Serialized Item Codes That Tolerate Linear Desynchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing serialization methods fail to effectively handle linear desynchronization issues, leading to misregistration of codes on items, which hinders identification and authentication, particularly in cases where precise registration is difficult or impossible.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that encrypts a unique serial number into a longer code string, marked on items with a length greater than the actual code length, and employs techniques like block-encryption, self-synchronizing stream encryption, and Format Preserving Encryption (FPE) to ensure desynchronization-resilient coding, enabling proper serialization and authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If classical serialization is used to mark items with unique codes, then item identification and authentication are enabled, but linear desynchronization causes code misregistration making decryption impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pre-marking on a continuous foil or strip before cutting into individual items. The serialization codes are printed in sequence on the continuous material, and then the material is cut into pieces that are subsequently applied to items. This preliminary action on the continuous substrate allows for flexible cutting without strict position control, as the codes remain intact across cut boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the continuous foil or strip into multiple pieces that can be applied to different items. Each piece may contain parts of multiple codes, but the system can still recover the correct serial number by attempting decryption with different offset positions. This segmentation allows flexible application while maintaining authentication capability.
2Productivity
If codes are printed on continuous foils and cut into pieces for item application, then serialization is enabled, but offset at cutting stage causes code splitting between consecutive items
Solution Approach 1:
The serialization codes are printed in sequence on the continuous foil before cutting. This preliminary marking allows the cutting process to proceed without strict position control, as the codes are already established on the continuous material. The system can later recover correct codes by trying different offset positions during decryption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from requiring precise position parameters during cutting to using offset tolerance during decryption. Instead of controlling the cutting position to align codes perfectly, the system allows various offset positions and tests each to find the correct alignment, effectively changing from a position-control parameter to an offset-testing parameter.
3Productivity
If high-speed item processing is implemented, then productivity increases, but registration of codes becomes difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
Codes are printed on continuous foils or strips before items are processed at high speed. This preliminary action on the continuous material allows for simpler, faster application to items without requiring complex real-time registration mechanisms that would slow down the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-synchronizing encryption methods where the decryption process itself helps identify the correct code alignment. The encryption scheme is designed to automatically synchronize and identify valid codes even without precise external registration, allowing the system to self-correct for offset errors.
4Manufacturing precision
If sophisticated registration mechanisms are used to ensure code alignment, then manufacturing precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the registration problem from the physical marking process and moves it to the cryptographic decryption process. Instead of using complex mechanical registration mechanisms to ensure precise alignment, the system uses software-based offset testing during decryption to identify correct code positions, simplifying the physical hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical registration mechanisms with cryptographic methods. Instead of using complex mechanical systems to physically align codes with items, the system uses encryption and decryption algorithms that can mathematically identify correct alignments even when physical registration is imprecise or impossible.
5Reliability
If classical serialization is applied to security threads in banknotes, then authentication features are enhanced, but linear registration impossibility prevents proper serialization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies cryptographic methods to replace the need for mechanical registration in security threads. The serialization codes are embedded in the threads using encryption schemes that can be decrypted to identify correct alignments without requiring precise physical registration during manufacturing or application to banknotes.
Solution Approach 2:
Serialization codes are printed in sequence on continuous security thread material before cutting into individual thread segments for banknote insertion. This preliminary action on the continuous material allows for flexible cutting and application while maintaining the ability to recover correct codes through offset-based decryption methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for serialization of items, comprising encrypting a serial number of each item using an encryption key k to obtain unique serial numbers and marking the unique serial numbers on the items. The unique serial numbers having a length L are included into a string of symbols having a length L′, with L′ larger than L, and marked on the items. A corresponding method for recovering a unique code and corresponding serial number from a string of symbols marked on an item, as well as corresponding serialization and recovering systems are disclosed.