US 12,481,854 B1
Systems and methods for secure utilization of quick response codes
Jeff J. Stapleton, O'Fallon, MO (US); Richard Toohey, Madison, WI (US); and Peter Bordow, Fountain Hill, AZ (US)
Assigned to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/052,821.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/265,469, filed on Dec. 15, 2021.
Int. Cl. G06K 19/06 (2006.01); H04L 9/08 (2006.01)
CPC G06K 19/06018 (2013.01) [H04L 9/0858 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for secure utilization of quick response (QR) codes, the method comprising:
obtaining, by communications hardware of an initiating device, a key known to the initiating device and a participating device;
identifying, by QR code processing circuitry of the initiating device, a payload to be encoded in a QR code;
prior to generating a secure character string for the QR code:
selecting, by security circuitry of the initiating device and for the QR code, a control set comprising a series of controls that govern QR code applicability, wherein the selection of the control set is based on sensitivity of information included in the payload, and
injecting, by the security circuitry of the initiating device, data indicative of the control set into the payload;
generating, by the security circuitry of the initiating device, the secure character string based on the payload and the key, wherein at least a portion of the payload is secured using a data protection mechanism;
encodinq, by the QR code processing circuitry of the initiating device and using an encodinq pattern derived from the key, a second key, wherein the key enables identification of a bit location corresponding to the second key within the secure character string;
creating, by the QR code processing circuitry of the initiating device, the QR code using the generated secure character string; and
outputting the QR code by the communications hardware of the initiating device.