Patent Application
20220413435
This application claims priority to French Patent Application No. 21290041.9, filed in the French National institute of Industrial Property on Jun. 25, 2021, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
The present disclosure generally describes authentication systems, devices, and methods, and in particular aspects describes systems, devices, and methods incorporating a holographic barcode target generator.
Authentication systems are used to verify information and authenticate identity in a variety of settings. For example, an article may be imprinted with an authentication code (e.g., a barcode or other identifying insignia) and an authentication system may image, scan, or otherwise read the authentication code in order to perform various determinations and operations. Imaging, scanning, or other reading may be effected through the use of an imaging device configured to capture an image of the authentication code. In settings where the imaging device is substantially immobile, it may be aimed at a particular image capture location. Thus, to perform authentication, the authentication code may be placed at the target location in order to be properly read.
Non-limiting examples of settings in which the imaging device, and thus the authentication system, are substantially fixed include: ticketing kiosks, admission gates (e.g., for public transit systems or restricted-access areas), post offices, package routing systems, and the like. For such applications, the article bearing the authentication code may be a transit ticket or pass, an event ticket, a letter or package, and the like.
The authentication code may be a computer-readable insignia which encodes information such that it is readable to the authentication system. For example, the authentication code may be a two-dimensional (2D) barcode with a pattern of multiple colors (e.g., black and white). When scanned by an appropriate imaging device (e.g., a barcode reader), the authentication code provides credentials or other information to the authentication system. Where the credentials or other information meet certain criteria (e.g., indicating that the bearer of the article is permitted to access a location or event, authentication system may grant such access.
In certain settings, the authentication system may be subject to extremely large amounts of use. For example, certain transit stations are used by millions of passengers in a single day. Even where such stations have many authentication systems (i.e., many gates), an individual authentication system may be used by tens or hundreds of thousands of passengers. Moreover, such use is typically not constant throughout the day, and is instead higher during rush hour periods.
Various aspects of the present disclosure provide for authentication systems, devices, and methods which provide a holographic target in free space.
In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a verification device, comprising: a scanner configured to capture an image of an authentication pattern in a predetermined target area; and a hologram generator configured to project a holographic target onto free space in the target area.
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a ticket validation system, comprising: a scanner configured to capture an image of an authentication pattern in of a predetermined target area; a hologram generator configured to project a holographic target onto free space in the target area; and a controller configured to process the image and output a determination of whether the authentication pattern meets a predetermined criterion.
In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an authentication code reading method, comprising: projecting a holographic target onto free space in a predetermined target area; and capturing an image of an authentication pattern in the target area.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure are exemplified by the following Detailed Description, which may be read in view of the associated drawings, in which:
The present disclosure provides for authentication systems, devices, and methods which may be used in a large variety of settings. While the following detailed description is presented primarily in the context of a 2D barcode scanner in transit settings, this presentation is merely done for ease of explanation and the present disclosure is not limited to only such settings. For example, practical implementations of the present disclosure include shipping logistics, in which a package may be imprinted with an authentication pattern indicating an origin, a destination, and/or a shipping method for the package; event management, in which an admission ticket may bear an authentication pattern indicating that the ticket is genuine and/or that the ticket bearer is the person who purchased the ticket; location security, in which an identification badge may bear an authentication pattern indicating that the badge holder has sufficient authorization and/or clearance to enter a restricted area; and so on.
As used herein, an “authentication pattern” may be any machine-readable insignia which encodes authentication information. Exemplary authentication patterns include 2D barcodes, including but not limited to QR codes, Aztec codes, Data Matrix codes, MaxiCodes, PDF417 codes, and the like.
As noted above, in certain transit settings an authentication system may be subject to extremely large amounts of use. In such settings, it is important that the authentication system be easy to use even by inexperienced users, that the authentication system have a form factor conducive to quick passage, that the authentication system protect the user's personal information during use, and so on. However, comparative examples of authentication systems are deficient with regard to these factors.
However, because the target 120 is a physical target, the housing necessarily occupies a great deal of space. As illustrated in
These and other shortcomings of the comparative system 100 may reduce the overall security provided by the comparative system 100, may reduce the throughput of the comparative system 100, may make the comparative system 100 difficult to use, may limit the situations where the comparative system 100 may be feasibly located, may result in poor ergonomics for a user of the comparative system 100, and so on.
In particular implementations, the viewing FOV 222 may subtend a solid angle of π/8 steradians (sr) or greater and 3π/2 sr or less. For example, the viewing FOV 222 may be between π/8 sr and 3π/2 sr, between π/8 sr and π sr, between π/8 sr and π/2 sr, between π/8 sr and π/4 sr, between π/4 sr and 3π/2 sr, between π/4 sr and π sr, between π/4 sr and π/2 sr, between π/2 sr and 3π/2 sr, between π/2 sr and π sr, and/or between π sr and 3π/2 sr. By reducing the viewing FOV 222 relative to the comparative system 100, the system 200 may provide enhanced security and/or privacy. In some practical implementations, the target 221 may be visible or partially-visible from some points of view lying outside of the viewing FOV 222 (e.g., from positions corresponding to certain higher diffractive orders); however, for purposes of the present disclosure it is sufficient if the viewing FOV 222 is the primary area from which the target 221 may be seen, even if there are a small amount of other perspectives from which the target 221 may be seen.
