Product protection gateway and method for checking the authenticity of products

1. A computer implemented method for protecting a product identification to ensure the authenticity of a product piece, comprising the following steps:

creating product protection identification comprising:

detecting on a first computer a product-specific identification sequence (K) for each product piece;

converting on said first computer the product-specific identification sequence (K) with a first hash method to a first hash sequence;

generating on said first an encoded check sequence (C) by encoding the first hash sequence by using a symmetric encoding method (F 1 ) and a secret encoding sequence (B);

converting on said first computer the encoded check sequence (C) with a second hash method to a second hash sequence;

affixing to or on the product piece a product control sequence, comprising:

(a) the encoded check sequence (C) or a sequence that is derived from the encoded check sequence (C), and

(b) the second hash sequence;

checking the product protection identification affixed on or to the product piece comprising:

receiving the product control sequence via a second computer;

deriving a decoded sequence on said second computer by decoding the product control sequence;

checking the authenticity on said second computer of the decoded product control sequence.

2. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the encoded check sequence (C) cannot be generated from the product-specific identification sequence (K) without knowledge of the secret encoding sequence (B).

3. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the product control sequence comprises the product-specific identification sequence (K) in addition to the encoded check sequence (C) or the sequence derived from the encoded check sequence (C).

4. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a serial number of the product piece is used as product-specific identification sequence (K).

5. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 1 , wherein one of the following encoding methods Triple-DES, IDEA, CAST-128, Blowfish, RC5, f8, Rijndael is used for the symmetric encoding method.

6. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first hash method or the second hash method is selected from among of the following hash methods: MD 5, SHA-1, RIPE-MD 160, MDC-2.

7. The product piece as defined in claim 1 , wherein the product control sequence is affixed to the product piece in the form of an alphanumeric character string.

8. The product piece as defined in claim 1 wherein the product control sequence is affixed to the product piece in a machine-readable form.

9. The product piece as defined in claim 1 , wherein the product control sequence is affixed to the product piece as visually readable text.

10. The product piece as defined in claim 1 , wherein the product control sequence is affixed to a document enclosed with the product piece or is affixed to the packaging.

11. A computer implemented method for checking the authenticity of a product piece with a product control sequence affixed on or to the product piece, and using the Internet, comprising:

detecting the product control sequence on the side of a person submitting the authenticity check, wherein the product control sequence was generated and affixed on or to the product piece by steps including: detecting a product-specific identification sequence (K) for the product piece: generating on a computer, an encoded check sequence (C) using a symmetric encoding method (F 1 ) with a seret encoding sequence (B), wherein the symmetric encoding method is performed on one of: the product-specific identification sequence (K) or a sequence dervied from (K); converting on the computer, the encoded check sequence (C) with a hash method to a hash sequence; fixing to or on the product piece product control sequence, which comprises (a) the encoded check sequence (C) or a sequence that is derived from the encoded check seqence (C) and (b) the hash sequence;

transmitting of the product control sequence via the Internet to a product-protection server structure;

converting on the product-protection server structure, the hash sequence with a hash reversing function to derive the encoded check sequence (C);

decoding on the product-protection server structure the encoded check sequence (C) that is derived from the product control sequence, by using a decoding method (F 2 ) and a decoding sequence (A) and generating on said product-protection server a decoded check sequence, wherein the decoding sequence (A) and the secret encoding sequence (B) together form a complementary code pair;

checking on the product-protection server structure, the authenticity of the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence; and

transmitting of the result of the authenticity check via the Internet to the person requesting the check.

12. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the decoding sequence (A) is the secret code for a symmetric encoding method.

13. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein decoding sequence (A) is the public code for an asymmetric encoding method.

14. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the product control sequence comprises the encoded check sequence (C) in the form of a sequence segment or that the check sequence is derived from a sequence segment of the product control sequence by using a hash reversing function.

15. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the decoded check sequence represents a product-specific identification sequence (K) or is converted to a product-specific identification sequence (K) by using a hash reversing function.

16. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 wherein the authenticity of the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence is checked by comparing the decoded check sequence or the sequence derived from the decoded check sequence to a product-specific identification sequence (K), which forms a sequence segment of a product control sequence, or a sequence derived from the product-specific identification sequence (K).

17. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the authenticity of the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence is checked by checking whether the decoded check sequence or the sequence derived thereof matches predetermined sequence allotments.

18. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the product-specific identification sequence (K) is the serial number for the product piece.

19. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the legitimacy of the party submitting the control request is checked within the framework of checking a product control sequence.

20. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein a database entry is made to a login database within the framework of a control request for a product control sequence.

21. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 20 , wherein at least one of the following: the product control sequence, the product-specific identification sequence (K), the encoded check sequence (C) or the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence, is compared to entries in the login database, wherein the product piece is identified as either an imitation or a model for an imitation if at least one match is found.

22. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 20 , wherein a database entry for a control request includes the date for the control request.

23. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 20 , wherein a database entry comprises the identity of the individual submitting the control request.

24. The cornputer implemented method as defined in claim 11 , wherein a database request is implemented in a login database to detect earlier control requests for the product control sequence of the product piece.

25. A computer implemented method for preventing the imitation of a product comprising:

generating a product protection identification which is affixed on or to the product piece comprising:

detecting on a first computer, a product-specific identification sequence (K) for each product piece;

generating on, said first computer, an encoded check sequence (C) using a symmetric encoding method (F 1 ), with a secret encoding sequence (B), wherein said symmetric encoding method is performed on one of:

the product-specific identification sequence (K) or a sequence derived from (K);

converting on said first computer, the encoded check sequence (C) with a hash method to a hash sequence;

affixing to or on the product piece a product control sequence, comprising:

(a) the encoded check sequence (C) or a sequence that is derived from the encoded check sequence (C) and

(b) the hash sequence; and

checking the product protection identification affixed on or to the product piece using the internet, comprising:

detecting the product control sequence by a submitter of a control request;

transmitting of the product control sequence via the Internet to a product-protection server structure;

converting on the product-protection server structure, the hash sequence with a hash reversing function to derive the encoded check sequence (C);

decoding on the the product-protection server structure, the encoded check sequence (C) that is derived from the product control sequence, on the side of the product-protection server structure, by using a decoding method (F 2 ) and a decoding sequence (A) and generating a decoded check sequence, wherein the

decoding sequence (A) and the encoding sequence (B) together form a complementary code pair;

checking on the product-protection server structure, the authenticity of the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence; and

transmitting the result of the authenticity check via the Internet to the submitter of the control request.

26. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the encoded check sequence (C) cannot be generated from the product-specific identification sequence (K) without knowledge of the secret encoding sequence (B).

27. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the product control sequence comprises the product-specific identification sequence (K) in addition to the encoded check sequence (C) or the sequence derived from the encoded check sequence (C).

28. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein a serial number of the product piece is used as product-specific identification sequence (K).

29. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the secret encoding sequence (B) is the secret code for a symmetric encoding method.

30. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 29 , wherein one of the following encoding methods Triple-DES, IDEA, CAST-128, Blowfish, RC5, f8, Rijndael is used for the symmetric encoding method.

31. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the secret encoding sequence (B) is the secret code for an asymmetric encoding method.

32. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 31 , wherein the asymmetric encoding method is selected from among the following encoding methods: RSA, ElGamal, DSA, ECC.

33. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein if a sequence is derived from (K), the sequence derived from (K) is a hash sequence derived with the aid of a hash method, wherein the encoded check sequence (C) is generated by encoding the hash sequence derived from (K) with the secret encoding sequence (B).

34. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein at least one of the hash method for deriving the hash sequence from (K) or the hash method for converting the encoded check sequence (C) is selected from among of the following hash methods: MD 5, SHA-1, RIPE-MD 160, MDC-2.

35. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the decoding sequence (A) is the secret code for a symmetric encoding method.

36. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the decoding sequence (A) is the public code for an asymmetric encoding method.

37. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the product control sequence comprises the encoded check sequence (C) in the form of a sequence segment or that the check sequence is derived from a sequence segment of the product control sequence by using a hash reversing function.

38. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the decoded check sequence represents a product-specific identification sequence (K) or is converted to a product-specific identification sequence (K) by using a hash reversing function.

39. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the authenticity of the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence is checked by comparing the decoded check sequence or the sequence derived from the decoded check sequence to a product-specific identification sequence (K), which forms a sequence segment of a product control sequence, or a sequence derived from the product-specific identification sequence (K).

40. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the authenticity of the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence is checked by checking whether the decoded check sequence or the sequence derived thereof matches predetermined sequence allotments.

41. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the product-specific identification sequence (K) is a serial number for the product piece.

42. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein the legitimacy of the party submitting the control request is checked within the framework of checking a product control sequence.

43. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein a database entry is made to a login database within the framework of a control request for a product control sequence.

44. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 43 , wherein at least one of the following: the product control sequence, the product-specific identification sequence (K), the encoded check sequence (C) or the decoded check sequence or a sequence derived from the decoded check sequence, is compared to entries in the login database, wherein the product piece is identified as either an imitation or a model for an imitation if at least one match is found.

45. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 43 , wherein a database entry for a control request includes the date for the control request.

46. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 43 , wherein a database entry comprises the identity of the individual submitting the control request.

47. The computer implemented method as defined in claim 25 , wherein a database request is implemented in a login database to detect earlier control requests for the product control sequence of the product piece.