FR2777099A1 - SUPPORT CARRYING ENCODING MEANS FOR AUTHENTICATION AS WELL AS DEVICE FOR REPLAYING SUCH A SUPPORT - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a medium such as a banknote, an administrative document or credit card bearing encoding means for its authentication, characterised in that the encoding means contain thermally sensitive liquid crystals.

Description

l The present invention relates to a support bearing

  coding means allowing its authentication.

  We already know different means of coding

  documents that may be counterfeit (banknotes, docu-

  administrative documents, credit cards, etc.) intended to prevent their reproduction and fraudulent use, and therefore

  to ensure the security of their transmitter and holder.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a support provided with such a coding means, supplemented by

  dactyl coding means for the visually impaired.

  According to the invention, this support is characterized in that the coding means contain thermosensitive liquid crystals. These liquid crystals can be identified at a given temperature at which they give by thermal contact a light spectrum allowing authentication

of support.

  It should be noted that, in accordance with a variant

  of the invention, the coding can be identified by virtue of its

  their apparent following a simple touch at high temperature

  maine (36/37), which allows very fast authentication. The support according to the invention can be of the aforementioned type, but also of another type (tables,

valuables, automobiles, ...).

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the heat-sensitive liquid crystals are inserted into a

  coding plate integrated into the support.

  Such a plate can be embedded or fixed in a

irremovable on the support.

  According to the invention, the heat-sensitive liquid crystal coding means can be associated with other coding means such as coded multi-point engravings produced on the coding plate, in particular using

  a punch or a laser engraving.

  Such coded multi-point engravings are, at half

  For example, described in publication FR-2 667 825.

  The invention also relates to a device

  of re-reading a medium of the aforementioned type.

  Such a device is characterized in that it comprises thermal and chromatic replay members adjusted to a precise predetermined temperature as a function of the medium to be authenticated and equipped with a contact element

  thermal re-reading which, at this predetermined temperature

  born, allows to identify the light spectrum given by

liquid crystals.

  In accordance with the invention, the thermal re-reading contact element ensures, at a predetermined temperature, the re-reading of a precise slice of liquid crystals and checks the correspondence of their color with the color

initially predetermined.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises organs for the optical reading of

Multipoint coded engravings.

  The replay device according to the invention is, as a general rule, equipped with belt drive members capable, from an entry station, of transferring the medium to be authenticated to the right of the thermal replay devices and chromatic and, where appropriate, at the level of the optical proofing bodies and then to an exit station. These belt drives can

  advantageously include studs or electromagnetic bars

  likely to seize the medium to be authenticated and

  guide him to the right of the different positions.

  The drive members can also be

  constituted by a drive belt doubling the

  main line so that the supports to be authenticated are taken between the two belts and thus transported between the

  different detection and re-reading stations.

  It should be noted that to guarantee the authenticity of the materials to be reread, it is essential that the device

  is inviolable: any attempt to open it entails a

  immediate adjustment of the replay system, resulting in

  quence to put it out of service; therefore, any attempt

  reproduction of this device is impossible and its re-

  glage remains secret. According to other advantageous features of the invention: - the device comprises a double belt, a belt

  main, passing on two cylinders constituting the

  min circulation of the products to be authenticated and an external belt, passing on rollers, around the

  inner belt so as to form a path

  lation around the belt and hold the products to be detected

  ter in the interval between the two belts.

  the roller located in the thermal and chromatic detection station comprises a heating means radiating towards the external surface of the roller to heat the supports to be authenticated passing through the area,

  - the roller has an outer surface forming a double en-

  velope supplied with heat transfer fluid from the

  heating source placed in the center of the roller.

  The characteristics of the support as well as the

  positive proofreading, which are the subject of the invention, will be described in more detail with reference to the appended figures in which:

  - Figure 1 is a diagram representing this dis-

  positive, - Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment

of the invention.

  In accordance with FIG. 1, the device comprises

  carries an endless drive belt 1 guided in trans-

  linked by drive wheels 2, 3 movable in rotation according to arrows a and b so as to transfer the medium to be authenticated from an input station I to a replay station

  optic II then at a thermal and chroma reading station

tick III.

  The drive belt 1 cooperates with an auxiliary endless drive belt 4 guided in translation by auxiliary drive wheels 5, 6 and 7 movable in rotation according to the arrows c and d. The auxiliary drive belt 4 allows the medium to be authenticated to be transferred from the thermal and chromatic reading station

III at an exit station IV.

  According to the figure, the medium to be authenticated penetrates

  trant according to arrow A in the device at the entry station I is grasped by studs or electromagnetic bars 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85 fixed on the belts 1, 4 so

  to be guided to the right of the different posts II, III and IV.

  The studs or bars 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 are activated.

  vés by contact on the wheels 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 as well as on contact plates 9, 10 and 11 associated with the endless belts shown in hatched on the figure and function

like electromagnets.

  After re-reading, the document is released according to the

  arrow B at exit IV.

  At the level of optical reading station II, the support to be authenticated is taken in a vice between the contact plate 9 and a transparent plate 12 so as to allow

  optimal optical rereading of multi-point engravings

  gods. At the thermal and chromatic replay station III, the support is detected by a thermal replay contact element represented schematically by

  the double arrows CI and C2 which, at predetermined temperature

  born, reads a precise slice of liquid crystals and checks the correspondence of the light spectrum

  given by them with an initially determined spectrum.

  Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the device of Figure 1. This variant includes, like the device of Figure 1, an endless drive belt 1 or main belt, guided by movable drive wheels 2, 3A in rotation according to the arrows a,

  b to train the medium to be authenticated between the different

  rents posts, namely an entry post I, a post

  optical reading II, a thermal reading station and

chromatic III.

  The drive belt 1, or main belt

  blade, is combined with an auxiliary belt 100 which surrounds

  the main belt 1 over almost its entire path

  keep silent between rollers 2 and 3. This auxiliary belt passes over drive and guide rollers 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows. This belt 100 rotates in the same direction and the same speed as the belt 1 in the various places o

  it is opposite the belt 1.

  Thus, from entrance station 1, the supports

  to be authenticated are caught between the two belts. The courtyard-

  auxiliary line 100 is preferably transparent. In some

  In some cases, it is interesting that the main belt 1 is also transparent, which makes it possible for example to carry out a recognition of the support on the two faces in the station II as indicated by the symbols AII, BII placed respectively above and below the two belts 1,

100.

  This solution then removes the rollers 5, 6,

7 and the lower belt.

  Roll 3A, on which the double strip passes

  and which is associated with the thermal and chroma reading station

  tick III, in the center of the roller there is a heating element

  fage by resistance 31 which for example radiates on the periphery 32 of the roller. This roller is also provided with spokes 33 or partitions for better efficiency of

heat exchange.

  The roller 3A can also have a double pa-

  King 32, 33 and we can then pass a heat transfer liquid

  in the shirt thus formed, this liquid

  communicating with the heating means 31.

  This variant embodiment is advantageous in certain cases since the authenticated product remains well within

  flat between belt 1 and belt 100.

  Protection of the device according to the invention

  being mainly linked to the secret of the temperature of

  tection, it is essential to avoid intro

  duire inside the device means making it possible to detect this temperature and consequently to counterfeit the

security means.

  For this, the insertion slot is relatively narrow and above all at the level of the recognition station II, any foreign element is detected. This detection immediately stops the installation or neutralizes it. Even a very fine temperature sensor. Which would thus be introduced could not reach thermal and chromic detection in zone III and know the temperature at which this detection is made. For the same safety concern, the device is

  mounted in such a way as to destroy or render inoperative the vital parts of the installation, i.e. the thermal detection

  that and always chromic so as not to allow to know the exact temperature at which the detection is made, temperature which corresponds to the strategic element in this installation and more generally in the system

  authentication and counterfeiting, which must be

put the present invention.

  Thus, in the event of a detection element or parasitic element introduced into the machine, there is almost certain detection of this intrusion into station II. If despite the very high precision and efficiency of this station II, the detection object nevertheless continues its journey and arrives in station III, then the means of thermal re-reading and

  chromatic allow to detect this intrusion. This de-

  tection automatically takes countermeasures

against this intrusion.

  Always to avoid disclosing the least possible

  ble the temperature that is required for detection in the

  post III, a partition 107 is provided, crossed by the cour-

  lines 1 and 100 through two slots. The purpose of this thermal insulation partition 107 is to confine the heat source at the level of the roller 3A, to prevent it from diffusing too much. Still in the same spirit, in the area at the front of the partition 107, a fan 108 is provided.

  intended to lower the temperature in this area.

  Finally, it should be noted that the reading and detection zones are advantageously secretly preprogrammed according to the nature of the supports or products to be authenticated. This corresponds to additional security, linked to proofreading in addition to security

  otherwise existing and linked to engraving.

Claims (7)

R E V E N D I C A T IONS   1) Support such as bank note, administrative document or credit card carrying coding means allowing its authentication, characterized in that   the coding means contain thermo-liquid crystals   sensitive. 2) Support according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat-sensitive liquid crystals are inserted in a   coding plate integrated into the support.   3) Support according to claim 2, characterized in that   the coding plate includes coded multi-point engravings.   4) Device for re-reading a support according to any one as claims 1 to 3, characterized in that   it includes thermal and chromatographic proofing organs   ques (III) set to a precise temperature predetermined according to the medium to be authenticated and equipped with an element   thermal replay contact (C1, C2) which, at this time   predetermined temperature, identifies the light spectrum   nous given by liquid crystals.    ) Device according to claim 4, characterized in that   it includes optical reading devices (II) of the engravings coded multipoint res.   6) Device according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that   it comprises belt drive members (14) above   ceptibles, from an entry station (I), to transfer the medium to be authenticated to the right of the thermal and chromatic rereading organs (III) and, if necessary, to the right of the optical rereading organs (II) then to a post of exit (IV).   7) Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the belt drive members (1, 4) comprise   electromagnetic studs or bars (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) above   capable of grasping the medium to be authenticated and guiding it to the right of the different posts.   8) Device according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a double belt, a main belt (1) passing over two cylinders (2, 3) constituting the path   circulation of products to be authenticated and an ex-belt   (100), passing on rollers (101-106), around the internal belt (1) so as to form a circulation path around the belt (1) and hold the products at   detect in the interval between the two belts.   9) Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the roller (3A) located in the thermal and chromatic detection station (III) comprises a radiant heating means   towards the outer surface of the roller to cool down   tures the supports to be authenticated passing through the zone (3).    ) Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the roller (3A) has an outer surface forming a double envelope supplied with heat transfer fluid from the   heating source placed in the center of the roller.