Method of testing the use of reserved documents.

The present invention relates to the control of the use of reserved documents and more particularly to the verification that the holder of the reserved document who wants to make use of it is indeed the true holder of the document or a person empowered to make use of it.

By reserved document is meant here any material support of any material representing purchasing power, value of money, credit, any predetermined authorization, reserved for the strict holder of the document and, although the invention applies more particularly to the banking or monetary field, it naturally extends to any application similar to other fields where such documents in the broad sense defined above can, or could, be used.

Such checks on the use of documents of this kind are already carried out routinely.

Mention may be made, for example, of staying in the banking or monetary field, certain credit cards or withdrawing banknotes from appropriate distributors.

These documents, generally plastic cards, are coded using a four-digit magnetic code, that is, that each digit or combination of digits corresponds on the card, in a predetermined area , a determined distribution, and only one, of discrete magnetic elements according to a law or key of correspondence kept of course secret by the designer of the card.

If this coding mode is relatively difficult to violate, it nevertheless has several drawbacks.

At the level of the user, it can be seen that the user has some difficulty in retaining four figures of no particular significance since they are imposed by the promoter of the card, which often leads him to write the code of his card clearly on a support usually also tightened with the card in the same card holder or wallet, or even on the card itself. This explains the relatively numerous frauds found on stolen cards.

Furthermore, although relatively difficult to pierce, a four-digit magnetic coding is not absolutely inviolable if one is willing to take the trouble, with the current means of calculation and patience. However, this inviolability cannot be extended since a four-digit code seems, for the reasons mentioned above, the limit of the storable that one can ask the average user.

At the level of the promoter and the manufacturer of the card this type of coding is relatively expensive and it is out of the question to apply it to supports of intrinsic value almost zero and ephemeral, that is to say serving only one times and being destroyed or unused thereafter.

The aim of the present invention is to apply control of the use of certain documents to fields hitherto not yet concerned and where the need for such control is more and more imperative, and especially that of bank checks or the like.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a process for controlling the use of a document reserved for the strict holder or the authorized holder, characterized in that it consists, before putting the document into service, to be incorporated into a predetermined document area a randomly predetermined coded transcription of a set of letters and / or numbers constituting a secret "word" known only to the holder, the coded information being distributed according to a matrix with n rows and p-columns, to compare at the time of use of the document the information coded with a "word" emitted by the holder of the document after transcription according to the same code and to be determined and display whether there is a match or not.

The use of such coding provides almost absolute security since it will be possible to use, among other things, words of more than four letters which will advantageously be composed by the future holders before the production of their document and which will therefore be chosen so as to be easily remembered, the use of letters, a greater number of coded signs (six, seven, eight or more), as well as random coding, constituting absolute dissuasive factors by the combinatorial analysis of coded information if one does not know the elements of the code.

On the other hand, such coding can be carried out concretely in an extremely simple, rapid and inexpensive manner by a matrix consisting of a network carried by the document and comprising a certain number of regions or elementary parts containing binary information, ie i.e. state 0 or state 1.

Thus, the invention also relates to a document bearing such a code in a predetermined area, this code being constituted, according to one embodiment, by a regular network of locations carrying or not a printed pattern, this network corresponding to the coding matrix and the presence or absence of said printed pattern at each intersection of the matrix representing binary information corresponding to the chosen word.

The application particularly to bank checks or the like can therefore be envisaged in an obvious, simple and inexpensive manner and would make it possible to curb and radically reduce the extraordinary increase in scams of stolen checks currently observed.

In addition, the invention also relates to a device for the implementation of said control method, this device being characterized in that it comprises a micro-processor-decoder-comparator connected, on the one hand, to a reader of the document area and, on the other hand, to an alphabetic or alphanumeric keyboard by means of a binary decoder-encoder and means for displaying instructions and indications relating to the read-control process.

Thus, the implementation of the process of the invention takes place, on the one hand, by the issuance, in the banking field, for example, of checks strictly in accordance with legal standards but carrying a code word that the holder of the checkbook is the only one to know and, on the other hand, by the installation, in particular at the merchants, the counters of companies, administrations, etc ... control devices in accordance with the invention and making it possible to verify whether the bearer of the check presented is indeed the holder of the checkbook or at least a person who knows the coded word and is empowered (or considered as such) to use said check. Systematically or at the merchant's or attendant's discretion, the bearer of the check would be invited to lend himself to such a check by entering his check into the device and dialing on the keyboard the coded word which he is supposed to know, in the manner of what is currently happening with credit cards allowing the withdrawal of banknotes.

