US 9,779,227 B1Granted

Security system using keys encoded in holograms

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorSteven Ramos Carneiro

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Abstract

A system for controlling access to secured resources using a security token having a hologram embossed thereon is provided. A key is split into a user key and a complimentary key based on a mask, wherein key values in the user key correspond to idle state values in the complimentary key and vice versa. The user key is used to generate a user key array, that is used to generate a three-dimensional virtual image that is holographically embossed onto a security token. The hologram is merged with a corresponding hologram for the complimentary key and the combination compared to an image of an ensemble of the key. The combination can be mergers of images or extractions of holograms. If a match is found, within a tolerance, an access grant signal is sent to the secure resources, thereby securing the resources based on presence of the security token.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of controlling access to secured resources using a security token having a hologram thereon, the method comprising:

1) under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
a) generating a full key comprising a sequence of bits, wherein a sequence is such that each element in the sequence has a position in the sequence, and wherein each bit of the full key has a value that is in the set {“0”, “1”};
b) generating a mask comprising a sequence of masking values, wherein each of the masking values has a position in the mask and a value that is in a set comprising a masked value of “1” and an unmasked value of “0”;
c) generating a user key, comprising a first sequence of digital values, from the full key and the mask, such that, at each position of the sequence of the user key, the digital value is the value at a corresponding position in the full key if the value at a corresponding position in the mask is the unmasked value of “0” and the digital value is an idle state value of “?” if the value at the corresponding position in the mask is the masked value of “1”;
and
d) generating a complimentary key, comprising a second sequence of digital values, from the full key and the mask, such that, at each position of the sequence of the complimentary key, the digital value is the value at a corresponding position in the full key if the value at a corresponding position in the mask is the masked value of “1” and the digital value is the idle state value of “?” if the value at the corresponding position in the mask is the unmasked value of “0”;
2) illuminating a first substrate by a first selected wavelength of light;
3) forming a first hologram on the first substrate such that a first readable image encoded in the first hologram corresponds to the user key;
4) attaching the first substrate to the security token so that the first hologram is readable from the first substrate by an access card reader when the security token is inserted into the access card reader;
5) illuminating a second substrate by a second selected wavelength of light;
and
6) forming a second hologram on the second substrate such that a second readable image encoded in the second hologram corresponds to the complimentary key.

9 more elements

A system for controlling access to secured resources using a security token having a hologram thereon, the system comprising:

at least one computing device configured to implement one or more services, wherein the one or more services are configured to:
a) generate a full key comprising a sequence of digital values, wherein a sequence comprises a plurality of elements each having a position within the sequence;
b) generate a mask comprising a sequence of masking values, wherein each of the masking values has a position in the mask and is a masked value or an unmasked value;
and
c) partition the full key into two split keys, a user key and a complimentary key, using the mask, such that the user key comprises a sequence of digital values each having a position in the user key and at each position of the sequence of the user key, the digital value is the value at a corresponding position in the full key if the value at a corresponding position in the mask is the unmasked value and the digital value is an idle state value if the value at the corresponding position in the mask is the masked value and the complimentary key comprises a sequence of digital values each having a position in the complimentary key and at each position of the sequence of the complimentary key, the digital value is the value at a corresponding position in the full key if the value at a corresponding position in the mask is the masked value and the digital value is the idle state value if the value at the corresponding position in the mask is the unmasked value;
and
a hologram generator capable of:
a) forming a first hologram on a first substrate attached to the security token such that a first readable image encoded in the first hologram corresponds to the user key and wherein the first hologram is formed using illumination of the first substrate by a first selected wavelength of light and is readable by an access card reader;
and
b) forming a second hologram on a second substrate such that a second readable image encoded in the second hologram corresponds to the complimentary key and wherein the second hologram is formed using illumination of the second substrate by a second selected wavelength of light.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

a) generate a full key comprising a sequence of digital values, wherein a sequence comprises a plurality of elements each having a position within the sequence;
b) generate a mask comprising a sequence of masking values, wherein each of the masking values has a position in the mask and is a masked value or an unmasked value;
and
c) partition the full key into two split keys, a user key and a complimentary key, using the mask, such that the user key comprises a sequence of digital values each having a position in the user key and at each position of the sequence of the user key, the digital value is the value at a corresponding position in the full key if the value at a corresponding position in the mask is the unmasked value and the digital value is an idle state value if the value at the corresponding position in the mask is the masked value and the complimentary key comprises a sequence of digital values each having a position in the complimentary key and at each position of the sequence of the complimentary key, the digital value is the value at a corresponding position in the full key if the value at a corresponding position in the mask is the masked value and the digital value is the idle state value if the value at the corresponding position in the mask is the unmasked value;
d) send instructions to a hologram generator to form a first hologram on a first substrate of an access card used to control access to secured resources such that a first readable image encoded in the first hologram corresponds to the user key and wherein the first hologram is formed using illumination of the first substrate by a first selected wavelength of light;
and
e) send instructions to the hologram generator to form a second hologram on a second substrate such that a second readable image encoded in the second hologram corresponds to the complimentary key and wherein the second hologram is formed using illumination of the second substrate by a second selected wavelength of light.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.