JP2000148950A - Non-contact tag and imitation discrimination system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily discriminate whether a product is a normal product or an imitation. SOLUTION: A non-contact tag 4 is attached to a position of a product which can not be externally recognized. A data transmitting means which can transmit data in a non-contact manner and a nonvolatile memory storing product management information are mounted on the tag 4. It is possible to discriminate whether it is a normal product or an imitation by preliminarily writing needed product management information when the tag 4 is supplied and reading the information on the distribution route of the product.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a counterfeit product discriminating device for embedding a tag for discriminating a counterfeit product into a product to determine whether the product to be handled is a product manufactured by the original manufacturer or a counterfeit product thereof. The present invention relates to a system and a contactless tag used in the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Portable goods such as bags, bags, trunks, and the like are popularized by products with a famous trademark by a traditional manufacturer and are on the market as DC brands. These commodities are not manufactured in large numbers, and are manufactured using scrutinized materials at their own factories or certified factories to maintain product quality.

[0003] However, as brand orientation is increasing, many counterfeit products for brand products are circulating. One of the factors is that the product quality of counterfeit products is generally secured so as to be indistinguishable, and the selling price is low. Third parties who are not officially authorized to use the trademark right may produce counterfeit or similar products using the same trademark,
Selling counterfeit goods by a distributor violates trademark law.

[0004]

The so-called discrimination of a brand product as a regular product or a counterfeit product requires special knowledge for each product, and can only be performed by specially trained persons. . Further, it may be necessary to analyze the constituent materials using an analyzer. When determining whether a product is a counterfeit or genuine product based on various patterns, characters, and symbols folded into the product, many people rely on the eyesight of an appraiser in particular. Also, the shape and design of specified printed matter such as fake bills are standardized, so that the state of the watermark can be inspected, or the fake bill or true bill can be determined from the state of the magnetic ink using a special judgment device. Can be checked. However, since the above-mentioned brand products have various shapes, configurations and patterns, there is no dedicated judgment device, and when necessary, the merchandise is brought to an appraiser to make a judgment.

[0005] For various reasons as described above, counterfeit products have become popular in some markets for famous brand products. For this reason, there arises a problem that a legitimate manufacturer is infringed on a design right or a trademark right and cannot secure the original profit. Further, in actual use, if the quality or function of the counterfeit product is deteriorated, there arises a problem that the trust of the product of a legitimate manufacturer is impaired. Also, in the discriminating method by an appraiser, it is necessary to bring a suspicious product to a place where an appraiser is present, which is not general. In pawn shops and recycle shops, which are the merchandise redistribution channels, it was difficult to identify all products with high accuracy.

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem. By embedding a tag for discriminating a counterfeit product into a product, the product to be handled can be manufactured by an original manufacturer having a trademark. It is an object of the present invention to realize a fake product discriminating system that can easily discriminate whether the product is a fake product or a fake product thereof, and a non-contact tag used in this system.

[0007]

