WO2005051676A1

WO2005051676A1 - Method and apparatus for printing security features and authenticating such features

Info

Publication number: WO2005051676A1
Application number: PCT/CA2004/002032
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jose Raul Quan Leon; Judy Wailing Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-11-26
Filing date: 2004-11-25
Publication date: 2005-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 2006-05-26

Abstract

One embodiment provided herein discloses a document security feature printed onto a print surface of a document. The document security feature includes a covert and/or an overt security feature printed with inks/toners having a color that corresponds to the coloration of the receiving substrate. The document security feature is substantially less visible and/or invisible to the unaided eye and, the security feature is revealed to the eye by manipulating the document to reveal the security feature.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING SECURITY FEATURES AND AUTHENTICATING SUCH FEATURES Field of the Invention The present invention relates to document security, a method and apparatus executed by a software program on a computer system for digitally producing fixed and unique variable counterfeit-deterring security covert (hidden) and overt (not hidden) features in a printed form using inks of like color corresponding to the substrate color.

Background of the Invention Many methods and products have been developed to stymie and/or thwart the unauthorized reproduction of original valuable documents, such as currency, travelers' cheques, gift certificates, licenses, passports, visas, and personal identification papers, to deter illegal activities such as counterfeiting. Some of these methods are also used on packaging materials to preserve brand identity. Generally, these methods and products enable unauthorized copies of original documents to be readily distinguished from the originals. Examples of such methods and products include currency or banknotes that are printed on special paper having a unique feel or texture, embedding images and/or moire patterns in the original documents that are nearly invisible to the naked eye but which become apparent upon photocopying, printing originals in multiple colors and with fine details that are not easily reproduced, and placing difficult-to-reproduce watermarks or holographic images on the originals. Furthermore, copy-protected media, such as paper, generally has a fine printed pattern that makes up a light "colored" background on the paper. This background is typically formed by a pattern of dots, lines, screen structures or the like. Within the background pattern, additional information can be printed that is mostly hidden by the background pattern when viewed by a casual observer. The additional information typically includes a security warning such as the word "VOID" or "COPY". The security warning becomes prominent on the copy such that even a casual observer will notice it. Thus, the original document is easily distinguishable from its copied version by virtue of a warning such as "VOID" or "COPY" being prominently displayed on the copied version. However, advancing computer scanning and photocopying technologies have rendered many of the above-described document protection methods substantially less effective and have forced the use of advanced, more expensive and complicated document protection techniques, such as holographs and specialty inks and paper. It is useful to note that with respect to the general field of document protection, it has been the standard practice to incorporate the security features as the final layer or step in the printing operation. Accordingly, the need exists for improved methods for producing original documents having improved security features that enables simple and expedient authentication of a document as an original document and manufacturing processes that would provide an entirely new approach to incorporate security features into a document wherein the security features comprise the first layer of the document followed by overprinting with the normal visible image.

Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed at a document security feature printed onto a print surface of a document, comprising a covert and/or an overt security feature printed with inks/toners having a color that corresponds to the coloration of the receiving substrate. The security feature is substantially less visible and/or invisible to the unaided eye wherein the security feature is revealed to the eye by manipulating said document to reveal said security feature. In method form, the present invention is directed at a method to authenticate, track and/or trace a document as an original document, comprising supplying a document to authenticate, track and/or trace and placing on each half-tones line, dash, or dots of any shape on a layer of said document to define a security layer by manipulating and positioning it directly under and/or beside and/or in overlapping relation to any another half-tones line, dash and/or dot of any shape printed on any of the layers above such security layer. In further alternative embodiment, the present invention comprises a method to encode containing a visual image as an original document comprising placing one or more half-toned lines, dashes and/or dots on top of one another to provide a security layer, characterized that said one or more half-toned lines, dashes and/or dots positioned on top of one another define a security layer, said security layer thereby encoding said document based upon the number of dots and/or the sequencing and/or positioning of said dots, followed by placement of an image layer In yet further alternative embodiment, the present invention comprises a covert and/or overt security feature printed onto a printable surface wherein said covert and/or overt security feature is computer generated, comprising placing a security feature comprising a line pattern, artwork, line art, picture and/or text onto a substrate layer that is digitally converted into half-tones ranging in density between one to one hundred percent using lines, dashes and any shape dots. The luminosity of said security feature is adjusted by the process of adding or subtracting to the half-tones lines, dashes and/or dots) according to the images that will be subsequently printed on top of the layer containing said security feature.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a printed security feature of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of another printed security feature of one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of another printed security feature of one embodiment of the present invention.

Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Inks of like color are defined herein as white inks on white substrates (such as standard paper but also include all printable synthetic materials such as but not limiting to plastic, vinyl, PVC, Teslin®, Tyvek®, Polyart®, etc.) and opaque inks on opaque substrate, clear inks on clear substrates, red inks on red substrates and so on and so forth. Accordingly, inks of like color for a given substrate include inks that have a color that corresponds and is similar to the color of the substrate. Ink of "like color" would therefore be also understood as all colors that would be considered as barely distinguishable and/or undistinguishable by the human eye in contrast to the substrate that it is printed on. Thus "like color" inks can be any Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black inks/toners used for full color process printing and/or spot colors known within the Pantone Matching System® and/or custom colors tailor- made including white, opaque and clear to correspond to the natural coloration of substrate. Most preferably in the context of the present invention, the use of a white ink on a white substrate is employed to create a white paper that has been impregnated with a first layer security feature thereby producing a white security paper.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a printed security feature of one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1 , a printed security feature 10 is positioned as the first layer, while containing a covert and/or over security feature. The substrate color 12 will therefore preferably correspond to the ink color of the security layer 10, and preferably comprises white ink on white paper. In the context of the above illustration it should therefore be understood that the color of the substrate 12 corresponds to the color of the security layer. Inks herein should also be understood as inks used for all standard dry or wet offset by screen, flexo- and gravure-printing, letterpress or by "Dl" direct image press, inks used for all ink-jet printers, inks used in all ink based digital press such as the "HP Indigo". Inks are also defined as toners such as toners used for all laser printers/copiers and digital presses for instance the "Nexpress", "IGen", "Xeikon" etc. All inks/toners described above may also have other attributes such as optically variable characteristics in "exposed" conditions such as ultra-violet dull for ultra-violet inks/toners, infrared dull for infrared inks/toners, temperature sensitive for thermochromic inks and light sensitive for photochromic or glow-in-the dark inks/toners. The method of the present invention includes printing a security covert and/or overt features with like color inks as the first layer and then overprint this layer with the "normal" visible portion of the document such as preferably printing the security layer with "white" inks onto "white" paper then overprinting this layer with the normal visible image of the document so on and so forth. Figure 2 is a perspective view of another printed security feature of one embodiment of the present invention. The layer of like color inks containing the security features 14 can be printed during the same time as the visible portion 16 of the document or at a separate time using any press, digital press, inkjet and/or laser printers and/or type and hand written by overprinting on a substrate 12 that was previously printed with the security feature using like color inks corresponding to it's substrate. The security feature can be line patterns, artwork, line art, picture and/or text digitally converted into half-tones using lines, dashes and any shape dots and the luminosity (by adding or subtracting to the half-tones lines, dashes and/or dots) may be adjusted according to the image that will be printed on top of this layer. In addition, in this like color ink layer, one or more half-toned lines, dashes or dots can all be optionally positioned to print one on top of the other to create a multidimensional security layer underneath the image, as depicted in Figure 3. This multi- dimensional layer, as depicted by tiers 18a, 18b and 18c, can further be utilized to encode a document based on the number of dots per tier and the sequencing and positioning of each dot. The placement of each half-tones line, dash and/or dot can also optionally be manipulated and positioned directly under and/or beside and/or partly covered in relation to any another half-tones line, dash and/or dot printed on any of the layers above itself for the purpose of encoding the document and thus the final printed document can be tracked, traced and authenticated. In addition, the placement of each half-tone line, dash and/or dot on the security layer is preferably positioned directly under and/or partly covered in relation to any other half-tone line, dash and/or dot printed using any printing inks including inks with optically variable characteristics (such as ultra violet, inferred inks etc.), on any of the layers above itself, and pending the placement, the "like color" inks used on the security layer, the "like color" inks can be customized to have special chemical and physical properties so that it can also have a interaction with the inks above creating a unique "color signature" on that part of the cover and/or over security features specified to the document. An advantage of the present invention is that the method and process will produce variable security features for the digital print platform (such as all digital print output devises as in a digital press such as the HP Indigo, Nexpress, IGen, Xeikon, and/or laser printers/copiers and/or ink-jet printers) and that the method and process may generate a variable feature for each printed document. Another advantage of the present invention is that the method and process will produce self-validating original documents. Authentication is visual by examining the document under normal conditions and/or under "exposed" conditions (such as if the like color ink also has optically variable properties such as ultra violet dull by exposing the document to ultra violet lights). All features may be preferably generated through a set of computer-executable parameters, that is explicit and unique to the digital signature of a given software license and the licensee's password. While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention using the general principles disclosed herein. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

What is Claimed: 1. A document security feature printed onto a print surface of a document, comprising a covert and/or an overt security feature printed with inks/toners having a color that corresponds to the coloration of the receiving substrate, said security feature being substantially less visible and/or invisible to the unaided eye and said security feature being revealed to the eye by manipulating said document to reveal said security feature.

2. The document security feature of claim 1 , comprising a white ink on a white substrate to create a white paper that has been impregnated with a security feature thereby producing white security paper.

3. The document security feature of claim 1 , wherein said step of manipulating the document comprises a) viewing the document at specified angle(s) and/or b) viewing the document under a specified light source and/or c) viewing the document using a "decoder" lens and/or any combinations of a), b) or c).

4. The document security feature of claim 1 wherein said inks comprise any i one of dry or wet offset by screen, flexo and grauvure-printing, letterpress, direct image press ink, ink jet printer ink, or toner for laser printers/copiers.

5. A method to authenticate, track and/or trace a document as an original document, comprising a. supplying a document to authenticate, track and/or trace; b. placing of a half-tone line, dash, and/or dot of any shape on a layer of said document to define a security layer by manipulating and positioning it directly under and/or beside and/or in overlapping relation to any other half-tone line, dash and/or dot of any shape printed on any of the layers above said security layer.

6. A method to encode containing a visual image as an original document comprising placing one or more half-toned lines, dashes and/or dots on top of one another to provide a security layer, characterized that said one or more half-toned lines, dashes and/or dots positioned on top of one another define a security layer, said security layer thereby encoding said document based upon the number of dots and/or the sequencing and/or positioning of said dots, followed by placement of an image layer.

7. The method of either claim 5 or 6 using a digital print output device.

8. The method of either claim 5 or 6 using a digital press, laser printer/copier and/or ink-jet printers 9. A covert and/or overt security feature printed onto a printable surface wherein said covert and/or overt security feature is computer generated, comprising a. placing a security feature comprising a line pattern, artwork, line art, picture and/or text onto a substrate layer that is digitally converted into half-tones ranging in density between one to one hundred percent using lines, dashes and any shape dots b. wherein the luminosity of said security feature is adjusted by the process of adding or subtracting to the half-tones lines, dashes and/or dots) according to the images that will be subsequently printed on top of the layer containing said security feature.