ITPV20110002A1 - ANTI-COUNTERFEITING SYSTEM VIA TWO-DIMENSIONAL CODES - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a label structure equipped with an anti-counterfeiting system and the method for verifying its authenticity.

It is known to use various labeling systems, generally based on printing techniques such as holograms, fluorescent inks, thermosensitive inks or micro-writing, to guarantee the authenticity of the goods on which they are applied.

These anti-counterfeiting systems are frequently used on objects such as cards, discount vouchers, labels, banknotes, etc ...

Since the systems in question are widespread and easy to implement, there are counterfeit goods on the market that replicate the same anti-counterfeiting mechanism. Furthermore, the aforementioned methods lack a telematic support to reinforce the verification process that is at the same time accessible to all and valid in providing a reliable answer.

As an alternative to the solutions based on more or less complex printing processes, systems with radiofrequency technology have been implemented, these systems have the drawback of requiring particular readers and therefore not suitable for verification by the final purchaser as well as requiring a higher cost of marking of the individual goods with respect to those printed. The aim of the present invention is to provide an anti-counterfeiting system consisting of a suitably constructed label and an electronic verification system of the same by the purchaser of the goods on which it is affixed by means of an appropriate code reading software commonly available on one's smartphone. or on your PC and having an Internet connection of any kind.

A further aim is the realization of the label at low cost with the common adhesive printing procedures.

Furthermore, the present invention aims to ensure different levels of reliability and immediacy of the verification by means of suitable measures.

This and other purposes, which will be better highlighted later, are achieved through the creation of an adhesive label on a transparent support on which a unique two-dimensional code for a single product is reproduced, encoding a URL with appropriate parameters. Removing the label will make visible a second alphanumeric code, also unique, printed directly on the packaging of the goods or on an additional adhesive base affixed to the good itself, both codes are generated by a software system of our design.

Optionally, in order to increase the non-reproducibility level of the two-dimensional code, it can be covered with a gold patina using a silk-screen technique or with other measures aimed at preventing immediate reading, the operation will also no longer make it possible to update the supply chain.

The verification of the codes will take place electronically through the use of the appropriate two-dimensional code reader installed on the smartphone or from a PC via Web browser, readers that are commonly available on the market for free.

The construction of the label can be illustrated as follows:

1) a base (4) consisting of the product itself or a second label bearing the unique alphanumeric code (C2) for each product;

2) a removable adhesive label (2) bearing the two-dimensional code (Cl) and designed in such a way that it can be removed and the underlying code (C2) visible.

The verification process can be illustrated as follows:

1) the user uses the two-dimensional code reader installed on his smartphone (7) or PC (8) to read (5) the code (Cl);

2) the code (Cl) encodes a unique URL (18) which refers to a server application (9) whose parameters contain the unique identifier (11) of the code itself;

3) the server application (9) verifies that the parameters are valid and referred to a label actually issued by querying the database (10) and if so showing the user a web page (15) containing the description of the asset ( 14,16), its supply chain (14,17) and if the underlying alphanumeric code (C2) has already been read (13), in the negative case the indication that the asset in question is not authentic or stolen ;

4) by removing the label, the second alphanumeric code (C2) will be visible, which the user must enter on the aforementioned page (15,19) for a further safety check; 5) the server (9) will then verify that there is a correspondence between the identifier (11) of the upper two-dimensional code (Cl) with the underlying alphanumeric code (12), and marking the code (C2) as read (13) and recording compatibly with the type of device used for reading, the information relating to the place and date of the verification obtainable from the same directly or indirectly;

6) subsequent readings of the upper code (C1) will report that the underlying code has already been read, therefore possibly finding us in front of a copy or the purchased good already verified;

7) all requests made to the server and the related responses will be conveyed through the Internet over the HTTPS protocol in order to ensure confidentiality and

the authenticity of the verification server (9).

