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Title:
A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATING A PRODUCT
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2019/068893
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
This invention relates to a method and system for authenticating a product. The system may comprise a blockchain database having a QR code generator; a product manufacturing facility having a QR code printer; a secure communication channel between the blockchain database and the product manufacturing facility; a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a verification application (APP) and a camera; and a communication channel between the UCD and the blockchain database. In use, the manufacturing facility requests a QR code from the blockchain database. Upon receipt, the manufacturing facility marks a product with the QR code and sends a product record relating to the product and associated with that QR code to the blockchain database for storage. A consumer with a smartphone or like device can capture the QR code and retrieve a product record so that the product record can be compared with the physical product to verify authenticity.

Inventors:
SHERLOCK CHARLIE (IE)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2018/077186
Publication Date:
April 11, 2019
Filing Date:
October 05, 2018
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
IM8 DATA LTD (IE)
International Classes:
G06F21/88; H04L29/06; H04W12/06; G06Q10/08; H04W12/12
Domestic Patent References:
WO2016120826A22016-08-04
Foreign References:
US20170232300A12017-08-17
US20160098723A12016-04-07
Other References:
None
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
O'CONNOR, Michael (IE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims:

(1 ) A system (1 ) for authenticating a product (21 ) comprising: a blockchain database (3) having a plurality of QR codes (19) and associated product records stored thereon, and a QR code generator (5); a product manufacturing facility (7) having a QR code printer (9); a secure communication channel (15) between the blockchain database (3) and the product manufacturing facility (7); a user communication device (UCD) (11 ) having a user interface (13) and a camera for capturing a QR code; and a two-way communication channel (17) between the UCD (11 ) and the blockchain database (3).

(2) A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 1 in which the UCD (11 ) is one of a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet, and a phablet.

(3) A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the product manufacturing facility comprises a memory for storage of a batch of QR codes issued by the blockchain database and a product record associated with each of the QR codes.

(4) A method of authenticating a product in a system (1 ), the system (1 ) comprising: a blockchain database (3) having a QR code generator (5); a product manufacturing facility (7) having a QR code printer (9); a secure communication channel (15) between the blockchain database and the product manufacturing facility; a user communication device (UCD) (11 ) having a user interface (13), a verification application (APP), a memory having product records associated with QR codes thereon and a camera; and a communication channel (17) between the UCD and the blockchain database; the method comprising the initial steps of: the blockchain database (3) transmitting a unique QR code to the product manufacturing facility (7); the product manufacturing facility (7) marking a product (21 ) with the unique QR code (19) and transmitting a product record to the blockchain database (3); and the blockchain database (3) storing the QR code and the associated product record in the blockchain database; and thereafter, upon a user wishing to authenticate the product, the method comprising the steps of: the user capturing the QR code (19) with the camera on their UCD; the APP performing an offline authentication challenge on the QR code; the APP displaying an authentication result to the offline authentication challenge on the user interface (13) of the UCD; and, on the QR code (19) passing the offline authentication challenge, the method comprising the steps of: the user transmitting an online authentication request including the QR code (19) to the blockchain database (3); the blockchain database (3) receiving the online authentication request including the QR code from the UCD, retrieving the product record associated with that QR code from the blockchain database and transmitting an authentication response including the product record associated with that QR code to the UCD (11 ) for display on the user interface (13); and the user inspecting the product record and authenticating the product against the product record displayed on the user interface. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which upon receipt of the QR code (19) from the UCD, if there is no product record associated with the QR code in the blockchain database (3), the method comprises the step of the blockchain database transmitting an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD (11 ).

A method as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which the method comprises the step of the blockchain database (3) transmitting a plurality of unique QR codes to the product manufacturing facility (7) for subsequent use by the manufacturing facility to mark a plurality of products.

A method as claimed in claim 6 in which the manufacturing facility (7) transmits a plurality of product records along with the QR codes associated with each of the product records to the blockchain database (3).

A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 7 in which the blockchain database (3) maintains a record of authentication requests relating to a QR code (19) and upon the number of authentication requests relating to a QR code exceeding a predetermined limit, the method comprises the step of the blockchain database (3) transmitting an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD (11 ).

A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 8 in which the blockchain database (3) maintains a record of the location of a UCD (11 ) issuing an authentication request and upon the blockchain database (3) identifying that the location of the UCD (1 1 ) issuing the authentication request does not match a location in the product record, the method comprises the step of the blockchain database transmitting an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. (10) A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 9 in which the step of the manufacturing facility (7) marking a product with the unique QR code (19) and transmitting a product record to the blockchain database further comprises the manufacturing facility marking a batch of products containing a finite predetermined number of products with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record for the batch of products to the blockchain database.

A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 10 in which the QR code (19) is encrypted and the method comprises the intermediate step of the APP decrypting the QR code.

A method as claimed in claim 1 1 in which the offline authentication challenge comprises the step of the APP decrypting the QR code (19) to determine code authenticity.

A method as claimed in claim 12 in which on the APP being unable to decrypt the QR code (19), the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message on the user interface (13) of the UCD (11 ).

