FR3113749A1 - System for identifying and tracking the owner of a luxury product. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for identifying and tracking the current, unique owner of a luxury product, the system comprising: - a luxury product, to which is assigned an identifier enrolled in a first database, said identifier of the luxury product being integral with said luxury product, - an identifier assigned to the current owner and enrolled in a second database. It is essentially characterized in that: - there is a surjective correspondence between the identifier of the luxury product and the identifier of the current owner, and - the second database comprises a set of at least one attribute associated with the ID of the current owner. Abstract Figure: FIG. 1

Description

System for identifying and tracking the owner of a luxury product.

Field of invention

The present invention relates in particular to the field of valuable products, in particular fashion: whether clothing or fashion accessories, including watches or leather goods, and in particular all items that can be worn on the wrist such as such as watches, bracelets and bracelets, or portable on the shoulder or in the hand such as handbags or briefcases.

By valuable products, we also mean motor vehicles including their keys or badges for opening and starting, musical instruments, works of art, etc. that is to say manufactured products, unique or limited series, whose market value is higher than a predetermined threshold value.

The present invention is preferably implemented in the field of luxury.

Whether for personal reasons, for reasons of traceability or for security reasons, it is known to mark products with an identifier, for example with a unique identifier per product, or with a unique identifier per batch of products.

The identifier is generally affixed to the product or its packaging. By "affixed", we mean any technique that makes it possible to attach the identifier to the product or its packaging, for example by engraving, insertion, welding, gluing, etc.

The subsequent reading of the identifier generally makes it possible to identify the product or an element of its manufacture (for example the date of manufacture, the place of manufacture, etc.).

As a general rule, the identifier is affixed before the product is placed on the market, is independent of its owner. In addition, there are value products not marked with an identifier.

The present invention aims to solve this problem by making it possible to track both a valuable product and its owner.

According to a first of its objects, the present invention relates to a system for identifying and tracking the current, unique owner of a luxury product, the system comprising:

- a luxury product, to which is assigned an identifier enrolled in a first database, said identifier of the luxury product being linked with said luxury product,

- an identifier assigned to the current owner and enrolled in a second database.

It is essentially characterized in that:

- there is a surjective correspondence between the identifier of the luxury product and the identifier of the current owner, and

- the second database comprises a set of at least one attribute associated with the identifier of the current owner.

Surjective matching makes it possible to guarantee that a luxury product belongs to a single owner but that said single owner can own several luxury products, each luxury product being identified by a respective identifier.

It can be expected that the identifier of the current owner is linked to the luxury product.

Provision can be made for the first database and the second database to be the same.

It can be provided that each attribute is associated with a unique value.

Provision can be made for at least certain attributes to be grouped by class, each class belonging to a set of predetermined classes.

It is also possible to provide means for controlling at least one of:

- the identifier of the luxury product;

- the identifier of the current owner;

- the value of at least one attribute.

It is also possible to provide an electronic chip, integral with the luxury product, said chip comprising a memory in which is stored at least one of:

- The identifier of the luxury product;

- The identifier of the current owner of the luxury product;

- The value of at least one attribute.

It is also possible to provide means for transmitting a message whose subject corresponds to the value of at least one attribute.

Provision can be made for the identifier of the previous owner to the current owner, or the identifier of each previous owner to the current owner, to be recorded in at least one memory among:

- a memory of the first or the second database,

- a memory of the electronic chip,

- another memory.

According to another of its objects, the invention relates to a luxury watch, for a system according to the invention, the watch comprising a case, a bracelet and an electronic chip, the electronic chip being stored in the case or in the bracelet and comprising a memory in which are stored

- The value of at least one attribute for the current owner;

And at least one of:

- The identifier of the luxury product;

- The identifier of the current owner of the luxury product;

- the identifier from the previous owner to the current owner;

- the identifier of each previous owner to the current owner.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description given by way of illustrative and non-limiting example and made with reference to the appended figures.

Description of the drawings

illustrates an embodiment of the system according to the invention.

detailed description

The present invention relates to any luxury product.

