Method and apparatus for detecting photocopier tracking signatures

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for detecting photocopier tracking signatures placed on documents produced by color photocopiers. The apparatus includes an input terminal that supplies digital image data representing an input document produced by a color photocopier. The digital image data includes a plurality of pixel values grouped together to form a plurality of color separations that represent the input document. The apparatus also includes an image processing unit that generates an output image based on the digital image data. The image processing unit generates the output image based on differences between corresponding pixel values of at least two of the plurality of color separations. The apparatus further includes an ouput terminal for displaying the output image to view the photocopier tracking signature. Color differences can be detected by combining two or more of the color separations into a resulting monochromatic image and then enhancing the resulting color differences. The combination of the separations exposes small color differences that are not detectable in any of the individual separations, thus enabling the photocopier signature to be detected.