Method, systems, and media for identifying whether a machine readable mark may contain sensitive data

• US 20070177823A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Tredoux, Gavan
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4446 Hiding of documents or document information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/446 Enclosing, i.e. retaining in an enclosure, or locking up
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3238 using a coded or compressed version of the image data itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to attesting a document that contains encoded data, such as a barcode or DataGlyph. When a document contains encoded data that is not in human-readable form, the document is checked to determine whether content in the encoded data appears somewhere in the document in human-readable form. Based on the amount of content that appears in the document, the document may be marked with a seal that attests to the amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form. The seal may be visually distinctive to facilitate easy recognition by a user or device.

Claims

1. A method of producing an attested document, said method comprising:

reading encoded data in a document that is in a form other than human-readable form;

determining an amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form in the document;

determining a seal that attests to the amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form; and

marking the document with the seal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the seal comprises:

determining a digital signature for the document; and

incorporating the digital signature into the seal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein incorporating the digital signature comprises:

encrypting the digital signature; and

incorporating the encrypted digital signature into the seal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing data in the document that indicates a certification authority that will authenticate the seal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the document with the seal comprises:

determining an intended use for the document; and

providing information in the seal that indicates the intended use.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the document with the seal comprises:

determining a manner of disposal for the document; and

providing information in the seal that indicates the manner of disposal for the document.

7. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A method of verifying a document, wherein the document contains encoded data that is in a form other than human-readable form, said method comprising:

identifying a seal on the document, the seal comprising data about the encoded data on the document;

reading the seal;

determining a digital signature based on the document; and

verifying that content in the encoded data appears in human-readable form on the document based on a comparison of the digital signature with the seal.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

authenticating the seal based on the digital signature.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

converting human readable data in the document into machine readable data; and

authenticating the seal by verifying that content in the encoded data appears in human-readable form on the document based on a comparison of the encoded data and the converted human readable data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a use for the document based on information in the seal.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a manner of disposal for the document based on information in the seal.

13. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 8.

14. A system configured to produce attested documents, said system, comprising:

at least one processor configured to read encoded data in a document that is in a form other than human-readable form, determine an amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form in the document, and determine a seal that attests to the amount of content in the encoded data that appears in human-readable form; and

at least one printer that is configured to mark the document with the seal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the seal comprises a digital signature determined from the document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to encrypt the digital signature and incorporate the encrypted digital signature into the seal.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine when all content of the encoded data appears in human-form on the document.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine an intended use for the document based on reading the seal and handle the document based on the intended use.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a manner of disposal for the document based on reading the seal and dispose of the document based on the determined manner.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to authenticate the seal based on the digital signature.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one printer is configured to print the seal on a medium that can be attached to the document.