# US 12,417,666 B2 · Securing composite objects using digital fingerprints

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- Number: US 12,417,666 B2
- Document ID: US12417666B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/594,568
- Filed: 2024-03-04
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Granted: 2025-09-16
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-17
- Assignees: Alitheon, Inc.
- Applicants: Alitheon, Inc.
- Inventors: David Justin Ross
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12417666B2

## CPC

- G07D 7/2033: Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper
- G06F 16/245: Query processing
- G06F 18/24: Classification techniques
- G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
- G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches}
- G06V 20/80: Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
- G06V 30/274: {Syntactic or semantic context, e.g. balancing}
- G06V 30/40: Document-oriented image-based pattern recognition
- G06V 30/418: Document matching, e.g. of document images
- G07D 7/12: Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
- G07D 7/206: Matching template patterns
- H04L 9/3278: {using physically unclonable functions [PUF]}
- G07D: HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A system comprises a combination of digital fingerprint authentication techniques, processes, programs, and hardware to facilitate highly reliable authentication of a wide variety of composite physical objects. “Composite” in this case means that there are distinct regions of the object that must be authenticating individually and in tandem to authenticate the entire object. Preferably, a template is stored that defines for a class of objects what regions must be found, their locations, optionally semantic content of the regions, and other criteria. digital fingerprinting is utilized to locate and attempt to match candidate regions by querying a database of reference object records.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
an authentication server including a processor and instructions stored in machine-readable non-volatile memory, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the processor to:
receive digital image data for a composite physical object;
determine a class of objects to which the composite physical object belongs;
access a template, stored on the authentication server, that specifies criteria for authenticating objects of the class of objects to which the composite physical object belongs;
identify a plurality of regions of the composite physical object specified in the template as required for authentication, wherein at least one of the identified plurality of regions of the object specified in the template as required for authentication includes text or an image on the composite physical object, and wherein at least one of the identified plurality of regions of the object specified in the template as required for authentication is a portion of the object devoid of text or images;
process the received digital image data to extract a digital fingerprint from each of the identified plurality of regions, wherein each digital fingerprint is based on one or more native features of the composite physical object and not based on semantic content of any identifier, label, or other proxy added to the composite physical object for identification or authentication;
based on the digital fingerprints, query a database of reference objects of the class of objects to obtain a matching record, wherein obtaining the matching record requires that each and every identified region of the composite physical object matches a corresponding region of a reference object in the matching record, based on the corresponding digital fingerprints from the identified plurality of regions, within a selected tolerance; and
determine authenticity of the composite physical object based on the matching record.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the composite physical object includes a document.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 wherein the document is a passport, a negotiable instrument, or a driver's license.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the composite physical object includes an electronic apparatus.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a printed circuit board.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
process the received digital image data that corresponds to a label attached to the composite physical object to identify the class of objects to which the composite physical object belongs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the accessed template specifies an expected location of each of the plurality of regions, and the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
determine an actual location of each of the plurality of regions based on the digital image data; and
compare the actual location of each of the plurality of regions to the corresponding expected location for the region,
wherein determining the authenticity of the composite physical object is based, at least in part, on a result of comparing the actual locations to the expected locations.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7 wherein the expected location of one of the plurality of regions is specified relative to the expected location of another of the plurality of regions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
identify one or more regions within the at least one digital image data unnecessary for authentication of the composite physical object, such that no information is located and extracted from the one or more regions that are identified as unnecessary for authentication of the composite physical object.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of regions coincides with an image or text printed on a substrate of the composite physical object.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
receiving digital image data for a composite physical object;
determining a class of objects to which the composite physical object belongs;
accessing a template that specifies criteria for authenticating objects of the class of objects to which the composite physical object belongs;
identifying a plurality of regions of the composite physical object specified in the template as required for authentication, wherein at least one of the identified plurality of regions of the object specified in the template as required for authentication includes text or an image on the composite physical object, and wherein at least one of the identified plurality of regions of the object specified in the template as required for authentication is a portion of the object devoid of text or images;
processing the received digital image data to extract a digital fingerprint from each of the identified plurality of regions, wherein each digital fingerprint is based on one or more native features of the composite physical object and not based on semantic content of any identifier, label, or other proxy added to the composite physical object for identification or authentication;
based on the digital fingerprints, querying a database of reference objects of the class of objects to obtain a matching record, wherein obtaining the matching record requires that each and every identified region of the composite physical object matches a corresponding region of a reference object in the matching record, based on the corresponding digital fingerprints from the identified plurality of regions, within a selected tolerance; and
determining authenticity of the composite physical object based on the matching record.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the composite physical object includes a document.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the document is a passport, a negotiable instrument, or a driver's license.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the composite physical object includes an electronic apparatus.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic apparatus includes a printed circuit board.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
processing the received digital image data that corresponds to a label attached to the composite physical object to identify the class of objects to which the composite physical object belongs.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the accessed template specifies an expected location of each of the plurality of regions, and the method further comprising:
determining an actual location of each of the plurality of regions based on the digital image data; and
comparing the actual location of each of the plurality of regions to the corresponding expected location for the region,
wherein determining the authenticity of the composite physical object is based, at least in part, on a result of comparing the actual locations to the expected locations.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the expected location of one of the plurality of regions is specified relative to the expected location of another of the plurality of regions.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising:
identifying one or more regions within the at least one digital image data unnecessary for authentication of the composite physical object, such that no information is located and extracted from the one or more regions that are identified as unnecessary for authentication of the composite physical object.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the plurality of regions coincides with an image or text printed on a substrate of the composite physical object.