DOCUMENT AUTHENTICATION ENHANCEMENT PROCESSES

• US 20110298203A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Pan, David H., Lin, Pinyen, Fan, Zhigang
• Application Number:
  US12/791,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1448 based on markings or identifiers characterising the document or the area
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/005 Testing security markings invisible to the naked eye, e.g. verifying thickened lines or unobtrusive markings or alterations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/323 for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

Disclosed are anti-counterfeiting methods which use a fiduciary marker encoded with the location of a hidden security feature. Documents produced by the methods, and methods for verifying authenticity of documents produced by the methods, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the difficulty of locating a hidden security feature on a substrate by a trusted party, comprising:

printing the hidden security feature on the substrate; and

printing a fiduciary marker on the substrate, the fiduciary marker encoding information about the location of the hidden security feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiduciary marker is printed with a transparent ink.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiduciary marker is visible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hidden security feature is a micro-taggant, nanotext, an invisible barcode, an invisible image, a digital watermark, a hidden lenticular image, or a hidden polarized image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiduciary marker is printed on a blank space of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiduciary marker is printed in yellow ink on a white background of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded information also includes the type of hidden security feature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded information also includes the equipment or methods needed to detect the hidden security feature.

9. A method of verifying the authenticity of a document, comprising:

locating a fiduciary marker on the document, the fiduciary marker encoding information, wherein the encoded information is supposed to disclose the location of a hidden security mark on the document; and

decoding the information encoded in the fiduciary marker to determine whether the encoded information actually provides location information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising examining the location retrieved from the fiduciary marker to determine whether the hidden security mark is present on the document.

11. An document with enhanced security, comprising:

a hidden security feature; and

a fiduciary marker encoded with information about the location of the hidden security feature.

12. The document of claim 11, wherein the fiduciary marker comprises a transparent ink.

13. The document of claim 11, wherein the fiduciary marker is visible.

14. The document of claim 11, wherein the fiduciary marker comprises a barcode or a glyph.

15. The document of claim 11, wherein the fiduciary marker comprises yellow ink printed on a white background.

16. The document of claim 11, wherein the hidden security feature is a micro-taggant, nanotext, an invisible barcode, an invisible image, a digital watermark, a hidden lenticular image, or a hidden polarized image.

17. The document of claim 11, further comprising an overt security feature.

18. The document of claim 17, wherein the overt security feature is a color shifting ink, a hologram, or a thermochromic material.