WO2024050569A1

WO2024050569A1 - Product authentication device (pad)

Info

Publication number: WO2024050569A1
Application number: PCT/ZA2022/050043
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vivek Anand RAMDASS
Original assignee: Ramdass Vivek Anand
Priority date: 2022-09-02
Filing date: 2022-09-02
Publication date: 2024-03-07

Abstract

The patent claims are for an apparatus (device) that is connected to any computing device (including any mobile devices), either wirelessly or with a cable, that gives effect to, and is characterized by Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT) which has been invented by the inventor of the device who is also the applicant for this patent, and has been disclosed in this patent. The device implements BPAT to allow first-time purchasers, subsequent purchasers and/or owners of a product, to: (i) access details relating to the product (such as warranties), and (ii) add their details and/or any other information relating to the product to a pre-created blockchain by means of a block on the blockchain. This is after having gained access to the device by providing the appropriate security access codes for the device. This provides the functionality of, inter alia: (i) verifying that a product emanates from a specific origin (such as a specific manufacturer), (ii) authenticates that the product is an original product, and (iii) allows all subsequent owners of the product to register their ownership or any other rights in the product, over the lifetime of the product. The device also has additional features to enhance the basic functionality of BPAT, such as noting by way of transaction data on the blockchain that the device has been stolen, and serving as evidence for authorities in legal proceedings.

Description

THE DESCRIPTION

TITLE OF INVENTION:

PRODUCT AUTHENTICATION DEVICE (PAD)

TECHNICAL FIELD:

INDUSTRIAL CATEGORY OF PATENT (TECHNICAL FIELDS TO WHICH IT RELATES)

1. This patent relates to:

(i) Blockchain technology ("blockchain" has been defined later on in this document),

(ii) electronic product authentication and

(iii) hardware device manufacturing.

2. The Product Authentication Device (PAD) device is used to authenticate a product, i.e. it enables a user of the device to verify that the product is the original product that emanates from a manufacturer and/or seller of the device, who has ownership of, and/or all proprietary, and legal rights in and to the product. The device confirms that the product to which it relates is not a counterfeit (fake) copy of an original product (replicas, identical copies of a product that are manufactured and on which a proprietary brand is used, or any other form of counterfeit products). 3. The device is intended to improve the ability of customers/purchasers of products to identify the authenticity of such products, and to decrease and/or eliminate unauthorized products (fakes and replicas) associated with a particular company/organization being sold.

4. It provides an additional layer of security for, and verification of, products that are manufactured and sold by the legal owners of proprietary brands, from being copied and counterfeited. It uses Blockchain technology to retain an immutable record of details related to a product (including serial numbers), and it allows potential purchasers of the product who are in possession of, or who are granted use of the device to verify these details.

BACKGROUND ART

NOVELTY & PRIOR ART

5. A search of global patent databases for similar patents in the field of Blockchain technology, and a perusal of the results of the aforementioned search which yielded details of patents searched for using the appropriate search-words or key-words , do not reveal any patent which might constitute a prior art, or a patent that exists for the subject matter of, or the Claims in this patent.

6. Relevant keywords such as "blockchain", "product" and "authentication" were included in addition to the keywords used for counterfeiting, replicas and electronic verification.

7. The same was done for "hardware devices" and "serial numbers" in the context of the subject-matter of this patent. 8. The subject matter constituting this patent is therefore novel, and it currently does not exist.

9. There are no patents that relate to devices using blockchain technology in the manner in which the PAD device does, and in particular the manner in which it is used to access a particular block in a blockchain to verify product data, in the manner in which the PAD device (for which patent protection is sought in this patent) does.

DISCLOSURE AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION

DISCLOSURE AND EXPLANATION OF THE PATENT CLAIMS

10. The patent claims are for an apparatus (device) that gives effect to, and which is characterized by Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT) (defined below) that has been invented by the applicant for this patent, and which has been disclosed in this patent (the apparatus or device shall hereafter be referred to as the "device", "Device", "Product Authentication Device", "PAD", or "PAD device").