Finally, in order to further reinforce the security of such a system, the invention also relates to an encoding device ensuring total discretion during the transcription of the words chosen by the users, in particular checkbooks, such a device transcribing the word chosen in a coding matrix exactly conforming to said network to appear on the document. Such a completely indecipherable matrix can then circulate without danger, which ensures total security during the subsequent manufacture of the coded document in accordance with the invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the process of the invention will emerge from the description which follows of an embodiment, description given by way of example only and with reference to the appended drawings in which:<ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>- Fig. 1 illustrates a check model coded in accordance with the invention,</li><li>- Fig. 2 illustrates an example of hexadecimal code usable for the implementation of the method according to the invention,</li><li>- Fig. 3 illustrates a mode of distribution of the bit locations on the coding matrix,</li><li>- Fig. 4a and 4b illustrate two examples of coding of two different names,</li><li>- Fig. 5 represents a functional diagram of a document reading-control device according to the invention,</li><li>- Fig. 6 represents a functional diagram of an encoding device according to the invention,</li><li>- Fig. 7 represents a matrix coded according to another embodiment in accordance with the invention,</li><li>- Fig. 8 represents a flowchart for determining a coded matrix according to FIG. 7, and</li><li>- Fig. 9 schematically represents the structure of a reader according to the invention designed for reading the matrices of FIG. 7.</li></ul>

FIG. 1 illustrates a standardized bank check provided with an oode according to the invention visually represented by an alignment of black dots 1 grouped in a very precise area 2 of the check.

This zone 2 located in the upper left corner of the check is, with a second possible zone 3 located in the upper right, the two places on the front where, according to current standards, it would be possible to carry a coding, the latter possibly being able to be shown on the back of the check.

The points 1 distributed regularly according to a matrix of three lines of seven points each, delimit the coding locations, that is to say the locations where there is binary information constituted, for example, by the presence or not of a small disc printed black easily detectable by a photoelectric system. It is obvious that any other binary representation system could be substituted for printed or unprinted discs, such as the presence or absence of perforations, of a discrete magnetic support, etc. The means of reading this code being obviously arranged consequently, these means operating by magnetic, electric photoelectric, by physical contact, etc.

The material and the shape of the discs or points 1 can of course also vary within wide limits.

In reality, only some of the disks 1 will be carried, in one way or another, on the check, as illustrated for example by FIGS. 4a, 4b,. Following the name to be coded.

According to the embodiment shown in the drawings, we start with a hexadecimal code corresponding to the 26 letters of the alphabet, grouped for the needs of the cause in 16 characters (ten pairs of letters having the same binary representation), a binary representation on the four binary weights 8,4,2,1.

We have seen above that the coding matrix used has twenty-one bit locations. Sixteen of these locations are used for hexadecimal coding according to the grid in Figure 2, while three locations are used to define the number of letters of the word to be encoded, as well as the location of the letters of the selected word encoded and, qu 'Finally, the last two locations are used for positioning (along two rectangular reference axes) of the check in the reading-control device.

FIG. 3 illustrates by way of example a mode of distribution of the three types of location above on the twenty-one bit coding matrix.

The sixteen locations assigned to hexadecimal coding allow coding four letters whose order is identified by one of the letters DCBA.

Thus, in the example of FIG. 3, the first coded letter of the chosen word will have for the binary weight 1 the location D₁with a value 0 or 1 depending on whether the letter in question has, according to the grid in Figure 2, a value 0 or 1 at weight 1. For binary weight 2, it will have location D₂with a value of 0 or 1 and so on for weights 4 and 8. The second coded letter will be assigned to locations C₁, VS₂, VS₄ and C₈ and the third and last letters will be assigned to location B₁, B₂, B_4' B₈ and A₁, ^AT₂, AT₄, AT₈ respectively.

The location of the letters of the chosen word which will be to be coded are determined by a random code corresponding to the number of letters of the chosen word a binary value according to three weights introduced in the three locations n₁, not₂, not₃. The choice of this code makes it possible to determine for each chosen word (between 4 and 11 letters) the location (or rank) of the four letters retained in this word to be coded.

