Authentication of security documents, in particular of banknotes

US8781204B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• KBA-NOTASYS SA · CH

Inventors

• Volker Lohweg · Bielefeld, DE
• Eugen Gillich · Bielefeld, DE
• Johannes Georg Schaede · Würzburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 2, 2008
• Grant date: Jul 15, 2014
• Expiry date: May 17, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07D7/205
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

There is described a method for checking the authenticity of security documents, in particular banknotes, wherein authentic security documents comprise security features printed, applied or otherwise provided on the security documents, which security features comprise characteristic visual features intrinsic to the processes used for producing the security documents. The method comprises the steps of (i) acquiring a sample image of at least one region of interest of the surface of a candidate document to be authenticated, which region of interest encompasses at least part of the security features, (ii) digitally processing the sample image by performing a decomposition of the sample image into at least one scale sub-space containing high resolution details of the sample image and extracting classifying features from the scale sub-space, and (iii) deriving an authenticity rating of the candidate document based on the extracted classifying features.