11. The device performs the functions required to give effect to BPAT.

12. The subject matter of the patent has application in a variety of industries where technology is required to be deployed to prevent goods that have been fraudulently manufactured, from being sold and passed off as the originals, thereby preventing fraudulent transactions in the aforementioned regard. It uses Blockchain technology to achieve this, by inter alia, retaining an immutable record of product details as evidence of the details relating to a specific product, assigning the unique number of a block on the blockchain to a specific product, and granting the owner of the device restricted access to such block. The device can also be used to authenticate information related to a product, such as vehicle mileage. This is vital information related to a vehicle that a potential purchaser of the vehicle will want to know prior to purchasing the vehicle, since it will have cost and safety implications for him/her after the vehicle has been purchased by him/her. There have been cases where the mileage on a vehicle being sold has been altered to make it seem that the vehicle has a much lower mileage, so that a purchaser will pay more for the vehicle. When such product information is sent to a blockchain, it will be immutable, and therefore can be trusted by all third parties who have an interest in the product.

FURTHER EXPLANATION: BLOCKCHAIN PRODUCT AUTHENTICATION TECHNOLOGY (BPAT)

Explanation of BPAT BPAT is technology that enables a device to provide access to data that has been deployed to a Blockchain in a specific block or blocks of the Blockchain (hereafter referred to as a 'block'). It also enables this access to be limited and/or restricted to a specific, pre-registered individual or group of individuals. It either assigns its own unique number to a specific block, or it uses the unique number that is associated with the block through the process of creating the block to be part of the Blockchain, as the unique identifier of the product. BACKGROUND & CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK

Background Scenario

17. Owners of proprietary brands do not want their products being copied and sold, unless they have specifically granted consent for a third party to do so, by way, for example, of a license granted to a third party to manufacture and/or sell their goods.

18. Globally, brand owners lose tens of millions of dollars annually as a result of counterfeited goods.

19. In some instances the ubiquity of the counterfeited goods actually devalues the original brand, both from a reputational and financial perspective.

20. Furthermore, the ease with which the counterfeit goods can be manufactured and sold, and the fact that they are so freely available for purchase means that the exclusivity of the original brand is diluted and devalued.

21. Any technology that can add a layer of security and verification to ensure that goods purporting to be from a specific brand-owner are actually the original goods, will assist in retaining the value of the brand, and maintaining its exclusivity.

The Device

22. A device that reduces and/or eliminates counterfeit (fake) goods and/or replicas of products using Blockchain technology, including identifying purchasers of original products who might be purchasing original products with the intention of producing fakes or replicas of the original product. The Process

23. The device will be manufactured, configured and supplied to companies that own and sell products to their customers, and who have placed orders for the device.

24. The customer will retain the device until it has manufactured a specific product.

25. When the customer's product has been manufactured, and it is ready to be 'boxed and shipped' (wrapped up and sent for delivery), it will activate the device for that specific product.

26. The customer will connect the device to a computer and log into the device with their relevant details.

27. They will now have reached the stage where they are ready to link their manufactured product to a specific device. Let's call the device PAD1 for example, and the product Item 1.

28. Item 1 must be linked to PAD1. This can be done either manually or automatically through, for example, a barcode and a scanning device. Where it is done manually, there should be a second person checking the information that has been captured on the device.

29. Once the data relating to Item 1 has been captured on PAD1, then PAD1 is ready to be delivered/shipped with the product.