By luxury product, we mean any object or manufactured product, artisanal or industrial, individual and transferable and whose selling price is higher than a predetermined threshold value. In particular, the luxury product is a fashion accessory.

For the sake of brevity, only one example will be described here in which the luxury product is a fashion accessory and in this case a luxury watch. Also for brevity, the luxury watch will be referred to as a “watch” 20.

During the manufacture of a watch, it is known to assign an identifier to it, for example a serial number.

In an enrollment phase, this identifier is recorded in a first database 30 in association with the watch. Typically, the first database comprises a set of rows and columns where each row corresponds to a given watch and each column corresponds to a characteristic or a set of characteristics of the watch, for example the date of manufacture, the name of the main worker or craftsman, etc.

In this case, one of the columns or "field" comprises an identifier of the watch, for example a serial number.

Before the watch is placed on the market, the watch identifier is made integral with the watch. For example, joining is implemented by a step consisting in engraving the identifier of the watch on the case of the watch.

Any other joining technique is applicable, including by gluing.

It will be noted that the identifier of the watch, attached to it, can be visible or invisible therein, for example with an identifier printed with UV ink, directly on the watch or indirectly, that is to say on a sticker which is itself stuck on the watch.

Preferably, the attachment of the identifier of the watch and the watch is definitive, that is to say that any subsequent separation would alter the appearance or operation of the watch.

After the watch was put on the market, it was sold to a first owner 10.

Within the meaning of the present invention, each owner is unique. An owner can be a legal person but preferably an owner is a natural person.

In an initialization phase, according to the invention, an owner identifier, preferably unique, is assigned to the first owner of the watch. Preferably the identifier of the first owner is different from the identifier of the watch.

The identifier of the first owner is saved in a second database. The second database can be confused with the first database, or distinct from the first database and capable of communicating with the latter, for example on the basis of a key. For brevity, we consider that the first and the second database are the same and we will therefore call “the” database.

The database comprises a set of at least attributes, for example in the form of a field or metadata, associated with the identifier of the first owner. Each attribute is associated with a unique value. It can be provided that at least one attribute comprises a set of sub-attributes. In this case, each sub-attribute is associated with a unique value. For example, the sub-attributes are values of the attribute at distinct times, which makes it possible in particular to follow the evolution of the value of the latter.

The value is preferably alphanumeric. For example, it includes the numeric values +1, 0, -1 or, if the field is empty, the value NULL . We can foresee a correspondence between the values and a meaning, for example:
- the value +1 can mean "yes", "agree", "like", etc. that is, a positive connotation;
- the value -1 can mean "no", "disagree", "dislike", etc. that is, a negative connotation;
- the value 0 can mean "neutral", "don't know", "no opinion", etc. that is, a neutral connotation;
- the empty NULL field can be a default value or mean that none of the above values are assigned yet.

Provision may be made to group at least certain attributes by class, each class belonging to a set of predetermined classes.

For example, classes and attributes can be provided as follows.

A "morphology" class, which includes an attribute whose values are at least one of:
- digital data relating to the morphology of the first owner, in this case morphological measurements, and for example at least one of: his height, his weight, his waist circumference, his shoe size, etc.

A “biometrics” class, which includes:
- an attribute whose values are at least one of:
biometric measurements taken on a digital portrait of the first owner;
- an attribute whose values are one or more portraits of the first owner in the form of a digital photo;

A “civil status” class, which includes an attribute whose values are at least one of:
- the surname, first name, date of birth, address of the first owner.

An excerpt from a sample database is shown in Table 1 below.

ID_prop Class Attribute value 1 marital status Name DOE 1 marital status First name John 1 marital status Date of birth 01/01/1980 1 biometrics Distance between eyes 5.8cm 1 biometrics Distance between commissures 4.1cm 1 morphology Size 1.75m 1 morphology Weight 75kg 1 sport tennis 1 1 sport aerobatics 1 1 sport horse riding 0 1 sport car race 1 1 sport polo -1 1 color red 1 1 music rock 1 1 music rap NULL 1 music reggae 0

We can predict attributes including: colors, textures, sports, types of music, food tastes and preferences (flavors, types of dishes, times, alone or accompanied, etc.), type of hotel ( e.g. number of stars), trademarks, etc.

