Method of authenticating print media using a mobile telephone

• US 8,028,170 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani; Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman; Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US12/268,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 380/247, 713/176
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2755 by optical scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 : Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 : First party call control architectures
• 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 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 : with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 : with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 : Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 : by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 : in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32778 : using a mark-sheet or machine-readable code request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 : in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 : Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 : sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 : Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• 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 2201/3247 : Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 : of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/187 : Continuous sectional layer

Abstract

A method of using a mobile telephone to authenticate a print medium, the mobile telephone being configured for printing on print media predetermined as authentic. The print media has coded data in the form of a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding a signature fragment. The mobile telephone has a printhead, a processing means, a print path extending past the printhead and a sensor adjacent the print path. The method comprising steps of using the sensor to sense the coded data provided on a surface of the substrate whilst the print medium is moving along the print path, using the processing means to interpret the plurality of coded data portions and determine the signature fragments from each of the coded data portions, determining a signature from the signature fragments, using the signature to assess the print medium authenticity, and using the printhead to print onto the print medium in the event that it is authentic.

Claims

1. A method of using a mobile telephone to authenticate a print medium, the mobile telephone being configured for printing on print media predetermined as authentic, the mobile telephone having a printhead, a processing means, a print path extending past the printhead and a sensor adjacent the print path, the method comprising steps of:

inserting a print medium in a media entry slot of the mobile telephone and feeding the print medium along the print path;

using the sensor to sense a plurality of said coded data portions coded provided on the surface of the substrate whilst the print medium is being fed along the print path, the print medium having coded data printed thereon in the form of contiguous coded data portions, each coded data portion encoding a signature fragment and an identity of the print medium;

using the processing means to interpret the plurality of coded data portions and determine the identity of the print medium encoded in the sensed coded data portions;

using the processing means to interpret the plurality of coded data portions and determine the signature fragments from each of the sensed coded data portions;

determining a signature from the signature fragments, said signature being indicative of a unique identity of the print medium;

generating, using the determined signature and a key, a generated identity;

comparing the determined identity of the print medium with the generated identity;

authenticating the print medium using the results of the comparison; and

using the printhead to print on the print medium determined as authentic.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data includes a plurality of layouts, each layout defining the position of a plurality of first symbols encoding the identity, and a plurality of second symbols defining at least one signature fragment.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data includes a plurality of tags, each of the plurality of signature fragments being formed from at least one of the tags.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is printed on the print medium using at least one of an invisible ink and an infrared-absorptive ink, and wherein the method includes, sensing the coded data using an infrared sensor.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of signature fragments are indicative of the entire signature.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile telephone includes a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:

using the transmitter to send a first message to a remote computer system, the first message being indicative of the identity;

using the receiver to receive a second message from the remote computer system, the second message including data indicative of at least one of;

padding associated with the signature;

a private key; and

a public key; and

generating, using the determined signature and the data, private key or public key, the generated identity.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signature is a digital signature of at least part of the identity and at least part of predetermined padding, and wherein the method includes:

determining, using the identity, the predetermined padding; and

,

generating, using the predetermined padding and the determined signature, the generated identity.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sensed coded data is further indicative of at least one of:

a location of at least one of the data portions;

a position of at least one of the data portions on the print medium;

a size of the data portions;

a size of the signature;

a size of the signature fragment;

an identity of a signature fragment;

units of indicated locations;

redundant data;

data allowing error correction;

Reed-Solomon data; and

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) data.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the digital signature includes at least one of:

a random number associated with the identity;

a keyed hash of at least the identity;

a keyed hash of at least the identity produced using a private key, and verifiable using a corresponding public key;

cipher-text produced by encrypting at least the identity;

cipher-text produced by encrypting at least the identity and a random number; and

,

cipher-text produced using a private key, and verifiable using a corresponding public key.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identity further encodes data related to a region of the print medium.

11. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of commencing printing prior to determining whether the authentication step is successful, and halting printing in the event authentication is not successful.