Method and apparatus for fingerprinting and authenticating various magnetic media
First Claim
1. A device for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part, a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device having means for determining a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising the fingerprint for said object, and means for recording said remanent noise for later comparison with the later determination of said remanent noise to thereby identify said object.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for determining the remanent noise in a magnetic medium by, for example, DC saturation of a region thereof and measurement of the remaining DC magnetization. A conventional magnetic recording transducer may be used to determine the remanent noise. Upon determination, the remanent noise may then be digitized and recorded on the same magnetic medium to thereby "fingerprint" the magnetic medium. This "fingerprint" may then be later used to verify and authenticate the magnetic medium as being an original. The magnetic medium may be of a type adapted to record information magnetically or, even more broadly, any magnetic surface or substance that can be sensed through its magnetic field. In such manner, any magnetic medium, or any object having an associated magnetic medium, may be "fingerprinted" including credit cards, computer program diskettes, magneto-optic discs, videotapes, cassette tapes, bank checks, stock certificates, etc.
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Citations
120 Claims
- 1. A device for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part, a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device having means for determining a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising the fingerprint for said object, and means for recording said remanent noise for later comparison with the later determination of said remanent noise to thereby identify said object.
- 10. An object having its fingerprint recorded for the later verification of its identity, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said finger-print comprising a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion.
- 22. A device for authenticating an object having a fingerprint recorded, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device including means for reading said recorded fingerprint, means for translating said remanent noise from said recorded fingerprint, means for determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording magnetic medium portion, and means for comparing said translated remanent noise with said determined remanent noise to determine whether they match, thereby authenticating said object.
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31. A method for authenticating an object, said object including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said object having a fingerprint recorded, said fingerprint comprising a previously determined remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording magnetic medium portion, reading said fingerprint, and comparing said determined remanent noise with said fingerprint. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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- 34. A method for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of determining a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising said fingerprint, and recording said fingerprint on said object for the later comparison thereof with the later determination of said remanent noise.
- 36. A device for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part, a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device having means for determining a remanent noise for a length of no more than about several hundreds of micrometers of said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising the fingerprint for said object, and means for recording said remanent noise for later comparison with the later determination of said remanent noise to thereby identify said object.
- 42. A device for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part, a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device having means for determining a remanent noise from a magnetic micro-structure for said nonrecording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising the fingerprint for said object, and means for recording said remanent noise for later comparison with the later determination of said remanent noise to thereby identify said object.
- 48. A device for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part, a uniformly manufactured non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device having means for determining a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising the fingerprint for said object, and means for recording said remanent noise for later comparison with the later determination of said remanent noise to thereby identify said object.
- 53. An object having its fingerprint recorded for the later verification of its identity, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for no more than about several hundreds of micrometers of said non-recording magnetic medium portion.
- 59. An object having its fingerprint recorded for the later verification of its identity, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise from a magnetic microstructure for said non-recording magnetic medium portion.
- 65. An object having its fingerprint recorded for the later verification of its identity, said object having a uniformly manufactured non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion.
- 71. A device for authenticating an object having a fingerprint recorded, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for a length of no more than about several hundreds of micrometers of said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device including means for reading said recorded fingerprint, means for translating said remanent noise from said fingerprint, means for determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording magnetic medium portion, and means for comparing said translated remanent noise with said determined remanent noise to determine whether they match, thereby authenticating said object.
- 77. A device for authenticating an object having a fingerprint recorded, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise from a magnetic micro-structure for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said device including means for reading said recorded fingerprint, means for translating said remanent noise from said fingerprint, means for determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording magnetic medium portion, and means for comparing said translated remanent noise with said determined remanent noise to determine whether they match, thereby authenticating said object.
- 83. A device for authenticating an object having a fingerprint recorded, said object having a uniformly manufactured non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for said nonrecording magnetic medium portion, said device including means for reading said recorded fingerprint, means for translating said remanent noise from said fingerprint, means for determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording magnetic medium portion, and means for comparing said translated remanent noise with said determined remanent noise to determine whether they match, thereby authenticating said object.
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89. A method for authenticating an object, said object including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said object having a fingerprint recorded, said fingerprint comprising a previously determined remanent noise for a length of no more than about several hundreds of micrometers of said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording medium portion, reading said fingerprint, and correlating said determined remanent noise with said fingerprint, said correlation thereby indicating if said object is authentic. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91)
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92. A method for authenticating an object, said object including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said object having a fingerprint recorded, said fingerprint comprising a previously determined remanent noise from a magnetic micro-structure for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording medium portion, reading said fingerprint, and correlating said determined remanent noise with said fingerprint, said correlation thereby indicating if said object is authentic. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94)
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95. A method for authenticating an object, said object including at least in part a uniformly manufactured non-recording magnetic medium portion, said object having a fingerprint recorded, said fingerprint comprising a previously determined remanent noise for said nonrecording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a remanent noise directly from said non-recording magnetic medium portion, reading said fingerprint, and correlating said determined remanent noise with said fingerprint, said correlation thereby indicating if said object is authentic. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97)
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- 98. A method for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of determining a remanent noise for a length of no more than about several hundreds of micrometers of said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising said fingerprint, and recording said fingerprint on said object for the later comparison thereof with the later determination of said remanent noise.
- 100. A method for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of determining a remanent noise from a magnetic micro-structure for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising said fingerprint, and recording said fingerprint on said object for the later comparison thereof with the later determination of said remanent noise.
- 102. A method for fingerprinting an object for the later determination of its identity, said object including at least in part a uniformly manufactured non-recording magnetic medium portion, said method comprising the steps of determining a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion, said remanent noise comprising said fingerprint, and recording said fingerprint on said object for the later comparison thereof with the later determination of said remanent noise.
- 104. A device for authenticating an object having a fingerprint recorded, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said recorded fingerprint comprising a signal corresponding to a first read of a remanent noise in said non-recording magnetic medium portion, means for determining said fingerprint by a second read of said remanent noise in said non-recording magnetic medium portion, and means for comparing said recorded fingerprint with said determined fingerprint including means for compensating for differences between said first read and said second read to determine whether said fingerprints match, thereby authenticating said object.
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111. A method for authenticating an object, said object-including at least in part a non-recording magnetic medium portion having a fingerprint, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion previously determined by a first read thereof, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a remanent noise directly from said magnetic medium portion by a second read thereof, comparing said determined remanent noise with said previously determined remanent noise, and compensating for differences between said first read and said second read to determine whether said fingerprints match, thereby authenticating said object. - View Dependent Claims (112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117)
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- 118. An object having its fingerprint recorded for the later verification of its identity, said object having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for said non-recording magnetic medium portion determined by a first read of said non-recording magnetic medium portion, and a speed of said read being recorded in association with said fingerprint for later use in compensating for differences between a speed of a subsequent read and the speed of said first read.
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120. A security card with a fingerprint for limiting access to a controlled access environment, said security card having a non-recording magnetic medium portion, said fingerprint comprising a remanent noise for said nonrecording magnetic medium portion, said security card being validated to permit access only upon a match of a subsequent determination of said fingerprint with a previously determined fingerprint.
Specification