Identifying and ensuring the authenticity of objects

摘要

Identifying and ensuring object authenticity can occur by identifying an object by acquiring an image of the object, identifying flaws present in or on the object, associating the flaws with respective locations or regions in the image, determining a quality score indicating a condition of the object based at least upon an analysis of the identified flaws, and generating and storing a data record with all of this identifying information. A tag which provides an identifier that links the object to the data record is placed on the object. When authenticity of the object needs to be verified at a later time, the tag identifier is retrieved and used to retrieve the data record. The identifying information can then be compared with the object as it currently appears. If the object as it currently appears corresponds with the identifying information, authenticity is verified. Otherwise, fraud can be suspected.

主权项

1. A method for identifying an object comprising the steps of:
acquiring an image of the object; identifying flaws present on or in the object; associating each of the identified flaws with a location in the image of the object; determining a quality score indicating a condition of the object based at least upon an analysis of the identified flaws; generating a first identifier associated with the object; attaching a first tag to the object, the first tag including a second identifier associated with the first tag; attaching a second tag to the object, a first portion of the second tag overlapping the first tag when viewed from a direction normal to a surface of the object, and a second portion of the second tag, which is different than the first portion, not overlapping the first tag when viewed from the direction; generating a data record including the first identifier, the second identifier, the image of the object, indications of the identified flaws, indications of the locations of the identified flaws in the image of the object, and the quality score; and storing the data record in a processor-accessible memory device system, wherein at least the generating steps are performed at least in part by a data processing device system.