Watermarked Image Content for Secure Identity Authentication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional image content, such as photographs, lack interactivity, provide limited information, and pose challenges in identity authentication and privacy control, especially when used in identification cards.

Innovation Solution

Implementing watermarks that encode supplemental information, which can be retrieved using a device to access augmented content, including 3D views, higher resolution images, and interactive features, while ensuring secure access through authentication and encryption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional photographs are used as identification, then identification function is provided, but accuracy and security of identity authentication deteriorates due to limited information and susceptibility to appearance changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentity authentication accuracyVSAvoidinformation detail in photograph
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds a watermark containing authentication data, cryptographic keys, and supplemental information within the conventional photograph. This nested structure allows the photo to serve both as a visual identification and as a carrier of secure authentication data, resolving the contradiction by preserving the original photo's information while adding layered security information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The watermark acts as an intermediary layer between the conventional photograph and the authentication system. It carries cryptographic keys and authentication data that mediate the verification process, enabling accurate identity authentication without relying solely on the limited visual information in the photograph.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If conventional photographs allow free access to all information, then ease of viewing is improved, but privacy control and distribution security deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to photograph informationVSAvoidunauthorized distribution and privacy breach
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different access rights to different parts of the photograph information. The watermark contains cryptographic keys that enable selective decryption and access control, allowing certain portions of the supplemental information to be accessible while other sensitive portions remain protected, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of access and privacy control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic access control where the level of information access changes based on authentication credentials. Users can interact with the photograph at different levels - from basic viewing to detailed inspection - with each level requiring appropriate authentication, thereby enabling both ease of operation and privacy control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional photographs are static images, then simplicity is maintained, but interactivity and user engagement deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinteractivity of image contentVSAvoidsystem complexity for accessing features
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent embeds the watermark and authentication data in advance within the conventional photograph during its creation or distribution. This preliminary action prepares the photograph to support interactive features without requiring complex real-time processing, thus enabling adaptability while maintaining relative simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the conventional photograph as a base copy and overlays it with a watermark containing additional information and authentication data. This copying approach allows the original simple photograph to be enhanced with interactive capabilities while maintaining the simplicity of the base image structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Loss of information

If multiple photographs are used to provide detailed information, then information completeness is improved, but ease of viewing and understanding deteriorates due to sequencing and context requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetail and perspective informationVSAvoidviewing convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple pieces of information - the conventional photograph, supplemental detailed information, and authentication data - into a single watermarked image. This combining allows all information to be accessed from one location rather than requiring users to sequence multiple photographs, thus improving both information completeness and viewing convenience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds an information dimension to the conventional photograph by embedding a watermark that contains supplemental information. This transforms the two-dimensional photograph into a multi-layered information structure where additional details and perspectives are accessible within the same visual space, eliminating the need to view multiple separate photographs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12386988B2Secure content augmentation systems and methods
Publication Date: 2025.08.12 INTERTRUST TECH CORP
  • US12386988B2 patent drawing
  • US12386988B2 patent drawing
  • US12386988B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosure relates to, among other things, systems and methods for augmenting and/or otherwise supplementing content using watermarks. Consistent with embodiments disclosed herein, a user device such as a smartphone may be used to retrieve watermark information encoded in a watermark. The watermark information may comprise content that supplements an associated content item, link and/or location information that may be used to retrieve supplemental content, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the watermark information may comprise cryptographic and/or other access token information used to decrypt and/or otherwise access supplemental content.