JP7059596B2 - Package with exterior film and terminal device for checking product information - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a package with an exterior film and a terminal device for confirming product information.

Counterfeit products are on the market, especially overseas, from popular brand products to hobby products such as medical / pharmaceutical products, industrial parts, and cigarettes, and manufacturers are struggling to deal with them.

Counterfeit measures are taken by attaching hologram stickers to products or product packages. However, the unit price of hologram stickers is high, and recently, even holograms may be forged, and further measures are required.

Patent Document 1 discloses a method of marking digital data on a banknote by slightly changing the distribution of ink on the surface of the banknote (digital watermark). Using the digital watermark embedded in the pattern printed on the banknote, it is determined that the banknote is a regular banknote or a counterfeit banknote.

It is possible to distinguish between regular banknotes and counterfeit banknotes depending on the presence or absence of a digital watermark. However, the digital watermarked pattern can be copied, and it is theoretically possible to manufacture a counterfeit banknote having the same digital watermarked pattern as the regular banknote. In that case, it is difficult to distinguish between regular banknotes and counterfeit banknotes.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-511685

It is an object of the present invention to enable a change of a digital watermarked pattern in a short period of time, whereby the existence of a counterfeit product can be detected at an early stage.

Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily confirm the manufacturing period and the like of a product, thereby easily confirming the possibility of a counterfeit product or a counterfeit product.

The package with an exterior film according to the present invention includes a package for storing a product and a transparent or translucent exterior film for wrapping the package, and is characterized in that a digital watermarked pattern is printed on the exterior film. ..

In the package with an exterior film according to the present invention, a pattern is printed on the exterior film that wraps the package, and a digital watermark is embedded (embedded) in the pattern printed on the exterior film (the digital watermark is embedded). The printed pattern is called a "digital watermarked pattern"). It is possible to use a common package without changing the design of the package itself for storing products, etc., and to use a film on which various digital watermarked designs are printed as the exterior film.

Arbitrary information can be embedded in the original pattern by using an arbitrary algorithm such as a process using pixels constituting the original pattern and a process using a specific frequency. Although each of the digital watermarked designs in which the digital watermarks that represent different information are embedded in the same original design is different from each other, it is practically impossible for humans to distinguish them. It is recognized as the same pattern (a pattern with a digital watermark that is indistinguishable in appearance).

By switching the digital watermarked pattern to be printed on the exterior film, the digital watermarked pattern (information embedded in the original pattern) can be easily changed. Since the digital watermarked pattern is printed on the exterior film that wraps the package that stores the product, it is not necessary to replace the package that stores the product when changing the digital watermarked pattern. Compared with the case of embedding a digital watermark in the pattern printed on the package, the pattern with the digital watermark can be changed in a short period of time.

As information to be embedded in the digital watermarked pattern, for example, data for specifying the manufacturing period (for example, manufacturing date, manufacturing date) of the product stored in the package is included. If we know that a large number of products with a specific manufacturing period or a manufacturing period of a considerably old period are on the market, we know that there is a high possibility that counterfeit products are on the market. In addition, data that identifies the manufacturing factory of the product stored in the package may be included as information to be embedded in the digital watermarked pattern. If it is found that a large amount of products manufactured in a specific manufacturing factory are distributed, for example, more products than the number manufactured in a specific manufacturing factory are distributed, or products manufactured in a specific factory are not distributed. If it is known that a product with an electronic watermarked pattern containing information that it is made by a specific factory is distributed in a country or region, it is highly possible that it is also a counterfeit product. Although the reproduction of the digital watermarked pattern itself cannot be completely prevented, it is sufficiently useful for identifying the possibility of counterfeit products and the identification of countries and regions.

The digital watermarked pattern may be printed on the exterior film before being attached to the package (hereinafter referred to as pre-printing), or may be printed on the exterior film in which the package is already packaged (hereinafter referred to as post-printing). ..

In the case of pre-printing, the digital watermarked pattern can be printed on the front surface (outside) of the exterior film, or the digital watermarked pattern can be printed on the back surface (inside) of the exterior film. In the case of post-printing, a digital watermarked pattern is printed on the surface (outside) of the exterior film.

