AU4093500A - Commercial intruments and method of generation thereof - Google Patents

Description

WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -1 COMMERCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND METHOD OF GENERATION THEREOF DESCRIPTION Field of Invention 5 The present invention relates to commercial instruments, and more particularly to series of commercial instruments having customised or personalised appearances. The invention has been developed primarily for use as with tickets, vouchers, coupons or the like, or their electronic equivalents, and will be described hereinafter with reference to these applications. However, it will be appreciated that the invention 10 is not limited to this field of use. Background of Invention With recent advances in printing and copying technology, it has become relatively easy to produce reasonable quality facsimiles of various commercial instruments, such as vouchers, coupons, tickets and the like. In many cases, such 15 commercial instruments include data associated with one or more of the parties to the commercial instruments. For example, in the case of a ticket for a theatre event, the ticket can include information relating to the show to be attended, the date for which the ticket is reserved, and the purchaser's name. For those unscrupulous enough to wish to forge such commercial instruments, it 20 is usually a relatively easy matter to scan the ticket in a computer graphics system and, using a manipulation program, to then amend the information before printing onto suitable paper or cardboard. In this way, the ticket can easily be customised into the name of a different person, or for a different event. Furthermore, in the case of gift vouchers and the like, the amount by the gift voucher can also relatively easily be 25 amended. Various attempts have been made to reduce the incidence of fraudulent copying. One way has been to add characteristics which are difficult to reproduce by simple copying, such as reflective holograms or water marks, or to use special substrate materials which are themselves difficult to reproduce. Unfortunately, such solutions piplatively expensive in terms of cost per commercial instrument.

WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -2 Other solutions have relied on the use of identification serial numbers or bar codes which can be scanned to verify authenticity. Unfortunately, such systems require expensive machinery for scanning, or at lease require that an operator manually enters digits or letters into a computer for cross checking. Again, this makes increasing the 5 security of commercial instruments relatively expensive. Whilst such levels of security may be justified for some instrument (e.g. bank cheques, bearer bonds, stock certificates, etc.) which may have a relatively high value, the expense and level of security may be extravagant for lower value instruments such as shopping coupons, tickets and some gift vouchers. Further, with advances in office automation many 10 traders may desire to create and print their own instruments without engaging an external printing company or the like. It is an object of the invention to provide a commercial instrument and method of manufacturing a series thereof which help resist forgery whilst ensuring relatively easy verification of the authenticity of the commercial instruments. 15 Summary of Invention The present invention, in its various embodiments, takes advantage of the human capacity to quickly, and with a relatively high degree of accuracy, recognise a pattern that may impinge upon the sensory inputs of a person required to authenticate the commercial instrument in question. This is to be contrasted with computerised or 20 automated arrangements for authentication which, although able to recognise patterns to varying degrees of accuracy, are constrained in their use by equipment cost and to limited, if any, modification of the instrument to be authenticated. Automated authentication arrangements may however be used in concert with (or to supplement) embodiments of the present invention. 25 According to a general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for generating a series of commercial instruments, the method including the steps of: (a) providing first data relevant to a first commercial instrument to be generated; WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -3 (b) manipulating the first data in accordance with predetermined rules associated with said series to generate a pattern which is sensonially recognisable to an informed person; (c) incorporating the pattern into a corresponding first commercial instrument; 5 and (d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for each further data relevant to a corresponding further commercial instrument in said series. Typically, the incorporation of the pattern involves the printing or rendering of a visually recognisable pattern to form a printed commercial instrument. Preferably, the 10 first data and further data includes one or more data types selected from among the following; text; image; logos; maps; texture maps; symbols; barcode; typefaces; and photographic imagery. The predetermined rules may include format and layout instruments as well as pattern generating instructions. In another configuration, the commercial instrument may be formed by an 15 audibly recognisable pattern incorporating the data unique to the instrument concerned. The pattern in such an application may include the voice of a human person reciting the data applicable to the specific instrument. Brief Description of Drawings Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of 20 example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is a plan view of a partially pre-printed substrate for use in generating a commercial instrument according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows data for use with the substrate of Fig. 1 in producing the embodiment shown in Fig. 1; 25 Fig. 3 is a plan view of a commercial instrument generated using the substrate of Fig. 1 and the data of Fig. 2; (Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing a method of generating a series of commercial instruments according to the preferred embodiment, WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -4 Figs. 5 to 7 are plan views of various alternative embodiments of commercial instruments, Fig. 8 is a schematic representation of a computer system with which embodiments of the present invention may be produced; and 5 Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a further embodiment. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a partially pre-printed substrate 100 for use in generating a commercial instrument to one embodiment of the invention. Whilst pre printing of the substrate 100 may be desirable in some applications, it is not essential 10 for implementing the invention. In the present case, the pre-printing is limited to an image of a fish 102 in the top left hand corner 104 of the pre-printed substrate 100. It will be appreciated that other forms of printing can also be used, including background imagery, motifs, logos, symbols, feint water marks and the like, all of which can add further to the security of the final product. 15 In the embodiment shown, the pre-printed substrate 100 takes the form of a gift voucher 300 for use in a tropical fish shop ("Bill Hookem Fish Shop"). Turning to Fig. 2, first data 200 in the form of personal details of the intended recipient of the gift voucher 300 are shown. The personal details include the person's name 302 (Karen M Home) and address 304 (66 Bicycle Street, NSW 2043). 20 As shown in Fig. 3, the first data 200 is manipulated in accordance with predetermined rules to generate an overall pattern which is visually recognisable to an average human eye. In the case shown in Fig. 3, name data 302 of the first data 200 appears represented according to a first pattern on the left hand side 306 of the laminar substrate 100. The words "Bill Hookem Fish Shop" appear on the right hand side 308 25 represented also according to the first pattern. The data 302 has been manipulated into a pattern formed by a series of interlocking sinuate lines of text 310, the name data 302 being displaced horizontally with each subsequent line. The address data 304 of the first data 200 is seen to have been manipulated according to a second pattern to form a chain link pattern 312 extending vertically across the laminar WO 00/67192 PCT/AU00/00398 -5 substrate 100. The personal data 200 is also printed in a non-manipulated form in the central area 314 of the voucher 100 which forms another component of the overall pattern. The inclusion of a non-manipulated version of the data is option, and is desirable in some applications. The substrate 100 and matter printed thereon together 5 form the voucher 300 that has a value printed in the bottom left corner 316 and the top right corner 318. In this case, the value ($10) is also repeated 314a in the central area 314 adjacent the name data 302 and address 304. The gift voucher 300 also includes an oval-shaped image 320 of the recipient. It will be appreciated that in many cases such an image will not be required, particularly 10 where it is difficult for the purchaser to obtain an image of the person for whom the voucher is purchased. Further gift vouchers generated in the same series (not illustrated) for Bill Hookem Fish Shop include the same patterns generated using the specific name and address details provided by further purchasers (e.g. Bill Bloggs instead of Karen 15 Home). The original gift voucher 300 and subsequently produced gift vouchers together form a set, which has as its linking feature particular visually recognisable patterns such as the sinuate lines of text 210 and the chain link pattern 212. However, in each case, the personal data 200 upon which the patterns are based will vary. It will be appreciated that in any given set the situation may arise that more than 20 one voucher is purchased for one recipient. However, as a whole, the set includes a plurality of vouchers for the same commercial purpose (in this case a $10 gift voucher at a particular shop) customised for the individual purchasing them or for whom they are purchased. As to the issue of authentication, the shop or location associated with the issuing 25 of the vouchers 300 does so with knowledge of the patterns to be imparted thereon, those patterns including the overall layout of the voucher 300, the positioning of individual vidual components thereon, as well as the specific patterns used to present the patterned text as seen. Thus shop assistants, in this case at Bill Hookem Fish Shop, are in a position to, upon visual inspection of the vouchers 300, determine their WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -6 authenticity and honour them as the case requires. The advantage of the issuing authority lies in being able to modify the rules used to produce the various patterns, thus ensuring the series of vouchers are uniquely identifiable from other vouchers produced by the same issuing authority (the Bill Hookem Fish Shop) or someone else. 5 As such the arrangement facilitates the authority printing its own vouchers which may be of differing monetary or temporal value, for example to the effect that "THIS VOUCHER ENTITLES (NAME) TO A 10% DISCOUNT FOR ALL GOODS PURCHASED BEFORE 03 MAY 1999". Turning to Fig. 4, there is shown a flow chart illustrating a basic method 400 of 10 implementing an embodiment of the invention. The method 400 starts at step 402 and then initial data is supplied in step 404. The data supplied in step 400 can be of any suitable type, and will usually be associated with either a transaction that the commercial instrument represents, or one or more of the parties to the commercial transaction. 