Encoded Data Security Mechanism

• US 20080307233A1
• Filed: 06/09/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Calman, Matthew Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/760,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307233A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/179
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp

Abstract

A method and system for securing and tracing confidential data is described. A request to generate a hardcopy printout is received by a computing device. Document output instructions for the request then are generated and data to associate with the document output instructions is determined. Then the determined data is encoded with the generated document output instructions. The encoded data includes information specific to a terminal device associated with the request and an identifier representative of a starting position for reading the encoded data. One ore more software modules within a terminal device, an intermediate server, and/or a printer may perform the operation of encoding the data. A hardcopy printout includes the content requested to be printed in addition to the encoded data. The encoded data may appear as representations of noise on one or more pages of the hardcopy printout.

Claims

1. A method for securing and tracing data comprising:

receiving a request to generate a hardcopy printout;

generating document output instructions for the request;

determining data to associate with the document output instructions;

encoding the data with the generated document output instructions; and

outputting the hardcopy printout with the encoded data,

wherein the encoded data appears as at least three representations of noise on the hardcopy printout,

wherein the encoded data includes information specific to a terminal device associated with the request,

wherein the encoded data includes an identifier representative of a starting position for reading the encoded data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving and generating occur at a computer and encoding and outputting occurs at a printer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more software modules perform the encoding.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data to associate with the document output instructions includes session specific data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data to associate with the document output instructions includes document specific data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data to associate with the document output instructions includes user specific data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded data is configured to be read by an associated reader computing device configured to read the encoded data from the stating position.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the associated reader computing device is configured to read the encoded data in accordance with a known pattern of noise.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the known pattern of noise is based upon the location of the starting position.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the known pattern of noise is based upon a previous configuration of the associated reader computing device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the starting position is determined based upon a percentage of black pixels.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the starting position is determined based upon a distance from each corner of the hard copy printout to a nearest non-white pixel.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the starting position is determined based upon a comparison of lengths of two longest diagonals of non-white pixels on the hardcopy printout.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes:

identifying an individual associated with the request; and

identifying the data to associate based upon the identified individual.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting comprises generating a PDF file including data of the hardcopy printout with the encoded data.

16. A system for securing and tracing data comprising at least one computing component configured to:

receive a request to generate a hardcopy printout;

generate document output instructions for the request;

determine data to associate with the document output instructions;

encode the data with the generated document output instructions; and

output the hardcopy printout with the encoded data,

wherein the encoded data appears as at least three representations of noise on the hardcopy printout,

wherein the encoded data includes information specific to a terminal device associated with the request,

wherein the encoded data includes an identifier representative of a starting position for reading the encoded data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one computing component includes a computer and a printer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the printer is configured to encode the data and to output the hardcopy printout.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the encoded data is configured to be read from a photocopy made of the hardcopy printout with the encoded data.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one computing device includes a computer and server, wherein the server is configured to encode the data and is further configured to send a command to a printer, connected to the server.

21. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, perform a method for encoding data, the method comprising:

receiving document output instructions corresponding to a request to generate a hardcopy printout;

determining data to associate with the document output instructions;

encoding the data with the generated document output instructions; and

,

wherein the encoded data appears as at least three representations of noise on the hardcopy printout,

wherein the encoded data includes information specific to a terminal device associated with the request,

wherein the encoded data includes an identifier representative of a starting position for reading the encoded data.