A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 13 in which the offline authentication challenge comprises the step of the APP verifying a digital signature from the QR code (19).

A method as claimed in claim 14 in which on the APP being unable to verify the digital signature of the scanned QR code (19), the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message on the user interface (13) of the UCD (11 ).

A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 15 in which the verification process comprises a number of QR codes (19) being verified by the APP on the UCD (1 1 ), and in which the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD if all QR codes have not been verified.

A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 16 in which the digital signature is sent with the QR code (19) to the blockchain database (3) as part of the online authentication request. A method as claimed in any of claims 4 to 17 in which the verification application (APP) on the UCD (11 ) validates the product information contained within the QR code (19) against data in the APP database and in which on the APP being unable to validate the product information the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message on the user interface (13) of the UCD (1 1 ).

(19) A system (1 ) for authenticating a product comprising: a blockchain database (3) having a plurality of QR codes (19) and associated product records stored thereon; a user communication device (UCD) (11 ) having a user interface (13) for displaying a product record and a camera for capturing a QR code; and a two-way communication channel (17) between the UCD and the blockchain database. (20) A system (1 ) as claimed in claim 19 in which the UCD (11 ) is one of a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet, and a phablet.

A method of authenticating a product in a system (1 ) comprising a blockchain database (3) and a user communication device (UCD) having a camera and a user interface (13), the method comprising the steps of: capturing a QR code (19) marked on the product (21 ) with the camera of the UCD; transmitting an authentication request including the QR code (19) from the UCD to the remote blockchain database (3) over a communication channel (17); receiving at the UCD (11 ) an authentication response from the remote blockchain server (3) including a product record associated with the QR code transmitted in the authentication request; displaying the product record on the user interface of the UCD (11 ); and the user comparing the product with the product record displayed on the user interface (13) of the UCD (1 1 ) to determine the authenticity of the product.

A method as claimed in claim 21 in which if there is no product record associated with the QR code (19) in the blockchain database (3), the method comprises the step of the UCD (1 1 ) receiving an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message.

A method as claimed in claim 21 or 22 in which upon the number of authentication requests relating to a QR code (19) exceeding a predetermined limit, the method comprises the step of the UCD receiving an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message.

A method as claimed in any of claims 21 to 23 in which in which the UCD (1 1 ) transmits its location as part of the authentication request and upon the remote blockchain database (3) identifying that the location of the UCD (1 1 ) issuing the authentication request does not match a location in the product record, the method comprises the step of the UCD receiving an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message.

A product authentication system (1 ) comprising: a blockchain database (3) having a plurality of QR codes (19) and associated product records stored thereon, and a QR code generator; a product manufacturing facility (7) having a QR code printer (9); a secure communication channel (15) between the blockchain database (3) and the product manufacturing facility (7) for transmitting a QR code from the blockchain database to the product manufacturing facility and for transmitting a product record associated with that QR code and a product from the product manufacturing facility to the blockchain database.

A method of generating a product authentication system (1 ) comprising the steps of: a blockchain database (3) generating a unique QR code (19) and transmitting the unique QR code to a product manufacturing facility (7); the product manufacturing facility (7) marking a product with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record associated with that product and that QR code to the blockchain database (3); and the blockchain database (3) storing the QR code and the associated product record in the blockchain database.

A method as claimed in claim 26 in which the method comprises the product manufacturing facility (7) marking a batch of products with the unique QR code (19) and transmitting a product record associated with that QR code and the batch of products to the blockchain database (3).

A method of marking a product (21 ) with a secure authentication code comprising the steps of:

requesting a unique QR code (19) from a remote blockchain database (3); receiving the unique QR code (19) from the remote blockchain database; marking the product (21 ) with the unique QR code (19); and

transmitting a product record associated with that product (21 ) and that

QR code (19) to the remote blockchain database (3).

Description:
Title of Invention:

"A system and method for authenticating a product" Technical Field:

This invention relates to a system and method for authenticating a product. Background Art:

Counterfeit goods are a major threat to both producers and consumers alike. From a customer's perspective, the counterfeit goods may present a material risk to their health and safety. From a producer's perspective, the counterfeit goods may present a significant risk to their financial security and reputation. Accordingly, there is interest from both the producers and the consumers to tackle the dissemination of counterfeit goods.

Typically, counterfeiters target high value goods in industries such as, but not limited to, pharmaceuticals, aviation/automotive parts, luxury goods and medical devices. It is immediately apparent how counterfeit goods that are not manufactured to the required exacting specifications in the pharmaceutical, aviation/automotive parts and medical devices fields could have catastrophic consequences for the consumer. It is also evident how counterfeit goods may have a damaging affect on the reputation of genuine producers when products thought to originate from them are found to be deficient.

