Methods for encoding and decoding information

• US 7,516,904 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritec Incorporated (Matthews Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Veritec Incorporated (Matthews Group LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/121,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 235/494, 235/380, 235/462.1, 235/456, 235/460, 235/462.01, 714/758, 380/269
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations

Abstract

Methods for securing data by using a data encoding technique of a symbology, such as a one or two-dimensional symbology, to provide secure data without the need to convert the data into a graphical symbol are provided.

Claims

1. A method of encoding and electronically storing at least one of personal, biometric or financial information within an electronic storage device so as to facilitate the use of the stored information from the storage device as part of an activity that utilizes at least some of the stored information, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one of personal, biometric or financial information to be encoded;

encoding the information into digital data;

generating a two-dimensional matrix of digital data cells from the encoded information; and

electronically storing the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information by electronically writing the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information to an electronic memory storage device as a data file usable for printing a two-dimensional bar code symbol and allowing access to the two-dimensional matrix data file to permit decoding of the two-dimensional matrix data file and information decoding for use in an activity without utilizing either of optical scanning and image capturing of a printed bar code symbol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information to be encoded comprises alphanumeric information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information to be encoded comprises graphical information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information to be encoded comprises biometric information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of encoding the information comprises encoding the information into Reed-Solomon blocks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of encoding the information comprises compressing the information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of encoding the information comprises using error correction and detection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory storage device comprises a portable memory storage device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the portable memory storage device comprises a smart card.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of compressing the generated two-dimensional matrix.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the two-dimensional matrix comprises a plurality of data cells and compressing the two-dimensional matrix comprises bitpacking at least a portion of the data cells of the two-dimensional matrix.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the two-dimensional matrix comprises a plurality of data cells and compressing the two-dimensional matrix comprises run length encoding of at least a portion of the data cells of the two-dimensional matrix.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the two-dimensional matrix comprises a plurality of data cells arranged in at least one data row and compressing the two-dimensional matrix comprises run length encoding of at least a portion of the at least one row of the two-dimensional matrix.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically reading the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information from the memory storage device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising decoding the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information.

16. A method of encoding and electronically storing at least one of personal, biometric or financial information within an electronic storage device so as to facilitate the use of the stored information from the storage device as part of an activity that utilizes at least some of the stored information, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one of personal, biometric or financial information to be encoded;

encoding the information into digital data;

generating a two-dimensional matrix of digital data cells from the encoded information; and

electronically storing the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information in a smart card by electronically writing the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information to an electronic memory storage device of the smart card as a data file usable for printing a two-dimensional bar code symbol and allowing access to the two-dimensional matrix data file to permit decoding of the two-dimensional matrix data file and information decoding for use in an activity without utilizing either of optical scanning and image capturing of a printed bar code symbol.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising decoding the two-dimensional matrix of encoded information.

18. The smart card of claim 16, wherein the encoded information comprises biometric information.