KR20110014780A - Digital marker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A digital marker is provided to enable a general user notify the authenticity of a product visually without opening or breaking the product. CONSTITUTION: A display unit(11) outputs an electronic identification in order to be check visually. A memory(15) stores a reference time, marks having different forms, and data about the time serial display sequence deciding the mark to be displayed during the successive display section. A timer(17) outputs time counting information. A controller(13) adds up the time counting information in the reference time, and decides current time and the display section in which the current time belongs. The controller selects a mark in order to display during the current display section based on time series order, and displays the mark.

Description

Digital Marker {Digital Marker}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to an electronic display device that is attached to an article to display a visual mark. More particularly, the present invention relates to a digital mark such as a symbol, a number, a color, a character, and the like, which changes shape over time. The present invention relates to a new digital marker configured to be displayed in an unpredictable order and synchronized in such a manner that marks of the same type are displayed at the same time for all items belonging to a certain group.

In general, counterfeit goods have not only deceived consumers, but also disrupted the market order, causing a great loss for the enterprise, and thus companies have developed various anti-counterfeiting technologies. In particular, anti-counterfeiting technology using visual marks is the most desirable way for consumers and businesses, as long as they can easily recognize the authenticity of the goods without the need to open or destroy them.

Known as an anti-counterfeiting technology that visually marks a particular mark for the consumer to see, it displays a code that uniquely identifies the article, such as a unique identifier, and authenticates the article by identifying it. There is a way to check the authenticity of people. For example, the publication of US Patent Publication No. US 2007/0051816 (International Publication No. WO 2007/030397, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0051166) "DIGITAL LABELS FOR PRODUCT AUTHENTICATION" includes a processor, memory And a digital label comprising an electronic display. This digital label is a device attached to the product to display information indicating the source, owner, manufacturer, contents, ingredients, uses, etc. of the product, and also stores and displays product certification data for authenticating the product by serial number.

The digital label disclosed in the document is a kind of electronic display device attached to a product. This has the advantage that unlike a label displaying fixed content, it is possible to display a trademark or logo that changes with time or with information entered by a user. However, marks representing sources such as trademarks or logos are very easy to be counterfeited or imitated. Therefore, this digital label displays additional authentication data to prevent forgery. When the authentication data is transmitted to the remote authentication server by the user or from the digital label to confirm whether the digital label is duplicated, the authentication server checks the authenticity of the authentication data by comparing with the data stored in the server.

However, the authentication data of this digital label is configured as a serial number composed of a meaningless and complicated mixture of numbers and letters in order to make it difficult to duplicate itself. Therefore, when the consumer saw the serial number, there was a problem that it was not immediately and intuitively able to know the authenticity of the serial number. In other words, the serial number has a limitation that the authentication function can be satisfied only by a special device such as an authentication server.

Therefore, in a technique to prevent forgery, it would be advantageous if an inexperienced public could see what was marked on the article and immediately and intuitively determine the authenticity of the article.

The present invention has been invented to ameliorate the problems present in the anti-counterfeiting technique of displaying visual information for product certification as described above and to provide various additional advantages. The present invention is directed to counterfeit articles if they are synchronized to display marks of the same type at the same time, for articles belonging to a certain set, and if the shape of this synchronized same mark changes in an unpredictable order over time. It is invented based on the inventor's insight that not only can the mark displayed be the same as the mark displayed on a genuine article but a counterfeit, and that the authenticity of the article will be immediately and intuitively understood by an inexperienced public.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means by which the public can visually easily distinguish the authenticity of articles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means by which the public can easily distinguish the authenticity of an article without opening or destroying the article.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a means by which the public can immediately identify the authenticity of an article without the aid of special expertise or mechanical recognition.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an anti-counterfeiting means by which an unauthorized person cannot predict in advance when and how the mark that changes over time will take.

It is yet another object of the present invention to collectively and uniquely achieve a particular group of articles by synchronizing mutually in such a way that marks that change in an unpredictably random order over time are presented in the same form at different times with different marks. It is to provide a counterfeit prevention means that can indicate the source.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to ensure the authenticity of the article by ensuring that the authenticity of the mark itself, which changes over time, can be easily checked from the authorized person now and / or after the fact by the public if desired. It is to provide means that can be.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention.

