Image Authenticity Verification via Cryptographic Hashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of effective methods to authenticate images captured by devices, leading to potential fraud and misuse of modified images, as users cannot verify whether an image has been altered before sharing or using it, which can result in incorrect assumptions and resource wastage in detecting authenticity.
Innovation Solution
An image capturing device performs a hashing procedure on captured image data, generating a hash value and sending it to an image authentication device, which validates the image's authenticity, thereby preventing unauthorized modifications and conserving resources by confirming the image's integrity before allowing sharing or editing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If image data is captured and provided for display and modification by a user, then the image can be edited and shared, but the authenticity of the image cannot be verified and computing resources are wasted on detecting authenticity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating a cryptographic hash of the image data immediately when the image is captured, before any modification can occur. This hash is then stored in an immutable ledger (blockchain) as a reference point. When the image is later shared or modified, the system can quickly verify authenticity by comparing the current hash against the stored hash, eliminating the need for complex computational authenticity detection and preventing resource waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary cryptographic hash function and blockchain ledger system that mediates between the image capture device and the verification process. Instead of directly analyzing image content for authenticity (which is computationally expensive), the system uses the hash as an intermediary representation that efficiently verifies whether the image has been modified, thereby reducing computing resource consumption while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If a hashing procedure is performed on image data to generate a hash value, then image authenticity can be verified, but additional processing steps and storage requirements are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential authenticity verification function from the complex image processing pipeline. Instead of implementing full image analysis or digital signature verification systems, it isolates the cryptographic hashing operation and stores only the hash value in the blockchain. This extraction approach maintains reliability for authenticity verification while minimizing device complexity by focusing on a single, essential function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a cryptographic copy (hash) of the image data that serves as a lightweight representation for verification purposes. This hash copy contains all the necessary information to verify authenticity without requiring storage or processing of the actual image data. The copying approach enables reliable verification while keeping the system simple, as only small hash values need to be stored and transmitted rather than large image files.
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing device may capture image data for processing to form an image. The image capturing device may perform a hashing procedure on the image data, wherein performing the hashing procedure generates a hash value of the image data. The image capturing device may provide, to an image authentication device, the hash value of the image data, wherein the hash value of the image data is to be used by the image authentication device to validate the image based on a request to authenticate the image received from a receiving device. The image capturing device may process the image data to form the image for display to a user. The image capturing device may provide, after providing the hash value of the image data to the image authentication device, the image for display to the user.