The choice of this code, the locations of the bits on the matrix and the hexadecimal code correspondence grid ensure almost absolute security against any attempt to find the coded name if one does not know the coding grids or keys.

The last two locations marked X and Y in the matrix in FIG. 3 correspond to the positioning of the check.

Figures 4a and 4b illustrate the coded transcription as it may appear in area 2 of the check, of two words, in this case the two first names Christiane (Figure 4a) and Michel (Figure 4b).

For Christiane, the coded letters are for example 3 °, 5 °, 7 ° and 10 °, or the letters R, S, I and E which results in the following matrix using the code of Figure 2:<chemistry id="chem0001" num="0001"><img file="EP0097110A2_D0001.tif" /></chemistry>

The coded representation as represented in FIGS. 4a, .4b is rigorously indecipherable if one does not know the nature of the codes.

Given the simplicity and the very low cost of transferring such coded words to any medium, one can envisage many applications and, first of all, on documents such as checks or bank, postal, monetary, financial or similar documents. serving only once.

The transfer or application of a code such as those of FIGS. 4a and 4b can be done, in fact, by direct printing on checks or the like, or even at the same time as the printing of checks.

Thanks to the process according to the invention, the holder of the bank account will be able to choose to code his check books a name which will be easy for him to remember, which he will communicate confidentially to his banker and which will not be communicated to any third party, without his agreement of course. . Naturally, this name could be proposed or imposed by the banker.

Because of the personalization of the coding and its ease to memorize, the holder will no longer have the temptation to write down his code somewhere for fear of forgetting it, with the consequences that this entails, as we have seen more top about bank note withdrawal cards.

But the most important interest with such a system is the almost total security guaranteed to the person receiving in payment such a check insofar as it will of course check the authorization of the holder of the check to use it. .

To this end, the invention also relates to a device capable of reading and checking such documents, a functional diagram of which has been shown in FIG. 5.

In this FIG. 5, there is shown at 4 an 8-bit decoding-comparison microprocessor connected, on the one hand, to a set 5 for reading the 21 coding locations of zone 2 of the check according to the invention and, on the other hand, to an alphabetical keyboard 6 for the introduction of information by the holder of the check.

The reader 5 provides the information relating to the three types of coded bits mentioned above.

The keyboard 6 is connected to the microprocessor 4 via a serial transmission circuit 7 and a decoder-encoder 8 (sixteen bits, binary decimal code). The keyboard 6 is also provided with a cancellation key 9 connected to the microprocessor 4.

The microprocessor 4 supplies a certain number of instruction or indication signals displayed for example by indicator lights.

The operating process is as follows. When the indicator 10 (INSERT DOCUMENT) is on (device in service), the document holder introduces the document into a slot or slot provided for this purpose in the device. If the positioning is correct, the document is locked, this operation being indicated by the indicator 11.

The reader 5 transmits the code read to the microprocessor 4 however that the indicator light 12 lights up and invites the holder of the document to compose his code, which he does in plain text by introducing, using the keyboard 6, the entire word coded relative to the document and which it is supposed to know.

It should be noted that, due to the multiplexing of the bits addressed in series by the circuit 7 to the microprocessor 4, the device is inviolable. In the event of theft, it would not be possible to pierce the characteristics of the coding used (Fig. 2) since circuits with complex functions are used which do not have measurement points.

The transfer of the code entered and its comparison in the microprocessor 4 with the code read, lights up the light 13 (THANK YOU) if there is a match, or else the light 14 (ERROR) if there is no correspondence.

An auxiliary indicator 15 lights up in the event of cancellation or interruption of the process of introducing the code by the document holder.

If the correspondence indicator 13 lights up, it is in all probability that the bearer is indeed the holder of the document or at least a person duly authorized to use the document by the holder.

Such a method and such means of control are likely to be generalized to a very large number of people or organizations usually receiving in settlement numerous checks or the like, such as traders, bankers, tellers of public or private organizations etc. .. and are likely to significantly reduce the use of stolen checks.

Indeed, the holder of a stolen check and who would be tempted to present it for payment, would be immediately unmasked by being invited, at the time of payment, to pass his check through the reading-control device according to the invention.