This object is achieved by a digital marker provided according to the invention.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital marker, the digital marker comprising: a display unit for displaying the display electronically by the naked eye; A memory for storing data relating to a reference time, a plurality of marks having different shapes, and a time series display order for defining marks to be displayed during each successive display period having a predetermined time length among the plurality of marks; A timer for outputting time counting information; The time counting information is added to the reference time to determine the current time and the display section to which the current time belongs, select a mark to be displayed during this current display section based on the time-series display order, and the selected mark is displayed on the display unit. A control unit controlling to be displayed by; And a power supply unit for supplying power to each unit, wherein the plurality of digital markers are attached to the plurality of articles belonging to a certain set so as to be identifiably attached to each of the marks marked by the naked eye, and also to the same mark and the same time series. By including data on the display order and synchronizing with each other in time, each independently displays a mark that changes with time, but is collectively synchronized to display the same mark at the same time.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the order of the marks determined by the time-series display order stored in the memory is a list of the plurality of marks regularly or randomly.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the mark is a still image or a moving picture including at least one visual element among visual elements including letters, numbers, colors, symbols, and patterns.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the visual element constituting the mark includes at least one visual element that remains the same without being changed between the plurality of marks.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the display sections of the time-series display order all have a constant time length or have different time lengths.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one data of the mark and the data related to the time-series display order is encrypted and transmitted from the outside to the digital marker and decrypted in the digital marker.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the mark is displayed full time throughout each of the display sections, only for a predetermined partial time of each of the display sections, or is input externally of each of the display sections. Only by the signal being displayed.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit is configured to be supplemented with power by an external source. In this case, the external source may be sunlight.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the memory may be a volatile memory.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a digital marker for outputting a sound, the digital marker is a digital marker attached to an article, the sound output unit for outputting acoustically; A user input unit through which a user can input a command; A time series that defines a reference time, a plurality of audio marks having different acoustic shapes, and an audio mark to be displayed among the plurality of audio marks during each display period of successive display sections having a predetermined length of time; A memory in which data relating to a typical display order is stored; A timer for outputting time counting information; When a user command is input from the user input unit, the time counting information is added to the reference time to determine a current time and a display section to which the current time belongs, and the auditory to be displayed at the current time based on the time series display order. A control unit which selects an red mark and controls the selected acoustic mark to be output by the sound output unit; And a power supply unit for supplying power to each unit, wherein the plurality of digital markers are attached to a plurality of articles belonging to a certain set, respectively, and also contain data on the same mark and the same time-series display order. By synchronizing with each other, each of them independently outputs an audio mark changed over time, but is collectively synchronized to output the same audio mark at the same time.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital marker checking system for providing a mark displayed by a digital marker having the above-described configuration to a remote terminal device from a source server through a communication network, wherein the source server is: a reference time and a different form. A memory in which data relating to a time series display order for determining a mark to be displayed among the plurality of marks during each display period among successive display sections having a predetermined time length is stored; A timer for outputting time counting information; The time counting information is added to the reference time to determine the current time and the display section to which the current time belongs, select a mark to be displayed during the display section determined based on the time-series display order, and control to output the selected mark. A control unit; And a communication unit for providing the output mark through the communication network, wherein the remote terminal apparatus visually or audibly outputs a mark received from the origin server through the communication network.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the remote terminal device outputs a plurality of marks.

The present invention having the above-described configuration makes it easy for the public to visually distinguish the authenticity of the article intuitively, and makes it easy to distinguish the authenticity of the article without opening or destroying the article, as well as special expertise. It also provides the ability to instantly identify the authenticity of an item without the aid of a mechanical recognition device.

In addition, according to the present invention, an anti-counterfeiting means is provided which is impossible to counterfeit by allowing an unauthorized person to predict in advance which type of mark will change over time. By being synchronized with each other in such a manner that the marks are displayed in the same form at the same time as the marks displayed on different articles, the anti-counterfeiting means capable of collectively and uniquely indicating the origin and the like for a certain group of articles is provided. have.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the authenticity of the mark itself, which changes over time, can be easily checked by the authorized person in the present and / or after the fact, if the public wants the authenticity of the article, and so on. Is provided.

Other effects of the present invention will be naturally recognized from the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present invention with a specific example as follows.

The digital marker provided by the present invention is simply an electronic display device that allows a mark or mark to be displayed while changing in an unpredictable, i.e., unknown, order over time. One digital marker may be attached to or included in one article. Different digital markers have the advantage of being able to independently display marks in a form that changes in an unpredictable order over time, as well as being mutually synchronized in time with built-in timers and time-related data. In other words, the marks displayed on different digital markers attached to or included on different articles have the unique feature that they can be displayed as the same type of mark at the same time and synchronized.

Accordingly, the digital marker has a function that makes it easy for the general public to visually easily identify the authenticity of the attached or contained article without any special knowledge about whether the article is forged or not. That is because counterfeit goods can be identified only by visually confirming marks marked by different items belonging to the group in which the same marks are expected to be displayed at the same time.

Furthermore, this digital marker contrasts with the 'counter-by-unit' anti-counterfeiting means which use the unique identification code uniquely to individual articles, and collective mark or anti-counterfeiting by the collective item that can collectively display the article It has the feature of means. In other words, instead of uniquely displaying each individual item, items belonging to a group can be displayed in one unit, i.e., in one visual mark. More precisely, it can be said that a set of marks that change in an unpredictable order over time can be 'uniquely' represented in a group. This feature of the collective mark is a function similar to the function of a trademark used on a group of goods to represent a true source.

Accordingly, the digital marker according to the present invention extends the concept of a current trademark which has a fixed form and has only limited functions, thereby giving dynamics over time, unpredictability, and the possibility of mutual synchronization using time, thereby preventing counterfeiting of articles. It can be seen as a new concept of 'e-trademark', which has been improved to include not only the function but also the source indication.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a digital marker 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The digital marker 10 of the present invention is a type of electronic display device, and is a device for visually displaying a mark that changes in an unpredictable order over time.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the digital marker 10 may include a display unit 11, a controller 13, a memory 15, a timer 17, and a power supply unit 19 as a specific hardware configuration. . On the other hand, as described in more detail below in the memory 15 by software, data for the mark and time series display order is stored, in addition to the data for the display interval, reference time, and control for control The program can be stored.

In the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1, the display unit 11 is a means for displaying a visual mark that can be seen by the human eye, and is basically an electronic display device capable of displaying a mark that can be seen with the naked eye. it means. The display unit 11 may use any type capable of visual display capable of displaying monochrome, bi-color, or multicolor, and may be, for example, a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or an electronic device. It may be an independent physical device using ink technology or a flexible display technology that provides a flexible display.

