RU2263355C1 - Method for forming product identification code (variants) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: product identification.

SUBSTANCE: method includes adding code in form of code particles, each of which has random position, to glue.

EFFECT: higher efficiency.

2 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to means for identifying products by marking them and can be used to protect products from counterfeiting and copying, as well as for the complete identification of each commodity unit.

A known method of controlled sale of products and their protection against counterfeiting (application DE No. 4019126 A1, G 09 F 3/02, 12/19/91), which consists in the fact that a self-adhesive tape intended for the manufacture of longitudinal labels for a unit of production is applied a bar code with information about the manufacturer, consumer properties of the product, date of manufacture and other information, expressed as uncoded data. The disadvantage of this method of product protection is its great vulnerability to counterfeiting on copy machines and the manufacture of labels in an amount not related to the quantity of a particular type of product intended for sale, which leads to uncontrolled use of these labels and the possibility of their use for the “left” product.

There is a method of generating an identification code for a product, described in a method for the controlled sale of products and their protection against counterfeiting (application RU 2144220 С 1, G 09 F 3/02, G 06 К 19/16, 11/11/1998), namely, that each the unit of production is equipped with an information-protective label, on which a bar code containing identification and content information is applied, and the label is additionally equipped with a copy protection diffractive element having a surface microrelief that creates the effect of optical diffraction, and inf The information to be entered in the barcode is initially entered into the central computer of the control institution from the accompanying documents provided by the supplier for each shipment of goods, then by computer conversion of this information according to a previously introduced algorithm that converts the data from the accompanying documents according to a certain rule that sets a specific rule the responsible person of the region by entering the password, form a bar code in the character set and print the party ethics ok in the quantity declared by the supplier for the sticker on each unit of production with the application of a barcode on each label, and the trade institution verifies the products by visually checking the presence of a diffraction element and reading the barcode from the label of the unit being checked with simultaneous reverse transformation according to a previously introduced algorithm information entered into the barcode and comparing this information with information from supporting documents submitted by the supplier to zhduyu delivered consignment.

A disadvantage of the known method of generating the product identification code is the difficulty of its implementation due to the presence of an additional diffractive copy protection element having a surface microrelief, which is used as a hologram. In addition, it is known that, along with the advantages, this hologram technology has a serious drawback: high cost. The basis of the hologram is a matrix worth several thousand US dollars. Therefore, holographic protection is beneficial only for millions of copies, but even with a circulation of one million copies - the cost of one hologram will be (depending on size) from 1.5 to 4 US cents. Accordingly, there is a rise in price of the goods sometimes by an amount comparable to the price of the goods themselves.

A further disadvantage of the known method is that the bar code is applied to the label under the control of a printing program having a built-in information conversion algorithm, knowing which the bar code can be reproduced repeatedly.

It is absolutely clear that there is no absolute protection against counterfeiting, and manufacturers are taking the path of difficulty for potential counterfeiters of falsifying the packaging and / or appearance of the goods, since in the conditions of retail sale it is impossible to test the contents or properties of the goods. The level of difficulty must be such that counterfeiting the protective system makes the process of counterfeiting and selling counterfeit goods economically unprofitable. In other words, the cost of counterfeiting a product must exceed the potential profit from its sale. At the same time, manufacturers proceed from the assumption that the production of counterfeit products is inferior in volume to the products they produce, which should make it impractical to reproduce protective equipment, the cost of which increases significantly with an increase, for example, in the circulation of holograms. However, reality proves that this assumption is unfounded: counterfeiters go for copying any security stamps, and at the present time it takes no more than two weeks to reproduce a hologram of medium complexity. And although the copy is not identical to the original, external resemblance is usually enough to mislead the buyer.

On the other hand, it is also necessary that the cost of protecting the product itself be reduced in comparison with the cost of the product.

The present invention is based on the task of creating such a method for generating an identification code of a product and manufacturing a security label, which would make it possible to make reproduction of the security label and repetition of its information code as difficult as possible while reducing the cost of protecting the goods and simplifying the manufacture of the security label for the manufacturer of the protected product.

