Method and apparatus for the creation of a self-authenticating document

• US 7,757,091 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Authenticon Limited
• Original Assignee: Abathorn Limited
• Inventors: Martin, Thomas, Duffell, John, O'Toole, Laurence
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorthy; Aravind K
• Application Number:
  US10/476,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20040169366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,993 Days
• Field of Search: 713/179, 713/161, 713/167, 713/168, 713/176, 713/181, 713/187, 726/26, 380/245, 380/246, 380/255, 380/267, 380/28, 714/100, 714/728, 714/756, 714/758, 714/784
• US Class Current: 713/179
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

A self-authenticating printed document (101) comprises text and a symbol (102) printed on the document (101). The symbol (102) includes a verification value, which is representative of the entire data content of the text, and error correction codes for correcting the text. The verification value is used to check the integrity of the text after the document has been corrected using the error correction codes.

Claims

1. A method of producing a self-authenticating document containing printed text having the capability that the entire content of the printed text can be authenticated by reference to the document, the method comprising:

providing electronic text which is intended to be contained within the document as printed text;

generating an electronic text verification value, representative of the entire content of the said electronic text;

generating one or more error correction codes for the said electronic text, said one or more error correction codes being adapted to enable the correction of digitization errors of said printed text; and

generating a machine-readable symbol, representative of the said text verification value and the said error correction code or codes;

wherein the machine-readable symbol is adapted for incorporation within the document when it is printed.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of printing the said self authenticating document in such a manner that it comprises the said electronic text as the printed text and the said machine-readable symbol.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the said verification value comprises a hash total.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the said verification value comprises a checksum.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the said electronic text is divided into a predetermined number of strings and an error correction code is determined for each respective string.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said error correction code is a Reed-Solomon code.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the said machine-readable symbol comprises security data.

8. A method of verifying a printed document, comprising:

machine-reading printed text on the printed document to produce digitized text and machine-reading a symbol printed on the printed document;

deriving one or more error correction codes from the said symbol;

using the error correction code or codes to perform an error correction operation on the said digitized text to correct for digitization errors;

deriving a verification value representative of the entire content of a predetermined body of text from the said symbol;

deriving a further verification value from the said digitized text after it has been subject to the correction operation; and

comparing the said further verification value with the said verification value derived from the said symbol.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the said printed text and symbol are read using an optical scanner.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the said verification value comprises a hash total.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the said verification value comprises a checksum.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the digitized text is divided into a series of strings and a said error correction code is associated with each respective said string.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein the or each said error correction code is a Reed-Solomon code.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein the said symbol comprises security data and the said method comprises a step of using the said security data in order to extract information contained within the said symbol.

15. A device for producing a self-authenticating document, the said device being adapted to provide electronic text to be recorded on the said document as printed text;

to generate an electronic text verification value representative of the entire content of the said electronic text;

to generate one or more error correction codes for the said electronic text, said one or more error correction codes being adapted to enable the correction of digitization errors of said printed text; and

to generate a machine-readable symbol representative of the said text verification value and the said error correction code or codes, which symbol is adapted to be incorporated in the document when it is printed.

16. A device according to claim 15, comprising a printer.

17. A device for verifying a self-authenticating printed document, the said device being adapted to machine-read printed text on the printed document to produce digitized text and to machine-read a symbol contained within the said printed document, to derive one or more error correction codes from the said symbol, to apply a correction operation to the said digitized text using the said error correction code or codes so as to correct for digitization errors of said printed text, to derive a verification value representative of the entire content of a predetermined body of text from the said symbol, to derive a further verification value from the said digitized text after it has been subjected to the said error correction procedure;

and to compare the said verification value with the said further verification value.

18. A device according to claim 17, comprising an optical scanner.