JP7393591B1 - Reading devices for information recording bodies, printed matter, and information recording bodies - Google Patents

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide an information record that is easy to read and decipher with a general reader and is difficult to copy, a reader for the information record, and the like. Comprising a base material 2, a glitter ink layer 5 formed with a glitter ink on one surface thereof, a colored ink layer 3 formed with a colored ink, and a transparent ink layer 4 formed with a transparent ink. In the information recording body 1, the colored ink layer 3 forms a first pattern 100, the transparent ink layer 4 forms a second pattern 200, and the first pattern 100 and the second pattern 200 are separated in plan view. The second pattern 200 includes information that can be converted into a specific code, and at least a portion thereof overlaps with the first pattern 100.

Description

The present invention relates to an information recording body that is difficult to forge and an anti-counterfeit printed matter including the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electronic watermarking technology has been used to embed information in printed matter at a level that humans cannot visually recognize, and to read the embedded information with a reading device without damaging the aesthetic appearance of the printed matter.

As a printed matter using digital watermark technology, Patent Document 1 below describes an information record that includes a composite image including an image printed on a glitter layer and an image formed on the image and printed as a transparent layer. body is described. In the information recording medium, both images are printed with ink that has a different amount of reflected light depending on the viewing angle, and one of the images in the composite image can be recognized depending on the viewing angle. Furthermore, the image printed on the luminous layer has regular feature points in the spatial frequency domain, and the image printed on the transparent layer has feature points in the spatial frequency domain at positions that disturb the regularity. This is the image to be placed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-93895

In this case, by adjusting the observation angle of a dedicated reading device, it is possible to read and decipher image information printed on the glitter layer of the printed matter, which has regularity in feature points in the spatial frequency domain. However, in order to decode information embedded using digital watermark technology, it is generally necessary for the reading device to be equipped with a decoding application program that has a dedicated algorithm.For example, a general-purpose reading device such as a smartphone may not be easily available. Furthermore, the appearance of the image information to be read on the printed matter is difficult to visually recognize, and it is difficult to visually understand where to read the image information, which may affect convenience. On the other hand, examples of codes that can be read by general reading devices include OCR characters, bar codes, and two-dimensional codes. However, these codes are easy to copy or forge, and if used as is, there is a risk that problems will occur in determining the authenticity and ensuring the safety of the printed matter.

The present disclosure has been made in view of this situation, and provides a reading device for information recording materials, printed matter, and information recording materials that are easy to read and decipher with general reading devices, and difficult to copy. The challenge is to provide.

The information recording body according to the present embodiment includes a base material, a first printing layer formed on one surface of the base material using a glitter ink, and a colored printed layer formed on the one surface side that is not made of a glitter ink. An information recording body comprising a second printed layer formed of ink, and a third printed layer formed of transparent ink on the one surface side, the second printed layer being a second printed layer formed of transparent ink. 1 pattern, the third printed layer forms a second pattern, and in plan view, the first printed layer is formed on the entire area of the first pattern and the second pattern, respectively. The second pattern includes information that can be converted into a specific code, and at least a portion thereof overlaps with the first pattern.

Further, in the information recording body according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first printing layer may be formed solidly, or may be formed with halftone dots having a halftone dot area ratio of 80% or more, or with parallel lines.

Moreover, in the information recording medium according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second pattern may be composed of a plurality of partial patterns.

Moreover, in the information recording body according to another embodiment of the present invention, only some of the partial patterns among the plurality of partial patterns may include information that can be converted into the specific code.

Further, in the information recording body according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second pattern is composed of a plurality of partial patterns, each of which includes one or more cutout symbols, and all the cutout symbols are A two-dimensional code may be placed at the end of the second pattern.

Further, in the information recording body according to another embodiment of the present invention, the second pattern is composed of a plurality of partial patterns, and the plurality of partial patterns are divided into a first partial pattern, a second partial pattern, and the first partial pattern. When a third partial pattern is sandwiched between a partial pattern and the second partial pattern, a first cutout symbol arranged on the second partial pattern side of the first partial pattern; A second cut-out symbol arranged on the first partial pattern side of the second partial pattern constitutes cut-out symbols at at least two places of the third partial pattern, and the third partial pattern Dummy information that cannot be converted into a specific code may be configured.

Furthermore, in the information recording medium according to another embodiment of the present invention, the first pattern may include information convertible into a specific code different from the second pattern.

Further, in the information recording medium according to another embodiment of the present invention, the third printing layer may be formed of the transparent ink that is excited by infrared rays or ultraviolet rays and emits visible light, and may be formed of ink containing an infrared absorbing material. It may be made of ink containing a polarizing material.

The printed matter according to this embodiment may include any of the above information recording bodies.

