Multi-level authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11068909-B1
Application number	US-202016847611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods associated with multi-level authentication are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a method includes authenticating a physical object of a plurality of physical objects that together form an aggregate physical object; storing in a database system relationship information reflecting a relationship between the aggregate physical object and the plurality of physical objects; attempting to authenticate a target physical object; responsive to matching the target physical object to the aggregate physical object based on the attempt to authenticate the physical target: identifying in the database system a database record corresponding to the aggregate physical object; storing in the database record authentication data reflecting the match between the target physical object and the aggregate physical object; and storing an indication of a re-authentication of the physical object in the database system based on the relationship information. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
authenticating a physical object of a plurality of physical objects that together form an aggregate physical object, wherein the authenticating the physical object includes:
acquiring digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the physical object;
analyzing the digital image data to form a digital fingerprint, wherein the digital fingerprint is responsive to natural structure of the physical object; and
storing the digital fingerprint in the database system;

defining, for the physical object, an expected itinerary along a supply chain;
tracking the physical object along the supply chain to form a portion of an actual itinerary of the physical object;
acquiring an aggregate physical object assembled from the physical object;
authenticating the aggregate physical object;
storing in the database system a piece of relationship information reflecting a relationship between the aggregate physical object and the physical object; and
tracking the aggregate physical object along the supply chain to form a portion of the actual itinerary of the physical object; and
storing the actual itinerary of the physical object in the database system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising;
querying the database system to detect a departure of the actual itinerary from the expected itinerary; and
reporting the detected departure to a user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the departure comprises a failure to locate at least one of the physical object and the aggregate physical object at an expected location along the expected itinerary.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the departure comprises locating at least one of the physical object and the aggregate physical object at a location that is not consistent with the expected itinerary.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating the aggregate physical object comprises:
acquiring digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the aggregate physical object;
analyzing the digital image data to form a digital fingerprint, wherein the digital fingerprint is responsive to natural structure of the aggregate physical object; and
storing the digital fingerprint in the database system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical objects comprise at least one of individual pills and pill bottles; and
wherein the aggregate physical object comprises a pharmaceutical aggregate assembled from a plurality of pill bottles associated with a common batch number.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical objects comprise first bottles of wine, second bottles of wine, a first case for the first bottles of wine, a second case for the second bottles of wine, and a shipping container for the first and second cases; and
wherein the aggregate physical object comprises the shipping container including the first and second cases each including the first bottles of wine and the second bottles of wine, respectively.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of physical objects comprises a microchip and a printed circuit board; and
wherein the aggregate physical object comprises a processing card, wherein the microchip is installed on a printed circuit board of the processing card.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
acquiring the physical object disassembled from the aggregate physical object;
attempting to re-authenticate the physical object; and
tracking the physical object along the supply chain to form a portion of the actual itinerary of the physical object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the attempting to re-authenticate the physical object comprises:
acquiring digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the physical object disassembled from the aggregate physical object;
analyzing the digital image data to form a digital fingerprint, wherein the digital fingerprint is responsive to natural structure of the physical object disassembled from the aggregate physical object; and
storing the digital fingerprint in the database system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aggregate physical object is an intermediate physical object from which the physical object is to be later separated.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
acquiring a final aggregate physical object assembled from the intermediate physical object assembled from the plurality of physical objects;
authenticating the final aggregate physical object;
storing in the database system a piece of relationship information reflecting at least one of a relationship between the physical object and the intermediate physical object, a relationship between intermediate physical object and the final aggregate physical object, and a relationship between the physical object and the final aggregate physical object; and
tracking the final aggregate physical object along the supply chain to form a portion of the actual itinerary of the physical object.

13. A system comprising: a database system configured to store a record for a physical object of a plurality of physical objects that together form an aggregate physical object;
an image capture device configured to capture a piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of a physical object;
a processor coupled to the database system and the image capture device, the processor configured to: authenticate the physical object by: acquiring the piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the physical object from the image capture device;
analyzing the piece of digital image data to form a digital fingerprint for the physical object, wherein the digital fingerprint for the physical object is responsive to natural structure of the physical object;
and storing the digital fingerprint for the physical object in the record for the physical object;
and wherein the image capture device is further configured to capture a piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the aggregate physical object;
and wherein the processor is further configured to: define, for the physical object, an expected itinerary along a supply chain;
track the physical object along the supply chain to form a portion of an actual itinerary of the physical object;
acquire the piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the aggregate physical object from the imaging device; authenticate the aggregate physical object;
update the database system to store a piece of relationship information reflecting a relationship between the aggregate physical object and the physical object in the record for the physical object;
track the aggregate physical object along the supply chain to form a portion of the actual itinerary of the physical object;
and store the actual itinerary of the physical object in the database system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the image capture device is further configured to capture a piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of a target physical object; and
wherein the processor is further configured to attempt to authenticate the target physical object by:
acquiring the piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the target physical object from the image capture device;
analyzing the piece of digital image data of an image of at least a portion of the target physical object to form a digital fingerprint for the target physical object, wherein the digital fingerprint for the target physical object is responsive to the natural structure of the target physical object;
comparing the digital fingerprint for the

Assignees

• Alitheon Inc

Inventors

• Land Scot E
• Kim David Keesu
• Ross David Justin
• Tocci Mark
• Ross Robert Saxon

Classifications

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• G06V20/95

  Pattern authentication; Markers therefor; Forgery detection · CPC title

• G06V20/80

  Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns · CPC title

• G06F21/73

  by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers · CPC title

• G06F21/44

  Program or device authentication · CPC title