30. It can be included in the box with the product, or put into its own separate packaging and included with, or attached to the product packaging. For example, if it is a handbag that is being sold then the PAD device could be included in the product's packaging, and if it is a car that is being sold then the PAD device could be handed to the purchaser separately. The purchaser of Item 1 will then be able to use PAD1 in future, and hand it (PAD1) to any future purchasers of Item 1 to whom he/she is selling Item 1. To summarize: the process of linking a product to a PAD device involves the registration of the product by the manufacturer on a Blockchain specifically designed for that purpose. The Block for a specific product/item will include the unique serial number of the product, a photograph of the product and its description, including any special features that have been manufactured for that specific client. The patented software and business process will be used to verify that a product is indeed authentic.

Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT) - Technological Note: Configuration Option for the Device

Definitions (from a Blockchain perspective) "Block": a block is a place in a blockchain where information is stored and encrypted. Blocks are typically identified by long numbers that include encrypted transaction information from previous blocks and new transaction information. Depending on the type of Blockchain, blocks and the information within them must be verified by a network or a person who has been authorized to do so, before new blocks can be created. "Blockchain" is a shared, immutable ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network. An asset can be tangible (a house, car, cash, land) or intangible (intellectual property, patents, copyright. branding). For the purposes of this patent, any form of sequential hashing of data to provide data security or a means for identifying a specific product is also defined as a Blockchain. "Nonce" means 'number used once' in the context of being an element of a Block in the Blockchain to denote the unique and unalterable/unchangeable number (set of digits) of a specific block that is generated on the Blockchain. "Golden Nonce" means a hash value that is achieved as a result of mining a block in a Blockchain which is lesser than the target hash value, and which, when achieved, results in the successful creation of a block in a blockchain. "Private Blockchain" means a Blockchain that is managed by a network administrator and participants need consent to join the network, i.e. a private blockchain is a permissioned blockchain. There are one or more entities which control the network and this leads to reliance on third parties to add blocks to the Blockchain. "Public Blockchain": a public blockchain is 'permission-less' in nature, allows anyone to join, and is completely decentralized. Public blockchains allow all nodes of the Blockchain to have equal rights to access the blockchain, create new blocks of data, and validate blocks of data. "Security Hashing Algorithm" or "SHA" is a cryptographic hashing algorithm (or function) that is used for message, file and data integrity, and it operates by 'hashing' the data using its in-built algorithm. It converts the data into a unique hash value that is unique to the data that has been hashed. The SHA that is used should not be 'crackable' (i.e. capable of being reversed/hacked to obtain the original data that was hashed, using current computing resources and power). Operation of Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT) in The Device

40. The technical aspects of how blockchain technology will be used to give the Device its functionality:

41. The use of the Nonce or Golden Nonce in a specific Block in a Blockchain (either a Public or a Private Blockchain), secured with an appropriate SHA (such as SHA 256) to ensure that it is infeasible to change the information contained therein, as a unique identifier for a specific product.

42. The Blockchain can be configured so that the nonce is not visible on a public blockchain, but is only issued to the original purchaser of the new product as a confidential unique identifier of that specific product. Purchasers in the primary market can register through a website or an app. Purchasers in the secondary market can also register.

43. A Blockchain where the Nonce, Golden Nonce or any other unique code /unique identifier code (hereafter referred to as the "Unique Code" is generated for a Block but is not visible to users of the Blockchain or is encrypted, and it is only capable of being viewed through accessing the Block and/or searching the Blockchain with a specific password and/or decryption key.

Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT): Process and

Execution

44. A process relating to how the device is used can be built around the technology described above. 45. A Unique Code will be assigned to a product by the device. (As described above, the unique code could be the nonce). If the original purchaser of a product plans to sell the product at a later stage, then he/she can share the Unique Code assigned to the product with potential purchasers, either through: (i) signing into the manufacturer's website and requesting it to be sent to specified email addresses, (ii) requesting that confirmation be sent to potential purchasers, or (iii) sending it to the purchaser directly. The next purchaser in the secondary market can then retain the Unique Code, or the confirmation email from the manufacturer as the unique identifier of the product for future use should he/she wish to sell the product in the future.

