A coded tag includes a substrate. The coded tag includes a first magnetic material associated with the substrate. The first magnetic material has a first magnetic characteristic and encodes first information. The coded tag includes a second magnetic material associated with the substrate. The second magnetic material encodes second information and has a second magnetic characteristic that is different from the first magnetic characteristic.

An additively manufactured three-dimensional article includes layers successively built up from a metal powder by an additive manufacturing process by scanning a selected portion of the metal powder with electromagnetic radiation, and an anti-counterfeiting mark formed in at least one layer of the layers during the additive manufacturing process.

An IC card includes a first visible layer including a natural material having a unique visual pattern. A storage device is configured to store a digital reference image of the unique visual pattern to be visually compared with the unique visual pattern for authentication. An authentication method based on the IC card is also provided.

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.

A system that efficiently packs indefinitely large quantities of random data in sufficiently identical physical entities (Random Rocks, Rocks) so that all holders of a matching Rock will extract from it the same data, in response to the same data request, (query); the packed random data is inherently analog, not digital, in form; the Rock always responds with the same data to the same data request, which must be presented one request at a time.

A method and an apparatus (10) for generating a three-dimensional work piece containing an information code are provided. The method comprises the steps of applying a raw material powder (18) onto a carrier (14) by means of a powder application device (16), irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation (22) onto the raw material powder (18) applied onto the carrier (14) by means of an irradiation device (20), and controlling the operation of the powder application device (16) and the irradiation device (20) so as to generate an information code pattern (36) on or in the work piece (12), wherein the information code pattern (36) is defined by the microstructure (34) of the work piece (12).

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for providing a dynamically reconfigurable watermark, and the use of the watermark to encode a stochastically variable property of the carrier medium for self-authentication purposes.

A method of manufacturing a component comprising forming an identifier internally within the component in a predetermined manner, wherein the identifier can be used to subsequently identify or authenticate the component.

An arrangement for determining a unique printed circuit board identifier includes at least one PUF unit having ring oscillators which determines a printed circuit board (PCB) identifier based on ring oscillator frequencies and is arranged in an electronic component and includes delay elements on the PCB, where oscillator loops of ring oscillators of the PUF unit is formed from delay elements that are formed as strip conductors on the PCB and each have first portions on a first conductive layer of the PCB and each have second portions on a second conductive layer of the PCB, where electrical connections between the first and second portions of delay elements are made via electrical through-connections, and where two delay elements are each arranged on the PCB such that the first portions of two respective delay elements overlap with the respective second portions of the two delay elements at at least one point.

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.