Provided is a system and method for authentication of collectable objects. A hi-resolution digital camera in communication with a nonvolatile data storage device having a data partition capable of being made immutable is provided. The nonvolatile data storage device is compatible with a computerized device, and the hi-resolution digital camera is operated to record at least one hi-resolution digital image of at least one unique appearance characteristic of a collectable object at an image resolution of at least 300 pixel dots per inch at 1:1 image scale. The at least one hi-resolution digital image is stored in the data partition of the nonvolatile data storage device, together with additional image data. A tamper-resistant marking associated with the collectable object is placed on the nonvolatile data storage device.

A system and method are disclosed for rendering printed documents tamper evident. Examples render classes of documents tamper evident with cryptographic level security or detect tampering events, where such security was previously unavailable, for example, in documents printed using common printers without special paper or ink. Examples enable proving the date of document content without the need for expensive third party archival, including documents held, since their creation, entirely in secrecy or in untrustworthy environments, such as on easily-altered, publicly-accessible internet sites. Examples can use a document's prior registration date in a blockchain to establish a no-later than date-of-existence for that document. Examples can extend the useful life of integrity verification algorithms, such as hash functions, even when applied to binary executable files. Examples can efficiently identify whether multiple document versions are substantially similar, even if they are not identical, thus potentially reducing storage space requirements.

Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products for digitizing and processing transmission of a physical resource document from an issuer to a user and from a user to a processing institution for real-time posting of physical resource documents. In this way, the invention processes a physical resource document into an image format at the issuer and transmits a secure digital image file to the user. The image format is processed and digitized for resource processing. Upon user receipt, the system validates the resource distribution. Upon validation the system allows for processing the resource document and the resource distribution from that document as a digital real-time payment.

Essentially coincident with the capture of an image by the imaging device, biometric information indicating the identity of the operator of the device is obtained from at least one biometric sensor. The biometric information and captured image are then stored in a manner reliably associating each with the other. At a later time, biometric information is obtained from a supposed operator of the imaging device. By comparing this candidate biometric information with the stored biometric information, the supposed operator may be authenticated as the operator of the imaging device at the time of capture of the stored image.

A system and method are disclosed for rendering published documents tamper evident. Embodiments render classes of documents tamper evident with cryptographic level security or detect tampering events, where such security was previously unavailable, for example, in documents printed using common printers without special paper or ink. Embodiments enable proving the date of document content without the need for expensive third party archival, including documents held, since their creation, entirely in secrecy or in untrustworthy environments, such as on easily-altered, publicly-accessible internet sites. Embodiments can use a document's prior registration date in a blockchain to establish a no-later than date-of-existence for that document. Embodiments can extend the useful life of integrity verification algorithms, such as hash functions, even when applied to binary executable files. Embodiments can efficiently identify whether multiple document versions are substantially similar, even if they are not identical, thus potentially reducing storage space requirements.

Methods and systems for converting biometric data into two-dimensional images for use in authentication processes are described. Biometric data is received and then hashed into a string of characters. A 2-D image is created based on the hashed string of characters. The 2-D image is then provided for printing on a personal transaction card.

The present disclosure relates to advanced image processing and encoded signal processing. One claim currently recites an image processing method comprising the acts: receiving a digital representation of artwork, the artwork having an area of uniform color; generating a two-dimensional data signal that redundantly encodes a plural-bit message, the data signal comprising plural elements, each of which has a single bit value; receiving a two-dimensional synchronization signal comprising plural elements, each of which has a plural-bit value, each element of said data signal having an element of the synchronization signal corresponding thereto; processing the two-dimensional data signal with the two-dimensional synchronization signal and with a gradient function to yield a two-dimensional gradient marking signal; and printing an ink counterpart of the gradient marking signal on a medium with the artwork, said printing comprising printing plural dithered two-dimensional blocks of at least four contiguous elements each, in which one or more elements of each block are printed to be dark. Of course, other claims and combinations are described as well.

Certain examples described herein relate to the embedding a pattern in an output content having at least two-dimensions, for example a printed output. Content data having at least two dimensions is processed to generate an array of spatial elements, each spatial element corresponding to a respective location in the output content and comprising a probabilistic distribution for a set of output material compositions. A threshold matrix is generated using pattern data corresponding to a pattern, and the array of spatial elements is halftoned using the threshold matrix. The threshold matrix is generated such that the pattern is embedded in the output content.

An electronic imprinting device includes a display, an operation unit, a recognition processing unit, a storage unit, and an imprint processing unit. The display performs a display. The operation unit accepts an operation of a user. The recognition processing unit recognizes a character included in first document data and detects a guide character that indicates an imprinting position. The storage unit stores imprint data representing an imprint. The imprint processing unit, when the recognition processing unit recognizes that the first document data includes the guide character, generates second document data as data to which an imprint image represented by the imprint data is affixed at a position of the guide character, the second document data including a content of the first document data.

The present disclosure relates to advanced image processing and encoded signal processing. One claim recites an image processing method comprising the acts: receiving a digital representation of product packaging artwork, comprised of pixels; defining a guard band region surrounding text characters included in the artwork, in which a first region encloses the guard band region, and a second region encloses the first region; and altering the artwork to redundantly encode a machine-readable plural-bit payload across different regions of the artwork. The altering only alters the artwork outside of the guard band region, wherein a strength of the encoding has a first value in the first region, and has a second, stronger, value in the second region. Of course, other claims and combinations are described as well.