Patent · US Expired

System for encrypting documents with stencils

US6728376B1 · kind B1 · utility

8Cited by
10References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1999
Grant dateApr 27, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG09C5/00
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A symmetric key encryption system includes a printer or copier for performing decryption in two passes. During a first pass an encrypted image is decrypted to define a first partially decrypted image and during a second pass a complement of the encrypted image is decrypted to define a second partially decrypted image. The first partially decrypted image is formed when the encrypted image is rendered onto a first recording medium through a stencil. The stencil, which is a random arrangement of holes, is overlaid on the first recording medium to permit only selected portions of the encrypted image to be rendered on the recording medium. During the second pass, the complement of the encrypted image is rendered on a second recording medium through a complement of the stencil to yield the second partially decrypted image. Overlaying and aligning the first partially decrypted image and the second partially decrypted image finally decrypts the encrypted image.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.