Validation and verification apparatus and method

Abstract

Apparatus and a method are disclosed for automatically identifying and validating a document, for validating the identity of a bearer of a document, for verifying that the bearer has authorization to participate in an activity represented by the document, and for comparing information on the document against information databases to determine if there are known concerns about the document or its bearer. A document type is narrowed by initially determining the size of the document, and is then identified from amongst a group of documents by looking for colors or other characteristics at specific locations on the document only until the document is identified. The order in which document locations are looked at is dependent upon a history of the types of documents that have been identified. An identified document is verified by first looking up reference information about the document type and using that information to read specific contents and check only specific security and other features utilized on the document. The contents of a document are checked against a database to verify its contents, and other databases are checked for stolen documents, known valid documents, and prohibited travel or entry. Biometrics in databases, on documents and directly from the document bearer are compared to verify the bearer.

What we claim is:  
     
         1 . A method for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining a first characteristic of a first document to be verified, the first characteristic being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    retrieving a set of second characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the second characteristics;    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the second characteristics to identify the first document;    retrieving a set of reference information unique to the first document; and    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the set of reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the reference information comparing step.  
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the first characteristic is the size of the first document, all documents are divided into size ranges and the first group of documents are those documents within one of the size ranges, and the second characteristics are found at specific locations on individual documents of the first group of documents.  
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the second characteristics include color patterns at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         5 . The method in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
 keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;  
 selecting second characteristics for use in the second characteristic comparing step starting with second characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents.  
 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the method comprising the steps of: 
 means for determining a first characteristic of a first document to be verified, the first characteristic being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    means for retrieving a set of second characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the second characteristics;    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the second characteristics to identify the first document;    means for retrieving a set of reference information unique to the first document; and    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the set of reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising means for providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results from the reference information comparing means.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 6  wherein the first characteristic is the size of the first document, all documents are divided into size ranges and the first group of documents are those documents within one of the size ranges, and the second characteristics are found at specific locations on individual documents of the first group of documents.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the second characteristics include color patterns at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 6  further comprising: 
 means for keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;  
 means for selecting second characteristics for use by the second characteristic comparing means starting with second characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents.  
 
     
     
         11 . A method for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining the size of a first document to be verified, the size being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    retrieving a set of first characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the first characteristics;    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the first characteristics to identify the first document;    retrieving a set of reference information for the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the set of reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 11  further comprising the steps of: 
 keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents; and  
 selecting first characteristics for use in the first characteristic comparing step starting with first characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method in accordance with  claim 12  further comprising the step of providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the third characteristics comparing step.  
     
     
         14 . The method in accordance with  claim 13  wherein the second characteristics include color patterns at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         15 . Apparatus for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for determining the size of a first document to be verified, the size being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    means for retrieving a set of first characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the first characteristics;    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the first characteristics to identify the first document;    means for retrieving a set of reference information for the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the set of reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 15  further comprising: 
 means for keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents; and  
 means for selecting first characteristics for use by the first characteristic comparing means starting with first characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents;  
 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 16  further comprising means for providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the third characteristics comparing means.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 17  wherein the second characteristics include color at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         19 . A method for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining a first characteristic of a first document to be verified, the first characteristic being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    retrieving a set of second characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the second characteristics;    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the second characteristics to identify the first document;    keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;    selecting first characteristics for use in the first characteristic comparing step starting with first characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents;    retrieving a set of reference information for the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 19  further comprising the step of providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the third characteristics comparing step.  
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 20  wherein the first characteristics include color patterns at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         22 . Apparatus for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for determining a first characteristic of a first document to be verified, the first characteristic being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    means for retrieving a set of second characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the second characteristics;    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the second characteristics to identify the first document;    means for keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;    means for selecting second characteristics for use in the second characteristic comparing step starting with second characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents;    means for retrieving a set of reference information for the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the set of reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         23 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 22  further comprising means for providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the reference information comparing means.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 23  wherein the first characteristics include color at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         25 . A method for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining the size of a first document to be verified, the size being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    retrieving a set of first characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the first characteristics;    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the first characteristics to identify the first document;    keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;    selecting first characteristics for use in the first characteristic comparing step starting with first characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents;    retrieving a set of reference information unique to the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 25  further comprising the step of providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the reference information comparing means.  
     
     
         27 . The method in accordance with  claim 26  wherein the first characteristics include color at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         28 . Apparatus for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for determining the size of a first document to be verified, the size being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    means for retrieving a set of first characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the first characteristics;    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the first characteristics to identify the first document;    means for keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;    means for selecting first characteristics for use by the first characteristic comparing means starting with first characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents;    means for retrieving a set of reference information unique to the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    means for comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         29 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 28  further comprising means for providing an indication that the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered based upon the results of the reference information comparing means.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus in accordance with  claim 29  wherein the first characteristics include color at specific locations on the documents.  
     
     
         31 . A computer readable medium containing executable instructions for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for: 
 determining a first characteristic of a first document to be verified, the first characteristic being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    retrieving a set of second characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the second characteristics;    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the second characteristics to identify the first document;    retrieving a set of reference information unique to the first document; and    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the reference information to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.    
     
     
         32 . A computer readable medium containing executable instructions for identifying and verifying documents to determine if they are genuine, counterfeit or altered, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for: 
 determining the size of a first document to be verified, the size being common to a first group of documents that is less than all documents;    retrieving a set of first characteristics for the first group of documents, where individual documents in the first group of documents have ones of the first characteristics;    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the first characteristics to identify the first document;    keeping track of each type of document identified in the first group of documents;    selecting first characteristics for use in the first characteristic comparing step starting with first characteristics for the most commonly identified type of document in the first group of documents;    retrieving a set of reference information unique to the first document based upon the identity of the first document; and    comparing characteristics found in the first document with each of the second characteristics to determine if the first document is genuine, counterfeit or altered.