15 The data is then manipulated in step 406 on the basis of rules 408 that relate to visual manipulations applied to the data supplied in step 404. The rules can include such things as expressions for producing geometric paths or mathematical descriptions of such geometric paths. The data is manipulated in accordance with the rules 408 to generate a pattern that is visually recognisable to the human eye. It will be appreciated 20 that the readability may be lessened, and perhaps greatly so, by certain types of data manipulation falling within the scope of the present invention. However, it is at least desirable that the data manipulation result in manipulated data that is still readable to some extent. Once that data has been manipulated, it is either stored in storage means (step 25 410) such as computer memory, or printed (step 412) onto a substrate for immediate use. Such printing can take place using a standard printer, such as a laser or ink-jet printer. The manipulated data can optionally be transmitted to another computer, where printing or storage can take place. Alternatively, rather than printing the data onto a substrate, the commercial instrument generated on the basis of the data can be WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -7 data can be rendered to a video display screen (step 414), where it can be viewed. Subsequent commercial instruments in a particular series will share visually recognisable patterns generated as a result of manipulation of the data. At any time after manipulation of the data in step 406, the manipulated data can 5 be transmitted to a remote point for storage, rendering to a video display or printing. The remote point can, for example, take the form of a computer, passive terminal or printer, the data being transmitted by telephone line or a data communication network such as a LAN, WAN or the Internet. The method of Fig. 4 is preferably practised using a conventional general 10 purpose computer system 800, such as that shown in Fig. 8 wherein the method steps may be implemented a software, such as an application program executing within the computer system 800. In particular, the steps of method are effected by instructions in the software that are carried out by the computer. The software may be divided into two separate parts; one part for carrying out the methods of the particular embodiment, 15 and another part to manage the user interface between the latter and the user. The software may be stored in a computer readable medium, including the storage devices described below, for example. The software is loaded into the computer from the computer readable medium, and then executed by the computer. A computer readable medium having such software or computer program recorded on it is a computer 20 program product. The use of the computer program product in the computer preferably effects an advantageous apparatus for creating a commercial instrument in accordance with the embodiments of the invention. The computer system 800 comprises a computer module 801, input devices such as a keyboard 802 and mouse 803, output devices including a printer 815 and a display 25 device 814. A Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 816 is used by the computer module 801 for communicating to and from a communications network 820, for example connectable via a telephone line 821 or other functional medium. The modem 816 can be used to obtain access to the Internet, and other WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 network systems, such as a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN). The computer module 801 typically includes at least one processor unit 805, a memory unit 806, for example formed from semiconductor random access memory 5 (RAM) and read only memory (ROM), input/output (I/O) interfaces including a video interface 807, and an I/O interface 813 for the keyboard 802 and mouse 803 and optionally a joystick (not illustrated), and an interface 808 for the modem 816. A storage device 809 is provided and typically includes a hard disk drive 810 and a floppy disk drive 811. A magnetic tape drive (not illustrated) may also be used. A 10 CD-ROM drive 812 is typically provided as a non-volatile source of data. The components 805 to 813 of the computer module 801, typically communicate via an interconnected bus 804 and in a manner which results in a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 800 known to those in the relevant art. Examples of computers on which the embodiments can be practised include IBM-PC's and 15 compatibles, Sun Sparcstations or alike computer systems evolved therefrom. Typically, the application program of the preferred embodiment is resident on the hard disk drive 810 and read and controlled in its execution by the processor 805. Intermediate storage of the program and any data fetched from the network 820 may be accomplished using the semiconductor memory 806, possibly in concert with the 20 hard disk drive 810. In some instances, the application program may be supplied to the user encoded on a CD-ROM or floppy disk and read via the corresponding drive 812 or 811, or alternatively may be read by the user from the network 820 via the modem device 816. Still further, the software can also be loaded into the computer system 800 from other computer readable medium including magnetic tape, a ROM or integrated 25 circuit, a magneto-optical disk, a radio or infra-red transmission channel between the computer module 801 and another device, a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA card, and the Internet and Intranets including email transmissions and information recorded on websites and the like. The foregoing is merely exemplary of WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 -9 relevant computer readable mediums. Other computer readable mediums may be practised without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The method of Fig. 4 may alternatively be implemented in dedicated hardware such as one or more integrated circuits performing the functions or sub functions of the 5 method. Such dedicated hardware may include graphic processors, digital signal processors, or one or more microprocessors and associated memories. Specifically, where the computer system 800 is operated by the issuing authority, commercial instruments may be generated directly based upon predetermined rules stored with the system 800. For example, for any one series, only a select few of the 10 rules may be applied to provide the desired unique pattern. Where the instrument is a printed document, such may be reproduced directly via the printer 815. The display 814 may facilitate selection of the specific rules for the series to provide a certain recognisable pattern. The display may also be used to assist in authentication through display of a stored version of a previously printed instrument. 15 Further, the system 800 may be configured as an Internet server so that a user who may access the system 800 via the network 820 may generate their own instrument which may be printed at the user's remote location. Such may be appreciated where the user wishes to purchase or reserve goods available from the authority operating the system 800 so that the instrument printed at the user's location 20 represents a verifiable receipt for the transaction. Such may be appropriate so as to facilitate the later collection of goods or services from the issuing authority. Theatre and concert tickets for example may be sold and delivered in this fashion. This contrasts current arrangements where tickets purchased over the Internet using electronic credit and payment are required to be collected prior to gaining access to the 25 particular venue. In printed embodiments, manipulation of the data can take place by either treating the data as a collection of components, such as splines or curve segments for text, or as an image. Furthermore, data provided in the form of, say, text, can be converted to sub-components or even to an image format prior to manipulation.

WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 10 The types of manipulation which can be applied to components and sub components of the data include: position (absolute and relative to adjacent components); orientation (absolute and relative to adjacent components); 5 size; colours; and motion (for animated data). Each manipulation can be considered a substitution of one component for another. For example, a new component can be generated by applying a filter or other 10 operation to the original component. Such operations can include various distortions to the shape of the component, changing the distribution or colours, merging images, and other manipulations currently found in image editing software. A new component can also be selected from a repository of images. An example of the latter would be the replacement of a local authority "coat of arms" image, based 15 on the postcode of one of the parties noted in the instrument. Other examples include the replacement of an astrological star sign image based upon the date of birth of one of the parties to the commercial instrument, or the replacement of any image based on a party having a given name. In any case, the nature of the operation or selection is defined by the predetermined rules described above. 20 It will also be appreciated that the manipulation applied to the first data can be recursive in nature. Parts of each component may themselves be treated as components, down to the level of a bit, pixel, vector, spline, curve segment or any other rudimentary component. An example of this is the treatment of text elements, in which a section of text, a 25 character, or even a part of a character can be treated as an image component. Manipulations can include modification to the position, orientation, size and colour of individual characters. Substitute components can be taken from predetermined collections of images (known as "character sets"). Another example of this replacement is the replacement of a specific character with a trademark.

