System for verifying the identity and/or authenticity of a physical item
View Patent ↗There is provided a framework to record to a blockchain unique identification (signatures) of physical items which have unique, random properties. Physical items are analysed using spectral imaging to determine the unique identifications. Hardware is shown to perform the analysis and various nodes of a peer-to-peer network are shown and described, which nodes may be configured to provide proof of location, privacy, trust and authentication. The solution can work even if the item is modified in some way if a subset of the unique properties remain.
1 . A system for verifying the identity and/or authenticity of a physical item comprising:
a first computer device connected to a peer-to-peer network, said first computer device having
a first computer processor and a first computer non-transient computer-readable memory containing a plurality of unique digital signatures for a plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, each one of said plurality of unique digital signatures comprising a digital 3D spatial map comprising a plurality of points (x, y, z) mapping in 3D coordinate space physical features of a pre-recorded specific physical item,
a second computer device connected to said peer-to-peer network, said second computer device having a second computer processor and a second computer non-transient computer-readable memory containing a copy of said plurality of unique digital signatures,
a third computer device having a third computer processor and a third computer non-transient computer-readable memory comprising computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to:
transmit a user input to at least one of said first computer device and said second computer device, said user input corresponding to a specific physical item,
receive from one of said first computer device and said second computer device information relating to said specific physical item and displaying said information to a user of said third computer device,
wherein at least one of said first computer non-transient computer readable memory and said second computer non-transient computer-readable memory contains computer-readable instructions which, when executed by said first computer processor or said second computer processor, uses said user input to identify a specific physical item wherein said specific physical item has a unique digital signature among said plurality of unique digital signatures for said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of said plurality of unique digital signatures further comprises a plurality of triplets [(x, y, z), (x′, y′, z′), (x″, y″, z″)] of said plurality of points in said 3D coordinate space.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a scanning device comprising:
a housing,
a spectral imaging camera mounted in or on said housing,
a light source mounted in or on said housing,
a power source,
a communication system mounted in or on said housing to communicate with at least one or more other devices of said peer-to-peer network,
a scanning machine processor in electronic communication with said spectral imaging camera, and said communication system,
a scanning machine non-transient computer-readable memory in digital communication with said processor,
said scanning machine non-transient computer-readable memory containing computer readable instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to
use spectral data of a first specimen and 3D spatial information of said first specimen to generate a) a first specimen plurality of points (x, y, z) mapping in 3D coordinate space physical features of said first specimen, and b) a plurality of triplets [(x, y, z), (x′, y′, z′), (x″, y″, z″)] of said first specimen plurality of points in said 3D coordinate space, and
assign a unique digital signature to said first specimen, said unique digital signature comprising said first specimen plurality of points and said plurality of triplets,
transmit said unique digital signature for said first specimen to at least one of said first computer device and said second computer device.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of said first computer device, said second computer device and said scanning machine contains computer-readable instructions which when executed by said processor compare said unique digital signature for said first specimen to said plurality of unique digital signatures for said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items and make a determination whether said first specimen is identical to one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, a piece of one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, or a completely different specimen.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to rotate in virtual space said physical features of said first specimen defined by said unique digital signature of said first specimen to identify a match with physical features defined by one of said plurality of unique digital signatures.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to:
append said unique digital signature for said first specimen to a unique digital signature for one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items if said first specimen is determined to be identical to said one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items;
append said unique digital signature for said first specimen to a unique digital signature for said one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, if said first specimen is determined to be a piece of said one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items,
save said unique digital signature for said first specimen to said non-transient computer-readable memory if said first specimen is determined not to be identical to or a piece of one of said plurality of physical items.
7 . An apparatus comprising:
a housing,
a spectral imaging camera mounted in or on said housing,
a light source mounted in or on said housing,
a 3D scanner mounted in or on said housing,
a power source,
a communication system in electronic communication with at least one or more devices of a peer-to-peer network,
a processor in electronic communication with said spectral imaging camera, and said 3D scanner, said communication system,
a non-transient computer-readable memory in digital communication with said processor,
said non-transient computer-readable memory containing a plurality of unique digital signatures for a plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, each of said unique digital signatures comprising a plurality of points (x, y, z) mapping in 3D coordinate space physical features of said one of said pre-recorded specific physical items.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to:
image a first specimen with said spectral imaging camera and said 3D scanner to generate first specimen spectral imaging data and first specimen 3D scan data,
use said first specimen spectral imaging data and said first specimen 3D scan data to generate a plurality of points (x, y, z) mapping in 3D coordinate space physical features of said first specimen,
use said plurality of points (x, y, z) to generate a plurality of triplets [(x, y, z), (x′, y′, z′), (x″, y″, z″)] of said plurality of points;
assign a unique digital signature to said first specimen, said unique digital signature comprising said plurality of coordinate points and said plurality of triplets.
9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to:
compare said unique digital signature for said first specimen to said plurality of unique digital signatures and make a determination whether said first specimen is identical to one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, a piece of one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, or a completely different specimen.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to:
rotate in virtual space said physical features of said first specimen defined by said unique digital signature of said first specimen to identify a match with physical features defined by one of said plurality of unique digital signatures.
11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to:
append said unique digital signature for said first specimen to a unique digital signature for one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items if said first specimen is determined to be identical to said one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items;
append said unique digital signature for said first specimen to a unique digital signature for said one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items, if said first specimen is determined to be a piece of said one of said plurality of pre-recorded specific physical items,
save said unique digital signature for said first specimen to said non-transient computer-readable memory if said first specimen is determined not to be identical to or a piece of one of said plurality of physical items.
12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said non-transient computer-readable memory further comprises computer readable instructions which when executed by said processor cause said processor to transmit said unique digital signature for said first specimen to a remote device on a peer-to-peer network.
13 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a mechanism of movement to allow for 360-degree assessment of said one of said pre-recorded specific physical items.