Counterfeiting of goods is a very substantial problem and significant efforts and resources have been dedicated towards preventing the spread of counterfeit goods. For example, in the pharmaceutical industry, according to a 2008 study by the World Health Organisation's International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce, counterfeit goods accounted for 10% of the world's medicines. These counterfeit medicines may have the wrong dosage of the active ingredient, the incorrect active ingredient or indeed no active ingredient at all and the result of taking such medicaments can be harmful if not fatal. It has been estimated that the counterfeit medicine trade is worth in excess of €1 10 Billion annually and therefore there are numerous parties willing to risk the consequences for a portion of this highly lucrative business. According to a study by BCC Research, global sales of anti-counterfeiting packaging technologies were worth (USD) $64 Billion in 2010 and were projected to rise to (USD) $74.2 Billion by 2015. Heretofore, the anti-counterfeiting packaging technologies in the pharmaceutical industry have consisted primarily of RFID tag identification or ultra-violet marking of legitimate products. Although an effective way of differentiating between real and counterfeit goods, there are numerous problems with the existing approaches. For example, RFID tag technology is relatively expensive to implement on individual packets of medicaments. Accordingly, there is a reluctance on the part of many manufacturers to implement such systems and the end result of those that do is a further increase in the price of the end product for the consumer. Secondly, although difficult to replicate by counterfeiters, the challenges they pose are not insurmountable and determined counterfeiters have been known to circumvent these measures. Furthermore, the known approaches are suitable for use by intermediaries that have the necessary equipment for detecting and reading the security measures however these approaches are seldom suitable for use by the end user. For example, pharmacists may have the necessary RFID reader to validate the authenticity of a pharmaceutical good although the patients (i.e. the end user) will typically not have this equipment and will rely on the party that they purchase the medicament from to verify its authenticity. This is not always entirely satisfactory.

There are several technical problems with the known solutions that have heretofore not been comprehensively addressed. First of all, it is desirable to provide an authentication system that is highly secure. Secondly, it is desirable to provide an authentication system that, while secure, is accessible. Thirdly, it is desirable to provide an authentication system that causes less disruption to the packaging and manufacturing processes of goods. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for authenticating a product that overcomes at least some of the above-identified problems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for authenticating a product that offers a useful alternative choice to the consumer. Summary of Invention:

According to the invention there is provided a system for authenticating a product comprising: a blockchain database having a plurality of QR codes and associated product records stored thereon, and a QR code generator; a product manufacturing facility having a QR code printer; a secure communication channel between the blockchain database and the product manufacturing facility; a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a verification application (APP) and a camera for capturing a QR code; and a two-way communication channel between the UCD and the blockchain database. This is seen as a particularly effective system to implement to allow consumers to authenticate the goods. The system allows a user having an ubiquitous communication device to check the authenticity of the goods, thereby providing a more accessible system. The records of the goods and the associated QR codes are stored in a safe and secure manner that is not susceptible to fraudulent attack. Furthermore, access to the records of the goods is simplified. The system will further cause minimal disruption to the manufacturing process.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a system in which the UCD is one of a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet, and a phablet. These are seen as useful devices for the consumer to use to authenticate the products. Further specialized equipment will not be required at their end. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a system in which the product manufacturing facility comprises a memory for storage of a batch of QR codes issued by the blockchain database and a product record associated with each of the QR codes. According to the invention there is provided a method of authenticating a product in a system, the system comprising: a blockchain database having a QR code generator; a product manufacturing facility having a QR code printer; a secure communication channel between the blockchain database and the product manufacturing facility; a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a verification application (APP), a memory having product records associated with QR codes thereon, and a camera; and a communication channel between the UCD and the blockchain database; the method comprising the initial steps of: the blockchain database transmitting a unique QR code to the product manufacturing facility; the product manufacturing facility marking a product with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record to the blockchain database; and the blockchain database storing the QR code and the associated product record in the blockchain database; and thereafter, upon a user wishing to authenticate the product, the method comprising the steps of: the user capturing the QR code with the camera on their UCD; the APP performing an offline authentication challenge on the QR code; the APP displaying an authentication result to the offline authentication challenge on the user interface of the UCD; and, on the QR code passing the offline authentication challenge, the method comprising the steps of: the APP transmitting an online authentication request including the QR code to the blockchain database; the blockchain database receiving the online authentication request including the QR code from the UCD, retrieving the product record associated with that QR code from the blockchain database and transmitting an authentication response including the product record associated with that QR code to the UCD for display on the user interface; and the user inspecting the product record and authenticating the product against the product record displayed on the user interface.