To fill in the database, a step can be provided for this purpose consisting of filling out a questionnaire, possibly online, by the first owner or by a third party, for example the seller of the watch.

The collection, recording and processing of personal information is done in compliance with positive law, for example the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.

In the initialization phase, which corresponds to the first acquisition of the watch after it has been put on the market, at least the identifier of the first owner is linked to the watch.

In a first variant, it is provided that the joining of the identifier of the first owner and the watch is definitive, like the joining of the identifier of the watch. In this case, the identifier of the first owner cannot be modified in the event of a change of owner. This variant can be interesting especially when the first owner is a well-known personality.

In a second variant, it is provided that the joining of the identifier of the first owner and the watch is temporary. In this case, the identifier of the first owner may be modified in the event of a change of owner, as described later.

In this case, provision is made to record at least the identifier of the first owner in a memory and to link said memory with the watch. Preferably, the memory is non-volatile and rewritable, for example an EEPROM or Flash memory. In this case, the memory is integrated into an electronic microchip 21, itself attached to the watch, in particular to the case of the watch.

It is possible to provide for recording at least one of the individual characteristics also in the integral memory of the watch, where by “individual characteristic” is meant a pair of data (attribute; value).

The initialization phase includes a step consisting in transferring, or indiscriminately giving up, the watch to the first owner. The transfer of the watch can be implemented for example by sale or by donation of it, for example in the form of a gift during an event.

The transfer stage can be implemented in an access point, a local transfer, for example a store or a shop, or remotely, by online ordering and distribution.

The registration of the identifier of the first owner is preferably carried out no later than the transfer of the watch to the first owner.

However, the registration of the identifier of the first owner can be carried out a posteriori, after the transfer of the watch to the first owner. For example, the first owner can go to an access point to have this recording carried out, the access point being equipped with electronic means for updating the memory of the electronic microchip of the watch.

The individual characteristics relating to the first owner can be recorded at any time in the database: before, during or after the transfer of the watch to the first owner.

Subsequent to the first acquisition, after transferring the watch to the first owner, the owner may wish to transfer it to a second owner. In the same way, the second owner can, still later, transfer the watch to a third owner, and so on, there can be a chain of transfer of the watch, from owner to owner. Therefore, for brevity, only the transfer from the first owner to the second owner is described here.

We can then assign an identifier to the second owner, and save it in the database, in association with a set of at least attributes of the second owner; and so on for each new owner.

Provision can be made for the data, that is to say the set of at least one attribute, relating to the first owner to be replaced by those relating to the second owner; whether in the watch memory exclusively, in the database exclusively, or in the watch memory and in the database.

Provision can also be made for the data relating to the second owner to be added to those relating to the first owner, which makes it possible, for example, to create a pedigree of the watch; whether in the watch memory exclusively, in the database exclusively, or in the watch memory and in the database.

The current owner does not have access to the database.

The current owner can go to an access point, equipped with a communication device, configured to communicate with the watch and with the database.

The communication device extracts the owner identifier contained in the memory and sends the owner identifier to the database.

The owner is thus identified in the database.

It is possible to provide a step for extracting the identifier of the watch, and a step for comparing the values of the identifier of the watch and of the identifier of the owner with the values of the identifier of the watch and of the owner identifier contained in the database, which makes it possible to authenticate the watch and its owner.

It is possible to provide a step for updating the values of the attributes of the owner in the database.

A step of selecting a set of at least one attribute associated with the owner and of selecting at least one value from among the set of selected attributes is provided.

Preferably, the selection step consists in selecting an attribute randomly from among the set of attributes included in a predetermined class, for a predetermined value.

A step is then provided consisting of sending a message, to at least one of the owner and the access point, the content of which depends on the value of the selected attribute.

It is thus possible to confirm the identity of the owner, to carry out an individual follow-up or a personalization of a predetermined program.