A reading device for reading any of the above information recording bodies according to the present embodiment includes an illumination light source, a reading unit, and a control unit, and the reading unit operates at a first light intensity including a non-lighted state. The first pattern of the information recording body can be read by turning on the illumination light source, and the first pattern can be read by turning on the illumination light source with a second light amount larger than the first light amount. The control unit is configured to activate the reading unit, turn on the illumination light source at the second light intensity in a readable state by the reading unit, The reading section reads the information of the second pattern with the illumination light source turned on, and the information of the second pattern read by the reading section is converted into the specific code.

The authenticity determination device including the reading device according to the present embodiment includes a storage unit that stores comparison information for determining the authenticity of the information recording body, and compares the specific code and the comparison information to determine whether the two are the same. The information storage apparatus further includes an authenticity determination section that determines that the information recording medium is authentic when they match, and determines that the information recording medium is not authentic when they do not match.

Further, in the reading device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the reading unit may read the first pattern of the information recording body by turning on the illumination light source at a first light intensity including a non-lighted state. , and the information of the second pattern that can be read by lighting the illumination light source with a second light amount larger than the first light amount, and the specific code is readable in a second pattern. When determining the specific code, the code specifying section converts the information of the first pattern and the second pattern read by the reading section into the first specific code and the second specific code, respectively. However, the image forming apparatus may further include a position specifying section that specifies a reading position of the second pattern by the reading section based on the first specific code.

Further, the authenticity determination device according to another embodiment of the present invention compares the second specific code and the comparison information with a storage unit that stores comparison information for determining the authenticity of the information recording body, The information recording medium may further include an authenticity determination unit that determines that the information recording medium is authentic when the two match, and determines that the information recording medium is not authentic when the two do not match.

Further, an authenticity determination system according to another embodiment of the present invention is an authenticity determination system in which the reading device and a server are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, and the server is configured to perform authentication for determining the authenticity of the information recording body. A storage unit that stores comparison information and the second specific code read by the reading device and the comparison information are compared, and if the two match, it is determined that the information recording body is authentic; The information recording medium may also include an authenticity determining section that determines that the information recording medium is not authentic when the two do not match.

The method for reading the information recording body according to the present embodiment is such that the information of the first pattern of the information recording body can be read by turning on the illumination light source at the first light intensity including the off state. a step of reading, a step of converting the read information of the first pattern into a first specific code, a step of specifying a reading position of the second pattern based on the first specific code, reading the information of the second pattern of the information recording body, which can be read by lighting the illumination light source with a second light intensity larger than the first light intensity; and converting the pattern information into a second specific code.

According to the present embodiment, a program for causing a computer to execute the authenticity determination of the information recording medium is configured to detect the authenticity of the information recording medium when the illumination light source is turned on at a first light intensity including an off state. reading information on a first pattern, converting the read information on the first pattern into a first specific code, and specifying a reading position of the second pattern based on the first specific code; When the illumination light source is turned on with a second light intensity larger than the first light intensity, the information of the second pattern of the information recording body is read, and the read information of the second pattern is read. converting it into a second specific code, comparing the second specific code with comparison information for determining authenticity, and determining that the information recording body is authentic if the two match; It may be determined that the information recording medium is not genuine if the information does not match.

In addition to the above-described reading method, the method for determining the authenticity of the information recording medium according to the present embodiment compares the second specific code and comparison information for determining authenticity, and when the two match, the The method further includes the step of determining that the information recording medium is genuine, and determining that the information recording medium is not genuine if the two do not match.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a reading device for information recording bodies, printed matter, and information recording bodies that are easy to read and decipher by general reading devices and difficult to copy.

FIG. 1 is a plan view and a side view of an information recording body according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the difference in how an information recording medium is viewed depending on the viewing angle. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of an information recording body reading device and an authenticity determination device according to the present disclosure. It is a flowchart regarding code identification of a 2nd pattern, and authenticity determination. FIG. 7 is a plan view of an information recording body according to a second embodiment and a diagram illustrating differences in appearance depending on viewing angles. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third embodiment and an information recording body according to the third embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the reading device based on 4th Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram regarding code identification of a first pattern. It is a flowchart regarding code identification of a 2nd pattern. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the authenticity determination apparatus based on 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart regarding code identification of a 2nd pattern, and authenticity determination. FIG. 7 is a plan view of an information recording body according to a fifth embodiment and a sixth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of an information recording body according to a seventh embodiment. It is a top view of the information recording body based on 8th Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of an information recording body according to a ninth embodiment and a tenth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view and a side view of a printed matter including an information recording body according to an eleventh embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of an information recording body according to a twelfth embodiment. It is a table showing superiority and inferiority of performance in terms of dot area ratio of colored inks. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a halftone dot area ratio of colored ink.

