Digitally watermaking holograms for use with smart cards

A method to authenticate a smart card comprising the steps of:

• extracting information from a digital watermark, the digital watermark being embedded in an optically variable device which is carried by the smart card, the optically variable device comprising a watermarked image embedded within a holographic structure, wherein at least some of the digital watermark information is redundantly embedded within the image;
• and
• extracting information stored in circuitry of the smart card;
• and
• comparing at least some of the decoded digital watermark information with the extracted smart card information to determine authenticity of the smart card.

A reader operable to decode a watermark from a watermarked hologram, and to extract information from a smart card, said reader comprising:

• a watermark decoder for detecting a watermark signal in image scan data corresponding to the watermark d hologram, the smart card carrying the watermarked hologram;
• a message decoder for extracting a message from the watermark signal, wherein the message comprises at least some spread spectrum modulated binary bits;
• a reader to extract information from the smart card;
• and
• a comparator to compare the message and the extracted smart card information to determine authenticity of the smart card.

A method to authenticate a smart card including a digitally watermarked hologram, said digital watermark comprising at least a first data set, said method comprising the steps of:

• presenting the smart car to a reader, the smart card including electronic circuitry comprising a second data set;
• in the reader:
• decoding the firs data set, indexing a database which is remote from the reader with at least some of the first data set, and obtaining authenticating information that is associated with the at least some of the first data set;
• and
• decoding the second data set;
• authenticating the smart and based at least in part on the authenticating information.

A reader operable to decode a digital watermark from a digitally watermarked hologram, the digital watermark including at least:

• i) an orientation signal which is to be used to facilitate e-alignment of image data, and ii) a message, wherein a smart card carries the digitally watermarked hologram, said reader being operable to extract information from electronic circuitry included in the smart card, said reader comprising:
• a digital watermark detector for detecting the digital watermark orientation signal from image scan data corresponding to the digitally watermarked hologram, said detector re-aligning the scanned image based at least in part by the orientation signal;
• a digital watermark decoder for reading the digital watermark message;
• a reader unit to extract information from the electronic circuitry of the smart card;
• and
• a comparator to compare the extracted information and the message to determine authenticity of the smart card.