink having an electrical resistance of less than 100 ohms. Therefore, the conductive ink at a specific location on the product 9 designated by the binary number 0 should have an electrical resistance of less than 100 ohms. Reserved colors (e.g., grayscale colors having grayscale values ​​between 1 and 2) may be associated with conductive ink having an electrical resistance of between 150 ohms and 300 ohms. Therefore, the conductive ink at a specific location on the product 9 designated by the reserved color should have an electrical resistance of between 150 ohms and 300 ohms. The binary number 1 may be associated with conductive ink having an electrical resistance greater than 300 ohms. Therefore, the conductive ink at a specific location on the product 9 designated by the binary number 1 should have an electrical resistance greater than 300 ohms. Thus, the electrical resistance is used to determine which conductive ink is used to print each identification code 44 in the machine-readable identifier 7. The term "conductive ink" refers to ink that produces a print that is capable of conducting electricity. Conductive ink may be produced by infusing graphite or other conductive materials into the ink.

[0067] In the above example, the identification code 44 has a grayscale color within a grayscale wheel; however, it is envisioned that the identification code 44 may have a color within a red-green-blue color wheel / chart (i.e., an RGB color wheel / chart). The color of the background 43 of the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) is used to determine the range of the grayscale or color wheel chart used to encode the bits. The RGB color wheel values ​​may be represented as 8-bit values, 16-bit values, 24-bit values, or other suitable bit values. Color differences (in the grayscale or RGB color wheel) may be indistinguishable to the naked eye but detectable by a sensor 41 (e.g., a camera) of the interface device 39. Designers may use the principle of color interaction pairing to create a pleasing fill in the machine-readable identifier 7.

[0068] 6, the identification code 44 may encode symbols having artistic designs instead of (or in addition to) basic geometric shapes. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the identification code 44 may be a picture of a foot, an arrow, and a hollow diamond, among others.

[0069] As a non-limiting example, the identifier 7 may be printed with laser-printed black ink. Instead of a visible patterned encoding as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the identifier 7 may be encoded with ink that is not visible in daylight (or when exposed to a camera flash) until certain conditions are met. For example, the identifier 7 may be printed with an invisible ink, such as an ultraviolet (UV) ink. In this way, a designer may visually design the identifier 7 without regard to a specific visual shape or color. As defined herein, the term UV ink means an ink that is visible under an ultraviolet lamp. Alternatively or additionally, the ink forming the identifier 7 may be a photochromatic ink, a mechanochromatic ink, a thermochromatic ink, a hydrochromatic ink, and / or a UV-visible ink.

[0070] 6A, the identifier 7 may include 72 encoded bits to minimize the data that needs to be encoded. To identify and detect the uniqueness of the clothing item 9, the encoded bits may include encoded data regarding the product style, product color(s), and data regarding a cyclic redundancy check (CRC).

[0071] The identifier 7 may additionally include two regions (i.e., a first identification region 73 and a second identification region 75) for alignment and accurate grid sizing. The first identification region 73 may be located at the top left of the identifier 7, and the second identification region 75 may be located at the rightmost portion of the identifier 7. By using this configuration, the designer has many dark matter areas 77 for the conductive ink to facilitate manufacturing of the identifier 7. The resistance of the conductive ink may be measured at the edge of the identifier 7 using only two probes. Specifically, to measure the resistance of the conductive ink, a first probe may be located at point 7A at the top left, and another probe may be located at point 7B at the rightmost point of the identifier 7. The resistance is then measured across point 7A at the top left and point 7B at the top right of the identifier 7 to confirm the uniqueness of the clothing item 9. However, it is contemplated that other layouts may be used to measure the resistance of the conductive ink. For example, the first identification region 73 may be located at the top of the identifier 7, and the second identification region 75 may be located at the bottom of the identifier 7. In another example, the first identification region 73 may be located at the right-most portion of the identifier 7, and the second identification region 75 may be located at the top left of the identifier 7. The resistance measurement may represent a number that can be compared to numbers stored in the database 60. A checksum function may be used to return a predetermined output value that is a function of the digits identified by the resistance measurement. This predetermined output value obtained by the checksum function is compared to a value stored in the database 60 to determine whether the clothing item 9 is authentic. If the predetermined output value obtained by the checksum function matches the value stored in the database 60, the clothing item 9 is authentic.

[0072] An immutable cryptographic database, such as a blockchain network, may store data related to the product style, product color(s), product serial number of the clothing item 9, and electrical resistance between the top left point 7A and the right most point 7B of the identifier 7. The data embedded in the identifier 7 is compared to the data stored in the immutable cryptographic database to determine whether the clothing item 9 is authentic. If the data embedded in the identifier 7 matches the data stored in the immutable cryptographic database, the clothing item 9 is authentic.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a simplified flowchart of a method 100 for authenticating a clothing item 9. This method 100 may also be referred to as a method of decoding a machine-readable identifier 7 of a clothing item 9. Prior to performing the method 100, one or more preliminary steps may be performed. For example, the user 5 may download and install an app 46 on the interface device 39. As described above, the interface device 39 may be a tablet, smartphone, tablet computer, smartwatch, laptop computer, desktop computer, or other similar internet-enabled device. Regardless, the interface device 39 includes a processor or other suitable processing unit for operating the app 46. As described above, the interface device 39 includes a sensor 41, such as a camera, configured to scan the machine-readable identifier 7 to determine the authenticity of the clothing item 9. In block 102, the app 46 may be downloaded from a third-party integration service 66. After the app 46 is downloaded and installed on the interface device 39, the method 100 may begin at block 104.

[0074] In block 104, the user 5, via the app 46, commands the interface device 39 to display a transparent guide in the shape of a machine-readable identifier 7 to help highlight an area of ​​interest. The transparent guide may be a black silhouette with a transparent fill and background. The silhouette has the shape of the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) that helps guide the field of view of the sensor 41 (e.g., a camera), thereby allowing the user to scan the machine-readable identifier 7. The method 100 then proceeds to block 106.