46. The manufacturer's confirmatory email could state that the Unique Code that has been provided to it is linked to the serial number of the product.

47. This process and technology can be expanded to include each party involved in the lifecycle of a product, from the manufacturer, distributor, retailer, customer (first purchaser of the product and all subsequent purchasers), and buyers in the secondary market.

Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT): A Product Blockchain

48. Table: Example of a Product Blockchain

Use of the Device: a Scenario

REDUCING THE ODDS OF PURCHASING FAKE (COUNTERFEIT) GOODS: A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF THE DEVICE

Example of the Problem and the Solution

74. Assume that two (2) parties are involved in a possible transaction: the seller of an exclusive luxury item (the seller), and the potential purchaser of the luxury item (the purchaser).

75. The purchaser wants the assurance that the item that he/she is purchasing is authentic, and that it is not a counterfeit item.

76. Without any technology to assist the seller to give the potential purchaser this assurance, all that the seller can do is rely on the original slip/receipt that was issued when the item was purchased (as proof of purchase), and any other methods of authentication that the brand owner might have included with the product, such as a hologram card.

77. The problem in the majority of cases is that the seller very often does not have the original receipt or any other documents or cards that can serve as proof of purchase of the item.

78. Particularly with high-end luxury items, they are typically manufactured with the highest quality of materials, using cutting-edge manufacturing techniques that have been perfected over a long period of time, and are a result of huge financial investments in research and development (R&D). They typically last much longer, and change hands frequently, i.e. a single product is bought and sold by a larger number of purchasers over its lifespan.

79. Certain brands have been around for decades, if not longer, and the learnings that have been gained over this period of time are the company's intellectual property that new entrants to the market would not have access to. As stated in the paragraph above, they would have spent millions, if not billions in R&D to perfect the techniques of designing and manufacturing the product.

80. Added to the above, there is a high likelihood that the product also has superior functionality that enhances the owner's experience of the use of the product. The functionality that the owner enjoys using also contributes to the retention of the product for a long period of time.

81. Finally, the prestige of owning the product, and the status that accompanies its ownership will contribute to it being kept for longer. With many brands, being able to publicly display them brings the owner a significant amount of attention and recognition, and very often compliments.

82. One could even go as far as saying, that in some cases, the purchasers of these products purchase them without even considering that they will be sold at some future point in time.

83. It is the above factors that contribute to the owners of many products keeping them for a very long time, and never even considering that they will one day be sold. It is this however, that also contributes to the original documents that are proof of purchase of the product not being retained.

84. In any event, documents evidencing proof of purchase such as receipts, and even holograms can be falsely created or forged. 85. Therefore, a potential purchaser is confronted with a situation where he/she has to make a choice about whether to purchase a product without knowing whether it is actually authentic or not.

86. The PAD solves this problem. It enables the purchaser to verify that the product that is being purchased is indeed authentic.

87. It also enables the purchaser to view other details relating to the product, and it provides the assurance to the purchaser that the information related to the product that he/she is accessing, is also authentic, and could not have been tampered with in any way whatsoever.

88. It is a small device that will accompany the product and depending upon the nature of the product it will be placed in the product box or be given to the purchaser separately for safekeeping and retention.

89. The device will allow the information that has been loaded onto it to be downloaded to the purchaser's computing devices, or to be uploaded by the purchaser to his/her internet cloud service for retention.

90. In the example above, the purchaser can complete the transaction with the assurance/knowing that he/she is purchasing an authentic product.

91. The device can also be used to store information about product warranties, so that the purchaser can quickly and efficiently claim on a warranty for repairs to, or replacement of the product, due to the fact that he/she is able to provide immediate confirmation of his/her ownership of the product, and of the warranty that exists for the product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

FIG. 1

HARDWARE CONFIGURATION & COMPONENTS

Refer to Fig. 1

92. The Device is connected to a computer, mobile device or any other device either: (i) via a USB port, (ii) any other port that is suitable as a connector, or (ii) is connected wirelessly. This connection port is depicted in Fig. 1 as Pl. Therefore, Pl could include and/or take the form of any of these alternatives that serve as an entry port into the Device.

