EP1919715A2 - Système pour cacher des documents - Google Patents

Système pour cacher des documents

Info

Publication number
EP1919715A2
EP1919715A2 EP06800589A EP06800589A EP1919715A2 EP 1919715 A2 EP1919715 A2 EP 1919715A2 EP 06800589 A EP06800589 A EP 06800589A EP 06800589 A EP06800589 A EP 06800589A EP 1919715 A2 EP1919715 A2 EP 1919715A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
covert
information
covert information
background
viewing device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06800589A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
David M. Wicker
Michael Scott Caton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Document Security Systems Inc
Original Assignee
Document Security Systems Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Document Security Systems Inc filed Critical Document Security Systems Inc
Publication of EP1919715A2 publication Critical patent/EP1919715A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
    • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
    • B42D25/00—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof
    • B42D25/30—Identification or security features, e.g. for preventing forgery
    • B42D25/328—Diffraction gratings; Holograms
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • B41M3/14—Security printing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
    • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
    • B42D25/00—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof
    • B42D25/20—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof characterised by a particular use or purpose
    • B42D25/29—Securities; Bank notes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G21/00—Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
    • G03G21/04—Preventing copies being made of an original
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
    • G07D7/00—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
    • G07D7/20—Testing patterns thereon
    • G07D7/202—Testing patterns thereon using pattern matching
    • G07D7/207—Matching patterns that are created by the interaction of two or more layers, e.g. moiré patterns
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/32—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device
    • H04N1/32101—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
    • H04N1/32144—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
    • H04N1/32149—Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
    • H04N1/32203—Spatial or amplitude domain methods
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
    • H04N1/44—Secrecy systems
    • H04N1/448—Rendering the image unintelligible, e.g. scrambling
    • H04N1/4493—Subsequently rendering the image intelligible using a co-operating image, mask or the like
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • B41M3/14—Security printing
    • B41M3/146—Security printing using a non human-readable pattern which becomes visible on reproduction, e.g. a void mark
    • B42D2035/16—
    • B42D2035/34—
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G2215/00—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes
    • G03G2215/00172—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes relative to the original handling
    • G03G2215/00206—Original medium
    • G03G2215/00299—Confidential, e.g. secret documents
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G2215/00—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes
    • G03G2215/00362—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes relating to the copy medium handling
    • G03G2215/00919—Special copy medium handling apparatus
    • G03G2215/00932—Security copies