In another embodiment, a digital watermarked pattern is printed on each of the plurality of areas of the exterior film. The production of imitations can be effectively suppressed.

The package with an exterior film on which a digital watermarked pattern according to the present invention is printed can be used, for example, for a cigarette package.

The present invention also provides a terminal device that constitutes a system for confirming product information (a system for confirming whether or not it is a counterfeit product) using a digital watermarked pattern printed on the exterior film constituting the package with the exterior film described above. do. The terminal device according to the present invention comprises a package for storing a product and a transparent or translucent exterior film for packaging the package, and the package with an exterior film having an electronic watermarked pattern printed on the exterior film is described in the above. An imaging means for capturing an electronic watermarked pattern, an extraction means for extracting watermark information from the electronic watermarked pattern captured by the imaging means, a transmission means for transmitting the watermark information extracted by the extraction means to a server computer, the above. It is provided with a receiving means for receiving information about the product corresponding to the watermark information and a display means for displaying the information about the product received by the receiving means, which is transmitted from the server computer that has received the watermark information. If the watermark information cannot be extracted, the product contained in the package with the exterior film may be a counterfeit product. In addition, based on the information about the product displayed on the display means, for example, the manufacturing period and the manufacturing factory of the above-mentioned product, the possibility that the counterfeit product exists and the country or region where the counterfeit product is distributed can be easily determined. Can be identified.

It is a perspective view of the cigarette package with an exterior film. It is a perspective view of the cigarette package with the exterior film after opening. It is a perspective view which shows only the exterior film which constitutes the cigarette package with the exterior film. It is a block diagram which shows the process of making a film pattern with a digital watermark embedded. It is a block diagram which shows the product information confirmation system. Shows the product information database. It is a flowchart which shows the processing of a mobile terminal apparatus and a server computer. The printed area in the exterior film is shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette package with an exterior film on which a digital watermarked pattern is printed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cigarette package with an exterior film after opening the exterior film. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing only the exterior film, omitting the illustration of the cigarette package from the cigarette package with the exterior film shown in FIG. 1.

The tobacco package 1 with an exterior film includes a box body (cigarette package) 10 and an exterior film 20 on which a digital watermarked pattern 21B is printed.

The box body 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is provided with a storage body 13 and a lid body 14 connected by a hinge 15 with reference to FIG. By lifting the lid 14 upward with the hinge 15 as the axis, the lid 14 is opened and the inside of the storage 13 (for example, tobacco (not shown)) is exposed.

The entire range (entire circumference) of the box 10 is covered with the exterior film 20. The exterior film 20 is a transparent film made of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, or the like, and the surface of the box 10 can be seen through the exterior film 20. The exterior film 20 may be translucent.

A strip-shaped opening tape (tea tape) 4 is provided on a part of the exterior film 20 so as to go around the box body 10 sideways. By pulling the strip-shaped opening tape 4, the exterior film 20 is torn along the opening tape 4 and separated into an upper range and a lower range of the opening tape 4. The opening tape 4 is provided near the boundary between the storage body 13 and the lid body 14. The exterior film 20 in the upper range of the opening tape 4 is removed from the box body 10 and is generally discarded. The exterior film 20 in the lower range of the opening tape 4 is not discarded but is left covered with the box body 10 (FIG. 2).

The cigarette brand name (trade name) 11, cautionary note 12, and other patterns (including the surface color and characters of the box 10) are printed on the surface (outer surface) of the box 10. Brand name 11, cautionary note 12, and other patterns can be seen well through the exterior film 20.

The pattern (film pattern) 21B is also printed on the exterior film 20, and the portion (range) of the exterior film 20 on which the film pattern 21B is printed is not transparent. In FIG. 1, the range covered by the exterior film 20 without a pattern (the range where the box 10 can be seen) is colored in gray, and the range of the exterior film 20 on which the pattern is printed (the range where the box 10 cannot be seen) is shown. ) Is shown without coloring.