[0075] In block 106, user 5 points sensor 41 of interface device 39 at machine-readable identifier 7 of clothing item 9. User 5 aligns the transparent guide with machine-readable identifier 7 until machine-readable identifier 7 fits and fills the transparent guide. To do so, user 5 may zoom in until machine-readable identifier 7 fits within the transparent guide.

[0076] 8 shows user 5 pointing sensor 41 of interface device 39 at article of footwear 10. While pointing sensor 41 at article of clothing 9, the app displays an image of machine-readable identifier 7 superimposed on a transparent guide to help user 5 align machine-readable identifier 7 within the field of view of sensor 41.

[0077] 7 , in block 106, the app may automatically detect when the machine-readable identifier 7 fits within the transparent guide. To do so, the app 46 may automatically detect when the boundary 45 of the machine-readable identifier 7 aligns with the silhouette of the transparent guide. Upon detecting that the boundary 45 of the machine-readable identifier 7 is aligned with the silhouette of the transparent guide, the method 100 proceeds to block 108.

[0078] In block 108, the app 46 captures an image, e.g., a still image, of the machine-readable identifier 7 and masks out areas of the captured image that are outside the machine-readable identifier 7 (i.e., the region of interest). The app 46 then detects the identification code 44 in each of the predetermined discrete regions 40. For example, the app 46 may detect encoded bits represented as a range of grayscale and / or RGB color values ​​in each of the predetermined discrete regions 40. The app 46 then retrieves a product digital fingerprint of the scanned clothing item 9 (e.g., clothing product 11 or footwear product 10). The product digital fingerprint represents the content (e.g., the identification code 44) of the machine-readable identifier 7 located on the clothing item 9, which may be captured, for example, by a scanner. Thus, the product digital fingerprint may include the type, position, shape, and spacing of the identification code 44. The app 46 then compares the product digital fingerprint with the authentic digital fingerprint. The authentic digital fingerprint is stored on database 60 and includes content that should be on an authentic clothing item 9 (e.g., data regarding the type, position, shape, and spacing of identification code 44). Only if the authentic digital fingerprint matches the authentic digital fingerprint, app 46 determines that clothing item 9 is authentic. In other words, if the content of the product digital fingerprint of clothing item 9 is the same as the content of the authentic digital fingerprint stored in database 60, app 46 determines that clothing item 9 is authentic. App 46 then instructs interface device 39 to display a message indicating that clothing item 9 is authentic.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method 200 for manufacturing an article of clothing 9 (e.g., an article of footwear 10 or an article of clothing 11). Method 200 starts at block 202 and may be executed by a remote host system 34 and / or a cloud computing system 36. To do so, the remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36 may include a processor and a non-transitory machine-readable medium. In other words, the remote host system 34 or the cloud computing system 36 may be specially programmed to execute method 200. After block 202, method 200 proceeds to block 204. In block 204, the manufacturer determines the content and characteristics of an identification code 44 in the machine-readable identifier 7. The content of the identification code 44 may depend on the color of the article of clothing 9 and whether the manufacturer is manufacturing the article of footwear 10 or the article of clothing 11. In particular, in block 204, the manufacturer or designer selects an encoding symbol, a color wheel (e.g., grayscale color or RGB color wheel), a background 43 color for the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo), grayscale and / or color value ranges within a predetermined value range, encoding bits associated with each predetermined value range, and electrical resistance values ​​associated with each encoding bit. After block 204, method 200 proceeds to block 206.

[0080] In block 206, the manufacturer determines the size of the grid 40 (i.e., grid size) based on the content and characteristics (i.e., the symbols of the identification codes 44) in the machine-readable identifier 7. Once the grid size is selected, it is fixed. Also in block 206, the manufacturer selects the spacing between each identification code 44 (e.g., encoding symbol). The vertical and horizontal spacing between all adjacent identification codes 44 is the same to facilitate detection of the identification codes 44 by the sensor 41. The method 200 then proceeds to block 208.

[0081] At block 208, encoding parameters are entered into the remote host system 34 and / or cloud computing system 36. The encoding parameters include, but are not limited to, the manufacturing date, manufacturing ID, serial number, product style, color(s), and Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) of the apparel item 9 (e.g., footwear item 10 or apparel item 11). The method 200 then proceeds to block 210.

[0082] At block 210, the remote host system 34 and / or cloud computing system 36 applies an encoding algorithm to determine an appropriate identification code 44 (e.g., encoding symbol and color) for each bit value. This step results in generating an array of symbols, electrical resistances, and colors. This array is referred to as a data array. Also at block 210, a checksum of this data array is calculated and encoded in at least the most significant bit (e.g., binary bit 1). The method 200 then proceeds to block 212.

[0083] At block 212, an array of identification codes 44 (e.g., symbols, conductive ink electrical resistance mapping, symbol colors, and symbol mapping) is assembled. The array of identification codes 44 includes electrical resistance values ​​for each predetermined discrete region. A Boolean value of 1 is used for the most significant bit and the least significant bit to easily locate the identification codes 44 (e.g., symbols) within the machine-readable identifier 7. In a grayscale array, the most significant bit is represented by black and the least significant bit is represented by white, and vice versa. The method 100 then proceeds to block 214.

[0084] At block 214, the remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36 generate inkjet printing instructions for printing a machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) based on the assigned electrical resistance values ​​determined at block 212. The inkjet printing instructions include the location, color, and symbol of the conductive ink on the clothing item 9 (e.g., footwear 10 or article of clothing 11), as well as the electrical resistance of the conductive ink at each location. The remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36 then prints the machine-readable identifier 7 on the clothing item 9 according to the inkjet printing instructions. In particular, the machine-readable identifier 7 is printed with conductive ink having an assigned electrical resistance value for each of the multiple discrete regions 40 of the machine-readable identifier 7. The unique machine-readable identifier 7 can then be used to track the clothing item 9 using minimal hardware (e.g., sensors 41). Thus, the machine-readable identifier 7 can be used to uniquely identify each clothing item 9 and track its history, including purchaser information. Next, at block 216, the method 200 ends.

