System for the secure storage and transmission of data

Claim 1

A security system for discouraging unauthorized use of a data card, comprising: a data card including storage means for storing data in scrambled form; encoder means for encoding the storage means with personal identification data made up of individual data units, each unit having a specific value, said encoder means including means for reading a set of said units having a common value, rearranging said set of units having a common value according to a predetermined algorithm, reading a second set of units having a different common value, rearranging the second set of units, and repeating the process of reading and rearranging sets of data units until the personal identification data is substantially scrambled; decoder means for reading and unscrambling the scrambled personal identification data; and recorder means for recording the personal identification data to establish a record of the card user.

Claim 5

A system for providing the secure transmission of data, comprising: encoder means for image-wise encoding data in scrambled form, said encoder means comprising: data input means for image-wise receiving unscrambled data made up of individual data units, each unit having a specific value; scrambling means for scrambling said data according to a visual algorithm, said scrambling means including means for reading a set of said units having a common value, rearranging said set of units having a common value according to a predetermined algorithm, reading a second set of units having a different common value, rearranging the second set of units, and repeating the process of reading and rearranging sets of data units until said data is substantially scrambled; and transmitting means for transmitting the scrambled data and visual algorithm to a receiving means from which the data may be decoded; and decoder means for decoding the received scrambled data, said decoder means comprising: means for receiving and processing the scrambled data and visual algorithm; descrambling means for reading and descrambling the scrambled data according to the visual algorithm; and means for outputting the descrambled data.

Claim 6

A system for providing the secure transmission of data, comprising: encoder means for image-wise encoding data in scrambled form, said encoder means comprising: data input means for image-wise receiving unscrambled data made up of individual data units, each unit having a specific value; scrambling means for scrambling said data according to a visual algorithm, said scrambling means including means for reading a set of said units having a common value, rearranging said set of units having a common value according to a predetermined algorithm, reading a second set of units having a different common value, rearranging the second set of units, and repeating the process of reading and rearranging sets of data units until said data is substantially scrambled; and transmitting means for transmitting the scrambled data and visual algorithm to a receiving means from which the data may be decoded; and decoder means for decoding the received scrambled data, said decoder means comprising: means for receiving and processing the scrambled data and visual algorithm; descrambling means for reading and descrambling the scrambled data according to the visual algorithm; and means for outputting the descrambled data.

Claim 9

A method for encoding an image, comprising the steps of: scanning an image to produce a sequence of electrical image signals corresponding to the image, the electrical image signals defining individual pixels of the image; digitizing the electrical image signals; and encoding the digitized electrical image signals, said encoding step including the steps of: (a) selecting a point-of-origin pixel signal; (b) programming the point-of-origin pixel signal with a decoding instruction for subsequent reading by a decoder; (c 1 ) reading all pixel signals representing a first common color; (d 1 ) scrambling all pixel signals representing said first common color within the sequence of all pixel signals according to a first algorithm; (e 1 ) assigning a first character to the first common color; (c 2 ) reading all pixel signals representing a second common color; (d 2 ) scrambling all pixel signals representing said second common color within the sequence of all pixel signals according to a second algorithm; (e 2 ) assigning a second character to the second common color; and (f) repeating steps (c n )-(e n ) for each nth color until all pixel signals representing a predetermined number of colors have been read, scrambled and assigned an nth character.

Claim 10

A method for encoding an image, comprising the steps of: scanning an image to produce a sequence of electrical image signals corresponding to the image, the electrical image signals defining individual pixels of the image; digitizing the electrical image signals; and encoding the digitized electrical image signals, said encoding step including the steps of: (a) selecting a point-of-origin pixel signal; (b) programming the point-of-origin pixel signal with a decoding instruction for subsequent reading by a decoder; (c 1 ) reading all pixel signals representing a first common color; (d 1 ) scrambling all pixel signals representing said first common color within the sequence of all pixel signals according to a first algorithm; (e 1 ) assigning a first character to the first common color; (c 2 ) reading all pixel signals representing a second common color; (d 2 ) scrambling all pixel signals representing said second common color within the sequence of all pixel signals according to a second algorithm; (e 2 ) assigning a second character to the second common color; and (f) repeating steps (c n )-(e n ) for each nth color until all pixel signals representing a predetermined number of colors have been read, scrambled and assigned an nth character.

Claim 15

A method for encoding an image formed by a plurality of individual image data units, comprising the steps of: scanning an image to produce a sequence of electrical image signals corresponding to the image, the electrical image signals defining individual data units of the image; digitizing the electrical image signals; and encoding the digitized electrical image signals, said encoding step including the steps of: (a) selecting a point-of-origin data unit signal; (b) programming the point-of-origin data unit signal with a decoding instruction for subsequent reading by a decoder; (c) reading all data unit signals representing a first common value; (d) scrambling all data unit signals representing said first common value within the sequence of all data unit signals according to a first algorithm; (e) assigning a first character to the first common value; (f) reading all data unit signals representing a second common value; (g) scrambling all data unit signals representing said second common value within the sequence of all data unit signals according to a second algorithm; (h) assigning a second character to the second common value; and (i) repeating steps (c n )-(e n ) for each nth value until all data unit signals representing a predetermined number of values have been read, scrambled and assigned an nth character.

Claim 16

A method for encoding an image formed by a plurality of individual image data units, comprising the steps of: scanning an image to produce a sequence of electrical image signals corresponding to the image, the electrical image signals defining individual data units of the image; digitizing the electrical image signals; and encoding the digitized electrical image signals, said encoding step including the steps of: (a) selecting a point-of-origin data unit signal; (b) programming the point-of-origin data unit signal with a decoding instruction for subsequent reading by a decoder; (c) reading all data unit signals representing a first common value; (d) scrambling all data unit signals representing said first common value within the sequence of all data unit signals according to a first algorithm; (e) assigning a first character to the first common value; (f) reading all data unit signals representing a second common value; (g) scrambling all data unit signals representing said second common value within the sequence of all data unit signals according to a second algorithm; (h) assigning a second character to the second common value; and (i) repeating steps (c n )-(e n ) for each nth value until all data unit signals representing a predetermined number of values have been read, scrambled and assigned an nth character.