EP3594012A1 - Valuable document having optical security feature - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a document of value with an optical security feature, which offers a surprising optical effect that can not only be used as a security feature, but rather also creates a particularly appealing optical effect. The invention is also directed to a corresponding method for producing the value document and to a computer program product with control commands which operate the method.

Description

The present invention is directed to a document of value with an optical security feature, which offers a surprising optical effect that can not only be used as a security feature, but rather also creates a particularly appealing optical effect. The invention is also directed to a corresponding method for producing the value document and to a computer program product with control commands which operate the method.

WO 2017/207 064 A1 shows a security document with a positive font and a negative font.

EP 2 465 703 A2 shows a security element with an interference coating and shows so-called STEP colors. STEP stands for Shimmery Twin Effect Protection.

EP 0 317 514 A1 shows an authenticity feature with an Iriodin color layer.

Many ID cards and data pages for passports are currently being manufactured, which typically consist of polycarbonate PC. A so-called MLI, CLI or DLI is often used as one of many security features. This means that depending on the angle of entry, various information is introduced by laser through a lens structure on the card. These then also appear at certain angles when viewed and become visible again. This is usually black and white information such as name, date of birth and the like. This means that the card body in the MLI area is white or light and the personalization data is darkened by laser.

In general, MLI stands for Multiple Laser Image, CLI for Changeable Laser Image and DLI for Diagonal Laser Image. MLI, CLI and DLI in the cited form are now standard and are present on almost every ID card as a security feature. A tilt image can only be made in black and white. The information is always included in positive lettering. Such positive lettering is a conventional notation in which darker or black information is applied to a light background. The viewer no longer recognizes this as particularly appealing, or overall such positive lettering is not appealing.

In general, there is a need in the area of value documents to create new security features. This increases the effort for counterfeiting, because counterfeiters always have to adjust to new visual appearances. In addition, there is generally a need for security features that are technically easy to implement. Typically, documents of value are provided in large numbers, so that the technical effort involved in their production must also be taken into account.

Another disadvantage according to the prior art is that security features are sometimes difficult to see with the unarmed eye. For example, optically variable inks or pigments, also known as optical variable inks OVI, are known. In addition, the so-called STEP colors are known, which are provided as transparent liquid crystal effect pigments. However, such pigments are often weak in color and cannot be recognized on a light background. Thus there is the disadvantage that the optical effect of such features is only very slight. In general, however, it is necessary that security features can be reliably determined with the unarmed eye in daily circulation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved document of value which has a surprising optical effect, which can be provided with little technical outlay and which can act as a security feature and also looks optically appealing. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to propose a method aimed at producing the value document and a computer program product with control commands which implement the proposed method.

The object is achieved with the features of the independent claims. Further advantageous refinements are specified in the subclaims.

Accordingly, a value document with an optical security feature is proposed, comprising a substrate layer for creating a document body, an information field being superficially introduced into the substrate layer, which, apart from the information provided, is created over the entire surface by means of a laser by means of a lens arrangement on the substrate layer such that a graphic representation the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle.

The person skilled in the art recognizes that the value document can have further components. For example, the document of value is in the form of a smart card which contains electronic components which are used for data processing. Such components are, for example, a microprocessor, a memory and an induction coil. The proposed list is thus not exhaustive, and further layers can also be provided, which are laminated onto the proposed layers become. It is only essential that the information provided is visible from outside the value document. Corresponding protective layers, which are designed to be transparent, do not conflict with this. It is typically advantageous to arrange a transparent overlay film above the substrate layer.

The value document is to be interpreted broadly in the context of the present invention and can be present, for example, as a credit card. This document of value includes a security feature, namely the information provided or the optical effect associated with it. Since the optical effect can be seen with the unarmed eye, this optical effect is suitable as a security feature. In addition, combinations with other security features are possible, for example the optically variable ink or the liquid crystal effect pigments.

The value document has, inter alia, a substrate layer which essentially creates the document body. If the document of value is in the form of a credit card, the document body comprises a layer structure which consists of several layers or foils. These layers or foils can be laminated on or else made available by means of coextrusion. Further electronic components, such as a microprocessor, a memory and an induction coil, can be introduced into the document body. Since the optical effects of the proposed value document are generated by applying appropriate devices to the surface of the value document, it is possible for a conventional document body to be used which already has electronic components. The list is also not exhaustive, and the substrate layer can in turn be applied to further layers. The nature of the substrate is not decisive here. the substrate only has to be suitable for lasering. Known materials are, for example, PVC or polycarbonate.