[0085] 10 is a flowchart of a detailed method 300 for authenticating an article of clothing 9 (e.g., an article of footwear 10 or an article of apparel 11). Method 300 starts at block 302. Next, method 300 proceeds to block 304. In block 304, a sensor 41 of interface device 39 (e.g., a smartphone) continuously captures two-dimensional (2D) image data from the article of clothing 9. To do so, user 5, via app 46, activates sensor 41 (e.g., a camera) of interface device 39 to continuously capture and record images of the article of clothing in a non-transitory medium of interface device 39 for further analysis. After block 304, method 300 proceeds to block 306.

[0086] In block 306, the app 46 running on the interface device 39 displays a transparent guide in the shape of the machine-readable identifier 7 to help highlight the area of ​​interest in response to activating the sensor 41 of the interface device 39. In other words, the app 46 overlays the transparent guide over the image of the area of ​​interest (i.e., the machine-readable identifier 7 on the clothing item 9). The transparent guide may be a solid color silhouette (e.g., a color silhouette) with a transparent fill and background. The silhouette has the shape of the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) that helps guide the field of view of the sensor 41 (e.g., a camera), thereby allowing a user to scan the machine-readable identifier 7.

[0087] At block 308, the app 46 running on the interface device 39 analyzes the 2D image data captured by the sensor 41. To do so, the user 5 points the sensor 41 of the interface device 39 at the machine-readable identifier 7 of the clothing item 9. The user 5 aligns the transparent guide with the machine-readable identifier 7 until the machine-readable identifier 7 fits into and fills the transparent guide. The user 5 may zoom in until the machine-readable identifier 7 fits within the transparent guide. The app 46 applies matching machine vision techniques to find and isolate the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) within the 2D captured image data. The method 300 then proceeds to block 310.

[0088] At block 310, the app 46 running on the interface device 39 determines whether a machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) is detected on the clothing item 9. If the machine-readable identifier 7 is not detectable on the clothing item 9, the method 300 proceeds to block 312. At block 312, the interface device 39 prompts the user 5, via the app, to zoom in until the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo) appears and fits within a transparent guide (e.g., a silhouette with a transparent fill in the shape of the machine-readable identifier 7). After block 312, the method 300 returns to block 308. If the machine-readable identifier 7 is detected on the clothing item 9 at block 310, the method 300 proceeds from block 310 to block 314.

[0089] At block 314, the interface device 39 masks the remaining portions of the captured image that are outside the transparent guide. In other words, the interface device 39 masks the areas of the captured image (i.e., areas of interest) that are outside the machine-readable identifier 7 and the designated background 43 of the machine-readable identifier 7. The method 300 then proceeds to block 316.

[0090] At block 316, depending on the background color of the machine-readable identifier 7 (i.e., the color of the background 43), the interface device 39 converts the 2D image to grayscale or uses a predetermined color chart for further processing. For example, if the color of the background 43 is white, the interface device 39 converts the 2D image captured by the sensor 41 to grayscale. On the other hand, if the color of the background 43 is a color on the RGB color wheel (e.g., blue), the interface device 39 uses the RGB color wheel or chart for further processing. The method 300 then proceeds to block 318.

[0091] At block 318, the interface device 39 iterates through a list of masks (i.e., predetermined stored codes), which are combinations of standard and custom symbols required to detect each data bit represented by a range of colors in each predetermined discrete region 40 within the machine-readable identifier 7. The method 300 then proceeds to block 320.

[0092] At block 320, interface device 39 identifies the background color of machine-readable identifier 7 (i.e., background color 43) to determine the grayscale color or range of colors within the RGB color wheel that represents the binary digit 0 similar to the background color. Next, method 300 proceeds to block 322.

[0093] At block 322, interface device 39 recognizes a first group of bits (e.g., the binary 1 bits of FIG. 10). In other words, interface device 39 uses a predetermined top range of grayscale and / or RGB colors to determine the binary 1 data bit value. Method 300 then proceeds to block 324.

[0094] At block 324, the interface device 39 assembles the alignment bits with the most significant bit represented in the right-most corner of the machine-readable identifier 7 (e.g., a logo). Next, the method 300 proceeds to block 326. As described above, the machine-readable identifier 7 may include two regions (i.e., a first identification region 73 and a second identification region 75) for alignment and precise grid sizing, as shown in FIG. 6A . The first identification region 73 may be located in the upper left corner of the identifier 7, and the second identification region 75 may be located in the right-most portion of the identifier 7. The resistance of the conductive ink may be measured using only two probes at the edges of the identifier 7. Specifically, to measure the resistance of the conductive ink, a first probe may be located at point 7A in the upper left corner and another probe may be located at point 7B at the right-most point of the identifier 7. Next, the resistance is measured across the upper left point 7A and the upper right point 7B of the identifier 7 to verify the identity of the clothing item 9. The resistance measurement between the top left point 7A and the top right point 7B can be expressed as a number, which can be compared with numbers stored in database 60, which are organized as an array of bits.

[0095] At block 326, the interface device 39 uses the leftmost 8 bits as a checksum to verify the detected bit value. The checksum function may be used to return a predetermined output value that is a function of the digit identified by the resistance measurement. The method 300 then proceeds to block 328.

[0096] At block 328, the interface device 39 verifies the checksum. To do so, the stored checksum generated in method 200 is compared to the checksum generated in block 326. If the checksum generated in block 326 is the same as the checksum generated in method 200, the clothing item 9 is determined to be authentic. Method 300 then ends at block 332. Block 328 also entails accessing a token, database, or other blockchain ledger entry having data regarding one or more product attributes or characteristics (i.e., attributes of the footwear product 10 or clothing product 11) in response to authenticating the clothing item 9. In other words, in response to reading the machine-readable identifier 7 and then verifying the checksum, the interface device 39 can access a token, database entry, or other blockchain ledger entry having one or more product attributes recorded thereon. The product attributes are attributes of the clothing item 9 and may include data regarding where the product was made, how the product was made, product features, and / or sustainability information regarding the product. As a non-limiting example, the sustainability information may include an indication that the product was made with certified organic materials or through environmentally friendly manufacturing methods (e.g., certified organic). The interface device 39 may then display the product's attributes after accessing the token, database entry, or blockchain ledger entry.