The designers of checks (the bankers), the account holder, as well as the beneficiaries, would therefore have, for various reasons, total guarantee and security with the generalization of such a system. Bankers would no longer have to honor the presentation of stolen checks, the holder would be sure, in case of loss or theft of his checkbook, not to have his account debited unduly and the beneficiaries would be guaranteed not to receive payment stolen checks.

Furthermore, the generalization of such a system would end up making the theft of checkbooks practically useless since the thief could practically not use it, which would be likely to significantly reduce the theft even of checkbooks.

In order to further enhance security, the invention finally relates to an encoding device ensuring perfect confidentiality in the transcription of a name chosen by a user on his check books.

Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of such a device. The purpose of the latter is to allow the user to compose directly on any support the matrix such as those of Figures 4a, 4b, from a name chosen by the user without a third party being aware of the plain meaning of the coded name.

The device in question comprises an alphabetic keyboard 16 connected to a microprocessor 17 itself connected to a display device 18 by means of a decoder 19 and to a printing unit 20 (or another equivalent system ).

The microprocessor 20 ensures the coding of the word chosen and introduced via the keyboard 16, this coding being transcribed in plain text and displayed at 18 to be checked.

This coding is carried out in accordance with the method defined above and according to the coding characteristics retained and introduced into the microprocessor by the latter's manufacturer.

Once the chosen word correctly entered, coded and checked at 18, a validation key 21 triggers the printing by the block 20 of a matrix of points such as those of FIGS. 4a, 4b, on any support card.

It is this support card which will then be transmitted, along with the identification elements of the user of the device, to a printer who will edit the checks on each of which will be reported by printing, at the same time as the check, said matrix on the support card exactly as it appears.

The device will for example be installed at the banker's where the account holder will come to compose himself, away from prying eyes, his personal code which will only be known to him alone since the banker and the printer will not have knowledge that of the totally indecipherable coded matrix.

According to a variant of the method of the invention, a word (or more) possibly associated with a number is incorporated, in a predetermined area of ​​the check, by transcribing said word or set of letters and numbers, into a matrix consisting of a random distribution. a specified number of signs or characters.

Figure 7 illustrates an example of such a matrix consisting of three rows and seven columns. At the intersection of each line with each column is a sign (in this case a drawn or a cross). The distribution of these signs in the matrix is ​​completely incomprehensible for those who are not aware of the code used.

The matrix of Figure 7 has 21 locations like those of Figures 3,4a and 4b, however, unlike the latter, the computer content of the matrix is ​​not a succession of binary values ​​formed. by the absence or the presence of an information support element, but of a series of signs of two different forms each translating a binary state.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the principle of transcription / coding implemented in accordance with the invention.

Using an alphanumeric keyboard 22, the chosen secret word is composed. By word is meant a group of letters having a meaning or not and with which numbers can be associated.

The keyboard 22 is connected to a storage register 23 after coding each letter or number.

The choice of a random matrix is ​​operated from the register 23 by calculation of the value of the compound word and permutation of the letters (or numbers) according to the value of the word.

In this matrix, weights are assigned to the various letters (or numbers) of the word. Then we have these weights in the matrix and we obtain, after new permutations, a matrix, for example of 21 characters such as that of FIG. 7.

All of these operations are carried out by a system of the type shown in FIG. 6, that is to say an alphanumeric keyboard 22 connected to a microprocessor, to a printing block (such as 20) and to a display member (such as 18).

The microprocessor is arranged so as to carry out the appropriate coding, permutation, weighting operations. There are an infinity of practically inviolable coding modes.

FIG. 2 illustrates a possible coding mode and for obvious security reasons we will not give here more detailed elements on the calculation of the most suitable codings.

The matrix coded according to FIG. 7 (which is of course only a nonlimiting example) is particularly suitable for the application of the invention to checks.

This matrix, in fact, fits perfectly into the current process of printing checks.

This impression takes place in three phases. In the first phase, the bottom of the check is printed, which is specific to each bank. This fund consists of elements common to all customers.

In a second phase, the personalization elements of the check are printed, that is to say: name of the bank branch and code thereof, telephone number, customer account number, customer name and address and check number.

The third phase consists of printing the barcode composed of interbank codes and interior codes specific to banks.

These three printing sequences concern three distinct, well-defined areas of the check.

The matrix in Figure 7 can be perfectly integrated into the sequence of the second printing phase (personalization of the check).

