Dual Bar Code Authentication for Answer Sheet Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing scanning management systems lack features such as file path encryption, manual quality check, and dual bar-code verification, leading to insecure document authentication and high rejection rates of answer sheets.

Innovation Solution

A processor-implemented method and system that ensures dual bar code authentication of documents by receiving metadata from scanned answer sheets, fetching parameters, scanning primary and secondary bar codes using adaptive machine learning, and comparing them to authenticate the answer sheets and ensure they are not swapped.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single bar code authentication system is used, then the system complexity is low, but the security and reliability of document authentication is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedocument authentication reliabilityVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication system is segmented into two independent bar code verification steps: first verifying the bar code on the front sheet, then verifying a second bar code on randomly selected subsequent sheets. This segmentation of the authentication process into multiple independent verification stages enhances reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary verification of the front sheet bar code before proceeding to authenticate subsequent sheets. This preliminary action ensures that only potentially valid documents proceed to further verification, improving overall authentication reliability by filtering out invalid documents early in the process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If manual quality check is implemented, then the quality of scanned answer sheets is improved, but the processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescanned answer sheet qualityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of manually checking every parameter of every scanned answer sheet, the system performs selective verification focused on critical quality parameters. The automated system checks essential attributes such as bar code validity, sheet sequence continuity, and basic image quality metrics, achieving sufficient quality assurance without the time cost of exhaustive manual inspection of all parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If file path encryption is implemented, then the security of data transmission is improved, but the system complexity and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex physical security mechanisms with cryptographic file path encryption. Instead of using elaborate access control systems or physical security measures, the invention uses encryption algorithms to secure file paths and data transmission, achieving high security levels through computational methods that are more scalable and easier to implement than mechanical security systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If dual bar code verification on all sheets is performed, then the authentication reliability is maximized, but the processing time and productivity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs dual bar code verification selectively rather than on every sheet. After verifying the front sheet bar code, the system randomly selects a subset of subsequent sheets for second bar code verification. This partial verification approach maintains high authentication reliability by checking enough sheets to detect swaps while preserving processing throughput by avoiding exhaustive verification of every single sheet.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4530947A1Method and system for ensuring dual bar code authentication of documents
Publication Date: 2025.04.02 TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD
  • EP4530947A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4530947A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4530947A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The embodiments of present disclosure herein address unresolved problems of a file path encryption, a manual quality check and a dual bar-code verification while scanning and transferring of the answer sheets to a server via a communication network. Embodiments herein provide a system and method for ensuring a dual bar code-based authentication of answer sheets. The system and method provide a multilevel security that is achieved by a programmatic scanning and validation. A metadata tagging, and manual quality check can be carried out by an operator. The system and method provide a file transfer over a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) network and with the help of a blow-fish algorithm, media files path is stored in an encrypted manner. The system and method restrict any third-party entity to get access to the confidential data and ensure a single user authorization from scanning, monitoring to package creation and an operator management.