Abstract:
An item authentication system for UII item data encoded on a Data Matrix tag uses the Data Matrix Extended Channel Interpretation to transit the UII tag data to an authentication data stream.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of Provisional Application No. 61/997,513 filed Jun. 4, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a scanned-code system and method to authenticate items as they move in commerce in order to detect an inauthentic item and, more particularly, to an improved authentication system and method implemented with a two dimensional Data Matrix tag encoded with a code complying to a protocol for Uniquely Identifying Items (UII). 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Items are routinely tracked and accounted for by printing or attaching to the item a one or two dimensional UII encoded tag, such as a linear bar code tag or a two dimensional Data Matrix tag. The encoded data can be read by an appropriate scanner. The alphanumeric data that uniquely identifies the item can he displayed at the scanner site, and/or transmitted to a remote location. In a simple example, the encoded data includes data identifying the manufacturer and a character set that uniquely identifies the item, such as a sequentially assigned number. 
         [0004]    There are several Uniquely Identifying Item (UII) code protocols that have been established by various entities. These include the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Guide to Uniquely Identifying Items (UII) entitled: “Assuring Valuation, Accountability and Control of Government Property” Version 2.5, which is incorporated herein by reference. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this standard and other standards define data fields and the code characters that mark the beginning and end of each respective field. The DOD standard and other standards ensure that when the code is scanned into an intelligent network, the data fields are aligned and processed correctly. U.S. Pat. No. 7,639,144 entitled System and Method of Validating Asset Tracking Codes provides an extended description of several UII formats in conformance with the DOD standard. 
         [0005]    A Data Matrix UII tag of the prior art provides a first level of counterfeit and gray market item detection. If there is no tag, the item is suspect. A counterfeiter or operator on the gray market can copy one of the authentic tags and reproduce it on their items. But such items are easy to identify as not authentic since each scanned tag on successive items will have the same data, not data unique to each item. A more sophisticated and harder to detect system employed by counterfeiters, is to read the data from a valid tag, generating tags with this data plus a unique character on each tag. 
         [0006]    There have been a number of proposals in the prior art to make UII tags harder to counterfeit and/or counterfeit tags more readily detectable. These proposals include using randomly generated numbers assigned to each tag rather than a sequence of numbers. Additional proposals include holographic tags, encrypted tags, and the use of a tagent. Each of these additional proposals adds a layer of security against counterfeiting but at cost in terms of implementation and its implementation can result in a departure from standards that have been approved for encoding UII tags. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An object of this invention is the provision of an item authentication system for UII encoded item data on a Data Matrix tag that provides robust protection while complying with UII and Data Matrix standards. 
         [0008]    Briefly, this invention contemplates the use of the Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI) suffix that the Data Matrix specification provides in order to transit the UII tag data to an authentication data stream. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, ISO/IEC 16022 is the international standard that defines the Data Matrix requirements, and is incorporated herein by reference. The Data Matrix ISO/IEC 16022 standard provides manufactures of bar code equipment and users of the technology with specifications to which they can refer in developing equipment and applications. A Data Matrix scanner includes a processor that is programed to generate a display message code from the data stream generated by a scanned Data Matrix tag typically an ASCII message, the so called default message. The ECI protocol allows the data stream generated by a scanned Data Matrix tag to be processed by suitable scanner program to provide an interpretation other than the default ASCII message. In accordance with the teachings of this invention, the ECI calls up an authentication application on the scanner&#39;s processor that transits the Data Matrix UII tag data to a user defined authentication data in a closed system. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial block diagram of the data fields of a UII compliant Data Matrix code that includes a character in the ECI field. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a UII compliant Data Matrix authentication scanner system in accordance with the teachings of this invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the authentication system shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a cloud based authentication system incorporating the teachings explained in connection with  FIGS. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of another authentication system incorporating the teachings explained in connection with  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a UII compliant Data Matrix tag is comprised of a field  10  into which UII compliant data is encoded. In addition, the Data Matrix standard provides for an ECI header field  12 , which may be followed by an ECI character(s) in field  14 . Commercially available Data Matrix enabled scanners process the scanned data and display the data. In the absence of an ECI character, the scanner program processes data in a so called default format, usually ASCII. The ECI character allows a scanner programmed with, for example, an ASCII default program, to call up and process data for display in an alternative format. The ECI protocol provides a consistent method to specify particular interpretations on byte values after decoding and before printing. Specific interpretations are listed in AIM Inc. Extended Channel Interpretations Character Set Register. The ECI character can be interpreted by readers enabled to transmit the symbol identifiers. Readers not enabled to transmit the symbol identifiers can be used if the ECI can be handled entirely within the reader. 