The shape of the display portion 11 is not limited, and may be rectangular, annular, circular, oval, or even in the form of a letter or a designation representing a particular brand name or design. The preferred size of the display portion 11 is sufficient if it is capable of displaying a visual mark of a size that a general user can see with the naked eye, and is not particularly limited.

2 and 3 specifically show the role of the display unit 11 in the digital marker 10 in a state of being installed on an article. In FIG. 2A, a digital marker 10 having a circular display unit 11, in which remaining components are embedded in a coin-shaped housing 10a in which a display unit 11 for displaying a marker M is installed on one surface thereof. An example of this is shown. It is preferable that the size of the digital marker 10 is small because it is a device attached to an article rather than an independent transaction target. It is also desirable that the thickness be thin because it must adhere to the surface of the article. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that recent developments in electronic circuit integration technologies, batteries, and display materials allow the construction of coin sizes or thinner and smaller digital markers 10.

FIG. 2B shows an example in which a groove a is formed in one side of the leg of the glasses A, and the digital marker 10 is attached to the groove a. As described above, in attaching the digital marker 10 of the present invention to the article, it is sufficient that only the conditions in which the display unit 11 is installed in a manner facing the surface of the article so as to be visible to the naked eye are satisfied. Therefore, it is obvious that the parts other than the display unit 11 may be included in the article.

FIG. 3A illustrates a digital marker 10 attached to a lid of a flask, and FIG. 3B illustrates a digital marker 10 attached to an outer surface of a handbag. As shown, the digital markers 10 attached to each individual wine bottle or handbag may each independently indicate a particular marker M, m. The consumer can visually check the marks M and m displayed on the digital marker 10. In the example shown in (a) of FIG. 3, there is a wine bottle that displays the sun-shaped mark m uniquely, as compared to displaying a star mark M among all the wine bottles belonging to the same brand. The consumer can immediately recognize that the bottle displaying this sun-shaped mark (m) is a counterfeit without having to open the lid without any special expertise. In the example shown in (b) of FIG. 3, all of the handbags belonging to the same brand display the mark m of the toxic shape, as compared with the mark M of the heart shape. The consumer can immediately recognize that a handbag displaying this triangular mark (m) is a counterfeit without any special expertise.

As described above, the digital marker 10 according to the present invention displays a mark that can be visually identified on the surface of the article through the display unit 11, so that a general public who does not have special knowledge about whether or not the article is forged is visually easily. It may have a function of identifying authenticity.

In the example of the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1 again, the memory 15 serves to store data necessary for the digital marker 10 to operate.

According to the present invention, the memory 15 can be applied irrespective of previously known nonvolatile and volatile memories. However, in a preferred embodiment, the data once stored may be a volatile memory that is maintained only while the power is supplied and disappears when the power is not supplied.

Specifically, in the memory 15, mark data required for the operation of the digital marker 10, that is, the mark data to be displayed on the display unit 11 described above, is stored, and a time-series display order indicating an unpredictable order in which the marks are displayed. The data is saved. In addition, it stores information and a program for controlling the display operation so that the digital markers 10 attached to different articles can be synchronized with each other in time.

According to the present invention, a 'mark' includes any one of several elements, such as letters, symbols, numbers, colors or figures, which may include a particular message and / or may not contain a particular message. Can be configured. The mark can be a still image or a moving picture. The mark may include at least one of visually displayed elements such as letters, symbols, colors, numbers, and figures.

The 'mark' can be used without particular limitation as long as it can be visually expressed. Such a mark may simply be in the form of a meaningless code, may be a brand name or logo of a product, may be a specific identifier such as a person's name, building name, company name or other product model, or may include a special message. Can be. The meaning of the mark may be anything, and may not even be meaningless, and thus is not particularly limited.

4 (a) to 4 (c) show specific examples of marks M and M ′ that can be displayed in the digital marker 10 of the present invention, and examples of marks that change with time. In the illustrated example, the mark M shown on the left side of the drawing may be displayed on May 1, 2008, and the mark M 'shown on the right side of the drawing may be displayed on May 2, 2008. In FIG. 4A, the marks M and M 'include a figure element called a circular shape and a color element filling the circular shape. Before the changed mark M 'is changed, one element of the elements included in the mark M is changed while the other element is not changed. That is, it can be seen that the circular figure element does not change in the changed mark M ', and only the color element is changed. As such, when only one element is changed, the one element to be changed may indicate only whether the item is genuine. On the other hand, the element that does not change may mean a separate message having a fixed meaning, for example, the year of manufacture of the product, the country of origin, the manufacturer, and the like.

On the other hand, the example shown in (b) of FIG. 4 includes a number (e.g., a meaningful) representing the year clearly marked by the marks (M, M ') "2008 KOREA", and a (significant) letter element expressing the country. In this example, the changed mark M 'only changed color compared to the mark M before the change, and the text element consisting of numbers and letters did not change. The public can recognize the falsification by checking the changing color, and can easily estimate that the product is manufactured in 2008 and that KOREA is of origin.

Furthermore, in the example shown in (c) of FIG. 4, the marks M and M 'are composed of a letter element and a color element, and the changed mark M' is different from the letter element compared with the mark M before being changed. Here is an example of changing both color elements. That is, before the change, the mark M may be a yellow alphabetic capital letter A, and the changed mark M 'may be a red alphabetic capital letter D.