The substrate layer has an information field which is introduced on the surface. According to the invention, this information field is introduced superficially by means of lasering. Specifically, a laser is thus directed onto the substrate and then the surface of the substrate is at least partially carbonized. It is particularly advantageous here that the information provided is not lasered, but only the information field as such. This results in a darkened information field, which reveals the information provided in the free, bright places.

This provision of information is particularly advantageous since it can be the starting point for other security features, such as optically variable pigments. The fact that the entire information field, except for the information provided, is created by laser over the entire surface can also be understood as creating a so-called negative writing. Such a negative writing is the opposite of the already known positive lettering. Since the information field is carbonized over the entire area and only the information provided remains bright, the information provided is not lasered, but rather only the areas surrounding the information provided are lasered, and thus the information provided is indirectly created on the substrate layer. Figuratively speaking, the information field is generally black or darkened, while the information provided is white or light.

The specific coloring is evident depending on the material of the substrate layer used. In order to increase the legibility of the information provided, generally bright substrate layers are suitable, which are then darkened in the information field.

According to the invention, it is ensured that a graphic representation of the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle. This is accomplished in such a way that the information provided is already introduced in the manufacturing process by means of a laser which lasers through a lens arrangement. Consequently, the laser is therefore directed onto individual lenses and then deflected in such a way that carbonization takes place at a specific point on the substrate. Thus, the lasering takes place at a certain angle, from which the information brought in is then also visible after the value document has been produced. For this purpose, it is possible to provide a separate lens arrangement, which is implemented as a separate layer. This layer is arranged above the substrate layer, so that the focal point of the laser lies on the substrate layer. In general, it may also be possible to introduce an intermediate layer between the substrate layer and the lens arrangement, which advantageously designs the focal point.

