Registers – Records – Particular code pattern
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-18
2003-06-03
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Records
Particular code pattern
C235S462090, C235S462100, C235S468000, C235S469000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572025
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information code product which includes information codes having predetermined coded information, a device and a method, for manufacturing the information code product, an information code reading device for reading the information codes, e.g., two-dimensional bar codes, on the information code product, and to an authentication system for identifying the user of an information code product, e.g., a card, by using the information code product, an authentication terminal, an authentication server, and an authentication method.
2. Description of Related Art
As information codes including predetermined coded information, black and white bar codes consisting of black bars in a white background are generally known.
Recently, two-dimensional bar codes, color bar codes (for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. Tokukai-hei-8-96097) and the like are also used, in order to increase the amount of information included therein.
As an information code article including much information, for example, a magnetic card used for a credit card and the like is also known.
However, although the information in conventional bar codes or in a conventional credit card are coded, there is a danger of performing information decoding by a third person because the information itself is exposed to the outside and therefore has only a little secrecy.
As a result, it was difficult to construct a good information management system by using information codes such as bar codes, in a field to which a strict information secrecy is required.
In conventional bar codes or a conventional magnetic card, there is a problem of small information capacity and limitation on design. Conventional bar codes have a further problem of exhaustion of patterns for themselves.
As a personal information medium which comprises a card including coded personal identifying information therein, a credit card is generally known. Coded information are hidden in, for example, black and white bar codes, two dimensional bar codes, a magnetic tape, an IC chip and the like.
In order to conduct a transaction by a credit card, the codes in the card are read by using a reading device for credit card exclusive use, the read codes information are sent to a card company to check if the request is correct, and a signature on a slip is required to the user of the card, to check if the user is the owner of the card.
However, although the information in conventional bar codes, a magnetic tape, an IC chip or the like are coded, there is a danger of performing information decoding by a third person because the information itself is exposed to the outside and therefore has only a little secrecy. There are also dangers of the reading device being converted, of a leakage of information by interruption into the line.
Recently, damage according to an illegal use of forged card increases because it is easy to forge a card with a magnetic tape or an IC chip by rewriting therein. Damage according to an illegal use of lost or stolen card by a third person also increases because it is easy for every person to imitate the owner's signature which is exposed on the card.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been made in view of the above problems.
It is an object of the invention to provide an information code product which includes information codes having predetermined coded information, an apparatus and a method, for manufacturing the information code product, and an information code reading device for reading the information codes on the information code product.
It is another object of the invention to provide an authentication system for identifying the owner of an information code product, e.g., a card, by using the information code product, an authentication terminal, an authentication server, and an authentication method, which improve security for the information codes.
The present invention was developed in view of the above-described problems.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the information code product (e.g., bar code sticker
101
) comprises a body (e.g., paper
105
for printing) having a code-including image (
104
) formed thereon which includes at least one unit of information codes (e.g., two-dimensional bar codes
103
) with one or more specific color, wherein the unit of information codes is adapted to be obtained by extracting an image with the specific color from the code-including image.
According to the information code product, because the unit of information codes with one or more specific color is included in the image, any person cannot obtain the information codes unless the person knows the specific color. Accordingly, it is possible to improve security for the information codes.
That is, because the information codes are hidden in the image, and therefore the information codes cannot be recognized by just seeing the code including image. Therefore, the information code product according to the invention provides excellent security in comparison with a product having exposed information codes, e.g., a conventional two-dimensional bar codes product, a magnetic card or the like.
Therefore, such information codes enable use in a technical field which requires information security strictly.
An image may include a plurality of units of information codes with different specific color. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the amount of information included in the image and further to increase information security.
Further, it is possible to increase information security by using a unit of information codes such as two-dimensional bar codes, which has a combination of a plurality of specific colors.
Herein, the term “information codes” includes any of coded information, e.g., one-dimensional bar codes, two-dimensional bar codes, hologram or the like.
The term “specific color” may be a desired color which is determined, for example, by changing the mixture ratio of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, and the like.
The term “information code product” means every product on the surface of which an image with information codes are formed, that is, it includes a card or sticker of plastic, paper or the like, e.g., a company ID card, a cash card for bank and the like, goods, a container or a rapping paper for goods, and the like.
The term “image” may be a desired one, and includes one according to a picture of portrait, scenery, or the like, and may be one created factitiously such as a mosaic image.
The term “image including information codes may be synthesized image data of prepared information codes and data of an original image captured from a picture or the like, or original image data such as a picture or the like, from which information codes with a specific color were created.
Preferably, the code-including image comprises a synthesis of an original image (e.g., scenic image
102
) and at least one unit of information codes with one or more specific color.
According to the information code product, it is possible to prepare the code-including image easily and to improve the application flexibility. It is possible to use the same information codes to different data of original pictures.
Preferably, the unit of information codes is a unit of two-dimensional bar codes with the one or more specific color.
According to the product having such a construction, because the information codes comprise a unit of two-dimensional bar codes, it is possible to increase the information amount therein and to prepare the code-including image easily.
Preferably, the unit of information codes is split into plural pieces, and the split pieces (
207
a
-
207
d
) of information codes (e.g., two-dimensional bar codes
207
) are arranged in desired regions (
202
a
-
202
d
) at desired positions in the code-including image on the body (e.g., card substrate
203
) and are adapted to obtain the unit of information codes by extracting pieces of images with the specific color from the code-including image in the desired regions at the des
Miwa Tatahiro
Nishikado Hiroshi
Shimazaki Satoshi
Frech Karl D.
Hess Daniel A.
Japan Gain The Summit Co., Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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