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to document protection methods and product. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for hiding information in a document, by means of a latent image or message, which is practically invisible to the naked eye and may only be revealed through use of a matching viewing device. The present invention further relates to a method for creating original documents containing latent messages, which are revealed when the document is read by a dedicated viewing device.
  • an advanced method of concealing covert information in a document that is transmitted for example, over the internet, extranet, wireless, facsimile, etc), copied, or otherwise successfully reproduced on an output device such as a printer.
  • Covert information is hidden by creating a first and a second print structure and then combining them.
  • a tint for concealing the covert information from unintended users is hidden from view by means of an apparently solid tint, which does not reveal information when viewed with the naked eye, photocopied, scanned or digitally photographed. Any attempt to reproduce or copy the document in any way may result in an unreadable tinted area.
  • the document may be copied in substantially identical form including the covert information, which remains masked from the naked eye, but is still viewable by a dedicated viewing device, even after transmission, copying, or other reproduction.
  • the step of masking the covert information may be achieved using any color, ink, toner or inkjet fluid.
  • the step of masking the covert information is most effectively achieved using a dark tint, or metallic or UV/IR inks.
  • the step may be further effectively achieved by printing specific frequencies over a foil image.
  • the step of masking the covert information is achieved utilizing lines, dots, spots, swirls, or images, generally referred to as print elements, either individually or in combination.
  • the step of masking the covert information is most effectively achieved using print elements of equal size and density.
  • the print elements of the covert information should be placed at substantially orthogonal angles to each other in order to most effectively conceal information.
  • the most effective positioning of the screens would be 135°/45°, with one angle for the covert information and one angle for background.
  • the step of establishing the angles of the print elements is dependent on defining the print element screens.
  • the print element may be imaged between 60 and 500 lines per inch, and may be most effective at 150 lines per inch for covert information and the surrounding areas. Screen frequency units most commonly used are lines per inch (“lpi”), but it is understood that print elements other than lines could be utilized; "lpi" is still used as a frequency unit as a matter of convenience. Additionally, the density of the covert information print element tint may be between 10% and 50%, preferably at or about 20%.
  • print element screens are the most effective at not being reproduced, namely 60-300 lpi, and most preferably 120-190 lpi.
  • a dedicated viewing device which is specifically suited to the document, substantially matching the frequency of the covert information print elements. When held in a substantially flat position against the covert information on the document, the dedicated viewing device reveals it while making the background appear less noticeable.
  • the dedicated viewing device may be a lens made of either plastic, glass or film substrate.
  • Dedicated viewing devices may be designed to be easily destroyed after use to ensure extra document security.
  • the dedicated viewing device may be clear, tinted or lined to assist the viewing of the covert information and may contain several distinct areas for viewing of multiple screened areas.
  • Implementation of the method and system of the present invention involves performing or completing selected tasks or steps manually, automatically, or a combination thereof.
  • several selected steps could be implemented by hardware or by software on any operating system of any firmware or a combination thereof.
  • selected steps of the invention could be implemented as a chip or a circuit.
  • selected steps of the invention could be implemented as a plurality of software instructions being executed by a computer using any suitable operating system.
  • selected steps of the method and system of the invention could be described as being performed by a data processor, such as a computing platform for executing a plurality of instructions.
  • FIG. 1 is an illustration of one embodiment of the present invention where covert information is being revealed through a dedicated viewing device.
  • FIG. 2 is a simplified illustration of solid lines of the covert information disposed at a different angle to the solid lines of the background.
  • FIG. 3 is a simplified illustration of the solid lines of the covert information containing a print code.
  • FIG. 4 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment of the present invention using a solid tint background with print elements of the covert information.
  • the present invention provides a method of masking information from unintended users and enabling observation of information through a dedicated viewing device.
  • a user wanting to convey covert information contained within a document to a specific recipient may provide the recipient with a matching viewing device designed to match the document and recognize the covert information.
  • the covert information may be concealed from view and may not be accessed unless a suitable viewing device is used. Any other Recipient of the same document would not have access to the covert information concealed from view and would be unaware of the covert information present within the document or would only be privy to specific information located on a specific area of the document.
  • a covert document form 100 contains covert information 101, background 102, and fillable field 105. Also shown is dedicated viewing device 110.
  • the user inserts covert information 101 into background 102, as described in detail below.
  • Covert document 100 is then ready to be transmitted, copied, or otherwise successfully reproduced by an output device (not shown).
  • the output device may be a copier, scanner, fax machine, or the like.
  • a person wishing to send covert information 101 over the internet may use form 100 on a computer that has fillable field 105.
  • Covert information 101 may be entered into fillable field 105 either by the person completing the form 100 and/or the receiver of the form 100, who may want at least some of the details being sent to remain confidential.
  • covert information 101 is embedded in background area 102 of document 100 as described below and shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
  • the form 100 may then be transmitted through electronic means, e.g., through the internet or by facsimile.
  • form 100 may be sent to an intermediate or a terminal service where the visible information in fillable field 105 may be removed leaving only the information hidden in background 102 for viewing by dedicated viewing device 110.
  • Dedicated viewing device 110 may be a lens made of either plastic, glass or film having a print element frequency that matches the print element frequency of covert information 101.
  • Dedicated viewing device 110 may be clear, tinted or lined to assist the viewing of the covert information 101 and may contain several distinct areas for viewing of multiple screened areas.
  • dedicated viewing device 110 is simply held against covert information 110 for viewing.
  • Use of the dedicated viewing device 110 may make the appearance of the image of background 102 paler or less noticeable while revealing covert information 101, as shown in FIG. 1.
  • Dedicated viewing device 110 may be designed to be easily destroyed after use to ensure extra document security.
  • the visible information disappears from the form 100 during or after embedding covert information into background area 102, thus rendering the electronic document free of information intended to be covert.
  • fillable field 105 rendered blank, an unintended viewer would not have access to the covert information 101.
  • An intended user may then use dedicated viewer 110 to view covert information that has been embedded in background area 102.
  • covert information 101 and background 102 may be created by using a software program such as Forms X6 for Quark Xpress by DigiComp, Maple Grove, MN.
  • FIG. 2 is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of the present invention 200 having solid lines 201 and 202 at substantially different angles to each other to mask covert information 201.
  • a user wanting to conceal covert information 201 from general view may place covert information print elements, in this case, solid lines, 201, and background print elements, in this case, solid lines, 202, at substantially different angles to each other.
  • Print elements of covert information 201 define axis x2 and print elements of background 202 define axis y2.
  • Angle b between axes xl and yl preferably measures 90°, plus or minus 5°, as shown in FIG. 2, but can, in actuality, vary greatly.
  • covert information print elements 201 and background print elements 202 could be replaced with dots, spots, swirls, or images (not shown), either individually or in combination.
  • FIG. 3 is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of the present invention 300 similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, having solid lines as print elements of the covert information and background, 301 and 302, respectively.
  • Axes x3 and y3, defined by print elements 301 and 302, are disposed at angle c, again preferably 90°, plus or minus 5°, to mask the covert information.
  • print code 303 is inserted, preferably, at the vertex of angle c. Print codes can be used for additional security, authorship identification, or the like.
  • Print code 303 is shown as the lower case letter "w" in FIG. 3, but can be comprised of any print element, including, but not limited to, lines, dots, spots, swirls, or images.
  • FIG. 4 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment of the present invention 400 in which covert information 402 cannot be easily scanned or copied.
  • Covert information print elements 402 shown as broken lines, are used in combination with solid background 401, shown as solid lines in FIG. 4.
  • solid background 401 By selecting the proper tints, print elements 401 can be hidden within solid background 401 and later viewed using a dedicated viewing device (not shown). Darker tints are preferred for solid background 401 and colored tints are preferred for covert information print elements 402.
  • a user wanting to isolate covert information 402 as shown in FIG. 4 may cover or underlay the covert information print elements 402 with a tint, color, paper substrate coloring or foil. Information displayed in this manner is seen as a solid tint. Covert information 402 may be most effectively concealed through the use of dark colors, metallic colors and/or UV inks.
  • the user may choose to use a solid printed or tinted background or colored paper in addition to the dark or metallic or UV/IR ink. For example, the user may choose to print with blue ink on red paper, or red on a metallic blue solid area.
  • the metallic base tint may be overprinted with an opposite color that would further hide the covert information.
  • UV and IR links used to create the information may be placed to reveal half of an image when a plastic or glass viewer is placed on top of the document and the balance of the image "appears when UV or IR light is shown through the viewing device onto the document. In such a way, additional "codes" may be hidden as secondary messages.
  • the user having chosen to reveal covert information 101 to a recipient of the document, provides the recipient with a dedicated viewing device, shown as 110 in FIG. 1.
  • a dedicated viewing device shown as 110 in FIG. 1.
  • the user provides each recipient of the document with a different viewing device 110, each designed to match the different covert information.
  • the process can be accomplished by utilizing a different screen frequencies or different screen print elements, such as dots as covert information print elements for the first recipient and lines as covert information print elements for the second recipient.
  • a page of a document containing a tint background may be transmitted and separately covert information printed to a translucent overlay may be transmitted such that when the overlay is placed over the background screen the covert information may be read.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (AREA)
  • Editing Of Facsimile Originals (AREA)
  • Image Processing (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Printing Methods (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention se rapporte en général à des procédés et à un produit de protection de documents. Plus particulièrement, la présente invention se rapporte à un procédé permettant de cacher des informations dans un document au moyen d’une image ou d’un message latent, quasiment invisible à l’oeil nu et pouvant uniquement être révélé grâce à un dispositif de correspondance de vision. En outre, la présente invention se rapporte à un procédé destiné à créer des documents originaux contenant des messages latents, qui sont révélés lorsque le document est lu par un dispositif de visionnage. Dans un mode de réalisation, des éléments imprimés tels que des lignes, des pastilles, des points, des spirales ou des images, sont utilisés pour former des informations cachées. Les éléments imprimés des informations cachées sont placés à un certain angle d’éléments imprimés appartenant à un support, créant ainsi un document caché. Dans un autre mode de réalisation, des éléments imprimés des informations cachées sont utilisés avec un support solide.
EP06800589A 2005-08-01 2006-08-01 Système pour cacher des documents Withdrawn EP1919715A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US70386005P 2005-08-01 2005-08-01
US79482606P 2006-04-26 2006-04-26
PCT/US2006/029868 WO2007016536A2 (fr) 2005-08-01 2006-08-01 Système pour cacher des documents

