Electronic Tag with Optical Pattern for Component Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RFID technologies for authenticating machine components are vulnerable to counterfeiting, as cloned tags can mimic original components by storing and replicating identification data, making it difficult to verify authenticity.
Innovation Solution
An electronic tag system that combines a package with a random optical pattern made of different materials and a processing unit, which generates a unique check code based on both the tag's ID and its optical pattern, allowing verification through image processing and comparison with stored features to detect counterfeiting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If RFID tags are used to store and transmit identification data, then component identification capability is improved, but vulnerability to counterfeiting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines RFID technology with optical identification features (holograms, patterns, colors) into a single integrated tag system. The RFID chip stores digital identification data while the optical features provide visual authentication, creating a multi-layered security system that is difficult to counterfeit alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The tag uses composite construction combining RFID chip, antenna, and optical security features (holographic elements, fluorescent materials, or iridescent coatings) on a single substrate. This composite structure allows simultaneous digital and optical authentication capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If RFID tags store identification data that can be read wirelessly, then ease of operation is improved, but ease of manufacture worsens due to security requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary security measures during manufacturing by embedding unique optical features and security elements into the tag structure before final assembly. These pre-integrated security features simplify later authentication processes while ensuring manufacturing consistency.
3Device complexity
If RFID tags are made with simple structure, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability against counterfeiting decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The tag is divided into distinct functional segments: RFID chip for digital identification, antenna for wireless communication, and optical security features for visual authentication. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical security features as an intermediary layer between the RFID chip and the external environment. This intermediary provides an additional authentication barrier that must be overcome to successfully counterfeit the tag, enhancing security without fundamentally changing the RFID core functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic tag constrainable to a component (88) of a machine, including: a package (4;104); a first memory portion (14), in which an identification code of the electronic tag is stored; a second memory portion (14,16), in which a check code is stored, which is a function of at least one stochastic quantity related to the package (4;104).