JP2009504094A - Secret document system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to document protection methods and products. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for masking document information with a latent image or message. This is not actually visible to the naked eye and becomes apparent only through the use of a matching viewing device. The present invention further relates to a method for creating an original document that includes a potential message that is visible when read by a viewing device. In one embodiment, the secret information is formed using printing elements such as lines, dots, spots, vortices, or images. The secret information printing element is arranged at an angle with respect to the background printing element to create a secret document. In another embodiment, the secret information printing element is used with a plain background.
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Description

Related Applications The priority of this application is based on US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 703,860, filed August 1, 2005, and US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 794,826.

The present invention relates generally to document protection methods and products. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for masking information in a document with a potential image or message that is not actually visible to the naked eye and is only revealed through a matching viewing device. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of creating an original document that includes a potential message that becomes apparent when read by a dedicated viewing device.

Background of the Invention Security documents have conventionally been created by letterpress printing, offset printing or intaglio printing. Currently, there is a need for not only security documents to be printed on the Internet and output by printers, but also general safety measures and the ability to remotely print tickets and coupons containing personal “hidden” information.

  In addition, this requirement is also for security images for plain print areas. Traditionally, most security tints consisted of screens made of dots and lines that typically do not exceed 50% density, but the need for packaging security has increased, so it is necessary to take security measures on the print design. There is. More specifically, in medical and automotive packaging, traditionally, most artwork designs include many plain areas that do not include any printed security.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide improved security for confidential documents to be embedded in variable and / or static confidential information. It will be understood that all of the following examples can take many forms, including electronic documents as well as hard copies.

  Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, transmitted (eg, via the Internet, extranet, wireless, facsimile, etc.), copied, or successfully reproduced separately on an output device such as a printer. Modern methods are provided to hide confidential information in documents. The secret information is hidden by creating the first and second printing structures and combining them.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, a tint for hiding this secret information from unintended users is provided. This secret information is hidden from view by an apparently plain tint and is invisible when viewed with the naked eye, copied, scanned, or photographed digitally. Any attempt to reproduce or copy the document in any way will result in an unreadable color area. Alternatively, documents containing confidential information masked from the naked eye can be copied in substantially the same form, but can be viewed by a dedicated viewing device, even after transmission, copying, or other playback.

  Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of masking the secret information is performed using any color, ink, toner, or inkjet liquid. This step of masking the secret information is most effectively performed using dark tint or metal powder ink or UV / IR ink. This step is more effectively performed by printing on the foil image at a specific frequency.

  In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of masking confidential information is performed singly or in combination with lines, dots, spots, vortices, or images, commonly referred to as printing elements. This step of masking secret information is most effectively performed using printing elements of the same size and density.

  Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the secret information printing elements should be arranged substantially orthogonal to each other in order to most effectively mask the information. The most effective screen arrangement is one angle for confidential information and one angle for background is 135 ° / 45 °.

  Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the invention, the step of setting the angle of the printing element depends on the definition of the printing element screen. The printing element is imaged between 60 and 500 lines per inch, with 150 lines per inch being most effective for confidential information and surrounding areas. The most commonly used unit of screen frequency is lines per inch ("lpi"), but printing elements other than lines can be used; "lpi" is still a matter of convenience It is understood that it is used as a unit of frequency. In addition, the density of the secret information printing element tint is 10% to 50%, preferably 20% or about 20%.

  In addition, for embodiments of the invention that cannot be transmitted, copied, or replayed, some printing element screens, ie 60-300 lpi, most preferably 120-190 lpi, are most effective when not being replayed. It is.

  In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a dedicated viewing device that is particularly suitable for this document is provided that closely matches the frequency of the secret information element. Keeping the dedicated viewing device substantially flat with respect to the confidential information on the document reveals the confidential information while making the background less noticeable.

  Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, this dedicated viewing device may be a lens made of plastic, glass or film substrate. Dedicated viewing devices are designed to be easily destroyed after use for additional document security. Dedicated viewing devices may be transparent, colored, or lined to help you view secret information, and some distinct for viewing multiple screen areas An area may be included.