The film pattern 21B can be printed on the front surface (outer surface) of the exterior film 20 or on the back surface (inner surface) of the exterior film 20. The film pattern 21B may be printed on the exterior film 20 before packaging the box body 10 (pre-printing), or the film pattern 21B may be printed on the exterior film 20 that has already packaged the box body 10 (pre-printing). Post-printing). For example, UV (ultraviolet curable) ink can be used for printing a pattern on the exterior film 20. The pattern may be printed by inkjet after the exterior film 20 in the range in which the pattern is printed is subjected to a base treatment. In the case of preprinting, the film pattern 21B can be printed on both the front surface and the back surface of the exterior film 20. In the case of post-printing, the film pattern 21B is printed on the surface of the exterior film 20. The film pattern 21B can be printed at an arbitrary position (range) of the exterior film 20. For example, the film pattern 21B is printed at a position where the brand name 11 and the cautionary note 12 printed on the box 10 are not hidden.

FIG. 4 shows a process of creating a film pattern 21B printed on the exterior film 20.

The film pattern 21B printed on the exterior film 20 is a digital watermarked pattern in which the watermark ID 40 is embedded in the original film pattern 21A. The details of the watermark ID 40 will be described later. FIG. 4 shows hatching in the film pattern 21B in which the watermark ID 40 is embedded in order to distinguish between the original film pattern 21A and the film pattern 21B in which the watermark ID 40 is embedded. However, there is almost no difference in appearance between the original film pattern 21A and the film pattern 21B in which the watermark ID 40 is embedded, and it is indistinguishable to the naked eye.

The film pattern 21B with a digital watermark is created by embedding the watermark ID 40 in the original film pattern 21A by the embedding device 30. As the embedding algorithm of the watermark ID 40 in the embedding device 30, any known algorithm such as one using a pixel (for example, its luminance value) or one using a frequency domain can be adopted. The watermark ID 40 may be embedded in the ground pattern or characters (font) of the film pattern 21A. Although the film pattern 21B created by embedding the different watermark ID 40s in the original film pattern 21A has different patterns, there is almost no difference in appearance and they cannot be distinguished by the naked eye.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the product information confirmation system (counterfeit product confirmation system).

The product information confirmation system includes a mobile terminal device (for example, a smartphone) 52 connected to the network 51 and a server computer 53. The mobile terminal device 52 includes a CPU, an input device, a display device, a communication device (transmission / reception device), a camera, and a storage device, and the storage device stores programs and data necessary for the operation of the mobile terminal device 52. The server computer 53 includes a CPU, a communication device (transmission / reception device), and a storage device, and the storage device stores programs and data necessary for the operation of the server computer 53. The storage device of the server computer 53 also stores the product information database 54 described below.

FIG. 6 shows the data registered in the product information database 54.

In the product information database 54, the above-mentioned watermark ID 40, the product name registered in association with the watermark ID 40, the manufacturing date, the manufacturing factory, and others (for example, the manufacturing line in the manufacturing factory, the product shipping date, and the product shipping destination (company). Name, country name, etc.)) data is stored. Hereinafter, the data associated with the watermark ID 40 and registered is collectively referred to as "product information".

The watermark ID 40 represents a four-digit number here for the sake of clarity. If the product (product name), manufacturing date, manufacturing factory, etc. are different, a unique watermark ID 40 is assigned accordingly.

Package 1 packaged by the exterior film 20 on which the film pattern 21B in which the watermark ID 40 registered in the product information database 54 is printed is shipped from the manufacturing factory. Since it is not necessary to change the printed patterns 11 and 12 of the box body 10 and the film pattern 21B in which various watermark IDs 40 are embedded in the exterior film 20 can be printed, the package 1 in which the film pattern 21B is changed can be printed in a short period of time. Can be shipped within.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the mobile terminal device 52 and the server computer 53 constituting the product information confirmation system.

The storage device of the mobile terminal device 52 stores an application program (watermark ID extraction application) for extracting the watermark ID 40 from the film pattern 21B captured by the camera included in the mobile terminal device 52. When the watermark ID extraction application is started and the film pattern 21B is imaged using the camera of the mobile terminal device 52, the watermark ID 40 embedded in the film pattern 21B is extracted by the watermark ID extraction application. The data representing the extracted watermark ID 40 is transmitted to the server computer 53 through the network 51 (steps 61 and 62).