The graphical representation can thus vary depending on the viewing angle, which is done in practice such that a viewer holds the document of value in front of him and moves it. This movement creates a tilting effect or a viewing angle-dependent reproduction of the information. Thus, the information provided or the information field varies depending on the angle, and the corresponding result can be recognized by means of the unarmed eye. Varying the information field or the information provided can be changed by changing the grayscale value respectively. In this way, a completely black marking can be seen at a first angle and if the document of value is moved continuously, this black information field can slowly change color from dark gray to light gray and white. This creates a tilting effect of the information field and implicitly also of the information provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an optically variable ink is applied to the information field in at least one fully lasered area. This has the advantage that the optically variable ink can develop an optical effect particularly well if the background or the background is opaque or dark. As a result, a suitable background is created, and the optically variable ink can create another angle-dependent effect and thus implement another security feature. An optically variable ink is also referred to as an Optical Variable Ink OVI, which is generally to be understood broadly. Thus, the term "ink" is not only aimed at a liquid ink per se, but rather also means corresponding color pigments.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments are applied to the information field in at least one full-area lasered area. This has the advantage that such liquid crystal effect pigments also need an opaque or dark background in order to produce a particularly clear optical effect. Corresponding color pigments are already known from the prior art and are referred to, for example, as STEP colors. According to the invention, these color pigments are used particularly advantageously, and this is precisely the combination with the all-over lasered Areas advantageous. In this way, a further security feature is again provided, which supplements the already existing security feature of the angle-dependent information field. Overall, it is particularly advantageous that the information field can interact with the optically variable ink and / or the transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments. In this way, partial patterns can be provided which result in an overall pattern. The transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments are particularly advantageous because they need a suitable background as transparent pigments and do not obscure the information field or the information provided due to the transparency.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, lasering the information field creates a tilt effect along a first axis, and the optically variable ink and / or the transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments create a tilt effect along a second axis. This has the advantage that the security features complement each other accordingly and that if the viewer holds the document of value in front of him, he perceives a first tilting effect when tilting from right to left and perceives a second tilting effect when tilting from top to bottom. This creates a complex security feature that is very difficult to rework in this form and is therefore fake.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal to one another. This has the advantage that the two tilting effects created can be viewed independently of one another. If the document of value is tilted in a first direction, only a first security feature changes and the second security feature remains unchanged. This can also affect the Authenticity check of the value document can be used, since this is also difficult to rework.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the information field has a negative writing. This has the advantage that the information provided can be present, for example, as a font that identifies a cardholder or a number. A negative font is generally a font that is not applied to itself, but rather the surroundings of the font are colored in such a way that only the non-colored font remains optically. So negative writing is the opposite of so-called positive lettering.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the viewing angle dependency is continuous. This has the advantage that there is no binary color change, but rather the information field provided can continuously change its value from black to white or from dark to light. All intermediate levels are thus provided according to the invention, in particular gray levels which arise when changing from dark to light. Here again the resulting coloring depends on the color of the selected base substrate. If the information field is completely carbonized except for the information provided, it must always be assumed that the dark area of the information field is black. In this case, there is actually a variation with regard to different gray levels.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the information field is in the form of a multiple laser image MLI. This has the advantage that a known production process can be reused according to the invention. A multiple laser image is generally similar to a hologram and represents a kind of tilt image. It is based on a lens system embossed on the surface of a card, in which parts are blackened with a laser. A difference to the hologram is that with the Multiple Laser Image MLI card-specific information is shown on the small picture. For example, the name of the cardholder can be inserted individually as a flip image.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the lens arrangement is created by a surface contour of the substrate layer. This has the advantage that the lens arrangement can be applied directly to the substrate and thus no separate layer is necessary. In this way, the lens structure can be embossed into the substrate layer and thus manufactured with little technical effort.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the lens arrangement is created by a separate layer. This has the advantage that a prefabricated and specially set up separate layer can be provided, which has the lenses. This is an essentially transparent layer, since the laser must penetrate this layer and the information below it must not be covered.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a spacer layer for setting a focal length of the lens arrangement is provided between the substrate layer and the separate layer. This has the advantage that, if necessary, the lens arrangement can be spaced apart by means of the intermediate layer in such a way that a focal point is formed precisely on the surface of the substrate layer. Particularly fine structures can thus be burned into the substrate layer. Here is the spacer layer again transparent, since the laser has to penetrate through this layer.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the information provided is introduced in such a way that it is optically invisible when viewed orthogonally to a surface of the value document. This has the advantage that when the individual color values change, an intermediate value is set in which the recognizable color value corresponds to that of the substrate. It is therefore possible for the viewer to look at the document of value and to actually see only the substrate itself without a tilting effect. If, on the other hand, the document of value is moved to the left or right or up or down, the information field or the security features become visible. This is also particularly difficult to rework and this results in a forgery-proof document of value.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the document of value is in the form of a passport page, a data page, a credit card, a smart card, a security token, a bank note and / or a card-shaped data carrier. This has the advantage that various application scenarios of the present invention are covered, the value document preferably being in the form of a credit card or a data page. A data page is, for example, a laminated page, as is also available in a passport book. The data page summarizes additional security features and is already particularly forgery-proof. Such data pages are not only integrated in a passport book, but also in other documents that require special protection against counterfeiting.

The object is also achieved by a method for producing a value document with an optical security feature, which includes making it available a substrate layer for creating a document body, an information field being superficially introduced into the substrate layer which, apart from information provided over the entire surface by means of a laser, which is created on the substrate layer by a lens arrangement, that a graphical representation of the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle.

The object is also achieved by a computer program product with control commands that operate the method.

According to the invention, it is particularly advantageous that the document of value is generated by means of the proposed method. The method thus comprises process steps which create the structural features of the value document. The value document therefore has structural features which are provided by means of corresponding method steps.

Fig.1:

ein Wertdokument mit einer Negativschrift gemäß einem Aspekt der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 2:

ein Wertdokument mit einem komplexen Sicherheitsmerkmal gemäß einem weiteren Aspekt der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 3:

ein Wertdokument mit noch einem weiteren Sicherheitsmerkmal gemäß einem Aspekt der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 4:

ein weiteres Anwendungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung; und

Fig. 5:

ein schematisches Ablaufdiagramm des schematischen Verfahrens zur Herstellung des Wertdokuments.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures. Show it:

Fig.1:

a value document with negative writing according to an aspect of the present invention;

Fig. 2:

a value document with a complex security feature according to a further aspect of the present invention;

Fig. 3:

a document of value with yet another security feature according to an aspect of the present invention;

Fig. 4:

another application example of the present invention; and

Fig. 5:

a schematic flow diagram of the schematic method for producing the value document.

