DE102018102015A1 - A method for verifying the verification of a security document with a printed security feature, security feature and arrangement for verification - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for checking the authenticity and / or integrity of a security document (01) with a printed security feature (02). The method comprises the steps of irradiating the security document (01) with electromagnetic radiation, recording a plurality of individual images at time-defined intervals by means of a mobile terminal (06), checking the acquired individual images by means of a data processing unit and outputting the result of the verification. Furthermore, the invention relates to a printed security feature (02) for a security document (01) and to an arrangement for checking the authenticity and / or integrity of a security document (01).

Description

The present invention relates to a method for authenticity and / or integrity checking of a security document with a printed security feature. Furthermore, the invention relates to the printed security feature for the security document and an arrangement for verification of the security document with the security feature.

From the WO 2013/034471 A1 For example, a device for mobile recognizing a document with a wavelength conversion characteristic is known. The device comprises a light generating device, an image pickup device and a processor.

In the WO 2012/083469 A1 For example, a method and apparatus for authenticating documents marked with photochromic systems are described. The method for checking the authenticity of a security feature provides that a first and a second image of the security feature are recorded. The appearance of the security feature changes in the visible range under excitation by a flash of light. The first image is taken without the second image using a flash function of a mobile phone. Furthermore, an authentication check can be carried out by the mobile telephone with the aid of a suitable data processing program.

From the DE 10 2015 219 393 A1 For example, a method of identifying an item is known. An identification feature with a plurality of identification elements is arranged on or on the object. By irradiation of the identification elements with light in a wavelength range of 380 nm to 790 nm, a first identification feature is visually recognizable.

From the WO 2013/034603 A1 For example, a method for verifying a security document having a security feature in the form of at least one pigment-type fluorescent printing element is known.

In general, numerous different types of security features are used in a wide variety of applications. Only a few of them are suitable as a security feature for security documents, such as banknotes, certificates, ID cards, identification cards and the like. In this subset of security features, only a few designs for a trustworthy and difficult to manipulate review with widely available simple devices and devices are suitable. For example, complex emission properties can be integrated into printable phosphors whose authenticity can only be examined with expensive and complicated test devices, which are only used in a few places, eg. B. held in central banks. In particular, there is a lack of simple arrangements that are available to virtually every end-user to check security features, thereby allowing for verification of the integrity and authenticity of security documents.

It is an object of the present invention, starting from the prior art, to provide a method which enables the verification of a security document with a printed security feature. A further object is to provide a security feature which can be printed on a security document or produced using known printing methods in the production of the security document and subsequently permits verification of the security document. Verification should also be possible with mobile devices, such as a smartphone, using widely available devices. The security feature should be applicable to a variety of security documents or objects. Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for verifying the security document with this security feature.

According to the invention, the object is achieved by a method for verification or authenticity and / or integrity check for a security document with security feature according to the appended claim 1 and by a printed security feature and an arrangement for verification of the security document with security feature according to the attached sibling Claims 6 and 10.

The method according to the invention serves for the authenticity and / or integrity check or the verification check of a security document with a printed security feature. The security feature has a first printing substance, which can be excited to luminescence using electromagnetic radiation. The first printing substance is visually invisible and may be printed as a non-visible pattern on the security document. If the security feature is stimulated to luminesce, it also emits radiation beyond the end of the excitation. The first printing substance is chosen so that the emitted radiation occurs in a decay time, so that the radiation is detectable by means of an image acquisition unit of a mobile terminal, wherein the decay time and the radiation intensity are chosen so that the emitted radiation by the human eye not or almost not is perceptible (visually invisible), although the emitted radiation may be in the visible spectrum. Furthermore, the security feature on a second printing substance. The second printing substance may preferably be arranged as a visually visible pattern on the security document. Visible and non-visible patterns may be in the form of simple geometric elements, complex print patterns, or even images or graphics.

In the light of the present invention, the term printing substance is to be understood broadly, in the sense of a material, with or in which information can be imaged. In the simplest case, it is an ink with pigments and / or phosphors. The term "visually non-visible" or "visually imperceptible" in the sense of the present invention means that the corresponding information or radiation or pattern can not be detected by the naked eye of the user.

In a first method step, the security feature applied to the security document is irradiated with an electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined wavelength by means of a lighting unit of the mobile terminal. As a result of the irradiation, the security feature, in particular the first printing substance, is excited to luminescence.

For this purpose, the first printing substance is configured in such a way that, when excited with excitation radiation emitted by the illumination unit, it displays a non-visible emission in a wavelength range which can be detected by an image acquisition unit of the mobile terminal and preferably also in a display unit of the mobile terminal mobile terminal can be displayed.

