WO2023108221A1

WO2023108221A1 - Digital watermarks for not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer in digital transaction

Info

Publication number: WO2023108221A1
Application number: PCT/AU2022/051513
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martyn Betts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-12-17
Filing date: 2022-12-15
Publication date: 2023-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 2024-06-17

Abstract

The present invention incorporates the customer relationship of a business process. Utilising the advertising logo of an enterprise to create the customer watermark for a digital transaction. The customer watermark logo is for not identifying the names or particulars of the customer in a digital transaction. This allows for the creation of a debit and credit system in the digital transaction exchange process. The invention requires the use of a secured digital data storage box application with a digital data exchange log and a secure payment remuneration platform which are each connected by a customer watermark. The customer watermark logo by the algorithm created and explained in the invention will have its own unique identification to a customer unique account number for debits and credits in the digital data exchange log for remunerations and access provided to the secure digital data storage box application for licensed professionals and institutions.

Description

Title of Invention: Digital Watermarks for Not Identifying the Name or the Particulars of a Customer in Digital Transaction

Related Application Data

[0001 ] The present application claims the benefit of Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2021904099, filed Dec. 17, 2021 with IP Australia.

Invention Field

[0002] The present invention is incorporated into the customer relationship business process. The digital watermark is utilised for the exchange process of digital transactions for data transfer, storage, linking and retrieval. The customer watermark is for not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer in a digital transaction using the advertising logo of an enterprise and not limited to.

Background and Summary of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a digital picture utilising the advertising logo of any business enterprise and not limited to (logo) and capturing that digital picture or logo into a customer watermark for creating a link to transfer, store, retrieve and hide the customer’s particulars such as names, documents, original digital documents or data in a digital transaction.

[0004] Customers face a number of challenges in a supply of their digital data to third parties (for instance but not limited to licenced professionals or institutions) such as:

1 . Required and relevant digital data not being supplied in a timely and efficient manner in a digital transaction.

2. Creating the verification process of the customer’s provided document data in a digital transaction.

3. The customer achieves control of data, storage, security and digital data value in a digital transaction.

[0005] For example, society constantly creates new standards and the need to communicate and access different types of customers’ documents in a digital transaction through their life. i

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) [0006] The need for digital data access transactions is growing although there is no system to value digital data and allow a customer to control who has access to their digital data.

[0007] Some successes have been achieved by creating an algorithm to produce a customer watermark (see examples Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) by utilising one large square box as an example which is broken into nine sub squares inside for programming purposes and using customers’ advertising logos. Therefore, it may not be limited by a square or a customer’s advertising logo of an enterprise, the algorithm can be extended to any circle, rectangle, triangle or any other geometric designs, it may also include three dimensional design as well. A customer advertising logo was used for algorithm illustration purposes and can include any digital picture. See attached Fig. 3.

[0008] The customer also needs a way to log data transmission without identifying the name or the particulars of the customer in a digital transaction.

[0009] At the same time customers need to get access for holding their personal data particulars in a secure digital data storage box application and remuneration by allowing third parties to have access to their digital data according to the customer’s instructions.

[0010] The purpose of the customer watermark invention is to create a process to not identify the name or the particulars of a customer in a digital transaction in linking to third parties for access to their digital data information.

[0011 ] The current watermark picture example (see FIG. 4 and Fig. 5) is encoded through sharing the original customer’s document name and encrypted into an SSH payload hash code of arbitrary length, usually from 256-1024 bit ranges, and perhaps most commonly used for security purposes between 512 and 1024 bits. The watermark itself does not contain payload or any information to decrypt it and recover the original customer’s document name. It has only visual content. The validity of the watermark can be checked by regenerating the watermark again and comparing with the received customer’s watermark. The generated structure of the customer watermark is generated according to a specific algorithm which can be reproduced for customer’s watermark validation and identification. The customer watermark utilises the customer advertising logo of an enterprise.

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) [0012] The other features and advantages of the invention will be extended in the following detailed descriptions and with the reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1

[0013] [fig. 1] illustrates the exchange process of digital transactions in the transfer storage, linking and retrieval in the use of the customer watermark with the customer advertising logo of an enterprise to not identify the name or particulars of a customer and the remuneration process for data exchange in a digital transaction.

