Assisting a user with the authentication of a banknote

Abstract

Method for assisting a user in verifying the authenticity of a banknote (1), wherein - a portable data processing system (5) is used which has a camera (6) and a screen (7) and has access to a database in which information concerning various possible denominations for the banknote (1) is stored, - a picture of the banknote (1) is taken with the camera (6), - the data processing system (5) accesses the database and, based on the recorded image, identifies the banknote (1) with regard to its face value and - a representation supplementing the banknote (1) is displayed on the screen (7), wherein the representation depends on the identified face value of the banknote (1), characterized in that the supplementary representation consists of texts, still images, moving images or films, wherein the representation highlights security features (3) of the banknote (1) and wherein the data processing system (5) evaluates security features (3, 4) of the banknote (1) in the recorded image, and the representation highlights security features (3) of the banknote (1) that the user needs to examine more closely.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for assisting a user in verifying the authenticity of a banknote.

[0002] Banknotes are protected against counterfeiting by a variety of security features. In normal banknote transactions, these security features can only be effective if consumers are aware of them. Therefore, efforts have been made to design security features so that they are immediately noticeable to consumers even without prior knowledge. The effectiveness of these security features depends on ordinary consumers recognizing them as such. It is therefore not only important that the security feature is difficult for a counterfeiter to imitate or copy, but also that ordinary consumers immediately recognize the security features as identifying the banknote.

[0003] Of course, there are also security features that are difficult or impossible for the average consumer to verify. These security features are designed to detect counterfeits as banknotes pass through counting machines, at banks, etc. However, they do not prevent counterfeit banknotes from being immediately put into circulation, as banknotes in circulation usually have to pass through many stages before they reach a point where security features are evaluated automatically. By this point, a counterfeiter has already achieved financial success, as they have received something of value for the counterfeit banknote, based on the assumption that it was genuine.

[0004] There are known approaches in the prior art to make machine-based verification accessible to end users. For example, the publication Currency News, ISSN 0895-9080, July 2011, Vol. 9, No. 7, page 12, describes a system offered by the company Fabriano under the name SIGMA QR. It includes a watermark designed as a two-dimensional barcode (so-called QR code). Using a smartphone, this makes it easier for a user to check whether the serial number of a banknote is valid. A similar approach is also known from DE 10201987 A1, in which a consumer can check the serial number of a banknote using a mobile device. Automatic verification of a banknote using a mobile phone is also described in EP 1295263 B1.

[0005] All these approaches have in common that a consumer can perform an automatic verification of a banknote using a mobile device, such as a smartphone. This verification relies on machine-readable elements of the banknote, such as the aforementioned serial number. Ultimately, it does not differ from machine-based verification as already carried out by central banks, etc., since the automated authentication of a banknote is based on machine-readable security features.

[0006] Security features that would provide a high degree of counterfeit protection, but are poorly suited for machine-readable evaluation, cannot be used effectively in such approaches. For these features to remain relevant, it is essential that the consumer is well-versed in them in order to verify them, or that the respective security feature is immediately noticeable to the consumer.

[0007] The invention therefore aims to design security features in such a way that they do not have to be immediately noticeable and yet can be easily verified by a consumer. The authentication process should not be entirely automated by a machine, in order to promote consumer awareness of security features.

[0008] This task is solved by a method for assisting a user in verifying the authenticity of a banknote, wherein a portable data processing system is used which has a camera and a screen and has access to a database in which information concerning various possible denominations for the banknote is stored, an image of the banknote is taken with the camera, the data processing system accesses the database and, based on the taken image, identifies the banknote with regard to its denomination and displays a representation supplementing the banknote on the screen, the representation depending on the identified denomination of the banknote.

[0009] The invention assists the user in verifying the authenticity of a banknote by providing the user with a display on the data processing system, which can be, for example, a mobile device, in particular a smartphone or a tablet computer, that corresponds to the banknote in question. The display can show additional computer-generated information. This allows the user to easily verify security features without the security features needing to be conspicuously designed on the banknote. The method according to the invention thus fundamentally improves the verifiability of security features, especially when these features are designed in such a way that they are not readily apparent. These can be, in particular, security features that are difficult to copy or imitate.The invention thus promotes the use and awareness of security features that are optimized with regard to protection against copying or imitation, and not with regard to easy recognizability.

[0010] The additional representation can be of any type. According to the invention, this includes text, static images, moving images, or videos. The representation is thus linked to security features present on the banknote. This link can be easily established by the data processing system, since the face value (so-called nomination) of the banknote (and, if the method is optionally used in multiple countries, naturally also the country in which the banknote is valid) is recognized. This allows the representation to be tailored accordingly to the recognized face value of the banknote in question.

[0011] The method according to the invention promotes the knowledge of safety features, even if these are not easily recognizable.

[0012] Of course, the process can also include automated authentication of the banknote, for example, using the serial number. It is also possible to report data about the location and / or time of the procedure to a central authority, which can then determine circulation information for the banknote. For data security reasons, anonymization is preferred in this case. This training allows a central authority to determine how long banknotes have been in circulation, trace their circulation path, etc. Registered banknotes, such as those originating from ransom payments, thefts, etc., can also be tracked or located in this way. In this training, it is advantageous to provide feedback to the user that the banknote is being searched for.

[0013] To provide users with enhanced support during authentication, the data processing system, according to the invention, evaluates security features of the banknote in the captured image and highlights those features that the user should examine more closely. These can also be features that are not present in the captured image section. The method thus allows for a kind of "re-verification" in which a user checks additional security features that would be expected based on the identification of the banknote's face value.