In a further method step, emission values of the security feature are detected by means of the image acquisition unit of the mobile terminal. Multiple frames of the stimulated security feature are generated at timed intervals. The frames contain the visually invisible radiation of the first printing substance and an image of the pattern formed by the second printing substance. The individual images can be stored in a memory or displayed on the display unit after appropriate processing (visualization of the invisible pattern).

In a subsequent method step, the captured individual images are evaluated by means of a data processing unit and used to verify the authenticity and / or integrity. For verification, the individual images are compared with stored reference images or the recorded emission values are compared with stored reference values. The reference images are selected according to the temporally defined recording distances of the individual images. The reference images may in particular be formed by the pattern imaged with the second printing substance.

In a further method step, the result of the verification is output. An output of a positive result of the authenticity and / or integrity check is made if the detected individual images match the reference images stored in the data processing unit or if the emission values match the reference values.

In a preferred method step, the detected individual images are checked with the stored reference images at defined positions of the images. For example, three points are selected at certain positions in the image area of a single image and the corresponding pixels at the specific positions of the reference image are compared with these and compared with them. The images, in particular their positions, defined and determined point positions and the measured as well as the reference deposited luminescences are compared.

The reference values are preferably stored in a digital memory, which may be part of the mobile terminal, or deposited on a remote server by an intelligent database.

Preferably, the frames of the stimulated security feature are captured on the security document at intervals of milliseconds (ms). Alternatively, the individual images of the stimulated security feature are detected on the security document at intervals of microseconds (μs). The decay times of the emission of the first printing substance as well as the time intervals between the individual images are suitably selected in order to be able to record the emission in the individual images.

Preferably, the examination of the captured individual images with the reference images by the data processing unit with a data processing program. Preferably, the data processing program comprises an algorithm for carrying out the steps of the method according to the invention. Preferably, the algorithm is designed to evaluate cryptographic data or other non-cognitively detectable data, which are encoded, for example, as the non-visible or the visible pattern.

Preferably, the data processing unit is part of the mobile terminal.

The image acquisition unit is preferably a photosensor or an image sensor. Particularly preferably, the image acquisition unit comprises a plurality of photosensors, in particular a camera, which is also sensitive to non-visible radiation and converts these into electrical image signals.

The illumination unit for irradiating the security document is preferably one or more LEDs which generate a white light. The white light can be realized in the course of a flash function of the mobile device. In particular, the generated light contains radiation in the frequency domain which is used to excite the first printing substance to cause it to emit non-visible emissions.

Preferably, the visually invisible and the visually visible pattern of the first and the second printing substance are arranged in one and the same area on the security document. For example, the non-visible pattern may be directly attached to a person's portrait of a passport. Inspection of the invisible pattern would then immediately reveal manipulation if the portrait was altered or replaced, as this will inevitably damage the invisible pattern.

Preferably, the security document is checked online with the mobile terminal, which transmits data to and receives data from a server. Alternatively preferably, the security document is checked offline with the mobile terminal, ie. H. the complete verification is carried out by the mobile terminal and the result of this is displayed.

The method can be used to verify the security feature with defined patterns and materials.

An advantage of the method according to the invention is that the security document can be checked in a mobile manner with each mobile terminal equipped with a white LED or white light emitting LED flash function and the corresponding data processing unit. Thus, it is possible in particular by capturing physically present security documents to check the security features integrated there using a conventional mobile device (smartphone, tablet, wearables), which has been configured by a software (App) for the application, and the result of the test directly in digital Applications to use. For example, the authenticity of a person within an online purchasing process may be confirmed by photographing an identity card and simultaneously verifying the authenticity of that identity card. Also, the method is advantageous because it can be used both online and offline. Another advantage is that the verification is quick and easy.

The verification of the security document can also be done using other data processing systems with image capture units, eg. As desktop monitors, service terminals or the like.

The printed security feature according to the invention can be applied to a security document, in particular printable during the production of the security document. The security feature consists of a visually invisible pattern and a visually visible pattern. The visually invisible pattern is formed by a first printing substance. The first printing substance is excitable by an electromagnetic radiation of predetermined wavelength for luminescence, so that the first printing substance emits a non-visible radiation that is not visible to the human eye, but can nevertheless be detected by an image capture unit of a mobile device and converted into electrical image signals. The visually visible pattern is formed by a second printing substance. The first printing substance is selected such that when it is excited by electromagnetic radiation, in particular emitted by the flashlight of the mobile device, a non-visible radiation is emitted by the first printing substance, which is detectable or readable by the image acquisition unit of the mobile terminal.

