Documents and apparatus to encode documents

• US 7,349,555 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1993
• 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:
  US11/679,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20070217493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/232, 380/51, 380/54, 380/55, 358/3.28, 713/176, 340/5.86, 356/71, 283/72, 283/73, 283/75, 283/77, 283/78, 283/85, 283/113, 283/901
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/309 Photographs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• 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: G07C 9/253 : visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 : using holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0034 : using watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 : using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 : Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 : Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 : Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00094 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00115 : wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 : involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00181 : using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 : involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 : involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 : embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 : using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 : relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 : Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 : remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 : embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32203 : Spatial or amplitude domain methods H04N1/32309 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 : involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32251 : in multilevel data, e.g. greyscale or continuous tone data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32288 : Multiple embedding, e.g. cocktail embedding, or redundant embedding, e.g. repeating the additional information at a plurality of locations in the image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32352 : Controlling detectability or arrangements to facilitate detection or retrieval of the embedded information, e.g. using markers for decoding, detection or retrieval operations H04N1/32149 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 : Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 : characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 : the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 : the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 : involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 : of an address
• 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 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 : Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/328 : Processing of the additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to documents, e.g., such as legal tender, currency and identification documents, and apparatus for encoding documents. One claim recites: a physical document including a machine-detectable hidden signal. Presence of the hidden signal is determined by collecting visible light image data associated with the document and transforming the image data to a complementary domain to generate transform data. Presence of a telltale pattern in the transform data indicates a presence of the hidden signal. The hidden signal is associated with a type or status of the physical document. One type is legal tender. Another type is an identification document. An example of status is “do not copy”. Of course, other combinations are claimed as well.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an authenticator which obtains first information corresponding to a document to be constructed into an analog form, the first information also being obtainable from a first portion of the analog form; and

an incorporator which steganographically incorporates the first information in a portion of a digital representation of the document, the first information also being obtainable from a second portion of the analog form, the first information being obtainable with visible light scanning of the second portion of the analog form, the second portion corresponding to the portion of the digital representation.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the digital representation includes items of data, each item has more significant components and less significant components.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the items are pixels and the components are bits in the pixels.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the items are signal samples and the components are bits in the signal samples.

5. A physical document comprising a machine-detectable signal, the signal being detectable by collecting visible light image data associated with the document and transforming the image data to a complementary domain to generate transform data based on a Fourier transform, wherein presence of a telltale pattern in the transform data indicates a presence of the signal, the signal or pattern corresponding to an action.

6. The physical document of claim 5 wherein the document comprises legal tender.

7. The physical document of claim 5 wherein the document comprises an identification document.

8. The physical document of claim 7 wherein the identification document comprises a photo-identification document.

9. The physical document of claim 5 wherein the action comprises a copy restriction.

10. A physical document comprising a machine-detectable hidden signal, where presence of the hidden signal is determined by collecting visible light image data associated with the document and transforming the image data to a complementary domain to generate transform data, where presence of a telltale pattern in the transform data indicates a presence of the hidden signal, the hidden signal is associated with a type or status of the physical document.

11. The physical document of claim 10 wherein the type comprises:

legal tender.

12. The physical document of claim 10 wherein the type comprises:

an identification document.

13. The physical document of claim 12 wherein the identification document comprises a photo-identification document.

14. The physical document of claim 10 wherein the status comprises:

do not copy.