The invention according to claim 1 of the present application is attached to a position where a product cannot be visually confirmed,
A contactless tag that electronically records product management information,
A non-volatile memory that holds the data of the product management information; a control unit that controls writing and reading of data to and from the memory; and And data transmission means for transmitting data read from the memory via the control unit to the outside.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the non-contact tag according to the first aspect, at least one of an ID tag management number and data indicating a product maker is recorded in the memory, and the ID tag is write-protected. It has a supply source writing area.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the non-contact tag according to the first aspect, the memory has a maker writing area for recording at least one of data indicating a manufacturer, a product name, and a product number of the product. It is characterized by the following.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the non-contact tag according to the first aspect, the memory includes a maker writing area for recording at least one of data indicating a manufacturer, a product name, and a product number of the product; A general write area for recording at least one of the data indicating the store of the product, the purchaser of the product, and the repair history, and at least one of the data indicating the ID tag management number and the data of the manufacturer of the product. And a specified ID tag supply source writing area.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the non-contact tag according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein when transmitting data to the non-contact tag and receiving data from the non-contact tag, An RW head that transmits a carrier having the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit provided in the non-contact tag, and performs transmission and reception of data with respect to the non-contact tag,
An access area setting unit that sets a memory writing area of the contactless tag, and data of commodity management information input from the outside are given to the RW head, and read from the contactless tag via the RW head. An ID controller having an ID data input / output unit for outputting data to the outside.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the non-contact tag according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein when transmitting data to the non-contact tag and receiving data from the non-contact tag, An RW head that transmits a carrier having the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit provided in the non-contact tag, and performs transmission and reception of data with respect to the non-contact tag,
An access area setting unit for setting a memory writing area of the non-contact tag, data of commodity management information input from the outside to the RW head, and data read from the non-contact tag via the RW head To output to the outside
The RW for the data input / output unit and the product to be inspected
When transmitting data via the head, when there is no response from the product, it is determined that the product is not a regular product, and when there is a response in a predetermined format from the product attached with the non-contact tag, the product is regarded as a regular product. A determining unit for determining,
And an ID controller having the following. The RW head and ID according to claim 5 or 6,
The controller may be configured as an integral type or may be independent.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A counterfeit discrimination system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a basic configuration of a counterfeit product identification system according to the present embodiment. Here, a brand product for which a trademark right has been established will be described as, for example, a trunk T manufactured by a manufacturer A. A certain number of trunks T produced by a regular manufacturer A are wholesaled to a store B, and are sold to unspecified persons over the counter or mail order. The user U who has purchased this product uses the trunk T as his or her own, or gives or gives it to another person. Further, the user U may bring the trunk T to a trade-in store C such as a pawn shop or a recycle shop and sell and dispose of the trunk T. The user U may use the trunk T purchased for a long period of time, and when a part of the trunk T is damaged, may bring the trunk T to the store B to request repair.

In such a market, in order to prevent the circulation of the trunk T 'of counterfeit goods, the manufacturer A, the dealer B, and the trade-in shop C are provided with the writing / reading control device 1 as a counterfeit discriminating device. Provide. As shown in FIG. 1, the writing / reading control device 1 includes a read / write head (RW head) 2 and an ID controller 3. In addition, the manufacturer A attaches an ID tag 4 to a part of the product in advance so that it cannot be recognized from the outside. The writing / reading control device 1 transmits and receives ID data, and manages the product information. At this time, if the ID data is obtained in a regular format and the ID data is included in the product information managed by the manufacturer A, the product to be inspected is determined to be a legitimate product; otherwise, the product to be inspected is Is determined to be a product not manufactured or managed by the manufacturer A.

The ID tag 4 is supplied from the ID tag supplier D to the product manufacturer A. The above-described write / read control device 1 is also installed at the ID tag supply source D. Here, the write / read control devices installed at the manufacturer A, the store B, the trade-in store C, and the ID tag supplier D are denoted by 1A and 1 respectively.
B, 1C, and 1D.

Here, the ID tag 4 which is a non-contact tag of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 2 shows the ID tag 4
Is also referred to as a data carrier (DC). The ID tag 4 holds merchandise management information having the contents described below, and uses a non-contact communication method such as electromagnetic coupling to control the RW head 2.
It transmits / receives product management information to / from the ID controller 3 via the PC or updates product management information. ID
The tag 4 is reduced in size and thickness so that it can be attached to a part of a product. For example, I used in the present embodiment
The D tag 4 is integrated on one chip, and the outer shape is formed in a flat coin shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the ID tag 4
Transmitting / receiving section 40, demodulation circuit 41, modulation circuit 42, control section 4
3. It includes the memory 44. These circuits are
ASIC except for the LC resonance circuit that constitutes the transmission / reception unit 40
It is sealed with a resin mold, ensuring chemical resistance and high-temperature preservability.

The transmitting / receiving section 40 receives the modulated carrier signal output from the RW head 2 and transmits a residual signal having the same frequency of the carrier signal and corresponding to ID data. The demodulation circuit 41 demodulates a signal output from the transmission / reception unit 40 and demodulates data constituting the product management information. The control unit 43 writes the data output from the demodulation circuit 41 into the memory 44 and
4 is read out and given to the modulation circuit 42. The memory 44 is a non-volatile memory that stores product management information, and is configured by, for example, an EEPROM. The modulation circuit 42 converts the data obtained from the control unit 43 into a pulse signal and supplies the pulse signal to the transmission / reception unit 40. The transmitting / receiving unit 40 transmits a pulse signal to the RW head 2 and rectifies the carrier signal during operation of the ID controller 3 to supply power to each circuit unit including the memory 44. Here, the transmission / reception unit 40, the demodulation circuit 41, and the modulation circuit 42 receive data provided from the outside by electromagnetic coupling and provide the data to the control unit 43.
And data transmission means for transmitting data read from the memory 44 to the outside using electromagnetic waves.

