Authenticable digital code and associated systems and methods

1. An authenticable digital code, comprising:

a printable medium;

a machine-readable digital code, formed on the printable medium, that graphically represents information; and

at least one security signature comprising a fluorescent material that, when excited by first light at a first wavelength, fluoresces and emits second light at a second wavelength, that is different from the first wavelength, the second light emitting a graphical representation of a security code value that indicates authenticity of the authenticable digital code.

2. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the fluorescent material being configured to fluoresce and emit the second light based upon the first light being generated by a display of a mobile device without additional light sources or filters.

3. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the first wavelength corresponding to a blue color and the second wavelength corresponding to a red color.

4. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the machine-readable digital code being selected from the group consisting of a barcode, a matrix code, and a QR code.

5. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the security code value being based upon the information.

6. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the information being encrypted and associated with the security signature such that the information may be decrypted using the security code value.

7. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the security signature further comprising a second graphical representation of a second security code value that further indicates authenticity of the authenticable digital code.

8. The authenticable digital code of claim 7 , the second graphical representation being printed to the printable medium using a second fluorescent material, that, when excited by third light of a third wavelength that is different from the first and second wavelengths, fluoresces and emits fourth light at a fourth wavelength that is different from the first, second and third wavelengths, the fourth light at a second position relative to the machine-readable digital code indicating authenticity of the authenticable digital code.

9. The authenticable digital code of claim 1 , the first and second wavelengths corresponding to visible light.

10. A system for authenticating an authenticable digital code, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory memory communicatively coupled with the processor;

a camera controlled by the processor and having a field of view;

a light emitting display controlled by the processor that emits first light into the field-of-view of the camera; and

software comprising machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, are capable of:

controlling the light emitting display to emit the first light of a first wavelength;

controlling the camera to capture an image of the authenticable digital code positioned within the field of view and illuminated by the first light;

analyzing the image to detect second light of a second wavelength resulting from fluorescence of a security signature on the authenticable digital code to determine a security code value; and

decoding and authenticating the authenticable digital code based upon the security code value and the second wavelength.

11. The system of claim 10 , the processor, the memory, the light emitting display and the camera being part of a device selected from the group of mobile devices consisting of a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, an MP3 player, and a personal digital assistant.

12. The system of claim 10 , the software further comprising machine-readable instructions that when executed by the processor are capable of de-blurring the first image when the authenticable digital code is positioned outside a focusing range of the camera.

13. The system of claim 10 , the first and second wavelengths corresponding to visible light.

14. A method for authenticating an authenticable digital code, comprising the steps of:

controlling a light emitting display to emit first light of a first wavelength;

controlling a camera to capture an image of the authenticable digital code illuminated by the first light;

analyzing the image to detect second light of a second wavelength within the image and resulting from fluorescence of a security signature of the authenticable digital code;

determining a security code value based upon the second light; and

decoding and authenticating the machine-readable digital code of the authenticable digital code based upon the second light and the security code value.