Physical Fingerprint Verification for Object Authenticity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital track-and-trace solutions, such as blockchains, are insufficient to prove the originality and authenticity of physical objects throughout their lifecycle, and to securely transfer ownership or custody of high-value items within complex supply chains and organizations.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that configures user devices to interact with databases storing object identifiers and digital fingerprints derived from physical fingerprints, allowing verification of an object's genuineness and secure transfer of relationships between persons and physical objects, using a distributed ledger system for secure and transparent tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blockchain or digital track-and-trace solutions are used, then trust and visibility along the supply chain are improved, but the ability to prove originality and provide uninterrupted chain of relationships throughout the product lifecycle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a physical object (e.g., a tag, marker, or component) as an intermediary between the digital blockchain system and the physical product. This physical intermediary carries unique physical characteristics that can be measured and verified, serving as a bridge that connects digital records to physical authenticity, thereby enabling proof of originality throughout the product lifecycle
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by embedding physical characteristics and creating digital fingerprints of objects before they enter the supply chain. These pre-established physical-digital linkages are stored in the blockchain, enabling subsequent verification of originality and maintaining an uninterrupted chain of relationships from manufacturing through distribution
2Measurement precision
If physical fingerprints are measured and stored in databases, then verification of object genuineness is improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential physical characteristics needed for verification and stores them as digital fingerprints in databases. By selecting and measuring only the most relevant physical features rather than attempting to capture all possible attributes, the system achieves accurate verification while maintaining manageable complexity in data storage and processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies (fingerprints) of physical object characteristics that can be stored and compared without requiring the original physical object to be present during verification. These digital fingerprints serve as simplified representations that enable accurate authentication while reducing the complexity of handling and comparing complex physical data
3Reliability
If relationships between persons and objects are tracked through multiple transactions, then accountability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring relationships increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where each transaction and relationship change is recorded in the blockchain and can be verified against the physical object's fingerprint. This creates a feedback loop that continuously validates relationships, making it easier to detect and measure the chain of custody while maintaining accountability across multiple transactions through systematic verification at each step
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method, a computer system, and a computer program product for managing relationships between persons and physical objects based on identifiers. A computer system configures a user device to be capable of interacting with each of a first database and a second database. The computer system verifies, by interacting with the second database, that a given object of the physical objects is a genuine object, based on a given object identifier of the given object and a digital fingerprint detected from a physical fingerprint of the given object. The computer system requests, via the first database, a transfer of a given relationship from a first person to a second person with respect to the given object, based on the given object identifier and a person identifier of the second person.