The scanner 210 may be or include an image sensor and/or associated image processing circuitry. The image sensor may be a solid-state imaging device, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) device. The image processing circuitry may include driving circuitry, timing circuitry, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), sample-and-hold (S/H) circuits, memory, buffers, interfaces, and the like.
The hologram generator 220 may be configured to generate a static image as the target 221. Thus, the hologram generator 220 may be or include a flat holographic plate imprinted or provided with a pattern that, to the user 230, will appear as the target 221. The hologram generator 220 may also be configured to generate a dynamic image (e.g., a moving image, a static image with a changing color, and so on) as the target 221. Thus, the hologram generator 220 may additionally or alternatively be or include an electronic screen that may form and/or change the appearance of a pattern that, to the user 230, will appear as the target 221. The target 221 may comprise simple shapes or figures that may be understood by the user 230 regardless of his or her native language, etc. For example, the target 221 may be or include a bullseye pattern, an X, an image of a sample authentication pattern, a square (or other polygon) approximating the size and shape of the authentication pattern, an icon, an arrow, and so on.
In one particular example, the hologram generator 220 is a static hologram generator including one or more parallel flat, substantially-transparent plates which effectively form a negative refractive index lens. An image may be projected onto or viewed through the plates, and thereby appear to the viewer as floating in free space. In this example, the hologram generator 220 may generate the target 221 with a viewing FOV 222 of approximately 2π/3 radians (rad) in the lateral and vertical directions, corresponding to a solid angle of approximately 1.1π sr.
In order to generate the target 221 at an appropriate location in free space, the hologram generator 220 may include various optical elements, including but not limited to light sources (e.g., lasers, light-emitting-diodes (LEDs), cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), discharge lamps, and so on), polarizers, lenses, lens arrays, prisms, beam splitters, collimators, filters, mirrors, waveguides, liquid crystal (LC) panels, parallax barriers, spatial light modulators (SLMs) (e.g., amplitude-based SLMs, phase-only SLMs, and so on), and the like. The hologram generator 220 may additionally include various electronic elements (e.g., where the target 221 is a dynamic image), including but not limited to transistors, drivers, capacitors, supercapacitors, electrodes, microprocessors, integrated circuits (ICs), and the like.
Authentication systems and devices in accordance with the present disclosure may be implemented as part of an access system, such as a ticket validation system.
The controller 330 may be or include circuits and other elements to provide control of the system 300, including one or more microprocessors as will be described in more detail below. The controller 330 may be operable to send control signals to the scanner 310, for example to instruct or otherwise cause the scanner 310 to capture an image within its scanning FOV 311. The controller 330 may also be operable to receive signals from the scanner 310, for example to receive image data or other output. In implementations where, for example, the hologram generator 320 includes electronic components (e.g., to generate a dynamic image), the controller 330 may be operable to send and/or receive signals to/from the hologram generator 320. The controller 330 may be configured to selectively send a control signal to the gate 340, thereby to cause the gate to open or close.
In an exemplary usage, the hologram generator 320 is configured to project the target 321 onto free space in a predetermined target area within the scanning FOV 311 of the scanner 310, and the scanner 310 is configured to capture an image of an authentication pattern (e.g., a 2D barcode) within the predetermined target area. The scanner 310 may then output image (e.g., in the form of image data) to the controller 330, which may be configured to process the image and determine whether the authentication pattern meets a predetermined criterion. The predetermined criterion may be whether the authentication pattern indicates a user is authorized to enter a particular area, whether the authentication pattern indicates a user's ticket is genuine and/or unused, whether the authentication pattern indicates a user's ticket is unexpired, whether the authentication pattern indicates a user's transit pass has sufficient funds to pay a transit fare, and combinations thereof.
To facilitate the determination, the controller 330 may be configured to generate an authentication information (e.g., identity information, payment information, date information, etc.) from the image and/or to compare the authentication information with a reference information. If the controller 330 determines that the authentication information agrees with the reference information (or otherwise meets the predetermined criterion), the controller 330 may then be configured to generate the control signal causing the gate 340 to open. The system 300 may include additional components to provide different operational modes. For example, the system 300 may include a proximity sensor configured to monitor the area of free space where the target 321 is to be displayed (or another predetermined area) and, responsive to detecting a presence in the area, generating a presence detection signal. In such implementations, the hologram generator 320 may be configured to receive the presence detection signal and begin generating the target 321 only when a user is present.
The gate 340 may be any device capable of selectively permitting and denying passage. For example, the gate 340 may include physical barrier such as a door, a bar, a turnstile, and so on; an actuator such as a motor, a rotor, a deadbolt, and so on; and mechanisms to selectively open and close the physical barrier using the actuator. In some implementations, the gate 340 may include a sensor (e.g., an infrared beam) to determine when the user has passed therethrough, and may automatically close the physical barrier thereafter.