  Implementation of the method and system of the present invention involves performing or completing selected tasks or steps manually, automatically, or a combination thereof. Further, according to the actual apparatus and equipment of the preferred embodiment of the method and system of the present invention, some selected steps may be performed by hardware or by software on any operating system of any firmware, or these. Can be implemented by a combination of For example, as hardware, selected steps of the present invention can be implemented as a chip or circuit. As software, selected steps of the present invention can be implemented as multiple software instructions that are executed by a computer using a suitable operating system. In any case, selected steps of the methods and systems of the invention can be described as being performed by a data processor, such as a computing platform that executes multiple instructions.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The present invention provides a method by which information from unintended users can be masked and viewed through a dedicated viewing device.

  In a typical scenario, according to the present invention, matching viewing designed to allow a user who wants to communicate confidential information contained in a document to a particular recipient to match the document and recognize the confidential information. The device can be provided to the recipient. Confidential information is hidden from view and cannot be accessed unless an appropriate viewing device is used. No other recipient of the same document has access to the confidential information hidden from view, is unaware of the confidential information present in the document, or is secretly aware of the specific information placed in a specific area of the document Just do it.

  Before describing at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the application of configuration details and component arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Is done. The invention may be practiced or carried out in other ways or in various ways, such as laminate or holographic foil. Also, the expressions and terms used herein are for the purpose of explanation and should not be considered limiting.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the secret document form 100 includes secret information 101, a background 102, and an entry area 105. A dedicated viewing device 110 is also shown.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the user inserts secret information 101 within the background 102 as described in detail below. The secret information 100 can then be successfully reproduced by transmission, copying, or other output device (not shown). The output device may be a copy machine, a scanner, a fax machine or the like.

  In a typical scenario, a person who wants to send confidential information 101 on the Internet uses a form 100 having an entry area 105 on a computer. The secret information 101 is input to the entry area 105 by a person who completes the form 100 and / or a recipient of the form 100. This person and / or recipient wants to keep at least some of the details that are sent secret. During or following the entry of the confidential information 101 into the entry area 105, the confidential information 101 is embedded in the background area 102 of the document 100 as described below and shown in FIGS. The form 100 can then be transmitted via electronic means such as the Internet or a facsimile. In one embodiment of the present invention, form 100 is sent to an intermediate or end service. Here, the visible information in the input area 105 is removed leaving only the information hidden in the background 102 for viewing by the dedicated viewing device 110.

  The dedicated viewing device 110 is a lens made of plastic, glass, or film having a printing element frequency that matches the printing information frequency of the secret information 101. Dedicated viewing device 110 may be transparent, colored, or lined, and may include several distinct areas for viewing multiple screen areas.

  For operation, the dedicated viewing device 110 is simply retained for viewing secret information 110. The use of the dedicated viewing device 110 can make the appearance of the image of the background 102 whitish or inconspicuous while viewing the secret information 101, as shown in FIG.

  Dedicated viewing device 110 is designed to be easily destroyed after use to further ensure document security.

  In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, while masking confidential information in the background area 102 or after hiding it, visible information disappears from the form 100 and thus there is no information intended to be kept secret. Display the document. In the entry area 105 displayed in a blank, an unintended viewer does not have access to the confidential information 101. The intended user can then view the secret information embedded in the background area 102 using the dedicated viewer 110. Most preferably, the secret information 101 and background 102 can be created by using a software program such as Form X6 for Quark Xpress by DigiComp, located in Maple Groove, Minnesota.

  Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram of one embodiment of the present invention having solid lines 201 and 202 at substantially different angles to mask the secret information 201. The user who wants to hide the secret information 201 from the general view places the solid information 201 in this case, the solid line 201 and the background print element, in this case the solid line 202, at substantially different angles. Can do. The print element of the secret information 201 defines the axis x2, and the print element of the background 202 defines the axis y2. The angle b between the axis x1 and the axis y1 is preferably 90 ° plus or minus 5 ° as shown in FIG. 2, but in practice can vary greatly. Of course, the secret information printing element 201 and the background printing element 202 can replace dots, spots, vortices, or images (not shown) alone or in combination.

  FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of one embodiment of the present invention 300 similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 with solid lines as the printing elements for secret information 301 and background 302, respectively. The axes x3 and y3 defined by the printing elements 301 and 302 are arranged at an angle c, again preferably 90 ° plus or minus 5 ° as before, in order to mask the secret information. Furthermore, a print code 303 is preferably inserted at the apex of the angle c. The print code can be used for further security, author authentication, and the like. The print code 303 is shown in FIG. 3 as a lower case “w”, but can be composed of any print element such as, but not limited to, lines, dots, spots, vortices, images, and the like.

  FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of another embodiment of the present invention where the secret information 402 is not easily scanned or copied. A secret information printing element 402 indicated by a broken line is used together with a plain background 401 indicated by a solid line in FIG. By selecting the appropriate tint, the print element 401 can be hidden on the plain background 401 and later viewed using a dedicated viewing device (not shown). Darker tints are preferred for the solid background 401 and colored tints are preferred for the secret information printing element 402.

  A user who wants to separate the secret information 402 as shown in FIG. 4 can cover the secret information printing element 402 with tint, color, paper base color or foil, or put them down. Information shown in this manner looks like a plain tint. The secret information 402 can be most effectively hidden through the use of dark colors, metal powder inks, and / or UV inks. The user can choose to use a solid printed or colored background or colored paper in addition to dark or metallic ink or UV / IR ink. For example, the user can choose to print with blue ink on red paper or red on a metallic blue plain area.

  Metallic base tints are overprinted with the opposite color that further masks the secret information. The UV and IR links used to create the information are visible when half of the image is visible when a plastic or glass viewer is placed on the document, and the UV or IR light is shown through the viewing device on the document. Is arranged so that the rest of it appears. In this way, the additional “code” can be hidden as a second message.

  In all of the above embodiments, a user who has chosen to reveal confidential information to the recipient of the document provides the recipient with a dedicated viewing device as shown at 110 in FIG. If multiple areas of the document are used to hide multiple parts of the confidential information 101 and different recipients see different areas of the confidential information 101, the user will design each to match different confidential information Different viewing devices 110 are provided to each recipient of the document. This process is accomplished by using different screen frequencies or different screen print elements such as dots as the secret information print element for the first recipient and lines as the secret information print element for the second recipient. The Alternatively, a page of a document containing a tint background can be sent and individual secret information printed on a translucent overlay can be sent and the secret information can be read when this overlay covers the background screen.

  Further objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the following examples. These examples are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, each of the various embodiments and aspects of the invention as clarified above and as claimed in the following claims finds experimental evidence in the following examples.

  For clarity, it is also understood that certain features of the invention described in the context of individual embodiments are provided in combination in one embodiment. Conversely, for the sake of brevity, the various features of the present invention described in the context of one embodiment are the first, second, or third printing element frequency and / or ink makeup. Documents with specific confidential information that will be partially visible by a laminate viewing device permanently affixed to a document that also contains additional confidential information, etc., are provided individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

  While the invention has been described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be apparent that many alternatives, modifications and variations are included within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. All publications, patents mentioned herein, as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually designated to be incorporated herein by reference. And patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, citation or identification of any reference in this specification shall not be construed as a confession that such reference is possible as prior art to the present invention.

  The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of one embodiment of the present invention in which secret information is made visible through a dedicated viewing device. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a solid line of secret information arranged at different angles with respect to the solid line of the background. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a solid line of secret information including a print code. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention using a plain tint background with secret information printing elements.

Claims (43)

