Methods, systems and apparatus for recognizing genuine products

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems are described for identifying potentially counterfeited products or goods.

1 . An apparatus for indicating the legitimate use of a feature of a physical product covered by an intellectual property right, the apparatus comprising an electronic intellectual property (IP) tag, the electronic IP tag comprising a wireless data communication interface, a memory for storing data, and a data processor, whereby:
 the memory is adapted to store digital IP sign data associated with said intellectual property right and comprising an identifier of said intellectual property right;   the electronic IP tag is adapted to communicate with an electronic reading device using said wireless data communication interface for sending said digital IP sign data to said electronic reading device and for exchanging data with said electronic reading device for authenticating said digital IP sign data or said electronic IP tag to said electronic reading device;   the memory is further adapted to store a private key of a public-private key pair associated to said intellectual property right; and   the data processor is adapted to perform an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm parameterized with said private key for said authenticating said digital IP sign data or said electronic IP tag to said electronic reading device.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the electronic IP tag is further adapted to receive using said wireless data communication interface a challenge from said electronic reading device, to generate a response to said challenge by said data processor performing said asymmetric cryptographic algorithm using said challenge as an input for said asymmetric cryptographic algorithm, and to return said response to said electronic reading device using said wireless data communication interface. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the electronic IP tag is comprised in a physical product comprising a visible feature corresponding to said intellectual property right. 
     
     
         4 . A method for initializing a particular electronic intellectual property (IP) tag of a plurality of electronic IP tags comprising the steps of:
 associating the particular electronic IP tag with an intellectual property right;   generating a tag public-private key pair that is specific for said particular electronic IP tag;   storing a tag private key of said tag public-private key pair in said particular electronic IP tag;   generating digital IP sign data and storing said digital IP sign data in said particular electronic IP tag whereby the digital IP sign data comprise an intellectual property right identifying data element for identifying the intellectual property right that the particular electronic IP tag is associated with; and   generating a cryptographically verifiable link between said tag private key and said digital IP sign data.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the step of generating a cryptographically verifiable link between the tag private key and the digital IP sign data comprises generating a public key infrastructure (PKI) tag certificate for a tag public key corresponding to the tag private key and wherein the tag certificate is comprised in the digital IP sign data stored in the electronic IP tag. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the particular electronic IP tag is comprised in an electronic IP seal and is connected to a tamper detection component also comprised in this electronic IP seal, the method further comprising configuring a data element stored in the particular electronic IP tag to match an initial state of the tamper detection component, wherein configuring a data element stored in the particular electronic IP tag to match the initial state comprises storing in the electronic IP tag a data element for the electronic IP tag to combine at a later stage with a measurement by the electronic IP tag of a state of the tamper detection component at said later stage in order to obtain a data element that is required by the electronic IP tag for successfully authenticating itself. 
     
     
         7 . A method for manufacturing a physical product comprising the steps of:
 applying to the physical product a visual mark that corresponds to a registered intellectual property right; and   embedding in or attaching to the physical product an electronic intellectual property (IP) tag that is associated with the registered intellectual property right;   wherein the electronic IP tag comprises a wireless data communication interface, a memory for storing data, and a data processor, whereby:
 the memory is adapted to store digital IP sign data associated with said intellectual property right and comprising an identifier of said intellectual property right; 
 the electronic IP tag is adapted to communicate with an electronic reading device using said wireless data communication interface for sending said digital IP sign data to said electronic reading device and for exchanging data with said electronic reading device for authenticating said digital IP sign data or said electronic IP tag to said electronic reading device; 
 the memory is further adapted to store a private key of a public-private key pair associated to said intellectual property right; and 
 the data processor is adapted to perform an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm parameterized with said private key for said authenticating said digital IP sign data or said electronic IP tag to said electronic reading device. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising embedding in or attaching to the product an electronic IP seal comprising the electronic IP tag and a tamper detection component connected to the electronic IP tag, the tamper detection component having a physical state, wherein the tamper detection component is adapted to irreversibly change its state from an initial state into another state in response to physical deformation of an object that the tamper detection component is embedded in, and wherein the electronic IP tag and the tamper detection component are adapted such that if the tamper detection component is no longer in that initial state then said authenticating of said digital IP sign data or said electronic IP tag cannot be done successfully. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising an initialization method for initializing the electronic IP tag, the initialization method comprising the steps of:
 associating said electronic IP tag with an intellectual property right; 
 generating a tag public-private key pair for the electronic IP tag; 
 storing a tag private key of said tag public-private key pair in the electronic IP tag, 
 generating digital IP sign data and storing said digital IP sign data in the electronic IP tag whereby the digital IP sign data comprise an intellectual property right identifying data element for identifying the intellectual property right that the electronic IP tag is associated with; and 
 generating a cryptographically verifiable link between said tag private key and said digital IP sign data. 
 