The server computer 53 that has received the watermark ID 40 searches the product information database 54 (FIG. 6) for the product information specified by the received watermark ID 40 (step 64). The product information (product name, manufacturing date, manufacturing factory, etc.) found by the search is transmitted from the server computer 53 to the mobile terminal device 52 (step 65).

The product information transmitted from the server computer 53 is displayed on the display screen of the mobile terminal device 52 (step 63). Thereby, it is possible to confirm the product information about the cigarette package 1 with the exterior film including the exterior film 20 on which the film pattern 21B imaged by the mobile terminal device 52 is printed. That is, it is possible to know, for example, when and where the cigarettes stored in the cigarette package 1 with the exterior film are manufactured.

If the watermark ID 40 cannot be extracted, the cigarette contained in the cigarette package 1 with the exterior film may be a counterfeit product. A genuine product or a counterfeit product can be confirmed based on the presence / absence of the watermark ID 40 (whether or not the watermark ID 40 can be extracted).

Assuming that the genuine product including the film pattern 21B printed on the exterior film 20 is forged, the product information will be displayed on the display screen of the mobile terminal device 52 even if it is a counterfeit product. However, if it is a counterfeit product, the date of manufacture is likely to be quite old, and therefore the date of manufacture can be used as a clue to determine that the product is a counterfeit product. In addition, counterfeit products are also distributed when a large amount of tobacco made by a specific factory is distributed, or when tobacco made by a specific factory is distributed in a country or region where tobacco made by a specific factory is not distributed. You can see that it is likely. The digital watermarked film pattern 21B is useful for grasping the possibility of the existence of counterfeit products and for easily identifying the country or region of distribution of counterfeit products.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a plurality of regions A to C on the exterior film 20 on which the film pattern 21B can be printed. The film patterns printed in the areas A to C can be made different from each other, and the information embedded in each of the film patterns in the areas A to C can also be made different from each other. For example, both the digital watermarked film pattern printed in the area A and the digital watermarked pattern printed in the area B may be used for determining the genuine product.

In the above-described embodiment, the cigarette package including the box type box 10 is illustrated, but it goes without saying that the cigarette package may be a soft type or a long type. Of course, it goes without saying that the products stored are not limited to cigarettes.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the film pattern 21B in which the watermark ID 40 is embedded is printed on the exterior film 20 that wraps the entire box body 10, but another strip-shaped transparent film (body wrapping) is printed on the exterior film 20. It is also possible to wind the film) and print the film pattern 21B in which the watermark ID 40 is embedded in the body-wrapping film (the body-wrapping film can also be considered as an aspect of the exterior film).

1 Tobacco package with exterior film 4 Opening tape
10 box body
11, 12 Box pattern
20 Exterior film
21A original film design
21B Film pattern with watermark ID embedded
40 Watermark ID (watermark information)
52 Mobile terminal device
53 Server computer

Claims (7)

A package for storing products and a transparent or translucent exterior film for wrapping the above package are provided, and a digital watermarked pattern in which a watermark ID is embedded in the printed pattern by a digital watermark is printed on the exterior film.
Package with exterior film. The manufacturing period of the product is specified by the above watermark ID .
The package with an exterior film according to claim 1. The manufacturing factory of the product is specified by the above watermark ID .
The package with an exterior film according to claim 1 or 2. A digital watermarked pattern is printed on the surface of the exterior film.
The package with an exterior film according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A digital watermarked pattern is printed on the back of the exterior film.
The package with an exterior film according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A digital watermarked pattern is printed on each of the plurality of areas of the exterior film.
The package with an exterior film according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An exterior that includes a package for storing products and a transparent or translucent exterior film that wraps the above package, and a digital watermarked pattern in which a watermark ID is embedded in the printed pattern by a digital watermark is printed on the exterior film. An imaging means for capturing a digital watermarked pattern from a package with a film,
An extraction means for extracting watermark information from a digital watermarked pattern captured by the above-mentioned imaging means,
A transmission means for transmitting the watermark information extracted by the above extraction means to a server computer,
It is provided with a receiving means for receiving information about the product corresponding to the watermark information and a display means for displaying the information about the product received by the receiving means, which is transmitted from the server computer that has received the watermark information. ， ，
Terminal device.

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