WO 00/67192 PCT/AU00/00398 - 11 Components can also be combined to form larger recognisable components. For example, text patterns can be used to draw pictures, or small images can be used to outline a larger symbol or text element. Any component can have parts that are manipulated in a manner that enables 5 recognition or authentication of the instrument by a user. Rudimentary image components such as pixels, curve segments, or vector elements grouped by proximity, colour or in other ways can be selected and treated as image components. Such groupings can include recognisable shapes. For example, the elliptical sections within the characters 6, 8, 9 and 0 can be replaced with trademarks or other images. Blocks 10 of solid colour within trademarks and logos, for example, can be replaced with data in the form of text patterns generated by the manipulations described above. Parts of the components can be selected arbitrarily for manipulation. Such selections can be used to make watermarks, "jigsaw puzzles", mosaics and other recognisable patterns within the components. 15 Components can also be manipulated for the purpose of changing the instrument so that properties of the instrument as a whole can be used for authentication. Such properties include the ratio of white to non-white areas, the number of discrete image components greater than a certain size, or other properties recognisable by a human user. 20 A further embodiment 900 seen in Fig. 9 creates an image by serially combining a series of image components. Step 902 involves collecting data for new image components or a new image manipulation. This data is provided to the software for each image component: (a) source text, image or other data from which manipulation and (25) placement is to be performed, (b) the nature of the manipulation to be performed, from which an image component will result, (c) X coordinate for placement of the manipulated image component, (d) Y coordinate for placement of the manipulated image component WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 12 (e) width of manipulated image component when placed, (f) height of manipulated image component when placed. Should the manipulation be the first for the image, it will usually only define its size. This can be viewed as the "canvas" upon which the other image components will 5 be placed. Step 904 involves converting text components to images. Should the source data of (a) be text, in this embodiment the following data will also have been provided at the data collection step 902: (g) the character set as a bit map of all possible characters and orientations to 10 be used in manipulating the text, (h) the dimensions of individual characters within the set, (i) a pattern that describes how the text is to be manipulated. The pattern is a series of digits organised as points of origin relative to the coordinates described in (c) and (d), followed by a series of digit pairs. The first part 15 of each digit pair described the direction of the pattern and the second part described the orientation with which an image of the appropriate character is placed in the pattern. The appropriately oriented character is copied from the character set bit map described in (g). The portion of the character set bit map to be copied is determined 20 from the orientation digit, the ASCII code for the character, and the character's dimensions described in (h). Alternate configurations may use "path fitting" and other more sophisticated algorithms currently seen in vector-based drawing programs (e.g. Corel Draw). Step 906 performs manipulations and/or places the new component in image. 25 The image component is combined with the existing image. In the current embodiment, several big-wise operations can be used when combining the images. (a) fading the image using the component as a template - the component is bit wise inverted and combined with the image using big-wise OR, WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 13 (b) reversing the image using the component - the dimensions of the component are used to bit-wise invert a section of the image, (c) placing the component as a transparent image - the component is combined with the image using bit-wise AND. 5 Step 908 serves the completed image. In the current embodiment, the completed image is served as a bit map which may be printed and/or displayed. The bit map may alternatively be encoded upon a portable memory means (e.g. PCMCIA card), as an "electronic ticket". It will be appreciated that, although some embodiments of the invention are 10 intended to provide a means of visually authenticating a commercial instrument, it is also desirable that the manipulation applied to the data results in a pattern which is also machine recognisable. Such an embodiment provides an additional level of authentication based on the pattern generated by the data manipulation. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the various embodiments described above 15 can also be used in conjunction with other forms of security, such as holograms, barcodes and watermarks. Figs. 5 to 7 show further exemplary embodiments of the invention. Fig. 5 shows a prepaid envelope 500 for mailing to a particular address (PO Box 178, NSW 2088, Australia). In this case, the "mail to" address is reproduced along the right hand side 20 502 of the envelope 500, whilst the purchaser to which the envelope has been issued is reproduced in an interlocking "U'-shaped pattern 504. Fig. 6 shows a membership card 600 for an organisation named "KIDS 'R' US". The name (SMD Young), membership number (A1043) and expiry date (060699) of the particular member are reproduced in multiple rows of sinuate lines 602 on the card 25 600. It will be noted that each respective sinuate line is also horizontally displaced from the one above it by a single character, such that an "inverse" hand 604 placed vertically through the centre of the sinuate lines results in the membership number and name being reproduced. It will be noted that, in this case, there is provided a barcode WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 14 606 to enable easier identification of the card by a suitable barcode reader where available. Finally, Fig. 7 shows an admission ticket 700 to a venue known as "Chunky Moves" on the date 06/06/99. The name (Ashley Trotter) and driver's licence number 5 of the purchaser are manipulated into a plurality of horizontally extending simuate lines 702. Further embodiments, not illustrated in the drawings, relate to situations where the commercial instrument is provided in a form that is sensorially recognisable in some form other than an image. An example of such a form is an audible commercial 10 instrument. Where the present invention is embodied as a audible instrument, the data components may be annunciated by spoken words, or in some other form for example sung or recited in a poetic style. In this regard the style of voice and its method of presentation form the pattern applied to the data necessary to make the instrument sensorially recognisable to an informed person. 15 For example, the above described printed voucher 300 may be formed as an audible voucher, where the voucher details are recited in a voice or style recognisable by staff at Bill Hookem Fish Shop. This may involve reciting the details in a famous voice such as that of Winston Churchill. Another series of vouchers (e.g. having a value of $20) could be recited in the voice of John F Kennedy. Other forms may 20 include the simple recitation of the details in any voice, accompanied by music that is easily recognisable but not readily replicable. The audible instrument may be formed within the computer system 800 when supplemented with appropriate facilities (not illustrated). The instrument may be realised in a cassette tape recording or a memory card recording of the audible 25 instrument. The preferred embodiments of the invention provide a means by which each commercial instrument is a series thereof can contain unique information in a relatively difficult to emulate form, whilst providing sufficient pattern similarity that the instruments can be visually confirmed as being at least prima facie genuine.

