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RU-2861672-C2 - SYSTEM FOR VERIFYING AUTHENTICITY OF PRODUCTS

RU2861672C2RU 2861672 C2RU2861672 C2RU 2861672C2RU-2861672-C2

Abstract

FIELD: verification systems. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a system for verifying product authenticity. A system for verifying product authenticity, according to which a product is provided with a marking, information of which is read by a detector and, by means of a control and communication unit which controls the detector and an alarm element, and by means of an information transmission network connected to the control and communication unit, transmitted to a database and compared with information stored there, obtaining a decision regarding the authenticity of the product, the system includes a refrigerator in which a sensor is located and which includes a control and communication unit and an alarm element, the product being a packaged food product and located in the refrigerator, and the refrigerator having a transparent shelf, and the detector comprising a camera panel which is located on the underside of the shelf and can be moved parallel to the plane of the shelf by means of a transport mechanism, the camera panel being oriented to capture images of products located on the shelf from the underside. EFFECT: reliable reading of even finely coded product marking information due to precisely defined light conditions and a constant small distance when taking pictures of the underside of the product packaging. 19 cl, 6 dwg

Inventors

  • SONNLEITNER, HERMANN
  • NACHBAGAUER, JOSEF
  • CONCIN, ROLAND
  • MAYRHUBER, Harald

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20211223
Priority Date
20201223

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A system for checking the authenticity of a product (2), according to which the product (2) is provided with a marking (3), the information of which is read by a detector (6, 16, 20, 24) and, via a control and communication unit (7) that controls the detector (6, 16, 20, 24) and an alarm element (10), and, via an information transmission network (8) associated with the control and communication unit (7), is transmitted to a database (9) and compared with the information stored there, whereby a decision is generated as a result of the comparison regarding the authenticity or inauthenticity of the product (2), and the result of this decision is signalled at the location of the product (2) using the alarm element (10),
  2. characterized in that
  3. This system includes a refrigerator (1) in which said sensor (6) is located and which includes said control and communication unit (7) and said signaling element (10), wherein the product (2) is a packaged food product and is located in the refrigerator (1), and wherein the refrigerator (1) has a transparent shelf (11, 22), and the detector (6, 24) contains a camera panel (12) which is located on the underside of the shelf (11, 22) and with the help of a transport mechanism (13) has the ability to move parallel to the plane of the shelf (11, 22), wherein the camera panel (12) is oriented to capture images of the products (2) located on the shelf (11, 22) from the underside.
  4. 2. The system according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the database (9) indicates from which control and communication unit (7), when it was sent, and which information from the markings (3).
  5. 3. The system according to paragraph 1 or 2, characterized in that the refrigerator has a shelf (18) in which a detector (20) is built flush with the surface, designed as an optical detector.
  6. 4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that an optical unit (19) is built into the shelf (18) flush with the surface, which directs light from the upper side of the shelf (18) to the detector (20).
  7. 5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmission of light between the optical unit (19) and the detector (20) is carried out through a light-conducting solid body.
  8. 6. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that parallel to the plane of the shelf (11, 22) there extends a plate (25) consisting of a transparent material, of which at least one of the two surfaces lying parallel to the plane of the plate is provided with a raster of surface sections (26) that diffusely reflect the incident light, wherein the areas of the plate surfaces that are not provided with the said surface sections (26) are made even, smooth and light-transmitting, and wherein one or more light sources (27) emit light into the material of the plate (25).
  9. 7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the plate (25) is located under the shelf (11, 22).
  10. 8. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the plate (25) itself is a shelf.
  11. 9. The system according to one of paragraphs 6-8, characterized in that the diffusely reflective sections (26) of the surface are located on the lower surface of the plate (25), and the power supply unit (28) for the detector (24) is located under the plate (25), and the plate (25) in the place where the detector (24) is located is made with gaps.
  12. 10. The system according to one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the detector (6, 16, 20, 24), the control and communication unit (7) and the information transmission network (8) are also used to inform authorized users of the refrigerator (1) about the contents of the refrigerator (1).
  13. 11. The system according to one of paragraphs 1-10, characterized in that the information transmission network (8) is the Internet.
  14. 12. The system according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the refrigerator (1) is combined with a device (14) for returning deposit packages, wherein the deposit packages are part of the product packaging (2) provided with a marking (3), wherein the device (14) contains a detector (16) that reads the marking and, by means of a control and communication unit (7), which controls the detector (6, 16) and the alarm element (10), transmits it by means of a control and communication unit (7) and by means of an information transmission network (8) to a database (9), and by means of a comparison with the data that is stored in the database (9), a decision is generated as to whether the deposit package is authentic and whether the deposit for it has already been paid earlier.
  15. 13. The system according to one of paragraphs 1-12, characterized in that data blocks are generated in the database (9) that contain data regarding the manufacturer’s parameters for products (2) marked with individual markings (3).
  16. 14. The system according to one of paragraphs 1-13, characterized in that data blocks are generated in the database (9) that contain data regarding individual stages of production for products (2) marked with individual markings (3).
  17. 15. The system according to one of paragraphs 1-14, characterized in that data blocks are generated in the database (9) that contain data regarding the distribution channel for products (2) marked with individual markings (3).
  18. 16. The system according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that after identifying the product (2) in the refrigerator (1) based on the marking (3) and fulfilling the filtering conditions stored in the database (9), a warning before using the product (2) and/or product recall information related to the product (2) can be generated by means of the database (9) and sent to the control and communication unit (7) in the refrigerator (1).
  19. 17. The system according to one of paragraphs 1-16, characterized in that the refrigerator (1) is part of a vending machine.
  20. 18. The system according to claim 17, characterized in that in the refrigerator area (1) there is a detector for recognizing registered customers, that purchases of products and, if necessary, refunds of deposits are associated with the corresponding settlement accounts of the corresponding recognized customers and that the exchange of information between the database, which contains the settlement accounts of customers, and the detector for recognizing registered customers is carried out by means of a control and communication unit (7) and an information transmission network (8) associated with it.