[0097] As an alternative embodiment, FIG. 11 illustrates that the article of clothing 9 can be an article of footwear 10. In aspects of the present disclosure, the article of footwear 10 includes an upper 12 and a sole structure 14 attached to the upper 12, as described above with respect to FIG. 1 . The sole structure 14 includes an insole 22. As used herein, the term “insole” refers to the innermost piece of material of the sole structure 14 that extends under the foot and supports the bottom of the foot. The entire insole 22 may be magnetized to prevent bacterial growth in the sole structure 14, thereby minimizing odor in the article of footwear 10. However, the remainder of the sole structure 14 includes magnetic zones of predetermined discrete regions 40 that include natural magnetic particles and / or magnetized particles. For example, as shown in FIG. 12 , the entire sole structure 14 can be considered a machine-readable identifier 7 that includes predetermined discrete regions 40. Accordingly, the predetermined discrete regions 40 may be referred to as magnetic zones 47. In the illustrated embodiment, the predetermined discrete regions 40 within the sole structure 14 are referred to as magnetic zones 47 (i.e., magnetic zones 47A, 47B, 47c, 47D, 47E, 47F, and 47G). A magnetic profile, or discrete portions thereof, is formed by one or more magnetic zones 47 and may serve as one method of embedding a registrable identifier 7. While seven magnetic zones 47 are shown, it is contemplated that the sole structure 14 may include more or fewer magnetic zones 47 disposed across the longitudinal and / or lateral dimensions / areas of the sole structure 14. Each magnetic zone 47 may include magnetic particles randomly dispersed within the foam of the sole structure 14, which allows a manufacturer to imprint a magnetic signature on the sole structure 14. Each magnetic zone 47 may include one or more naturally magnetic and / or magnetizable materials. Each magnetic zone 47 has a magnetic characteristic (e.g., a magnetic flux density value). For example, the magnetic zones 47 may each have a different magnetic flux density value to make copying more difficult. Alternatively, at least some or all of the magnetic zones 47 may have the same magnetic flux density value. In this case, the magnetic characteristic (e.g., the magnetic flux density value) is considered the identification code 44, and the magnetic zones 47 are considered the predetermined discrete regions 40.Each of the predetermined discrete regions 40 (eg, magnetic zones 47) has a particular magnetic flux density value (eg, identifying code 44).

[0098] The user 5 may use the interface device 39 to measure the magnetic properties (e.g., magnetic flux density values) of each magnetic zone 47. To do so, the sensor 41 may be a magnetometer or other sensor suitable for measuring the magnetic properties, such as the magnetic flux density values, of each magnetic zone 47 of the sole structure 14. The sensor 41 may be part of the interface device 39, for example, a dedicated scanner or other suitable device configured to measure the magnetic properties of the magnetic zones 47, such as the magnetic flux density values. The measured magnetic flux density values ​​of each magnetic zone 47 are considered part of the product's digital fingerprint. On the other hand, the magnetic flux density values ​​stored on the database 60 are considered the authentic digital fingerprint.

[0099] The product's digital fingerprint is then compared to the authentic digital fingerprint. In other words, the measured magnetic flux density value at each magnetic zone 47 is compared to a stored identification code (e.g., a stored magnetic characteristic, such as a magnetic flux density value, for each magnetic zone 47). If the product's digital fingerprint matches the authentic digital fingerprint stored in database 60, app 46 running on interface device 39 displays a message that the clothing item 9 is authentic. In other words, if each measured magnetic flux density value at each of the predetermined discrete areas 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47) matches a corresponding stored magnetic characteristic (e.g., a magnetic flux density value) for each of the predetermined discrete areas 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47), app 46 running on interface device 39 (e.g., a smartphone) displays a message that the clothing item 9 is authentic. On the other hand, if the product's digital fingerprint does not match the authentic digital fingerprint stored in database 60, app 46 running on interface device 39 displays a message that the clothing item 9 is not authentic. In other words, if the respective magnetic property (e.g., magnetic flux density value) of each of the predetermined discrete areas 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47) does not match the corresponding stored magnetic property (e.g., magnetic flux density value) for each respective predetermined discrete area 40 (e.g., magnetic zone 47), app 46 running on interface device 39 (e.g., smartphone) displays a message that the clothing item 9 is not authentic.

[0100] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method 400 for manufacturing an article of clothing 9 (e.g., an article of footwear 10) having a magnetic zone 47 for creating an authentic digital fingerprint. The method 400 begins at block 402. In block 402, a magnetizable or naturally magnetic material, such as a ferrimagnetic material, is added to a polymer material used to mold the sole structure 14. A suitable ferrimagnetic material may be magnetite (FeO). Naturally magnetic or magnetizable particles may also be added to the polymer material used to make the sole structure 14. Specifically, magnetic or selectively magnetizable particles may be embedded within the foam or outsole during initial manufacturing of the sole structure 14. Due to the nature of the molding process, it is likely that these particles may achieve random distribution and / or dispersion throughout the foam midsole and / or outsole. The naturally magnetic particles may be randomly dispersed in the polymer material used to make the sole structure 14, thereby making it difficult to replicate the machine-readable identifier 7. Alternatively, magnetizable particles allow the manufacturer to create a unique magnetic signature within magnetic zone 47. Next, method 400 proceeds to block 404.

[0101] At block 404, a magnetic material, such as a ferromagnetic material, is added to the molding compound used to create the insole 22. The magnetic material in the insole 22 inhibits bacterial growth and can be used as a second authentication factor. The method 400 then proceeds to block 406.

[0102] At block 406, an appropriately sized fixture is used to magnetize each predetermined discrete region 40 (e.g., magnetic zone 47) of the article of clothing 9. For example, only magnetic zones 47A, 47B, 47C, 47D, 47E, 47F, and 47G within the sole structure 14 of the article of footwear 10 are magnetized with random magnetic characteristic values. A magnetizer may be used to magnetize the magnetic zones 47. These magnetic zones 47 are spaced apart from one another to facilitate scanning with the sensor 41 of the interface device 39. This step is optional, as the magnetic zones may comprise naturally magnetic particles at block 402. The method 400 then proceeds to block 408.