In a method for providing a confidential document system, the method includes:
Creating a first printed structure comprising a background;
Creating a second printing structure comprising confidential information;
Masking the secret information by combining the first printing structure and the second printing structure;
The secret information is displayed so as to be substantially invisible to the naked eye, and the secret information is displayed so as to be visible using a dedicated viewing device.   2. The secret document system according to claim 1, wherein the background and the secret information can be successfully reproduced using a transmission, copy, or other output device, and the secret information is substantially invisible to the naked eye. The secret information is displayed so as to be visible using a dedicated viewing device.   The method of claim 1, wherein the first printing structure comprises a first plurality of printing elements having a first axis, and the second printing structure has a second plurality of axes. A method comprising a printing element, wherein the first axis is arranged at an angle with respect to the second axis.   4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second plurality of printing elements comprise dots, spots, lines, vortices, or images alone or in combination.   5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of print elements and the second plurality of print elements are substantially equal in size.   5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of printing elements and the second plurality of printing elements have substantially equal densities.   The method of claim 1, wherein the dedicated viewing device comprises a substrate that is substantially transparent, colored, or lined.   The method of claim 1, wherein the dedicated viewing device comprises a scanner.   The method of claim 1, wherein the dedicated viewing device can be easily destroyed after use.   The method of claim 1, wherein the step of masking the secret information is accomplished by using hardware, software, or firmware alone or in combination.   The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting a print code into the second print structure.   The method of claim 1, wherein the background comprises a plain tint.   13. The method of claim 12, wherein creating the secret information comprises selecting a secret information outline and filling a plurality of print elements with the secret information outline. .   14. The method of claim 13, wherein the printing element comprises a plurality of dots, spots, lines, or images alone or in combination.   The method of claim 1, wherein the secret information is not visible after being reproduced by a copy, transmission, or output device.   The method of claim 1, wherein the background and the secret information comprise opposite color tints. In the secret document system, the secret document system:
A document with a background;
A certain amount of secret information arranged in the background, the secret information being displayed so as to be substantially invisible to the naked eye;
A viewing device dedicated to the secret information;
A secret document system characterized by comprising:   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the certain amount of secret information is successfully transmitted using a transmission, copy, or output device together with the certain amount of secret information that is visible using the viewing device. A secret document system that can be played back.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the background comprises a first plurality of printing elements that generally define a first axis, and the amount of secret information is typically a second axis. A secret document system comprising a plurality of second printing elements defined in claim 1, wherein the first axis is arranged at an angle with respect to the second axis.   20. The secret document system according to claim 19, wherein the first and second plurality of printing elements comprise dots, spots, lines, vortices, or images alone or in combination. .   21. The secret document system according to claim 20, wherein the sizes of the first and second plurality of print elements are substantially equal.   21. The secret document system according to claim 20, wherein densities of the first plurality of print elements and the second plurality of print elements are substantially equal.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the secret information includes a predetermined line, dot, spot, vortex, or image that covers the foil image.   18. A secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the viewing device comprises a substantially transparent, colored or lined substrate.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the viewing device comprises a scanner.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the viewing device can be easily destroyed after use.   18. A secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the viewing device comprises a plurality of distinct viewing areas with different frequencies or using different printing elements.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the secret information is created singly or in combination using hardware, software, or firmware.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the background comprises a plain tint and the secret information comprises a plurality of print elements.   30. The secret document system according to claim 29, wherein the secret information comprises a secret information outline filled with the plurality of print elements.   31. A secret document system according to claim 30, wherein the printing element comprises a plurality of dots, spots, lines, vortices or images individually or in combination.   32. The secret document system according to claim 31, wherein the secret document cannot be copied, transmitted, or reproduced successfully by an output device.   33. The secret document system according to claim 32, wherein the output device comprises a color scanner or a color printer.   18. The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the background and the certain amount of secret information comprise tints of opposite colors.   The secret document system according to claim 17, wherein the viewing device can be easily destroyed after use.   The secret document system according to claim 17, further comprising a print code disposed in the second print structure. In a method for providing a confidential document system, the method includes:
Providing a document;
Creating a background arranged in the document;
Creating an amount of secret information within the background, the amount of secret information being substantially invisible to the naked eye;
With
A viewing device that matches the amount of secret information makes the amount of secret information visible.   38. The method of claim 37, wherein the transmission and copying or output device without revealing the amount of secret information until the background and the amount of secret information are visible by the viewing device. A method characterized in that it can be played back successfully.   40. The method of claim 38, further comprising transmitting the background and the amount of secret information from a first user to a second user, wherein the second user is in the amount of the amount of secret information. A method characterized by arranging confidential information.   40. The method of claim 39, further comprising: transmitting the background and the amount of secret information to a third user, wherein the third user uses the viewing device to transmit the secret information. A method characterized by visual recognition. 40. A method according to claim 39:
Creating a second amount of secret information disposed within the background;
Sending the background and the second amount of secret information to a second user;
Providing a second viewing device that matches the second amount of secret information;
And the second user views the second amount of secret information using the second viewing device. 39. A method according to claim 38;
Creating a second amount of secret information placed in the second background;
Sending the second background and the second amount of secret information to a second user;
Providing a second viewing device that matches the second amount of secret information;
And the second user views the second amount of secret information using the second viewing device.   38. The method of claim 37, wherein the viewing device is transmitted by the output device.

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