         [0015]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , they show and illustrate the item authentication system of this invention incorporated in a commercially available Data Matrix enabled scanner such as those available from Honeywell and Motorola and indicated here by the general reference  20 . A conventional scanning optical system  21  scans the Data Matrix code pattern on a UCII tag  22 . A buffer  24  stores the data read from the tag, namely an ECI character if there is an ECI character in the tag data, the ECI header, and the UCII data. The scanned data  25  is coupled to a processor  26  which processes the data and generates an output to drive a display  28 . Processor software (decision block  27   FIG. 3 ) determines if there is an ECI character. In the illustrative embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the processor  26  operates in the so called “default” mode to drive the display  28 . Typically the default mode is ASCII. More generally it is the expected display code format. In the prior art the ECI character is used to generate an alternative display code format. It should be noted here, that in accordance with the teachings of this invention, an ECI character does not necessarily change the display format; the so called default format can be used to present the UII data both when an ECI character is present and when it is not. But in accordance with this invention, if there is no ECI character, the processor flags (block  30 ) the item as not authentic. If there is an ECI character, the software (block  29 ) processes the data in order to make a determination of authenticity (block  32 ). 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , in a preferred embodiment of the invention, a source of the items to be tagged with a UII Data Matrix tag sends the data it wants incorporated in the tag to a UII code generator  44 . In this preferred embodiment, the generator  44  is cloud based and a Web communications link  46  connects the source with the code generator  44 . The code generator  44  generates a series of UII codes based on the furnished data, with each code in the series unique to each item. In addition it adds an ECI header and an ECI character to each UII code. The generated series of codes are transferred to a facility  47  that produces a series of Data Matrix tags that incorporate the code data. These tags are attached to the product items. 
         [0017]    Tag code data from code generator  44  is also transferred via a Web link  45  to a cloud based authentication server  50  that includes a database  52  where the codes generated by code generator  44  are stored, and a comparator  53  that compares a stored code with a scanned code. 
         [0018]    Code generator  44  formats and encodes the item data in accordance with a UII standard that includes a character unique to each item. In addition it encodes the six digit ECI header and an ECI character or characters following the header. For example, the ECI character may be an additional random number assigned to each UII tag. The presence of an ECI character(s) triggers the program resident on the scanner processor  26  to generate an authentication message, which includes UII data and the ECI character. This message is transmitted via a Web link  43  to the cloud-resident authentication server  50 . The authentication server  50  searches the database for tag data corresponding to the UII data of a scanned tag data. A comparator program  42  compares the transmitted scanned tag data with the stored UII data. If there is a match between the stored ECI data and the scanned ECI data, the system transmits back to the scanner an authentication message; if there is a match, the item is probably authentic, and if no match, probably not authentic. 
         [0019]    In an additional embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 , the scanner  20 , as described in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , has validation unit resident on the scanner. The validation unit includes a comparator  65  and a replaceable memory chip  67  loaded with tag data generated by the code generator  44 . This allows a thusly enabled scanner to detect an inauthentic item where the scanner does not have a link the Web based validation described above. The tag data may be encoded in the replaceable memory chip  67  at tag generator facility, for example, and inserted in the scanner. The memory chip can be read protected. For example, the tag data can only be read from the chip in response to an encrypted signal from the processor  26 . 
         [0020]    It will be appreciated the system and method of this invention provides and authorized cloud repository for performing cloud based functions such as (a) generating code words to assign after the latch character under the ECI translation; (b) archiving those code/UII combinations together with other metadata related to the serial number assignment, according to UII policy rules, and (c) when an authorized scanner passes the UII data with ECI data to a hosted data base, then replying with a message regarding confidence or doubt in the item&#39;s authenticity. 
         [0021]    Licensed and registered scanners perform item inspection as necessary according to that scanner&#39;s role in the supply chain. End users can be provided with free or inexpensive authentication apps for iOS and android devices such as smart phones that are programed to perform a scan-and-upload function. A user of these devices would not see the code words but only the item identification information, and the system would indicate that this item is authentic, inauthentic, or uncertain under rules of the process.