US Patent 10902540 Event-driven authentication of physical objects

A system may include an event trigger processor (ETP) configured to receive signals from sensors or another system (FIG. 11). Output signals from the sensor(s), local or remotely located, may be utilized by the ETP as trigger inputs to initiate a process or response, namely authentication actions, which also may be local or remote from the ETP. Events from external systems also may serve as trigger inputs to the ETP. In some embodiments, as a triggered response, the ETP may direct a local field imaging system to acquire an image of an object, generate a digital fingerprint from the image, and query a database using the generated digital fingerprint to identify or authenticate the object. The ETP may initiate or direct various actions by sending a message to another entity or system, for example, using known network communication protocols.