Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
  • G07D7/00—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
  • G07D7/06—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency using wave or particle radiation
  • G07D7/12—Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
  • G07D7/128—Viewing devices
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
  • G07D7/00—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
  • G07D7/06—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency using wave or particle radiation
  • G07D7/12—Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
  • G07D7/121—Apparatus characterised by sensor details
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
  • G07D7/00—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
  • G07D7/06—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency using wave or particle radiation
  • G07D7/12—Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
  • G07D7/1205—Testing spectral properties

Definitions

• This invention concerns a process and the relative device for the recognition of documents marked with OVITM (Optical Variable Inks) through the use of polarised light.
• OVITM Optical Variable Inks
• this invention refers to a device which uses polarised light for the recognition of banknotes.
• Primary recognition is based on physical elements such as the consistency and type of support material and optical elements such as colours, inks and type of printing.
• Some of the optical elements most commonly used to distinguish documents, and banknotes in particular, are the watermark, the metal security strip and sometimes holographic bands, in which the first two, can be clearly seen by holding the banknote against the light while by varying the inclination of the banknote the holographic bands show both an image and, for example, the value of the note.
• banknotes use particular printing methods and special inks, reproducing for example particular printing patterns such as pyramids or extra-fine lines which would not be reproduced by normal photocopiers or scanners, while as far as special inks are concerned fluorescent metallic inks, easy to see under ultraviolet light, are often used.
• special inks are concerned fluorescent metallic inks, easy to see under ultraviolet light, are often used.
• magnetic inks usually used to form the characters of the serial numbers of the notes and which can be read by a special detector.
• the most recently issued banknotes use the so-called OVITM (Optical Variable Inks), which because of their particularly high cost are used for small portions only on the higher denomination notes, such as for example the 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro in the figures on one of the two sides of the banknote.
• OVITM Optical Variable Inks
• the OVITM consist of miniscule platelets of special film positioned parallel to each other during printing, providing excellent optical properties and in particular a colour change according to the angle of observation.
• the inks are produced with pigments that react to the different, degree of incidence of the light with different metallic colouring. This feature is due to the phenomena of interference, absorption and reflection of the visible light in multilayered pigmented systems .
• the OVITM comprise a combination of low-refraction transparent layers and high-reflection absorbent materials.
• the background art includes numerous examples of devices for authenticating documents and banknotes; for example the document EP-A-0748466 presents a device comprising scanning
• the document WO-A-01/60924 describes pigments with optically variable luminescence, methods for obtaining them and their use as a security element in inks, coatings and articles.
• the document also describes a device comprising for example a UV lamp or a small device for photoelectric luminescence detection.
• Another authentication method is described in the document WO-A-02/01512 and refers to a system for the local or remote verification of a document, in which the document exhibits a characteristic physical reaction to a certain source of energy such as for example electromagnetic radiation and/or magnetic or electrical fields.
• the present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks present in the background art and to provide, therefore, a system for the recognition of documents, in particular of banknotes, which is secure, reliable, economic and easy to use.
• the present invention aims to provide a process for the recognition of documents marked with OVITM type inks (Optical Variable Inks) through the use of polarised light.
• OVITM type inks Optical Variable Inks
• the present invention proposes to provide a device for the recognition of documents marked with OVITM type inks.
• the process according to the invention comprises the following steps : - production of a ray of polarised light through the use of a first polarising filter on a source of white or monochromatic light; exposure of the part of the document or banknote marked with OVITM type inks to the ray of polarised light; - additional filtering of the light reflected by the document or the banknote by means of a second polarising filter placed at an appropriate reciprocal angle with respect to the degree of polarisation of the incident light; - direct or automated detection of the variation in luminescence.
• the second polarising filter is preferably placed in opposition with respect to the degree of polarisation of the incident light obtained from the first polarising filter.
• Any substitute for these OVITM reacts in a completely different way to the application of the polarised light according to this invention, maintaining a threshold of colour and luminosity, thus making it possible to recognise it by comparison.
• the effect advantageously exploited by this invention refers to the particular physical phenomenon or reflection and refraction of the light, a feature of OVITM when struck by a ray of polarised light.
