Digital authentication with analog documents

• US 7,724,920 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns; Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US11/927,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20080216149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/135, 382/137, 382/232, 713/176, 380/287, 380/51, 380/54, 340/5.6, 340/5.86, 356/71, 283/74, 283/75, 283/77, 283/113, 283/901, 235/462.13
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/41 with means for the generation of identity documents
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0047 using checkcodes, e.g. coded numbers derived from serial number and denomination
• 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 7/2016 using feature extraction, e.g. segmentation, edge detection or Hough-transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper

Abstract

The present claim relate generally to steganographic encoding and decoding. For example, one claim recites a method including: using a programmed electronic processor, generating authentication information corresponding to semantic information to be carried on or in a document; and incorporating the authentication information on or in the document, in which incorporated authentication information is to be later obtainable from the document for comparison with the semantic information, and in which the authentication information is steganographically incorporated on or in the document so as to be machine-readable from the document with visible light scanning. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided too.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a programmed electronic processor, generating authentication information corresponding to semantic information to be carried on or in a document; and

incorporating the authentication information on or in the document, in which incorporated authentication information is to be later obtainable from the document for comparison with the semantic information, and in which the authentication information is steganographically incorporated on or in the document so as to be machine-readable from the document with visible light scanning.

2. A computer readable memory including instructions stored thereon to cause an electronic processor to perform the method of claim 1.

3. An apparatus comprising:

electronic memory for storing visible light image data corresponding to a document, the document including semantic information and steganographically encoded authentication information corresponding to the semantic information; and

an electronic processor programmed for;

analyzing the image data to decode the authentication information therefrom; and

providing the authentication information for comparison with the semantic information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said electronic processor is operating to perform at least one of the functions recited therein.

5. A physical document comprising:

semantic information; and

authentication information steganographically hidden on or in the document, in which the authentication information can be machine-read from the document for comparison with the semantic information to determine authenticity of the document, and in which the authentication information is provided so as to be machine-readable from the document with visible light scanning.