By having such a method, there is provided a method that is more secure and more accessible than previously solutions. The product's authenticity may be checked by the end user provided they have a user communication device such as a smartphone. As the smartphone is practically a ubiquitous device even in many third world areas, this is seen as a particularly suitable method to allow consumers themselves to authenticate the goods, thereby making the method more accessible. The user will be able to compare the product with the product record to see if the product matches the product record. The initial authentication of the QR code is performed on the UCD by the APP by reading the QR code and authenticating the QR code. This allows offline authentication which can be enabled for specific products or specific markets, again making the method more accessible than known methods. Furthermore, the method is relatively inexpensive to implement and will not require expensive equipment to set up or substantial alteration to manufacturing processes. This will help to promote manufacturers to implement the technology and will keep the cost of the end product down. Advantageously, the QR code and the associated product record are stored in a blockchain database thereby making the product information accessible to certain third parties while at the same time making the information practically impervious to attack and corruption, thereby providing a more secure solution than was heretofore the case.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method in which the QR code is encrypted and the method comprises the intermediate step of the APP decrypting the QR code. In one embodiment of the invention, the offline authentication challenge comprises the step of the APP decrypting the QR code to determine code authenticity. This is a simple way of determining whether or not the code is authentic. If the code cannot be decrypted, this is indicative that it is not a valid code. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon receipt of the QR code from the UCD, if the decryption of the QR code by the APP fails, the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. This is seen as a particularly useful implementation of the present invention. In this way, it will be relatively simple to identify whether or not the QR code and by extension the product is authentic or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the offline authentication challenge comprises the step of the APP retrieving a digital signature from the QR code. This is seen as another simple way of determining whether or not the QR code is authentic. The digital signature may be retrieved after decryption if the QR code was encrypted.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon receipt of the QR code from the UCD, if the verification of the digital signature by the APP fails, the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. This is seen as a particularly useful implementation of the present invention. In this way, it will be relatively simple to identify whether or not the QR code and by extension the product is authentic or not. In one embodiment of the invention, the offline authentication challenge comprises the step of the APP retrieving embedded product details from the QR code. Again, this may be done after decryption if the QR code was encrypted. The product details may be used in the offline authentication challenge by presenting the product details on the user interface of the UCD and thereafter allowing the user to compare the details displayed on screen with the details of the product.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon receipt of the QR code from the UCD, if there is no product record associated with the QR code in the APP, the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. This is seen as a particularly useful implementation of the present invention. In this way, it will be relatively simple to identify whether or not the QR code and by extension the product is authentic or not. ln one embodiment of the invention, the digital signature is sent with the QR code to the blockchain database as part of the online authentication request.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon receipt of the QR code from the UCD, if there is no product record associated with the QR code in the blockchain database, the method comprises the step of the blockchain database transmitting an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. This is seen as a particularly useful implementation of the present invention. In this way, it will be relatively simple to identify whether or not the QR code and by extension the product is authentic or not.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the method comprises the step of the blockchain database transmitting a plurality of unique QR codes to the product manufacturing facility for subsequent use by the manufacturing facility to mark a plurality of products. In this way, the QR codes can be supplied in batches and the manufacturing process will be able to work effectively in an off-line mode.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the manufacturing facility transmits a plurality of product records along with the QR codes associated with each of the product records to the blockchain database.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the blockchain database maintains a record of authentication requests relating to a QR code and upon the number of authentication requests relating to a QR code exceeding a predetermined limit, the method comprises the step of the blockchain database transmitting an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. In this way, if a valid QR code is taken from a genuine product and replicated on a counterfeit product, a track of the number of validation requests made in respect of the QR code will be kept and if it exceeds a certain number, it will be determined that the QR code has been copied and replicated on counterfeit produce.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the blockchain database maintains a record of the location of a UCD issuing a multiple failed authentication requests, the method comprises the step of the blockchain database notifying this instance to a third party indicating multiple counterfeit warning messages. Again, this will be an effective way of detecting counterfeit produce. It may be common for manufactured produce to be destined for a certain geographical location and if a request is made to validate that QR code from an entirely disparate location, it will be reasonable to assume that the produce to which the QR code that has been read is applied is fake and should be reported as such.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the blockchain database maintains a record of the location of a UCD issuing an authentication request and upon the blockchain server identifying that the location of the UCD issuing the authentication request does not match a location in the product record, the method comprises the step of the blockchain database transmitting an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. Again, this will be an effective way of detecting counterfeit produce. It may be common for manufactured produce to be destined for a certain geographical location and if a request is made to validate that QR code from an entirely disparate location, it will be reasonable to assume that the produce to which the QR code that has been read is applied is fake and should be reported as such.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the step of the manufacturing facility marking a product with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record to the blockchain database further comprises the manufacturing facility marking a batch of products containing a finite predetermined number of products with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record for the batch of products to the blockchain database. Depending on the value of the goods, it may be acceptable to place the same QR code on relatively small batches of goods. For example, it may be decided that a batch of 50 or less goods may have the same QR code as it would not be cost effective to have less goods with different QR codes and it would not be economical for counterfeiters to manufacture the goods with such short batch runs.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of authenticating a product in a system comprising a blockchain database and a user communication device (UCD) having a camera, a verification application (APP), and a user interface, the method comprising the steps of: capturing a QR code marked on the product with the camera of the UCD;

the APP performing an offline authentication challenge on the QR code;

the APP displaying an authentication result to the offline authentication challenge on the user interface of the UCD; and, on the QR code passing the offline authentication challenge, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an authentication request including the QR code from the UCD to the remote blockchain database over a communication channel;

receiving at the UCD an authentication response from the remote blockchain server including a product record associated with the QR code transmitted in the authentication request;

