Line segment code for embedding information in an image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10679105-B2
Application number	US-201816236068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2018
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying, by a computer system, at least one line of a plurality of lines that are disposed at a first layer of a card; providing, by the computer system and based on the identified at least one line, control signals to a laser device of the computer system, the control signals indicating coordinates for the identified at least one line; generating, by the laser device and based on the control signals, one or more line patterns that are embedded at a particular layer of the card.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
identifying, by a computer system, at least one line of a plurality of preprinted color lines that are disposed at a first layer of a card;
providing, by the computer system and based on the identified at least one line, control signals to a device of the computer system that is operable to engrave a plurality of distinct line segments on the surface of the first layer using two or more distinct preprinted color lines disposed at the surface of the first layer, the control signals indicating coordinates for each of the two or more distinct preprinted color lines; and
generating, by the device and based on the control signals, a line pattern using (i) each distinct line segment in the plurality of distinct line segments that is engraved on the surface of the first layer of the card and (ii) a particular color of a second, different layer of the card that is exposed when at least one distinct line segment is engraved on the surface of the first layer of the card, wherein the line pattern encodes identifying information about an individual.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the line pattern comprises:
selecting one or more lines of a plurality of lines disposed at the first layer of the card; and
embedding, at the selected one or more lines, sensitive information that represents encoded credential data for authenticating the card.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selected one or more lines comprises a preprinted color line and generating the one or more line patterns comprises:
generating line code segments of a line pattern at a selected preprinted color line by applying a black line or a white line over the color of the selected preprinted color line.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device of the computer system is a yttrium aluminum garnet (“YAG”) laser and the method comprises:
generating a line segment photo at the card using a set of lines derived from a plurality of lines disposed at the first layer of the card.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the line segment photo is a color image that is generated by applying pixels of black at a layer of the card that is directly adjacent the first layer of the card; and
the pixels of black are applied over a preprinted color line disposed at the first layer of the card.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
embedding, at the line segment photo, encoded credential data for authenticating the card, wherein the encoded credential data is embedded at the line segment photo using line patterns generated by the laser device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying comprises:
identifying the at least one line based on coordinate information that is provided with reference to an X,Y plane of the card.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the plurality of preprinted color lines are distinct sets of preprinted color lines comprising colors that are based on a particular color model; and
the distinct sets of preprinted color lines are disposed at a background layer of the card.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
using one or more commands of the computer system to calibrate a laser of the device to a respective X,Y coordinate of a preprinted colored line in the distinct sets of preprinted color lines.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
in response to calibrating the laser of the device to the respective X,Y coordinate of the preprinted colored line, identifying, by the computer system, a particular preprinted colored line to generate a particular line pattern of one or more line patterns to be embedded at the card.

11. A system, comprising:
one or more processing devices; and
one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to cause performance of operations comprising:
identifying, by a computer system, at least one line of a plurality of preprinted color lines that are disposed at a first layer of a card;
providing, by the computer system and based on the identified at least one line, control signals to a device of the computer system that is operable to engrave a plurality of distinct line segments on the surface of the first layer using two or more distinct preprinted color lines disposed at the surface of the first layer, the control signals indicating coordinates for each of the two or more distinct preprinted color lines; and
generating, by the device and based on the control signals, a line pattern using (i) each distinct line segment in the plurality of distinct line segments that is engraved on the surface of the first layer of the card and (ii) a particular color of a second, different layer of the card that is exposed when at least one distinct line segment is engraved on the surface of the first layer of the card, wherein the line pattern encodes identifying information about an individual.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein generating the line pattern comprises:
selecting one or more lines of a plurality of lines disposed at the first layer of the card; and
embedding, at the selected one or more lines, sensitive information that represents encoded credential data for authenticating the card.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the selected one or more lines comprises a preprinted color line and generating the one or more line patterns comprises:
generating line code segments of a line pattern at a selected preprinted color line by applying a black line or a white line over the color of the selected preprinted color line.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the device of the computer system is a yttrium aluminum garnet (“YAG”) laser and the operations comprises:
generating a line segment photo at the card using a set of lines derived from a plurality of lines disposed at the first layer of the card.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the line segment photo is a color image that is generated by applying pixels of black at a layer of the card that is directly adjacent the first layer of the card; and
the pixels of black are applied over a preprinted color line disposed at the first layer of the card.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operations comprise:
embedding, at the line segment photo, encoded credential data for authenticating the card, wherein the encoded credential data is embedded at the line segment photo using line patterns generated by the laser device.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein identifying comprises:
identifying the at least one line based on coordinate information that is provided with reference to an X,Y plane of the card.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:
the plurality of preprinted color lines are distinct sets of preprinted color lines comprising colors that are based on a particular color model; and
the distinct sets of preprinted color lines are disposed at a background layer of the card.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the operations comprise:
using one or more commands of the computer system to calibrate a laser of the device to a respective X,Y coordinate of a preprinted colored line in the distinct sets of preprinted color lines; and
in response to calibrating the laser of the device to the respective X,Y coordinate of the preprinted colored line, identifying, by the computer system, a particular preprinted colored line to generate a particular line pattern of one or more line patterns to be embedded at the card.

20. One or more non-transitory machine-readable stora

Assignees

• Idemia Identity & Security USA LLC

Inventors

• Jones Robert L
• Eckel Robert Andrew

Classifications

• G06K19/06046 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G06K1/121

  by printing code marks (applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26) · CPC title

• G06K19/10 Primary

  at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards (verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12) · CPC title