Banknote Image Copy Protection Through Feature Similarity Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing security features in documents such as banknotes are vulnerable to counterfeiting due to their reliance on graphical design elements and digital watermarks that can be altered or distorted, leading to ineffective copy prevention and potential misuse.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that analyzes the digital representation of a document's portion using artificial intelligence and machine learning to recognize characterizing features, prohibiting unauthorized processing if the representation is similar to the document, without the need for additional security features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If graphical design elements are added to security documents to prevent copying, then copy protection is improved, but the elements may be recognized and altered by forgers, reducing their effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecopy protection effectivenessVSAvoidresistance to forgery adaptation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms security features from static graphical elements to dynamic parameter-based representations. By converting visual security features into numerical parameters and using hash functions to generate unique identifiers, the system creates a parameter space that is computationally infeasible for forgers to adapt to, resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and resistance to adaptation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/visual detection system with a computational information-theoretic system. Instead of relying on visual recognition of graphical elements by detectors, the system uses hash functions and parameter comparisons that are fundamentally different in nature, making forgery adaptation extremely difficult

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If digital watermarks are added to security documents to prevent unauthorized processing, then copy protection is improved, but the watermarks may distort the printed document appearance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecopy protection effectivenessVSAvoiddocument appearance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the security function from the visual domain and places it in the computational domain. By separating the security parameters from the visual representation and using hash functions to process only the parameter data, the system achieves copy protection without any visual distortion to the document appearance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If authentication processes are performed on questionable documents, then document authenticity assessment is improved, but the original document has already been reproduced by that time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthenticity assessment accuracyVSAvoidtime delay in prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by embedding the security parameters and their hash values directly into the digital representation at the time of document creation or digitalization. This allows for immediate detection of unauthorized reproductions without requiring time-consuming authentication processes later, preventing the loss of time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If special detectors are used to recognize security features, then copy protection is improved, but the detectors may be bypassed by slightly altering the features

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoiddifficulty to bypass detection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical detection mechanisms with information-theoretic verification. Instead of detectors recognizing visual patterns, the system uses hash function comparisons that verify the integrity of parameter representations, making it extremely difficult to bypass detection through slight alterations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12361780B2Computer-implemented method for copy protection, data processing device and computer program product

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for preventing unauthorized processing of a digital representation of at least a portion of a document, a device for data processing, and a computer program product are provided, wherein in particular the document is a banknote. The method comprises providing data, wherein the data is based on the digital representation of at least a portion of a test element. The digital representation may be an image file corresponding to the at least one portion of the test element. The method also involves analyzing the data with regard to data representing at least one characterizing feature of the at least one portion of the document. The method further comprises activating prohibiting means if the data being based on the digital representation of the at least one portion of the test element is similar to the data representing the at least one characterizing feature. The prohibiting means prohibit the data being based on the digital representation of the at least one portion of the test element to be further processed, in particular comprising copying and/or transmitting and/or printing and/or reproducing the data. Alternatively, the prohibiting means amend the data such that the data is prevented from being transmitted and/or printed and/or reproduced and/or further amended by data processing devices.