displaying the product record on the user interface of the UCD; and

the user comparing the product with the product record displayed on the user interface of the UCD to determine the authenticity of the product.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the QR code is encrypted and the QR code is decrypted and if the decryption of the QR code by the APP fails, the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon capture of the QR code by the UCD, a digital signature is retrieved from the QR code for verification and if the verification of the digital signature by the APP fails, the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon capture of the QR code by the UCD, if there is no product record associated with the QR code in the APP, the method comprises the step of the APP displaying an authentication result including a counterfeit warning message to the UCD. ln one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which if there is no product record associated with the QR code in the blockchain database, the method comprises the step of the UCD receiving an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which upon the number of authentication requests relating to a QR code exceeding a predetermined limit, the method comprises the step of the UCD receiving an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which in which the UCD transmits its location as part of the authentication request and upon the remote blockchain server identifying that the location of the UCD issuing the authentication request does not match a location in the product record, the method comprises the step of the UCD receiving an authentication response including a counterfeit warning message.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a system for authenticating a product comprising: a blockchain database having a plurality of QR codes and associated product records stored thereon;

a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a verification application (APP) for displaying a product record and a camera for capturing a QR code; and

a two-way communication channel between the UCD and the blockchain database.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a system in which the UCD is one of a mobile telephone, a smartphone, a tablet, and a phablet.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of generating a product authentication system comprising the steps of: a blockchain database generating a unique QR code and transmitting the unique QR code to a product manufacturing facility;

the product manufacturing facility marking a product with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record associated with that product and that QR code to the blockchain database; and

the blockchain database storing the QR code and the associated product record in the blockchain database.

This is seen as a particularly simple and effective method of generating a product authentication system that obviates the need for expensive RFID tag solutions and is inexpensive to install.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method in which the method comprises the product manufacturing facility marking a batch of products with the unique QR code and transmitting a product record associated with that QR code and the batch of products to the blockchain database.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a product authentication system comprising: a blockchain database having a plurality of QR codes and associated product records stored thereon, and an encrypted QR code generator;

a product manufacturing facility having an encrypted QR code printer;

a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a camera and a validation application (APP) on the UCD which has means to decrypt the QR code, and means to verify that the QR code is a valid QR code associated with this verification system.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a product authentication system comprising: a blockchain database having a plurality of QR codes and associated product records stored thereon, and a QR code generator;

a product manufacturing facility having a QR code printer; a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a camera and a validation application (APP) on the UCD which has means to verify a digital signature contained within the QR code thereby verifying that the QR code is a valid QR code associated with this verification system.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a product authentication system comprising:

a blockchain database having a plurality of QR codes and associated product records stored thereon, and a QR code generator;

a product manufacturing facility having a QR code printer;

a user communication device (UCD) having a user interface, a camera, a validation application (APP) and an APP database on the UCD, the APP having means to verify the digital signature contained within the QR code thereby verifying that the QR code pertains to a valid product held within the APP database.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a product authentication system comprising:

a blockchain database having a plurality of QR codes and associated product records stored thereon, and a QR code generator;

a product manufacturing facility having a QR code printer;

a secure communication channel between the blockchain database and the product manufacturing facility for transmitting a QR code from the blockchain database to the product manufacturing facility and for transmitting a product record associated with that QR code and a product from the product manufacturing facility to the blockchain database.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of marking a product with a secure authentication code comprising the steps of:

requesting a unique QR code from a remote blockchain database;

receiving the unique QR code from the remote blockchain database;

marking the product with the unique QR code; and

transmitting a product record associated with that product and that QR code to the remote blockchain database. Brief Description of the Drawings:

The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is diagrammatic representation of a system for authenticating a product; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative system according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings: Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown a system for authenticating a product, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 , comprising a blockchain database 3 having a Quick Response (QR) code generator 5, a product manufacturing facility 7 having a QR code printer 9, and a user communication device (UCD), in this instance a smartphone 1 1 having a user interface 13, a camera and a verification application (APP) including an APP database with QR codes and corresponding product records contained therein. There is further provided a secure communication channel 15 between the blockchain database 3 and the product manufacturing facility 7 and a communication channel 17 between the blockchain database 3 and the UCD 1 1. In the embodiment shown, the blockchain database is illustrated as a single component however it will be understood that the blockchain database will be spread over a plurality of computing devices.

