Systems and methods for providing hardcopy secure documents and for validation of such documents

• US 20040117627A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Brewington, Grace T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• 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 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3238 using a coded or compressed version of the image data itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3239 using a plurality of different authentication information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 Encryption; Ciphering

Abstract

A secure document processing system for receiving an original document and for printing a secure hardcopy version of the original document, wherein the secure hardcopy version includes a machine-readable encoded image signature which represents an image segment of the original document. Such hardcopy secure documents can be validated by inputting them to an secure document validation system operable to identify and process the machine readable encoded representation and in response to determine whether the recovered image signature indicates that the document is counterfeit or has been altered.

Claims

1. A hardcopy secure document production apparatus, comprising:

an input that receives original document information;

a memory for retaining the received original document information;

a control system for processing the original document information, deriving an image signature based on a segment of the original document according to an image signature template, and encoding data representing the image signature in machine readable form; and

an image producing system for providing a secure hardcopy version of the original document information, wherein the secure hardcopy version has integrated therein the encoded image signature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image producing system is controlled by the control system to generate the encoded image signature on a substrate, whereby the substrate bearing the encoded image signature may be affixed to the original document so as to provide the secure hardcopy version.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image producing system is controlled by the control system to print the encoded image signature on a substrate bearing the original document information so as to provide the secure hardcopy version.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to merge the encoded image signature with the original document information and provides a composite image to the image producing system for production of the hardcopy secure document.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user input in operative communication with the control system, which is operable according to user information received for permitting access to the hardcopy secure document production apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to encrypt the encoded image signature.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to encode the encoded image signature according to at least one of the following encoding schemes:

two-dimensional bar coding, data glyph coding, holographic coding, and magnetic stripe formatted coding, and a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to encode information concerning the image signature template used to capture the image segment(s) of the original document

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to encode at least one of:

information concerning the level of corroboration of the encoded image signature for validation of the secure hardcopy version;

information specific to a given hardcopy secure document;

information about subsequently compressed or encrypted digital information;

information specifying image processing techniques and/or other image discrimination algorithms which are to be performed for validation of the secure hardcopy version;

instructions which relate to operations which are to be performed by a validation system depending on the presence or absence of a valid/invalid condition.

10. A hardcopy secure document validation apparatus, comprising:

document input device for receiving a hardcopy secure document having an encoded image signature and for providing a document image derived from the received hardcopy secure document;

a document storage device for retaining the document image;

a detector for detecting and locating the encoded image signature in the document image;

a decoder for recovering data representing a primary image signature encoded in the encoded image signature; and

a control system for processing the document image according to an image signature template to provide data representing a secondary image signature, and for comparing the data representing the primary and secondary image signatures to determine a corresponding validation or invalidation condition.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control system is operable to determine whether the comparing of the data indicates a match, and accordingly validates the secure document, or a discrepancy, and accordingly indicates that the secure document is counterfeit or has been altered.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the document input device further comprises an input scanner.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control system further comprises a data storage and transfer system adapted for handling data representing at least one of the primary and secondary image signatures.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control system is operable to carry out instructions which relate to operations which are to be performed by the validation system depending on the determination of the validation or invalidation condition.

15. A method for providing a hardcopy secure document from a hardcopy original document, comprising:

providing the hardcopy original document to an image capture apparatus for capturing and digitization of an image of the original document;

selecting a segment of the captured image according to a predefined image signature template;

converting the selected segment to an image signature;

encoding the primary image signature in machine-readable code;

generating the encoded primary image signature in hardcopy form; and

integrating the resulting hardcopy form of the encoded image signature in the original document.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the integrating step further comprises printing the hardcopy form of the encoded primary image signature on the original document so as to provide the hardcopy secure document.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the integrating step further comprises printing the hardcopy form of the encoded image signature on a substrate which is then integrated in the original document so as to provide the hardcopy secure document.

18. A method for providing a hardcopy secure document from an electronic version of an original document, comprising:

providing the electronic version of the original document to an image processing apparatus;

selecting a segment of the electronic version according to a predefined image signature template;

converting the selected image segment to a image signature;

encoding the image signature in machine-readable code;

merging the encoded image signature with the electronic version of the original document to provide a composite image; and

providing the composite image to reprographic apparatus for generation of a hardcopy version of the secure document in hardcopy form, so as to provide the hardcopy secure document.

19. A method for validating a hardcopy secure document, comprising:

providing the hardcopy secure document to an image capture apparatus;

capturing an image of the hardcopy secure document;

digitizing the image of the hardcopy secure document so as to provide a digitized image;

locating a encoded primary image signature presented in the digitized image;

decoding the encoded primary image signature so as to recover data representative of a respective primary image signature;

selecting an image segment of the digitized image according to a predefined image signature template so as to provide data representative of a secondary image signature;

comparing the data representative of the primary and secondary image signatures; and

determining, in response to the comparing of the data, a corresponding validation or invalidation condition.

20. A hardcopy secure document, comprising a substrate having information content recorded thereon in human readable form and an encoded image signature recorded thereon in machine readable form, wherein the encoded image signature recorded thereon includes data representative of a captured image segment of the recorded information content, the captured image segment being selected according to a predetermined image signature template.

21. The document of claim 20, wherein the encoded image signature is encoded according to at least one of the following encoding schemes:

holographic coding, magnetic stripe coding, high-density barcode coding, microdot coding, data glyph coding;

serpentine coding, and a combination thereof.