Patent ID: 8708241
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
1. A credit card comprising: an embedded radio frequency certificate of authenticity (RFCOA), the RFCOA comprising an agent to interact with radio frequency (RF) energy such that an array of RF antennae elements in a credit card scanner obtains a unique electromagnetic RF fingerprint of the RFCOA in the credit card, the agent comprising randomly arranged materials affixed to the credit card that create electromagnetic effects for independent reception by each antennae element of the array by deflecting RF energy; stored information representing the electromagnetic RF fingerprint obtained from a scan of the RFCOA for comparison with subsequent scans of the RFCOA, the electromagnetic RF fingerprint of the RFCOA including a set of scattering parameters from the deflected RF energy observable over a frequency band and independent values representing the electromagnetic effects of the deflected RF energy as received independently at each antennae element of the array; wherein the materials of the agent being randomly arranged configures the RFCOA such that the RFCOA is uncopyable based on possession of the electromagnetic RF fingerprint alone; and wherein the stored information resides in a barcode, a magnetic strip, or a chip.