Patent ID: 6746053
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: G06K,G06Q,G09F,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A system for detecting unauthorized marketing of an item comprising:a coating formed on said item, wherein said coating contains at least one chemical marker, wherein a presence of said at least one chemical marker forms a code, wherein said presence is not substantially observable under ordinary visible light, and wherein said presence is detectable by a unique spectrum; a detector for determining information contents of said coating and said code; and a processor for determining, based on an output of said detector, whether said item has been transferred from an authorized merchant to an unauthorized merchant, wherein said at least one chemical marker comprises at least one rare earth element, wherein an index of refraction of said coating and said item are substantially the same, and wherein said code is derived from a unique spectrum based upon a proportion of at least two chemical markers and a presence or absence of one or more chemical markers.