In the present invention, when there are a plurality of changed elements among the elements constituting the mark, all of the plurality of changed elements may be changed at the same time with the same period. In other ways, these changing elements may be changed at least some or all of them with different periods. Specifically, in the example in which the text and the color shown in FIG. 4C are changed, the text element may be changed every month, and the color element may be changed every 24 hours. As such, an example of displaying a mark having a plurality of changing elements that change with different change periods may provide an advantage of making the shape of the displayed mark more unpredictable.

As such, the marks displayed in the digital marker 10 according to the present invention are changed or changed in an unpredictable order with a constant change period. As such, the order in which the marks are changed may be stored in the memory 15 as a 'time-series display order'. The time-series display order is data in which the marks are displayed in a chronological order.

This time series presentation order should be unpredictable to outsiders, such as ordinary consumers. The order of the marks determined by the time-series display order may be an order in which a plurality of marks are regularly arranged, but is preferably an irregular order randomly determined by a random number generation method. Furthermore, the 'time series display order' stored in the memory 15 embedded in the digital marker 10 is preferably protected from external readability.

According to this time series display order, each individual mark corresponds to one section of each individual change period, and each section is referred to herein as a 'display section'. For example, different specific marks may be displayed for each display period determined in units of one day or 24 hours. It is apparent that the length of the 'display section' does not necessarily have to be 24 hours, and may be arbitrarily determined as necessary, for example, 10 minutes, 1 hour, week, month, and the like.

Each display section is time section data having a specific time value. For example, in an example in which the length Δt of the display section is defined as '24 hours', the display sequence Δt _n having a specific time value will actually appear in the time series display order in the digital marker 10.

In the time-series display order, the display section, which is a unit time unit in which each mark is displayed, needs to be accurately defined in order for the various digital markers 10 to be synchronized with each other in time. The manner defined may be the concept of a relative order in which the digital markers 10 use a third time zone as an absolute reference for synchronizing mutual time, or calculate from the time when the digital markers 10 initiated an operation. . In other words, when using an absolute reference, the plurality of digital markers 10 may be synchronized with each other based on 'Seoul Standard Time'. On the other hand, the plurality of digital markers 10 may be configured to start the display from the mark corresponding to the predetermined display period among the time-series display sequences stored in the internal memory 15 after starting the operation.

In the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1, the timer 17 counts the passage of time and outputs counting information. Such a timer 17 is well known as a clock generator for generating a clock at repetitive constant time intervals, and is usually included in a microprocessor type control device. In the present invention, any timer such as a conventional clock generator known in the art can be used without limitation.

This timer 17 functions as a means for timed individual digital markers 10 to mark different types of marks over time. In addition, according to the present invention, the timer 17 is also a means by which homogeneous different digital markers 10 attached to articles of the same family are mutually synchronized in time. In other words, although different digital markers 10 are physically and software independent devices and do not exchange data with each other, they may be synchronized with each other by displaying the same type of marks simultaneously during the same display period.

The digital markers 10 that mark the 'inter-synchronized' mark may be attached to a product of the same kind, a group belonging to, or an article of the same family. Here, the scope of the 'same product range' in which the mutually synchronized marks are simultaneously displayed need not be particularly limited. For example, products belonging to one brand or one model may be included in the same product family, and only products manufactured at a specific manufacturing plant may be included in the same product family even if they are the same model. Alternatively, all products manufactured by one company may be included in the same product family, or even all products manufactured in one country may be included in the same product family.

As such, the timer 17 counts the elapsed time, for example, from the 'reference time', which can be determined in the manufacture of the digital marker 10, so that the individual digital markers 10 can display a specific mark at a specific time according to time. It further serves to enable the digital markers 10 attached or included on all articles of the same product family to be synchronized.

In addition, in the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1, the power supply unit 19 may be a small battery such as a mercury cell or a lithium battery as a means for supplying power to each unit. In the present invention, the power supply unit 19 serves to maintain the operation of the digital marker 10 in time, the digital marker 10 according to the present invention is in time synchronized with the other digital marker 10 The sustainability of the power supply unit 19 is essential because it must be maintained for its lifetime. If the power supply unit 19 in the specific digital marker 10 does not continue to supply power to a part related to the time calculation of the digital marker 10, that is, the timer or the control part, a time difference appears in the time calculation. . This may cause a problem that the time synchronization function between this particular digital marker 10 and another digital marker 10 is lost. Therefore, the power supply unit 19 must continue the continuous power supply for the time-related component of the digital marker 10 over its lifetime. Furthermore, the safe connection configuration between the component parts and the power supply 19 in the digital marker 10 soon determines the life of the digital marker 10 itself, and therefore is preferably ensured for as long as the life of the article.

In the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 13 controls each part of the digital marker 10. The control unit 13 counts the time and controls the display unit 11 to display a specific mark in a time series display order. An example of the control operation of the control unit 13 is schematically illustrated in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the operation of the digital marker 10 is started or initialized, the controller 13 first reads the reference time t ₀ from the memory 15 (210). Accordingly, the initialized time point is determined as the reference time t ₀ . Thereafter, when the counting information is received according to the operation of the timer 17, the controller 13 calculates a accumulated value C (220). When C is calculated, the current time T may be calculated by adding the C value to the reference time t ₀ (230). When T is calculated, the control unit 13 determines the display section to which the current time T belongs. In the example shown in the flow chart T has been determined to be t ₁ and t ₂ after the transfer, it was determined that corresponds to the display period △ t ₂ between t ₁ and t ₂ (240). After the display section is determined, the control section 13 reads the mark M ₂ corresponding to this display section Δt ₂ (250). The control unit 13 then controls the display unit 11 to display this mark M ₂ (260). Thereafter, the control unit 13 may repeat the steps of calculating the above C 220 through controlling the display unit 11 to display the mark 260.