The printing of the checks being carried out using fast printers having a set of alphanumeric characters and signs, the matrix of Figure 7 can be printed by these printers during said second phase and without any waste of time. Indeed, the printing of the personalization elements is done on at least three printing lines and occupies only a fraction of the area of ​​the check allocated to this printing. In the rest of this area it is possible to have the printer print_'the signs of the coded matrix without loss of time since the print heads systematically scan all the lines of the printing area considered and over their entire length, regardless of the importance of the traditional personalization elements.

The matrix according to FIG. 7 can be easily integrated into the computer support provided by the bank to the printer and carrying all the data necessary for the complete printing of the checks.

The matrix of figure 7 once transferred to the check will be read by a reading device shown diagrammatically in figure 9, which will be placed (like the reader of figure 5) at any organization or person receiving checks in payment .

In FIG. 9, there is shown at 24 a coded check in accordance with the invention and bearing in a zone 25 of width 1 extending over three printing lines (following zone 26 reserved for personalization) a coded matrix such as that of FIG. 7.

The coded area 25 is illuminated by a device symbolized at 27 mounted on the reader. Above the coded area is arranged an optic 28 forming the image of the coded matrix on a photosensitive charge transfer device 29.

The analysis of the coded area is done by the 28-29 system on the fly. The check 24 is, for this purpose, placed on a mobile cart shown diagrammatically at 30, carried by the reader and capable of moving (manually or automatically) under the system 28-29.

Reading is automatically controlled as soon as, by moving the carriage 30 along arrow F, the leading edge 31 passes in the axis of the system 28-29, this passage being detected by a device 32 of the photoelectric cell type for example. .

The 21 characters of the coded matrix are read sequentially by the device 29. The latter is a device of known type comprising 1728 or 1024 photodiodes (depending on the model) and which "reads" the charges accumulated in these photoelements. The dimension of each photodiode is 13 µm x 13 µm and the system resolution is 38 pel / mm. Each photodiode is associated with a capacitance which accumulates the electrons created by light, hence the obtaining of quantities of accumulated charges proportional to the illumination received and to the integration time. A black reference is included in the device.

The levels stored in the capacities are transferred sequentially to a read register 33 which will be emptied by a multibus 34 in an image processing processor 35.

At the end of the scrolling of the coded area, under the system 28-29, the image is stored in the processor 35.

The user of the check also composes his secret word on an alphanumeric keyboard 36. A word processing processor 37 connected to the multibus 34 performs a coded transcription of this word according to the same coding process as that used for encoding (figure 8). A dialogue and calculation processor 38 connected to the multibus 34 "reads" the two processors 35 and 37, compares them and signals the agreement or the absence of agreement between the coded matrix carried on the check and that elaborated by the processor 37 from of the word entered by the user. A signaling-display device 39 displays the various information necessary for the process (in particular display of the word composed on the keyboard 36 and of the result of the comparison).

Such a reading of the coded matrix is ​​in fact a recognition of two distinct forms which gives the system better security than the detection of the absence or the presence of bits.

It is much more difficult, in fact, to counterfeit or falsify specific forms all the more since the security paper of checks prohibits any erasure. By shape is meant a succession of points or lines connected or not connected together and determining a letter, a number or any sign. It is interesting to use two of the signs available to current printers, but the invention makes it possible to adapt to other forms, for example particular distributions of points readable by the 28-29 system, these points being able to be printed in zone 26 of the check carrying the personalization elements, or better, constituting all or part of the characters (letters, numbers or signs) for printing said personalization elements, the latter can be envisaged with needle printers.

The ink used for printing the coded matrix is ​​of course that used for the other information printed in the personalization area of ​​the check, since it is absolutely not necessary to have a special ink (magnetic, luminescent, etc. ...)

The members 28 to 39 are grouped together in a compact unit forming a housing and constituting the reader. '

It should be noted that the invention can be applied to all types of reserved document. Reserved document means any rigid support or not, in any material, of any size and shape, whether for single or repeated use and capable of receiving coded information reserved for the sole holder of the document and representing a power of purchase, exchange, value of money, credit, any predetermined authorization, etc. the invention therefore goes far beyond the sole framework of controlling the use of checks.

Finally, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiments shown and described above but on the contrary covers all variants thereof, in particular with regard to the coding modes, the means of representation on the document of the coded information. and the technological means for making the comparison between the code read on the document and the code held by the holder of the document.