Authentication of an object using a signature part

• US 20050262348A1
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/20 Manipulating the length of blocks of bits, e.g. padding or block truncation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method of authenticating an object by sensing coded data provided on or in a surface associated with the object. The coded data is indicative of an identity of the object and, at least part of a signature, the signature being a digital signature of at least part of the identity. The method includes using the sensed coded data to determine a sensed identity and a sensed signature part. The sensed identity is then used to determine at least a determined signature part, which is then compared to the sensed signature part, with the object being authenticated using the results of the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an object, the method including:

sensing coded data provided on or in a surface associated with the object, the coded data being indicative of;

an identity of the object; and

,

at least part of a signature, the signature being a digital signature of at least part of the identity; and

,

determining, using the sensed coded data, a sensed identity and a sensed signature part;

determining, using the sensed identity, at least a determined signature part;

comparing the determined signature part to the sensed signature part; and

,

authenticating the object using the results of the comparison.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, generating an indication of success or failure of the authentication.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data includes a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of at least one of:

at least part of the identity;

at least one signature part; and

,

a position of the coded data portion on the surface,

wherein the method includes sensing at least one coded data portion.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is further indicative of an identity of the signature part, and wherein the method includes:

determining a signature part identity of the sensed signature part;

determining, using the sensed identity, a determined signature; and

,

selecting, using signature part identity of the sensed signature part, and from the determined signature, the determined signature part.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes, retrieving from a data store, using the sensed identity, stored data indicative of the digital signature, the stored data including at least one of:

padding associated with the signature;

a private key;

a public key;

one or more digital signature parts; and

,

the digital signature.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the stored data is indexed by at least one of:

the identity; and

,

a range of identities.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the method includes, determining the determined signature part using the stored data and the sensed identity.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the method includes, retrieving the stored data from a remote database.

9. 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 part.

10. A method according to claim 3, wherein the entire signature is formed from a plurality of signature parts, and wherein each coded data portion encodes a respective signature part such that the entire signature is encoded by a plurality of data portions.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is printed on the surface 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 detector.

12. 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.

13. A method of according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed in a sensing device having:

an image sensor for sensing the coded data; and

,

a processor for authenticating the object.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the indicating data is further indicative of at least one of:

a location of the respective data portion;

a position of the respective data portion on the surface;

a size of the data portions;

a size of the signature;

a size of the signature part;

an identity of a signature part;

units of indicated locations;

redundant data;

data allowing error correction;

Reed-Solomon data; and

,

Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) data.

15. 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;

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

,

cipher-text produced using RSA encryption.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identity includes an identity of at least one of:

the object;

the surface; and

,

a region of the surface.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identity includes at least one of:

an Electronic Product Code (EPC);

a National Drug Code (NDC) number;

a serial number of a pharmaceutical item;

a currency note attribute including at least one of;

currency;

issue country;

denomination;

note side;

printing works; and

serial number;

a check attribute including at least one of;

currency;

issuing institution;

account number;

serial number;

expiry date;

check value; and

limit; and

a card attribute including at least one of;

card type;

issuing institution;

account number;

issue date;

expiry date; and

limit.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is arranged in accordance with at least one layout having n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is at least two, the layout including n identical sub-layouts rotated 1/n revolutions apart about a centre of rotation, at least one sub-layout including rotation-indicating data that distinguishes that sub-layout from each other sub-layout.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is arranged in accordance with at least one layout having n-fold rotational symmetry, where n is at least two, the layout encoding orientation-indicating data comprising a sequence of an integer multiple m of n symbols, where m is one or more, each encoded symbol being distributed at n locations about a centre of rotational symmetry of the layout such that decoding the symbols at each of the n orientations of the layout produces n representations of the orientation-indicating data, each representation comprising a different cyclic shift of the orientation-indicating data and being indicative of the degree of rotation of the layout.

20. A method according to claim 3, wherein each coded data portion encodes the entire signature.