For example, the message can contain information on at least one class, for example on marital status or a sport. The access point can then, through a vendor or via a graphical interface, ask the owner a question about the value of said class. The owner can then respond, possibly via a graphical interface. If its answer is identical to the value included in the database, it is identified.

The message can also be an invitation, for example an invitation to an event whose subject corresponds to the value of an attribute.

For example, the owner is recorded in the database as liking tennis and not liking polo. Not only can he be asked about these tastes for identification purposes, but he can also receive an invitation to an event relating to these tastes. Typically, he may receive an invitation to a sports tournament intended to satisfy his tastes or introduce him to a new category (not recorded in the database).

Whatever the content of the message, as this content is a function of the value of the attribute selected preferably randomly, the owner cannot anticipate this content, which confers security on the communication process and can generate a pleasant surprise effect. .

Thus, for example for a maintenance operation of the watch, the owner goes to an access point and his identity can be verified by the watch itself, without necessarily an identity document.

It is also possible to equip the watch with sensors, for example a blood pressure monitor.

It is also possible to provide the watch with means of communication, preferably by radio frequencies, and for example Bluetooth, in particular according to the BTLE protocol.

Thus, it is possible to use the means of communication of the watch to send information or messages, or to exchange information.

For example, provision can be made to compare the measurement value of a sensor with a predetermined value. Depending on the result of the comparison, provision may be made to transmit a signal, by the communication means of the watch, representative of a predetermined state. For example with a tensiometer, the measurement of the tension is compared with one or more predetermined threshold values, and if the value of the measured tension is higher than a first threshold value, or lower than a second threshold value, then a signal of alarm is sent. The alarm signal can also be displayed on the watch screen if the watch is equipped with a display screen.

In another example, individual characteristics stored in memory can be used for identification purposes.

For example, a reception service can be equipped with a chip reader. Thus, during a reception, entering a restaurant, a nightclub, an event, etc. All the owner has to do is place their watch, without detaching it from their wrist, close to the reader for certain predetermined attributes to be extracted from the microchip. The owner of the watch can thus be recognized.

Similarly, a data exchange system can be provided between 2 watches. For example, two owners each own a respective watch. The proximity of the two watches can make it possible, for example by automatic pairing, to exchange certain predetermined data, for example the surname, first name, professional function, etc.

The invention thus makes it possible to exchange the equivalent of business cards with a simple handshake. The microchip comprises a memory configured to store the data thus received, which can be extracted (read) later by an ad hoc reader.

Claims (10)

A system for identifying and tracking the current, unique owner (10) of a luxury product, the system comprising:
- a luxury product (20), to which is assigned an identifier enrolled in a first database (30), said identifier of the luxury product being linked with said luxury product,
- an identifier assigned to the current owner and enrolled in a second database,
Characterized in that:
- there is a surjective correspondence between the identifier of the luxury product and the identifier of the current owner,
- the second database comprises a set of at least one attribute associated with the identifier of the current owner. A system according to claim 1, wherein the identifier of the current owner is secured with the luxury product. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first database and the second database are the same. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein each attribute is associated with a unique value. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein at least some attributes are grouped by class, each class belonging to a set of predetermined classes. A system according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for controlling at least one of:
- the identifier of the luxury product;
- the identifier of the current owner;
- the value of at least one attribute. System according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an electronic chip, integral with the luxury product, said chip comprising a memory in which is stored at least one of:
- The identifier of the luxury product;
- The identifier of the current owner of the luxury product;
- The value of at least one attribute. System according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for transmitting a message whose subject corresponds to the value of at least one attribute. System according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the identifier of the previous owner to the current owner, or the identifier of each previous owner to the current owner, is stored in at least one memory among:
- a memory of the first or the second database,
- a memory of the electronic chip,
- another memory. Luxury product (20), for a system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said luxury product (20) is a luxury watch comprising a case, a bracelet and an electronic chip (21), the electronic chip being stored in the case or in the bracelet and comprising a memory in which are stored
- The value of at least one attribute for the current owner;
And at least one of:
- The identifier of the luxury product;
- The identifier of the current owner of the luxury product;
- the identifier of the previous owner to the current owner;
- the identifier of each previous owner to the current owner.