Updating of reference magnetic signature for authenticating a document with a magnetic stripe
First Claim
1. A method for authenticating a document that includes a magnetic stripe having a distinct magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the magnetic noise characteristic exists over one or more predetermined segments of the magnetic stripe, the method comprising:
- receiving, at an authentication device, a set of values representing a present magnetic noise characteristic of the document;
comparing the received values to reference values, wherein the comparing includes;
determining an error for each received value, wherein each error includes a sum of contributions, each contribution corresponding to a respective set of previously received values representing a previous magnetic noise characteristic of the document, each respective set of previously received values being received at a different time as part of a respective authentication of the document;
based on the comparison, providing a measure of an authenticity of the document; and
updating the reference values with the received set of values representing the present magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the present magnetic noise characteristic includes additional noise introduced into the magnetic stripe resulting from use of the document since a prior update of the reference values.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and apparatus for accurately authenticating a document (e.g. a credit card) having a magnetic stripe are provided. The magnetic field at different points of the magnetic stripe are measured, e.g., by a checkout scanner to create a magnetic signature. Digital samples of the measurements may be used to create a representation of the magnetic signature. The representation can then be compared to reference values to produce a measure of the authenticity of the document. The reference values are updated over time to reflect changes in the magnetic stripe of the authentic document, as may occur due to physical deterioration. For example, reference values may be optimized based on recent measurements of the authenticated document to provide a more accurate determination of authenticity for future measurements.
31 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for authenticating a document that includes a magnetic stripe having a distinct magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the magnetic noise characteristic exists over one or more predetermined segments of the magnetic stripe, the method comprising:
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receiving, at an authentication device, a set of values representing a present magnetic noise characteristic of the document; comparing the received values to reference values, wherein the comparing includes; determining an error for each received value, wherein each error includes a sum of contributions, each contribution corresponding to a respective set of previously received values representing a previous magnetic noise characteristic of the document, each respective set of previously received values being received at a different time as part of a respective authentication of the document; based on the comparison, providing a measure of an authenticity of the document; and updating the reference values with the received set of values representing the present magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the present magnetic noise characteristic includes additional noise introduced into the magnetic stripe resulting from use of the document since a prior update of the reference values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium encoded with a plurality of instructions for controlling a computing system to perform a method for authenticating a document that includes a magnetic stripe having a distinct magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the magnetic noise characteristic occurs over one or more predetermined segments of the magnetic stripe, the instructions comprising:
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receiving a set of values representing a present magnetic noise characteristic of the document; comparing the received values to reference values, wherein the comparing includes; determining an error for each received value, wherein each error includes a sum of contributions, each contribution corresponding to a respective set of previously received values representing a previous magnetic noise characteristic of the document, each respective set of previously received values being received at a different time as part of a respective authentication of the document; based on the comparison, providing a measure of an authenticity of the document; and updating the reference values with the received set of values representing the present magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the present magnetic noise characteristic includes additional noise introduced into the magnetic stripe resulting from use of the document since a prior update of the reference values. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for authenticating a document that includes a magnetic stripe having a distinct magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the magnetic noise characteristic occurs over one or more predetermined segments of the magnetic stripe, the system comprising:
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an input for receiving a set of values representing a present magnetic noise characteristic of the document; a processor communicably coupled with the input, the processor configured to; compare the received values to reference values, wherein the comparing includes; determining an error for each received value, wherein each error includes a sum of contributions, each contribution corresponding to a respective set of previously received values representing a previous magnetic noise characteristic of the document, each respective set of previously received values being received at a different time as part of a respective authentication of the document; based on the comparison, provide a measure of an authenticity of the document; and updating the reference values with the received set of values representing the present magnetic noise characteristic, wherein the present magnetic noise characteristic includes additional noise introduced into the magnetic stripe resulting from use of the document since a prior update of the reference values. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification