Identification and protection of security documents

• US 7,570,784 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Alattar, Adnan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/825,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20080118099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/112, 382/280, 382/286, 356/71, 209/577, 209/583
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0028 Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0051 Embedding of the watermark in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0083 whereby only watermarked image required at decoder, e.g. source-based, blind, oblivious
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/187 Frequency domain transformation; Autocorrelation
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 1/00 Machines for printing and issuing tickets printing mechanisms per se B41; output mechanisms of digital computers G06C11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 11/00 Apparatus for validating or cancelling issued tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/41 with means for the generation of identity documents
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 using watermarks
• 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: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/202 using pattern matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/902 : Anti-photocopy

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems that are helpful for authenticating or protecting physical and electronic documents like financial documents and identification documents. One claim recites a method including: receiving digital data corresponding to a physical document; transforming the digital data into a frequency domain; comparing characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document type, and if the characteristics coincide, determining that the physical document is of the first document type; and if the characteristics do not coincide, comparing the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document type, and if the characteristics coincide, determining that the physical document is of the second document type. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving digital data corresponding to a physical document;

utilizing a programmed multi-purpose electronic processor, transforming the digital data into a frequency domain;

comparing characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determining that the physical document is of the first document category; and

if the characteristics do not coincide,

comparing the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determining that the physical document is of the second document category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristics comprise a radius.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined characteristics comprise a horizontal distance from a DC component response to a frequency point.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the predetermined characteristics further comprise an angle formed between a line from the origin to the frequency point and a horizontal axis.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein received digital data corresponds to optical scan data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristics associated with the transformed digital data correspond to steganographic indicia hidden on or in the physical document.

7. A programmed computing device storing instructions in memory, said instructions are executable by said programmed computing device to perform the acts of claim 1.

8. A computer readable media comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the acts of claim 1.

9. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the following acts:

receive digital data corresponding to a physical document;

transform the digital data into a frequency domain;

compare characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the first document category; and

if the characteristics do not coincide, compare the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the second document category.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 where the received digital data corresponds to optical scan data.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 where the optical scan data comprises visible light scanning.

12. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the following acts:

receive digital data corresponding to a physical document;

transform the digital data into a frequency domain;

compare characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document category, in which the predetermined characteristics comprise a radius, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the first document category; and

if the characteristics do not coincide,

compare the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the second document category.

13. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the following acts:

receive digital data corresponding to a physical document;

transform the digital data into a frequency domain;

compare characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document category, in which the predetermined characteristics comprise a horizontal distance from a DC component response to a frequency point, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the first document category; and

if the characteristics do not coincide,

compare the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the second document category.

14. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the following acts:

receive digital data corresponding to a physical document;

transform the digital data into a frequency domain;

compare characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document type, in which the predetermined characteristics comprise an angle formed between a line from the origin to the frequency point and a horizontal axis, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the first document type; and

if the characteristics do not coincide,

compare the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document type, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the second document type.

15. A computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon to cause a multi-purpose electronic processor to perform the following acts:

receive digital data corresponding to a physical document;

transform the digital data into a frequency domain;

compare characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document category, in which the characteristics associated with the transformed digital data correspond to steganographic indicia hidden on or in the physical document, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the first document category; and

if the characteristics do not coincide,

compare the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document category, and if the characteristics coincide, determine that the physical document is of the second document category.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an input or interface to receive digital data corresponding to a physical document;

a controller including a multi-purpose electronic processor configured to control;

i) transforming the digital data into a frequency domain;

ii) comparing characteristics associated with the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a first document category, and if the characteristics coincide,

iii) determining that the physical document is of the first document category; and

iv) if the characteristics do not coincide, comparing the characteristics of the transformed digital data to predetermined characteristics that are associated with a second document category; and

v) if the characteristics coincide, determining that the physical document is of the second document category.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which said controller is executing in a state to perform at least one of the recited functions.