QUESTION - Have you seen anything that was published before Apr 13, 2011 that discusses digitally signing of barcodes ? (as opposed to signing documents, images etc)
TITLE: Authentic barcodes using digital signatures
Publication Number: PCT/US2012/032964
Assignee: Verisign, Inc.
Prior Art Date: Seeking prior Art predating Apr 13, 2011
Open for Challenge at USPTO: N/A
A computer-implemented method of verifying the authenticity of a barcode
- Inputting graphical data representing a barcode pattern into memory
- Translating the graphical data into barcode information according to a standard for translating a particular type of barcode pattern into barcode information
- Extracting a message and a digital signature from the barcode information
- and determining whether the message is authentic by determining whether the digital signature matches the message
In English this means:
Creating the barcode: Signing some text with a private key, then generating a signature of this text, combining both the signature and text and encoding as a barcode. The text may also identify the author/keypair... (so the public key can be known if the validation must support multiple authors/issuers)
Validation: Scanning a barcode, converting it into a message. Extracting the signature and text and using the associated public key to verify the signature.
This link shows the signing/creation process http://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/US20120308003A1/US20120308003A1-20121206-D00004.png
2D barcodes, (QR Codes, PDF417, Aztec etc) can encode a lot of text... so can support a digital signature, and therefore the industry standards techniques for signing, encryption and so on can be used.
Good prior art would be evidence of a system that did each and every one of these steps prior to Apr 13, 2011.
You're probably aware of ten pieces of art that meet this criteria already...
IATA have published standards for bar coded boarding passes... their Resolution 792 document mentions "The Bar Code format also permits an airline to include its own proprietary data, and a digital signature alongside the required Bar Code information"
Would this count as prior art to this application? Are there earlier and/or better examples?