Identification document including embedded data

• US 20020170966A1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Brundage, Trent J., Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Hannigan, Brett T., Davis, Bruce L., Hawes, Jonathan L.
• Application Number:
  US10/094,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20020170966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/21 for multiple purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/333 Watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 : Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 : involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 : embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

The present invention relates to coordinating information carried by a digital watermark and other machine-readable codes. In one implementation, an identification card includes a digital watermark and a barcode encoded with information. The digital watermark includes a hash of the barcode information. To determine authenticity of the identification card, the hash is compared with the barcode information. The card is considered authentic when the hash and barcode information match or otherwise satisfy a predetermined relationship.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

decoding a digital watermark carried by a document to obtain a payload;

decoding machine-readable code on the document to obtain information encoded therein; and

comparing the digital watermark payload and the machine-readable code information to determine authenticity of the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code comprises a barcode having information encoded therein.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the payload comprises a subset of the barcode information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the payload comprises a hash including a mathematical representation of the barcode information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said comparing steps compares the hash with the barcode information, and wherein an authentic determination is made when the hash matches the barcode information.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said document comprises at least one of an identification card, product packaging, product label and paper document.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the document comprises an identification card including a photograph, and wherein the digital watermark is embedded in the photograph.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the hash comprises a subset of the barcode information.

9. A method for linking a first document to at least a second document, the first document comprising a first digital watermark including a first identifier, said method comprising:

decoding the first digital watermark to obtain the first identifier;

generating a second identifier based on the first identifier; and

embedding in the second document a second digital watermark including the second identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second identifier comprises the first identifier.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second identifier comprises a cryptographic permutation of the first identifier.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first document comprises an identification card and the second document comprises at least one of a boarding pass, ticket, credit card, frequent flyer card, membership card, insurance documentation, medical record, deed, mortgage, insurance policy, receipt and email.

13. An authentication method for the first document produced according to the method of claim 12, the authentication method comprising the steps of:

decoding the first digital watermark from the identification document to obtain the first identifier;

decoding the second digital watermark from the second document to obtain the second identifier; and

comparing the first identifier and the second identifier to determine whether the second document is authentic.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said comparing step comprises determining whether the first identifier and second identifier match.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said comparing step comprises determining whether the second identifier comprises a cryptographic permutation of the first identifier.

17. The barcode reader of claim 16, wherein said software instructions further comprise code to determine the authenticity of an object including the digital watermark and the barcode based on a result of said compare the digital watermark payload and the barcode information software instructions.

18. The barcode reader of claim 17, wherein said payload comprises a subset of the barcode information.

19. The barcode reader of claim 17, wherein said payload comprises a hash of the barcode information.

16. A two-dimensional barcode reader comprising:

an imaging sensor;

a processor; and

memory including software instructions stored thereon for execution by said processor, said software instructions including instructions to;

decode a digital watermark signal from an image captured by said imaging sensor, the digital watermark comprising a payload;

decode a barcode from an image captured by said imaging sensor to retrieve information encoded therein; and

compare the digital watermark payload and the barcode information.

20. A watermark decoding method comprising the steps of:

capturing an image of an identification card, the identification card comprising a photograph formed in a rectangular area, the photograph including a digital watermark embedded therein;

identifying the rectangular area in the captured image;

determining distortion of the rectangular area based on a predetermined expectation of the shape of the rectangular area;

reshaping the rectangular area in accordance with the predetermined expectation to compensate for the determined distortion; and

decoding the digital watermark from the reshaped rectangular area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identification card further comprises a barcode and the digital watermark includes a payload, said method further comprising the steps of:

capturing an image including the barcode;

decoding the barcode from the captured image to retrieve information encoded therein; and

comparing the digital watermark payload and the barcode information to determine authenticity of the identification card.

22. A method for embedding a machine readable code on an object, the method comprising:

receiving an object message associated with the object;

converting the object message into an object reference;

encoding at least a part of the object reference in a digital watermark; and

embedding the digital watermark on the object.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the object includes a two dimensional barcode printed thereon, the barcode including encoded information, and wherein and the object message comprises at least a portion of barcode information.

25. An authentication method for the products of claim 24, comprising the steps of:

decoding a watermark applied to at least one of the products, the at least one product including a barcode; and

comparing the watermark with the barcode to determine whether the watermark and the barcode match.

24. A method for converting a machine readable code symbology to a watermark coding scheme, the method comprising:

receiving a mapping between product identifiers and codes in the machine-readable code symbology;

mapping the product identifiers of a set of products into object references suitable for encoding in watermarks; and

applying the watermarks on the products.