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.

A method for authenticating an object, particularly a security element for protecting value documents, ID documents and products, as well as a security element, a security document, a reader, an individualization device and a server for such a method. The method involves the steps: dividing a first code element into at least one first partial code element and one second partial code element, storing the second partial code element, arranging the first partial code element and/or a second code element on and/or in the object, jointly machine-capturing the first partial code element and the second code element by means of a reader, extracting the first partial code element and the second code element from the data captured by the reader, accessing the stored second partial code element using the second code element as a key, checking whether the code element resulting from merging the extracted first partial code element and the stored second partial code element corresponds to the first code element.

A method for authenticating an object, particularly a security element for protecting value documents, ID documents and products, as well as a security element, a security document, a reader, an individualization device and a server for such a method. The method involves the steps: dividing a first code element into at least one first partial code element and one second partial code element, storing the second partial code element, arranging the first partial code element and/or a second code element on and/or in the object, jointly machine-capturing the first partial code element and the second code element by means of a reader, extracting the first partial code element and the second code element from the data captured by the reader, accessing the stored second partial code element using the second code element as a key, checking whether the code element resulting from merging the extracted first partial code element and the stored second partial code element corresponds to the first code element.

The invention protects a content of a digital or physical document against forgery. It allows automatic detection of any modification in an arrangement of graphical symbols (e.g. a text) provided on a support (e.g. printed or displayed) with respect to an original arrangement by providing on the support reproducible verifiable data including a verification barcode, while eliminating redundancy between data inside the barcode and the graphical symbols, and resolving the problem of the size of the barcode when the size of the data for these graphical symbols is large.

A method for authenticating an object, comprising determining a physical dispersion pattern of a set of elements, determining a physical characteristic of the set of elements which is distinct from a physical characteristic producible by a transfer printing technology, determining a digital code associated with the object defining the physical dispersion pattern, and authenticating the object by verifying a correspondence of the digital code with the physical dispersion pattern, and verifying the physical characteristic.

A jewelry article, and systems and methods for accessing human readable information printed or etched on the jewelry article are disclosed. The printed or etched human readable information included in the jewelry article cannot be viewed without a visual aid. The jewelry article includes a wireless or optical tag corresponding to the printed or etched human readable information. The wireless or optical tag is associated with an electronic file corresponding to the printed or etched human readable information. The wireless or optical tag is configured to be readable by an external reader connected to an external database that stores the electronic file corresponding to the printed or etched human readable information. The external reader is configured to read the wireless or optical tag to access the associated electronic file stored in the external database. Information included in the electronic file may be displayed on a display.

A method for creating a secure document, registering the secure document and verifying the authenticity of the secure document includes receiving a print object that has content. A security feature, including an identifier, is created and is associated with the content. The identifier may be a barcode. The barcode may represent a character string. The security feature may include the identifier barcode and a decoy barcode that is not associated with the content. The identifier barcode (or the character string represented by the barcode) and the content are transmitted to a database for storage. Once stored, the identifier and the content are considered to be registered. A print object that includes the security feature and the content is then transmitted to a printer for printing.

A method for creating a secure document, registering the secure document and verifying the authenticity of the secure document includes receiving a print object that has content. A security feature, including an identifier, is created and is associated with the content. The identifier may be a barcode. The barcode may represent a character string. The security feature may include the identifier barcode and a decoy barcode that is not associated with the content. The identifier barcode (or the character string represented by the barcode) and the content are transmitted to a database for storage. Once stored, the identifier and the content are considered to be registered. A print object that includes the security feature and the content is then transmitted to a printer for printing.

Existing currency validation (CVAL) devices, systems, and methods are too slow, costly, intrusive, and/or bulky to be routinely used in common transaction locations (e.g., at checkout, at an automatic teller machine, etc.). Presented herein are devices, systems, and methods to facilitate optical validation of documents, merchandise, or currency at common transaction locations and to do so in an obtrusive and convenient way. More specifically, the present invention embraces a validation device that may be used alone or integrated within a larger system (e.g., point of sale system, kiosk, etc.). The present invention also embraces methods for currency validation using the validation device, as well as methods for improving the quality and consistency of data captured by the validation device for validation.

Existing currency validation (CVAL) devices, systems, and methods are too slow, costly, intrusive, and/or bulky to be routinely used in common transaction locations (e.g., at checkout, at an automatic teller machine, etc.). Presented herein are devices, systems, and methods to facilitate optical validation of documents, merchandise, or currency at common transaction locations and to do so in an obtrusive and convenient way. More specifically, the present invention embraces a validation device that may be used alone or integrated within a larger system (e.g., point of sale system, kiosk, etc.). The present invention also embraces methods for currency validation using the validation device, as well as methods for improving the quality and consistency of data captured by the validation device for validation.