According to the present invention, even if the digital markers 10 are manufactured at different places at different times and the reference times are set differently, these differently set reference times are aligned with respect to the same 'third time zone'. And if the same markers and the same time-series display order are stored, they can act as synchronized homogeneous digital markers 10.

The digital markers 10 synchronized according to the invention are characterized in that they mark the marks in an unpredictable order. This way of displaying the marks in an unpredictable order can be implemented in two ways in accordance with the present invention. The first method is a method in which the order in which a plurality of marks are displayed is randomly determined as already mentioned. (See FIG. 6) The second method is capable of predicting the specific marks to be displayed. It's a way to configure it unpredictably. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the marks M ₀ and M _{1 in a} somewhat predictable order may be configured as the digital marker 10 for changing the mark with a display section having an unpredictable length of time. have.

For example, referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the digital markers 10 to be attached to the items A ₁ to A ₁₀₀ operate with a reference time set at 9 am on August 1, 2008, in the Seoul, South Korea time zone. Goods a ₁₀₁ ~ a digital marker (10) to be attached to ₂₀₀ are also become the reference time set on time at 8:00 am on October 1st 2008 in Seoul, Republic of Korea time work, these articles a which is attached to all ₁ ~ a ₂₀₀ Assume that the digital markers 10 are 'synchronized' using the reference time aligned with respect to the third time zone mentioned above, that is, the Seoul time zone of South Korea.

In (a) of FIG. 6, the synchronous time interval Δt = 24 hours, Δt ₁ = August 1, 2008 = August 1, 2008, 0 hours to August 1, 2008, 24 hours, Δt ₂ = August 2, 2008 = August 2, 2008 04:00 ~ August 2, 2008 24 hours, △ t ₃ = August 3, 2008 = August 3, 2008 0 hours ~ August 2008 Let's say three days, 24 o'clock. Then, the digital markers 10 attached to all of the articles A ₁ to A ₂₀₀ recognize, for example, 'present' as the same specific date and time, for example, '10: 33: 34 am on August 2, 2008 ', and the recognized current time. The display section to which it belongs to August 2, 2008 is determined identically, and is synchronized to display the same mark M ₂ corresponding to this display section.

These digital markers 10 store ten different types of marks, that is, M ₁ , M ₂ , M ₃ ... M ₁₀ , as shown in FIG. 6B, and these marks Is a random time series of display order, i.e., M ₅ , M ₂ , M ₁ , M ₄ , M ₃ , M ₆ ,. In products A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ , ... A _m with homogeneous digital markers 10 attached, each digital marker 10 has an initial display interval Δt ₁ = August 1, 2008. Display mark M ₅ . On the second display section Δt ₂ = August 2, 2008, the mark M ₂ can be displayed. In this way, a group of products A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ , ... A _m can simultaneously display the same mark that changes over time.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, not only the mark but also the time length of the display section length Δt on which the mark is displayed is changed. In the illustrated example, when only two marks M ₀ and M ₁ are used, the intervals Δt ₁ , Δt ₃ , Δt ₅ ,... Where the mark M ₀ is displayed and the mark M _The sections Δt ₂ , Δt ₄ , Δt ₆ ,... Where ₁ ) are displayed are alternated. For example, all the products in a certain family that has marks (M specific day, for example 810 seconds at 0, May 18, (e.g., a time in the example shown in Figure 7 t ₀ ~ t ₁ interval (△ t _1)), 2008 while display _0), 2008, 8 wol 18 0: 30 seconds (for example, the example of time t ₁ ~ t ₂ period in shown in Figure 7 from 10 early; see mark (M ₁₎ during △ t ₂₎ Then, the mark (M ₀ ) is redisplayed on August 18, 2008 from 0:40 to 20 seconds (for example, in the time t2 to t3 section (Δt ₃ ) in the example shown in FIG. 7). Can be. In this case, the display section length Δt on which a particular mark is displayed may be determined through a means such as a random random number generation program.

Thus, in the embodiment in which only two or three marks are used, the graphic form of the mark M does not need to be various, so that a large number of mark data are not necessary, so that the amount of mark data stored in the memory 15 is increased. This can be greatly reduced, providing the advantage of using a small amount of memory.

8 illustrates that the marks displayed on the digital marker 10 according to the present invention can be used in various ways. In FIG. 8A, in the digital markers 10 having a time series display order to which the same reference time (for example, set based on the local time in Seoul, Korea) is applied, products having the digital markers 10 Even if they exist in regions with different local time, such as USA, Europe, etc., they all display the same mark M ₁ at the same time. In FIG. 8B, the same design has the same 'mark' data for products of the same company (for example, a Louis Vuitton bag), but has different 'time-series display order' that is different from each other based on the production location. The display of the digital markers 10 is illustrated.

