Pitney Bowes Inc.

Digimarc Corporation

Other

Claude Zeller

Robert A Cordery

Donald G Mackay

William A Brosseau

Hugh L Brunk

Judith D Auslander

Bertrand Haas

Leon A Pintsov

Charles F Murphy, Iii

Richard A Bernard

Donald MacKay

William L Kilmartin

Matthew John Campagna

Ronald P Sansone

Frederick W Ryan, Jr

Jun Tian

William Berson

Donald T Dolan

Arthur J Parkos

Stephen K Decker

Ronald Reichman

David B Wilk

F Lincoln Vogel

Erik D N Monsen

Beth A Jennings

Mark M Broschart

Zhijie Xu

Mark Lanin

Marc Morelli

Judith A Auslander

Henry A Mayeski

Vibha R Kataria

A method for assigning unique printer resolutions or signatures, i.e., a unique number of dots per inch, to a class, or models of printers or lines of postage meters. The number of dots per inch or resolution may be specified within a image on a document or within a postal indicia and later checked to determine if the image on document or the postal indicia has the correct resolution. The foregoing would be able to detect an image or postal indicia that was scanned into a computer and printed with a printer that did not have the number of dots per inch specified in the image or postal indicia.

Method for determining a printer's signature and the number of dots per inch printed in a document to provide proof that the printer printed a particular document

The present invention includes apparatus and methods for printing and verifying postage stamps on demand via a personal postage stamp printer. The indicium by which the stamp is printed includes a color stripe and a data field including authentication data that corresponds to the color stripe. To authenticate the stamp, the authentication data in the data field is read and compared with authentication data extracted from the color stripe.

Document security utilizing color gradients

The present invention is concerned with detection of a 'fragile watermark' in a printed image to aid in a determination whether a document under examination is an original or a copy. The watermark may be applied by phase-space encoding data to be included in the watermark. The image may be examined on a block-by-block basis after scanning. Correlation of detected watermark strength with block brightness and/or with wave vectors used for encoding may be used to detect that the image is a copy.

Detecting printed image copies using phase-space-encoded fragile watermark

A method and system for authenticating an item by using a security marking. The security marking is provided on the item with an OVD ink capable of absorbing light in a visible wavelength range to appear visibly black and producing a red fluorescent emission under ultraviolet excitation. Under visible light illumination and ultraviolet excitation, a visible image and a fluorescent image are obtained from the security marking using image scanners. The images are compared to find a substantial match with each other. The security marking can be a postage indicium, a barcode, a symbol, a message or an image. The item to be authenticated can be a mailpiece, a banknote, a tag, a ticket, a document, an identification card, or the like.

Method and system for validating a security marking

Systems and methods for detecting copies of images are described. In one example, the system utilizes a threshold based contour analysis technique that uses known contour ratios to determine if a scan of an image or document being tested is a first generation scan of an original or of a higher generation copy. In another example, a method for calibrating the copy detection system for use with a particular printer and scanner in described.

Copy detection using contour analysis

Systems and methods for detecting copies of documents are described. In one example, a system and method for detecting copies of documents utilizes multiple correlations of original and scanned copy detection patterns. The system captures a CDP that may be skewed or improperly sized. The system also retrieves or reconstitutes the expected CDP. In order to provide a more reliable comparison and without manipulating the captured CDP, the system manipulates the orientation or rotation and resolution or size of the retrieved or reconstituted CDP to register it with the captured CDP. Then the system performs a first correlation to determine if the captured CDP indicates the correct document identification and then if necessary, a second correlation to determine authentication such as by performing a 1 pixel shift multiple autocorrelation comparison of the two CDPs.

