Abstract:
An anti-counterfeiting serialization method. The method can include receiving an input serial number, locating a seed character at a predetermined position in the input serial number, determining, based on the seed character, a first output position for an incrementing character of the input serial number, determining, based on the incrementing character, at least one second output position for at least one remaining character of the input serial number, and generating an output serial number having the incrementing character in the first output position and at least one remaining character in the at least one second output position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/923,907 filed Jan. 6, 2014, which is incorporated by herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Counterfeiting of consumer goods is a rapidly increasing problem, and results in hundreds of billions of dollars in losses annually. Counterfeit products made to low quality standards impact not only revenues but also the good will of a brand, and can endanger the consumers of the product as well. 
         [0003]    Counterfeiters have devised numerous tactics to attempt to pass off counterfeit goods as genuine branded products. One such tactic is to provide counterfeit goods with serial numbers that mimic the serial numbers of authentic products. Known serialization schemes typically include at least one sequentially incrementing digit that is located at the same position in the serial number. It is therefore easy for counterfeiters to imitate a range and scheme of serial numbers simply by looking at a small batch of serial numbers, identifying the incrementing digits, and printing labels, according to the scheme, that appear to be authentic. 
         [0004]    It is therefore desirable to increase the difficulty of reverse-engineering serial numbers so as to impede counterfeiters from easily determining the serialization scheme of the numbers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The embodiments of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present invention. 
         [0006]    According to at least one exemplary embodiment, an anti-counterfeiting serialization method. The method can include receiving an input serial number, locating a seed character at a predetermined position in the input serial number, determining, based on the seed character, a first output position for an incrementing character of the input serial number, determining, based on the incrementing character, at least one second output position for at least one remaining character of the input serial number, and generating an output serial number having the incrementing character in the first output position and at least one remaining character in the at least one second output position. 
         [0007]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description of the various embodiments and specific examples, while indicating preferred and other embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0008]    Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary method for anti-counterfeiting serialization; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2   a  shows an exemplary unscrambled serial number; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2   b  shows the serial number of  FIG. 2   a  scrambled according to the method of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3   a  shows an exemplary sequence position table; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3   b  shows an exemplary scramble sequence table; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  shows another exemplary method for anti-counterfeiting serialization; and 
           [0015]      FIGS. 5   a - 5   b  show exemplary systems for anti-counterfeiting serialization. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
         [0017]    As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiment are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5   b , a method for anti-counterfeiting serialization  100  is disclosed. Method  100  is shown in  FIG. 1 , and may be implemented on any known computing device. At step  102 , an input serial number may be received. The input serial number may be any serial number having any desired length, and may be part of a set of serial numbers according to any desired serialization scheme. 
         [0019]    An exemplary input serial number  200  having fifteen digits is shown in  FIG. 2   a . Exemplary input serial number  200  may be part of a set  210  of serial numbers. The input serial number  200  may have an incrementing portion  202 , which may include at least one incrementing character  204 . The incrementing character  204  may be any character of the serial number  200  that sequentially increments for each serial number in set  210 . In the exemplary input serial number  200 , the incrementing portion  202  is located at the end of the serial number, while the incrementing character  204  is located at the end of incrementing portion  202 . 
         [0020]    Turning back to  FIG. 1 , at step  104 , a seed character may be located at a predetermined position in the input serial number. The predetermined position of the seed character may be located at any desired position in the input serial number that is not part of the incrementing portion  202 . For example, in the input serial number  200 , a seed character  206  may be located in the sixth (6 th ) position of the serial number. Furthermore, the position of seed character  206  can be the same for each serial number within the set  210  of input serial numbers. 
         [0021]    Once the seed character is located, the order of characters for the scrambled output serial number may be determined. At step  106 , an output position for the incrementing character may be determined. The output position for the incrementing character may be based on the value of the seed character of the input serial number. The output position for the incrementing character may be determined by referring to a sequence position table. An exemplary sequence position table  300  is shown in  FIG. 3   a . The sequence position table  300  can include a list of seed characters  302 , with each seed character  302  corresponding to an output position  304  for the incrementing character in the output serial number. For the illustrated exemplary embodiment, wherein the input serial number has a seed character with a value of “B” in the sixth position, the resulting output position for the incrementing character would be the ninth position of the output serial number. 
