Apparatus for customer authentication of an item

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for authentication of an item or a label by storing unique random serial numbers or codes in a remote secure storage that can be used to authenticate the item or the label, generating a pointer to each stored unique random serial number/code and storing the generated pointer(s) in a client data storage. During or prior to a production run of the item(s) or label(s): the generated pointer(s) are sent from the client data storage to one or more media devices, the generated pointer(s) are obtained from the media device using a post-content manager, the unique random serial number(s)/code(s) are obtained from the server via the post-content manager using the generated pointer(s), the obtained unique random serial number(s)/code(s) are sent to the media device, and the received unique random serial number(s)/code(s) are imprinted on the item(s) or the label(s) using the media device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for authentication of labeled articles comprising:
 a first computer system including a processor communicably coupled to a memory storing a first set of non-transitory computer readable instructions, which instructions of the first set of non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor, during or prior to production of the labelled article, to perform the steps of:
 receiving a pointer to each of a plurality of unique serial numbers or codes that are used to authenticate the labelled articles, 
 obtaining the unique serial numbers or codes from a storage location using the pointers, and 
 provide the unique random serial numbers or codes to a media device responsive to a request for the unique random serial numbers or codes; and 
   the media device operating according to a second set of non-transitory computer readable instructions, which second set of non-transitory computer readable instructions, when executed by the media device, cause the media device to obtain the unique random serial numbers or codes from the processor using the pointers, and to imprint the received unique random serial numbers or codes on the labelled articles.