Copy detection system using correlations of copy detection patterns

A method for producing a metered tape and an indicium on a meter tape comprising determining a location on the meter tape where the indicium is to be printed, generating the indicium with information related to the location incorporated therein, and printing the indicium on the meter tape at the location. A method of authenticating an indicium printed on a meter tape comprising retrieving information stored within the indicium, the information identifying a first location where the indicium is supposed to be positioned relative to the meter tape, detecting a spatial indicator identifying a second location where the indicium is actually positioned relative to the meter tape, and comparing the first location to the second location. Mail metering and authenticating systems for implementing the methods are also disclosed.

Meter tape with location indicator used for unique identification

The present invention is concerned with inclusion of a 'fragile watermark' in an original printed document to aid in a determination whether a document under examination is an original or a copy. The watermark may be applied by making small tonal adjustments on a pixel block by pixel block basis in data used to generate the original document. Documents to be verified may then be examined on a block-by-block basis after scanning.

Fragile watermark for detecting printed image copies

A method of printing modules for a two dimensional barcode that includes printing a pixel at a plurality of the pixel locations included in the inner portion of the darkened module, and printing a pixel at less than all of the pixel locations of the outer boundary of the darkened module. Various embodiments are contemplated, such as, without limitation, methods that print darkened modules having four light corners, three light corners, two light corners, one light corner, and/or one light edge. Also, a method of printing a two dimensional barcode having a finder pattern wherein the inner edge of the finder pattern is light, meaning that is does not include any printed pixels at the pixel locations along the inner edge.

Method for printing two dimensional barcodes to reduce reading errors

The present invention relates generally to digital watermarking. In one embodiment, a method of detecting copying of a printed object is provided. In another embodiment, a method is provided to measure digital watermark strength. In yet another embodiment, and for printing applications, an embedded digital watermark may be used to carry printer information that is later decoded by a watermark decoder and used to examine a digital scan of a printed object and determine whether the printed object is authentic. Other embodiments are provided as well.

Halftone watermarking and related applications

A method for producing a background image representing data. The background image is created by; producing a first encoding of data into a first binary array; producing a second encoding of the data into a second binary array; representing the first binary array as a first set of modules of a first size of n&#xd7;n pixels wherein each pixel is either white or black and every pixel in the module is identical to every other picture in the module on nodes of a first lattice, representing the second binary array as a first set of modules of a second size, of m&#xd7;m wherein each pixel is either white or black and every pixel in the module is identical to every other pixel in the module, which is smaller than the first size on nodes of a second lattice, combining the first and second sets of modules; and printing the first and second sets of modules.

Method for embedding information in an image

Improvements are provided in processing of documents to increase their security and/or decrease the complexity of testing for authenticity. Methods for printing documents with security markings and methods and apparatus for authenticating documents are described. In one aspect a document is printed with a security marking comprised of an image printed in at least two image segments. The image can be printed with an ink capable of forming images which are visible both to viewing under white light and as fluorescent images when irradiated with ultraviolet light, the segments having features of different sizes. The relative sizes of the two image segments will provide a detectable difference in fluorescent image sharpness. The apparatus provides means, all of which are simple and easily available for carrying out the methods.

Fragile water mark printed with two component inks and process

The present invention includes apparatus and methods for printing and verifying postage stamps on demand via a personal postage stamp printer. The indicia by which the stamp is printed includes a color bar sequence and a data field including data that corresponds to the color bar sequence. To authenticate the stamp, the data field is read and the color bar sequence data included in the data field is compared with the data generated by detecting the color bar sequence itself.

Postage indicia including color bar sequence to aid in authentication

The disclosure describes an authentication system and related methods for authenticating printed objects. The system uses an information-based metric along with one or more print quality metrics to provide accurate detection or classification of a counterfeit printed object. The print quality metric evaluates attributes of a subject image associated with the original printer, ink or paper to detect degradation of those operations due to copying operations like an image scanning and halftone printing subsequent to the original printing of the object. The information-based metric measures message symbol errors in an optically readable code, such as a digital watermark.

Growing community of inventors

Monroe, CT, United States of America

Claude Zeller