Nanotags for authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10679110-B2
Application number	US-201916371243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	Apr 1, 2018
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A method for creating a nanostructure surface, comprises creating a nanostructure master having a surface being the negative of a shape that, when illuminated with a predefined illumination, provides a unique optical pattern; and creating nanostructure molds from the nanostructure master, wherein each nanostructure mold has a negative of the master surface which, when illuminated with the predefined illumination, provides the unique optical pattern, which may be a hologram. A nanotag may incorporate an image for identification and a unique pattern that can be identified for authentication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nanotag comprising a dual layer metallic surface having an inner layer part and an outer layer part, said outer layer part of said dual layer metallic surface comprising nanostructures which, when illuminated with a predefined illumination, provide a predetermined unique optical pattern, wherein a first of said nanostructure dual layers is on a raised surface of resist and a second of said nanostructure dual layers is on an inclusion in said resist.

2. The nanotag of claim 1 , comprising a layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and/or a layer of sol-gel.

3. The nanotag of claim 1 , wherein said resist shows a surface consistency indicating casting or molding.

4. A nanotag comprising a metallic outer surface layer, the metallic outer surface layer comprising a dual layer of nanostructures which, when illuminated with a predefined illumination, provide a predetermined unique optical pattern, wherein a first of said nanostructure dual layers is on a raised surface of resist and a second of said nanostructure dual layers is on an inclusion in said resist, wherein said resist shows a surface consistency indicating casting or molding.

5. A method of providing a secure nanotag for identification and authentication, the method comprising:
obtaining an image for identification;
providing a seed;
using the seed to seed a process for generating a phasemap that reproduces said image as a hologram;
terminating the process after a specified number of iterations;
using the phasemap to manufacture a nanotag surface to produce said hologram;
thresholding the hologram to provide a predetermined number of brightest pixels; and
providing a fingerprint for said nanotag that identifies a pattern produced by said brightest pixels, the fingerprint being for authentication.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said image is a barcode comprising a message.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said nanotag surface is contoured as a patch dipole nanoantenna reflectarray.

8. The method of claim 5 , comprising affixing said nanotag to a product or packaging and separately distributing said fingerprint.

9. The method of claim 5 , comprising manufacturing the nanotag surface to produce a hologram at a predetermined distance.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising interrogating said nanotag by applying a laser beam to said nanotag and photographing said hologram.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said image is a 2D barcode, the method comprising reading said barcode from said photograph.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said fingerprint comprises a sequence of coordinates of said brightest pixels, the method comprising thresholding said photograph to find said predetermined number of brightest pixels and comparing said pixels to said coordinates.

13. A nanotag comprising:
a surface comprising an implementation of a phase map to project an image as a hologram;
the surface further comprising a speckle pattern of brightest pixels, the speckle pattern being unique to a seed number used to generate said phase map.

14. The nanotag of claim 13 , wherein said surface comprises a patch dipole nanoantenna reflectarray.

Assignees

• Univ Ramot

Inventors

• Bar-On Ofer
• Blau Yoav
• Scheuer Jacob

Classifications

• G06K19/07758

  arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag · CPC title

• G06K19/0723 Primary

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G06K19/06178

  the marking having a feature size being smaller than can be seen by the unaided human eye · CPC title

• G06K19/06065

  the marking being at least partially represented by holographic means (holographic marking in general, see G06K19/16) · CPC title

• G06K2019/0629

  Holographic, diffractive or retroreflective recording · CPC title