Remote authentication of two dimensional barcoded indicia

• US 20030182238A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Original Assignee: Neopost Technologies S.A. (Quadient SA)
• Inventors: Kresina, Roman, Brookner, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00717 Reading barcodes

Abstract

An indicia authentication system includes a franking device for embedding identification and encrypted authentication data into indicia and applying the indicia to an article, and a computing device for utilizing the identification data to retrieve a key for deciphering the encrypted authentication data, where the computing device is adapted to utilize the deciphered authentication data to determine the validity of the indicia.

Claims

1. An indicia authentication system comprising:

a franking device for embedding identification and encrypted device data into indicia and applying the indicia to an article; and

a computing device for utilizing the identification data to retrieve authentication data for deciphering the encrypted device data, wherein the computing is adapted to utilize the deciphered device data to determine the validity of the indicia.

2. The indicia authentication system of claim 1, further comprising a remote database accessed by the computing device for retrieving the authentication data.

3. The indicia authentication system of claim 2, wherein the remote database is maintained by a vendor of the franking device.

4. The indicia authentication system of claim 1, wherein the computing device further comprises a local database from which the authentication data is retrieved.

5. The indicia authentication system of claim 1, wherein the franking device is a postage meter.

6. The indicia authentication system of claim 1, wherein the identification data comprises a serial number of the franking device.

7. The indicia authentication system of claim 1, wherein the device data comprises one or more of a serial number of the franking device, a value applied by the franking device, and the contents of a register of the franking device.

8. A method of verifying the authenticity of indicia comprising:

embedding identification and encrypted device data into indicia;

utilizing the identification data to retrieve authentication data for deciphering the encrypted device data; and

utilizing the deciphered device data to determine the validity of the indicia.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising accessing a remote database to retrieve the authentication data.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising embedding identification and encrypted device data into indicia using a franking device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification data comprises a serial number of the franking device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the device data comprises one or more of a serial number of the franking device, a value applied by the franking device, and the contents of a register of the franking device.

13. A method of verifying the authenticity of indicia comprising:

providing device data to a first hash function to yield a first hash value;

providing the first hash value to a first digital signature function utilizing a device private key to yield a first digital signature value; and

incorporating an identifier, the first hash value and the first digital signature value into the indicia.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing the device data and a device public key to a second hash function to yield a second hash value;

providing the second hash value to a second digital signature function utilizing a vendor private key to yield a second signature value; and

incorporating the second hash value and a vendor public key into the indicia.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying the identifier and the first hash value incorporated in the indicia;

determining a device public key from the identifier;

utilizing the device public key to extract the first hash value from the first digital signature value to yield a first extracted hash value;

comparing the first extracted hash value and the first hash value and if they do not match determining that the indicia is invalid.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing the first extracted hash value and the first hash value and if they match identifying a vendor public key to extract the second hash value from the second digital signature value to yield a second extracted hash value; and

comparing the extracted second hash value and the second hash value and determining that the indicia is valid if they match and invalid if they do not match.