Hereinafter, an example of an information recording medium, a printed matter, and an authenticity determination device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the information recording medium of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples described below.

Note that each figure shown below is shown schematically. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are appropriately exaggerated to facilitate understanding. Further, in each figure, hatching indicating a cross section of a member is omitted as appropriate. Numerical values such as dimensions and material names of each member described in this specification are examples of embodiments, and are not limited to these, and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms specifying shapes and geometrical conditions, such as terms such as parallel, perpendicular, and perpendicular, are not only meant strictly, but also include substantially the same state.

1. First Embodiment A first embodiment of the information recording body of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1(a) is a plan view illustrating the information recording body 1 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1(b) is a side view thereof. The information recording body 1 includes a base material 2 and a glitter ink layer 5 formed on one surface of the base material 2 using glitter ink. Also, on one side of the glitter ink layer 5, on the side opposite to the base material 2, a colored ink layer formed of colored ink covers a part of the glitter ink layer 5. 3, and a transparent ink layer 4 formed of transparent ink having a property that the amount of reflected light varies depending on the viewing angle.

When the information recording body 1 is viewed in plan from the thickness direction, the entire area of the first pattern 100 formed by the colored ink layer 3 and the second pattern 200 formed by the transparent ink layer 4 is covered by the glitter ink layer 5, respectively. overlaps with the area formed. Further, the second pattern 200 includes information that can be converted into a specific code, and at least a portion thereof overlaps with the first pattern 100. The glitter ink layer 5, the colored ink layer 3, and the transparent ink layer 4 are examples of the first printed layer, the second printed layer, and the third printed layer, respectively.

(a) Structure of information recording body The base material 2 has printing and coating suitability for forming the glitter ink layer 5, the colored ink layer 3, and the transparent ink layer 4, and can be used as an arbitrary material to support these. A film substrate is used. As the base material 2, for example, a polyester film such as a polyethylene terephthalate film, a polyethylene film, a polypropylene film, a polyfluoroethylene film, a polyvinylidene fluoride film, a polyvinyl chloride film, a polyvinylidene chloride film, an ethylene-vinyl alcohol film, Examples include polyvinyl alcohol film, polymethyl methacrylate film, polyether sulfone film, polyether ether ketone film, polyamide film, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer film, and polyimide film. Further, the base material 2 may be paper-made paper, sticker/label paper, or the like.

The base material 2 may be opaque or transparent, and may be colored or colorless. In this embodiment, the base material 2 is colored, for example, white. The thickness of the base material 2 can also be arbitrarily determined depending on the use of the information recording body 1, and may be made thin enough to have appropriate flexibility, or thick enough to have almost no flexibility. In the former case, the thickness can be, for example, 0.1 μm or more and 1 mm or less, and in the latter case, the thickness can be, for example, thicker than 1 mm.

The glitter ink constituting the glitter ink layer 5 is, for example, a glitter ink containing aluminum, copper, zinc, or tin powder, or iron phosphide, and exhibiting a silver color, a bluish gold color, or a reddish gold color. It can be an ink containing the material. The glitter ink layer 5 having such a glitter ink has a property of mainly diffusing and reflecting when white light or the like is incident from an illumination light source.

On the other hand, the colored ink constituting the colored ink layer 3 is composed of printing ink used in ordinary printing for design formation, etc., and the process color, which is a non-transparent color, can be visually recognized as some kind of pattern or design. That's enough. Moreover, the colored ink does not contain a glittering material. This is because the colored ink layer 3 only needs to be able to camouflage the pattern of the transparent ink layer 4 overlapping it to some extent by making itself visible or recognizable. For example, there may be used an ink made by mixing an acrylic, polyester, polyurethane, or epoxy resin with an organic or inorganic colored pigment such as titanium oxide, phthalocyanine, or carbon black. Various types of colored ink can be applied, such as ultraviolet curing type, oxidative polymerization type, penetrating type, superheat drying type, and evaporation drying type. The way in which white light or the like is reflected from the illumination light source on the colored ink layer 3 having such colored ink depends on the surface quality of the colored ink layer 3, but it is usually diffuse reflection. In many cases, the characteristic of doing so is dominant.

Further, the transparent ink constituting the transparent ink layer 4 can be, for example, a transparent varnish, an ink varnish, a transparent ink, or a medium ink that does not use a colored pigment. Various types of transparent ink can be used, such as ultraviolet curing type, oxidative polymerization type, penetrating type, superheat drying type, and evaporation drying type. The transparent ink layer 4 having such a transparent ink is such that when white light or the like is incident from an illumination light source, the ratio of the output light to the incident light is mainly in the direction of specular reflection where the incident angle and the output angle are approximately equal. It has variable properties. That is, in the transparent ink layer 4, the ratio of emitted light to incident light is reduced in the direction in which the outgoing angle relative to the incident angle of the illumination light source is specular reflection.