In Fig. 1 The figure above shows how an information field is created on a document of value in such a way that the entire surface is lasered and only the information provided remains. In the present case, the information field is lasered over the entire surface, the lettering, that is to say the information provided, remaining behind. Since this is provided by means of the proposed lens arrangement, it is possible that the reproduction of the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle.

This variation is shown in the figure below Fig. 1 shown. A tilt of -15 ° is shown above and a tilt of + 15 ° below. In the transition area, the blackening of the information field and the information provided disappear. Then the two characteristics can no longer be distinguished from one another. The information is only visible again when it is tilted again.

Fig. 2 shows as an example so-called STEP colors or optically variable colors, which come into their own on the black background. Otherwise, they become very transparent and may not be visible. The STEP colors are thus an example of transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments which, according to the present invention, provide a further security feature. It is particularly advantageous here that this security feature can be combined with the security feature of the information provided.

Fig. 3 shows a further application example, the further security feature is not available as a font, but rather the STEP colors are applied over the entire surface. This is particularly advantageous because the STEP colors stand out particularly well on the dark background and thus create a particularly clear optical effect that can also be seen with the unarmed eye.

Fig. 4 shows another example, an optically variable ink now being used, a so-called Optical Variable Ink OVI. As can be seen in the upper figure, a color transition can be created particularly advantageously here, and there is again a continuous change from a first color to a second color and back again to the first color.

This is in the present Fig. 4 also shown below, with the negative writing now varying in color. Likewise, the corresponding tilt axes are shown, which are orthogonal to each other in the present example.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method for producing a document of value with an optical security feature, comprising providing 100 a substrate layer for creating a document body, an information field being superficially introduced 101 into the substrate layer which, apart from the information provided, is applied over the entire surface by means of a laser by means of a lens arrangement the substrate layer is created such that a graphic representation of the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle.

Inverse laser personalization can be created by lasering the entire MLI field at a certain angle. First of all, this is done in black and white. In an expansion stage, you can take advantage of certain properties of STEP colors or OVI colors. This type of color contains pigments or dyes, which only come into their own when the surface is as dark as possible. This means that a combination of flat black lasering and such corresponding colors results in a colored "flip-flop".

Claims (15)

Value document with optical security feature, comprising: - A substrate layer for creating a document body, characterized in that - An information field is superficially introduced into the substrate layer, which, apart from the information provided, is created over the entire surface by means of a laser by means of a lens arrangement on the substrate layer such that a graphic representation of the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle. A document of value according to claim 1, characterized in that an optically variable ink is applied to the information field in at least one fully lasered area. A document of value according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments are applied to the information field in at least one fully lasered area Document of value according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that lasering the information field creates a tilting effect according to a first axis and the optically variable ink and / or the transparent optical liquid crystal effect pigments create a tilting effect according to a second axis. Value document according to claim 4, characterized in that the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal to each other. Value document according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information field has a negative writing. Document of value according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the viewing angle dependence is continuous. Value document according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information field is present as a multiple laser image, MLI. Document of value according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lens arrangement is created by a surface contour of the substrate layer. Value document according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lens arrangement is created by a separate layer. Value document according to claim 10, characterized in that a spacer layer is provided between the substrate layer and the separate layer for setting a focal length of the lens arrangement. Value document according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information provided is introduced in such a way that when viewed orthogonal to a surface of the value document it is optically invisible. Value document according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the value document is in the form of a passport page, a data page, a credit card, a smart card, a security token, a bank note and / or a card-shaped data carrier. A method of producing a value document with an optical security feature, comprising: - Providing (100) a substrate layer to create a document body, characterized in that - An information field is superficially introduced (101) into the substrate layer, which, apart from the information provided, is created over the entire surface by means of a laser by means of a lens arrangement on the substrate layer such that a graphic representation of the information provided varies depending on the viewing angle. A computer program product with control instructions that execute the method of claim 14 when executed on a computer.

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