Secure prescription computer

• US 20080112615A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Obrea, Andrei, Crews, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,891,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A method to secure unique information about a handwritten document and to provide verification of document'"'"'s authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation. The method includes the following steps: creating a document having an area of interest containing information, segmenting the area of interest on the document into a plurality of elements, obtaining the average gray scale of each element, inserting the average gray scale of each element into an identifier, and attaching the identifier to the document.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating and verifying the integrity of a document, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a document having an area of interest containing information;

segmenting the area of interest on the document into a plurality of elements;

obtaining the average gray scale of each element;

inserting the average gray scale of each element into an identifier; and

attaching the identifier to the document.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprises the steps of applying a digital signature to the identifier.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, further including the steps of:

obtaining an image of the document; and

obtaining contents of the identifier from the image;

4. The method claimed in claim 3, further comprises the steps of:

verifying the digital signature contained in the identifier.

5. The method claimed in claim 3, further comprises the steps of:

sending the identifier to a datacenter; and

verifying the digital signature contained in the identifier.

6. The method claimed in claim 3, further comprises the steps of:

sending a portion of the identifier or the complete identifier to a datacenter; and

comparing a portion of the identifier or the complete identifier to determine if the document usage is acceptable.

7. The method claimed in claim 3, further comprises the steps of:

segmenting the area of interest of the image into a plurality of elements;

obtaining the average gray scale of each element;

comparing the average gray scale of each element with the corresponding average gray scale that was inserted in the identifier;

deciding if the average gray scale of each element read deviates from the gray scale inserted into the identifier.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, further including the steps of:

calculating a distance between the average gray scale of the elements of the area of interest of the image and the average gray scale of elements inserted in the identifier; and

comparing the distance with a threshold.

9. The method claimed in claim 7, further including the steps of:

applying a gradient strip, having a plurality of gray scales, to the document; and

matching the average gray scale of each element of the area of interest to the closest element of the gradient strip.

10. The method claimed in claim 9, further including the steps of:

assigning a value to each gray scale on the gradient strip.

11. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the document is a prescription.

12. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the area of interest contains information about the items prescribed.

13. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the area of interest contains information about the patient.

14. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the area of interest contains information about the prescriber'"'"'s signature.

15. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the elements are rectangles.

16. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the document is handwritten.

17. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the document or the entire document is generated by a computer.

18. A method for authenticating and verifying the integrity of a document, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a document having an area of interest containing information;

obtaining a perceptual hash of the area of interest;

inserting the perceptual hash into an identifier; and

attaching the identifier to the document.

19. The method claimed in claim 18, further comprises the steps of applying a digital signature to the identifier.

20. The method claimed in claim 19, further including the steps of:

obtaining an image of the document; and

obtaining contents of the identifier from the image;

21. The method claimed in claim 20, further comprises the steps of:

verifying the digital signature contained in the identifier.

22. The method claimed in claim 20, further comprises the steps of:

sending the identifier to a datacenter; and

verifying the digital signature contained in the identifier.

23. The method claimed in claim 20, further comprises the steps of:

sending a portion of the identifier or the complete identifier to a datacenter; and

comparing a portion of the identifier or the complete identifier to determine if the document usage is acceptable.

24. The method claimed in claim 20, further including the steps of:

obtaining a perceptual hash of the area of interest;

comparing the perceptual hash with the perceptual hash that was inserted in the identifier;

deciding if the perceptual hash deviates from the perceptual hash inserted into the identifier.

25. The method claimed in claim 20, further including the steps of:

calculating a distance between perceptual hash of the area of interest of the image and the perceptual hash inserted in the identifier; and

comparing the distance with a threshold.

26. The method claimed in claim 18, wherein the document is a prescription.

27. The method claimed in claim 26, wherein the area of interest contains information about the items prescribed.

28. The method claimed in claim 26, wherein the area of interest contains information about the patient.

29. The method claimed in claim 26, wherein the area of interest contains information about the prescriber'"'"'s signature.

30. The method claimed in claim 18, wherein the elements are rectangles.

31. The method claimed in claim 18, wherein a portion of the document is handwritten.

32. The method claimed in claim 18, wherein a portion of the document or the entire document is generated by a computer.

33. A method for authenticating and verifying the integrity of a document, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a document having an area of interest containing information;

obtaining a quantifiable indicator of the area of interest which is sensitive to changes in the area of interest;

inserting the indicator into an identifier; and

attaching the identifier to the document.

34. The method claimed in claim 33, further comprises the steps of applying a digital signature to the identifier.

35. The method claimed in claim 33, further including the steps of:

obtaining an image of the document; and

obtaining contents of the identifier from the image.

36. The method claimed in claim 35, further comprises the steps of:

sending a portion of the identifier or the complete identifier to a datacenter; and

comparing a portion of the identifier or the complete identifier to determine if the document usage is acceptable.

37. The method claimed in claim 35, further comprises the steps of:

verifying the digital signature contained in the identifier.

38. The method claimed in claim 35, further comprises the steps of:

sending the identifier to a datacenter; and

verifying the digital signature contained in the identifier.

39. The method claimed in claim 35, further including the steps of:

obtaining a indicator of the area of interest;

comparing the indicator with the indicator that was inserted in the identifier;

deciding if the indicator deviates from the indicator inserted into the identifier.

40. The method claimed in claim 39, further including the steps of:

calculating a distance between an indicator of the area of interest of the image and the indicator inserted in the identifier; and

comparing the distance with a threshold.

41. The method claimed in claim 33, wherein the document is a prescription.

42. The method claimed in claim 41, wherein the area of interest contains information about the items prescribed.

43. The method claimed in claim 41, wherein the area of interest contains information about the patient.

44. The method claimed in claim 41, wherein the area of interest contains information about the prescriber'"'"'s signature.

45. The method claimed in claim 33, wherein the elements are rectangles.

46. The method claimed in claim 33, wherein a portion of the document is handwritten.

47. The method claimed in claim 33, wherein a portion of the document or the entire document is generated by a computer.