This is because the light absorption of the transparent ink layer 4 increases under specular reflection conditions. On the other hand, the transparent ink layer 4 transmits most of the incident light in a direction where the output angle relative to the incident angle of the illumination light source is not specular reflection. Therefore, in this case, the incident light is hardly attenuated when passing through the transparent ink layer 4, and the emitted light when reflected by the underlying glitter ink layer 5 or colored ink layer 3 is almost unchanged as the emitted light from the transparent ink layer 4. becomes.

The printing method for forming the glitter ink layer 5, the colored ink layer 3, and the transparent ink layer 4 includes gravure printing, wet offset printing, dry offset printing, letterpress printing, waterless planography, flexo printing, screen printing, or intaglio printing. Alternatively, inkjet printing or electrostatic printing may be used. Alternatively, melt transfer or sublimation transfer using an ink ribbon may be used.

The glitter ink layer 5 does not form a particular pattern and is uniformly formed in a predetermined area on one surface of the base material 2. The glitter ink layer 5 is formed, for example, in a solid color. On the other hand, the colored ink layer 3 and the transparent ink layer 4 constitute a first pattern 100 and a second pattern 200, which are predetermined pattern images, respectively, and the glitter ink layer 5 on one side of the base material 2 It is formed at a position that overlaps with As a result, a predetermined pattern image 300 in which the first pattern 100 and the second pattern 200 are combined is formed on the above-mentioned one surface of the information recording body 1, although the appearance differs depending on the viewing angle.

In the present embodiment, the first pattern 100 is a pattern in which the minimum unit is a pattern consisting of the characters "ABC", which is continuously arranged in the horizontal direction, and this arrangement is further arranged repeatedly in parallel in the vertical direction. be. On the other hand, the second pattern 200 is a two-dimensional code. That is, the first pattern 100 is a pattern that can be read visually, and the second pattern 200 can be read with a general reading device equipped with a two-dimensional code reading function and can be converted into a unique specific code. It is a pattern. Note that the specific code is an expression system of information that is necessary and useful to the user and can be converted by a reading device or an authenticity determination device described below.

The first pattern 100 may be of such a level that characters can be visually read or recognized as some kind of pattern, and it is preferable that the visibility and readability of the second pattern 200 can be moderately inhibited by this. On the other hand, it is better for the transparent ink that is the second pattern 200 to be difficult to see with the naked eye in order to increase the difficulty of reading.

Note that the cell size refers to the length of one side of a rectangle called a cell, which is the smallest unit constituting a two-dimensional code. A two-dimensional code forms a pattern corresponding to a specific code as a whole by arranging cells or not in a matrix-like square. By the way, if the two-dimensional code is version 25 of Model 2 of the QR code (registered trademark) and its overall size is 20 mm square, the corresponding cell size is approximately 0.17 mm, which is version 30. In this case, the corresponding cell size is approximately 0.15 mm.

When using an ink containing a silver-based glitter material, the glitter ink layer 5 is preferably formed of halftone dots or parallel lines with a halftone dot area ratio of at least 80% or more; It is more preferable to form it solidly. When the dot area ratio is 80% or more, the visibility of the first pattern 100 and the machine readability of the second pattern 200 are improved. This is because it can further improve the quality of the product. The halftone dots of the glitter ink layer 5 are, for example, regular halftone dots such as fixed halftone dots, unlike irregular halftone dots such as those of an FM screen image. Note that the halftone dot area ratio is expressed as a percentage of the halftone dot area per unit area in the halftone gradation. Further, an example of a method for calculating the dot area ratio will be described later.

Furthermore, the colored ink layer 3 constituting the first pattern 100 may be white ink, black ink, or gray ink obtained by blending or overlapping these ink. Alternatively, the ink can be made by appropriately selecting process color inks such as yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) inks, other black inks, special color inks, etc., and blending or layering these inks. good. The colored ink layer 3 is a layer composed of non-transparent colored achromatic or chromatic ink, and the colored ink forming the colored ink layer 3 has a dot area ratio of 35% or more and 55% or less. It is preferable to use halftone dots, and more preferably 40% or more and 50% or less of halftone dots.