         [0022]    At step  108 , the output positions for at least one remaining character may be determined, the remaining characters being any character in the serial number that is not the seed character or the incrementing character. The output positions for remaining characters may be based on value of the incrementing character of the input serial number, as well as based on the output position of the incrementing character in the output serial number. The output positions for remaining characters may be determined by referring to a scramble sequence table. 
         [0023]    An exemplary scramble sequence table  310  is shown in  FIG. 3   b . A separate scramble sequence table may be provided for each possible output position of the incrementing character. The scramble sequence table  310  can include a list of incrementing characters  312 , with each incrementing character corresponding to a scramble sequence  314 . Each scramble sequence  314  can include a list of scrambled positions  316 , with each scrambled position corresponding to an unscrambled position  318 . For each incrementing character  312 , the corresponding scramble sequence  314  may be unique with respect to the other scramble sequences in the particular table  310 , or in all scramble sequence tables  310 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, a scramble sequence table corresponding to a scrambled position of “9” for the incrementing character can be selected. Subsequently, a scramble sequence for an incrementing character value of “2” can be selected and the output scrambled positions for at least one remaining character can be determined according to the selected scramble sequence. For the other serial numbers in the set of serial numbers, a scramble sequence corresponding to the value of the incrementing character of the particular serial number can be selected from the same scramble sequence table. 
         [0024]    Once all desired output positions have been determined, at step  110 , the output scrambled serial number may be generated. An exemplary output scrambled serial number  220  is shown in  FIG. 2   b . The characters of output serial number  220  have been scrambled according to the scramble sequence shown in  FIG. 3   b  for an incrementing character having a value of “2” and located at output position “9”. It should be noted that for every output serial number in the set of output serial numbers  222 , the incrementing character  204  is located in the same output position. Furthermore, for every output serial number in the set of output serial numbers  222 , the seed character  206  is located in the same output position, which is also the same as the input position of the seed character. 
         [0025]    In some exemplary embodiments, the output position of the incrementing digit may be limited to a range of positions that are located away from the edges of the output serial number. For example, for a fifteen-character serial number, the incrementing digit may be disposed between the third and the eleventh position of the output serial number. Such positioning of the incrementing digit can serve to make the incrementing digit less obvious to a counterfeiter attempting to determine the sequencing scheme of the serial number. 
         [0026]    Descrambling of a scrambled serial number can be performed according to an exemplary method  400 . At step  402 , the input scrambled serial number may be received. At step  404 , the seed character may be located at a predetermined position in the input scrambled serial number, which would be the same position as in an unscrambled serial number. At step  406 , the position of the incrementing character in the input serial number may be determined by referencing a sequence position table  300 . The value of the incrementing character can thus be identified. At step  408 , the output position of the incrementing character and at least one remaining character can be determined by referencing a scramble sequence table  310  so as to select a scramble sequence corresponding to the value of the incrementing character. The output positions can then be determined by comparing the selected scramble sequence to the unscrambled positions. At step  408 , an output unscrambled serial number may be generated once all output positions have been determined. 
         [0027]    It should be appreciated that while the exemplary embodiments discussed above referred to a fifteen-digit serial number and a seed character in the sixth position of the serial number, the method disclosed herein may be used with serial numbers of any desired length or combination of characters, e.g. numeric, alphanumeric, letters, geometric figures and the like. Likewise, the positioning of the seed character, the incrementing character and any remaining characters may be varied as desired. Additionally, the sequence positions and scramble sequences in tables  300 ,  310  are merely exemplary, and may be varied as desired. 