FIG. 3 shows a memory map of the memory 44.
The data storage area of the memory 44 is divided into a plurality of areas, and the write area is restricted by the type of the ID controller 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the maker writing area 44a stores the ID controller 3 installed in the manufacturer.
A region that can be written by A, for example, manufacturer name, product classification (classification of trunk, bag, bag, etc.),
Product management information such as a product name, a production date, and a product number is recorded. The general writing area 44b is an area that can be written and read by at least the ID controller 3B installed at the store, and stores, for example, the store name, sales date, purchaser name, purchaser contact information, repair history, and the like. You. ID
The tag supplier writing area 44c is an area for registering initial data when the ID tag 4 is manufactured by the ID tag supplier, and records, for example, an ID tag management number, a manufacturing date, a product manufacturer name, and the like. . This area is write-protected before the ID tag 4 is shipped.

Next, the write / read control device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The write / read control device 1 includes an ID controller 3 and an RW head 2. The RW head 2 transmits the ID data output from the ID controller 3 to the ID tag 4 in a time-division manner, for example, by ASK modulation, and demodulates the modulation signal transmitted from the ID tag 4 and provides the demodulated signal to the ID controller 3. It is. The RW head 2 has a modulation circuit 21, a transmission unit 22, a reception unit 23, and a demodulation circuit 24. As shown in FIG. 1, it is installed in the vicinity of a product inspection place or the like. On the other hand, the ID controller 3
As shown in FIG. 4, an access area setting unit 31, an ID data input / output unit 32, and a determination unit 33 are provided.

The modulation circuit 21 shown in FIG. 4 converts the ID data output from the ID data input / output unit 32 into serial data, and outputs pulses having different duty ratios in bit units based on the H or L level of each bit. A signal is generated. The transmission unit 22 modulates the carrier with the pulse signal output from the modulation circuit 21 to generate an ASK signal, and drives a coil-shaped antenna of an LC resonance circuit (not shown). The receiving unit 23 receives the modulated signal output from the ID tag 4 and provides the modulated signal to the demodulation circuit 24. Since the transmitting unit 22 and the receiving unit 23 use carrier waves having the same frequency, they operate alternately in a predetermined cycle in a time-division manner.

The details of the basic configuration and operating principle of the write / read control device 1 and the RW head 2 are described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-151832 filed by the present applicant.

The access area setting section 31 of the ID controller 3 sets the writing area of the memory 44 shown in FIG.
4 access areas are designated. ID data input / output unit 3
2 outputs ID data to the RW head 2,
This is an interface for extracting ID data from the W head 2. The determination unit 33 determines whether the product is a legitimate product based on whether normal communication can be performed. When the write / read control device 1 is installed at a product manufacturer, the ID controller 3 is connected to an external host computer 34A. When the writing / reading device 1 is installed in a merchandise store or a trade-in store, the ID controller 3 is connected to the input operation unit 34 and the display unit 36. The input operation unit 34 is a keyboard for inputting data for collating product management information or updating the product management information via the writing / reading control device 1. The display unit 36 is a monitor that displays input data of the input operation unit 34 and displays output data of the ID controller 3.

The use of the counterfeit product discriminating apparatus having such a configuration and a counterfeit product discriminating system using an ID tag will be described. The basic operation of the writing / reading control device 1 and the RW head 2 is substantially the same as that described in the above-mentioned publication, and a detailed description of the operation will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 1, first, an ID tag supplier D sends an ID to a manufacturer A of a trunk T and other manufacturers of suppliers.
Supply D tag 4. In FIG. 2, the basic specifications of the ID tag 4 are the same regardless of the supply destination.
The format of the writing area may be standardized for each business type. When the ID tag 4 is manufactured using an ASIC or the like,
ID tag supply source D is its own ID writing / reading control device 1D
The ID tag management number (serial NO) and the supply destination (manufacturer A) are stored in the ID tag supply source writing area 44c of the ID tag 4 to be supplied to the manufacturer A by using the ID and the RW head 2D.
Write the data of The ID tag supply source writing area 44
c is a write-protected area in the EEPROM. This prevents the initial data from being maliciously tampered with another writing / reading control device 1 in the distribution channel of the product.