[0014] Determining the face value of a banknote can be done in various ways. The preferred method is to identify at least one security feature of the banknote in the captured image and use this to determine the face value. A possible security feature would be the face value printed on the banknote itself, or the serial number, which is also a security feature. The latter, however, usually requires access to a central database where serial numbers are linked to their face values. It is also conceivable, though, to store the relevant data directly within the data processing system.

[0015] Access to the database by the portable data processing system can generally be achieved because the database is located within the data processing system itself. Alternatively or additionally, access to a database can be gained via a wireless connection. Wireless communication can be implemented using one of the following standards, among others: GSM, EDGE, GPRS, UMTS, WLAN, LTE, Bluetooth.

[0016] The invention allows existing security features to be enhanced simply, cost-effectively, and with regard to counterfeit protection, as the user's attention can be drawn to details that would otherwise be overlooked during inspection. Furthermore, it assists visually impaired or visually weakened individuals in verifying the authenticity of banknotes.

[0017] For banknotes that have an RFID chip, the data processing system can also access this chip via radio communication in addition to or as an alternative to the camera in order to determine the face value of the banknote.

[0018] The terms "camera" and "capturing an image" here refer to the complete or partial imaging of a banknote using any optical means that allow for the creation of a digitized image file of a section or the entire banknote. The camera can preferably be a digital camera or a scanning device that captures the surface of the banknote. It can also capture multiple spectral ranges, as banknotes often have security features that are only visible in the infrared spectral range. Furthermore, exposure and image capture can occur in different spectral ranges to capture luminescent (e.g., fluorescent) features.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings and exemplary embodiments. The drawings show: Fig. 1. A schematic representation of a banknote with a smartphone in support of a user to verify the banknote and Fig. 2. A flowchart of the procedure to assist a user in verifying the authenticity of a banknote.

[0020] Fig. Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic perspective view of a banknote 1 bearing a face value 2. The banknote also features a security feature 3 and a design 4. A user wishing to verify the authenticity of the banknote uses a smartphone 5 equipped with a corresponding program (so-called app).

[0021] The corresponding flowchart of the review is in Fig.Figure 2 illustrates this process. In a starting step S1, the user launches the program on the smartphone 5. For example, upon receiving a corresponding request, the user then takes a picture of the banknote 1 with the camera 6 in a step S2. The program on the smartphone 5 then analyzes the image in a step S3 to determine the face value of the banknote 1. This can be done, for example, by the program on the smartphone 5 finding and reading the face value information 2 of the banknote 1 in the captured image. Alternatively or in addition to the face value information 2, the security feature 3, the design 4, and / or a serial number 8 present on the banknote 1 can also be analyzed.

[0022] The information evaluated within the image is selectable across a wide range for various implementations, as long as the program on the smartphone 5 is able to determine the face value of the banknote 1. In particular, access can be made to image information that is not clearly recognizable on the banknote 1, for example, obscured information in the form of watermarks, holograms, photochromic substances, metameric printing inks, microprinting, Omron rings, STEP (see WO 97 / 19818 A1, WO 2006 / 034780 A1), PEAK (see WO 97 / 17211 A1, WO 01 / 49505 A1, WO 02 / 20280 A1, EP 1317346 B1, WO 2004 / 022355 A1, WO 2006 / 018232 A1), etc. The motif to be detected and its size can be freely selected within a wide range. Once the subject is located, the user can be guided to select the image section.

[0023] After the denomination is detected in step S3, the smartphone 5 displays a representation on a screen 7 in step S4. This screen 7 is either integrated into the smartphone 5 or located externally and controllable by the smartphone 5. This representation assists the user in verifying the authenticity of the banknote 1. The various display options, already explained in the general section of the description, can be used individually or in combination. Optionally, in step S5, after or during the display on screen 7 in step S4, contact can be established with a central control unit 9 via a radio link 10. This radio link allows for additional authentication of the banknote 1 and / or the transmission of information about the banknote's circulation to the central control unit 9.

[0024] Once the user has received the information he requested for the authentication of banknote 1, the procedure is completed in step S6 by him terminating the program running on the smartphone 5. Reference symbol list 1 banknote 2 Nominal Value Issue 3 safety features 4 motif 5 Smartphone 6 cameras 7-inch screen 8 Serial number 9 Central 10 Wireless connection

Claims

[1] Method for assisting a user in verifying the authenticity of a banknote (1) wherein - a portable data processing system (5) is used which has a camera (6) and a screen (7) and has access to a database in which information concerning various possible denominations for the banknote (1) is stored, - a picture of the banknote (1) is taken with the camera (6), - the data processing system (5) accesses the database and, based on the recorded image, identifies the banknote (1) with regard to its face value and - on the screen (7) a representation supplementing the banknote (1) is displayed, the representation depending on the identified face value of the banknote (1), characterized by, that the supplementary representation consists of texts, still images, moving images or films, wherein the representation highlights security features (3) of the banknote (1) and wherein the data processing system (5) evaluates security features (3, 4) of the banknote (1) in the recorded image, and the representation highlights security features (3) of the banknote (1) that the user should examine more closely. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by , that the representation is supplemented or superimposed on the image of the banknote (1) or an image of a banknote of the same face value and orientation. [3] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized by , that the data processing system (5) identifies at least one security feature (3) of the banknote (1) in the recorded image and uses this to determine the face value. [4] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized by, that the data processing system (5) determines a serial number (8) of the banknote (1) in the recorded image and uses this to determine the face value. [5] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that the data processing system (5) reports data on the location and / or time of the execution of the procedure to a central office (9) in order to determine circulation information for the banknote (1). [6] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the representation relates to a motif (4) visible on the banknote (1). [7] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the data processing system is a smartphone (5), an internet-enabled computer or a tablet computer that has a camera. [8] Method according to any one of the above claims, characterized by, that the banknote (1) can be identified from the image taken also with regard to and / or the date of issue, the place of issue and / or signatures.

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