Matrix Code Object Authentication Without External Key Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing content or messages are inadequate as they can be accessed by malicious third parties with decoding or decryption keys, which are often stored on media or in computer systems.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that encodes characteristic elements of an object, such as biometric data or document images, into a matrix code and prints it on the object, allowing for verification of integrity and authenticity by decoding the matrix code.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encoding or encryption is applied to data, then security is improved, but access control becomes more complex and requires external key storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the security verification function from external systems (databases, key storage) and embeds it directly into the object through the matrix code. The matrix code contains encoded characteristic elements that can be decoded and compared locally, eliminating the need for external key management infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The object becomes self-verifying through the matrix code embedded within it. The characteristic elements encoded in the matrix code allow the object to prove its authenticity and integrity independently, without requiring external authentication services or key storage systems.
2Ease of operation
If decryption keys are stored on media or servers, then access is enabled, but vulnerability to malicious access increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vulnerability source by extracting the need for stored decryption keys entirely. Instead of storing keys that could be compromised, the system uses encoded characteristic elements in a matrix code that can be decoded and verified without requiring pre-stored secret keys on vulnerable media.
Solution Approach 2:
The matrix code acts as an intermediary that enables access verification without exposing sensitive information. The encoded characteristic elements serve as a mediator between the object and the verification process, allowing authentication without direct exposure of secret keys or vulnerable storage mechanisms.
3Reliability
If external databases are used for verification, then authentication capability is improved, but system complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication capability from external databases and embeds it directly into the object via the matrix code. The encoded characteristic elements contain all necessary information for verification locally, eliminating dependence on external storage infrastructure and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from external centralized verification (spatial separation) to embedded self-contained verification (spatial integration). By encoding characteristic elements directly in the matrix code on the object, the system moves authentication from an external dimension to an internal dimension, reducing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A device to secure an object receives a digital file representing a photograph as an input. The photogram represents at least one portion of the object. An encoder of the device encodes characteristic elements of the photograph into a matrix code. The device further includes a printer to print the matrix code on or in the object. The photograph can represent biometric data of a person, which are also visible on the object. An image sensor can be used to input the digital file representing the photograph and is configured to take an image of the object on which the matrix code is printed.