WO 00/67192 PCT/AU00/00398 - 15 Although the invention has been described with reference to a number of specific examples, it will be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.

Claims (21)

1. A method for generating a series of commercial instruments, the method (5) including the steps of: (a) providing first data relevant to a first commercial instrument to be 10 generated; (b) manipulating the first data in accordance with predetermined rules associated with said series to generate a pattern which is sensorially recognisable to an informed person; (c) incorporating the pattern into a corresponding first commercial instrument; 15 and (d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for each further data relevant to a corresponding further commercial instrument in said series.

2. A method according to paragraph I wherein the pattern is visually 20 recognisable.

3. A method according to paragraph 2 wherein the commercial instrument is a printed document and the pattern is printed upon a substrate to form the document. 25

4. A method according to paragraph 3 wherein the first data and further data includes one or more data types selected from among the following: text; image; logos; maps; texture maps; symbols; barcode; typefaces; and photographic imagery.

5. A method according to paragraph 3 or 4 wherein the predetermined rules may 30 include format and layout instructions as well as pattern generating instructions. WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 17

6. A method according to paragraph I wherein the pattern is audibly recognisable.

7. A method according to paragraph 6 wherein said first and further data is 5 presented by annunciation and said pattern is represented by a form of annunciation of said first data.

8. A method according to paragraph 7 wherein said pattern is formed by a recitation of said first and further data by a voice recognisable to said informed person. 10

9. A method according to paragraph 8 wherein said commercial instrument is formed by an audio recording medium encoded with said annunciation.

10. A method according to any one of paragraphs I to 9 wherein said informed 15 person is associated with an issuing authority responsible for establishing said predetermined rules for said series.

11. A method of generating a series of commercial instruments, the method including the steps of: 20 (a) providing first data relevant to a first commercial instrument to be generated; (b) manipulating the first data in accordance with predetermined rules associated with said series to generate a pattern which is sensorially recognisable to an informed person; 25 (c) incorporating the pattern into a corresponding first commercial instrument; and (d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for each further data relevant to a corresponding further commercial instrument in said series. WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 18

12. A method according to paragraph 11, wherein the first data and further data includes one or more data types selected from among the following: text; image; logos; maps; texture maps; symbols; barcode; typefaces; and photographic imagery. 5

13. A method according to paragraph 12, further including the step of converting any non-image data, such as text data, into image data prior to step (b).

14. A method according to any one of paragraphs 11 and 13, wherein the first and further data includes data specific to the commercial instrument's type. 10

15. A method according to any one of paragraphs 11 to 14, wherein the first data and further data includes unique identification data related to one or more of the parties to the commercial instrument. 15

16. A method according to any one of paragraphs 11 to 15, wherein the first data and further data includes personal information, such as a name, address or telephone number.

17. A method according to any one of paragraphs 11 to 16, wherein the 20 commercial instrument takes the form of one of the following: tickets; vouchers; coupons; token currencies; membership or loyalty cards; postage stamps; and certificates; including electronic equivalents or replacements thereof 25

18. A method according to any one of paragraphs 11 to 17, wherein the pattern includes sinuate, undulating, interlocking, overlapping, tessellated or recurring aspects.

19. A commercial instrument forming part of a series thereof, the commercial instrument including: WO 00/67192 PCT/AUOO/00398 - 19 a substrate; a pattern disposed on or in the substrate, the pattern being visually recognisable by an average human eye and common to a plurality of commercial instruments within the series thereof; 5 wherein the pattern is generated by manipulating data in accordance with predetermined rules, the data being related to one or more parties associated with the commercial instrument.

20. A method of forming a commercial instrument substantially as described herein 10 with reference to any one of the embodiments, particularly where that embodiment is illustrated in the drawings.

21. A commercial instrument formed using the method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 18 or 20. 15