FIG. 18 shows a table 80 summarizing the superiority and inferiority of various performances for each dot area ratio of colored inks.
Table 80 in FIG. 18 shows the dot area ratios of colored inks in rows, and the dot area ratios range from 25% to 60% in 5% increments. Table 80 in FIG. 18 shows various performances in columns, and the performances are machine readability of colored ink two-dimensional codes, machine readability of transparent ink two-dimensional codes, visibility of colored inks, and copy protection. It is gender. Where the rows and columns intersect is the evaluation, which indicates the superiority or inferiority of performance in three stages: ◯, △, and ×. ◯ indicates good, × indicates poor, and △ indicates an intermediate value.
According to Table 80, if there is a range 81 of halftone dots with a halftone dot area ratio of 35% or more and 55% or less, there is no defect in any evaluation. Moreover, if the range 82 is a halftone dot with a halftone dot area ratio of 40% or more and 50% or less, the evaluation of performance is even better. The best score is around 45%, which is good for all performances.
In addition, if the colored ink (first pattern 100) has a design that is not machine readable (if the second pattern 200 has only a camouflage function), the range of halftone dots with a halftone dot area ratio of 30% or more and 55% or less If so, there is no defect.

Here, the dot area ratio of colored ink was measured using the following two measurement methods.
(Method 1)
Equipment: X-rite Hortable Spectrophotometer (eXact Advance)
Measurement lighting conditions: M1 (ISO13655 compliant)
Color calculation parameter: D50/2
Measure the area where the colored ink is placed on the glitter ink.The colored ink is C (cyan), and the cyan value is read from the measured CMYK color (K: black) (measurement of halftone dot %).
→Install the above device at the location you want to measure, measure the density, and the measurement result will be the dot %.

(Method 2)
Equipment: Microscope (Keyence MHX500F)
Calculate the halftone density by measuring the pitch and size of the halftone dots (actual measurement)
The printed matter is printed at a resolution of 150 lines and 2400 dpi. In the case of method 2, as shown in FIG. The dot area ratio can be calculated from the size of the dots 92.

Since the dot area ratio of the colored ink is in the former range, the amount of light incident from the outside is reflected by the glittering ink layer 5 as the base after passing through the gaps between the halftone dots of the colored ink. Can increase the amount of light. Therefore, under predetermined conditions, the contrast between the transparent ink layer 4 constituting the second pattern 200 and the underlying glitter ink layer 5 and colored ink layer 3 is large, and the readability of the second pattern 200 by the reading device is improved. improves. Furthermore, because the dot area ratio of the colored ink is in the latter range, the readability of the second pattern 200 is further improved, and it is less susceptible to individual differences such as the intensity of illumination depending on the model of the reading device. , stable readability can be obtained.

On the other hand, there are no particular restrictions on the two-dimensional code of the second pattern 200 shown in FIG. 1(a), and it is preferable to make the cell size as large as possible and to make the overall size of the two-dimensional code as small as possible. Incidentally, if the two-dimensional code is Model 2 of a QR code (registered trademark) and its overall size is 12 mm square, it is preferable that the version be 10 or less, and it is more preferable that the version be 3 or less. This is to improve the readability of the second pattern 200.

Assume that the second pattern 200 is a Model 2 QR code (registered trademark). At this time, the external outline of the second pattern 200 is approximately square, and cutout symbols 200p consisting of a small square and an outer frame of a slightly larger square surrounding the outside are arranged at three vertices of the second pattern 200. The cutout symbol is also called a finder pattern, and is used to determine the position and inclination of the pattern when reading the code with a reading device.

In this embodiment, the first pattern 100 is a pattern that can be read visually, and the second pattern 200 is a two-dimensional code. Therefore, only the second pattern 200 can be converted into a unique specific code by the reading device. However, the first pattern 100 may be a random or meaningless pattern that cannot be visually read, or may be some kind of design intended only for aesthetic purposes. This is because it is sufficient that the first pattern 100 has at least the effect of camouflaging the presence of the second pattern 200.

Next, a description will be given of how the pattern image 300 formed on the information recording medium 1 looks depending on changes in the viewing angle. FIG. 2(a) shows an information recording body 1 on which a pattern image 300 has been formed is placed on a flat table (not shown), and an illumination light source 21 arranged at an angle with respect to the normal direction to the main surface of the information recording body 1 is emitted from the information recording body 1 on a flat table (not shown). This shows a situation where white light is emitted. The emission angle of the light emitted from the illumination light source 21 is an angle α with respect to the normal direction to the principal surface of the information recording medium 1 .

At this time, when observed from the viewpoint 22a at the position P1, which is a position tilted by an angle β1 smaller than the angle α toward the opposite side of the illumination light source 21 with respect to the normal direction, the pattern that can be visually recognized on the information recording body 1 The image becomes a pattern image 300a shown in FIG. 2(b). That is, only the first pattern 100 is clearly visible from the viewpoint 22a at the position P1 where the viewing angle is β1.