93. The user of the Device will sign into the Device using software that will provide the relevant interface for doing so, and it will authenticate their identity and any other required credentials that the organization that has manufactured the product to which the Device relates, has chosen for identity verification and security. This will be the first series of data packets that will pass through the device.

94. User authentication, security and linking of the Device to the product as a prerequisite for initiating use of the Device will be dealt with by the first Integrated Circuit (IC1), also called the "Security Chip". 95. The user of the Device will not be able to proceed with any further actions, either on the Device, or on the relevant software drivers installed on their computer or mobile device, if they have not successfully passed/cleared the required security measures (hereafter referred to as "security clearance").

96. Once the user has obtained security clearance, then he/she can gain access to the Device and commence with using it.

97. The product data (PD) will be routed to the second Integrated Circuit (IC2) also called the "Repository Chip". IC2 will handle the logging of the PD, the creation of a new block for the PD and the manufacturer/owner details, and dispatching of the PD to IC3 for uploading of the PD to a blockchain (if this option is chosen), which could either be a public, private or hybrid blockchain, and developed using any means, method and/or programming language. This will retain the PD as immutable evidence of the authenticity of the product. IC2 will also handle the storage of the Device's blockchain and its associated PD.

98. The third Integrated Circuit (IC3) (the "Dispatch Chip") will dispatch the product data (PD) to the selected blockchain on the internet or intranet (if the option to do so is chosen), thereby sending details of the product and its ownership for addition to the relevant internet or intranet-based blockchain.

99. Exit port P2: the exit port (P2) is used for the deployment of the data/data packets to their destination (the blockchain or other destination). This is after the data has been processed, stored and/or modified by the relevant components in the Device. The circuit board at the exit port (P2) is constructed with traces (paths) that are required for the deployment of the data to their destination. This could be done either through a wired cable or wirelessly. 00. The hardware configuration and components that have been listed and explained are in relation to Fig. 1. They can be combined and manufactured in any of the following configurations: MCM, SiP, SoP (explained below) or in any other configuration that is available at the time.

Notes:

Definitions:

101. MCM: A multi-chip module (MCM) is an electronic package consisting of multiple integrated circuits (ICs) assembled into a single device. An MCM works as a single component and is capable of handling an entire function.

102. SiP: A system in package, is a way of bundling two or more ICs inside a single package. This is in contrast to a system on chip, or SOC.

103. SoP: A systems-on-package goes a step beyond SiP by integrating thin-film components on a package substrate.

Legal Rights in Concept

104. The Drawings and the Hardware Configuration and Components description set out above is/are one of the options or alternatives that can be chosen for the Device. By documenting them, there is no intention to limit them to the option(s) as described above. If there are other (possibly more optimal) options, then these can be chosen. By recommending that the device be configured in the manner as stated above, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so. The inventor retains all legal rights in the concept of the Device as described in this document. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION & DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

EXTERNAL DESIGN, CONFIGURATION AND MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF

THE OUTER CASE (CASING) OF THE DEVICE

105. The outer case of the Device (the casing, i.e. the cover that protects and encloses the Device) can be manufactured from any suitable metal and/or metal alloy, plastics (any of the plastic types that are suitable), polycarbonate materials, composites (made from two or more materials combined together), or any other suitable material from a materials engineering perspective, in order to encase the Device, taking into account the requirements that must be complied with that are set out below.

