Optical ID tags for automatic vehicle identification and authentication

Abstract

We review the potential of optical techniques in security tasks and propose to combine some of them in the design of new optical ID tags for automatic vehicle identification and authentication. More specifically, we propose to combine visible and near infrared imaging, optical decryption, distortion-invariant ID tags, optoelectronic devices, coherent image processor, optical correlation, and multiple authenticators. A variety of images and signatures, including biometric and random sequences, can be combined in an optical ID tag for multifactor identification. Encryption of the information codified in the ID tag allows increasing security and deters from unauthorized usage of optical tags. A novel NIR ID tag is designed and built by using commonly available materials. The ID tag content cannot be visually perceived at naked eye; it cannot be copied, scanned, or captured by any conventional device. The identification process encompasses several steps such as detection, information decoding and verification which are all detailed in this work. Design of rotation and scale invariant ID tags is taken into account to achieve a correct authentication even if the ID tag is captured in different positions.