As described above, the part of the glitter ink layer 5 serving as the base reflects diffusely regardless of the viewing angle, and the first pattern 100 composed of the colored ink layer 3 also reflects the specific wavelength, although not as much as the glitter ink layer 5. There is a tendency for light to be diffusely reflected over almost the entire area. Therefore, the light incident at the incident angle α is also reflected at the output angle β1, which is different from α. On the other hand, the second pattern 200 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 transmits most of the incident light at a position that is not near the observation angle corresponding to the emission angle of specular reflection. Therefore, it is difficult to visually recognize the second pattern 200 under these conditions.

Furthermore, when observed from the viewpoint 22b at the position P2, which is a position tilted by an angle β2, which is approximately the same angle as the angle α, on the opposite side of the illumination light source 21 with respect to the normal direction, the information recording body 1 The visible pattern image is a pattern image 300b shown in FIG. 2(c). That is, from the viewpoint 22b at position P2 where the observation angle is β2, both the first pattern 100 and the second pattern 200 can be visually recognized, and the second pattern 200 can be particularly clearly recognized. As described above, the first pattern 100 composed of the glitter ink layer 5 and the colored ink layer 3 is diffusely reflected regardless of the viewing angle. On the other hand, in the second pattern 200 composed of the transparent ink layer 4, the ratio of reflected light to incident light is reduced near the observation angle corresponding to the emission angle of specular reflection compared to other observation angles. , a sufficient contrast of the second pattern 200 with respect to the glitter ink layer 5 and the first pattern 100 can be obtained.

Note that the pattern image that can be visually recognized on the information recording body 1 when observed from the viewpoint 22c at the position P3, which is a position tilted by an angle β3 larger than the angle α on the opposite side of the illumination light source 21 with respect to the normal direction. becomes a pattern image 300a shown in FIG. 2(b). That is, the view is similar to the viewpoint 22a at position P1 where the viewing angle is β1. The reason for this is the same as when the observation angle is β1.

It is assumed that the pattern image 300b formed on the information recording body 1 in FIG. 2(c) is read by the reading device at the viewpoint 22b at the position P2. Here, among the reflected light from the information recording medium 1 that enters the reading device, white light from the illumination light source 21, which is the source of the reflected light in the part of the glitter ink layer 5 that is the base of the pattern image 300b and the reflected light in the first pattern 100, is used. Let Re21 (%) be the reflectance for that. Further, the reflectance of the reflected light in the second pattern 200 with respect to the white light of the illumination light source 21 is defined as Re22 (%). When the reflectance of the part of the glitter ink layer 5 to white light is Re211 (%), and the reflectance of the white light of the illumination light source 21 from which the reflected light in the first pattern 100 originates is Re212 (%), usually Re211 becomes larger than Re212. Re21 shows a reflectance including both such Re211 and Re212.

At this time, the reflectance threshold for the binarization process of the reading device is set to a threshold Re23 that is smaller than Re21 and larger than Re22, pixels that receive light with a reflectance equal to or higher than the threshold are set as 1 or white, and the pixels that are reflected less than the threshold are set as 1 or white. A pixel that receives light at a certain rate is determined to be 0 or black. Through such processing, the reading device captures the part of the glitter ink layer 5 that is the base of the pattern image 300b and the part of the first pattern 100 as 1 or white, and the part of the second pattern 200 as 0 or black. . Thereby, the second pattern 200 can be extracted with good contrast and converted into a specific code.

When the colored ink forming the colored ink layer 3 has halftone dots with a halftone dot area ratio of 35% or more and 55% or less, the glitter is applied from the gaps between the halftone dots of the first pattern 100 on the base of the pattern image 300b. The ink layer 5 is slightly exposed. Therefore, there is little possibility that a local decrease in reflectance due to the first pattern 100 will impede reading of the second pattern 200. It has been explained that the pattern image 300 appears in two ways, the pattern images 300a and 300b, depending on the positional relationship between the illumination light source 21 and the observation angle. This can be caused without changing the positional relationship with the observation angle.

For example, in FIG. 2A, observation is made while fixed at a viewpoint 22b at position P2, which is tilted by angle β2, which is approximately the same angle as angle α. Here, the illumination light source 21 is turned off, or the illumination light source 21 is turned on with the amount of light significantly reduced. In this case, most of the incident light passes through the transparent ink layer 4 because diffused light is dominantly incident on the information recording medium 1 and strong parallel light does not enter the information recording medium 1 . As a result, the second pattern 200 is not visible, and only the glitter ink layer 5 and the first pattern 100 are visible due to the effect of diffuse reflection. That is, the pattern image 300a in FIG. 2(b) can be visually recognized.

On the other hand, when the illumination light source 21 is turned on with sufficient light intensity under the above conditions, relatively strong parallel light enters the information recording medium 1 at an incident angle α, and the part of the glittering ink layer 5 and the first The second pattern 200 is clearly visible together with the pattern 100. That is, the pattern image 300b in FIG. 2(c) can be visually recognized. This is because, at this time, most of the incident light is absorbed by the transparent ink layer 4, and the proportion of outgoing light is reduced.

