Digital anti-counterfeiting software method and apparatus

Abstract

An authenticatable object comprises a surface having a latent hidden image embossed therein. The latent image is an encoded version of an authentication image and comprises a plurality of elements applied to the surface with a predetermined frequency. The latent hidden image is configured for optical decoding by a decoder having a decoder frequency corresponding to the predetermined frequency.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automated method for digitally encoding at least one digital image into a source image so that the at least one digital image is not discernible within the source image without application of a reader having a frequency pattern, the method comprising:
 obtaining the at least one digital image having a first pattern of line elements, the first pattern of line elements corresponding to the selected frequency pattern of the reader;   obtaining the source image having a second pattern of line elements;   applying an encoding algorithm to incorporate the at least one digital image into the source image; and   generating a revised source image comprising the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements,   wherein the revised source image substantially replicates the source image when viewed without the reader, and   wherein the first pattern of line elements are configured in the revised source image to be hidden until viewed with the reader having the selected frequency pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The automated method according to  claim 1  wherein the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements are regularly spaced. 
     
     
         3 . The automated method according to  claim 1  wherein the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements are regularly spaced and form a two dimensional array of non-linear shapes. 
     
     
         4 . The automated method according to  claim 1  wherein applying the encoding algorithm includes interlacing the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         5 . The automated method according to  claim 1  further comprising: forming the revised source image on a substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The automated method according to  claim 5  wherein forming the revised source image on the substrate includes printing the revised source image on the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The automated method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements are regularly spaced to correspond to the reader having the frequency pattern that matches the first pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         8 . The automated method according to  claim 7 , wherein the first pattern of line elements is different from the second pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         9 . The automated method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining a second digital image having a third pattern of line elements, the third pattern of line elements being oriented at a predefined angle relative to the digital image having the first pattern of line elements;   applying a second encoding algorithm to incorporate the second digital image into the source image; and   generating a second revised source image comprising the first pattern of line elements, the second pattern of line elements, and the third pattern of line elements,   wherein the second revised source image substantially replicates the source image when viewed without the reader, and   wherein the first pattern of line elements and the third pattern of line elements are configured in the second revised source image to be hidden until viewed with the reader having the selected frequency pattern.   
     
     
         10 . The automated method according to  claim 9 , wherein the second encoding algorithm is different from the encoding algorithm and wherein the third pattern of line elements is different from the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         11 . The automated method according to  claim 6 , wherein printing the revised source image on the substrate is performed using at least one of an ink, a magnetic ink and a fluorescent ink. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer storage medium having software code stored thereon, the software code being configured to cause a computer to execute a method for digitally encoding at least one digital image into a source image so that the at least one digital image is not discernible within the source image without application of a reader having a selected frequency pattern, the method comprising:
 obtaining the at least one digital image having a first pattern of line elements, the first pattern of line elements corresponding to the selected frequency pattern of the reader;   obtaining the source image having a second pattern of line elements;   applying an encoding algorithm to incorporate the at least one digital image into the source image; and   generating a revised source image comprising the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements,   wherein the revised source image substantially replicates the source image when viewed without the reader, and   wherein the first pattern of line elements are configured in the revised source image to be hidden until viewed with the reader having the selected frequency pattern.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12  wherein the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements are regularly spaced. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12  wherein the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements are regularly spaced and form a two dimensional array of non-linear shapes. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12  wherein applying the encoding algorithm includes interlacing the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12 , wherein the first pattern of line elements and the second pattern of line elements are regularly spaced to correspond to the reader having the frequency pattern that matches the first pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the first pattern of line elements is different from the second pattern of line elements. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 obtaining a second digital image having a third pattern of line elements, the third pattern of line elements being oriented at a predefined angle relative to the digital image having the first pattern of line elements;   applying a second encoding algorithm to incorporate the second digital image into the source image; and   generating a second revised source image comprising the first pattern of line elements, the second pattern of line elements, and the third pattern of line elements,   wherein the second revised source image substantially replicates the source image when viewed without the reader, and   wherein the first pattern of line elements and the third pattern of line elements are configured in the second revised source image to be hidden until viewed with the reader having the selected frequency pattern.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12  further comprising sending a signal to a printer to form the revised source image on a substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer storage medium according to  claim 12 , wherein sending the signal to the printer includes selecting at least one of an ink, a magnetic ink and a fluorescent ink for printing the revised source image.