Description

The invention relates to a system for checking the authenticity of products. In particular, in the case of products that are transferred from the first supplier through multiple stages from one supplier to another, all lawfully operating participants want to be able to verify whether the currently offered product actually originates from the stated first supplier and is not a counterfeit. Traditionally, for this purpose, products—especially product packaging—have been equipped with at least one additional feature that is invisible, but whose presence can be verified by an informed party and which cannot be easily copied. Over the past few years, a growing number of methods have been proposed that utilize electronic data processing to verify authenticity, often in combination with digital data transmission over a data network. Examples include the following. According to EP 2862131 A1, a product is provided with two identifying features, one of which is clearly legible (e.g., a QR code), while the second feature is not clearly legible but represents a uniquely defined feature, such as a chaotic mixture of colors, in which the ultimately meaningful information lies in the arrangement of several color dots within a narrow, inconspicuous color spectrum and must be read from a specific viewing angle. The features are read using a special reading device. To prove the authenticity of the product, the information obtained from the clearly legible feature must be combined with the correctly read information from the non-obvious feature. EP 2894596 A1 proposes providing (e.g., product packaging) with a unique identification feature registered in a database, as well as providing mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) through which the identification feature on the product can be read and, including information about the geographic location at which the reading occurs, sent to the database. In the database, data regarding the location of the product at the relevant point in time is recorded, and, based on the information stored in the database, a check is made to determine whether the indicated reading location for the relevant product is reliable or not, and a decision is made accordingly whether the product is authentic or not. According to documents EP 2990988 A1, EP 3154015 A1, EP 3179441 A1, EP 3189465 A1, EP 3510527 A1, and EP 3564840 A1, a product is equipped with at least two readable features, one of which is clearly and easily readable, while the second feature is not simply readable and possibly not simply noticeable, and the information from both features is stored in a database in conjunction with each other. To verify the product, both pieces of information determined by the reading device are sent to the database, which reports whether the two pieces of information are interconnected, meaning the product is authentic, or not. The disadvantage of the authentication methods proposed so far, which utilize readable features and electronic data processing, is that they require individual, human-initiated verification processes and the use of separate reading devices. The associated costs ultimately mean that these verification methods are only used as an effective means of protecting against counterfeiting on a disproportionately small percentage of products. In JP 2001208463 A, already in 2001, it was publicly proposed to equip a refrigerator with electronic cameras for its interior, as well as to provide software and connections to a data transmission network, so that from the pictures taken by the cameras, by means of automated image recognition, the products stored in the refrigerator could be identified and this information could be automatically provided to an authorized person, including a remote person, in order to inform him of what to buy or what could be prepared. JP 2001208463 A was followed by numerous patent publications that build on the same basic idea and delve into its specific topics, such as camera arrangements, provision of basic knowledge for identification, image processing details, provision of suggestions for use of content ("nutritionist"), food freshness warnings, etc. As an example, reference may be made to documents CN 103604271 A, CN 104361041 B, CN 105758108 A, CN 106247752 A, CN 106642976 A, CN 106642981 A, CN 109114877 A, CN 206817873 U, CN 208704296 U, TW 201816737 A, US 2018245840 A1, US 2019226755 A1, US 9784497 B2, WO 2015024841 A1 and WO 2018142022 A1. For manufacturers and suppliers of goods that need to be stored in a refrigerator equipped with this technology, the concept of "automatically generating and providing information about the refrigerator's contents" has not yet been explored. Apparently, the specialists developing such refrigerators are still focused on market participants who consume refrigerated products, rather than those who offer them. The main objective of the invention is to reduce the additional costs incurred by product recipients when they wish to veri