Method for identifying and authenticating goods using codes, bar codes and radio frequency identification

Abstract

Methods are provided for identifying and authenticating goods. A code or checksum based on information or an image relating to a good is derived and associated with a barcode to include on a label. The label is scanned by a recipient to authenticate the goods. Scanable code are provided based on an image by distilling an image into its hue components and using a grid to create a pattern. The pattern is readable by a scanner to obtain a code directly, or by consulting a look-up table. The code, barcode, digital barcode or scanable code can be included on a label or tag, such as an RFID tag.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
   
   
       16 . A method of facilitating the authentication of items, comprising: associating a machine-readable symbol with one or more items to be authenticated; and associating a memory and a transceiver with the one or more items, wherein the memory is coupled to the transceiver, and wherein the memory stores an image of the machine-readable symbol. 
   
   
       17 . A method of authenticating items, comprising: obtaining a first code based on a first machine-readable symbol associated with one or more items; processing an image of a second machine readable-symbol stored in a memory to obtain a second code, wherein the memory is coupled to a transceiver and both are associated with the one or more items; and determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first and second codes. 
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein determining the authenticity of the one or more items comprises determining whether the first code matches the second code. 
   
   
       19 . A method of facilitating the authentication of items, comprising: associating a machine-readable symbol and an image with one or more items to be authenticated; and associating a memory and a transceiver with the one or more items, wherein the memory is coupled to the transceiver, and wherein the memory stores the machine-readable symbol and the image. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the machine-readable symbol comprises machine-readable data. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the machine-readable symbol comprises a machine-readable symbol image. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the transceiver transmits the stored machine-readable symbol and image to a receiver for authentication. 
   
   
       23 . A method of authenticating items, comprising: processing a machine-readable symbol stored in a memory to obtain a first code, wherein the memory is coupled to a transceiver and both are associated with the one or more items; processing an image stored in the memory to obtain a second code; and determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first and second codes. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein determining the authenticity of the one or more items comprises determining whether the first code matches the second code. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein obtaining the first code comprises reading the machine-readable symbol. 
   
   
       26 - 30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . A method of obtaining data from an image, comprising: processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of a first image to obtain a second image; and interpreting the second image as a machine-readable symbol to thereby obtain a code from the second image. 
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein interpreting the second image as a machine-readable symbol comprises interpreting the second image as a bar code. 
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein interpreting the second image as a bar code comprises interpreting the second image as a bar code according to a bar code format comprising a plurality of patterns and corresponding values where each of the plurality of patterns of the bar code format has a corresponding value. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein interpreting the second image as a bar code comprises interpreting the second image as at least part of a two-dimensional bar code. 
   
   
       35 . A method of facilitating the authentication of items, comprising: obtaining a machine-readable symbol based on an image by processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of the image; and associating the image and the machine-readable symbol with one or more items to be authenticated. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein obtaining a machine-readable symbol based on an image comprises obtaining a bar code based on an image. 
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein obtaining a bar code based on an image comprises obtaining at least part of a two-dimensional bar code from an image. 
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising generating a second bar code encoding data related to the two-dimensional bar code, and wherein associating the image and the machine-readable symbol with one or more items to be authenticated comprises associating the two-dimensional bar code and the second bar code with the one or more items so that the two-dimensional bar code and the second bar code form a composite bar code. 
   
   
       39 . A method of authenticating of items, comprising: obtaining a first machine-readable symbol based on an image associated with one or more items by processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of the image; and determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first machine-readable symbol and a second machine-readable symbol associated with the one or more items. 
   
   
       40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein determining the authenticity of the one or more items comprises: obtaining a first code from the first machine-readable symbol; obtaining a second code from the second machine-readable symbol; and determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first and second codes. 
   
   
       41 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein obtaining the first machine-readable symbol based on the image comprises obtaining a first bar code based on the image, and wherein the second machine-readable symbol comprises a second bar code. 
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein obtaining the first bar code based on the image comprises obtaining a two-dimensional bar code from the image, wherein the two-dimensional bar code and the second bar code form a composite bar code, and wherein determining the authenticity of the one or more items comprises determining whether the second bar code corresponds to the two-dimensional bar code. 
   
   
       43 . A method of facilitating the authentication of items, comprising: obtaining a machine-readable symbol based on an image by processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of the image; obtaining a code based on the machine-readable symbol; storing the code in a memory device coupled to a transceiver device; and associating the image, the memory device, and the transceiver device with one or more items to be authenticated. 
   
   
       43 . A method of authenticating items, comprising: obtaining a machine-readable symbol based on an image associated with one or more items by processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of the image; obtaining a first code based on the machine-readable symbol; obtaining a second code from a memory device associated with the one or more items, wherein the memory device is coupled to a transceiver device associated with the one or more items; and determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first and second codes. 
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 43 , wherein determining the authenticity of the one or more items comprises determining whether the first code matches the second code. 
   
   
       45 . A method of facilitating the authentication of items, comprising: obtaining a machine-readable symbol based on a first image by processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of the first image; storing an image of the machine-readable symbol in a memory device coupled to a transceiver device; and associating the image of the machine readable symbol, the memory device, and the transceiver device with one or more items to be authenticated. 
   
   
       46 . A method of authenticating items, comprising: obtaining a first machine-readable symbol based on an image associated with one or more items by processing color characteristics of one or more pixels of the image; obtaining a second machine-readable symbol from a memory device associated with the one or more items, wherein the memory device is coupled to a transceiver device associated with the one or more items; determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first and second machine-readable symbols. 
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein determining the authenticity of the one or more items comprises: obtaining a first code from the first machine-readable symbol;
 obtaining a second code from the second machine-readable symbol; and determining the authenticity of the one or more items based on the first and second codes.   
   
   
       48 . A method of generating scanable code based on an image, the method comprising: processing color characteristics of one or more pixels associated with the image; and obtaining a first code for the one or more pixels, wherein the first code corresponds to a second code associated with a machine-readable symbol. 
   
   
       49 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein the second code is generated by applying the first code to a look-up table associated with the machine-readable symbol. 
   
   
       50 . The method according to  claim 48 , further comprising adding a first indicator symbol for indicating a starting point for scanning the image, and adding a second indicator symbol for indicating an end point for scanning the image. 
   
   
       51 . The method according to  claim 48 , further comprising applying the generated scanable code to the one or more items. 
   
   
       52 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein processing the color characteristics of the one or more pixels comprises varying the hue values of the one or more pixels such that hue values comprising more than 50% gray black are converted to hue values representing black, and the hue values comprising more less than 50% gray white are converted to hue values representing white. 
   
   
       53 . The method according to  claim 52 , wherein the one or more pixels converted to hue values representing black are encoded as a first code value and the one or more pixels converted to hue values representing white are encoded as a second code value.