As illustrated, even if it is a Louis Vuitton bag having the same brand and design, for example, the digital marker 10 attached to a bag made in South Korea may attach the mark M ₁ to the digital marker 10 attached to a bag made in China. ) is attached to the bag production to M ₂ a, a digital marker 10 is attached to a bag produced in the United States is the digital markers (10, one attached to the bag production to M _3, from Vietnam) M _4, in France One digital marker 10 may be configured to display the mark M ₅ and the digital marker 10 attached to a bag made in Italy displays M ₆ . Accordingly, even if bags of the same design of the same brand are different in origin, even if they exist in the same region may represent different marks. This shows that the features of the digital marker 10 of the present invention can be used to ensure the manufacturer's export policy or licensing policy (eg, limited to sale only in the United States).

The previously unpredictable random time series display order displayed on the digital marker 10 according to the present invention having the above-described configuration is desirable to ensure that unauthorized persons cannot invade from outside. For this purpose, it is particularly important to protect the data stored in the memory 15 from being externally readable.

As one solution for this, the circuit portion constituting the control unit 13, the memory 15, the timer 17, and the like may be manufactured in the form of an integrated integrated circuit chip (IC chip) in the form of a thin film. The structure of the control unit 13, the memory 15 and / or the timer 17 manufactured in the form of such an IC chip is preferable because the internal configuration may not be exposed to the outside so that copying by a copy machine is impossible, for example. Furthermore, a technology related to a security chip for preventing copying of firmware in a memory known in the art may be employed. Such a security technique may be, for example, using security bits.

9 through 11 illustrate modified embodiments of the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1.

The digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 9 includes all the components of the digital marker 10 shown in FIG. 1, and further includes a receiving unit 20. Data such as 'mark', 'time series display order' and the like stored in the memory 15 of the digital marker 10 may be generated and stored by the manufacturer at the time of manufacturing the digital marker 10. In the example shown in FIG. 9, these data may be stored in the memory 15 by inputting data from an external data source 30 after the digital marker 10 is manufactured. In this case, the receiving unit 20 of the digital marker 10 may receive data transmitted from an external data source 30 in a wired / wireless communication manner and store it in the memory 15. In this case, the data transmitted from the data source 30 can be encrypted, for example in a private key method or a public key method (eg RSA), in order to block interference from a third party, the encrypted data being a digital marker. It is preferable to configure so that it can be deciphered only in (10).

Furthermore, as in the example shown in FIG. 9, the digital marker 10 may have a configuration in which the power supply unit 19 may charge power from an external source. This external source may be solar light, for example, in this case, as in the example shown in FIG. 11, the power supply unit 19 may include a solar cell 192 capable of converting solar energy into electric power. . In this case, the solar cell 192 may not be embedded in the housing 10a of the digital marker 10 but may be attached to a portion of the surface of the article which may be exposed to sunlight, as shown in FIG. .

The digital marker 10 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 is configured as an apparatus for outputting an acoustic mark. In this case, the digital marker 10 includes a sound output unit 111 and a sound synthesizer 113 for outputting an acoustic sound together with the memory 15, the control unit 13, the power supply unit 19, and the timer 17. The configuration may include a user input unit 38. The memory 15 may store acoustic element data that is an 'acoustic mark', such as sound data to be output through the sound output unit 111 and / or data for sound synthesis to be provided to the sound synthesizer 113. In this example, the elements that make up the "audible mark" may be simple synthesized sounds, or a variety of sounds including human voices, songs, music, animal sounds, and the sounds of nature's wind and waves. It may be similar, for example, similar to the coloring function of the mobile phone, and is not particularly limited. In this case, the acoustic mark may be configured to be output only when the user manipulates the user input unit 38, which may be in the form of a button. In addition, the digital marker 10 outputting the audio mark illustrated in FIG. 10 may further include a display unit 11 for outputting the visual mark.

In FIG. 11, as a modification for saving power, the digital marker 10 may include a switch 34 that controls a connection with the display unit 11. In this case, the mark can be displayed on the display unit 11 by pressing the user input unit 38 in the form of a button or the like. In other words, the display unit 11 is normally powered off from the power supply unit 19 by the display on / off switch 34, and when the user switches the display on / off switch 34, the display unit 11 from the power supply unit 19. By the power supply being made, it is possible to cause the mark to appear on the display portion 11. The on / off switch 34 may be operated while the user presses a finger or the like around the display unit 11 and returns to its original state when the finger is released.

In the digital marker 10 of the configuration without the switch 34, the mark displayed on the display portion 11 may be displayed full time for a certain display period, for example, for 24 hours. In the case of the full-time display method, the anti-counterfeiting effect is very large, but has a disadvantage of high power consumption. In order to save power consumption, the displayed mark may be configured to be displayed in such a way that it is displayed for a certain time period, i.e., only for a predetermined partial time out of 24 hours, for example, for one minute and not for the next one minute. In the case of the partial display method, power consumption is saved, but the disadvantage is that the mark cannot be checked when the public wants it.

Therefore, the switch 34 in the example shown in FIG. 11 or the digital marker 10 in the example in which the user input unit 38 is added as shown in FIG. 10 can save power by displaying a mark only at a time desired by the user. Advantages are provided.

Once removed from the article, the digital marker 10 of the present invention is preferably configured so that it can no longer be used for checking authenticity. In other words, the digital marker may further include security means for stopping the normal operation of the digital marker when the digital marker is attached to the article and detached from the article. As an example of the security means, as shown in FIG. 11, the timer 17 may be provided with a reset switch 32. The timer reset switch 32 may be manufactured to operate to reset the timer 17 when the digital marker 10 is attached to the article and then detached from the article. These security measures have the effect of preventing the used digital marker 10 from being attached to the attached article (genuine) and then used for another product (counterfeit product).