When the ID tag 4 is supplied in this manner, the manufacturer A of the trunk T attaches the ID tag 4 between the outer leather and the lining of the trunk to be manufactured, for example. Since the sensitive range of the ID tag 4 is within several tens of centimeters, any portion of the trunk T may be used as long as the position is within the sensitive range with respect to the mounting position of the RW head 2. However, a position where no change occurs in the appearance of the product and which cannot be visually confirmed is preferable. FIG. 5 is an external view showing an example in which the ID tag 4 is attached to the side of the trunk T (between the outer material and the lining). Even if a counterfeit manufacturer manufactures a counterfeit trunk T ',
Since tag 4 is not available, ID tag 4 is replaced with trunk T '
Can not be attached to

Now, the authorized manufacturer A writes the merchandise management information to each trunk T manufactured. At this time, using the ID write / read control device 1A and the RW head 2A installed in the company, the manufacturer name and product classification (for example,
The trunk, the date of manufacture, the product name (for example, a cowhide light brown business trunk), and the product number are written as ID data in the maker write area 44a. Such recording is performed using the host computer 34A. Thus, a predetermined number of trunks T are shipped.

On the other hand, when the store B purchases the trunk T from the manufacturer A, it sells many types of portable bags and luggage including the trunk T. Every time the sale of the trunk T is established, its own ID writing / reading control device 1B
And the RW head 2B to register customer information. At this time, when the input operation unit 35 of FIG. 4 is operated as “register”, the name of the store and the date of purchase are automatically recorded in the general writing area 44b of FIG. Alternatively, the name, address, and the like to be registered may be obtained from the customer and registered from the input operation unit 35. In this way, the customer information having the function of the warranty is recorded in the ID tag 4 of the trunk T. For a similar trunk T 'carried in from another distribution channel, the ID writing / reading control device 1B checks for the presence or absence of the ID tag 4,
Even a clerk who has only general product knowledge can identify whether it is a counterfeit product or a regular product.

The user U who has purchased the trunk T uses the trunk T as necessary. When used for many years, some brackets come off or break. At this time, the user U brings the trunk T to an authorized store and requests repair. The store reads customer information using its own ID writing / reading control device 1B. At this time, if it is determined that the trunk T has been purchased through the regular route, a repair request is accepted. If the name of the person bringing the repaired product is different from the registered customer name (the person who actually purchased the trunk T), the registered customer name is directly heard from the other party, and the extracted name and the registration result of the ID tag 4 are displayed. Is matched, it is determined that the transferred trunk T or the trunk T was brought in by a registered customer, and the repair request is accepted. If the name obtained does not match the registration result, it is assumed to be a stolen trunk T 'or the like so that a repair request is not accepted. Such a determination process is similarly performed at the trade-in store C in FIG. In this case, the above processing is interpreted as "repair" instead of "repair".

Even if a large number of forged trunks T 'are circulated and these trunks T' are brought into the trade-in shop C, the trade-in shop C accesses the ID tag using the ID writing / reading control device 1C. It is possible to immediately identify whether the product is a legitimate product or a counterfeit product based on the presence or absence of a response from the ID tag.

On the other hand, if the credit card is stolen,
This credit card is often used immediately by a malicious third party. At this time, it is assumed that the third party uses a stolen credit card to purchase a trunk Tx of a famous brand that is easy to cash. At this time, if the victim reports the theft of the credit card to the card issuer E, the card issuer E can immediately know the store name of the trunk Tx from the credit card usage record, and the store , The product management information of the trunk Tx can be obtained. Then, if the card issuing company E informs the trade-in shop C under its management of the product management information of the trunk Tx, trade-in of stolen items can be prevented.

