Augmented Reality Authentication for Security Features
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication methods for security features are ineffective for untrained end consumers, as they struggle to distinguish counterfeit products from originals, especially when lighting and viewing angles affect the appearance of optically variable devices (OVDs), limiting their applicability in product protection.
Innovation Solution
An authentication method utilizing a combination of machine-readable and optically variable elements, where a unique first code is read using a mobile device, and a user-readable second code is displayed in augmented reality for comparison, enhancing security and ease of use for end consumers by ensuring the codes are unique and difficult to counterfeit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If OVDs are used for security features, then authentication capability is improved, but appearance consistency across lighting and angles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The security feature is divided into two independent codes: a machine-readable first code and a user-readable second code. The first code is read automatically by the mobile device, while the second code is displayed in augmented reality for manual verification by the user. This segmentation allows each code to serve its specific function without being affected by lighting or angle variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves as an intermediary between the security feature and the user. It automatically reads the first code, retrieves the corresponding second code, and displays it in augmented reality. This intermediary function eliminates the need for users to directly interpret complex OVD appearances under varying lighting conditions.
2Ease of operation
If AR animation is displayed to convey OVD appearance, then user understanding is improved, but user ability to distinguish counterfeits deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to perform authentication themselves through a simple comparison process. The mobile device automatically handles the complex tasks of reading the machine code, retrieving the corresponding second code, and displaying it in augmented reality. Users only need to perform the simple manual comparison between the displayed second code and the one visible on the security feature, making authentication accessible to untrained consumers while maintaining high reliability.
3Reliability
If unique code pairs are implemented, then security against counterfeiting is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a digital copy of the second code and displays it in augmented reality overlay. This virtual copy can be easily compared with the physical second code on the security feature without requiring complex analysis equipment. The copying approach simplifies the verification process while maintaining the security benefits of unique code pairs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly increases the security of product authentication by allowing untrained consumers to reliably verify the authenticity of security features, making it more effective for product protection by ensuring unique code pairs and adapting to lighting conditions, thus reducing counterfeiting efforts.
Implementation Method 1
an optically variable second element with a user-readable second code
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to an authentication method for a security feature of a series of security features, each of which comprises a machine-readable first element (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) with a first code that is unique in the series of security features and an optically variable second element (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) with a second code that can be read by a user in that a mobile terminal (20) with a camera (21), a screen (22), and a computing unit (23) is used, the machine-readable element (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) is detected by the camera (21) of the mobile terminal (20), the computing unit (23) ascertains the first code from the machine-readable element (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d), the first code is assigned a second code, an animation of at least one assigned second code (34a) is displayed in an augmented reality of the security feature on the screen (22), and the assigned second code (34a) is compared with the readable second code, thus ascertaining the authenticity of the security feature.