Two-Part Encrypted Marking System for Counterfeit Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Counterfeiting in supply chains, particularly in pharmaceuticals and medical products, is a significant issue as counterfeiters can replicate conventional barcodes and markings, making it difficult for manufacturers and distributors to verify authenticity, posing risks to consumer health and trust.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that affix an identifying mark with a first visible portion and a second encrypted portion to products, where the encrypted feature is invisible to conventional scanners, requiring a remote authentication center for verification, ensuring authenticity through a two-step process of obtaining and decoding information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional barcodes and markings are used for product identification, then ease of manufacture and reading are improved, but vulnerability to counterfeiting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The identifying mark is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion that can be read by conventional scanners and a second portion containing encrypted features that require specialized authentication. This segmentation allows the system to maintain ease of manufacture for the visible portion while adding security through the encrypted portion that counterfeiters cannot easily replicate.
Solution Approach 2:
An authentication center acts as an intermediary between the product and the verification process. The center receives information from both portions of the identifying mark, processes the encrypted data, and determines authenticity. This intermediary layer prevents counterfeiters from simply copying visible markings, as the encrypted portion requires authorized decryption.
2Reliability
If an encrypted feature is added to the identifying mark, then authenticity verification is improved, but device complexity and reading difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into two parts: a simplified first portion readable by conventional scanners and a complex second portion with encrypted features. This allows the overall system to achieve high reliability through the encrypted portion while maintaining ease of use for the visible portion, distributing complexity strategically rather than uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex encrypted authentication logic is extracted from the point-of-sale devices and centralized at a remote authentication center. This extraction allows local devices to remain simple while the centralized system handles the computational complexity of decrypting and verifying the encrypted features, reducing device complexity at the distribution level.
3Reliability
If a two-step authentication process is implemented, then counterfeiting prevention is improved, but loss of time in verification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first portion of the identifying mark is read in advance using conventional scanners, preparing the authentication process by providing initial product identification information. This preliminary action allows the system to quickly filter and route products through the appropriate verification path, reducing overall verification time while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication center provides feedback by comparing information from both portions of the identifying mark and determining authenticity. This feedback mechanism allows the system to quickly verify products by cross-referencing the visible and encrypted portions, maintaining high counterfeiting protection while minimizing verification time through efficient information processing.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for protecting against counterfeit products and for methods and apparatus for providing counterfeiting protection for an object. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: (a) accessing an object including an identifying mark having a first portion and a second portion wherein said second portion includes an encrypted feature; (b) reading the first portion to thereby obtain a first set of information; (c) transmitting the first set of information to a remote location; (d) receiving from the remote location a second set of information; and (e) reading the second portion using the second set of information to thereby determine the authenticity of the object.