Media-independent document security method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A machine for providing media-independent security for a document, the machine comprising:
- a processor programmed to execute instructions effective to create a document file and security instructions effective to create a security code; and
a memory device operably connected to the processor to store the document file, the memory device comprising;
a security executable comprising the security instructions to be executed by the processor;
a first block storing a substantive portion containing data corresponding to a readable image, readable by a user, and adaptable to be output by the processor as part of a document,a second block storing a format portion containing data corresponding to a layout of the document effective to be incorporated with the document by the processor for presentation to a user, anda third block storing a security portion, corresponding to the security code and independent from the substantive portion, the security portion containing data corresponding to a security image effective to be output by the processor as an inseparable part of the document, independent of medium, but rendered by the processor to be output as an image, visually undetectable and visually unreadable by a user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing media-independent security for a document may be programmed to create a document file having two or more components. In one embodiment, a document may include a background object, an image object (e.g. text, graphic, both, or the like), and a watermark object. When output, the image object is directly interpretable by a user. Meanwhile, in the background object, watermark object, or both, a high-resolution pattern may be stored to be output with all copies of the document. Encoded in some binary symbol in the pattern is security data. Resolution is high enough that the binary symbols are undetectable by a human eye. A processor may be programmed to recognize (e.g. read) the pattern, decode the pattern into binary data, and decode the binary data to characters directly interpretable by a user. Information relating to creation and control of a document, signature, or the like, may all be encoded independent from the principal image (e.g. text, graphic), to be virtually undetectable by human eyes, yet non-removeable by copying methods, including photocopying, scanning, electronic storage, and the like.
281 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A machine for providing media-independent security for a document, the machine comprising:
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a processor programmed to execute instructions effective to create a document file and security instructions effective to create a security code; and a memory device operably connected to the processor to store the document file, the memory device comprising; a security executable comprising the security instructions to be executed by the processor; a first block storing a substantive portion containing data corresponding to a readable image, readable by a user, and adaptable to be output by the processor as part of a document, a second block storing a format portion containing data corresponding to a layout of the document effective to be incorporated with the document by the processor for presentation to a user, and a third block storing a security portion, corresponding to the security code and independent from the substantive portion, the security portion containing data corresponding to a security image effective to be output by the processor as an inseparable part of the document, independent of medium, but rendered by the processor to be output as an image, visually undetectable and visually unreadable by a user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for providing media-independent security for a document containing security information associated with the document, the method comprising:
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inputting, into an input device, image data corresponding to an interpretable image displayable by a display device in an interpretable format to be readily interpretable by a user; inputting into the input device security data corresponding to the security information; creating, in a first medium, a document comprising; a substantive portion containing substantive data corresponding to the image data and transferable in a plurality of media; a security portion independent from the substantive portion, the security portion comprising symbols unintelligible to a user by visual inspection of the document in the readable format, and the symbols, arranged to represent a security image containing the security data encoded by the symbols, and effective to be inseparably transferred with the document, independent of each medium of the plurality of media, whenever the substantive portion is transferred in said each medium; transferring the document into a second medium of the plurality of media; decoding the symbols into binary security data representing the security information; and outputting the binary security data to an output device in a format retrievable to be interpretable as the security information. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A memory device having blocks of memory effective to store a media-independent security code and an associated document processable by a document processor, the document processor comprising an executable loadable to run on a computer operably associated with the memory device, an input device, and an output device, the memory device comprising:
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a first block programmed to store an executable, loadable to run on a computer as a document processor application; a second block programmed to store substantive data corresponding to information in a document presentable in a format interpretable directly by a user; a third block programmed to store format data useable by the executable to format the substantive data in the document in a layout presentable to the user; a fourth block programmed to store security data corresponding to security information input through the input device, the security data being independent from the substantive data and stored independently from the substantive data; and a fifth block programmed to store a security executable, loadable to run on the computer as a security processor effective to process the security data and to include, inseparably from the substantive content, the security data in the document independently of the medium in which the document is represented. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification