Digital watermarking security systems

• US 20040243806A1
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Sharma, Ravi K., Rodriguez, Tony F., Miller, Marc D., McKinley, Tyler J., Weaver, Matthew M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3827 Use of message hashing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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

Abstract

A variety of systems responsive to watermarked documents are detailed. In one, watermarking is employed to facilitate system access. In another, security is provided through analyzing digitally watermarked documents. In yet another, a digital watermark-based combination lock is adapted to analyze a sequence (and perhaps an orientation) of presented digitally watermarked cards.

Claims

1. A method of providing security for a computer system comprising the steps of:

receiving image data corresponding to a digitally watermarked document, the document including a digital watermark comprising access information; and

adapting the computer system to decode the digital watermark from the received image data to recover the access information, wherein the computer system allows user access when the access information matches or coincides with predetermined information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access information comprises a decryption key, and access is allowed when the predetermined information is successfully decrypted with the decryption key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital watermark further comprises biometric information and the predetermined information comprises a biometric sample, and wherein the computer system allows access when the biometric information and the biometric sample match or coincide.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the biometric information comprises a hash.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of reducing the biometric sample to a hash using the same or related process as was used to compute the digital watermark biometric information hash, wherein said method compares the reduced hash to the digital watermark biometric information hash.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a screensaver or logon, and wherein the computer system disables or unlocks the screensaver or logon when the access information coincides with the predetermined information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the computer system provides a graphical user interface to prompt presentation of the digitally watermarked document for image capture.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the access information provides information to set computer system access permissions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer access permissions comprise at least a software filter.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer access permissions comprise at least one of an age-based restriction.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer access permissions comprise at least a directory or file access permission.

12. A method of providing security for a computer system, the computer system comprising a processor and memory including software instructions for execution on the processor, the software includes digital watermark decoding instructions, the memory further includes a predetermined card sequence, wherein the computer system communicates with an input device, said method comprising the steps of:

decoding with the digital watermark decoding instructions a digital watermark embedding in each of a plurality of cards, each digital watermark including an identifier;

determining an order in which the digitally watermarked cards are presented to the input device via the digital watermark identifiers; and

comparing the order to the predetermined card sequence to determine whether to allow access to the computer system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein computer system access is granted when the order and the predetermined card sequence match.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining an orientation of at least one the digitally watermarked cards as presented to the input device, and comparing the orientation to a predetermined orientation to determine whether to allow access to the computer system.

15. A digital watermark-based combination lock comprising:

an input device to capture image data;

electronic processing circuitry; and

memory having computer software stored therein, the computer software to be executed by said electronic processing circuitry, said software including code to;

decode a digital watermark embedded in each of a plurality of images captured in sequence by said input device, wherein each of the plurality of images respectively correspond to one document of a plurality of documents, and wherein each of the digital watermarks includes an identifier, said decoding step recovering the digital watermark identifiers; and

analyzing the recovered identifiers to determine whether to unlock the combination lock.

16. The combination lock of claim 15, wherein said analyzing code compares a sequence of decoded identifiers to a predetermined sequence to determine whether to unlock the combination lock.

17. The combination lock of claim 15, wherein said analyzing code uses at least one of the decoded identifiers to decode or decrypt at least another of the identifiers.

18. The combination lock of claim 15, wherein at least one of the captured images includes both a fragile watermark and a robust watermark.

19. The combination lock of claim 16, wherein at least one of the digital watermarks includes an orientation component, and said analyzing code compares a relative orientation of the orientation component to a predetermined orientation to determine whether to unlock the combination lock.

20. A method of doing business, the business related to providing computer access security or facility access security, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a user with a first digitally watermarked document for a first length of time, the first document being inconspicuous in that it is not readily identified as an access key or identification document, the first digital watermark including first access information to facilitate access to the computer or facility;

collecting the first digitally watermarked document before or at the first length of time; and

providing the user with a second digitally watermark document, the second document being inconspicuous in that it is not readily identified as an access key or identification document, the second digital watermark including second access information to facilitate access to the computer or facility, wherein the first digitally watermarked document and the second digitally watermarked document differ in at least one of document type, document size, document substrate and printed matter on the document substrate.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first access information and the second access information differ.

22. A method of doing business, the business related to providing computer access security or facility access security, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a user with a first digitally watermarked document for a first length of time, the first digital watermark including first access information to facilitate access to the computer or facility, wherein the first access information comprises at least a first type or sample of biometric data;

collecting the first digitally watermarked document before or at the first length of time; and

providing the user with a second digitally watermark document, the second document the second digital watermark including second access information to facilitate access to the computer or facility, wherein the second access information comprises at least a second type or sample of biometric data, and wherein the first type or sample of biometric data and the second type or sample of biometric data are different types or samples.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first digitally watermarked document and the second digitally watermarked document differ in at least one of document type, document size, document substrate and printed matter on the document substrate.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first digitally watermarked document and the second digitally watermarked document is inconspicuous in that it is not readily identified as an access key or identification document.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the inconspicuous document comprises at least one of a family picture.

26. A security document comprising information steganographically encoded thereon, the steganographic encoding comprising first data and second data, the first data uniquely identifying a bearer of the security document, and the second data providing a type indicator for a biometric sample to be taken from the bearer of the security document to authenticate the identity of the bearer of the security document.

27. The document of claim 26, wherein the steganographically encoded information further comprises a biometric sample corresponding to the type indicator.

28. The document of claim 27, wherein the biometric sample comprises a reduced-bit representation of a biometric sample from the bearer of the document.

29. A method to verify identity of the bearer of the document of claim 26, said method comprising the steps of:

decoding the steganographic data to recover the first data and the second data;

interrogating a data structure with the first data and the second data to identify a predetermined biometric sample that corresponds with the type indicator;

obtaining from the bearer of the document a fresh biometric sample of the type indicated by the type indicator; and

verifying the identity of the bearer of the document by comparing the predetermined biometric sample and the fresh biometric sample.