106. The casing will be manufactured using suitable materials with the most appropriate material composition taking into account: i. the heat dissipation that is required for it to function effectively, ii. the requirement for the Device to be tamper-proof taking into account that its primary use is as an 'anti-fraud' device, i.e. to combat/minimize/eliminate fraud, and iii. the requirement for the components comprising the Device to be impossible to be tampered with and/or modified so that a user of the Device cannot bypass the security measures that it enables,

(hereafter referred to as the "Outer Case Material Requirements"). 107. The design of the outer box comprising the casing that encases the internal components of the Device will: i. comply with and complement the Outer Case Material Requirements, ii. in addition it will be configured in terms of shape and size that enables easy storage and use of the Device when needed.

(hereafter referred to as the "Design Requirements").

108. The naming of the device and its associated branding will also comply with and/or complement the Outer Case Material Requirements and the Design requirements.

109. The internal architecture of the device for which patent protection is sought (the Invention) is set out in Fig. 1. Commentary on Fig. 1 is contained in the section titled "Brief Description of Drawings".

110. However, if there are other more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By recommending that the device be manufactured as a single unit, and in the manner as stated, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so.

111. However, if there are other more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By making the statement in the first sentence of this paragraph, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so.

112. It will be portable or fixed in a computer or in any other device that serves as a node on a network. Where portable, it will be capable of being held in the hand and being transported/carried around at will. However, if there are other more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By making the statement in the first sentence of this paragraph, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so.

113. The EXTERNAL DESIGN, CONFIGURATION AND MATERIAL COMPOSITION OF THE OUTER CASE (CASING) OF THE DEVICE set out above is/are one of the options or alternatives that can be chosen for the Device. By documenting them, there is no intention to limit them to the option(s) as described above. If there are other (possibly more optimal) options, then these can be chosen. By recommending that the device be configured in the manner as stated above, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so. The inventor retains all legal rights in the concept of the Device as described in this document.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

THE USE CASES

114. The use cases for the PAD device are numerous. It will play a critical role in reducing and/or eliminating unauthorized counterfeit goods and/or replicas from being manufactured and/or sold, and in the process will prevent the sellers of such goods from passing them off as the original, authentic goods. 115. The subject matter of this patent has application in a variety of industries where technology is required to be deployed to prevent counterfeit goods and unauthorized/fraudulent manufacturing of such goods, by retaining an immutable record of all pertinent details relating to a product that has been manufactured, and if required, details related to its warranties, subsequent sales, sellers, purchasers, and whether it has been stolen.

116. The apparatus or device for which patent protection is claimed, is essentially an anticounterfeiting device.

117. When it is manufactured, it is recommended that this is done so as a single unit, and it will have a form factor very similar to any other computer peripheral such as a USB stick or a USB hard-drive, in the sense that it will be an enclosed unit with a cover which will house all of the components inside of it. However, if there are other more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By recommending that the device be manufactured as a single unit, and in the manner as stated, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so.

118. It will be marketed as an anti-counterfeiting device which is self-contained, i.e. it will not require any further hardware or peripherals. This is necessary in order to prevent tampering with and/or manipulation of the device.

119. All of the hardware and software (firmware) required to achieve the required functionality will be within the device. The only software outside of the device will be the drivers that will have to be installed on a computer/tablet/mobile phone/other mobile device to enable it to interface with the device. However, if there are other more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By making the statement in the first sentence of this paragraph, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so. 20. It will be portable or be fixed in a computer or in any other device. Where portable, it will be capable of being held in the hand and being transported/carried around at will. However, if there are other more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By making the statement in the first sentence of this paragraph, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so. 21. It is envisaged that it will be used primarily in the manufacturing industry, particularly for luxury goods and wherever authentic parts/spares/goods need to be verified, however, it can also be used in any organization where the counterfeiting of goods needs to be prevented. 22. Companies all over the world face the risk of financial losses due to their products being counterfeited, and the device will be able to be used effectively to reduce and combat such counterfeiting. 23. Where the counterfeiting has already taken place, the device will be able to be used to retrieve immutable evidence of the the details of the authentic product.

