Digital watermarking security systems

• US 7,502,937 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Weaver, Matthew M., Sharma, Ravi K., Rodriguez, Tony F., Miller, Marc D., McKinley, Tyler J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JUNG, DAVID YIUK
• Application Number:
  US10/382,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,198 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5, 726/9, 726/20, 380/255, 713/185, 713/186, 713/182, 713/176, 713/150
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3827 Use of message hashing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

A variety of systems responsive to watermarked documents are detailed. In one, watermarking is employed to facilitate system access. In another, security is provided through analyzing digitally watermarked documents. In yet another, a digital watermark-based combination lock is adapted to analyze a sequence (and perhaps an orientation) of presented digitally watermarked cards.

Claims

1. A method of providing security for a computer system, the computer system comprising a processor and memory including software instructions for execution on the processor, the software includes digital watermark decoding instructions, the memory further includes a predetermined card sequence, wherein the computer system communicates with an input device, said method comprising:

decoding with the digital watermark decoding instructions a digital watermark embedded in each of a plurality of cards, each respective digital watermark including an identifier;

determining an order in which the digital watermarked plurality of cards are presented to the input device via the respective digital watermark identifiers; and

comparing the order to the predetermined card sequence to determine whether to allow access to the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computer system access is granted when the order and the predetermined card sequence coincide in an expected manner.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an orientation of at least one the plurality of cards as presented to the input device, said determining utilizing at least some orientation information provided in a digital watermark contained on the at least one of the plurality of cards, and comparing the orientation to a predetermined orientation to determine whether to allow access to the computer system.

4. A digital watermark-based combination lock comprising:

an input device to capture image data;

electronic processing circuitry; and

memory having instructions, the instructions to be executed by said electronic processing circuitry, said instructions including instructions to;

decode a digital watermark embedded in each of a plurality of images captured in sequence by said input device, wherein each of the plurality of images respectively corresponds to one document of a plurality of documents, and wherein each digital watermark includes an identifier, said instructions to decode a digital watermark comprising instructions to recover each digital watermark identifier; and

analyze recovered identifiers to determine whether to unlock the combination lock.

5. The combination lock of claim 4, wherein said instructions to analyze compares a sequence of decoded identifiers to a predetermined sequence to determine whether to unlock the combination lock.

6. The combination lock of claim 4, wherein said instructions to analyze uses at least one of the decoded identifiers to decode or decrypt at least another of the identifiers.

7. The combination lock of claim 4, wherein at least one of the captured images includes both a fragile watermark and a robust watermark.

8. The combination lock of claim 5, wherein at least one of the digital watermarks includes an orientation component, and said instructions to analyze compares a relative orientation of the orientation component to a predetermined orientation to determine whether to unlock the combination lock.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the combination lock comprises a user interface including a screensaver or logon, and wherein the combination lock disables or unlocks the screensaver or logon based on a result of said instructions to analyze.

10. A method comprising:

providing a user with a first digital watermarked document for a first length of time, the first document being inconspicuous in that it is not readily identified as an access key or identification document, the first document comprising a first digital watermark including first access information to facilitate access to a computer or facility;

collecting the first digital watermarked document before or at the first length of time; and

providing the user with a second digital watermark document, the second document being inconspicuous in that it is not readily identified as an access key or identification document, the second document comprising a second digital watermark including second access information to facilitate access to the computer or facility, wherein the first digital watermarked document and the second digital watermarked document differ in at least one of document type, document size, document substrate or printed matter on the document substrate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first access information and the second access information differ.