COMBINING IDENTITY-LINKED IMAGES

• US 20100053691A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Osborne, Michael Charles, Visegrady, Tamas, Kuyper-Hammond, Michael Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/3.280
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32229 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected regions of the image H04N1/32213 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark

Abstract

Techniques for creating an identity document are provided. The techniques include obtaining two or more identity-linked images, deriving one or more at least partially transparent regions from one of the two or more identity-linked images, combining the two or more identity-linked images to create a combined image, and embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document.

Claims

1. A method for creating an identity document, comprising the steps of:

obtaining two or more identity-linked images;

deriving one or more at least partially transparent regions from one of the two or more identity-linked images;

combining the two or more identity-linked images to create a combined image; and

embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing one or more regions of one or more identity-linked images where they would overlap with one or more at least partially transparent regions.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the authentication data with an encoding to allow recovery when read with scanning equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising engraving the combined image onto an identity document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined image comprises a combined image with one or more non-rectangular visible boundaries.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more identity-linked images comprise a signature and a facial image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document comprises embedding the authentication data into a band inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, created at a uniform distance from the two or more identity-linked images.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions comprises placing the one or more at least partially transparent regions around a signature with an authentication band substantially within the one or more at least partially transparent regions.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code for creating an identity document, said computer program product including:

computer readable program code for obtaining two or more identity-linked images;

computer readable program code for deriving one or more at least partially transparent regions from one of the two or more identity-linked images;

computer readable program code for combining the two or more identity-linked images to create a combined image; and

computer readable program code for embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the combined image comprises a combined image with one or more non-rectangular visible boundaries.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the two or more identity-linked images comprise a signature and a facial image.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable code for embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document comprises computer readable program code for embedding the authentication data into a band inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, created at a uniform distance from the two or more identity-linked images.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer readable program code for removing one or more regions of one or more identity-linked images where they would overlap with one or more at least partially transparent regions.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer readable program code for encoding the authentication data with an encoding to allow recovery when read with scanning equipment.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer readable program code for engraving the combined image onto an identity document.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable code for embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions comprises computer readable program code for placing the one or more at least partially transparent regions around a signature with an authentication band substantially within the one or more at least partially transparent regions.

17. An apparatus for creating an identity document, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to said memory and operative to;

obtain two or more identity-linked images;

derive one or more at least partially transparent regions from one of the two or more identity-linked images;

combine the two or more identity-linked images to create a combined image; and

embed authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the combined image comprises a combined image with one or more non-rectangular visible boundaries.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the two or more identity-linked images comprise a signature and a facial image.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein in embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, to create an identity document, the at least one processor coupled to said memory is further operative to embed the authentication data into a band inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, created at a uniform distance from the two or more identity-linked images.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor coupled to said memory is further operative to remove one or more regions of one or more identity-linked images where they would overlap with one or more at least partially transparent regions.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor coupled to said memory is further operative to encode the authentication data with an encoding to allow recovery when read with scanning equipment.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein in embedding authentication data into the combined image, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions, the at least one processor coupled to said memory is further operative to place the one or more at least partially transparent regions around a signature with an authentication band substantially within the one or more at least partially transparent regions.

24. An identity token, said identity token comprising:

two or more identity-linked images, wherein the two or more identity-linked images are combined to create a combined image;

one or more at least partially transparent regions derived from one of the two or more identity-linked images; and

authentication data, wherein the authentication data is embedded into the combined, inside the one or more at least partially transparent regions.

25. The identity token of claim 24, wherein the one or more at least partially transparent regions is placed around a signature with an authentication band substantially within the one or more at least partially transparent regions.