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Bosch Secure Authentication

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers

In principle, a range of products with different surfaces are suitable. The influencing factors are material properties, surface structures, and geometries on the product. Some examples of suitable materials include metals (fine-pored and coarse), ceramics, coarse-grained plastics, natural materials such as wood or gemstone, and leather. Unstable materials and glass are out of scope. For a definitive assessment of whether your products and specific materials have sufficient unique surface characteristics, you can order a one-time pre-examination study from us. Through our tests we can directly determine the most suitable area for a recording, as we require product specific engravings or geometries for the alignment of the picture.

Currently, an image area greater than 5mm² is required as a feature for identification and verification.

No, unfortunately this is not possible because we need close-up photos of the specific surface structure. Our technology captures a specific, unique region of each individual product. Unlike e-commerce product catalogs, our technology does not capture the entire product.

Yes, we pursue a 1:1 relationship between image and surface. Via single image operation, we are aiming to differentiate and trace each individual product via the surface structure. Compared to an artificial intelligence approach, this enables us to store more information about each product and leads to greater security for the manufacturer. Instead of putting a different serial number or tag on each product, our technology takes one image per product.

The minimum smartphone requirements we have tested for verifying Origify Demo Cards are as follows: Click here for more information.

With an artificial intelligence approach, a general pattern is obtained, which is compared with the training data from the database. With this, a statement can be made about the probability of finding a product class match. This is computationally intensive and new elements lead to a manipulation of the overall model performance or image variations to noise. The reliability of the statement has time-dependent shifts.

To verify the authenticity of an image of an individual surface, our technology converts the image into a pattern signature, compares it to a previously stored pattern signature, and then it is uniquely matched to a specific pre-registered surface. This eliminates the effects from data noise which in turn leads to more reliability and performance. Authentication consistency over time is achieved by adding new images of the pattern after, for example, cleaning processes or other slight changes in the pattern.

In our initial examination, together we seek to determine with you the area with the least alterations in the form of wear or soiling.

The technology is robust against light scratches, but only up to a surface specific degree. If the surface is completely worn away, the information will also become unreadable, just as with a DMC or QR code.

This can be counteracted by, for example, updating the image a few times in a products life cycle. Through such action the history and wear and tear are considered too. Additionally, higher authentication security can be reached by registering several different positions on the product.

However, if your products are not traded as second-hand or you only want to allow customer verification when they buy a new product, this may not even be necessary for your use case.

Yes, we can take images of different surface areas and link them. This can be useful if, for example, you want a public pattern and a covert pattern that you do not share with your customers.

In the beginning, each new model must be visually evaluated by Bosch. For model changes that have no impact on the previously defined surface area, no further action is required except for the creation of a new model in the backend to be displayed in the frontend. In this case a simple picture of the new model will suffice. In case of a potential impact on the surface and consequently on the recognition, Bosch checks if the current settings need adjusting. Bosch can in this case quickly begin engineering services though this effort can be circumvented by selecting a suitable and robust surface area in the preliminary when the product is added to the inventory.

No technical line integration is required. To avoid downtimes and interventions in automated customer production lines, the camera Desk Device is designed as a modular stand-alone system, which works independently after initialization and use your LAN connection to connect to the Internet. The Desk Device must capture the finished surface of the product during registration (same structure as when the product is removed from the packaging) and must therefore be the last step in the manufacturing process such as during the visual inspection or at the packaging station. With this plug and play approach, the authentication solution is horizontally scalable with an increase in your production volume. Line integrations are a possibility but require additional in advance agreed upon development efforts.

In the smartphone app, we guide the user to take an optimal picture of their product for verification. In general, proper lighting must be ensured and the product must be photographed on a solid and neutral surface. The smartphone must also be held steady to avoid blurring. Many of the most common smartphones now have very good cameras with macro function, which are very suitable for the capturing the pattern. In a B2B environment it can be advantageous to work with a fixture and a ring light for particularly small and complex surfaces. The user can also activate their phone’s flashlight through the app during the capturing process and track the image quality in real time. Large areas of product surfaces such as brand logos help to generate reliable and easy to implement solutions for a smartphone app.

The final duration depends on the specific product, as various factors have an influence, such as the population of products to be tracked, the materials, the surface condition, etc. The sole duration of image registration is aimed at less than 3 seconds with the camera desk device. We aim duration for 3 seconds for the image recognition with our smartphone app. The time will vary dependent on the specified region of interest and the amount of to be stored datapoints, as well as network quality and the country from which the request is initiated. The handling time is highly user dependent.

The registration station, Desk Device, supplied with our system is designed as a stand-alone device. For high-volume products and automated lines, if required, Bosch has the technical know-how to integrate the registration into the existing production line.