As described above, by keeping the light intensity of the illumination light source 21 constant and changing the observation angle, it is possible to cause the pattern image 300 of the information recording medium 1 to appear in two ways: the pattern images 300a and 300b. Also, without changing the positional relationship between the illumination light source 21 and the observation angle, only the light intensity of the illumination light source 21 can be changed between an off state and a lit state, or a lighting state with a low light intensity and a lighting state with a higher light intensity. A similar appearance can also be produced by changing to . Note that the above explanation applies even if the arrangement and observation angle of the illumination light source 21 in FIG. It works.

Note that the transparent ink layer 4 constituting the second pattern 200 only needs to have transparency to the extent that it satisfies the above-mentioned conditions depending on the viewing angle. Specifically, it is preferable that the transmittance for visible light with a wavelength of 380 nm or more and 780 nm or less is 50% or more, and 80% or more, assuming that the incident angle of the illumination light source and the observation angle are not conditions for specular reflection. is even more preferable. When the ratio is 50% or more, the first pattern 100 becomes easily visible from the outside, and as a result, the camouflage effect of the second pattern 200 improves. Furthermore, when the amount is 80% or more, the second pattern 200 of the transparent ink layer 4 becomes difficult to visually recognize, improving security.

As a result, on one surface of the information recording body 1, the first pattern 100 is easily visible, but the second pattern 200 is difficult to see if the incident angle of the illumination light source and the viewing angle are not in a predetermined relationship. Therefore, it is difficult for a third party to know the existence of the second pattern 200 that includes information that can be converted into a specific code, and security can be improved. Furthermore, when the pattern image 300 on one side of the information recording medium 1 is copied by a copying machine, since the illumination light source of the copying machine differs from the constant light irradiation from a fixed position, It is difficult to extract two patterns 200. As a result, only the first pattern 100 is likely to be extracted due to the contrast between the part of the glitter ink layer 5 that undergoes diffuse reflection and the first pattern 100. Therefore, it has the effect of discouraging copying in a copying machine, making it difficult to copy the information recording body 1, and from this point of view as well, security is improved.

In addition, by lighting the illumination light source with sufficient light intensity and placing the reading device at an observation angle that provides the conditions for specular reflection of the incident light from the illumination light source, it is possible to read two-dimensional codes without special functions. Even a commercially available inexpensive reading device can easily extract the second pattern 200 and decode the specific code.

Even in this case, when the illumination light source is turned off or turned on with a reduced light intensity, the surrounding light is greatly affected by the diffused light, so only the first pattern 100 of the information recording medium 1 is good in the reading device. However, the second pattern 200 becomes difficult to read. Therefore, since the second pattern 200 cannot be read unless the reading conditions are set appropriately, the authenticity determination and security of the information recording body 1 can be sufficiently increased. Furthermore, by providing the second pattern 200 smaller than the first pattern 100, when the first pattern 100 and the second pattern 200 are printed in a superimposed manner, even if the mutual printing positions are slightly shifted, the machine can read them without any problem. be able to.

However, the second pattern 200 may be provided with substantially the same size as the first pattern 100. That is, the outer circumferential contour of the second pattern 200 and the outer circumferential contour of the first pattern 100 may be provided so as to substantially match. This is because by doing so, the range in which the second pattern 200 is arranged can be easily estimated using the visually recognizable first pattern 100 as a guide, and the positioning of the reading device can be simplified. Note that the outer circumferential contour of the second pattern 200 and the outer circumferential contour of the first pattern 100 may be provided so as to partially substantially coincide with each other, and the above effect can also be obtained in this case.

(b) Configuration of reading device for information recording medium Next, the configuration of a reading device for reading information from the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The reading device 30 includes an illumination light source and a two-dimensional code reading function. As shown in FIG. 3A, the reading device 30 includes a reading section 33 such as a camera, an illumination light source 21, an operation section 35 for various operations, and a display section 36 that is a display screen for various displays. Equipped with. The reading device 30 also includes a control section 31 for inputting/outputting operation instructions and information to each of these sections, and a storage section 32.

The reading unit 33 is a CCD camera or the like, and color CCD elements are arranged in pixel units on a plane corresponding to a photographed image. The reading unit 33 can output to the image acquisition unit 44 gradation information in 256 stages from 0 to 255 for each color of RGB according to the amount of incident light for each pixel. As the illumination light source 21, an LED light or the like is used, and the amount of light can be adjusted. The display section 36 uses a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc., and the operation section 35 is composed of a capacitive input type touch panel that also serves as the display. You can perform various operations. Note that the reading unit 33 may be a black and white CCD camera or the like, and may be capable of outputting gradation information of 256 gray levels from 0 to 255 depending on the amount of incident light for each pixel to the image acquisition unit 44. .

