Digitally watermarking checks and other value documents

• US 20030056104A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Elovitz, Andrea Nicole, Rhoads, Geoffrey B., Carr, J. Scott, Miller, Marc D., Hein, William C. III, Stewart, Steven W., Hawes, Jonathan L.
• Application Number:
  US10/233,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20030056104A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/005 Testing security markings invisible to the naked eye, e.g. verifying thickened lines or unobtrusive markings or alterations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides various techniques for encoding hidden information in checks and other security documents. The hidden information provides an authentication tool. In one implementation, we provide a method for encoding a security document with information. The security document includes a substrate having printing thereon. The information is hidden in the printing and corresponds to text or numbers conveyed by at least a portion of the printing. The method includes dividing the information into a plurality of payload sets, wherein each payload set includes a sub-set of the information, and encoding the payload sets across the substrate. The plurality of payload sets is concatenated in order to retrieve the information.

Claims

1. A method for encoding a security document with information, said security document comprising a substrate having printing thereon, the information being hidden in the printing and corresponding to text or numbers conveyed by at least a portion of the printing, said method comprising:

dividing the information into a plurality of payload sets, wherein each payload comprises a sub-set of the information; and

encoding the payloads across the substrate, wherein the plurality of payload sets is to be concatenated in order to retrieve the information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is divided into blocks and said encoding step redundantly encodes respective payloads within respective blocks so that each block only has one payload redundantly encoded therein.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the correspondence between the information and the text or numbers comprises an authentication tool.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the encoding of the plural-bit information comprises a digital watermark.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the digital watermark is encoded according to a private key.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the digital watermark comprises a fragile watermark.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the printing comprises a background pattern or tint, and the information is encoded in the background pattern or tint.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the information comprises at least one of amount, payee, drawer, drawee and account information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the security document comprises a check.

10. A check including a substrate and a pattern printed on the substrate, the check being characterized in that the printed pattern includes a latent image that is generally imperceptible to human observers of the check, but betrays its existence upon copying, wherein the latent image includes plural-bit information encoded therein, and wherein the plural-bit information is generally imperceptible to human observers of the check and does not betray its existence upon copying.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the pattern comprises a background pattern, and the latent image comprises a security feature as well as the data carrier for the plural-bit information.

12. A method of encoding information on a check, said method comprising:

providing a first digital watermark component including orientation information;

embedding the first digital watermark component in first print data, and applying the embedded first print data to the check using a first printing process;

providing a second digital watermark component including a payload; and

embedding the second digital watermark component in second print data, and applying the embedded second print data to the document using a second printing process, wherein the first printing process and the second printing process are separate printing processes.

13. A method of authenticating a check including optically-detectable indicia thereon, said indicia being machine-readable, said check further including a marking to convey plural-bit information wherein the marking is not apparent to human observers of the check, yet can be detected from image data generated by optically scanning the check, said method comprising the steps of:

optically scanning the check to detect the indicia;

optically scanning the check to detect the marking and decoding the detected marking to obtain the plural-bit data; and

comparing the plural-bit data with the indicia to determine whether the check is authentic.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein indicia comprises numbers or text.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the marking comprises a background pattern or tint

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the marking comprises an image or graphic.

17. A method of linking an identification document to a security document, the identification document comprising a first digital watermark including a first identifier, said method comprising:

decoding the first digital watermark to obtain the first identifier;

providing a second identifier, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier correspond; and

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

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second identifier comprises the first identifier.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second identifier comprises a cryptographic permutation of the first identifier.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the second identifier is randomly or pseudo-randomly generated, but is associated with the first identifier through a data record.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the security document comprises a check.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the identification document comprises at least one of a driver'"'"'s license, passport, visa, employee badge, photo identification, social security card, and birth certificate.

23. An authentication method for the security document produced according to the method of claim 22, 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 security document to obtain the second identifier; and

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

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said comparing step comprises determining whether the first identifier and second identifier match.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said comparing step comprises determining whether the second identifier comprises a cryptographic permutation of the first identifier.

26. A method of truncating a check clearing process comprising the steps of:

capturing a digital image of a cashed or deposited check;

digitally watermarking the digital check image to include an identifier;

electronically transmitting the digitally watermarked digital check image to a first receiving destination; and

authenticating at the receiving destination the digital check image at least in part by the identifier.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the identifier comprises a fragile watermark component, and said authenticating step comprises analyzing the fragile watermark component to determine whether the digital check image has been altered.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising encrypting the identifier prior to said digitally watermarking step.

29. In a system to manage digital check images comprising:

a digital image archive including at least one digital image of a check;

a processor;

a system bus;

a memory in communication with the processor via the system bus, said memory including computer executable instructions stored therein, said instructions including instructions to;

digitally watermark the digital image of the check to include multi-bit information, wherein the digital watermark is robust to survive printing of the digital image of the check to a paper form; and

associate checking account or check data with the multi-bit information.

30. The system according to claim 29 wherein the data comprises at least one of check amount, payee, date check cleared and checking account number.

31. A method of interaction with the system of claim 29, comprising the steps of:

decoding the multi-bit information from a paper version of the digitally watermarked check image; and

accessing at least one of the digital image archive or the check data at least in part by the multi-bit information.

32. A method to identify whether washing has been applied to a security document, the washing serving to alter or remove at least a first set of information provided on the security document, wherein the check comprises a substrate having a first area, and wherein the first set of information is provided in the first area of the substrate with an ink or dye, said first area further comprising information hidden therein, said method being characterized by optically sensing the first area to detect the hidden information, and if the hidden information is not found, identifying the security document as being washed.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein if the hidden information is found, said method further comprises comparing the hidden information with the first set of information for correspondence and identifying the security document as being washed when the hidden information and the first set of information do not correspond.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the security document comprises a check.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein washing comprises applying a chemical to the security document to remove or erase at least the first set of information.