GB2537427A

GB2537427A - Surface authentication

Info

Publication number: GB2537427A
Application number: GB1506595.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Su Lin Goh Carol; Ho Helen
Original assignee: Meiban International Pte Ltd
Current assignee: Meiban International Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2015-04-18
Filing date: 2015-04-18
Publication date: 2016-10-19
Also published as: SG10201503309QA; GB201506595D0

Abstract

A method of creating authentication 4 on a work of art 3 made of polymer or metal material and having a patterned design, by creating laser texturing on the patterned design having one or more of the following features: (i) an angular ablation (5, fig. 3), at a certain designated angle, (ii) a plurality of ablations of different depths or heights (6, fig. 4), such that light would be reflected at different angles from their surface to the human eye, (iii) micron- and/or nano-level size engravings (7, fig. 5), and (iv) grooves of differentiated width size (8, fig. 5), at a designated area of the material surface. The three-dimensional image created, such as a logo, is visible only if the artwork is viewed from a certain angle or under certain lighting conditions or using a magnifying lens, thus allowing to distinguish genuine works from fake copies and assisting in curbing counterfeiting of art products.

Description

SURFACE AUTHENTICATION

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention here relates to a process to create an authentication via laser texturing of a three-dimensional image onto a polymer or metal according to a design based on an original artwork.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Laser is a device that emits special light through optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. It is also commonly known in the prior art as "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". It differs from other sources since it emits light coherently, thus making it easier to be focused on a tight spot. This makes it suitable for our current inventive authentication process.

The use of laser texturing provides a unique method to modify the surface texture of a material, be it polymer, metal, etc. such by depositing large amounts of laser energy onto the surface of a material in an extremely controlled manner. To curb counterfeiting in products, it is particularly useful to have the product distinguish out from the rest in the market via some unique form of pattern or design as a form of authentication. Through authentication, it will be useful and helpful to consumers who might be easily deceived by counterfeit products which looked so similar visually to real genuine ones.

The embodiment in the present invention serves to provide a process to modify the surface texture of a material, such as a polymer or metal via laser texturing of an original artwork for visual authentication. Such artwork is typically a patterned design, which can be straight line type of design, a series of triangular-shape designs or even a series of polygons at micron and/or nano-level. For authentication purposes, typically a hidden image (example from an artwork) can be embedded within a material, hence making it not easily visible by mere sight. By modifying the manner in which light scatters off the surface of any material through the use of laser, it can help create different viewing angles to the human eye. What this means is that this would allow images to be viewable at different angles to the human eye. By utilizing this concept mentioned earlier, the user can create a form of authentication on the material itself that can only be viewed at a certain angle, thus distinguishing the material from other materials in the market. With this microscopic detail of authentication only known to some, it will now be a difficult task for deceitful players in the market to counterfeit.

To create the authenticity in the material, the use of the laser would need to incorporate either one or all of the following key features on the patterned design: 1. Angular feature -This feature means that the laser would need to hit the surface of the patterned design on the material at a certain designated angle, thus allowing the patterned design to be viewed only at that designated angle.

2. Depth or height feature - This feature means that the laser would need to create different depths or heights of the patterned design on the surface of the material. Hence by varying the depths or heights, a form of authentication could be achieved. This is because at different depths or heights of the patterned design, light would be reflected at different angles to the human eye, giving a private security visual code recognized by an authority.

3. Micron and/or nano-level size feature - This feature would involve optimizing the optical amplification of the laser light to laser texture images as small as up to micron or nano-level sizes. For example, a logo-like image can be laser textured to a micron or nano-level size on the surface of the material as a form of authentication, giving a private security visual code recognized by an authority. This can only be seen under a magnified eye to authenticate a product.

4. Modifying groove-width size feature - This feature would involve having the laser light to modify the width size of the groove of the patterned design on the surface of the material. Different width size of the groove of the patterned design can be done at designated area of the material surface. Having different width size at a micron or nano-level can give different visual identity viewed at certain angle and lighting, hence giving a form of authentication; albeit in a particular distinct logo form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings attached here are to aid in better understand the description of the invention here. The drawings are not to scale and they are to be used for merely illustrating the principles and concepts of the invention.

To aid in the description of the invention, the drawings are broken up into various Figures as described below: Figure 1 illustrates a frontal view of one side of the embodiment of the present invention of an article with a typical patterned design with texturing.

Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention with the highlighted authenticated image on the article viewed at a certain angle. Figure 3 illustrates a close-up view of the article in Figure 2.

Figure 4 illustrates the featured authentication concepts.

Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of another featured authentication concept.

Reference numbers 1 Article with patterned design with texturing.

2 Patterned design 3 Article with a patterned design with texturing 4. Highlighted authenticated image on the article Angular feature 6 Depth or height feature 7 Authenticated Image 8 Groove width

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In the following description, details are provided to describe the embodiment of the application. It shall be apparent to the person skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without such details.

The present invention here relates to a process to create an authentication for a particular piece of material or product. More importantly, it relates to a process to create an authentication via laser texturing of a three-dimensional image onto a polymer or metal according to the design based on an original artwork.

Figure 1 illustrates a frontal view of one side of the embodiment of the present invention of an article 1 with a typical patterned design 2 with texturing. At this highlighted view as shown in article 1, the patterned design 2 actually has a laser texturing on it but it may not be visible from the naked human eye at the frontal view.

Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention with the highlighted authenticated image 4 on the article 3. The highlighted authenticated image 4 is visible at a certain angle when the article 3 is tilted.

Figure 3 illustrates a close-up view of the article in Figure 2. The authentication image 4 shown in Figure 2 is created with an angular effect 5 via laser on the patterned design 2 at a microscopic level.

Figure 4 illustrates an illustration of the featured authentication concept. For the angular feature 5, this feature means that the laser would need to hit the surface of the patterned design on the material at a certain designated angle, thus allowing the patterned design to be viewable only at that given designated angle. For the depth or height feature 6, this feature means that the laser would need to create different depths or heights as denoted in numerical 6 of the patterned design on the surface of the material. Hence by varying the depths or heights, a form of authentication could be achieved. This is because at different depths or heights of the patterned design, light would be reflected at different angles to the human eye.

Figure 5 illustrates a frontal view of another featured authentication concept. This feature would involve having the laser light to modify the width size denoted as W of the groove 8 of the patterned design on the surface of the material. The authentication image is denoted as 7. Different width size of the groove of the patterned design can be done at designated portions of the material surface. A form of authentication can then be created by utilizing the different width size of the groove to create a particular distinct unique logo shape, etc. It is to be understood that the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment is intended to be purely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than exhaustive thereof, and that changes and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that the present invention is not intended to be limited other than as expressly set forth in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method to create authentication on an article, comprising of the following * a polymer or metal material with a patterned design created from an original artwork; and wherein * the patterned design has laser texturing on it created with either one or all of the following features, namely: o creating angular feature on the patterned design at a certain designated angle; and/or o creating different depths or heights of the patterned design on the surface of the material such that at different depths or heights of the patterned design, light would be reflected at different angles to the human eye; and/or o creating micron and/or nano-level size feature by optimizing the optical amplification of the laser light to laser texture images as small as up to micron and/or nano-level sizes; and/or o modifying groove-width size feature involving having the laser light to modify the width size of the groove of the patterned design on the surface of the material; wherein different width size of the groove of the patterned design can be done at designated area of the material surface.