AlphaFox Systems

The Crystal Chip Identification Tag System

Introduction:

Crystal Chip is a patented tagging and reader system that is able to identify uniquely the authenticity of items to which the tag is attached or incorporated without the need to refer to central databases.

Thus genuine articles can be discriminated from fakes automatically without any reader prior knowledge of the tags or a need to access centralised databases, etc.

Should the customer application require access to a database, this can be achieved additionally at the time of reading the tag and/or later when the hand-held reader is returned to base, depending on chosen product options.

The stand-alone capability of the reader is an important practical user feature which makes operational deployment of the system quick and cost-effective, with tags costing as little as 0.01p to make. The reader employs mostly off-the-shelf technology and its cost in mass production is expected to be similar to the cost of 2D barcode readers (slightly higher than 1D barcode and smart card readers).

Background to the technology:

Crystal Chip, developed by AlphaFox Systems Ltd, is an optical-based system that detects complex 3D optical images formed from different and unique non-reproducible pseudo-random arrays of ‘particles’ which are specific to each tag.

The reader illuminates and detects diffracted components of the multi-wavelength complex 3D ‘pattern’ and then verifies that the digitised pattern is what it should be, based on information stored on the tag.

The different patterns look something like a starry sky at night – but with added colour features.

It is statistically highly unlikely that such unique patterns could be accidentally reproduced (typically less likely than a random DNA match) or copied and forged – experimental work and statistical analysis suggesting that billions of unique signatures can be made. Thus it is believed that genuine tags are neither forgeable nor randomly spoofed by making fake tags under similar manufacturing conditions.

The tag ‘particles’ can be chosen from a variety of materials designed to suit the chosen application, taking into account:

• where the tag is to go (on article itself, as part of label on packaging, in pallet wrapping, etc.)
  
• size & aesthetic limitations on taggant area, environmental/use conditions, etc.,
  
• security level required
  
• cost of tags and reader.

Market applications:

Depending on the application, the tags can be attached to objects being ‘protected’ or incorporated in them during manufacture. For example, the tags can be included on ID cards, smart cards, etc., along with photographs, biometric data, patient details, etc., in order to prove that the cards and data are genuine. The tags can be a few mm˛ in area and have as many as a billion different ‘signatures’.

Crystal Chip provides a unique means to counter fraud and counterfeiting, thereby building ‘end-to-end’ trust in the brand from supplier to retailer to customer.

It has the potential to be used across a wide spectrum of industries including combating identity fraud, product branding in the retail and pharmaceuticals sectors, tickets, banking cards and banknotes, security printing including official documents, genuine OEM components for aircraft etc., and military applications.

Contact details:

For further information, please contact AlphaFox System’s product development and commercialization partner, Staplethorne Ltd:

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