In use, an operator in the product manufacturing facility 7 requests a QR code from the blockchain database over the secure communication channel 15. It is envisaged that communications over the secure communication channel 15 will be encrypted with a proprietary or other encryption method. The blockchain database 3, on receiving the request, operates the QR code generator 5 to generate a QR code and this QR code is then transmitted from the blockchain database to the product manufacturing facility 7. The product manufacturing facility 7 thereafter sends the QR code to the QR code printer 9 and the QR code 19 is applied to the product 21. In the drawing, the printer is shown as a standard label printer however as well as labels, it will be understood that the QR code could be printed onto the product directly or could be etched or laser cut into the product, depending on the nature of the product itself and the specific requirements of the manufacturer. The product is then packaged if necessary and shipped to a distributor/retailer/customer. In the interim, once the QR code 19 has been associated with a particular product, the product manufacturing facility 7 sends a product record to the blockchain database. The blockchain database saves the product record and the associated QR code 19 in the blockchain database. When a user wishes to authenticate the product 21 (assuming it has made its way into their possession), the user operates the camera of their UCD to capture the QR code 19 on the product 21. If the QR code is encrypted, the verification app (APP) on the UCD will decrypt the QR code using a secret key to determine if the QR code 19 is a valid code (and not a copy of a random QR code). Failure of this initial verification will return a counterfeit message on the user interface of the UCD.

Assuming the QR code 19 is valid, the APP will verify a digital signature retrieved from the QR code against its own internal database on the UCD. Failure of this secondary verification will return a counterfeit message on the user interface of the UCD.

Assuming the digital signature is valid, the APP will validate the QR code 19 against the list of 'blacklisted QR codes' held within the APP database on the UCD. The failure of this third level verification will return a counterfeit message on the user interface of the UCD.

Assuming successful validation of the QR code validation process, the APP will decode the product details (contained within the QR code 19) and will verify against its own database. The APP will display the product details on the UCD, or the failure of this third level verification will return a counterfeit message on failure on the UCD.

The user then transmits the QR code 19 to the blockchain database. The blockchain database receives and reviews the QR code and determines if there is a product record in the blockchain database that corresponds to the QR code. If there is a product record in memory that corresponds to the scanned QR code, the blockchain database returns the product record to the UCD. The user of the UCD then inspects the product record on the user interface of the UCD and compares the product record with the physical product, thereby verifying the authenticity of the product. In this way, the user is able to ascertain with certainty whether or not the product is genuine or counterfeit.

Various modifications could be made to the foregoing without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. For example, the QR codes may be provided in batches and each QR code could be applied to a product before a batch of product records were returned to the blockchain database. Similarly, the QR codes have been described as unique however it is envisaged that for some goods, it may be possible to provide a QR code on a particular batch of products. For example, the same QR code may be applied to a batch of 50 packets of a particular medicament. The blockchain database may operate in online or offline mode if desired. Another useful embodiment of the present invention would require multiple QR codes to be validated before the product could be authenticated. For example, the successful authentication process would require the validation of a plurality of associated QR codes (pertaining to an individual product), e.g. successful validation of the QR code on the product box, successful validation of the second QR code on the product leaflet and successful validation of the third QR code from the foil seal on the product itself.

In the embodiment shown, the user communication device (UCD) is a smartphone however other types of device could be used instead including a mobile phone, a tablet, a phablet and the like. What is important is that the UCD can capture the QR code, send the QR code to the blockchain database, receive a product record and display that product record to the user of the UCD. The user record may comprise a pictorial representation of the goods and indeed may include a plethora of information relating to the product that will enable the product to be identified with ease. This information may include a product description, the expiry date, the number of contents in the pack, the batch number printed on the pack, the manufacturing data printed on the pack or other identification information that may be used to identify the contents of the pack.

It is envisaged that if there is no product record corresponding to the QR code, the product is fraudulent and a message may be transmitted back to the customer warning them that the product is fraudulent and may cause them harm. At the same time, the local police services may be alerted. There are other ways in which the product may be deemed fraudulent even if the QR code is a valid QR code. For example, an unscrupulous individual may take a valid QR code and apply that to their counterfeit goods. In those circumstances, there may be a number of additional measures undertaken to determine whether or not the product is valid. For example, the UCD may transmit location information to the blockchain database. If the location is outside an expected location for that product (e.g. the United Kingdom), an alarm is raised that the product is counterfeit. Similarly, there may be a limit on the number of times a QR code may be authenticated. For example, if the QR code is authenticated more than 5 times, it is deemed that the QR code in question has been copied and is being used on multiple goods and the QR code can be marked in memory as fraudulent. In those cases (where the QR code is deemed fraudulent) a message is returned to the UCD indicating that the product is fraudulent. It will be understood that other additional functionality may be added to the system and method without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the system and method may also be used to warn a customer that the product is past its "best before" and/or "use-by" date. If the product has passed its use-by date, its efficacy may be reduced or indeed it may represent a danger to the consumer. If the consumer scans a QR code on the product, a suitable warning message may be presented to them on the user interface of the UCD. Similarly, if the product was part of a product recall, the information in the database may be updated with that information so that if the customer scans a code on a product that has been recalled, the customer will be warned that the product is part of the recall and should not be used/consumed. The message may also provide details of where the product is to be returned.

