Tamper-evident label and item authentication system
A tamper-evident item authentication label may include a substrate layer that includes a first substrate side and a second substrate side, a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, a first unique indicium, a second unique indicium, and a plurality of cuts across the first unique indicium and the second unique indicium extending through at least a portion of a thickness of the substrate layer. The adhesive layers may be deposited on the substrate sides and arranged to fuse the tamper-evident item authentication label with a first and second surface. The first unique indicium may be deposited on the substrate layer and encoding a first unique identifier that links the tamper-evident item authentication label to one or more records in a remote database system. The second unique indicium may be deposited on the substrate layer. The second unique indicium may include a stochastically created visual pattern.
1 . A tamper-evident item authentication label comprising:
a substrate layer that includes a first substrate side and a second substrate side;
a first adhesive layer deposited on the first substrate side and arranged so as to fuse the tamper-evident item authentication label with a first surface;
a second adhesive layer deposited on the second substrate side and arranged so as to fuse the tamper-evident item authentication label with a second surface, wherein the first and second adhesive layers together include a first region composed of a first type of adhesive having a first level of cohesion, and wherein the first and second adhesive layers together include a second region composed of a second type of adhesive having a second level of cohesion greater than the first level of cohesion;
a first unique indicium deposited on the substrate layer and encoding a first unique identifier that links the tamper-evident item authentication label to one or more records in a remote database system;
a second unique indicium deposited on the substrate layer, the second unique indicium comprising a stochastic visual pattern; and
a plurality of cuts extending across the first unique indicium and the second unique indicium through at least a portion of a thickness of the substrate layer.
2 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , wherein the first type of adhesive is a temporary tack layer adhesive.
3 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , wherein the second type of adhesive is a permanent glue layer adhesive.
4 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , the tamper-evident item authentication label further comprising:
a first cover layer removably attached to the first adhesive layer; and
a second cover layer removably attached to the second adhesive layer.
5 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , the tamper-evident item authentication label further comprising:
a pocket disposed in an air-tight film, the pocket including an inert gas and a color-changing substance, the color-changing substance being of a first color when not exposed to air and changing to a second color different from the first color when exposed to air.
6 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive layer is arranged in a first pattern, and wherein the second adhesive layer is arranged in a second pattern that is different from the first pattern, the first and second patterns being arranged to facilitate breakage across the first unique indicium and the second unique indicium.
7 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , wherein the second unique indicium comprises a dendritic structure including a plurality of members extending away from a common point of the dendritic structure to form a stochastically branched arrangement of the plurality of members.
8 . The tamper-evident item authentication label recited in claim 1 , wherein the second unique indicium is selected from a group consisting of: a microdot, a micromirror array, a pattern printed in optical ink with suspended crystals, a pattern printed in optical ink with suspended metallic flakes, a microtexture, a microstructure, a region printed using a dye that reveals the stochastic visual pattern, and a stochastic QR code pattern.
9 . An item package comprising:
a first item case portion including a first surface;
a second item case portion including a second surface;
a tamper-evident item authentication label comprising:
a substrate layer that includes a first substrate side and a second substrate side;
a first adhesive layer deposited on the first substrate side and arranged so as to fuse the tamper-evident item authentication label with the first surface;
a second adhesive layer deposited on the second substrate side and arranged so as to fuse the tamper-evident item authentication label with the second surface;
a first unique indicium deposited on the substrate layer and encoding a first unique identifier that links the tamper-evident item authentication label to one or more records in a remote database system;
a second unique indicium deposited on the substrate layer, the second unique indicium comprising a stochastic visual pattern, wherein the first and second adhesive layers together include a first region composed of a first type of adhesive having a first level of cohesion, and wherein the first and second adhesive layers together include a second region composed of a second type of adhesive having a second level of cohesion greater than the first level of cohesion;
a plurality of cuts across the first unique indicium and the second unique indicium extending through at least a portion of a thickness of the substrate layer; and
an item removably sealed between the first item case portion and the second item case portion.
10 . The item package recited in claim 9 , wherein the first type of adhesive is a temporary tack layer adhesive, and wherein the second type of adhesive is a permanent glue layer adhesive.
11 . The item package recited in claim 9 , the item package further comprising:
a pocket disposed in an air-tight film, the pocket including an inert gas and a color-changing substance, the color-changing substance being of a first color when not exposed to air and changing to a second color different from the first color when exposed to air.
12 . The item package recited in claim 9 , wherein the first adhesive layer is arranged in a first pattern, wherein the second adhesive layer is arranged in a second pattern that is different from the first pattern, the first and second patterns being arranged to facilitate breakage across the first unique indicium and the second unique indicium.
13 . The item package recited in claim 9 , wherein the second unique indicium comprises a dendritic structure including a plurality of members extending away from a common point of the dendritic structure to form a stochastically branched arrangement of the plurality of members.
14 . The item package recited in claim 9 , wherein the second unique indicium is selected from a group consisting of: a microdot, a micromirror array, a pattern printed in optical ink with suspended crystals, a pattern printed in optical ink with suspended metallic flakes, a microtexture, a microstructure, a region printed using a dye that reveals the stochastic visual pattern, and a stochastic QR code pattern.
15 . The item package recited in claim 9 , wherein the first unique indicium is composed of cured ink, and wherein the first unique indicium is attached to the first item case portion via ultrasonic welding.
16 . A method comprising:
receiving from a remote computing device a request to authenticate an item based on sensor data determined by scanning a label affixed to the item;
determining a first identifier value based on a first unique indicium included on the label and captured in the sensor data;
determining a second identifier value based on a second unique indicium included on the label and captured in the sensor data, the second unique indicium comprising a stochastic visual pattern, wherein the first and second adhesive layers together include a first region composed of a first type of adhesive having a first level of cohesion, and wherein the first and second adhesive layers together include a second region composed of a second type of adhesive having a second level of cohesion greater than the first level of cohesion;
retrieving an item authentication record from a database table, the item authentication record including the first identifier value and a third reference identifier value, the item authentication record being uniquely identified by the first identifier value;
determining via a processor whether the second identifier value matches the third reference identifier value; and
transmitting to the remote computing device a response message indicating authentication of the item upon determining that the second identifier value matches the third reference identifier value.
17 . The method recited in claim 16 , wherein the second unique indicium comprises a dendritic structure including a plurality of members extending away from a common point of the dendritic structure to form a stochastically branched arrangement of the members.
18 . The method recited in claim 16 , wherein the second unique indicium is selected from a group consisting of: a microdot, a micromirror array, a pattern printed in optical ink with suspended crystals, a pattern printed in optical ink with suspended metallic flakes, a microtexture, a microstructure, a region printed using a dye that reveals the stochastic visual pattern, and a stochastic QR code pattern.