A method for uniquely marking an object, wherein a random distribution of individual pigment domains is applied to a surface of the object, and wherein a list of distances of the individual pigment domains from one another is measured and stored in a database. Also a corresponding method for identifying an object by: capturing an image of the pigment domains, identifying the two-dimensional coordinates of each pigment domain captured in the image, determining the two-dimensional distance of each pair of two pigment domains and/or the angle of each triplet of pigment domains, storing the distances and/or angles determined in the step before in a list, storing the list in the database, the list enriched with meta-information about the manufacturing and/or finishing parameters of the object, applying a database identification as an information unit to the surface of the object, the information unit uniquely assignable to the database.

A smart closure system, apparatus, and method are contemplated. The closure includes mechanical capture and release mechanisms, electromechanical and/or optical indicators, wireless technologies, and/or web-based or remote authentication, verification, and serialization via remotely located data servers. A mobile computing device may further augment certain functions. The resulting system allows for anti-counterfeiting, authentication, serialization, and other capabilities.

An unclonable chipless radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and corresponding cross-registration methods of determining an identity and/or tag signature of an RFID tag are described. In an example embodiment, an unclonable chipless RFID tag comprises a first tag portion comprising one or more first conductive members unremovably secured to a dielectric item; and a second tag portion comprising packaging conductive pattern. The first tag portion and the second tag portion are in a static or fixed physical relationship with respect to one another.

Disclosed is a method for associating a marking with an object, including the following steps: identifying the position of at least two different elements of the marking in relation to the marking and/or the object; andmeasuring a relative distance between at least two identified elements; thenrecording in a database the position of at least two identified elements, and the relative distance between the identified elements so that the position of two identified elements is correlated with the measurement relating to their distance.

A structure of a multipurpose card having a semi-transparent or transparent stone is provided. The stone is a faceted precious stone, such as a diamond. The diamond is illuminated from only one side of the multipurpose card and light is passed through predetermined optical paths. An image of the diamond is acquired from the opposite side of the multipurpose card and compared to predetermined reference images of the diamond, to authenticate the multipurpose card.

The invention discloses a system for marking and identifying an object comprising at least one bio-mineralised structure having a mean maximum diameter of less than 500 m distinctively associated with the object. Identifying means are provided to identify the bio-mineralised structure associated with the object and provides a data output regarding the bio-mineralised structure which can be interpreted against a database, thereby providing information on the object. The invention extends to a method of marking and identifying an object utilising the aforementioned components.

A method of verifying an identity of a printed item includes capturing an image of the unverified printed item, wherein the unverified printed item includes artifacts and at least some of the artifacts were not controllably producible in producing the unverified printed item; extracting information associated with the artifacts of the unverified printed item; ranking the information associated with the artifacts of the unverified printed item; retrieving stored ranked information associated with artifacts of an original printed item from a storage device; and in each of a first and second range of magnitudes, comparing the ranked information associated with the artifacts of the unverified printed item with the ranked information associated with the artifacts of the original printed item.

The disclosure features dendritic tags, and methods and systems for fabricating and using such tags. The methods can include obtaining at least one image of a dendritic tag attached to an article, analyzing the at least one image to identify a set of features associated with the dendritic tag, and comparing the set of features to stored information to identify the article.

A method for determining whether a candidate barcode is genuine includes acquiring an image of an original barcode; determining, from the image of the original barcode, a deviation of at least one of a plurality of modules from an idealized grid, a deviation of the continuous edge of the original barcode from a nominal shape, or a deviation in average color of a module of the original barcode from the average for neighboring modules of the original barcode; comparing the numeric data for an original barcode with equivalent numeric data in the candidate barcode; and making a determination that the candidate mark is genuine or not genuine based on a result of the comparison.

In one implementation, a processor: (1) receives an image of a candidate mark from an image acquisition device, (2) uses the image to measure one or more characteristics at a plurality of locations on the candidate mark, resulting in a first set of metrics, (3) removes, from the first set of metrics, a metric having a dominant amplitude, resulting in a trimmed first set of metrics, (4) retrieves, from a computer-readable memory, a second set of metrics that represents one or more characteristics measured at a plurality of locations on an original mark, (5) removes, from the second set of metrics, a metric corresponding to the metric removed from the first set of metrics, resulting in a trimmed second set of metrics, (6) compares the trimmed first set of metrics with the trimmed second set of metrics, and (7) determines whether the candidate mark is genuine based on the comparison.