Secured document and associated system and method for securing documents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11520914-B2
Application number	US-201916247858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 17, 2018
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

For protecting confidential information in a printed document, the invention provides a system and method for, on one hand, encrypting the confidential content of the document and then printing the part or parts of the document with confidential information in an encrypted form and the rest of the document in a non-encrypted form, and, on the other hand, decrypting the encrypted document content for display and use or for printing. In addition, for preventing unauthorized copying and tampering of a printed document, the invention provides a system and method for managing a unique tag, which is attached to the document and which authenticates the document.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for printing on a blank document including an attached tag a secured document constituted of non-confidential content readable by third parties and of encrypted confidential content whose access needs to be protected from unauthorized third parties, the method comprising:
providing a blank document with said attached tag, containing a unique tag identification,
reading said attached tag and extracting said unique tag identification contained in said attached tag,
generating by a computer device a unique cryptographic key,
associating by said computer device said unique cryptographic key with said unique tag identification in a database,
storing in said computer device said unique tag identification and said unique cryptographic key,
identifying confidential content to be encrypted,
encrypting said confidential content in an encrypted form with at least said cryptographic key, and
printing on said blank document said non-confidential content and said encrypted form of said confidential content resulting in said secured document.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said confidential content is encrypted with said cryptographic key and said unique tag identification.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reading and said printing are both performed by a printer having the capability to perform the reading of said attached tag.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said attached tag is machine writeable and is written onto with said printer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said reading is based on radio frequency technology and said attached tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a near field communications (NFC) tag.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said attached tag contains other information than said unique tag identification and at least some of said other information is comprised in said data for printing said secured document, and the encrypted confidential content includes one or more of: identifications, addresses, or personal or confidential statements.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said secured document is a secured shipping label.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising attaching said secured shipping label onto an item due to be shipped.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said blank document for printing said secured shipping label is self-adhesive and is provided on a roll.

10. A computerized system for printing on a blank document including an attached tag a secured document constituted of non-confidential content readable by third parties and of encrypted confidential content whose access needs to be protected from unauthorized third parties, of said attached tag containing a unique tag identification, the computerized system comprising: a tag reader for reading said attached tag and extracting said unique tag identification contained in said attached tag, a cryptographic module for generating a unique cryptographic key, first and second memory for storing said unique identification tag and said unique cryptographic key and a document management module, wherein said cryptographic module is operable to encrypt confidential content in an encrypted form with at least said unique cryptographic key, and a printer for printing on said blank document said non-confidential content and said encrypted form of said confidential content resulting in said secured document, wherein said document management module is operable to associate said unique cryptographic key with said unique tag identification in a database and identify said confidential content to be encrypted.

11. The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein said cryptographic module is operable to encrypt said confidential content with said cryptographic key and said unique tag identification.

12. The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein said document management module is operable to uniquely associate said unique cryptographic key with said unique tag identification.

13. The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein said tag reader is integrated in a print head of said printer.

14. The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein said tag reader is a radio frequency reader and said attached tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a near field communications (NFC tag).

15. The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein said attached tag contains other information than said unique tag identification and at least some of said other information is comprised in said data for printing prepared by said document management module.

16. The computerized system according to claim 10 , wherein said secured document is a secured shipping label.

17. The computerized system according to claim 16 , wherein said printer comprises handling structure to handle rolls of blank shipping labels.

18. A method for decrypting a secured document constituted of non-confidential content readable by third parties and of encrypted confidential content whose access needs to be protected from unauthorized third parties and of an attached tag containing a unique tag identification, the method comprising:
storing in a local computer device said unique tag identification and a unique cryptographic key,
associating by said local computer device said unique tag identification and said unique cryptographic key,
reading by said local computer device said attached tag and extracting said unique tag identification contained in said attached tag,
comparing by said local computer device said extracted unique tag identification with said unique tag identification,
selecting said unique cryptographic key associated with said unique tag identification based on a successful matching of said unique tag identification extracted from said attached tag with said unique tag identification, and
capturing an image of said secured document for decrypting by said local computer device said encrypted confidential content from the captured image with at least said cryptographic key.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said encrypted confidential content is decrypted with said cryptographic key and said unique tag identification.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said reading is based on radio frequency technology and said attached tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a near field communications (NFC) tag.

21. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising receiving said cryptographic key and said unique tag identification from a remote device.

22. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising displaying an image of said secured document in a decrypted form, and the encrypted confidential content includes one or more of: identifications, addresses, or personal or confidential statements.

23. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising printing said secured document in a decrypted form.

24. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said secured document is a secured shipping label.

25. A local computer device for decrypting a secured document constituted of non-confidential content readable by third parties and of encrypted confidential content whose access needs to be protected from unauthorized third parties and of an attached tag containing a unique tag identification, the device comprising: a first memory for storing said unique tag identification and a second memory for st

Assignees

• Quadient Tech France

Inventors

• Richard Frederic

Classifications

• G07B2017/0062

  Label · CPC title

• G07B17/00508 Primary

  Printing or attaching on mailpieces (printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00) · CPC title

• G07B17/00733

  Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system · CPC title

• G06K19/145

  at least one of the further markings being adapted for galvanic or wireless sensing, e.g. an RFID tag with both a wireless and an optical interface or memory, or a contact type smart card with ISO 7816 contacts and an optical interface or memory · CPC title

• G07B2017/00443

  Verification of mailpieces, e.g. by checking databases · CPC title