The present disclosure provides a graphical watermark, a method and an apparatus for generating a graphical watermark, and a method and an apparatus for authenticating a graphical watermark. The graphical watermark includes: a plurality of graphical markers carrying position and pose information, and identity information of the graphical watermark; and a watermark pattern provided between a pair of graphical markers.

Implementations generally relate to providence certificates. In some implementations, a method includes generating a first providence certificate digitally signed with a first private encryption key, where the first providence certificate is associated with a first component of a product, and where the first providence certificate provides a first predetermined assurance. The method further includes generating a second providence certificate digitally signed with a second private encryption key, where the second providence certificate is associated with the product, and where the second providence certificate provides the first providence certificate and a second predetermined assurance.

A machine and its modules assist in steganography for an animal. A steganography module applies behavioral sequencing to create a cover message and a hidden message to covertly pass information from one animal to another animal, with the information embedded in an individual's brain. A visual module references the steganography module to cause a sequence of visual images on a display screen to guide a motor sequence of an individual as the cover message as well as detect and communicate a timing of the individual's motor sequence, relative in timing, to visual images in the sequence of visual images being displayed on the display screen, in order to train in the cover message and hidden message. The hidden message is then extracted at a destination from a sensor monitoring the individual's sequence of motor actions.

A machine and its modules assist in steganography for an animal. A steganography module applies behavioral sequencing to create a cover message and a hidden message to covertly pass information from one animal to another animal, with the information embedded in an individual's brain. A visual module references the steganography module to cause a sequence of visual images on a display screen to guide a motor sequence of an individual as the cover message as well as detect and communicate a timing of the individual's motor sequence, relative in timing, to visual images in the sequence of visual images being displayed on the display screen, in order to train in the cover message and hidden message. The hidden message is then extracted at a destination from a sensor monitoring the individual's sequence of motor actions.

A device configured to obtain a first graphical code that represents a public encryption key for an organization and to extract the public encryption key for the organization from the first graphical code. The device is further configured to obtain a second graphical code that represents a digital document comprising data and a digital signature that was signed using a private encryption key for the organization. The device is further configured to extract the digital document from the second graphical code and to validate the second graphical code using the public encryption key for the organization. The device is further configured to determine the second graphical code passes validation using the public encryption key for the organization and to store the digital document in a digital document repository.

A computer program product includes a non-volatile computer readable medium and non-transitory program instructions embodied therein, the program instructions being configured to be executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform various operations. The operations may include obtaining first encoded data that encodes information of a first party, obtaining second encoded data that encodes information of a second party, performing a forward mashup algorithm on the first encoded data and second encoded data to form a third data set, and providing the third data set to the first party as a mashup two-dimensional barcode.

An optical code scanner being operated using an algorithm is provided. The scanner may scan an optical label. The label may include machine-readable code. The scanner may derive a single set of instructions from the code or multiple sets of instructions from the code. The scanner may process the code. The processing may upload a set of instructions from the code to the scanner and store the set of instructions in an instructions library. The scanner may also derive a picture associated with the instructions and store the picture in the library. The scanner may display a plurality of pictures. Each of the pictures may correspond to a set of uploaded instructions stored on the scanner. Each of the plurality of pictures may be selectable by a user. In response to a user selection of a picture, the scanner may be configured to execute the uploaded instructions that correspond to the selected picture.

Provided are an image file distribution apparatus, an image file recovery apparatus, an image file distribution method, an image file recovery method, an image file distribution program, an image file recovery program, and a recording medium storing the program which can prevent a relatively large increase in the amount of data of an image file even when an (k, n) secret sharing scheme with high security is used. For example, distributed tag information is obtained from tag information of the image file by a (k, n)-threshold secret sharing scheme. For example, distributed image data is obtained from image data by a (k, L, n)-threshold ramp secret sharing scheme. For example, the distributed tag information and the distributed image data are combined to obtain combined data. Since the amount of data in the tag information is small, the use of the (k, n) secret sharing scheme does not cause a large increase in the amount of data. Since the (k, L, n)-threshold ramp secret sharing scheme does not cause a large increase in the amount of data, an increase in the total amount of data in the image data is relatively small.

In one embodiment, a system includes a tangible token comprising a transparent gemstone, wherein: the transparent gemstone is internally etched with information pertaining to a blockchain, and the information comprises at least a private key, a public key, and an address, and the information is represented as a quick response code. The system includes a computing device configured to execute instructions that cause the computing device to: read the information, and validate, via a network and the address, the public key and the private key are associated with at least one block on the blockchain.

A transaction is pre-staged by providing transaction preferences, such as a financial instrument, a transaction type, and a transaction amount, to a user device. The user device captures a visual code at a terminal, such as an ATM. The visual code includes terminal attributes, including a signed hash and call-back URI. The user device authenticates the visual code using the signed hash and requests the transaction through the issuer server. The issuer server creates and sends the card data to the call-back URI. The terminal uses the card data to create a transaction request it routes to through its acquirer server.