     
     
         10 . An electronic reading device for reading an intellectual property (IP) tag comprising:
 a wireless data communication interface adapted to wirelessly exchange data with an electronic IP tag comprised in a physical product and associated with an intellectual property right;   a data processing component adapted to perform an authentication protocol for authenticating the electronic IP tag; and   a feature capturing component for capturing one or more physical features of the physical product that comprises said electronic IP tag.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic reading device of  claim 10  wherein said physical feature comprises a visible feature and said feature capturing component comprises a digital camera and said electronic reading device or said data processing component is adapted to extract said physical feature from an image captured with said digital camera. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic reading device of  claim 10  further adapted to use the wireless data communication interface to receive digital IP sign data from the electronic IP tag and wherein the digital IP sign data comprise an intellectual property right identification data element and the electronic reading device is adapted to identify an intellectual property right associated with the electronic IP tag by using said received intellectual property right identification data element. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic reading device of  claim 10  further comprising a human input interface adapted to receive inputs from a user of the electronic reading device, and further adapted to use said human input interface to receive from said user assistance in capturing said one or more physical features of said product, wherein the human input interface is adapted to receive textual inputs and the electronic reading device is further adapted to use said human input interface to receive from said user texts or words that are visible on the product. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic reading device of  claim 10  further comprising a human output interface adapted to present information to a user of the electronic reading device and further adapted to obtain a reference representation of an intellectual property right associated with the electronic IP tag and to present said reference representation to the user using said human output interface, wherein said obtaining a reference representation of an intellectual property right associated with the electronic IP tag or said presenting said reference representation to the user using said human output interface is conditional on said authenticating said electronic IP tag having been performed successfully. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic reading device of  claim 10  further comprising a human output interface adapted to present information to a user of the electronic reading device and further adapted:
 to obtain an estimate of the likelihood that the physical product is infringing an intellectual property right, and 
 to communicate this estimate to the user by using said human output interface. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method for estimating the likelihood that a physical feature of a given physical product is infringing an intellectual property right comprising the steps of:
 capturing the physical feature of the physical product,   detecting the presence of an electronic intellectual property (IP) tag embedded in the physical product, authenticating the electronic IP tag,   retrieving from the electronic IP tag digital IP sign data wherein the digital IP sign data comprises an electronic property right identifying data element,   using the electronic property right identifying data element to identify a tag electronic property right associated with the electronic IP tag, and   estimating a degree of correspondence between the physical feature and the identified tag intellectual property right.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a representation of the identified intellectual property right, 
 and comparing the obtained representation to the captured physical feature, 
 whereby the outcome of said comparing is used in said estimating a degree of correspondence between the physical feature and the identified tag intellectual property right; 
 determining a set of intellectual property rights, and 
 estimating for each intellectual property right of the determined set a degree of correspondence between the physical feature and that intellectual property right. 
 
     
     
         18 . A system for estimating a likelihood that a physical feature of a given physical product is infringing an intellectual property right comprising the following components:
 a product feature capturing component adapted to capture the physical feature of the physical product,   a tag communication component adapted to detect the presence of an electronic intellectual property (IP) tag embedded in the physical product and to communicate with the detected electronic IP tag,   a tag authentication component adapted to authenticate the electronic IP tag,   a digital IP sign reading component to retrieve from the electronic IP tag digital IP sign data wherein the digital IP sign data comprises an electronic property right identifying data element,   an intellectual property right (IPR) identification component to use the electronic property right identifying data element to identify a tag electronic property right associated with the electronic IP tag, and   a feature correspondence estimation component adapted to estimate a degree of correspondence between the physical feature and the identified tag intellectual property right.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  further comprising:
 an IPR set determination component adapted to determine a set of intellectual property rights, wherein the feature correspondence estimation component is further adapted to estimate for each intellectual property right of the determined set a degree of correspondence between the physical feature and that intellectual property right; and 
 a feature specific infringement likelihood estimation component for estimating a feature specific infringement likelihood that a captured physical feature is infringing an intellectual property right, wherein the infringement likelihood estimation component is adapted to estimate the feature specific infringement likelihood by determining the value of the feature specific infringement likelihood estimate as a function of:
 the outcome of authenticating the electronic IP tag, or 
 the estimated degree of correspondence between the physical feature and the identified intellectual property right, or 
 one or more or all the estimates that have been estimated for the degrees of correspondence between the physical feature and each intellectual property right of the determined set of intellectual property rights. 
 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18  further comprising:
 an IPR set determination component adapted to determine a set of intellectual property rights, wherein the feature correspondence estimation component is further adapted to estimate for each intellectual property right of the determined set a degree of correspondence between the physical feature and that intellectual property right; 
 an IPR representation retrieval component adapted to obtain a representation of the identified intellectual property right and to obtain for each intellectual property right of the determined set at least one reference IPR (Intellectual Property Right) representation, and 
 an IPR feature comparison component adapted to compare the obtained representation to the captured physical feature and to compare each of the at least one reference IPR representations to the captured physical feature, 
 whereby the feature correspondence estimation component is further adapted to use the outcome of said comparison between the obtained representation and the captured physical feature for said estimating the degree of correspondence between the captured physical feature and the identified tag intellectual property right and 
 whereby the feature correspondence estimation component is further adapted to estimate said degree of correspondence between the physical feature and each intellectual property right of the determined set by using the outcome of said comparison between the at least one reference IPR representation obtained for that intellectual property right of the determined set and the captured physical feature.