Fig. 2

[0014] [fig. 2] illustrates a process of not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer in a digital transaction utilising the advertising logo of an enterprise.

Fig. 3

[0015] [fig. 3] illustrates the advertising logo of an enterprise.

Fig. 4

[0016] [fig. 4] illustrates a created customer watermark example (1 ) using a customer square watermark creation algorithm and ‘FFF APRS’ unique account string for SHA512 encoding.

Fig. 5

[0017] [fig. 5] illustrates a created customer watermark example (2) using a customer square watermark creation algorithm and ‘FFF APRS 123’ unique account string for SHA512 encoding.

Fig. 6

[0018] [fig. 6] illustrates an example of a customer's watermark algorithm methodology with squared quadrant allocations within a square.

Detailed Description

Introduction

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) [0019] The following detailed description is combined into the three main sections which does not mean to limit the scope of the invention, it is structured for easy understanding. The starting section, “Documents identification,” explains the main purpose of the invention and the type of customer documents data used for not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer in a digital transaction. The second section, “Watermark creation and identification system,” explains how a created customer watermark hides the customer identity and retrieves information from the digital data storage box. The last but not least, “Validation by customer watermark,” demonstrates the process of customers’ digital data identification by using a created customer watermark. Other features are described under the respective section headings.

Documents Identification

[0020] The invention relates to a digital picture capturing data process and sharing digital customer document data through a created customer watermark, with a secure remuneration payment platform system for data access and recording actions within a digital data exchange log. The purpose of the invention is to empower customer data over time and develop a remuneration relationship between a customer and licensed professionals or institution who require to supply prepared information access to customers’ data.

[0021 ] The new mechanism provides algorithms of the process of working with digital document data of a customer and valuing data creating unique customer watermarks for sharing the customers document data through digital data transaction. The unique created customer watermark is the main identification document in the system.

[0022] The invention resides in the fact that in all current digital data access operations has no remuneration value. The system of valuing digital data creates a methodology of collaboration between modem technologies and stakeholders. The key here is to provide secure remuneration data exchange for digital document sharing and access and to unlock data view access in a timely and efficient manner. Remuneration fees received by the customer can be used within the system for data storage or other system services.

[0023] The created customer watermark logo is a digital auto generated picture which contains the following elements. These elements are designed for a purpose

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) of illustrating how the customer watermark may be used and not limited only by a square generated algorithm.

1 . The wrapping square is the main shape which allows to incorporate and include different squares within it.

2. The squared customer enterprise logo is any logo picture which is squared from any shape.

3. The logo square size is the internal square size which can be different in size and used to encode different information within.

4. Any empty square is filled with a logo in the full square size.

5. Position of the squared logo with the size less the wrapping square is in the centre.

[0024] The customer advertising logo is displayed in the square and the square will include any shape of the logo.

[0025] Customer watermark logo identifies any type of the document uploaded to secure digital data storage and therefore, not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer behind the specific code and the created customer watermark logo. The algorithm of the generating of the customer watermark is described in the following section.

Watermark creation and identification system

[0026] Society constantly creates new standards and the need to communicate and access different types of customer’s document data. The need for digital data access is growing although there is no system to support it which would allow the customer control over access to the documents by a licensed professional and institution. This new invention allows digital document data to be processed in a secure digital data storage box, it then creates a customer watermark which can be purchased and accessed via a secure remuneration fee by enabling customer control over the accessing of their personal particulars data with remuneration value attached.

[0027] Customer watermark data access system has the following major elements:

1 . Secure digital data storage box (See FIG. 1 (B)) that contains user digital data in any file type format such as photo, video, contract, invoice,

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) statement, and personal information held in life. Customers can upload or scan document data (See FIG. 1 (A)) into the digital storage box.

2. Created customer watermark logo (See FIG. 1 (C)) is a publicly available picture which contains an url reference to the portal which can redirect to the secure remuneration collection platform (See FIG. 1 (E)) before allowing users to gain digital data access. If the digital data access has been granted the digital data would be retrieved. Customer watermark is used to identify ownership of the digital data. Digital watermarking is the process of hiding digital information in a graphical symbol and is used to verify the authenticity. Digital watermarks are generated using specific algorithms.

