Visible authentication patterns for printed document

• US 20060109515A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Track & Trace
• Original Assignee: SCHREINER GROUP GMBH & CO. KG
• Inventors: Zhao, Jian, Picard, Justin, Thorwirth, Niels
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/3.280
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 5/00 Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

Techniques for determining authenticity of analog forms such as packaging or documents (117). One of the techniques determines whether the analog form has been made directly from a digital representation (903) or by photocopying or scanning an analog form. The technique makes the determination by comparing (911) an original digital representation of a portion of the analog form with a digital recording (203) of the portion from the analog form and measuring differences in features that are affected by the operations of photocopying or scanning. The original digital representation (105) and the analog form may have a “noisy”, i.e., random or pseudo random pattern. Such noisy patterns may further be used for other authentication purposes, such as determining whether the portion of the analog form that has the noisy pattern has been altered and to carry hidden messages. The noisy pattern may carry a logo or may be part or all of a barcode.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether an analog form of an object is an original analog form,

the method comprising the steps of:

comparing a portion of a digital recording made from the analog form with an original digital representation of the portion to determine a degree of dissimilarity between the recorded portion and the original digital representation of the portion; and

using the degree of dissimilarity to determine whether the analog form is an original analog form.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein

the method is practiced in a node in a network and the method further comprises the step of:

receiving the digital recording from another node in the network.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein

the method is practiced in a node in a network and the method further comprises the step of:

returning an indication to another node whether the analog form has been determined to be an original analog form.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein

the method is practiced in a processor to which a digital recording device and an output device are attached;

and

the method further comprises the steps of;

making the digital recording from input received from the digital recording device; and

providing an indication whether the analog form has been determined to be an original analog form to the output device.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

in the step of determining a degree of dissimilarity, what is determined is dissimilarity of features in the digital recording of the portion of the analog form and the original digital representation of the portion, the dissimilarity being caused by operations involved in making a non-original analog form.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the original digital representation of the portion has a noisy pattern.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein

the noisy pattern is made using a key and the method further comprises the step of:

using the key to generate the original digital representation.

8. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein:

the noisy pattern has a function in the analog form in addition to permitting determination of whether the analog form is original.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein:

a message may be derived from the noisy pattern.

10. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein

the method further comprises the step of:

using the message to derive a key; and

using the key to generate the original digital representation.

11. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein:

the message is in portions of the noisy pattern reserved therefor.

12. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein:

at least part of the noisy pattern is in a background image.

13. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein:

at least part of the noisy pattern is in a barcode.

14. A method of performing an authenticity check on an analog form, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing a digital recording of a noisy pattern in the analog form and an original digital representation of the noisy pattern; and

using the result of the comparison to perform the authenticity check.

15. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein:

the result of the comparison indicates a portion of the noisy pattern that has been destroyed in the analog form.

16. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein:

the result of the comparison indicates a portion of the noisy pattern that is from the original analog form.

17. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein

the method includes the step of:

generating the original digital representation of the noisy pattern.

18. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein

the noisy pattern further contains a message.

19. The method set forth in claim 14 wherein:

the result of the comparison indicates a portion of the noisy pattern that has been overwritten by written text.

20. A method of hiding a message in an analog form,

the method comprising the steps of:

making a digital representation of a perceptible noisy pattern in which the message has been hidden; and

including the noisy pattern in the analog form.