Coded data including a distributed data stream

• US 7,467,300 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• 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): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US11/041,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 726/26, 380/51, 380/55, 705/2, 705/75, 340/5.8, 455/410, 455/411
• 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

Coded data for disposal on or in a surface that includes a number of coded data portions. Each coded data portion encodes an identity of an object or the like associated with the surface. In addition, each coded data portion encodes at least part of a data object so that the data object is encoded in its entirety over a number of data portions, thereby allowing the data object to be reconstructed. The data object can include digital data relating to the object, such as product information, or a digital signature of at least part of the identity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for authenticating an object, the apparatus comprising:

means for sensing coded data provided on a plurality of regions of a surface associated with the object;

means for determining, from the coded data of each sensed region, an identity of the object, a signature fragment, and a signature fragment identifier associated with the signature fragment of the sensed region;

means for determining a determined signature by arranging the plurality of signature fragments according to their associated signature fragment identifiers;

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

means for comparing the identity to the generated identity; and

means for authenticating the object using the results of the comparison.

2. The apparatus 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.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined padding is associated with and unique to the identity.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is provided substantially coincident with visible human-readable information.