The process of updating the supply chain can be conducted by the subjects involved in it, using the same means used for the verification process, as follows:

1) the operator reads the two-dimensional code (Cl) in a similar way to the verification process;

2) at the address (18) encoded by the two-dimensional code within the same page used for the verification process (15) a link (20) will be available to access a different protected page with appropriate access credentials or, alternatively , the client (7,8) will be suitably configured to use the identifier (11) of the two-dimensional code by accessing a different page where to operate on the supply chain, always after authentication;

3) on the page dedicated to operations on the supply chain, the operator can add or modify the information relating to the type of treatment undergone by the asset, the system will record in a similar way to the verification of the date and place of the operation and the identification of the 'operator.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS 1) Anti-counterfeiting and tracking system of the supply chain based on two-dimensional codes characterized by an adhesive label applicable to the item to be protected (fig. 1) showing a removable two-dimensional code (Cl) and above a second alphanumeric code (C2) hidden by the first, both not predictable, together with a client / server environment (fig.2) for verifying the validity of the aforementioned codes and their generation. 2) An anti-counterfeiting system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the client device consists of a two-dimensional code reading software installed on a smartphone (7), PC (8) or industrial reader suitable for decoding such codes ( C 1) together with a web browser, integrated or not, and an Internet connection for data exchange with the verification server (9) via an encrypted and verified channel. 3) Anti-counterfeiting system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the two-dimensional code (Cl) encodes a URL (18) provided with a unique alphanumeric identifier (11) and generated by the server application (9) in an unpredictable manner, whose address is available a web page (15) showing the description, the supply chain and the lawfulness of the asset (13) where the aforementioned label is applied. 4) Anti-counterfeiting system, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the second hidden alphanumeric code (C2,12), unique, unpredictable and associated with the overlying code (Cl, ll), once discovered, can be inserted by user in a suitable web page (15) accessible at the same URL (18) encoded by the above code (Cl). 5) Process for the generation of the identifiers (11) of the two-dimensional codes (Cl) and the association of the same to the alphanumeric ones (C2,12), according to claims 3 and 4, characterized by the fact that they are unique individually by label and associated with each other two by two. 6) Procedure for the non predictability and verification of the integrity of the codes (11,12), according to claims 3 and 4, characterized by the fact that the same is obtained by concatenating to the same (11,12) an alphanumeric string of variable length obtained through a one-way hash function calculated on the concatenation of the code under examination to a second secret string. 7) Procedure for verifying the validity of the two-dimensional code (Cl) characterized by the fact that this occurs by comparing the identifying parameter (1 1) of the code present in the URL (18) searching for the same value in the database (10) containing the '' list of the identifiers of the printed codes thus determining the presence and relative status (13). 8) Procedure for verifying the validity of the alphanumeric code (C2,12) underlying the two-dimensional code (Cl), characterized by the fact that following its insertion in the web page (15) accessible as per claim 3, the server ( 9) by comparing the identifiers of the two-dimensional codes (11) and alphanumeric codes (12) generated as per claim 5, it will immediately report the outcome of the verification as well as recording the successful operation (13), together with the date and place obtained through direct methods provided by the device (7,8) that makes the access or indirect through its connection parameters. 9) Procedure, optional, due to the non-duplicability of the two-dimensional code (C 1.11) characterized by the fact that it is covered by a silk-screen process by an opaque scrapable patina and that the reading according to claim 3 is recorded (13), invalidating the code, so that further subsequent reads are reported to the user as an invalid or duplicate code. 10) Procedure for the non-duplicability of the code (C2,12) characterized by the fact that it is obtained through the invalidation (13) following verification according to claim 8. 11) Procedure for updating the supply chain characterized by the fact that all the operations are carried out using the same tools used for the verification of the codes themselves and through the same page (15) used for the validity check by accessing through the appropriate link ( 20) present on it or by appropriately modifying the parameters of the URL (18) encoded by the two-dimensional code (Cl). 12) Procedure for updating the supply chain as per claim 11, characterized by the fact that access by the operator is authenticated and that all operations are recorded with date and place by means of methods provided by the device making the access or indirect through the connection parameters of the same client.