Verephied Patent Summary
The patents that are being offered for license or possible sale are generally directed to product authentication / anti-counterfeiting and product tracking, e.g., through a supply chain.
The patents all claim priority back to a provisional application filed on June 14, 2011, giving them a relatively early date for the covered ideas, while still providing a term that extends to 2032.
The concept that underlies the patents is computing a “fingerprint” for an object based on scanning features of the object, or markers (such as bar codes or RFID tags) attached to the object.
This fingerprint is then checked against a database to match the fingerprint against values for authentic items and for known counterfeits. If there is a sufficiently close match to a value for an authentic item, then the system will provide feedback that the object is authentic.
The database against which the fingerprint is checked can be associated with a networked global authentication service, or can be part of a networked private authentication service, which manages authentication information on the products offered by a particular public or private entity. These authentication services may redirect authentication queries to other networked authentication services, and can selectively share authentication information.
In addition to checking authenticity, object history for individual objects may be stored in and shared between the authentication services, and used to track objects through production or through a supply chain. This object history information can also be used as part of the authentication process.
Below is a list of the three Verephied Patents:
The ‘024 patent includes claims include claims that are generally directed to the networked authentication services, and to storing object history for objects, which may be used as part of the authentication process or to track objects through production or through a supply chain.
The ‘131 patent claims a system and method in which sensors are used to acquire data on an object. The acquired data then has weights applied, and the weighted data is used to calculate the object “fingerprint.” The object fingerprint is then sent over a network to an authentication entity.
The ‘496 patent includes claims that are generally directed to the networked authentication services, and to storing object history for objects, which may be used as part of the authentication process or to track objects through production or through a supply chain.