Similarly, the system and method according to the invention may advantageously be used to prove ownership or provide a record of ownership of valuable items. For example, a QR code may be applied to a valuable item such as, but not limited to, an expensive watch. The QR code may be etched into the metal surface of the watch for example. If the watch is stolen, the owner may report it as stolen and it may be marked in the database as stolen. If the thief then tries to sell or pawn the watch, the purchaser may check the item in the database and will determine from the returned record that the watch is stolen and that the police should be alerted. Alternatively, if the watch was not stolen but is being sold after the ownership has been verified, the ownership details may be updated in the database. The QR code may be used to log delivery of the item in that delivery company personnel may deliver the item, the recipient may scan a QR code upon receipt and the delivery is verified, the item location is updated and the ownership information may be updated.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown an alternative embodiment of system according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 31 , where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The system 31 differs from the system 1 in that there is further provided a communication channel 33 between the user's UCD 1 1 and the product manufacturing facility 7. In use, the goods are marked with QR codes and recorded in the system in the manner described above. Furthermore, the user operates their UCD in the same manner as described before to authenticate the goods with the block chain database 3.

However, in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, once authentication of the goods has been successfully completed, the user will be provided with the opportunity to register their goods with the manufacturer (represented by the product manufacturing facility 7 however could be a separate but related entity). In order to do so, once validation of the goods has been completed by the user, the verification app (APP) on the UCD will prompt the user whether or not they wish to register their product purchase with the manufacturer. This registration may provide a number of benefits to the user including, for example, initiating a warranty period, initiating an extended warranty period, qualifying the user for additional deals, discounts on future purchases or upgrades to the product and the like. For their part, the manufacturer has the opportunity to engage with their customer. If the user accepts the request to register their product with the manufacturer, by tapping an appropriate icon on the user interface 13 of their UCD, the APP will transmit a user-specific registration token from the UCD to the manufacturer over the communication channel 33, the registration token being capable of identifying the user of the UCD.

The registration token may comprise a number of different formats. For example, the registration token may comprise a QR code specific to the user of the UCD stored in the APP on the UCD. The QR code may be encrypted if desired. The product manufacturing facility 7 may have means to read (and, if necessary, decrypt) the QR code received from the UCD and extract the information pertinent to the customer from the QR code or alternatively, the product manufacturing facility may transmit the user-specific QR code received from the UCD to the blockchain database 3 over the secure communication channel 15. The blockchain database may contain a plurality of records with user- specific QR codes corresponding to the users of the system and the details corresponding to those users and on receipt of the user-specific QR code from the product manufacturing facility, the blockchain database may retrieve the record corresponding to that user-specific QR code and transmit the information to the product manufacturing facility. In this way, the user and the product will be registered with the product manufacturing facility 7 with the minimum of customer interaction, time and effort. In this way, the user of the UCD will not have to register their purchases with each of the individual manufacturers by entering all of their details on each of the manufacturer's websites. Instead, they can be registered in a seamless fashion.

It is envisaged that a number of modifications may be made to the foregoing process described with respect to Figure 2. For example, in the embodiment described, the user is polled whether or not they wish to send their data to the third party product manufacturing facility. However, this (sending the UCD user's details) may be done automatically rather than prompting the user and requiring a response each time. For example, automatic transmission of the data and the nature of the data to be transmitted may be established by the user in their APP settings. Similarly, although a QR code is seen as useful, it is not necessarily the only way in which the user's details may be transmitted to the product manufacturing facility as the registration token. For example, a data packet with the user's details may be sent instead as the registration token. Preferably, the communications between the UCD and the product manufacturing facility will be encrypted particularly if personally identifiable information (PI I) is being sent over the communication channel 33. In addition to the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there are other aspects to the present invention that have significant merit in their own right. For example, the QR code (i.e. the "label") used in the methods and systems of the present invention is often referred to as a "dynamic label". This is due to the fact that unlike other labels typically associated with goods, the information conveyed by the label may vary over time. More specifically, the information conveyed to the individual scanning the label may vary over time.

It will be understood that the label is matched with a specific item or product in the blockchain database and the details of that item are stored in the blockchain database. The details in the blockchain database can however be updated over time. For example, the status of a product can be updated in the blockchain database over time. According to one example, an item may have a status of "in distribution" when it has been produced and sent to the distribution channel. When the item arrives as the retailer, the status of the item in the blockchain database may be updated to "received by retailer". If the item is scanned during distribution, the "in distribution" status will be displayed along with pertinent data such as, for example, batch number, date of manufacture and/or intended destination. If the item is scanned in the shop, before being sold, the "received by retailer" status will be displayed, along with relevant data.

Once the item is sold, the item status can be updated by the retailer to "sold" with the purchaser's details being appended to the record of the item in the Blockchain database. If the item is subsequently stolen, the purchaser can report the theft and the item status in the blockchain database can be updated to "stolen". Should a potential purchaser of the item scan the label then the status of stolen will be displayed, along with relevant data (e.g. to contact law enforcement, details of how to reunite the item with the true owner and the like).

