Method and system for producing certified documents and the like

Abstract

A system for generating secure documents includes a station for generating a plain document and a security image generator that generates a security image. The security image is then incorporated into the plain document. Each security image consists of a plurality of secure elements, each secure element being defined by two sets of parallel lines. Each secure element defines an alphanumeric character or other unique image that is visible under certain conditions, i.e., when inspected through a viewer. The technique can also be used to provide security images on a web page as a means of indicating that the web page is genuine.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . A system for generating documents electronically comprising:
 a document generator generating electronically a plain document including a sequence of adjacent graphic elements; and   a security image generator generating a security image including a plurality of discrete security elements arranged adjacent to each other, each security element being formed of at least one set of parallel lines and corresponding to a respective graphic element of said sequence, wherein said sets of lines are disposed at an angle with respect to a predetermined axis and wherein at the interface between two adjacent graphic elements the set of lines of one graphic element is continuous with the set of lines from the other graphic element.   
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 19  further comprising
 a modified document generator generating a modified document by merging said security image with said plain document by replacing said sequence of adjacent graphic elements with said security image.   
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 19  further comprising a library for said security elements, said security image generator accessing said library and selecting the security element corresponding to each graphic element to generate said security image. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  further comprising a server remotely located from said document generator, said security image generator being incorporated in said server. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said graphic elements consist of alphanumeric characters, said system further comprising a verification station for detecting the alphanumeric characters in the security image. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 23  wherein said alphanumeric elements are imbedded in said security images and wherein said verification station includes a viewing device through which said security images are viewed to detect said alphanumeric characters. 
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 24  wherein said security images are formed of parallel lines having a line pitch and wherein said viewing device is a made of a translucent material with viewing lines having a viewing pitch related to said line pitch. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said plain document includes data and wherein said security image includes security elements with a data string of alphanumeric characters corresponding to said data. 
   
   
       25 . A method of generating a security image electronically comprising:
 receiving a request for a security image corresponding to a sequence of graphic elements;   generating automatically said security image by assembling a plurality of security elements in a row, each security element being formed of a first set of parallel lines disposed at a predetermined line density, each security element corresponding to one of said graphic element and at a predetermined angle; wherein, the lines of adjacent security elements being positioned so that they are continuous across the border between two security elements; and   transmitting said security image in response to said request.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the security elements of said security image define a predetermined string of alphanumeric characters corresponding to said graphic elements. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising receiving a plain document including data with said sequence of adjacent graphic elements, wherein said data is specific to said plain document. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said plain document includes a data field containing said data, 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising retrieving a set of stored security elements from a library of stored security elements, each stored security element of said set corresponding to one of the graphic elements from the request, positioning said stored security elements adjacent to each other so that adjacent security elements are in contact with each other to form a border and adjusting the positions of said parallel lines for at least some of the stored security elements to insure that the lines of a first security elements at the border are continuous with the lines of the security element across the border.
 generating a plain document with a data field remotely and transmitting data from said data field to a security image generator for generating said security.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said step of generating includes retrieving each security element from a security element library. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 27  wherein a respective alphanumeric character is imbedded in each security element. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising adjusting the relative positions of said sets of parallel lines within a security element to insure that a substantial portion of said lines of said sets intersect each other. 
   
   
       33 . A system for generating a secure webpage comprising:
 generating a plain webpage; and   incorporating in said plain webpage a security image including a plurality of security elements, each security element being formed of a set of parallel lines, each set of parallel lines consisting of adjacent lines, said security elements being arranged with some of the lines of one set from one security element being continuous with some of the lines of the adjacent security element, each element corresponding to an alphanumeric character to form a modified webpage, wherein said security image defines customer-selected data.