Patent ID: 6349292
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G07B

Abstract:
A system for generating and authenticating an indicium value comprising an element in an indicium value sequence defined by a selected maximum indicium value, the system comprising an indicium generator and an indicium authenticator;A. the indicium generator being configured to generate the indicium, the indicium having an indicium value field for receiving the indicium value and a random number field for receiving a random number, the indicium generator being configured to generate the random number according to a predetermined methodology using random number generating information, the random number generating information including a seed value and another value, the seed value being a function of the selected maximum value and the other value, the predetermined methodology having the characteristics that (i) a random number sequence is generated, each random number in the random number sequence being associable with element of the indicium value sequence, (ii) values of the random numbers in the random number sequence have values which are a function of the selected maximum value, (iii) the indicium generator can readily generate values of the random numbers in the random number sequence associable with values in the indicium value sequence which are less than the maximum indicium value, and (iv) the indicium generator cannot readily generate values of the random numbers in the random number sequence associable, with values in the indicium value sequence which are more than the maximum indicium value, the indicium generator using the random number value from the random number sequence associated with the indicium value in the indicium value sequence as the random number for the random number field, B. the indicium authenticator being configured to authenticate the indicium by determining whether the random number value in the random number field corresponds to the correct random number for the indicium value in the indicium value field as determined by the predetermined methodology.