The dynamic label has been described in terms of a QR code however it will be understood that although a printed, etched, laser engraved or woven-into-fabric QR code is seen as a particularly useful way to implement the present invention, it will be understood that the dynamic label could also be provided by way of an NFC chip or indeed an RFID chip or the like. Many modern mobile phones are equipped with NFC reading technology and the mobile telephone could be used to poll the chip. The RFID chip may however require more specialised equipment however the end user and or intermediaries may be retailers, distributers, manufacturers or the like with access to RFID reading devices. In this way, they would be able to implement the invention. It is further envisaged that in addition to having a QR code or other dynamic label allocated to an item, it is conceivable that several items may be grouped together and have a QR code or dynamic label associated with the group of items. For example, a manufacturer may manufacture t-shirts in batches of 10,000. The t-shirts are boxed in boxes each containing 100 t-shirts. Therefore, a pallet of t-shirts contains 10,000 individual items, in 100 boxes of 100 items each. As in the example described above, each and every single t-shirt is labelled with a dynamic label. Each dynamic label is unique and is linked to the exact details of each t-shirt in the blockchain database. In the present example however, the statuses of the t-shirt labels can be updated in bulk. In order to achieve this, each box of 100 t-shirts also has a dynamic label and the pallet (of 100 boxes) also has its own dynamic label. As the pallet moves through the distribution chain, the status of the pallet in the record associates with the pallet's label is changed in the blockchain database. Once this is done, the statuses of each box in the pallet is automatically updated, as is the status of each label on each t-shirt in each box.

Assuming a multi-step distribution process, the following is an example of how this would work in practice. When the t-shirts have been packed up into their boxes of 100 items per box, and the pallet with 100 boxes is ready to leave the manufacturer, the status of the label on the pallet could be set to 'Ready for Transportation', with relevant location details etc. being displayed when the pallet label is scanned. If, at this stage, the boxes are opened and the labels on the t-shirts are scanned, their status could read 'Item not available for Sale', denoting that the t-shirt has not been shipped to a genuine retailer yet.

When the pallet arrives at the distributor, the boxes (of 100 t-shirts) are ready for distribution to their respective retailers. The status of the pallet label is updated to 'Batch with Distributor' and hence the labels on the boxes become 'live' in that their status is updated to read 'In Distributor'. Again, as the t-shirts have not been delivered to a retailer, a scan of one of the t-shirt labels at this stage of the process would reveal that the status of this item is still set to 'Item not available for Sale'. It is only when the boxes arrive at the retailer will the t-shirt labels become 'live', with the status of each t-shirt label updated to 'Available for Sale'. Should the standard distribution process be interrupted, the status of the labels can be changed. If the pallet of 100 boxes is stolen, the status of all of the labels on the pallet, the boxes and the t-shirts can be changed to 'Stolen'. Similarly, if a part of the pallet is stolen (say 5 boxes), the labels on those 5 boxes and on the 500 t-shirts inside those boxes can be updated to 'Stolen'. In addition to the foregoing, it will be understood that as well as providing a system and method for authenticating a product, the system and method could in addition be used for authenticating an individual/employee. For example, the individual could be allocated a QR code (or other identifier as described herein) and they could store that QR code on their person or on a digital device such as a telephone that they carry. In this way, if a third party wished to verify that an individual was who they claim to be, the individual could present the QR code to the third party, the third party could scan the QR code using their UCD and the third party would be returned a record corresponding to the QR code from the blockchain database. This might be an employee record or could contain other information including but not limited to a photograph of the individual. It will be appreciated that the device could be used in a plethora of disparate fields to good effect.

Throughout the specification, reference is made to a blockchain database. It will be understood that this is the preferred mode of implementation of the present invention due to the security advantages associated with blockchain database technology. As an alternative, other databases or other data storage systems could be used including, but not solely limited to an SQL database, a flat file structure or like data storage structure. Furthermore, reference is made to a proprietary encryption method. This could entail symmetric or asymmetric encryption techniques. Indeed, the encryption method may not be proprietary.

It will be understood that various parts of the present invention are performed in hardware and other parts of the invention may be performed either in hardware and/or software. It will be understood that the method steps and various components of the present invention will be performed largely in software and therefore the present invention extends also to computer programs, on or in a carrier, comprising program instructions for causing a computer or a processor to carry out steps of the method or provide functional components for carrying out those steps. The computer program may be in source code format, object code format or a format intermediate source code and object code. The computer program may be stored on or in a carrier, in other words a computer program product, including any computer readable medium, including but not limited to a floppy disc, a CD, a DVD, a memory stick, a tape, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM or a hardware circuit. In certain circumstances, a transmissible carrier such as a carrier signal when transmitted either wirelessly and/or through wire and/or cable could carry the computer program in which cases the wire and/or cable constitute the carrier.

It will be further understood that the present invention may be performed on two, three or more devices with certain parts of the invention being performed by one device and other parts of the invention being performed by another device. The devices may be connected together over a communications network. The present invention and claims are intended to also cover those instances where the system is operated across two or more devices or pieces of apparatus located in one or more locations / jurisdictions. The claims are intended to cover those instances where one part of the system is located in one jurisdiction and one or more other parts of the system are located in one or more other jurisdictions.

In this specification the terms "comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" and the terms "include, includes, included and including" are all deemed totally interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.