In an image processing apparatus, upon input of first identification information through an identification information input device and a first document image through an image input device, a control device functioning as a controller recognizes a first text in the first document image, extracts a plurality of words constituting the first text, selects first symbols or characters from the first identification information in a predetermined first order, selects first words from the plurality of words in a predetermined second order, inserts, upon each selection of the first symbol or character and the first word, a predetermined sign and the first symbol or character between the first word and the next first word to generate a first character string, converts the first character string to a first 2D barcode, and assigns the first 2D barcode to the first document image. An output device outputs the first 2D barcode-assigned first document image.

This disclosure describes a distributed reader architecture for a mobile computing device such as cellular telephone handset. One claim recites a portable computing device including: memory for storing a library of processing components, the library including a signal detector component and an audio fingerprinting component; a microphone for capturing ambient audio; one or more processors configured for: invoking the audio fingerprinting component for processing captured audio to produce an audio fingerprint, wherein the audio fingerprinting component comprises a filtering process, in which the filtering process produces components of the captured audio that are used to produce the audio fingerprint; and invoking the signal detector component, in which the signal detector component comprises a fast detect process for analyzing the captured audio to determine the presence of an auxiliary signal within the captured audio, and when the presence of the auxiliary signal is detected, controlling the signal detector component for detecting the auxiliary signal to yield a detected auxiliary signal. The device further includes a communications output for communicating the audio fingerprint and the detected auxiliary signal to a remotely located server. Of course, other claims and combinations are provided as well.

This disclosure describes novel methods for generating unique copies of content. One method combines the functions of the master copy and unique copy watermarks. In particular, the method generates a unique copy by varying the manner in which the master copy watermark is embedded in unique copies of a content item. In one embodiment, the master copy watermark is repeated within the content item and its location is varied in a unique pattern that comprises the unique copy watermark. The unique copy is generated by producing a copy in which master copy watermarks are embedded in a unique pattern. For instance in one embodiment, the locations of the master copy watermarks in the content item are represented as a vector of delta values in which each delta value corresponds to the distance between a corresponding instance of the master copy watermark, and a neighboring instance of the master copy watermark. This vector is stored in a transaction record in association with transaction information, such as information identifying the master copy and information associated with the unique copy. Other ways of representing the unique pattern of attributes of the master copy watermark are also possible. In other embodiments, properties of the master copy watermark other than its location are varied through the content. The unique copy watermark is conveyed in the vector of deltas in these properties of the master copy watermark. Some examples of these properties of the master copy watermark signal include phase characteristics (e.g., the phase shift of a watermark carrier signal), frequency magnitude characteristics, etc. These properties are varied in a manner that does not alter the information carried in the master copy watermark. However, it does provide a variation that creates a unique copy, and the unique copy watermark is conveyed in this variation. The variation in location of the instances of the master copy watermark can be in different domains, such as a spatial domain, a time domain, a time-space domain, a transform domain (including frequency transform domains), a compressed domain, etc.

An information processing apparatus is for arranging at least one dot, which expresses information relating to image data, in the image data. The information processing apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to create an edge image of the image data; determine a position near an edge in the edge image to be a position of the at least one dot; and arrange the at least one dot at the determined position in the image data.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a device that physically imprints a paper resource distribution document for verification and authenticity purposes. In this way, the device links to a user network and associates with resource distributions available for the user. Upon authorization of the user into the device, the device may receive input from a user, including an amount for the paper resource distribution document. Upon receiving the information from the user, the device activates and prints a resource distribution document with at least a portion of the paper resource distribution document printed with dimpled or embossed characters. As such, the dimpled or embossed character recognition at distribution of the resource distribution document confirms the paper resource distribution document's authenticity.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a device that physically imprints a paper resource distribution document for verification and authenticity purposes. In this way, the device links to a user network and associates with resource distributions available for the user. Upon authorization of the user into the device, the device may receive input from a user, including an amount for the paper resource distribution document. Upon receiving the information from the user, the device activates and prints a resource distribution document with at least a portion of the paper resource distribution document printed with dimpled or embossed characters. As such, the dimpled or embossed character recognition at distribution of the resource distribution document confirms the paper resource distribution document's authenticity.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for the production and labeling of objects in a manner suitable for the prevention and detection of counterfeiting. Thus, the system incorporates a variety of features that make unauthorized reproduction difficult. In addition, the present invention provides a system and method for providing a dynamically reconfigurable watermark, and the use of the watermark to encode a stochastically variable property of the carrier medium for self-authentication purposes.

Related are a method and system for embedding information into encoding information. The method comprises the steps of first embedding the information into an embeddable image or a virtual image using a frequency domain embedding method, and then overlaying the embeddable image or the virtual image into a printed file in need of a variable code or a fixed code using a spatial domain processing method. In this way, the information not perceived by human eyes may be embedded into the encoding information using frequency domain and spatial domain transformation, the counterfeiting difficultly is extremely large, the cost is high, and the anti-counterfeiting purpose is achieved; and furthermore, the printing cost is not increased, thereby being beneficial to wide promotion and application.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, a recognition unit, and an image data generation unit. The image reading unit generates image data by reading an original document image having a first image which is formed by a first recording agent emitting light under ultraviolet light and a second image which is formed by a second recording agent that is readable under visible light. The recognition unit recognizes position information of the second image from image data of the first image which is read by the image reading unit. The image data generation unit generates corrected image data which is obtained by correcting image data of the second image based on the position information.

Provided is an image forming system that prevents leakage of confidential data. In the image forming system, a terminal includes a confidential-data-transmitting unit, a code-image-acquiring unit, and a confidential-document-data-creating unit. The confidential-data-transmitting unit transmits confidential data specified for confidentiality inside a document of document data to a server. The code-image-acquiring unit acquires a code image for outputting the confidential data from the server. The confidential-document-data-creating unit creates confidential-document data in which the code image is added to the document data. A server includes a confidential-data-acquiring unit, a code-image-creating unit, a code-image-transmitting unit, and a code-confidential-data-transmitting unit. The confidential-data-acquiring unit acquires the confidential data that is transmitted from the terminal. The code-image-creating unit creates the code image for outputting the confidential data. The code-image-transmitting unit transmits the code image to the terminal. The code-confidential-data-transmitting unit transmits the confidential data to an image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus includes a decoding unit, a code-confidential-data-acquiring unit and an output-data-creating unit. The decoding unit decodes the code image from the confidential-document data that includes the code image. The code-confidential-data-acquiring unit acquires the confidential data from the code-confidential-data-transmitting unit according to the contents of the code image. The output-data-creating unit creates output data in which the confidential data is included in the confidential-document data.