• the device for the recognition of documents marked with OVITM type inks comprises: - a source of light; a first polarising filter positioned between the light source and an element marked with OVITM ink to be recognised; a second polarising filter, placed at an appropriate reciprocal angle with respect to the degree of polarisation of the incident light, designed to filter and repolarise the light reflected by the marked element and placed between this element and a subject or an automatic recognition system.
• the device according to this invention is particularly useful for recognising and checking the authenticity of documents marked with OVITM, in particular for banknotes, including the Euro, the Dollar, the British Pound and the Swiss Franc.
• figure 1 is a block diagram representing the recognition process and the basic components of a subjective analysis recognition device for OVITM type inks according to the present invention
• figure 2 is a block diagram representing the recognition process and the basic components of an automatic analysis recognition device for OVITM type inks according to the present invention
• figure 3 is a cross-section side view of a particular form of embodiment , of the device according to the present invention.
• the process for recognising and determining the authenticity of documents marked with OVITM comprises the following steps :
• Figure 1 is a block diagram of a subjective analysis OVITM recognition device to determine the authenticity of documents or banknotes according to the present invention.
• block “A” represents the observer receiving the rays of reflected light bipolarised (straight line arrow) and polarised only once (wavy line arrow) coming from the document or the banknote being checked and represented by block “D” .
• the polarising optical unit is represented by block "C" which according to a particularly advantageous form of embodiment comprises a source of white or monochromatic artificial light polarised by a first polarising filter which illuminates the element "D".
• the ray reflected by this element "D" is captured by a second polarising filter, placed at an appropriate reciprocal angle with respect to the first filter.
• the block “B” can consist of an optical viewer equipped for example with a Fresnel lens which makes it possible to focus both the luminous ray bipolarised by the polarising optical unit "C” and the non-repolarised ray, both reflected by the document or banknote "D" .
• the observer can make an immediate comparison between the surface portions with and without bipolarisation which, in the case of an original document, will appear substantially different and in particular the part reflecting the bipolarised light will appear completely black while the other part will maintain the usual changing colour look.
• FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a particular embodiment of this invention relative to an automatic analysis OVITM recognition device.
• a polarising optical unit represented by the block "C” which, according to a particularly advantageous form of embodiment, comprises a source of white or monochromatic artificial light polarised by a first polarising filter which illuminates the element "D" .
• the ray reflected by this element "D” is captured by a second polarising filter, placed at an appropriate reciprocal angle with respect to the first filter.
• the rays of reflected light bipolarised and polarised only once are represented respectively by a straight line arrow and by a wavy line arrow.
• the blocks "El” and “E2” represent photoelectric cells in which "El” captures the bipolarised light and “E2” captures the reflected light polarised only once.
• the signal obtained by the two photoelectric units is sent to an analyser system represented by the block “F” which performs the comparison, sending the resulting information to an indicator represented by the block “G” .
• the analyser circuit "F” can be connected to a mechanism for the automatic infeed of documents or banknotes, represented by the block "H".
• Figure 3 shows a particularly advantageous form of embodiment of a device for the recognition of documents marked with OVITM and identified with the reference number 10.
• This device 10 comprises a transformer 11 connected to a lamp 12 which emits a white or monochromatic light that is filtered through a first polarising unit 13.
• the beam of polarised light emitted along the axis x strikes the OVITM marked document or banknote which reflects the polarised light along the axis z.
• the beam of reflected light is divided in two and one of the two luminous beams is filtered by a second polarising unit 14; these two beams of reflected light pass through a magnifying lens 15 so that the image on the upper display 16 is enlarged.
• the result obtained consists of an image of the part printed with OVITM divided in two, one part of which, the one whose reflected light was filtered by the second polarising unit, is black or opaque while the other maintains its real colours.
• a counterfeit document therefore not marked with OVITM, will present a homogeneous and completely coloured image when analysed with the device according to the invention and described in the previous example.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Toxicology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
• Inspection Of Paper Currency And Valuable Securities (AREA)
• Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=11462137

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2002
  • 2002-04-05 IT IT2002VR000031A patent/ITVR20020031A1/it unknown
• 2003
  • 2003-04-03 EP EP03723051A patent/EP1503904A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-04-03 AU AU2003230197A patent/AU2003230197A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-04-03 WO PCT/IT2003/000202 patent/WO2003084767A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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