An exemplary controller 400, which may be the same as or similar to the controller 330, is illustrated in
The memory 420 may be any computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable medium), including but not limited to a hard disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, a removable optical medium (e.g., a digital versatile disc (DVD), a compact disc (CD), etc.), a removable magnetic medium (e.g., a disk, a storage tape, etc.), and the like, and combinations thereof. The memory 420 may include non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a solid-state device (SSD), and the like; and/or volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), double data rate synchronous DRAM (DDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and the like. The memory 420 may store instructions that, when executed by the processor 410, cause the processor 410 to perform various operations, including those disclosed herein. When implemented in an access system such as the access system 300, the memory 420 may be configured to store reference information for determining whether an authentication pattern meets a predetermined criterion.
The communication circuitry 430 may include circuitry and interface components to provide communication with devices external to or separate from the controller 400. The communication circuitry 430 may be or include wired communication circuitry (e.g., for communication via electrical signals on a wire, optical signals on a fiber, and so on) or wireless communication circuitry (e.g., for communication via electromagnetic signals in free space, optical signals in free space, and so on). The communication circuitry 430 may be configured to communicate using one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Li-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, WiMAX, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS or 3G), Long Term Evolution (LTE or 4G), New Radio (NR or 5G), and so on. When implemented in an access system such as the access system 300, the communication 430 may be configured to receive, from an external source such as a remote device, reference information for determining whether an authentication pattern meets a predetermined criterion.
The UI 440 may include circuitry and interface components to provide interaction with a user. For example, the UI 440 may include visual output devices such as a display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), and organic light-emitting display (OLED), a thin-film transistor (TFT) display, etc.), a light source (e.g., an indicator light-emitting diode (LED), etc.), and the like; audio output devices such as a speaker; and haptic feedback devices such as a rumble pack. The UI 440 may additionally or alternatively include visual input devices such as a camera (e.g., a visible-light sensor, a proximity sensor, etc.); audio input devices such as a microphone; and physical input devices such as a button (e.g., a physical button, a soft button, etc.), a touchscreen, and the like. When implemented in an access system such as the access system 300, the UI 440 may be configured to provide feedback to the user indicative of the determination as to whether the authentication pattern meets the predetermined criterion. Such feedback may be visual (e.g., changing a light to green or red, displaying a check mark or an X, etc.), auditory (e.g., playing a chime or a buzz, etc.), tactile (e.g., providing a brief or long vibration), and combinations thereof.
In some implementations, the authentication systems as described above may be provided as a unitary device including the scanner and hologram generator, as well as any other associated components or electronics. In other implementations, the authentication systems may be provided as a retrofit kit so as to modify an existing system (e.g., an existing access system). Such kits may include only some components of the system; for example, when the existing system includes a scanner, then the kit may include only a hologram generator and/or controller.
Authentication systems and devices (e.g., the system 200 and/or the system 300) may be configured to perform an authentication code reading method. Exemplary methods are illustrated in
The authentication code reading method illustrated in
The authentication code reading method of
Depending on the results of operation 620, the access control signal of operation 630 may be configured to appropriately control a gate. For example, in a case where operation 620 results in a determination that the authentication information meets a predetermined criterion represented by the reference information, the access control signal may be configured to cause a gate (e.g., the gate 340) to open. On the other hand, in a case where operation 620 results in a determination that the authentication information does not meet the predetermined criterion represented by the reference information, the access control signal may be configured to cause the gate to close (if open) or to remain closed and/or locked (if closed). The access control signal may additionally or alternatively be configured to provide a feedback to a user based on the results of operation 620. For example, in the case where operation 620 results in a determination that the authentication information meets the predetermined criterion represented by the reference information, the access control signal may be configured to cause the system to flash a green LED, display a check mark, play a chime, provide a particular vibration, and so on, thereby to indicate that the authentication pattern has been verified. Moreover, in a case where operation 620 results in the determination that the authentication information does not meet the predetermined criterion represented by the reference information, the access control signal may be configured to cause the system to flash a red LED, display an X, play a buzz, provide another vibration, and so on, thereby to indicate that the authentication pattern has not been verified.
In implementations where the system includes a proximity sensor, certain operations of
The exemplary systems and methods described herein may be performed under the control of a processing system executing computer-readable codes embodied on a computer-readable recording medium or communication signals transmitted through a transitory medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be any data storage device that can store data readable by a processing system, and may include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media, and media readable by a database, a computer, and various other network devices.
Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), erasable electrically programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, holographic media or other optical disc storage, magnetic storage including magnetic tape and magnetic disk, and solid state storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. The communication signals transmitted through a transitory medium may include, for example, modulated signals transmitted through wired or wireless transmission paths.
The above description and associated figures teach the best mode of the invention, and are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but instead with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.
All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, the use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.
The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21290041.9 | Jun 2021 | FR | national |