The technical problem to be solved in the method of generating the product identification code, in its first embodiment, consisting in the fact that each unit of production is equipped with an information-protective label on which a code is applied containing identification and content information, is entered into the information database by that a code in the form of code particles, each of which has a random arrangement, is mixed into glue, with which a label made of optically transparent is glued to a unit of production, to d labels containing identification information are entered into the information database after gluing the label on the unit of production and form the informative information that is entered into the information database.

The technical problem to be solved in the method of generating the product identification code in its second embodiment, which consists in the fact that each unit of production is equipped with an information security label, on which a code containing identification and content information is applied, it is entered into the information database, it is achieved by a code in the form of code particles with their random arrangement is applied to the code field of the label, covered with an optically transparent layer, the code of the label containing identification information, skid information into the database after the application code on the label particles and form meaningful information, which is made in the information database.

For both solutions to the technical problem, the code particles form a random shape, and / or a random size, and / or a different color.

Figure 1 shows a General view of the label field with code particles made on a product unit for both options for the formation of the product identification code.

Figure 2 shows a layer-by-layer label made in the first embodiment.

Figure 3 shows a layer-by-layer label made in the second embodiment.

An example of a general appearance of a label made according to both variants of the method for generating the product identification code in FIG. 1 comprises: a white field of a label 1 pasted on a unit of production, black code particles 2 contrasting in the white field of the label, randomly located on the label and having a random shape and random size. The label has a binding label (key) 3.

An example of a label according to the first embodiment of the method for generating the product identification code in FIG. 2 contains: the surface of a product unit (package) 4, code particles 2, adhesive 5, an optically transparent label 6.

An example of the execution of the label according to the second variant of the method for generating the product identification code in FIG. 3 contains: the surface of the product unit (package) 4, code particles 2, adhesive 5, the code field of the label 7, an optically transparent layer 8.

Consider the method of generating the product identification code, its first option.

The method of generating the product identification code consists in the fact that each unit of production is equipped with an information security label 6, on which a code containing identification and content information is applied, it is entered into an information database, and the code is in the form of code particles 2, each of which has a random arrangement, mixed into glue 5, with which the label 6, made optically transparent, is glued to the product unit 4, the label code containing the identification information is entered into information database after gluing labels 6 on the unit of production 4 and form the informative information that is entered into the information database.

Identification information is the so-called identification number (code) of a product unit, designed to distinguish each product unit. The identification number (code) of a product unit does not contain meaningful information, but is a link to the data stored in the information database. The data stored in the information database is the meaningful information of a unit of production.

For the code particles 2, small pieces (approximately 1 mm) of randomly shaped pieces of polyethylene are taken, mixed into glue 5, which is usually glued with labels, and glue 5 is applied to the surface of product unit 4, which has a color that is in good contrast with the color of the code particles 2. Then, an optically transparent label 6 having a binding mark (key) 3 is placed on the applied adhesive 5 to facilitate the subsequent comparison process with the identifiable label. Thus, the code particles 2 are given a random arrangement in the field of the label 1.

Consider the method of generating the product identification code, its second option.

The method of generating the product identification code is that each product unit 4 is equipped with an information security label 7, on which a code containing identification and content information is applied, entered into an information database, and the code in the form of code particles 2 with their random the location is applied to the code field of the label 7, cover it with an optically transparent layer 8, the label code containing the identification information is entered into the information database after applying on the label 7 to pa 2 particles are formed and meaningful information, which is made in the information database.

Identification information is the so-called identification number (code) of a product unit, designed to distinguish each product unit. The identification number (code) of a product unit does not contain meaningful information, but is a link to the data stored in the information database. The data stored in the information database is the meaningful information of a unit of production.

Coded particles 2 with a random arrangement are applied onto the white code field of the label 7 in the form of randomly cut pieces (about 1 mm) of black polyethylene pieces 2 and fixed to the surface with glue 5, the base of the label 7 with particles 2 is covered with an optically transparent layer (film) 8 to better save code. Then, the resulting label 7 is glued with its opaque base to unit 4.