[0103] In block 408, a device is used to magnetize the entire insole 22 to help control bacterial growth within the article of apparel 9 (e.g., article of footwear 10). Block 408 is optional. The method 400 then proceeds to block 410.

[0104] At block 410, an appropriately sized instrument is used to measure the magnetic property (e.g., magnetic flux density value) of each magnetic zone 47 of the clothing item 9. A magnetometer, such as a Gaussmeter or Teslameter, may be used to measure the magnetic property value of each magnetic zone 47. The magnetic property (e.g., magnetic flux density value) is stored on the remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36. The stored magnetic values ​​of the magnetic zones form an authentic digital fingerprint. The stored magnetic value for each magnetic zone 47 is associated with a unique serial number for the clothing item 9 (e.g., the footwear item 10). This association is also stored on the remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36. The method 400 may end at block 410.

[0105] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method 500 for authenticating an item of clothing 9 using a magnetic zone 47. Prior to performing the method 500, several preliminary steps may be performed. For example, the stored serial number may be printed on the item of clothing 9 and / or its packaging (e.g., box). The stored serial number may be marked on the product box of the footwear 10. Furthermore, when the item of clothing 9 is sold to a purchaser, the purchaser's identification number may be stored in the remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36. The purchaser's identification number may also be associated with the item of clothing's serial number. This association is stored in the remote host system 34 and / or the cloud computing system 36. Furthermore, the user 5 may download and install the app 46 on the interface device 39, as shown in FIG. 8. As mentioned above, the interface device 39 may be a tablet, smartphone, tablet computer, smartwatch, laptop computer, desktop computer, or other similar internet-enabled device. Regardless, the interface device 39 includes a processor or other suitable processing unit for running the app 46. As described above, interface device 39 may include sensor 41, such as a magnetometer, configured to measure a magnetic property (magnetic flux density value) of each predetermined discrete region 40 (e.g., magnetic zone 47) of sole structure 14 to determine the authenticity of apparel item 9 (e.g., article of footwear 10). App 46 may be downloaded from third-party integration service 66. After app 46 is downloaded and installed on interface device 39, method 500 may be executed.

[0106] Method 500 begins at block 504. At block 504, user 5 may select (on app 46) an item of clothing 9 and may use app 46 to verify the unique serial number, purchase date, and / or characteristics of the item of clothing 9. Method 500 then proceeds to block 506.

[0107] At block 506, the app prompts the user 5 (e.g., a purchaser) to place and align the interface device 39 over each of the predetermined discrete areas 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47). In response, the sensor 41 (e.g., a magnetometer) of the interface device 39 measures a magnetic property (e.g., a magnetic flux density value) at each predetermined discrete area 40 of the clothing item 9. After measuring and recording the magnetic property value of each predetermined discrete area 40, the method 500 proceeds to block 508.

[0108] At block 508, the app 46 compares the measured magnetic characteristic value (e.g., magnetic flux density value) in each magnetic zone 47 with the stored identification code 44 (e.g., stored magnetic characteristic, such as magnetic flux density value) for each magnetic zone 47. The app 46 also compares the serial number on the packaging of the clothing item 8 with the serial number stored in the app. If each magnetic characteristic value (e.g., magnetic flux density value) in each of the predetermined discrete areas 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47) matches the corresponding stored magnetic characteristic value (e.g., magnetic flux density value) for each respective predetermined discrete area 40 (e.g., magnet zone 47) and the serial number on the packaging matches the serial number stored in the app, the app 46 running on the interface device 39 (e.g., smartphone) displays a message that the clothing item 9 is authentic. Block 508 also entails accessing a token, database entry, or other blockchain ledger entry having data regarding one or more product attributes in response to authenticating the clothing item 9. In other words, after reading the machine-readable identifier 7, in response to determining that each magnetic characteristic value (e.g., magnetic flux density value) in each of the predetermined discrete regions 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47) matches a corresponding stored magnetic characteristic value (e.g., magnetic flux density value) for each of the respective predetermined discrete regions 40 (e.g., magnet zones 47) and that the serial number on the package matches a serial number stored on the app 46, the interface device 39 can access a token, database entry, or other blockchain ledger entry having one or more product characteristics recorded thereon. The product attributes are attributes of the clothing item 9 and may include data regarding where the product was made, how the product was made, product features, and / or sustainability information about the product. As a non-limiting example, the sustainability information may include an indication that the product was made with certified organic materials or through environmentally friendly manufacturing methods (e.g., certified organic). The interface device 39 may then display the product attributes after accessing the token, database entry, or blockchain ledger entry.

[0109] If some (but not all) of the magnetic property values ​​of the predetermined discrete regions 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47) match the corresponding stored magnetic property values ​​for each predetermined discrete region 40, the app 46 running on the interface device 39 may display a message indicating how many regions match. If the magnetic property (e.g., magnetic flux density value) in each of the predetermined discrete regions 40 (e.g., magnetic zones 47) does not match the corresponding stored magnetic property (e.g., magnetic flux density value) for each of the predetermined discrete regions 40 (e.g., magnet zones 47) or if the serial number on the packaging does not match the serial number stored in the app, the app 46 running on the interface device 39 (e.g., smartphone) displays a message that the clothing item 9 is not authentic.

