Automated Product Authentication System Using Visual Feature Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for authenticating and valuing brand name products and jewelry are inefficient, relying on human expertise and requiring embedded information storage mediums, which limits scalability and accuracy, and cannot automatically assess product value.
Innovation Solution
A product evaluation system that acquires characteristic information using various devices and compares it to stored data to authenticate and estimate the value of products without the need for embedded tags or markers, allowing for automated and accurate evaluations by non-experts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If human experts use five senses to evaluate products, then authentication accuracy can be maintained, but productivity is limited and evaluation time per product is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of human sensory evaluation with an automated image processing system that captures product images and compares them against reference images of genuine products. The system uses computer vision algorithms to analyze product characteristics such as shape, color, texture, and branding elements, substituting human expert judgment with automated digital analysis to maintain authentication accuracy while dramatically increasing productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies (images) of genuine products as reference standards and compares captured images of evaluated products against these digital references. This copying approach allows the system to preserve the knowledge of expert authentication in a reusable digital format, enabling consistent and scalable evaluation without requiring continuous human expert involvement
2Extent of automation
If information storage mediums are embedded in products during manufacturing, then authentication can be automated, but device complexity increases and manufacturing processes become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication function from physical information storage mediums (RFID tags, barcodes, QR codes) and relocates it to the product's visual characteristics themselves. By using the product's appearance, shape, color, and branding elements as the authentication basis, the system eliminates the need for separate information storage devices, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining automation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the product's visual characteristics serve multiple functions: both aesthetic/branding purposes and authentication purposes. The same visual features that define the product's identity and appeal also serve as the authentication data, eliminating the need for dedicated authentication components and simplifying the overall system
3Adaptability or versatility
If information storage mediums are attached to all products, then authentication capability is provided, but manufacturing cost and man-hours increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the authentication capability requirement from the manufacturing stage by using the product's inherent visual characteristics as the authentication basis. Since the product's appearance, color, shape, and branding are already part of the manufacturing process, no additional authentication components need to be attached, thereby maintaining authentication capability while preserving manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The product itself serves as its own authentication medium through its visual characteristics. The product's design, color scheme, logo placement, and overall appearance inherently contain the authentication information, eliminating the need for external authentication tags or labels and avoiding additional manufacturing steps
4Reliability
If traditional evaluation methods are used, then human expertise can be applied, but evaluation time per product is long and consistency varies between evaluators
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the variable human judgment process with a standardized automated image comparison system. The system consistently applies the same comparison algorithms and reference images to all products, eliminating inter-evaluator variability and ensuring reliable, consistent authentication results across all evaluations without time constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by creating and storing reference images of genuine products before the evaluation process begins. These pre-prepared reference images serve as the basis for all subsequent comparisons, allowing the system to rapidly authenticate products without requiring real-time expert analysis, thereby reducing evaluation time while maintaining consistency
Data Source
AI summary
A product evaluation system and a product evaluation method allow people to quickly, inexpensively, and accurately evaluate large amounts of products including those that do not have information attached in advance in the manufacturing stage. The system comprises an I/O component that functions as a product identification mechanism that identifies product type including at least one of product, product group, product brand, or product category, a characteristic acquisition mechanism that acquires characteristic information of the product, an evaluator that performs authentication and value estimations of products, and a data store that stores information related to the product. The evaluation mechanism performs authentication and value estimations of products based on characteristic information of the product acquired by the characteristic acquisition mechanism, and genuine product characteristic information, counterfeit product characteristic information, and value information and market information for each condition included in the information related to products stored in the data store.