THE WAYS IN WHICH IT CAN BE MADE 24. It is crucial to note that the patent claim for the intellectual property to be protected is for the device, including:

(i) the functions that the individual components in the device execute, and

(ii) the outcomes that they achieve in clusters, and collectively in unison. 125. The specific individual components that can be used may vary, and their configuration might vary as well, to achieve the outcome of the invention. The methods of manufacturing the individual components, configuring them and assembling them can vary (hereafter referred to as the "Manufacturing Alternatives").

126. The Patent protection for the invention shall cover all Manufacturing Alternatives, manufacturing methods and technological component configuration alternatives that can be used to manufacture the Invention.

127. To amplify this statement, an example is where the internal architecture of the Invention comprises of an Integrated Circuit (IC) or 'Chip'. The Chips referred to in the internal architecture set out herein (the Internal Architecture) could be:

(i) manufactured individually, and soldered separately onto a circuit board, or

(ii) a 'Systems on a Chip' (SoC) approach could be used, where all of the individual Chips are combined in a single Chip,

(ii) certain Chips can be combined in clusters on a single Chip,

(iv) certain functions (a combination of any functions or all of them) could be consolidated onto one Chip,

(v) certain functions (a combination of any functions or all of them) could be achieved using any other component and/or software technology, and/or

(vi) the following Chip manufacturing configurations: SoC (complete system on one chip),

MCM (multi-chip module - interconnects components), SiP (stacked chips or packages), SoP (optimizes between chip and/or package) could be used. The patent is claimed for a device that is manufactured using any of the above technologies, or any combination(s) of the aforementioned. Therefore, the internal architecture set out herein encapsulates the core principles of the Invention, its functioning and capability. The patent is claimed for all of the aforementioned. The above are alternatives. If there are other, more optimal options, then these can be chosen. By making the above statements, it is not intended to give parties who wish to contravene and/or circumvent this patent a workaround to being able to do so.

Claims

THE CLAIMS

Patent Claims

The patent claims are for:

An apparatus (hereafter referred to as the "Device", "Product Authentication Device", "PAD", or "PAD device") with the following properties, functionality and/or uses:

Claim 1

A device comprising of hardware and software that is specifically designed for the sole purpose of enabling its user to create and/or access a specific block and/or specific data in a block, on a pre-created blockchain (such as a Product Blockchain, which is a blockchain created for a specific product with details relating to such product, such as the product's serial number, date of manufacture, etc.) and interact with it as follows: the device enables its user to securely create and/or access, interface and/or integrate with a block in a public, private or hybrid blockchain, (which blockchain has been specifically developed and designed for such access, interface, and integration), for either:

(i) the creation,

(ii) viewing,

(iii) downloading,

(iv) sharing (through any means of communication), and/or

(v) a combination of any of the aforementioned; of data in the block (such as transaction data), including any components of the block such as the Nonce, and the transactions on the block that might specifically relate to the owner or user of that device.

Claim 2

The device will comprise of a secure user interface (Ul), and industry-standard encryption. Access to the device may be through biometric authentication by the user, or through other means of granting secure access to the device. The device has a configuration option where the password to access the Product Blockchain (a blockchain created for a specific product with details relating to such product such as the product's serial number etc.) on the device is a hash of the Serial Number of the Product. In this case, no two passwords will ever be the same for the Product.

Claim 3

A device that enables first-time purchasers, subsequent purchasers and/or owners of the product to which it is linked, sold or associated with, to add their details and/or any other information to a block on a pre-created blockchain, after having accessed the aforementioned blockchain by providing the appropriate security access codes linked to the device.

This provides the functionality of, inter alia, verifying that a product emanates from a specific origin (such as a specific manufacturer), authenticates that the product is an original product, and allows all owners of the product to register their ownership or any other rights over the product over the lifetime of the product. Claim 4

Patent protection is claimed for Blockchain Product Authentication Technology (BPAT) as described in this patent, in whatever manner of form it might be created, be implemented, or be used.