3. Secure remuneration fee collection system accepts fees for having an access to the digital data documents and creates records in the digital data access log (See FIG. 1 (D)). Once payment is received, document data can be accessed by licensed professionals or institutions (See FIG. 1 (F)).

4. Holding secured digital data exchange log which tracks and records all document movement, instructions of supplying information to licensed professionals or institution or access within a system. This part of the system is linked with the user blockchain account and bitcoins.

[0028] Algorithms of the customer watermark generation includes the following steps (See FIG. 6 as a generic example of algorithm):

1 . Generate an unique digital string to identify customer watermarks. For the purpose of an example “FFF APRS” string can be taken. However any string document identity can be used.

2. Creates a SHA512 hash string by using the unique string. For instance for the previous example of “FFF APRS” it would be

“ac4b57c8115d7d9951 ee7d1 ed0444731 e6fbc0246df7c872de154af58cb9c db75b3ec46678659c8ef2b605dd7a819d4d41798925261176c48b368732b 7bfd49c”.

3. Read supplied customer advertising logo (See FIG. 3) which can be uploaded or provided through any other possible digital image uploading methods.

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) Modernise the customer advertising logo of their enterprise to a square. At this stage a rectangular customer advertising logo can be transformed into a square size logo. The quality of the original picture can be lost. However it is not the main purpose, because customer watermark does not contain an information payload, it contains a visual representation of the unique watermark generated for the purpose of identification. Transform each byte of the SHA512 string into a bit array. It should generate 1920 numbers (for SHA512, for SHA 1024, it will be longer), 0/1 or false/true elements of the array. The result bit array may look as the following example 010100101010101001110111010010101010101010101011010101010010 101010100111011101001010101010101010101100101001010101010011 10111101 ... (1920 bits). Set the result maximum customer watermark picture size. The generated picture can be any size, the higher the picture resolution, the better the result quality will be. Calculate the size of the main central square. The first 3 bits should be taken out of 1920 elements (SSH512), although it is not limited . The size bit number decreases the main square size for the amount of pixels by using the bit calculation logic. The main logo is displayed in the centre. Draw the main customer watermark advertising logo in the centre. Split the rest 1917 bits evenly between the other 8 squares in the order starting from top left to bottom right. Each wrapping square is the same size and the main wrapping square contains 9 sub wrapping squares in total. The central one is the main and 8 sub squares containing the other drawings. The total bit number is divided to the nearest whole number. So it will be 239 for 8 squares. Calculate each of 8 squares in the recursive mode till it will be possible to draw all bits out of 239 bits. Each sub square will contain only 4 squares within itself. Draw the full square if the square array is less than 5 bits and continue to step 17 otherwise step 12. Take 2 first bits to determine the position of the main square in the sub square.

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 13. Take 3 the next bits to determine the size of the main square in the sub square.

14. Split the rest bits (the sub square bit array minus 5 bits) evenly between the other 3 squares.

15. Draw the main square in its determined position (step 12) with calculated size (step 13).

16. Pass calculated bits to the other 3 squares and run recursion on step 11.

17. Finish customer watermark generation algorithm for 8 squares around the main central square (See FIG. 6) and the created customer logo example (See FIG. 4).

18. Save the resulting customer watermark picture.

[0029] As the main identification document in the system. Customer watermarks can be generated by using slightly different image generation procedures from the current algorithm (See FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). The main goal is to be unique within the system used, it should be clear to the customer on the visual picture and should have an ability to be regenerated by the system itself for the purpose of comparison. The purpose is to create a digital print for the system document or system reference wanting to be generated by the customer and not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer.

Validation by customer watermark

[0030] The idea of data sharing exchange is to create a secured digital data exchange process where the data owner will be able to provide an access to its data and securely receive a remuneration award for allowing it to have an access. Furthermore the system registers the blockchain account and allows it to generate financial residuals during the lifetime of the document saved within the system.

