Notarizable electronic paper

• US 20060161977A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• 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

A system and method helps to control “read” and/or “write” access to electronic paper (e-paper). Informational data may be on a restricted portion of e-paper material that is protected by a security methodology accessible to authorized entities. Some embodiments maintain a record of access activity regarding the restricted portion, and a record of access activity regarding use of an item or product or service related to the e-paper informational data. Some implementations include an authorization listing of a party having a particular access privilege or authorization to make modifications to various restricted portions including an authentication region and a protected region. One possible aspect includes performing a verification analysis of data indicia in a restricted portion of the e-paper media. Additional possible system and process components may determine an authenticity status of the data indicia, and provide an output result.

Claims

1. An electronic paper device comprising:

a recordable medium with a plurality of regions including

a protected region accessible pursuant to authorization from a designated party responsible for the electronic paper device;

an authentication region for notary-type verification data; and

a non-protected region.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said protected region incorporates one or more of the following security schemes to prevent unauthorized access:

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, encryption, interface circuit disconnection, and interface circuit disablement.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said authentication region incorporates one or more of the following security schemes to prevent unauthorized access:

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, encryption, interface circuit disconnection, and interface circuit disablement.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said protection region incorporates a security scheme to prevent unauthorized read or write or deletion or addition or alteration access.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said authentication region incorporates a security scheme to prevent unauthorized read or write or deletion or addition or alteration access.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said authentication region incorporates the security scheme that renders void the notary-type verification data in the event that unauthorized access is detected with respect to the protected region or the authentication region.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said authentication region includes informational data that has unlimited read-access.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said non-protected region includes informational data that has unlimited read-access.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said non-protected region includes a portion that has unlimited write-access.

10. A device of claim 1 wherein said authentication region includes a verification portion that is resistant to modification after entry of notary-type verification data.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the verification portion includes a verification marking that is encoded or encrypted.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the verification portion includes a verification marking provided by a third party notary-type entity.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the verification portion includes visible verification data that is legible without any enhancement technique.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the visible verification data is encoded or encrypted.

15. The device of claim 10 wherein the verification portion includes a visible verification pattern.

16. The device of claim 10 wherein the verification portion includes hidden verification data that is recognizable pursuant to a detection technique.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the verification portion includes hidden verification indicia that can be viewed by using one or more of the following enhancement techniques:

illumination, optical exposure, viewing lens, temperature change, electrical current application, chemical treatment, conformance change, mechanical manipulation, and radiation,

18. The device of claim 10 wherein the verification portion overlaps at least part of the protected region.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the verification portion include a verification marking that is at least partially combined with informational data in the protected region.

20. The device of claim 1 wherein said protected region includes one or more of the following types of informational data:

visible data, legible indicia, hidden indicia, encrypted data, encoded data, embedded data, product identity, model number, price information, service identity, document origin, label origin, data originator, originator information, owner identity, owner information, authorized party identity, product manufacturer, location of manufacture, product distributor, service provider, product batch, manufacture date, certification information, certification date, identify of certification entity, expiration date, warranty, legal notice, ingredients, usage instruction, usage warning, and legal notice.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein said protected region includes informational data related to a product or service associated with the electronic paper device.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein said protected region includes informational data that is intended to be fixed and not subject to deletion or alteration or addition.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein said protected region includes informational data that is capable of modification by an authorized party.

24. The device of claim 1 where said protected region includes multiple protected regions, each having different accessibility for writing data.

25. The device of claim 1 where said protected region includes multiple protected regions, each having different accessibility for reading data.

26. The device of claim 1 wherein said non-protected region includes informational data for display and/or storage, which informational data is provided by one or more of the following:

the designated party responsible for the e-paper device;

a recipient of the e-paper device;

an originator of a product or service or item associated with the e-paper device;

a distributor of a product or service or item associated with the e-paper device;

a user of a product or service or item associated with the e-paper device.

27. The device of claim 1 wherein one or more of the following regions can accept informational data via wireless transmission for display and/or storage:

authentication region, protected region, non-protected region.

28. The device of claim 1 wherein one or more of the following regions can accept informational data from a printer:

authentication region, protected region, non-protected region.

29. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the non-protected region can accept information that modifies existing information in the non-protected region.

30. A method of using an electronic paper device in connection with a product or service, said method comprising:

providing e-paper media;

storing informational data regarding the product or service in a protected region of the e-paper media;

preventing non-authorized access to the protected region;

enabling a third party to make a notarial-type verification in an authentication region of the e-paper media; and

allowing other informational data to be optionally entered on a further region of the e-paper.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said preventing non-authorized access to the protected region includes one or more of the following techniques:

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, encryption, interface circuit disconnection, and interface circuit disablement.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

incorporating a security scheme that renders void the notarial-type verification in the event that non-authorized access is detected with respect to the protected region.

33. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

incorporating a security scheme that prevents non-authorized access to the authentication region using one or more of the following techniques;

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, encryption, interface circuit disconnection, and interface circuit disablement.

34. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

preventing non-authorized access to the authentication region

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said preventing non-authorized access to the authentication region includes:

incorporating a security scheme that renders void the notarial-type verification in the event that non-authorized access is detected with respect to the authentication region.

36. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

allowing unlimited read-access to at least a portion of the notarial-type verification in the authentication region.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein said preventing non-authorized access to the protection region includes:

preventing non-authorized read or write or deletion or addition or alteration access to the protected region.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein said storing informational data includes:

allowing unlimited read-access to at least a portion of the informational data in the protected region.

39. The method of claim 30 wherein said storing informational data includes:

storing one or more of the following types of informational data;

visible data, legible indicia, hidden indicia, encrypted data, encoded data, embedded data, product identity, model number, price information, service identity, document origin, label origin, data originator, originator information, owner identity, owner information, authorized party identity, product manufacturer, location of manufacture, product distributor, service provider, product batch, manufacture date, certification information, certification date, identify of certification entity, expiration date, warranty, legal notice, ingredients, usage instruction, usage warning, and legal notice.

40. The method of claim 30 wherein said allowing other informational data includes:

allowing unlimited write-access to at least a portion of the further region of the e-paper media.

41. The method of claim 30 wherein said allowing other informational data includes:

allowing unlimited read-access to at least a portion of the further region of the e-paper media.

42. The method of claim 30 wherein said allowing other informational data includes:

allowing unlimited modification access to at least a portion of the further region of the e-paper media.

43. A computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions configured to perform a process that associates information in a computer system, the process including

processing data indicia that has been detected on one or more restricted portions of electronic paper media,

performing a verification analysis of the data indicia to determine an authenticity status of the data indicia,

providing an output result of the verification analysis; and

(b) computer-readable signal-bearing media bearing the program instructions.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the signal-bearing media includes a storage medium and/or a communication medium.

45. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein said processing data indicia that has been detected includes:

processing informational data regarding an item or product or service that is associated with the electronic paper media.

46. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein said processing data indicia that has been detected includes:

processing notarial-type data from an authentication portion of the electronic paper media.

47. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the process further comprises:

decoding or decrypting the data indicia that has been detected.

48. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein said providing the output result includes:

providing the output result on a limited access basis to one or more authorized recipients.

49. A system for controlling access to one or more restricted portions of electronic paper media, including:

detection processing unit for receiving data indicia that has been detected on a restricted portion of electronic paper media associated with an item or product or service, which restricted portion includes an authentication region and a protected region;

program module operably connected with the detection processing unit to facilitate a verification analysis of the data indicia; and

output means operably coupled to the detection processing unit and configured to provide a status output regarding the data indicia.

50. The system of claim 49 further comprising:

scanner apparatus for scanning notarial-type data, which notarial-type data has been detected from the authentication region of the electronic paper media.

51. The system of claim 50 further comprising:

translator module having a communication link with the detection processing unit, wherein the translator module is capable of decoding or decrypting the notarial-type data scanned from the authentication region.

52. The system of claim 50 further comprising:

enhancement component for interacting with the electronic paper media to facilitate scanning the notarial-type data from the authentication region.

53. The system of claim 49 further comprising:

scanner apparatus for scanning informational data relating to the item or product or service, which informational data has been detected on the protected portion of the electronic paper media.

54. The system of claim 53 further comprising:

translator module having a communication link with the detection processing unit, wherein the translator module is capable of decoding or decrypting the informational data scanned from the protected region.

55. The system of claim 53 further comprising:

enhancement component for interacting with the electronic paper media to facilitate scanning of the informational data from the protected region.

56. The system of claim 49 wherein said output means includes:

an access interface to provide the status output on a limited access basis to one or more authorized recipients.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein said access interface is configured to provide the limited access based on one or more of the following types of security methodology:

password, confidential user ID, personal identification number (PIN), unique access identity, coding scheme, cipher, key, algorithm, and encryption.

58. The system of claim 49 wherein said output means includes:

a notification output that communicates invalidation of a notarial-type verification incorporated in the restricted portion in the event that non-authorized modification is detected with respect to data indicia in the authentication region.

59. The system of claim 49 wherein said output means includes:

a notification output that communicates invalidation of a notarial-type verification incorporated in the restricted portion in the event that non-authorized modification is detected with respect to data indicia in the protected region.