Patent ID: 8677131

Claim:
A method of authenticating a printed document associated with a source entity, the printed document including a two-dimensional code (2-D code) that includes data encoded therein, the encoded data including a resource locator to an intent, the method comprising: (a) receiving in one more software applications executing on an electronic device an image of the 2-D code; (b) decoding in the one or more software applications the image of the 2-D code using the software application to obtain the resource locator to an intent; (c) detecting in the one or more software applications whether the resource locator to an intent includes a protocol identifier designating a secure 2-D code; and (d) upon detecting that the protocol identifier designates a secure 2-D code, the one or more software applications: (i) electronically replaces the protocol identifier designating a secure 2-D code with a protocol identifier used to access a secure server of the source entity located at a host portion of the resource locator, (ii) accesses a server resource at the secure server to obtain the intent, (iii) receives a certificate of the secure server and extracts information from the certificate, including information regarding whether the certificate is valid, and (iv) outputs to the electronic device: (I) one or more indicators of whether the certificate is valid, and (II) a display of the intent, wherein one or more of the outputs may be used to decide whether the intent can be trusted, and wherein the protocol identifier is a protocol identifier associated with URL specifications.