By default, a timestamp, the signature of the respective camera desk device as well as the location are saved and displayed. Additionally, brand, model name, and a model image can be easily uploaded into our backend and displayed for selection in the frontend. For further metadata, new interfaces can be created.

No, the Origify app does not require a black background. The app leverages advanced image recognition technology, making the background color irrelevant. It automatically detects key elements within the image and applies the necessary enhancements, regardless of the background. However, for optimal results, it's crucial that the main subject and relevant details are clearly visible.

For optimal performance and accuracy, a native mobile app is essential. The app leverages advanced smartphone features such as the gyroscope for enhanced user guidance, high-performance image processing, and the latest camera capabilities which are not fully supported by web-based interfaces. These features ensure a more reliable and precise verification process, which is why we rely on using the app for verification.

Origify App

Origify from Bosch is a simple and intelligent mobile product authentication solution that helps you verify and store original products from participating brands in your digital inventory.

1. To learn how to use the app read through the voluntary intro explanation which is displayed when starting the app for the first time

2. Select the desired brand and product model for verification

3. Choose from a list of supported product categories

4. Let yourself be guided to take an optimal image from the product instance, which should be verified

5. Agree to upload the image

6. Check results

1. Search the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) for the app name Origify

2. Download the app and install the latest version

3. Open the app and agree to the terms of use

The companies participate so that this is free of charge to you.

It is always possible to cancel the verification procedure and choose a different product. Nevertheless, the App will not trigger the scan automatically if you selected a wrong product.

If you cannot find the product, please contact us in the help section and we will get back to you as soon as possible.We support a list of brands.

  • Every brand supports one or list of products.
  • If you cannot find your product, most likely we do not support it yet.
  • Go to Link, so that the user could fill in a form with request what to be supported.
    • Brand name
    • Product Category.

Follow the tutorial and the hints on the screen when clicking on Start Authentication.

Creating a Unique Digital ID from Any Surface

Even if products look similar or the same at first glance, closer inspection reveals differences in their unique material patterns. Every surface has microscopic characteristics that make it one-of-a-kind. The Bosch Origify product authentication solution uses advanced optical recognition to capture a product's natural surface and create a unique digital ID from it. This technology enables the reliable identification and matching of this digital ID later on.

The Bosch Origify product authentication solution is a two-step verification process.

1. Registration of the Digital ID
The manufacturer captures and registers each product for authentication using an autonomously operating Bosch camera system at the production site. The manufacturer can capture and secure different surface areas on a product. The device recognizes the item's natural surface pattern and stores its corresponding digital ID in the Bosch Cloud.

2. Verification via Smartphone
Verification takes place via a user-friendly Bosch smartphone application that can be used by all parties involved with the product. In this step of the authentication process, the user is guided to capture the predefined area. The app then creates a new digital ID from the current surface and compares it with the original one stored by the manufacturer to determine whether or not the product is authentic.

  • Make sure you have selected the right product.
    • The picture and the brand and model name can help.
  • Try to make the mask match the object as best as possible.
    • Move the smartphone slowly without wiggling it.
    • If available, try to lock the smartphone with a holder and then align it optimally.
    • Try to hold the optimal position as long as possible until the smartphone automatically captures the image. Depending on the smartphone model, this may take a few seconds.
  • Align the smartphone parallel to the object. The crosshairs will help you to do this.
    • The smartphone is aligned parallel to the object when you can no longer see the crosshairs. The smartphone vibrates briefly when you do this.
  • Adjust the lighting conditions.
    • Make sure the environment is as bright as possible.
    • Make sure that no shiny spots are caused on the object by the illumination. This could prevent the surface structure from being detected.
    • If necessary, use a ring light for illumination.
  • Check your camera lens for dirt.
    • Clean the lens as recommended by the smartphone manufacturer.
  • Update the app.
  • Clear the cache in the app.
    • To do this, tap more and then clear cache. Now try to authenticate the product again.
  • Restart the smartphone.

The product you have scanned is not registered in our database. Therefore the authentication of the product can not be verified. You have the possibility to fill in the form to give some indication on your purchase to the manufacturer. Type in the date of purchase, location of purchase and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can contact us with your feedback or directly address questions to the manufacturer by filling the form. You can also choose another product and start with the authentication of the next product.

You are not responsible for the production of this counterfeit product and therefore not liable for it. We cannot track your personal data and the results stay anonymous. You can help us to fight the counterfeit products by filling in the form and give us some indication on your purchase.

The results will be forwarded to our team and the manufacturer to prevent counterfeit products in the future. No personal data will be send or tracked.

You have the possibility to try to fix this issue:

  • try a different Internet connection (cellular network or different WiFi)
  • check with your IT department, as you current connection might block access to our backend
  • reinstall the app