Using software to process images and/or digital representations of paper currency to determine if currency has a value greater than the face value of the currency to any person or persons. Software that can determine from images and/or digital representations (known or unknown) numismatic value, or value greater than the face value of the currency to any person or persons and indicia of numismatic value, or increased value, including, but not limited to: ink smearing, misaligned serial numbers, misaligned seals on currency, non-matching serial numbers, off center printing, off-center cutting, paper currency of small or limited print runs, fancy serial numbers, missing or off-center watermarks, errors in security features, holograms, ultra-violet features, magnetic features, microprinting, etc. to determine a numismatic value.

A method for authenticating a security document by means of at least one device includes: a) providing the security document having at least one first security element and at least one second security element; b) providing the at least one device, wherein the at least one device includes at least one sensor; c) capturing first items of optical information of the at least one first security element by means of the at least one sensor of the at least one device during a first illumination, wherein at least one first dataset specifying these items of information is generated therefrom; d) capturing second items of optical information of the at least one second security element by means of the at least one sensor of the at least one device during a second illumination, wherein at least one second dataset specifying these items of information is generated therefrom; e) capturing third items of optical information of the at least one second security element by means of the at least one sensor of the at least one device during a third illumination, wherein at least one third dataset specifying these items of information is generated therefrom, wherein the second illumination differs from the third illumination; f) checking the genuineness of the security document and/or the second security element at least on the basis of the at least one second dataset and the at least one third dataset.

A collation device includes a light source unit; a camera unit that receives light emitted from the light source unit and reflected in a collation area of an object to acquire a photographed image of the collation area; and a processor configured to, by executing a program: detect a positional relationship between the light source unit and the camera unit by using the photographed image, and notify of a collation result between the photographed image and a registered image prepared in advance by using the positional relationship.

Disclosed is a composite particle for use in a marking that is suitable for identification/authentication purposes. The particle comprises at least one superparamagnetic portion and at least one thermoluminescent portion coated with an thermoisolating portion. Optionally also a thermoconductive portion between the superparamagnetic and thermoluminscent portions.

A device for verifying a content of an analog document is provided. The device includes a scanning unit being configured to generate a scan information by scanning the analog document and to store the scan information in a storing element being provided on the analog document, and a verification unit being configured to verify the content of the analog document using the stored scan information. Further, a corresponding method for verifying a content of an analog document is provided. Using the provided device for verifying the content of an analog document, it can be ensured that the content of the analog document is not changed by an attacker. If the content is changed, the verification would fail.

The present invention relates to a method for authenticating a document comprising at least one line of anti-counterfeit patterns spaced from each other, the positions of the anti-counterfeit patterns being random, and a partial anti-counterfeit pattern being provided at an edge line of said document, the method comprising the following steps of:

receiving a digital image of said document, said digital image comprising said partial anti-counterfeit pattern in a first edge area corresponding to said edge line;

selecting said first edge area;

copy-pasting said first edge area adjacent to a second edge area of the digital image to generate a combined digital image, said second edge area being opposite to said first edge area, wherein content, which is comprised in said second edge area and located on the same line as said partial anti-counterfeit pattern, and said partial anti-counterfeit pattern jointly form a combined pattern;

authenticating said document by taking into account said combined pattern.

There is provided a versatile optical element applicable both to an electrode layer required in a bank bill field and to an optical element required in an ID field. In an optical element (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention, a first layer (2) is arranged on a second layer (3) having a relief structure on a surface thereof, and a first region (4) and a second region (5) are provided. Electromagnetic waves incident at a preset specific angle from a side of the first layer (2) are totally reflected due to at least one of the relief structure in the first region (4) and a ratio of a refractive index of the second layer (3) with respect to a refractive index of the first layer (2), the electromagnetic waves incident at the specific angle from the side of the first layer (2) are not totally reflected but transmitted or refracted due to at least one of the relief structure in the second region (5) and the ratio of the refractive index of the second layer (3) with respect to the refractive index of the first layer (2), and only in case of observation performed from the specific angle on the first layer (2) side, the second region (5) has higher transparency than the first region (4), and a preset image is expressed by a transparency contrast therebetween.

A document forgery detection method comprising using at least one processor for providing at least one histogram of gray level values occurring in at least a portion of at least one channel of an image assumed to represent a document including text, the histogram having been generated by image processing at least a portion of at least one channel of an image assumed to represent a document including text, the image having been sent by a remote end user to an online service over a computer network, evaluating monotony of at least a portion of the at least one histogram; and determining whether the image is authentic or forged based on at least one output of the evaluating.

A hybrid document includes a document having visible markings, one or more light-controlling elements embedded in or on the document, and a controller including a circuit having a non-volatile memory. The controller is embedded in or on the document and electrically connected to the one or more light-controlling elements for controlling the one or more light-controlling elements. A power input connection is electrically connected to any one or all of the controller, the circuit, the memory, or the one or more light-emitting elements. The memory stores a state and the circuit causes the one or more light-controlling elements to indicate the state. A hybrid document validation machine is adapted to accept one or more of the hybrid documents, change the state of the hybrid documents, and optionally display the state on a display.

A security device is presented, including: an array of focusing elements, each focusing element being adapted to focus light in at least two orthogonal directions, the focusing elements being arranged on a regular two-dimensional grid; and an array of elongate image elements overlapping the array of focusing elements, configured such that each focusing element can direct light from any one of a respective set of at least two elongate image elements to the viewer, in dependence on the viewing angle. In a first region of the security device, the elongate image elements extend along a first direction, and in a second region of the security device, the elongate image elements extend along a second direction which is different to the first direction.