Epidermal Pattern Imaging for Agricultural Product Authenticity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for identifying and tracking agricultural and fishery products, such as affixing labels or using IC tags, are prone to tampering and high costs, making it difficult to ensure the authenticity and origin of these products during distribution.
Innovation Solution
A distribution management system that uses imaging and image characteristic extraction to compare the epidermal patterns of products, allowing for the determination of their authenticity without the need for special devices like IC tags, by storing and matching image characteristics of the products' patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a label (seal or sticker) with ID number is affixed to the agricultural product, then individual product information can be acquired by customers, but the label can be intentionally peeled off or duplicated/imitated, making camouflage of shipping source possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical label system with an optical imaging system. Instead of using physical labels that can be peeled or duplicated, the system captures optical images of the product's surface patterns and uses image processing to extract unique characteristics. This substitution of mechanical identification with optical-biological pattern recognition eliminates the vulnerability to label tampering while maintaining product traceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the identification parameter from artificial labels to natural epidermal patterns. By extracting image characteristics from the product's surface texture and patterns, the system utilizes inherent biological parameters that cannot be replicated. This parameter change from external labels to intrinsic patterns ensures that the identification information remains reliably tied to the actual product throughout the supply chain.
2Reliability
If an IC tag is buried into the agricultural product, then product identification is more secure, but the commodity value declines due to damaging to the product and the system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical embedding of IC tags with a non-contact optical imaging approach. By using cameras and image processing algorithms to capture and analyze surface patterns, the system achieves secure product identification without physically altering the product. This eliminates both the damage to commodity value and the high system costs associated with IC tag deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates optical copies (images) of the product's surface patterns rather than embedding physical identifiers. These digital images serve as identifiers without requiring physical modification of the product. The copying approach maintains product integrity while providing reliable identification through the unique epidermal characteristics captured in the images.
3Productivity
If many intermediate customers stand between producers and customers, then distribution is facilitated, but individual product information cannot be precisely conveyed to customers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by capturing and storing the unique epidermal pattern images at the point of production or initial distribution. This early capture ensures that the identification information is established before the product passes through multiple intermediaries. The pre-captured image characteristics serve as a permanent identifier that travels with the product through the entire supply chain, preventing information loss despite multiple handoffs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the unique epidermal pattern is captured, stored in a database, and then used to trace the product through distribution channels. At any point in the supply chain, the product's identity can be verified by comparing its captured pattern against the stored reference. This feedback loop ensures that individual product information is maintained and verifiable throughout the entire distribution network, even with many intermediaries involved.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a distribution management method comprising: previously storing an image characteristic of an epidermal pattern in a predetermined collation area of the agricultural, forest and fishery product to be produced or shipped by a producer or a distributor; imaging the epidermal pattern in the collation area of the agricultural, forest and fishery product, being a collation target, and acquiring the image characteristic of the epidermal pattern in the collation area; and collating the stored image characteristic of the epidermal pattern with the image characteristic of the epidermal pattern in the collation area of the agricultural, forest and fishery product, being a collation target, and determining whether or not the agricultural, forest and fishery product, being a collation target, is the agricultural, forest and fishery product produced or shipped by the producer or distributor.