The optical sensor of the present disclosure includes: a light source configured to emit irradiation light to a target; a light receiver configured to receive a first incident light, a second incident light, and a third incident light travelling from the target and having different wavelength bands; and a controller configured to control the light source. The light receiver includes: a first light-receiving element configured to receive the first incident light and the second incident light and not to receive the third incident light; and a second light-receiving element configured to receive the third incident light and to receive neither the first incident light nor the second incident light.

A method for checking the authenticity of products, by checking an image (A) of a product. The proof of authenticity is not visible to the human eye and cannot be copied. This is characterized in that a code stored in a halftone image by manipulation of dots and/or a manipulated field bounded in the halftone image can be read by means of an optical device and compared with a retrievable value in at least one database. In at least one field (F1 to F5) a part of a serial number is determined which describes the structure of the serial number and a hash function used for transmitting the serial number to the database, and this is also characterized in that the serial number is subsequently assembled and encrypted with the corresponding hash function.

A banknote handling system includes a controller that performs a matching process of matching of a second code of a banknote to be subjected to matching read by a recognition circuit with a first code stored in a memory, and the controller determines that the first code matches with the second code if all symbols of specific digits of the first code match with those of the second code and if the number of digits for which symbols mismatch other than the specific digits is a predetermined number or less, and determines that the first code mismatches with the second code if symbols of the specific digits of the first code mismatch with those of the second code or if the number of digits for which symbols mismatch other than the specific digits exceed the predetermined number.

A banknote handling system includes a controller that performs a matching process of matching of a second code of a banknote to be subjected to matching read by a recognition circuit with a first code stored in a memory, and the controller determines that the first code matches with the second code if all symbols of specific digits of the first code match with those of the second code and if the number of digits for which symbols mismatch other than the specific digits is a predetermined number or less, and determines that the first code mismatches with the second code if symbols of the specific digits of the first code mismatch with those of the second code or if the number of digits for which symbols mismatch other than the specific digits exceed the predetermined number.

Embodiments relate to a non-fungible physical (NFP) item. The non-fungible physical (NFP) item comprises an identifier. The identifier is embedded and layered within the non-fungible physical item in an unplanned pattern. The identifier in the unplanned pattern is configured to provide high security against counterfeiting of the non-fungible physical (NFP) item. The identifier comprises at least one of a random marker and a unique marker. The unplanned pattern comprises at least one of a random pattern and a unique pattern. Further the non-fungible physical (NFP) item is registered as a non-fungible token on a blockchain. The NFP item is then paired with the non-fungible token for enabling two-way mutual authentication and enhanced authenticity. The pairing of the NFP item with the non-fungible token enables tracking condition, provenance, and grading of the NFP item.

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.

In general, the subject matter described in this specification relates to security credentials for documents, such as identification documents. One example is an identification document that includes a photographic image of an individual associated with the document, and a spiral pattern applied to a region of the identification document. The spiral pattern includes an elliptical spiral segmented into a plurality of arc segments, where wherein the arc segments of the spiral pattern encode identification data associated with the individual. Other implementations include corresponding processes, systems, apparatus, and computer programs related to generating and verifying identification documents with spiral patterns.

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.