Printed document control with verified unique watermarks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9917979-B2
Application number	US-201715631946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods are directed towards generating a verified unique watermark. More specifically, the systems and methods are directed towards generating a watermark that is as long as possible without any repetition. Such watermarks are possible by selecting characteristics of the watermark and methods for producing the watermarks (e.g., dandy rollers). By producing longer unique watermarks, users would be capable of generating longer rolls of paper whereby more sheets can be produced that each possesses a unique watermark. With the unique watermark, users can identify what information is printed on each sheet as well as authenticate the contents of each individual sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating watermarks, the method comprising:
selecting a first mark associated with a first circumferential factor;
selecting a second mark associated with a second circumferential factor different from the first circumferential factor;
aligning the first mark and the second mark at a starting position, wherein the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor correspond to a length of a paper and a distance between a first alignment and a second alignment of the first mark and the second mark; and
imprinting the paper at the starting position, wherein an offset between the first mark and the second mark changes continuously across the imprinted paper based on the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imprinting is performed at least in part by a plurality of rollers, wherein at least one of the rollers is associated with the first circumferential factor, and at least another of the rollers is associated with the second circumferential factor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imprinting is performed at least in part by a laser.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imprinting is performed at least in part by depositing particles on the paper.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first mark and the second mark is a computer-readable image.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the computer-readable images includes at least one of a barcode or a quick response (QR) code.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a frequency of imprinting the first mark is based on the first circumferential factor, and wherein a frequency of imprinting the second mark is based on the second circumferential factor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a difference between the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor is associated with an irrational number.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor have a highest common factor of 1.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scanning at least a portion of the paper; and
storing information associated with the scanned portion of the paper, wherein the stored information is grouped with other stored information associated with the portion of the paper.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
printing information onto at least a portion of the paper;
associating the printed information with one or more locations of the first mark and one or more locations of the second mark imprinted on the at least portion of the paper; and
storing information regarding the association between the printed information and the identified locations of the imprinted first mark and the imprinted second mark.

12. A system for generating watermarks, the system comprising:
a first roller for imprinting a first mark, the first roller associated with a first circumferential factor;
a second roller for imprinting a second mark, the second roller associated with a second circumferential factor different from the first circumferential factor, wherein the first mark and the second mark are aligned at a starting position, and wherein the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor correspond to a length of the paper and a distance between the first alignment and the second alignment of the first mark and the second mark; and
a printer that imprints at least a portion of paper using the first roller and the second roller, wherein the paper is imprinted at the starting position, and wherein an offset between the first mark and the second mark changes continuously across the imprinted paper based on the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first mark and the second mark is a computer-readable image.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a difference between the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor is associated with an irrational number.

15. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a scanner that scans at least a portion of the paper; and
memory that stores information associated with the scanned portion of the paper, wherein the stored information is grouped with other stored information associated with the portion of the paper.

16. A system for generating watermarks, the system comprising:
memory that stores a first mark associated with a first circumferential factor and a second mark associated with a second circumferential factor different from the first circumferential factor;
a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor generates a watermark based on aligning the first mark and the second mark at a starting position, and wherein the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor correspond to a length of a paper and a distance between a first alignment and a second alignment of the first mark and the second mark; and
a laser that imprints paper with the watermark at the starting position, wherein an offset between the first mark and the second mark changes continuously across the imprinted paper based on the first circumferential factor and the second circumferential factor.

Assignees

• Dell Software Inc
• Sonicwall Inc

Inventors

• Liddicott Samuel James

Classifications

• G07D7/12

  Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation · CPC title

• G03G15/6582

  Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching · CPC title

• H04N1/32293

  Repeating the additional information in a regular pattern · CPC title

• H04N1/32144

  embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp · CPC title

• G06K19/086

  with markings consisting of randomly placed or oriented elements, the randomness of the elements being useable for generating a unique identifying signature of the record carrier, e.g. randomly placed magnetic fibers or magnetic particles in the body of a credit card · CPC title