[0110] Manufacturing methods 200 and 400 may be combined to manufacture an article of clothing 9 that requires a dual-factor authentication process to authenticate the article of clothing 9. Thus, the dual-factor authentication process may be a combination of authentication method 300 ( FIG. 7 ) and authentication method 500 ( FIG. 14 ). In the case of article of footwear 10, upper 12 and sole structure 14 include machine-readable identifier 7. Alternatively, or additionally, the dual-factor authentication process may include using a location feature to locate the hidden machine-readable identifier 7. The location feature may be one or more near-field communication (NFC)-enabled devices 49 ( FIG. 12 ) positioned within a magnetic zone 47 of article of clothing 9. The NFC-enabled device 49 may be used to locate the one or more magnetic zones 47. The location feature may be a digitally printed image (e.g., a logo) representing the machine-readable identifier, as shown in FIG. 7 . For example, a machine-readable identifier 7 encoded in a logo or graphic provided on the upper 12 of the article of footwear 10 may indicate a particular area of ​​the magnetic or magnetizable sole structure 14 of the article of footwear 10, from which the second identifier code can be extracted. Additionally, as described above with respect to FIGS. 7 and 8 , a sensor 41 of the interface device 39 may be used to locate a digitally printed image (e.g., a logo). While a dual authentication process is described above, more than one machine-readable identifier 7 may be used as part of a multiple authentication technique. For example, one machine-readable identifier 7 may provide instructions on how or where the second encoded machine-readable identifier 7 can be extracted.

[0111] While authentication is one application of the present technology, the machine-readable identifier 7 can also be used to store unique codes for other purposes. For example, in one configuration, the embedded identifier 7 may function as an unlock code, electronic ticket / pass, or private cryptographic key to unlock digital collectibles, digital attributes, digital experiences, or to provide special features in electronic applications, early access to subsequently released merchandise, etc. For example, in one configuration, the embedded identifier 7 may be a unique code linked to a cryptographic key or cryptographic private key that may enable a user to acquire a cryptographically secured digital collectible (e.g., one registered on an immutable ledger such as represented by blockchain technology). Examples of such cryptographically secured digital collectibles (e.g., "CryptoKicks") are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 423,671, issued December 10, 2019, as U.S. Patent No. 10,505,726. In other words, the machine-readable identifier 7 may be a blockchain private key, and the apparel item 9 may function as a wallet for the private key. The private key is set as a uniquely registered token on the blockchain. The blockchain may not be a public chain, but a private chain that runs only on a specific company's computers. Sensors 41 may be used at events (e.g., sporting events) to decode the machine-readable identifier 7 to unlock the digital collectible. The digital collectible may also be secured on the blockchain. In another embodiment, the embedded identifier 7 may allow a user to obtain an attribute pack to modify the attributes of a cryptographically secured digital collectible or to provide unique performance improvements or changes to the appearance of a user-controllable character in a video game application.

[0112] Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented, in some embodiments, through computer-executable programs of instructions, such as program modules, generally referred to as software applications or application programs, executed by any of the controllers or variations of controllers described herein. Software may include, by way of non-limiting examples, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular data types. Software may form interfaces that allow a computer to react according to input sources. Software may also cooperate with other code segments to initiate various tasks in response to received data in association with the source of the received data. Software may be stored on any of a variety of memory media, such as CD-ROMs, magnetic disks, bubble memory, and semiconductor memory (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).

[0113] Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in a variety of computer system and computer network configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics devices, minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by resident and remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in connection with various hardware, software, or combinations thereof, in a computer system or other processing system.

[0114] Any of the methods described herein may include machine-readable instructions for execution by (a) a processor, (b) a controller, and / or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any algorithm, software, control logic, protocol, or method disclosed herein may be embodied as software stored on a tangible medium, such as, for example, a flash memory, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk (DVD), or other memory device. Entire algorithms, control logic, protocols, or methods, and / or portions thereof, may alternatively be executed by devices other than a controller and / or may be embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in any available manner (e.g., implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field-programmable logic device (FPLD), discrete logic, etc.). Furthermore, although particular algorithms are described with reference to flowcharts shown herein, many other ways of implementing the example machine-readable instructions may alternatively be used.

[0115] Although aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to illustrated embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures and compositions disclosed herein, and all modifications, changes, and variations apparent from the foregoing description are within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of the preceding elements and features. Additional features may be reflected in the following clauses:

[0116] Article 1. 1. A method for authenticating an article of clothing, comprising: providing a machine-readable identifier, the machine-readable identifier being attached to the article of clothing, the machine-readable identifier indicating authenticity of the attached article of clothing, the machine-readable identifier including a plurality of identification codes, each of the plurality of identification codes being located within a respective predetermined discrete area of ​​a plurality of predetermined discrete areas of the machine-readable identifier; receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier to detect the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete areas; retrieving predetermined stored codes for each of the predetermined discrete areas, each predetermined discrete area corresponding to one of the plurality of predetermined discrete areas; comparing the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete areas with the predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas to determine whether each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas; and determining that the article of clothing is authentic in response to determining that each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas.

[0117] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the machine-readable identifier is a digitally printed image on the clothing item, the digitally printed image including the plurality of predetermined discrete regions.

[0118] Clause 3. The method of clause 1 or 2, wherein the machine-readable identifier comprises a unique logo placed directly on the article of apparel.

[0119] Clause 4. The method of clause 1 or 2, wherein the machine-readable identifier is a barcode.

[0120] Clause 5. The method of clause 1 or 2, wherein the identification code for each of the predetermined discrete regions includes a plurality of encoding symbols.

[0121] Clause 6. The method of clauses 1-5, wherein at least one of the plurality of encoding symbols includes a graphic shape, the graphic shape including at least one selected from a circle, a square, or a triangle.

[0122] Clause 7. The method of clauses 1-6, wherein the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions has a grayscale color, the grayscale color representing a binary number.

[0123] Clause 8. The method of clauses 1-6, wherein receiving the scanned image of the machine-readable identifier comprises continuously receiving image data from the machine-readable identifier, and the article of clothing is at least one selected from a garment product and a footwear product.

[0124] Clause 9. The method of clauses 1-8, wherein the article of apparel is a footwear product, the footwear product including an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, and the predetermined discrete regions are a plurality of magnetic zones of the sole structure.

[0125] Clause 10. The method of clauses 1-9, wherein the magnetic zone comprises at least one selected from a plurality of naturally magnetic particles and a plurality of magnetized particles.

[0126] Clause 11. The method of clauses 1-10, wherein each of the predetermined discrete regions has a respective magnetic flux density value, and the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions is the respective magnetic flux density value.

