Printed matter – Having revealable concealed information – fraud preventer or... – Utilizing electromagnetic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-16
2001-01-23
Bell, Paul A. (Department: 3722)
Printed matter
Having revealable concealed information, fraud preventer or...
Utilizing electromagnetic radiation
C283S085000, C283S087000, C283S090000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176521
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a color print and method of making same, and more particularly to such a print including a number of different local colored regions having optical variations which selectively permit viewing of one or more local colors at different viewing angles.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
A number of different objects display different images, or different views of an image, depending on the angle by which the object is viewed. Some objects, such as holographs, utilize diffraction to separate white light into in its spectral components. A diffraction grating, having 20,000 to 50,000 lines per inch, reflects or transmits different portions of the incident spectrum. The portions are seen as a view of an image which changes as the angle of incidence changes. The process of manufacturing the diffraction grating requires great accuracy and is very expensive.
Rather than utilize the diffraction principal, some objects are provided with embossed foil having far fewer lines per inch which reflects white light as light and dark lines. The reflected lines appear to shift as the viewing angle changes, but changes in color are not produced.
Other embossed objects are printed on with different colors. The arrangement of the printed pigments in relation to embossed lines can establish a moire pattern which interferes with the intended image. For some prints the objectionable moire patterns must be overcome by printing different colors as dots at a different periodicity or angle than the periodicity or angle of the embossed pattern.
Yet other objects utilize a lenticular construction in combination with color pigments. Lenticular films have a number of tiny, semi-cylindrical lenses, known as lenticules, which are typically formed as parallel ridges embossed on the base side of the film. The lenticules extend in parallel across the entire surface of the film and alter the manner in which the underlying emulsion is exposed by the subject, and any intervening, color filters.
Lenticular films are often used to generate a stereoscopic effect by revealing left and right images as the viewing angle changes. A lenticular print can similarly be made through printing techniques using half-tone dots. However, individual regions of the image are not oriented so that the colors change according to the viewing angle.
Yet other objects, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,932,685 and 4,968,064, utilize embossed film in which periodic variation in an optical characteristic of the medium extends in a given direction for a particular region of a given image. Each region is distinguished from any adjacent region in that the optical characteristic is oriented differently. However, this process can be very expensive in that it requires each image to be individually engraved. Further, it requires registration of the color image printed upon the embossed medium with the locally engraved regions.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved multi-colored variable color print which includes a number of locally colored image regions which readily change color as the viewing angle changes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable color print which can be formed on mass produced embossed stock.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable color print which does not require individual engraving of each image.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable color print which can be printed using common printing techniques but yielding uncommon color images.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable color print which does not require registration between the locally colored regions and the periodic optical variations of the image medium.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable color print which is inexpensive to produce.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved method of forming such a variable color print.
The invention results from the realization that a visually pleasing and intriguing image having variable colors can be achieved by constructing a print having periodic color variations in an optical characteristic, such as variations in transmissivity or reflective angle, which are generally parallel to each other within a number of adjacent local image regions, each local image region being differently, locally colored in relation to each adjacent image region, and the print further including periodic variations in color generally aligned with periodic optical variations within each region so that one or more of the colors are selectively subdued or hidden at different viewing angles while one or more of the remaining colors are revealed or highlighted to generate changes in color or intensity of color of the viewed image.
This invention features a variable color print of an image having a reflective image medium including a plurality of different, locally colored, image regions, a first plurality of repeated changes in reflective angle of the image medium which extend in a first direction and are parallel to each other in a second direction transverse to the first direction, each locally colored image region includes at least one local color medium disposed on the reflective medium, each local color medium includes at least one color sequence, each sequence extending in the second direction and including at least two different color variations. Each color variation is aligned with the repeated changes in reflective angle such that the repeated changes in reflective angle selectively prevent viewing of at least one of the color variations and selectively highlight at least one of the color variations at different viewing angles to generate changes in color of the locally colored image regions as the viewing angle changes.
In a preferred embodiment the color variations may be aligned within the locally colored image regions for providing at least two different colors, each in a different locally colored image region, visible for each viewing angle. The image medium may include a substrate and reflective material disposed on the substrate. The repeated changes in reflective angle may include undulations in the reflective surface of the image medium. The undulations may be oriented in the same direction for each image region. The undulations may be generally sinusoidal. The undulations may include a plurality of grooves established in the reflective surface. The undulations may include a plurality of raised, semi-spherical dots. The undulations may be substantially regularly spaced. The color variations may be regular in at least two of the locally colored image regions. There may be at least two repeated variations in color associated with each repeated change in reflective angle. The repeated changes in reflective angle may prevent viewing of the two different colors at a different viewing angle and enable viewing of two other colors. The reflective image medium may include at least 65 repeated reflective changes per inch. The reflective image medium may include 100 to 300 repeated reflective changes per inch. The different locally colored image regions may represent different intensities of the image. The repeated variations in color may be disposed on the undulations of the reflective surface. There may be a second plurality of repeated changes in reflective angle of the image medium which extend in a third direction transverse to the first direction and which are parallel to each other in a fourth direction transverse to the second direction. The third direction may be perpendicular to the first direction. The repeated changes in reflective angle may include undulations in the reflective surface of the image medium. The undulations may include a plurality of raised, semi-spherical dots.
The invention also features a variable color print of an image having a reflective image medium including a plurality of different, locally colored, image regions, a first plurality of repeated changes in refle
Bell Paul A.
Iandiorio & Teska
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