         [0028]      FIG. 5   a  shows an example embodiment of a system  500  for anti-counterfeiting serialization. System  500  may include at least one computing device  502 . Computing device  502  may be any known computing device having a processor  504  and a non-transitory computer-readable medium  506  on which instructions  510  for implementing methods  100  and  400  may be stored. Processor  504  may serve to execute instructions  510  as well as any other desired instructions or software. 
         [0029]    Database  512 , database software  513 , and serialization software  514  may be stored on the computer-readable medium  506  of computing device  502 . Computing device  502  may also include, or be communicatively coupled to, a printing device  516 , which may be any printing device known in the art. 
         [0030]    The printing device  516  may be used to print labels, tags, or other substrates that may be attached or otherwise connected to a consumer product or other item of value. The tag or label may contain additional human readable indicia such as brand identifiers, care instructions, components, origin of manufacture, sizes or any other information that the manufacturer may wish to add to the tag or label. In addition, the tag or label may also include a radio frequency identification (RFID) device which can contain additional information relating to the particular product with which it is associated. For example the RFID device can have a unique ID number in addition to product related information which may be provided via an electronic product code (EPC). Use of an RFID device along with the serialized chain provided herein may provide additional product security and authenticity. Exemplary RFID devices are available from Avery Dennison Retail Information Services, LLC, of Westborough, Mass. 
         [0031]    The printing device  516  can also print other machine readable indicia such as bar codes, 2D codes and the like. These codes may be scanned by a mobile device or other machine vision type system to provide further security. 
         [0032]      FIG. 5   b  shows another exemplary embodiment of a system  520  for anti-counterfeiting serialization. System  520  may include a plurality of computing devices  502   a ,  502   b,    502   c.  Computing devices  502  may be any known computing device having a processor  504  and a non-transitory computer-readable medium  506 . For example, computing device  502   a  may be or may include a peripheral device, such as a printing device  516 . Instructions  510  for implementing method  100  may be stored on the computer-readable medium  506  of computing device  502   a.  Computing device  502   a  may be in communication with computing device  502   b  via any wired or wireless communications protocol. 
         [0033]    Computing device  502   b  may include serialization software  514  and may include a user-accessible interface. Computing device  502   c  may include database  512  and database software  513  and may be a local or remote server. Database software  513  may further be adapted to implement method  400 . Computing device  502   b  may be in communication with computing device  502   c  via a local-area or wide-area network, or any other wired or wireless communications protocol. 
         [0034]    In the exemplary embodiments, database  512  may store a plurality of batch numbers. The batch numbers may be retrieved from database  512  and sent to serialization software  514 . Serialization software  514  may generate unscrambled serial numbers from the batch numbers, for example by combining the batch numbers with other serial number portions, for example product ID numbers, and so forth. The serial numbers generated by serialization software  514  may then be sent to database  512  and to printing device  516 . 
         [0035]    Prior to printing, the serial numbers may then be scrambled according to method  100 . This may be performed by serialization software  514 , or by printing device  516 . The set of scrambled serial numbers may then be printed by printing device  516 . Once the scrambled serial numbers are printed, a confirmation, for example including a batch ID and the quantity of serial numbers printed may be sent from printing device  516  to database  512 . The printed serial numbers are thus identified as printed in database  512 . The serial numbers may be stored in database  512  in an unscrambled format. 
         [0036]    To verify a serial number, for example to determine that a product is genuine, the serial number may be scanned or entered into an interface that is in communication with database  512 . Database software  513  may determine whether an entered serial number is scrambled or unscrambled, for example by checking the length and format of the number. If the entered serial number is scrambled, database software  513  may perform the steps of method  400  so as to unscramble the serial number. The unscrambled serial number may then be matched to the serial numbers stored in database  512 . If a match exists, it may be determined that the entered serial number is genuine. 
         [0037]    Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein present an anti-counterfeiting serialization method that increases the difficulty of reverse-engineering a serial number scheme from a batch of serial numbers, while allowing easy verification of the authenticity of a serial number. 
         [0038]    The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0039]    Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.