The dimensions of the code field of the label 6 made in the first embodiment and the dimensions of the code field of the label 7 made in the second embodiment should be in appropriate proportion to the contrast particles 2, so as to minimize the likelihood of the code being repeated. The code particles 2 on the label 7, made according to the second embodiment, it is possible to cover with optically transparent varnish instead of glue 5 with an optically transparent layer (film) 8.

The code particles 2 on the label 6, made according to the first embodiment, and on the label 7, made according to the second variant, can have a different color (different from each other), but well contrasted with the color of the code field of the label 6 made according to the first embodiment, and the label 7 made according to the second embodiment.

For both variants of the method of generating the product identification code, before the release, the code is read (the image in figure 1 is scanned) from the product label 6 made according to the first embodiment, and the label 7 made according to the second variant is entered into the database of the computer located at the factory the manufacturer of this product or in its immediate vicinity. At the same time, for each code form the accompanying informative information, this may be the name of the product, the date of its manufacture, location, etc. and also entered into the database.

The process of generating the code for both options is laid down in the procedure for the physical manufacture of the label itself and eliminates the need for an algorithm for applying the code.

It is not required to enter information into the code in advance.

It is not necessary to apply passive protection elements: the serial number of a unit of production in a particular batch, the number of the batch itself, etc. it all already contains code.

The code is applied without any special control of the program that has a built-in information conversion algorithm. As a result, no one can pre-form and subsequently reproduce this code.

Label production is possible only under special production conditions and is not possible on printers that have become widespread recently.

It is possible to read the code from the label of the checked product unit by means of a scanner connected to a laptop computer or digital camera.

Production of information-protective labels is carried out in an amount strictly corresponding to the size of the consignment of goods intended for sale.

The production and application of information-protective labels according to both versions of the method for generating the product identification code can be performed directly on unit 4 (packaging, bottle, etc.) at the manufacturing enterprise itself, which excludes the participation of secondary enterprises in the process.

There is no need to use watermarks on the substrate material of the label, holographic tags and other types of passive protection.

The simplicity and affordability of the protective label manufacturing process allows for the production of protective labels by the manufacturer himself under certain production conditions, which complicates the fake process and leads to savings on the order of a batch of other special protective equipment “on the side”.

The label made by the first method is such that an attempt to remove it will lead to the destruction of the code, because the code is code particles 2 and is an integral part of the adhesive 5, by which the label 6 is glued to the product 4.

In the case of a label made according to the second method, when a code in the form of code particles 2 is formed on the label 7 itself, and not between the label 7 and the product 4, it is possible to use additional security elements, for example, security cuts and / or perforations on a paper or polymer basis of the label 7, which lead to tearing of the label when trying to remove it.

In case of repeating the code, the product or label, it depends on the stage at which the code will be read, it can be rejected.

The code elements embodied on the label physically in the body of the label in the form of small code particles 2 of any material, like holograms, prevent trivial copying of the label on a repetitive technique. At the same time, this method is much cheaper than the holographic execution of the label elements and does not have a fixed algorithm for applying the code, revealing which it would be possible to fake the label in special conditions, and at the same time is simple and affordable to implement.

This label can create a positive psychological perception among consumers like a hologram.

Thus, the method of applying the code and the random nature of the formation of the code practically minimize the likelihood of falsification of the protective label, and therefore the product itself, if a protective system based on the use of a label made in the described way is used in its production and sale.

Claims (6)

1. The method of generating the product identification code, which consists in the fact that each unit of production is equipped with an information security label, on which a code is applied that contains identification and information, enter it into an information database, characterized in that the code is in the form of code particles, each of which has a random arrangement, mixed into glue, with which a label made optically transparent is glued to a unit of production, a label code containing identification information June, enter into the information database after gluing labels on the unit of production and form the informative information that is entered into the information database. 2. The method of generating the product identification code, which consists in the fact that each unit of production is equipped with an information security label, on which a code containing identification and content information is applied, it is entered into an information database, characterized in that the code in the form of code particles contains they are randomly applied to the code field of the label, covered with an optically transparent layer, the label code containing identification information is entered into the information database after application to label of code particles and form the informative information that is entered into the information database. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the code particles form a random shape. 4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the code particles form a random size. 5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the code particles form a random shape and random size. 6. The method according to any one of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that the code particles form a different color.

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