In the above, the configuration of the digital marker 10 included in the product itself has been described. As described above, since the digital markers 10 included in the 'homogeneous' products are synchronized to display the same mark at the same time, the user can easily and intuitively identify the products that do not display the same mark among the same products. . However, if all the surrounding products are counterfeit products or there is no other product to compare with, the digital marker attached to the product is limited. Therefore, it would be advantageous if the mark itself currently displayed on the digital marker 10 could be identified as genuine or forged.

In order to be able to ascertain the authenticity of the mark currently being displayed on the digital marker attached or integrated in the product as described above, according to another aspect of the present invention, a display on a digital marker displaying a synchronized mark changed over time It can be provided as a system for checking the mark to be.

12 to 13 show a system for checking the authenticity of the mark itself displayed on the digital marker 10.

The manufacturer of the digital marker 10 deliberately sets a reference time, e.g., before the specific 'homogeneous' digital markers 10, in order to know, for example, a day in advance, which mark appears in the particular 'homogeneous' digital markers 10. Can be set a day ago. In this way, the data regarding the mark, the display order, and the synchronization time interval are set the same, but only the reference time can be different, so that the mark can be predicted, for example, one day before. Based on this expectation, a manufacturer is available with a mark identification service that informs consumers who have purchased a product what mark will be displayed on their product.

This mark confirmation system consists of mark data providing means and means for displaying this mark. The data providing means is a means for providing a mark currently displayed on the digital marker 10 included in articles belonging to each group, which is attached to or included in each article, for example, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Similarly, only the communication means corresponding to the remaining data processing portions except for the display portion 11 of the configuration of the digital marker 10 will be different. However, the mark confirmation system may display only one mark, but may also display marks for various products belonging to a plurality of groups. Therefore, the display means of this mark confirmation system should include the part which shows the name for identifying each group, and the part which mark shows beside the part which shows each name. Two specific embodiments of this system are shown in FIGS. 12-14.

12 shows the current article via the Internet from the origin server 40 of the product, the affiliate web server 42, the personal terminal 44, or the store signboard 46, etc., according to an embodiment of the mark confirmation system according to the present invention. A schematic diagram is shown showing the configuration of a system that provides information that can confirm the authenticity of a mark displayed on a digital marker 10 attached to it. Here, the 'source of the product' may be a supplier or a manufacturer of the product, and in particular, may be a person who wants to prevent the forgery of the product by using the digital marker 10.

The product supplier may inform the origin server 40 of the type of mark that is currently being displayed on the display 10 attached to the product. Such notification may be made at the product provider's Internet website as shown in FIG. 13. Alternatively, the information may be provided to another affiliate web server 42 such as another portal site or a news site, and the affiliate web server 42 may act as an agent.

Individuals visit the product provider's Internet website or portal site through a personal terminal 44, such as a personal computer or mobile phone with wired or wireless Internet access, if desired, to check the mark (M) displayed on the website. By doing this, it is possible to confirm whether the desired product is displaying a mark corresponding to the genuine product.

As another example, a display device such as a display board 46 (see FIG. 14) that may be installed in a store where a real consumer purchases a product, such as a department store entrance and / or an elevator, may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the store signboard 46, which may be a device such as an LCD or a PDP, may display the marks M displayed on products of various companies, for example, on a daily basis. In this case, the user can easily check the authenticity of the specific item he / she wants to purchase in the store.

The store signboard 46 may be a display device installed in a department store or a large mart, but is not limited thereto. For example, a plurality of marks may be displayed on a web site or a portal site of a specific company shown in FIG. 13. Can be displayed.

The above-described digital marker 10 may be attached to various articles as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. As already mentioned, the limitation on the installation position is that the mark M indicated by the display portion 11 of the digital marker 10 of the present invention should be present at a position that can be seen by a consumer or a buyer. none.

First, according to the present invention, the digital marker 10 may be manufactured in the form of an independent label or tag and attached to the outer surface of the article or embedded as part of the article. For example, in a bottle product group which needs to be opened by including a stopper such as a wine bottle, a medicine bottle, a beverage bottle, a food bottle, and the like, it can be installed at the stopper portion. In the example provided in the plug portion, it may be configured in such a way that when the plug is opened, part of the circuit is broken so that the power supply is interrupted.

On the other hand, the digital marker 10 in the form of an independent label or tag is a non-electronic, such as a book (thick book cover), shoes, bags, clothes, glasses, automotive parts (pure parts), packaging boxes for packaging products, or packaging bags It can be attached to check the authenticity of the products. The digital marker 10 may be attached, for example, to a bag or clothing, to a portion of an article label or an outer skin portion that is easily recognized by a consumer. Furthermore, this product family can easily be attached to the inside surface of the book, to the inner side of the tongue of the shoe, or to an easily visible surface such as in the bag, since the user can easily access the inner side.

In addition, the digital marker 10 may be applied to electronic products having a display device such as a watch, a mobile phone, a digital camera, a notebook computer, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). In this case, it may be attached as an independent label or tag to the outer portion of the electronic product.

When attaching the digital marker 10 having the configuration as described above to the actual article, it is naturally expected that the article is provided with an appropriate physical and / or electronic protective device according to the use mode. For example, the outer surface of the digital marker 10 may be covered with a physical protective cover or housing 10a for protecting the digital marker 10 by impact or friction from the outside. The protective cover or housing 10a may have a waterproof function to protect the electronic circuit components in the digital marker 10 when the article is washable or exposed to the external environment. Protective cover or housing (10a) that can be applied to the digital marker 10 of the present invention may appropriately employ a technique well known in the art.