The printed security feature, which can be applied to a security document, serves to verify the security document, checking the authenticity and / or integrity. Authenticity is the authenticity and integrity the authenticity of an object. Verification of the security document with printed security feature can be done using the procedure described above. The above applies with all embodiments. Likewise, the details of the security feature according to the invention described below are applicable to the method described above.

In one embodiment, the second printing substance can also be excited for luminescence, in which case the two printing substances particularly preferably have two different emission spectra and / or decay times. Preferably, the cooldowns are in the millisecond range. The printing substances are selected so that the cooldowns are in the range of the serial or single image recording times of the mobile terminal. Preferably, the cooldowns are chosen so that after excitation of the first particle with the flash of a conventional smartphone from the camera of the Smartphones at least two consecutive images can be recorded, in which sufficiently strong emissions of the first particles can be recorded.

It is understandable that the mentioned printing substances can each be composed of several different particle subspecies. For example, it may be particularly advantageous to set the resulting emission properties by a random, inhomogeneous mixture of a plurality of printing substances and then to store these properties specifically for the security document. This allows you to set unique properties for individual security documents or for groups of security documents.

In one embodiment, the visually invisible pattern is embodied as a machine-readable code. In an alternative embodiment, the visually-visible pattern is formed as a machine-readable code (binary data). Particularly preferably, the visually invisible pattern and the visually visible pattern are formed as a machine-readable code. The machine-readable code is particularly preferably a cryptographic code which has, for example, the form of a barcode, QR code or the like.

The security feature preferably consists of the visually-invisible pattern and the visually-visible pattern, which together form another pattern, which can preferably be displayed by the display unit of the mobile device. For example, to authenticate the security feature, the user of the mobile device may display both patterns on the display unit in an image so that the composite further pattern becomes recognizable.

The security feature is preferably applicable to a security document to be tested or to a comparable object to be tested (eg label). Alternatively preferably, the security feature can be introduced on a security document to be tested or in an object to be tested.

The security feature can be read by a smartphone, for example.

By evaluating the security feature, in particular its pattern or code, security processes can preferably be processed. Based on the patterns or codes, an object, a process or a user can be identified. Likewise, information or encrypted secrets (eg data key) can be read out in the security feature and used in the further process. This process can be used to further verify integrity. For example, the comparison of decrypted information with data from the security document. For example, a name or an ident number can be stored again as a QR code so that an "offline check" can be carried out even without access to a remote server. Furthermore, the decrypted information can be compared with data in an external database ("online check").

The security feature is suitable for multifactor authentication. For example, it may be applied to a photograph of a passport, wherein the photo, the decay time of the first printing substance after luminescence excitation of the security feature and the pattern formed by the security feature are checked.

Another advantage of the security feature is that objects on which it is printed can be assigned to a common group or distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the authenticity or unadulteratedness can be controlled. It is also advantageous that information can be transmitted by the applied pattern, for example serial numbers.

The arrangement according to the invention is used for the authenticity and / or integrity check or the verification check of a security document. The arrangement comprises a security feature as well as a mobile terminal. The security feature is printed on the security document. The security feature corresponds to the security feature described above with all embodiments. The mobile terminal comprises a lighting unit and an image acquisition unit. The lighting unit is designed to emit electromagnetic radiation. The image capture unit is used to detect radiation, in particular non-visible radiation, which is emitted by a non-visible pattern of the security feature after excitation. Furthermore, the image acquisition unit of the radiation detection of a visually visible pattern is used. The non-visible pattern is formed by a first by means of an electromagnetic radiation excitable luminescence printing substance. The visually visible pattern is formed by a second printing substance.

The security document on which the security feature is applied may be, for example, a banknote, a token, a passport or a passport. Further uses of the security feature on z. The following items are possible: valuables and security documents, stamps, banknotes, ID cards, Vehicle registration cards, bank cards, concert tickets, train tickets, food packaging, clothing, spare parts, labels or medicine packaging. The skilled person numerous other uses of security features are known, which should not be excluded here.

The security feature can also be used for marking and assigning items, for example in warehouses, or for product protection.

To apply the printable security feature, preferably applying a defined pattern, one of the following devices can be used, for example: printing press, stamp or spray device.

Preferably, the lighting unit is an LED. Particularly preferably, the lighting unit is a regularly integrated in mobile terminals LED to produce white light, called white LED. White LEDs are known to use a blue LED in combination with a conversion phosphor.

The mobile terminal is preferably a smartphone. Alternatively, the mobile terminal is preferably a tablet PC with a camera. Furthermore, the mobile terminal may be a smartwatch. In an alternative embodiment, the mobile terminal is part of a smart home system.

