Validation method and apparatus for identification documents

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause an apparatus at least to perform or control:

• obtaining or causing obtaining first information representing a first string of characters with a first portion representative of a set of height levels of corresponding sections of at least a part of a surface of a first document;
• determining or causing determining, based on the obtained first information, whether or not the first string of characters is present in a database;
• if the first string of characters is not present in the database:
• determining or causing determining, based on a metric function, whether or not at least one second string of characters is present in the database, a distance of which to the first string of characters is below a first predefined threshold;
• and
• outputting or causing outputting corresponding information if at least one second string of characters is present in the database, the distance of which to the first string of characters is below the first predefined threshold.

A method performed by at least one second apparatus, the method comprising:

• obtaining or causing obtaining first information representing a first string of characters with a first portion representative of a set of height levels of corresponding sections of at least a part of a surface of a first document;
• determining or causing determining, based on the obtained first information, whether or not the first string of characters is present in a database;
• if the first string of characters is not present in the database:
• determining or causing determining, based on a metric function, whether or not at least one second string of characters is present in the database, a distance of which to the first string of characters is below a first predefined threshold;
• and
• outputting or causing outputting corresponding information if at least one second string of characters is present in the database, the distance of which to the first string of characters is below the first predefined threshold.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, the computer program when executed by a processor causing an apparatus or system to perform or control:

• obtaining or causing obtaining first information representing a first string of characters with a first portion representative of a set of height levels of corresponding sections of at least a part of a surface of a first document;
• determining or causing determining, based on the obtained first information, whether or not the first string of characters is present in a database;
• if the first string of characters is not present in the database:
• determining or causing determining, based on a metric function, whether or not at least one second string of characters is present in the database, a distance of which to the first string of characters is below a first predefined threshold;
• and
• outputting or causing outputting corresponding information if at least one second string of characters is present in the database, the distance of which to the first string of characters is below the first predefined threshold.

A method performed by at least one first apparatus, the method comprising:

• obtaining or causing obtaining an image of at least a part of a surface of a document;
• deriving or causing deriving a representation of the at least a part of the surface from the image, the representation comprising a set of values respectively representing a corresponding set of height levels of corresponding sections of the at least a part of the surface;
• generating or causing generating a string of characters based on the representation of the at least a part of the surface, the string of characters comprising at least a first portion representative of the set of height levels of the corresponding sections of the at least a part of the surface and a second portion generated based on a function of the representation and/or of the first portion of the string of characters;
• associating or causing associating information representing the string of characters with identification information of the document.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, the computer program when executed by a processor causing an apparatus or system to perform or control:

• obtaining or causing obtaining an image of at least a part of a surface of a document;
• deriving or causing deriving a representation of the at least a part of the surface from the image, the representation comprising a set of values respectively representing a corresponding set of height levels of corresponding sections of the at least a part of the surface;
• generating or causing generating a string of characters based on the representation of the at least a part of the surface, the string of characters comprising at least a first portion representative of the set of height levels of the corresponding sections of the at least a part of the surface and a second portion generated based on a function of the representation and/or of the first portion of the string of characters;
• associating or causing associating information representing the string of characters with identification information of the document.