[0031 ] The Fig. 1 and The Fig. 2 show the process of the main blocks and data exchanges. It contains the following items in it.

1 . Digital customer document data can be scanned or uploaded in any file type such as photo, video, contract, invoice, statement, and personal information files held in life.

2. Application which works with digital document data stores received data in the secure digital data storage box application.

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) 3. Created customer watermark logo within the application that identifies the digital document or its particulars.

4. Holding secure digital data exchange logs can be linked with bitcoin accounts (transfer to third parties). This also gives access for audit agencies to validate provided information.

5. Secure remuneration platform receives fee for data and opens secured access to cover digital storage fees and passes the fee collected result instructions to the system for licensed professionals and institutions to receive access.

6. Licensed professionals or institutions are parties which want to obtain access to the customer application digital data particulars.

[0032] The following connections support data exchange process lines are used in Fig.

1.

1 . Customer watermark is created in the secure data storage box and represents the graphical image of the url access to the digital data.

2. Data sharing transfer is recorded in a digital data exchange log with watermark identifier and if the access has been granted to the digital data.

3. Licensed professionals and institutions receive a link for a secure remuneration payment platform to be made first before data is received, upon remuneration fees to be paid they will have access to the required digital data.

4. Once remuneration is received, the link opens up an access to the digital data and the transaction is recorded in the digital data exchange log.

[0033] Recognition and not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer at the same time by providing customer watermark would be used by providing a digital picture and the secured digital link. Once the digital link is opened it regenerates the customer watermark logo within the system and compares against the provided customer watermark drawing. When the licence professional or institution validates the opening document transaction, they will receive the necessary information.

[0034] Customer watermark is validated by the system generated by the customer watermark logo. Therefore it will not open the particulars or the name of a

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) customer to anybody and it provides only digital data without disclosing the customer particulars.

Conclusion

[0035] Throughout one’s lifetime, a significant amount of life documents are accumulated. To have a data access system whereby owners are able to receive remuneration rewards for providing personal digital data is a new concept. The uniquely created customer watermark protects and verifies ownership of the customer’s digital data or the customer particulars. Licensed professionals or institutions are then able to purchase data through the secure remuneration digital system transactions. Blockchain and bitcoin technology can be used in the holding digital secure data exchange log which tracks and records all access.

[0036] Customer watermark in this invention helps the customer hide identity whatever they do not want to provide for the licence professional and control the information shared only according to their level of permission. Moreover to set the timestamp while the information is available to the licensed professional or institution in the digital data exchange log.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims

[Claim 1 ] Customer watermark identifies an unique account within a debit/credit system for data remuneration and generated through an algorithm by using the customer advertising logo of an enterprise.

[Claim 2] Customer watermark is attached to digital data for transfer purposes and it does not contain any payload or any information within the generated picture and adds an extra level of security for shared digital data.

[Claim 3] Customer watermark increases the level of security of the digital data for not identifying the name or the particulars of a customer in a digital transaction using the advertising logo of an enterprise.

[Claim 4] Customer watermark connects to the secured digital remuneration payment collection system for data remuneration.

[Claim 5] Customer watermark links to secured digital data storage box to hold digital data within the system.

[Claim 6] Customer watermark shares digital data with licence professional and/or institutions and validated by the system which generated it by comparison with original customer watermark digital data in a digital transaction.

[Claim 7] Customer watermark hides document data such as names, documents, original digital documents or visual identifications or the other particulars of a customer in a digital transaction.

[Claim 8] Customer watermark creates an internal crypto currency for digital data exchange and receives remuneration fees to use such remunerations for storage payment or other services which are provided by the secure digital box storage application.

[Claim 9] Customer watermark allows to reduce the cost of the digital data storage due to data remuneration fee received and digital data transfer.

[Claim 10] Customer watermark reduces time in exchange and preparation of the digital data to be shared in a digital transaction. The created customer watermark logo allows digital data to not identify names or the other particulars of the customer to be shared. ii

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) [Claim 11] Customer watermark allows for the supply of prepared information in a digital transaction with licence professionals or institutions from the secure digital data storage box application.

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SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)