System for tracking ownership of tagged products
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for protecting against distribution of counterfeit products. In one implementation, the system may include at least one processor configured to store tag IDs of electronic tags associated with products and at least one identity of a first entity associated with a specific product. The processor may also be configured to receive, on behalf of a prospective subsequent custodian of the specific product, an encrypted tag ID associated with the specific product and a query associated with the identity. The processor may also be configured to decrypt the encrypted tag ID; check if the identity identified in the query corresponds to an entity in the ownership history; and cause a transmission based on the identification of the at least one identity.
1 . A system for protecting against distribution of counterfeit products, the system comprising:
transmitter antenna;
a first receiver antenna;
a second receiver antenna;
at least one processor configured to:
store an ownership history for each of a plurality of products in at least one data structure, the plurality of products including a specific product, wherein the ownership history of the specific product includes:
at least a first identity of a first entity associated with a current owner of the specific product, and
at least a second identity of a second entity associated with a prior owner of the specific product;
store tag IDs of a plurality of electronic tags, wherein the stored tag IDs include a specific tag ID of a specific electronic tag that is associated with the specific product;
store a list of at least one authorized entity associated with the specific electronic tag;
receive, from a device associated with a prospective subsequent custodian of the specific product, a first encrypted data associated with the specific product, wherein the specific electronic tag includes a circuit configured to encrypt the specific tag ID to generate the first encrypted data;
receive, from a device associated with at least one entity in the ownership history, a second encrypted data associated with the specific product, wherein the circuit of the specific electronic tag is configured to encrypt the specific tag ID to generate the second encrypted data;
determine, based on the first encrypted data received from the device associated with a prospective subsequent custodian, and the second encrypted data received from the device associated with the at least one entity in the ownership history, a current location of the specific electronic tag associated with the specific product wherein determining a current location of the specific electronic tag includes using the phase, amplitude, frequency, variation or data content of the first encrypted data and the second encrypted data to calculate a location relative to the device associated with a prospective subsequent custodian and the device associated with the at least one entity in the ownership history;
receive, on behalf of the prospective subsequent custodian, a query associated with a third identity;
decrypt the first encrypted data to obtain the specific tag ID and use the obtained specific tag ID to identify the specific product associated with the specific electronic tag;
decrypt the second encrypted data to obtain the specific tag ID and use the obtained specific tag ID to identify the specific product associated with the specific electronic tag;
verify that the specific tag ID obtained from the first encrypted data and from the second encrypted data are identical;
use information associated with the specific electronic tag to access the ownership history for the specific product from the at least one data structure;
use the information associated with the specific electronic tag to access the list of the at least one authorized entity associated with the specific electronic tag;
check if the third identity identified in the query corresponds to an entity in the ownership history of the specific product;
check if the prospective subsequent custodian corresponds to an authorized entity associated with the specific electronic tag;
cause one of:
a transmission of an authenticity indication to the prospective subsequent custodian if the third identity identified in the query corresponds to an entity in the ownership history of the specific product and the prospective subsequent custodian corresponds to an authorized entity associated with the specific electronic tag,
a transmission of a non-authentic indication to the prospective subsequent custodian if the third identity identified in the query does not correspond to an entity in the ownership history of the specific product and the prospective subsequent custodian corresponds to an authorized entity associated with the specific electronic tag,
a transmission of a non-authorization indication to the prospective subsequent custodian if the prospective subsequent custodian does not correspond to an authorized entity associated with the specific electronic tag,
compare a current location of a tag with a designated location of a tag;
generate a first signal;
transmit, via the transmitter antenna, the first signal to the plurality of identification tags to cause the plurality of identification tags to transmit a second signal, the second signal indicating whether the first signal was received;
detect, via the first receiver antenna, the second signal from the plurality of identification tags;
detect, via the second receiver antenna, a third signal from a tag;
upon determining a mismatch based on the comparison or when the processor detects the third signal using the second receiver antenna, wherein the tag is located outside of a particular location range, generating a potential fraud alert based on the particular location range;
receive a third encrypted data from the device associated with the prospective subsequent custodian or from the device associated with the at least one entity in the ownership history, wherein the circuit of the specific electronic tag is configured to encrypt the specific tag ID to generate the third encrypted data and wherein the third encrypted data is different from the first encrypted data and the second encrypted data; and
decrypt the third encrypted data to obtain the specific tag ID and use the obtained specific tag ID to identify the specific product associated with the specific electronic tag.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause transmission of the authenticity indication if the third identity identified in the query corresponds to the current owner of the specific product in the ownership history of the specific product.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the prospective subsequent custodian is associated with a prospective purchaser of the specific product.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to prevent the prospective subsequent custodian from accessing data about the specific product, the data including at least one of a product location, a transaction history, an owner name, a manufacturer name, the specific tag ID of the specific electronic tag, or an encryption key associated with the specific electronic tag.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
record a transaction transferring ownership of the specific tag ID associated with the specific product from the first entity to the prospective subsequent custodian; and
update the ownership history of the specific product in the at least one data structure.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein updating the ownership history of the specific product includes storing an association between at least one identity of the prospective subsequent custodian and the specific tag ID associated with the specific product.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store, in the at least one data structure, at least one of an inventory of the plurality of electronic tags, the tag IDs of the plurality of electronic tags, or a product ID associated with each tag ID.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to store, in the at least one data structure, at least two encryption keys associated with the specific tag ID associated with the specific product, wherein the at least two encryption keys include a first encryption key associated with the at least one identity and a second encryption key associated with the prospective subsequent custodian.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein when the at least one processor receives the query, the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine whether the prospective subsequent custodian is authorized to make the query;
if the prospective subsequent custodian is authorized to make the query, proceed with decrypting the first encrypted data to access the ownership history of the specific product; and
if the prospective subsequent custodian is not authorized to make the query, cause transmission of a non-authorization indication for the prospective subsequent custodian.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to request from the first entity an authorization for the prospective subsequent custodian to make the query.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
receive an association between the first entity and at least one entity authorized to make the query; and
determine if the prospective subsequent custodian is the at least one authorized entity.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein if the third identity identified in the query does not correspond to an entity in the ownership history of the specific product, the at least one processor is configured to:
receive, from at least one entity in the ownership history, verification that the third identity identified in the query is a second entity in the ownership history; and
update the ownership history to include the third identity identified in the query.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause transmission of an authenticity indication for the prospective subsequent custodian based on the updated ownership history of the specific product.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the specific electronic tag is configured to transmit the first encrypted data to at least one of the at least one processor or the device associated with the prospective subsequent custodian.
15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send a notification to at least one entity in the ownership history of the specific product when a query regarding the specific tag ID associated with the specific product is received.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send a notification to at least one entity in the ownership history of the specific product when a non-authentic indication is sent regarding the specific tag ID associated with the specific product.
17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the specific electronic tag is configured to transmit the second encrypted data to at least one of the at least one processor or the device associated with the prospective subsequent custodian.
18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the device associated with the at least one entity in the ownership history is a mobile device of a current owner.
19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the device associated with the at least one entity in the ownership history is a fixed device owned by the at least one entity.