Generally, when a credit card is stolen, a malicious third party immediately starts purchasing a large amount of high-priced goods. However, since it takes more time to sell a stolen item than to buy it, fraudulent acts can be prevented using this time difference. Such information processing works effectively even if the entire trunk T is stolen while the user is traveling. The malicious third party steals the trunk T in order to exploit the money in the trunk T, and discards the trunk T after exploiting the money. Suppose that a third party with good intentions picked up this trunk T and delivered it to the police. It is also assumed that the victim has reported the theft to the police.
When the store receives a report of finding the trunk T from the police, the owner can be identified by temporarily storing the trunk T and checking the customer information from the ID tag 4.

Further, various types of tracing can be performed by using the data recorded in the general writing area 44b of the memory 44.

[0032]

According to the first aspect of the present invention having such features.
According to the inventions of (1) to (4), a non-contact ID tag applicable to a counterfeit product identification system can be provided. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since such a non-contact ID tag is attached to a position which is relatively unrecognizable on a product and is not provided to a manufacturer of a counterfeit product, it is possible to easily recognize whether the product is a legitimate product or a counterfeit product. it can. It is also possible to manage product information using this counterfeit product identification system. Further, according to the invention of claim 6, it is possible to determine whether or not the product is a regular product based on the output from the determination unit of the ID controller.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a counterfeit product identification system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a non-contact tag (ID) according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a write area of a memory provided in an ID tag according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a writing / reading control device used in the counterfeit product discrimination system of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a product showing an example of attaching a non-contact tag according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D Write / read control device 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D RW head 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D ID controller 4 ID tag 21, 42 Modulation circuit 22 Transmitter 23 Receiver 24, 41 demodulation circuit 31 access area setting unit 32 ID data input / output unit 33 determination unit 34 host computer 35 input operation unit 36 display unit 40 transmission / reception unit 43 control unit 44 memory A manufacturer B dealer C trader D ID tag Supplier E Card issuer T Legal trunk T 'Counterfeit trunk U User

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A non-contact tag which is attached to a position of a product which cannot be visually confirmed and which electronically records product management information, wherein the nonvolatile memory holds data of the product management information, and the memory A control unit that controls writing and reading of data to and from the external unit, receives data provided from outside by non-contact communication, provides the control unit with the data, and reads the data from the memory via the control unit. A non-contact tag, comprising: data transmission means for transmitting data to the outside. 2. The memory, wherein at least one of an ID tag management number and data indicating a product manufacturer is recorded, and the write-protected I
The non-contact tag according to claim 1, further comprising a D tag supply source writing area. 3. The non-contact tag according to claim 1, wherein the memory has a maker writing area for recording at least one of data indicating a manufacturer, a product name, and a product number of the product. 4. The memory includes: a maker writing area for recording at least one of data indicating a manufacturer, a product name, and a product number of the product; and at least data indicating a store of the product, a purchaser of the product, and a repair history. And at least one of ID tag management number and data indicating the manufacturer of the product.
The non-contact tag according to claim 1, further comprising: a D tag supply source writing area. 5. The non-contact tag according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact tag is provided at the time of transmitting data to the non-contact tag and receiving data from the non-contact tag. An RW head that transmits a carrier having the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit and transmits and receives data to and from the contactless tag; and an access area setting that sets a memory writing area of the contactless tag. ID controller having a unit and an ID data input / output unit for providing data of commodity management information input from the outside to the RW head and outputting data read from the non-contact tag to the outside via the RW head And a counterfeit product discrimination system. 6. The non-contact tag according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact tag is provided to the non-contact tag when transmitting data to the non-contact tag and receiving data from the non-contact tag. An RW head that transmits a carrier having the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit and transmits and receives data to and from the contactless tag; and an access area setting that sets a memory writing area of the contactless tag. An ID for giving data of product management information input from the outside to the RW head and outputting data read from the non-contact tag via the RW head to the outside
The RW for the data input / output unit and the product to be inspected
When transmitting data via the head, when there is no response from the product, it is determined that the product is not a regular product, and when there is a response in a predetermined format from the product attached with the non-contact tag, the product is regarded as a regular product. An ID controller having a discriminating unit for discriminating the counterfeit product.