Authenticating Identification and Security Documents With Cell Phones

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to authenticating identification and security documents, and methods and systems for authenticating such. One claim recites a method of authenticating a security or identification document with a cell phone. The cell phone comprising an optical sensor and a graphical display, the document comprising micro-printing, in which the micro-printing is imperceptible by an unassisted human observer. The method comprises: receiving from the optical sensor optical scan data corresponding to the document; analyzing the optical scan data to recognize the micro-printing; scaling or magnifying the micro-printing; and rendering at least some of the scaled or magnified micro-printing via the graphical display, in which rendered, scaled or magnified micro-printing is perceptible by a human observer of the graphical display. Other claims, implementations and embodiments are provided as well.

1 . A method of authenticating a security or identification document with a cell phone, the cell phone comprising an optical sensor and a graphical display, the document comprising micro-printing, in which the micro-printing is imperceptible by an unassisted human observer, said method comprising:
 receiving from the optical sensor optical scan data corresponding to the document;   analyzing the optical scan data to recognize the micro-printing;   scaling or magnifying the micro-printing;   rendering at least some of the scaled or magnified micro-printing via the graphical display, in which rendered, scaled or magnified micro-printing is perceptible by a human observer of the graphical display.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the document further comprises a micro-printed fiducial. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  in which the micro-printing is recognized at least in part through identification of the fidicual. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the micro-printing is recognized with a character recognition module. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising prompting the human observer if an error is found in the micro-printing 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising prompting the human observer if an expected error is not found. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining values associated with the micro-printing; and comparing determined values with expected values. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising notifying the human observer of a result of said act of comparing. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  in which the determined values comprise a hash of computed values. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  in which the result is associated with a difference between the determined values and the expected values. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2  in which the fiducial's presence indicated an expected presence of the micro-printing. 
     
     
         12 . A cell phone comprising:
 a graphical display for displaying graphics including text and images;   an optical sensor for capturing image or video data;   an electronic processor programmed for:
 receiving from the optical sensor optical scan data corresponding to a security or identification document, the document comprising micro-printing, in which the micro-printing is imperceptible by an unassisted human observer; 
 analyzing the optical scan data to recognize the micro-printing; 
 scaling or magnifying the micro-printing; and 
 rendering at least some of the scaled or magnified micro-printing via the graphical display, in which rendered, scaled or magnified micro-printing is perceptible by a human observer of the graphical display. 
   
     
     
         13 . The cell phone of  claim 12  in which the document further comprises a micro-printed fiducial. 
     
     
         14 . The cell phone of  claim 13  in which the micro-printing is recognized at least in part through identification of the fidicual. 
     
     
         15 . The cell phone of  claim 12  in which the micro-printing is recognized with a character recognition module. 
     
     
         16 . The cell phone of  claim 12  in which the electronic processor is further programmed for prompting the human observer if an error is found in the micro-printing 
     
     
         17 . The cell phone of  claim 12  in which the electronic processor is further programmed for prompting the human observer if an expected error is not found. 
     
     
         18 . The cell phone of  claim 12  further comprising determining values associated with the micro-printing; and comparing determined values with expected values. 
     
     
         19 . The cell phone of  claim 18  further comprising notifying the human observer of a result of said comparing. 
     
     
         20 . The cell phone of  claim 18  in which the determined values comprise a hash of computed values. 
     
     
         21 . The cell phone of  claim 19  in which the result is associated with a difference between the determined values and the expected values. 
     
     
         22 . The cell phone of  claim 13  in which the fiducial's presence indicated an expected presence of the micro-printing 
     
     
         23 . An identification document or banknote comprising:
 a substrate including a first surface and a second surface;   a transparent or semi-transparent window disposed in the substrate, wherein the window is viewable from both the first surface and the second surface,   first steganographic encoding on the first surface window side; and   second steganographic encoding on the second surface window side.   
     
     
         24 . The document or banknote of  claim 23  in which the first steganographic encoding and the second steganographic encoding cooperate to yield authentication clues. 
     
     
         25 . The document or banknote of  claim 24  in which cooperation between the first steganographic encoding and the second steganographic encoding provides a relative spatial alignment of the first steganographic encoding and the second steganographic encoding. 
     
     
         26 . The document or banknote of  claim 25  in which the relative spatial alignment of the first steganographic encoding and the second steganographic encoding comprises rotation, scale or translation. 
     
     
         27 . The document or banknote of  claim 23  in which the first steganographic encoding and the second steganographic encoding are both detectable from a single optical scan of either the first surface or second surface. 
     
     
         28 . The document or banknote of  claim 23  further comprising micro-printing thereon that is generally imperceptible to a imperceptible by an unassisted human observer, yet, when imaged by a cell phone camera is suitable for analyzes to recognize the micro-printing, scaling or magnifying the micro-printing, and rendered at least some of the scaled or magnified micro-printing via a graphical display of the cell phone.