Preferably, the lighting unit is a camera of the mobile terminal with flash function. The flash function has the usual lighting times.

Preferably, the image capture unit is a camera of the mobile terminal for taking single, burst images or videos. The image capture unit has the standard recording time and shooting distances.

Further details, advantages and developments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the drawing.

The sole FIGURE shows a method step of the method according to the invention for checking the authenticity and / or integrity of a security document 01 with a printed security feature 02 , The security document 01 is an identity document with a feature 03 such as bibliographic data or a photo of the cardholder. The security feature 02 has a code or a pattern 04 on. The pattern 04 consists of a first printing substance (not shown) and a second printing substance (not shown). The pattern 04 is located on the feature, such as the photo, for multi-factor authentication to occur. The first printing substance can be excited by an electromagnetic radiation of predetermined wavelength for luminescence and forms a visually non-visible pattern. The second printing substance forms a visually visible pattern.

In the illustrated method step, the security feature 02 using a smartphone 06 is stimulated to luminescence by the flash function of a camera (not shown) is activated and emits electromagnetic radiation. The flash function emits electromagnetic radiation 07 out.

In further process steps, not shown, a plurality of individual images are recorded by means of the smartphone camera and by means of a data processing unit of the smartphone 06 compared with stored reference images. The comparison takes place on the basis of the images, defined points on the images and on the basis of the luminescence characteristic of the excited first printing substance.

The properties and parameters of phosphor particles or their emissions are known to the person skilled in the art, so that a detailed description of these test steps is dispensed with.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

01

The security document

02

safety feature

03

Photo of the cardholder

04

template

05

-

06

Smartphone

07

electromagnetic radiation

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 2013/034471 A1 [0002]
• WO 2012/083469 A1 [0003]
• DE 102015219393 A1 [0004]
• WO 2013/034603 A1 [0005]

Claims (10)

A method for authenticity and / or integrity testing a security document with a printed security feature, wherein the security feature comprises a first printing substance which is excitable for luminescence and emits after the end of the excitation within a decay time, a visually imperceptible radiation by means of a Image capture unit of a terminal is detected, and wherein the security feature comprises a second printing substance, comprising the following steps: - irradiating the security feature applied on the security document with an electromagnetic radiation of predetermined wavelength by means of a lighting unit of the terminal; - Recording multiple frames of the stimulated security feature at timed intervals by means of the image capture unit of the terminal, wherein the individual images depict the emitted visually imperceptible radiation of the first printing substance and an image of the second printing substance; - Checking the captured individual images or data derived therefrom by means of a data processing unit, wherein the individual images or derived data are compared with stored reference data corresponding to the temporally defined recording distances; and Output of a result of the authenticity and / or integrity check of the acquired individual images with the reference images. Method according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the verification of the captured individual images with reference images takes place at defined positions of the images. Method according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that emission values are determined by the terminal from the recorded individual images of the stimulated security feature, in particular emission spectrum and / or radiation intensities at specific times within the decay time. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the individual images are recorded at intervals less than one second, preferably less than 100 milliseconds. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the data processing unit is part of a mobile terminal, and that the image acquisition unit comprises a photosensor, an image sensor or a camera. Security feature for a security document, wherein a visually non-visible pattern is formed by a luminescence excitable with an electromagnetic radiation of predetermined wavelength first printing substance and a visually visible pattern is formed by a second printing substance; and wherein the luminescence-excitable first printing substance emits, upon excitation by the electromagnetic radiation after the end of the excitation within a decay time, a visually imperceptible radiation detectable by an image capturing unit of a terminal. Security feature after Claim 6 , characterized in that the second printing substance can be excited to luminescence and the first and the second printing substance have different decay times and / or emit in different spectral ranges. Security feature after Claim 6 or 7 , characterized in that the visually non-visible pattern and / or the visually visible pattern are formed as a machine-readable code, in particular as non-cognitively detectable code are formed. Security feature after one of Claims 6 to 8th , characterized in that the security feature on the security document to be tested can be applied or introduced into this. Arrangement for checking the authenticity and / or integrity of a security document, comprising: a security feature according to one of Claims 6 to 9 which is attached to the security document; and - a mobile terminal with a lighting unit, which is designed to emit electromagnetic radiation; with an image acquisition unit for detecting a visually imperceptible radiation of a visually invisible pattern and a visually visible pattern, wherein the non-visible pattern is formed by a first luminescent stimulable by electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the visually apparent pattern is formed by a second printing substance; and with a data processing unit for checking the authenticity and / or integrity of the security document based on the radiation detected by the image capture unit.

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