[0127] Clause 12. The method of clauses 1-11, wherein the identification code for each of the predetermined discrete areas is a value of magnetic flux density for each of the predetermined discrete areas, the predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas is a stored value, and the stored value for each of the predetermined discrete areas is compared to the magnetic flux density value for each of the predetermined discrete areas to determine whether each magnetic flux density value in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches a corresponding stored value for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas.

[0128] Clause 13. The method of any of clauses 1-12, wherein the article of clothing includes locating features for locating each of the predetermined discrete regions within the article of clothing.

[0129] Clause 14. The method of any of clauses 1-13, wherein the location feature is at least one selected from a near field communication (NFC) enabled device and a digitally printed image.

[0130] Clause 15. The method of any of clauses 1-14, wherein the article of apparel is a footwear product, the footwear product including an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, and the plurality of predetermined discrete regions are disposed on at least one selected from the upper and the sole structure.

[0131] Clause 16. The method of any of clauses 1 to 15, wherein the machine-readable identifier is a wallet private key.

[0132] Clause 17. The method of any of clauses 1 to 16, wherein the private key is established as a uniquely registered token on the blockchain.

[0133] Clause 18. The method of any of clauses 1 to 17, wherein the article of clothing functions as a wallet and embodies the private key.

[0134] Clause 19. The method of clauses 1 to 18, wherein the blockchain is a private chain.

[0135] Clause 20. The method of any of clauses 1-19, wherein the sensor reads the machine-readable identifier to obtain the machine-readable identifier from the article of clothing to unlock a digital collectible.

[0136] Clause 21. The method of any of clauses 1 to 20, wherein the digital collectible is linked to a blockchain.

[0137] Clause 22. The method of any of clauses 1-21, further comprising, in response to determining that the clothing item is authentic, enabling access to a blockchain ledger entry or database entry, the blockchain ledger entry or database entry including at least one product attribute, the at least one product attribute being an attribute of the clothing item, the at least one product attribute including data regarding one of: where the product was made, how the product was made, a feature of the product, or sustainability information regarding the clothing item.

[0138] Clause 23. An article of clothing having a machine-readable identifier; said machine-readable identifier including a plurality of predetermined discrete regions; said machine-readable identifier including a plurality of identification codes; each of said plurality of identification codes disposed in a respective predetermined discrete region of said plurality of predetermined discrete regions of said machine-readable identifier; each of said plurality of identification codes in each of said predetermined discrete regions matching a remotely stored code for each of said respective predetermined discrete regions to facilitate authentication of said article of clothing.

[0139] Clause 24. The article of apparel of clause 23, wherein the article of apparel is an article of footwear, the article of footwear including an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, and the machine-readable identifier is a logo on the upper.

[0140] Clause 25. The article of apparel of either clause 23 or 24, wherein the logo is a digitally printed image on the upper, the logo comprises conductive ink, the plurality of identification codes comprises a plurality of colors, each color having a color value, the color values ​​being grouped into a plurality of predetermined value ranges, and an encoding bit is associated with each predetermined value range in the predetermined value ranges.

[0141] Clause 26. The article of clothing of any of clauses 23 to 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of identification codes is an encoding symbol.

[0142] Clause 27. The article of clothing of any of Clauses 23 to 26, wherein the article of clothing is a garment, the garment is a shirt, the shirt includes a main shirt body, a first sleeve attached to the main shirt body, and a second sleeve attached to the main shirt body, the machine-readable identifier is disposed on the main shirt body, the machine-readable identifier is a logo, the logo includes conductive ink, and at least one of the plurality of identification codes is a geometric shape, the geometric shape being at least one selected from a triangle, a square, and a circle.

[0143] Clause 28. The article of clothing of any of clauses 23 to 27, wherein the article of clothing is a footwear product, the footwear product including an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, each of the predetermined discrete regions being a magnetic zone on the sole structure, each of the magnetic zones having a corresponding magnetic flux density value that matches a remotely stored magnetic flux density value for each respective magnetic zone to facilitate authentication of the article of footwear.

[0144] Clause 29. The article of clothing of any of clauses 23 to 28, wherein the sole structure includes a fully magnetized insole to prevent bacterial growth on the sole structure.

[0145] Clause 30. The article of clothing of any of clauses 23-29, wherein each of the magnetic zones comprises a plurality of randomly dispersed magnetic particles.

[0146] Clause 31. The article of clothing of any of clauses 23 to 30, wherein the magnetic zones have different magnetic flux density values ​​from one another.

[0147] Clause 32. The article of any of clauses 23 to 31, further comprising a locating function for locating each of said predetermined discrete regions within said article of clothing.

[0148] Clause 33. The article of clothing of any of clauses 23 to 32, wherein the location feature is at least one selected from a near field communication (NFC) enabled device and a digitally printed image.

[0149] Clause 34. A method of manufacturing an article of clothing, comprising: placing a machine-readable identifier on an article of clothing; said machine-readable identifier indicating authenticity of said article of clothing, said machine-readable identifier including a plurality of identification codes, each of said plurality of identification codes being disposed in a respective predetermined discrete area of ​​a plurality of predetermined discrete areas of said machine-readable identifier.

[0150] Clause 35. The method of clause 34, further comprising determining the content and characteristics of the plurality of identification codes within the machine-readable identifier.

[0151] Clause 36. The method of any of clauses 34 to 35, further comprising determining a size of a grid based on the content of the plurality of identification codes and the content of the features in the machine-readable identifier, each square of the grid being one of the predetermined discrete regions.

[0152] Clause 37. The method of any of clauses 34-36, further comprising inputting encoding parameters into a remote host system, said encoding parameters including a manufacturing date, a manufacturing ID, a serial number, a product style, a color, and a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) for said clothing item.

[0153] Clause 38. The method of any of clauses 34-37, further comprising the step of assigning a bit value to each of the plurality of identity codes.

[0154] Clause 39. The method of any of clauses 34 to 38, further comprising the step of assigning an electrical resistance value to each of the bit values, wherein the step of assigning the electrical resistance value comprises the step of assigning the electrical resistance value to each of the plurality of predetermined discrete regions.

