Authenticity attribute

Details Authenticity attribute Authenticity attribute

1999-11-08

2001-12-04

Fridie, Jr., Willmon (Department: 3722)

Printed matter

Having revealable concealed information, fraud preventer or...

Identifier

C283S053000, C283S072000, C283S075000, C283S094000, C283S904000, C229S118000, C229S160200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06325421

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an authenticity attribute for objects to be protected.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A great number of different authenticity attributes are known from the prior art.
Know authenticity attributes include, firstly, attributes which can be recognized by the user of the marked object without any special aids or know-how, such as watermarks, see-through registers, visible and feelable relieflike embossings, colored mottling fibers in bank notes, security threads, outline photogravure and other special printing processes, re-reflective symbols, holograms, hologram-like, embossed, printed or laser-engraved tilting effects and special inks and lacquers with a nacreous or metallic effect.
Secondly, there are attributes which only are accessible to the expert or become recognizable with special equipment. This group of authenticity attributes includes special basic materials such as synthetic fibers and linters in bank notes, mottling fibers, inks and lacquers that e.g. become visible in UV light or change their color by chemically reacting with a secret test substance, security threads with microwriting or radioactive labeling, and individual numberings.
With means for authentication or signature, such as check and identity cards, authenticity attributes furthermore used are the photo and signature of the owner of the object, information stored on microchips and individual secret codes, often in conjunction with encryption methods.
Utility model DE-GM 86 12 236 (“Akustikträger auf Plastikoder Gummizuschnitt”) discloses an acoustic carrier wherein an elongate plastic or rubber blank is provided with a sound profile. The sound profile consists of raised and depressed areas extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. It can be scanned with the fingernail or a metal foil serving as a pick-up, whereby acoustically perceptible mechanical oscillations are produced. The acoustic carrier is intended for explaining the phenomenon of sound in school instruction.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,835 (“Sound Producing Straw”) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,715 (“Audio Straw and Cup lid”) disclose a straw provided with a sound profile and producing acoustic oscillations when pushed through the opening of a beverage cup lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,157 (“Audible Greeting Card”) discloses a talking greeting card having an elongate profiled sound carrier and a scanning apparatus with a scanning needle and diaphragm. Acoustic oscillations are produced by relative motion of sound carrier and scanning apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,558 (“Talking Greeting Card”) describes an acoustic carrier in the form of a flat strip (“sound strip”) profiled on one side. It is scanned with the fingernail and connected at one end with a greeting card serving as a diaphragm and resonant cavity. U.S. Pat. No. 2,164,663 (“Phonographic Device”) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,042,736 (“Talking Device”) disclose similar devices for use as advertising media and talking product packages. U.S. Pat. No. 695,159 (“Apparatus for Reproducing Sound”) discloses using the sound strip as a doll's voice, with a special scanning apparatus provided instead of the fingernail.
The patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,997,306 (“Book With Talking Pages”) finally discloses a book whose pages have an elongate profiled sound carrier. By scanning the sound carrier with a scanning object one sets the pages oscillating audibly. The acoustic information stored on the sound carrier is related in content to the optical information pictured on the page.
In many cases it is important that the user can check the authenticity of the object provided with the authenticity attribute directly without special aids. This applies e.g. to bank notes, identity cards, drugs or computer software. Many known attributes fail to meet this condition and are therefore not fully applicable.
Also, the rapid advances in production and duplicating methods cause the degree of forgery-proofness of most authenticity attributes to decrease constantly so that new authenticity attributes must always be found.
Moreover, the authenticity attribute should often have esthetic appeal, thereby increasing the subjectively perceived value of the object protected by the attribute and simultaneously producing a likewise subjective feeling of security. Examples to be mentioned are the elaborate steel engraving on paper of value and bank notes as well as holograms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the problem of providing an authenticity attribute which is firstly difficult to imitate. Secondly, if required, it should be designable so that it can be recognized and checked even by laymen. Furthermore, the authenticity attribute should be universally applicable, also in conjunction with other authenticity attributes. Additionally it should be able to fulfill an esthetic function.
This problem is solved according to the invention by providing the object to be protected with an elongate profile as an authenticity attribute which has raised and depressed areas which, when scanned with the edge or tip of a scanning object, produce mechanical oscillations (co-)determined by the form of the profile. The thus produced mechanical oscillations are preferably convertible into acoustic signals by the scanning object and/or the object to be protected.
The use of an acoustic mark as a security attribute signifies a clear departure from usual practice. For attributes easily checked by the layman one has hitherto relied on optical attributes. For the other attributes acoustic attributes have hitherto played no part either. The prevalence of optical security attributes is readily understandable considering that the classic objects to be protected are printed matter, e.g. bank notes, identity cards and the like. Printing technology as a method of graphic design is very sophisticated.
It is therefore obvious to exploit this high level of development for security technology.
An acoustic attribute in the form of the invention security profile can very well fulfill the functions to be met by a security attribute.
In terms of method, authenticity is tested by moving the scanning object and suthenticity profile relative to each other in the longitydinal direction of the profile. The scanning object thereby engages the profile wholly or partly with its scanning edge or tip. This sets the scanning object and/or the object provided with the profile oscillating.
The existance of certain attributes in the thus produced oscillation pattern serves to prove authenticity. Suitable attributes are e.g. certain sequences of tones or spoken messages. They are relatively easy to check manually without special aids. Moreover, special frequency spectra and the relative phases of the frequency components can for example also be used as characteristic attributes. Such attributes can be proved with suitable aids for oscillation analysis.


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