Spectral Tag Verification for Item Authenticity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Counterfeiting and misrepresentation of high-value items in complex supply chains, particularly in industries like pharmaceuticals and food, lead to revenue loss, health risks, and challenges in verifying item authenticity, especially due to inadequate packaging security and errors in quality assurance protocols.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a package producer and a verifier that uses tag identifiers with unique spectral signatures and database verification to authenticate items, where tags are placed on items and verified using spectral and shape information, allowing for the creation of a marker ID that corresponds to database entries, ensuring item authenticity and detecting tampering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional packaging security measures are used, then packaging cost is reduced, but item authenticity verification capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveitem authenticity verificationVSAvoidpackaging security system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging security system is segmented into multiple independent components: spectral tags placed on items, bar code labels on packages, and a verification system with database. This segmentation allows the authenticity verification function to be distributed across multiple simple elements rather than requiring a single complex security mechanism, thereby improving reliability while keeping individual components simple and cost-effective.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Spectral tags serve as intermediaries between the item and the verification system. These tags contain unique spectral signatures that act as a mediator for authentication, enabling the verification system to authenticate items without direct complex interaction with the item itself. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall system while maintaining high verification reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If manual quality assurance protocols are used, then quality control cost is reduced, but item identification accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveitem identification accuracyVSAvoidverification speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Manual quality assurance protocols are replaced with an automated verification system that uses spectral analysis and database comparison. The spectral tags and verification system automatically identify and authenticate items, replacing manual inspection processes. This substitution dramatically improves measurement precision for item identification while the automated nature of the system maintains high productivity through rapid spectral analysis and database querying.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of information

If spectral tags are placed on all items, then item tracking capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveitem tracking informationVSAvoidpackaging process

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Spectral tags are designed with multi-functionality to reduce manufacturing complexity. The same spectral tag technology serves multiple purposes: authenticating individual items, tracking packages containing multiple items, and providing spectral signatures for database storage. This universal application of spectral tags across different tracking needs eliminates the requirement for different types of tags, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining comprehensive item tracking capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This system effectively verifies item authenticity, reduces counterfeiting, and ensures accurate tracking of items throughout the supply chain, enhancing security and reducing costs associated with online databases and maintenance, while allowing for reliable identification of items in clinical studies.

Implementation Method 1

a spectral reader that reads spectral tags on the one or more items to produce a spectral signature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpectral signature detection: Absorption Spectroscopy

Implementation Method 2

an imager that images bar code labels on the package to obtain location and shape information

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImage capture: Photography

Data Source

PatentUS10269022B2System for verifying an item in a package using a database

Publication Date: 2019.04.23 OPSEC SECURITY INC

AI summary

A system for verifying an item in a package using a database comprises a database and a verifier. A package producer provides the database with an identifier for one or more items each of a type, wherein the package producer produces a package, where the package includes the one or more items each of the type with an associated one or more selected tag identifiers that are placed in a location on an item of the one or more items. The verifier verifies the one or more items of the type using 1) the associated one or more selected tag identifiers as detected using a spectral signature or 2) a tag characteristic as detected using an imager, and 3) the identifier retrieved from the database.