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1919715A2 true EP1919715A2 (fr) 2008-05-14

Family

ID=37709301

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP06800589A Withdrawn EP1919715A2 (fr) 2005-08-01 2006-08-01 Système pour cacher des documents

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1919715A2 (fr)
JP (1) JP2009504094A (fr)
AU (1) AU2006275525A1 (fr)
BR (1) BRPI0615995A2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2618052A1 (fr)
IL (1) IL189116A0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2007016536A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7976068B2 (en) 2002-10-10 2011-07-12 Document Security Systems, Inc. Double-blind security features
JP2008517485A (ja) * 2004-09-07 2008-05-22 ドキュメント セキュリティ システムズ，インク． スキャンに耐えるセキュリティ模様を具えるドキュメント
US7845572B2 (en) 2005-08-01 2010-12-07 Document Security Systems, Inc. Solid-color embedded security feature
WO2008016735A1 (fr) 2006-07-31 2008-02-07 Document Security Systems, Inc. Document avec fichier d'aperçu lié pour impression en corrélation
WO2010098759A1 (fr) * 2009-02-26 2010-09-02 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Procédé d'utilisation de pantographes invalidants

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5708717A (en) * 1995-11-29 1998-01-13 Alasia; Alfred Digital anti-counterfeiting software method and apparatus
GB0015871D0 (en) * 2000-06-28 2000-08-23 Rue De Int Ltd A security device

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2007016536A2 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2007016536A3 (fr) 2008-02-07
CA2618052A1 (fr) 2007-02-08
BRPI0615995A2 (pt) 2011-05-31
WO2007016536A2 (fr) 2007-02-08
JP2009504094A (ja) 2009-01-29
AU2006275525A1 (en) 2007-02-08
IL189116A0 (en) 2009-08-03

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