The present invention has been described above through specific embodiments, but various modifications are possible to those skilled in the art by referring to and combining various features described herein. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be interpreted by the appended claims.

The present invention having the features described above is a digital marker that displays visual digital marks that change in an unpredictably random order over time, which can be configured simply and inexpensively using basic electronic components. . This can be used to prevent and / or counterfeit and / or source various items, such as bottled products such as alcoholic beverages and pharmaceuticals, and non-electronic products such as bags, clothing, accessories, and precious metals, as well as electronic products such as watches, mobile phones and computers. Widely available in the application field.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing an internal configuration of a digital marker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3 are exemplary views for explaining aspects in which a digital marker is implemented in various products according to embodiments of the present invention.

4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mark that can be displayed in a digital marker and an example of a change thereof according to embodiments of the present invention.

5 is a schematic flowchart illustrating a display control process of a digital marker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 and 7 are diagrams for explaining that the mark synchronized by the digital marker according to the embodiments of the present invention is displayed while being changed in an unpredictable order.

8 is a conceptual schematic diagram illustrating various examples in which a mark of a digital marker is displayed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 to 11 are schematic views showing another application example of the digital marker according to the embodiments of the present invention.

12 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a system for providing information for confirming the authenticity of a mark displayed on a digital marker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a display for identifying a mark of a digital marker currently attached to an article on an internet website in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a display for checking marks of digital markers attached to current items on a store signboard according to embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: digital marker 10a: housing

11: display unit 111: sound output unit

13: control unit 15: memory

17: timer 19: power supply

192: Cell 20: Receiving unit

30: data source 38: user input unit

Claims (13)

As a digital marker: A display unit for displaying the image electronically by the naked eye; A memory for storing data relating to a reference time, a plurality of marks having different shapes, and a time-series display order for determining marks to be displayed during each successive display section having a predetermined time length among the plurality of marks; A timer for outputting time counting information; The time counting information is added to the reference time to determine the current time and the display section to which the current time belongs, select a mark to be displayed during this current display section based on the time-series display order, and the selected mark is displayed on the display unit. A control unit controlling to be displayed by; A power supply unit for supplying power to each unit; Wherein the plurality of digital markers are identifiably attached to the plurality of articles belonging to a certain set so that the marks marked by the naked eye are identifiably attached, and also include data about the same mark and the same time-series display order. By mutually synchronizing with each other, the marks changed over time are independently displayed, but collectively synchronized to display the same marks at the same time. Digital marker, characterized in that. The digital marker according to claim 1, wherein the marks are determined by a time-series display order stored in the memory. The plurality of marks are regularly arranged or randomly arranged. The digital marker of claim 1, wherein the mark comprises a still image or a moving image including at least one visual element among visual elements including letters, numbers, colors, symbols, and patterns. 4. The digital marker according to claim 3, wherein the visual element constituting the mark includes at least one visual element which remains unchanged among the plurality of marks. The digital marker according to claim 1, wherein all of the display sections of the time-series display order have a certain time length or different time lengths. The digital marker according to claim 1, wherein at least one data of the mark and the data relating to the time series display order is encrypted and transmitted from the outside to the digital marker and decrypted within the digital marker. The display of claim 1, wherein the mark is displayed full time throughout each of the display sections, only for a predetermined partial time of each of the display sections, or only by a signal input from an external of each of the display sections. Digital marker, characterized in that the. The digital marker of claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is configured to replenish power by an external source. The digital marker of claim 8, wherein the external source is sunlight. The digital marker of claim 1, wherein the memory is a volatile memory. As a digital marker, An audio output unit for outputting acoustically; A user input unit through which a user can input a command; A time series that defines a reference time, a plurality of audio marks having different acoustic shapes, and an audio mark to be displayed among the plurality of audio marks during each display period of successive display sections having a predetermined length of time; A memory in which data relating to a typical display order is stored; A timer for outputting time counting information; When a user command is input from the user input unit, the time counting information is added to the reference time to determine a current time and a display section to which the current time belongs, and the auditory to be displayed at the current time based on the time series display order. A control unit which selects an red mark and controls the selected acoustic mark to be output by the sound output unit; A power supply unit for supplying power to each unit; Wherein the plurality of digital markers are each attached to a plurality of articles belonging to a certain set, and also contain data for the same mark and the same time series display order and are mutually synchronized in time, thereby independently time Output the auditory marks changed in accordance with, but collectively synchronized to output the same auditory marks at the same time. Digital marker, characterized in that. A digital mark checking system for providing a mark displayed by a digital marker according to claims 1 to 11 to a remote terminal device at a source server through a communication network. The origin server is: Data relating to a time series display order for defining a mark to be displayed among the plurality of marks during each display section among a plurality of marks having different reference forms and a reference time, different shapes, and predetermined time lengths A memory to be stored; A timer for outputting time counting information; The time counting information is added to the reference time to determine the current time and the display section to which the current time belongs, select a mark to be displayed during the display section determined based on the time-series display order, and control to output the selected mark. A control unit; A communication unit for providing the output mark through the communication network Including, The remote terminal apparatus outputs a mark received from the origin server through the communication network visually or audibly. Digital marker identification system, characterized in that. The digital marker checking system according to claim 12, wherein the remote terminal device outputs a plurality of marks.

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