Systems and methods for generating secure tags

1. A system for generating a secure tag, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause an authentication server to perform operations comprising:

receiving a stylesheet describing a class of secure tags;

obtaining a numeric seed;

generating a secure tag layout using the numeric seed and the stylesheet, the secure tag layout specifying a set of tag feature options based on the numeric seed and stylesheet;

receiving tag data;

generating a secure tag encoding the tag data by selecting the tag feature options according to values of the tag data;

generating a perceptual hash of the secure tag;

storing the hash and an identifier for the secure tag in a database; and

providing the secure tag.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure tag layout specifies at least one of:

reference portions that indicate one or more referenced locations in the secure tag layout for encoding data;

unreferenced portions in the secure tag layout for encoding data; and

junk portions in the secure tag layout for encoding random data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag feature options include the presence or absence of a tag feature at a position specified by the secure tag layout.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag feature options include at least one of:

a size, color, or shape of a tag feature;

a deviation from a position specified by the secure tag layout;

a number of tag features present at a position specified by the secure tag layout;

a presence of spline encoding on the tag feature; and

a presence of microstructures on the tag feature.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:

the spline encoding comprises a tag feature edge extending a varying distance from a reference point or line;

the varying distance encodes one or more spatially multiplexed tag data values; and

the varying distance encodes repeats of the one or more spatially multiplexed tag data values.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag feature options include:

tag feature options for a rim tag feature, the tag feature options for the rim tag feature including rim breaks, rim deformations, and rim connections; and

tag feature options for the rim breaks, the tag feature options for the rim tag feature including rim break edge shapes.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag feature options include tag feature options for connection tag features, the tag feature options for the connection tag features including connection width and connection asymmetry.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag feature options include tag feature options for center logo tag features, the tag feature options for the center logo tag features including a displacement of the center logo from a center point of the secure tag.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the secure tag encoding the tag data by selecting the tag feature options comprises selecting first tag feature options according to values of first tag data, the selection of the first tag feature options creating second tag feature options, and selecting the second tag feature options according to values for second tag data.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first tag feature options comprise the presence or absence of points, the second tag feature options comprise the presence or absence of connections between points present according to the values of the first tag data, and third tag feature options encoding third tag data comprise the width of connections present according to the values of the second tag data.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein generating the secure tag encoding the tag data by selecting the tag feature options according to values of the tag data comprises:

encrypting the tag data with a cryptographic key;

selecting the tag feature options according to values of the encrypted tag data; and

encoding the cryptographic key into the secure tag.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stylesheet includes a public portion for generating portions of the secure tag layout for encoding public data and a private portion for generating portions of the secure tag layout for encoding private data.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating perceptual hashes of differing segments of the secure tag at multiple levels of detail; and

storing the perceptual hashes of differing segments of the secure tag in the database.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag data comprises one or more identifiers for one or more other secure tags.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein a first identifier of the one or more identifiers comprises a perceptual hash of a first secure tag of the one or more other secure tags.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tag data comprises an identifier for a multifactor identification item.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the multifactor identification item comprises an authentication credential or a perceptual hash of an image and the image depicts:

a portion of an object labeled with the tad; or

a person associated with the tag.

18. A system for generating a secure tag, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

selecting first tag features corresponding to first bits in first binary tag data;

specifying, for each one of the first bits in the first binary tag data, a first tag feature option for a corresponding one of the first tag features based on a value of the each one of the bits in the first binary tag data;

selecting, based on the specified first tag feature options, second tag features corresponding to second bits in second binary tag data;

specifying, for each one of the second bits in the second binary tag data, a second tag feature option for a corresponding one of the second tag features based on a value of the each one of the second bits in the second binary tag data;

generating a secure tag with the specified first tag feature options and the specified second tag feature options; and

providing the secure tag.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the specified first tag feature options comprise the presence of the first tag features in the secure tag.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the specified second tag feature options comprise at least one of:

at least one of size, color, and shape of one of the first tag features present in the secure tag;

an amount of deviation from a specified first position for the one of the first tag features present in the secure tag;

a number of first tag features present at a specified second position;

a presence or absence of spline encoding on the one of the first tag features present in the secure tag;

a presence or absence of microstructures on the one of the first tag features present in the secure tag; and

a presence or absence of a connection between two of the first tag features present in the secure tag.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein a secure tag layout specifies tag feature options including the first tag feature options and the second tag feature options.