[0155] Clause 40. The method of any of clauses 34-39, further comprising generating inkjet printing instructions based on the assigned electrical resistance values ​​to print the machine-readable identifier on the clothing item.

[0156] Clause 41. The method of any of clauses 34 to 40, wherein the step of placing the machine-readable identifier on the clothing item includes the step of printing the machine-readable identifier based on the assigned electrical resistance value.

[0157] Clause 42. The method of any of clauses 34 to 41, wherein the machine-readable identifier is printed with a conductive ink having the electrical resistance value assigned to each of the plurality of discrete regions of the machine-readable identifier.

[0158] Clause 43. The method of any of clauses 34-42, wherein the article of clothing is a footwear product, the footwear product having an upper and a sole structure coupled to the upper, and the step of placing the machine-readable identifier on the article of clothing includes the step of adding a magnetic material to a polymer material used to mold the sole structure so as to form a magnetic zone within the sole structure, the magnetic zone being the predetermined discrete area of ​​the machine-readable identifier.

[0159] Clause 44. The method of any of clauses 34-43, wherein the step of adding magnetic material includes adding naturally magnetic particles randomly dispersed in the polymeric material used to form the sole structure.

[0160] Clause 45. The method of any of clauses 34-44, wherein the step of adding a magnetic material includes adding a magnetizable material to the polymeric material used to mold the sole structure.

[0161] Clause 46. The method of any of clauses 34-45, further comprising the step of magnetizing each of said magnetic zones.

[0162] Clause 47. The method of any of clauses 34-46, further comprising the steps of measuring a magnetic property value of each of said magnetic zones and storing said magnetic property value of each of said magnetic zones on a remote host system.

Claims

1. 1. A method of authenticating an article of clothing, comprising: providing a machine-readable identifier, the machine-readable identifier being a logo attached to an exterior surface of the apparel item, the machine-readable identifier indicating authenticity of the apparel item to which it is attached, the machine-readable identifier including a plurality of identification codes, each of the plurality of identification codes being disposed within a respective one of a plurality of predetermined discrete regions of the machine-readable identifier; receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier to detect the identification code in each of the predetermined discrete regions; retrieving a predetermined stored code for each of said predetermined discrete regions, each corresponding to one of said plurality of predetermined discrete regions; comparing the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete areas with the predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete areas to determine whether each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas; determining that the clothing item is authentic in response to determining that each identification code in each of the predetermined discrete areas matches the corresponding stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete areas; the article of clothing is a footwear product, the footwear product including an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, the predetermined discrete regions are a plurality of magnetic zones of the sole structure, the magnetic zones including at least one selected from a plurality of naturally magnetic particles and a plurality of magnetized particles, the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions is a magnetic flux density value of each of the predetermined discrete regions, the predetermined stored code for each of the predetermined discrete regions is a stored value, and the stored value for each of the predetermined discrete regions is compared to the magnetic flux density value of each of the predetermined discrete regions to determine whether each magnetic flux density value in each of the predetermined discrete regions matches a corresponding stored value for each of the respective predetermined discrete regions. method.

2. the machine-readable identifier is a digitally printed image on the clothing item, the digitally printed image including the plurality of predetermined discrete regions; The method of claim 1.

3. the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions includes a plurality of encoding symbols, at least one of the plurality of encoding symbols includes a graphic shape, the graphic shape including at least one selected from a circle, a square, or a triangle; The method of claim 2.

4. the identification code of each of the predetermined discrete regions has a grayscale color, the grayscale color representing a binary number; The method of claim 1.

5. receiving a scanned image of the machine-readable identifier includes continuously receiving image data from the machine-readable identifier using a camera; The method of claim 1.

6. the article of clothing including a near field communications (NFC) enabled device disposed in the magnetic zone that provides a location capability for locating each of the predetermined discrete regions within the article of clothing. The method of claim 1.

7. An article of clothing comprising: having a machine-readable identifier that is a logo attached to an exterior surface of the apparel item; the machine-readable identifier includes a plurality of predetermined discrete regions; the machine-readable identifier includes a plurality of identification codes; each of the plurality of identification codes is disposed in a respective predetermined discrete area of ​​a plurality of predetermined discrete areas of the machine-readable identifier; each of the plurality of identification codes in each of the predetermined discrete regions matches a remotely stored code for each of the respective predetermined discrete regions; the article of apparel is an article of footwear, the article of footwear including an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, each of the predetermined discrete regions being a magnetic zone on the sole structure, each of the magnetic zones having a corresponding magnetic flux density value that matches a remotely stored magnetic flux density value for each respective magnetic zone to facilitate authentication of the article of footwear; Clothing.

8. The machine-readable identifier is the logo on the upper.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7.

9. the logo is a digitally printed image on the upper, the logo comprising conductive ink, the plurality of identification codes comprising a plurality of colors, each color having a color value, the color values ​​being grouped into a plurality of predetermined value ranges, and an encoding bit being associated with each predetermined value range of the predetermined value ranges; 9. The article of clothing of claim 8.

10. At least one of the plurality of identification codes is an encoding symbol.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7.

11. The clothing item is a garment, the garment is a shirt, the shirt includes a main shirt body, a first sleeve attached to the main shirt body, and a second sleeve attached to the main shirt body, the machine-readable identifier is disposed on the main shirt body, the logo includes conductive ink, and at least one of the plurality of identification codes is a geometric shape, the geometric shape being at least one selected from a triangle, a square, and a circle.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7.

12. The sole structure includes a fully magnetized insole to prevent bacterial growth on the sole structure.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7.

13. each of the magnetic zones comprises a plurality of randomly dispersed magnetic particles; 13. The article of clothing of claim 12.

14. the magnetic zones have different magnetic flux density values; 14. The article of clothing of claim 13.

15. and further comprising a near field communication (NFC) enabled device disposed in the magnetic zone that provides a location function for locating each of the predetermined discrete regions within the clothing item.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7.

Images