Patent ID: 7984300

Claim:
A method of authenticating a transmitted digital still image against a captured digital still image, comprising: a) capturing the captured digital still image using a digital image capture device, wherein the capture device does not store signature data; b) transmitting selected signature data of a plurality of remote-location signature data from a remote location remote from the digital image capture device to the digital image capture device; c) associating an image identification with the captured digital still image; d) applying the signature data to the captured digital still image to produce an authentication signature representative of the captured digital still image, so that the authentication signature is produced using the signature data and the image data of the captured digital still image; e) associating the authentication signature with the image identification; f) transmitting the authentication signature to the remote location; g) storing the selected signature data, authentication signature, and image identification at the remote location; h) transmitting the transmitted digital still image to the remote location, wherein the transmitted digital still image does not include the selected signature data or the authentication signature; i) accessing the selected signature data for the transmitted digital still image; j) applying the selected signature data to the transmitted digital still image to produce a verification signature; and k) comparing the authentication signature with the verification signature to authenticate the transmitted digital still image against the captured digital still image.