System and method for digitally watermarking digital facial portraits

1. A computer-assisted method for identifying a person, comprising:

receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person, wherein the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait is embedded with at least one digital watermark identifying payload data linking the digital facial portrait to the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait;

receiving results of comparison between data received that solely encodes the digital facial portrait of the person and the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait on a display of a mobile computing device;

scanning the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait being displayed on the mobile computing device such that the at least one digital watermark is decoded in response to receiving comparison results that the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait is the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait on the mobile computing device; and

determining that the digital facial portrait is authentic based on the decoded at least one digital watermark by (i) retrieving personally identifiable information based on the identified payload data; and (ii) authenticating the displayed digital facial portrait based on the retrieved personally identifiable information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises: receiving data solely encoding the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait at a reading device configured to scan the digital facial portrait and extract the payload data from the at least one digital watermark.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

extracting payload data from the digital watermark; and

verifying that the digital facial portrait is authentic based on the extracted payload data.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein verifying that the digital facial portrait is authentic comprises:

retrieving security check information from the extracted payload data; and

receiving results of verification that the retrieved security check information is valid.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises receiving data that solely encodes the digital facial portrait embedding more than one digital watermark, each identifying respective payload data, and wherein authenticating the digital facial portrait comprises validating the more than one digital watermarks by cross-correlating the respective payload data.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: authenticating the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait based on the retrieved personally identifiable information.

7. A mobile computing device for identifying a person, the mobile computing device comprising at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person, the digital facial portrait embedded with at least one digital watermark identifying payload data linking the digital facial portrait to the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait; and

presenting on a display of the mobile computing device, the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait alone such that the person holding the mobile computing device is identified and authenticated solely using the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait by having the displayed digitally watermarked digital facial portrait scanned such that (i) personally identifiable information of the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait is retrieved based on the payload data; and (ii) the displayed digital facial portrait is authenticated based on the retrieved personally identifiable information.

8. The computing device claim 7 , wherein presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait alone comprises:

transmitting, through a data communications interface, information solely encoding the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait to a reader device such that the digital facial portrait is authenticated based on the at least one digital watermark.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises receiving data solely encoding the digital facial portrait that embeds more than one digital watermark, each identifying respective payload data.

10. A mobile computing device for authenticating a person, the mobile computing device comprising at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:

scanning a displayed digitally watermarked digital facial portrait portraying the person, the digital facial portrait being presented on a different mobile computing device by a person holding the different mobile computing device, the digital facial portrait embedded with at least one digital watermark identifying payload data linked to the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait;

receiving data solely encoding the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait;

decoding the at least one digital watermark in response to receiving comparison results that the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait is the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait on the different mobile computing device, wherein the person holding the different mobile computing device is identified solely using the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait; and

determining that the digital facial portrait is authentic based on the decoded at least one digital watermark by (i) retrieving personally identifiable information based on the identified payload data; and (ii) authenticating the displayed digital facial portrait based on the retrieved personally identifiable information.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises: scanning the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait as presented on the different mobile computing device.

12. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises: receiving, from the different mobile computing device, information solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait.

13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises receiving a digital facial portrait embedded with more than one digital watermark, each identifying respective payload data, and wherein determining that the digital facial portrait is authentic comprises validating the digital facial portrait by cross-correlating the respective payload data identified by the more than one digital watermark.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the operation of:

authenticating the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait based on the retrieved personally identifiable information.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising software instructions, that when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform the operations of:

receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of a person, wherein the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait is embedded with at least one digital watermark identifying payload data linking the digital facial portrait to the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait;

receiving results of comparison between data received that solely encodes the digital facial portrait of the person and the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait on a display of a mobile computing device;

scanning the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait being displayed on the mobile computing device such that the at least one digital watermark is decoded in response to receiving comparison results that the person portrayed in the digital facial portrait is the person presenting the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait; and

determining that the digital facial portrait is authentic based on the decoded at least one digital watermark by (i) retrieving personally identifiable information based on the identified payload data; and (ii) authenticating the displayed digital facial portrait based on the retrieved personally identifiable information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises: receiving the digitally watermarked digital facial portrait at a reading device configured to scan the digital facial portrait and extract the payload data from the at least one digital watermark.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprise:

extracting payload data from the digital watermark; and

verifying that the digital facial portrait is authentic based on the extracted payload data.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein verifying that the digital facial portrait is authentic comprises:

retrieving security check information from the extracted payload data; and

receiving results of verification that the retrieved security check information is valid.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein receiving data solely encoding a digitally watermarked digital facial portrait of the person comprises receiving data solely encoding the digital facial portrait embedding more than one digital watermark, each identifying respective payload data, and wherein authenticating the digital facial portrait comprises validating the more than one digital watermarks by cross-correlating the respective payload data.