Further, the control unit 31 includes a CPU or MPU and an input/output interface with each part, and performs various calculations and judgments, inputs and outputs information including instructions to each part, and the like. The control unit 31 includes an illumination control unit 41 that turns on and off the illumination light source 21 and controls the strength of the light amount, an image acquisition unit 44 that acquires images taken by the reading unit 33, and a two-dimensional code acquired by the image acquisition unit 44. It includes a code identifying section 45 that identifies a specific code from an image or the like.
The storage unit 32 is a storage area such as a semiconductor memory device for storing programs, data, etc. necessary for the control unit 31 to execute various processes.
The storage unit 32 stores a program storage unit 38. The program storage unit 38 stores programs for executing various functions of the control unit 31. The programs for executing various functions of the control unit 31 may be composed of one program or may be composed of a plurality of programs. Further, the program may be one that can be incorporated into another program.

The reading device 30 includes, for example, a personal computer or a server having the functions of a control section 31 and a storage section 32, a CCD camera or the like as a reading section 33, an illumination light source 21, an operation section 35, and a display section 36. It's okay. The devices may be communicably connected to each other via a cable, or the devices may be communicably connected to each other via a network such as the Internet. Further, the reading device 30 may be a device in which the above-mentioned functions are integrated, such as a smartphone, for example.
Note that a computer refers to an information processing device that includes a control unit, a storage device, etc., and the reading device 30 is an information processing device that includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, etc., and is included in the concept of computer.

(c) Method for reading information recording medium Next, a method for reading information from the information recording medium 1 of this embodiment will be described mainly based on FIG. 4. First, the reading device 30 activates the reading section 33 such as a camera (step S401 in FIG. 4). Next, the reading device 30 puts the pattern image 300 of the information recording body 1 into the field of view of the reading section 33 .

Subsequently, the illumination control section 41 of the reading device 30 turns on the illumination light source 21 so that the reading section 33 can photograph not only the first pattern 100 but also the second pattern 200 from the pattern image 300 of the information recording medium 1. state. By turning on the illumination light source 21, strong parallel light from the illumination light source is incident on the information recording medium 1, and by orienting the reading device 30 at an appropriate viewing angle, the reading section 33 receives the direct light from the information recording medium 1. It is possible to allow reflected light to enter. At this time, in the reading section 33, the reflected light from the transparent ink layer 4 of the information recording medium 1 is lower than the reflected light from the glitter ink layer 5 and the colored ink layer 3. Therefore, against the background of the part of the glitter ink layer 5 and the first pattern 100 of the colored ink layer 3, the contrast between these and the second pattern 200 of the transparent ink layer 4 becomes clear.

As a result, a large amount of reflected light from the glitter ink layer 5 enters, and a smaller amount of reflected light from the colored ink layer 3 enters. That is, the reading unit 33 can photograph the second pattern 200 well. In this state, the image acquisition unit 44 acquires the image of the second pattern 200 from the reading unit 33, and the code identification unit 45 converts it into a specific code (step S402).

Note that when the reading device 30 is a smartphone, the illumination light source 21 and the reading section 33 are often arranged at substantially the same position. In this case, both the illumination light source 21 and the reading section 33 may be arranged so as to face each other in the normal direction of the main surface of the information recording medium 1. General-purpose two-dimensional code reading application programs that can be used on smartphones, etc. usually automatically increase or decrease the threshold value in the image binarization process to extract the two-dimensional code from the read image. is adjusted to optimize reading. The threshold value in this case is, for example, a reference value of luminance that serves as a boundary for determining that the background image is 1 and the two-dimensional code image is 0.

Here, if the conversion to a specific code by the code specifying unit 45 is successful, that effect is displayed on the display unit 36 of the reading device 30 (steps S403 and S404). On the other hand, if the conversion to a specific code fails, that fact is displayed on the display unit 36 (steps S403 and S408). The flow of the reading method in FIG. 4 is now complete. In the former case, another process can be continued based on the code identified from the second pattern 200. For example, the specific code can be regarded as an authentication number for a financial transaction, and if the code is authentic, the financial transaction can be performed. On the other hand, in the latter case, it may be determined that the information recording body 1 is not genuine, and the processing may be stopped.

(d) Configuration of Authenticity Determination Device for Information Recording Body Next, the configuration of the authenticity determination device for determining the authenticity of the information recording body 1 of this embodiment will be explained. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the authenticity determination device 60 is different from the above-described reading device 30 in that the control section 31a further includes an authenticity determination section 46, and the storage section 32a has an authenticity determination section in addition to the program storage section 38. The difference is that information 53 is stored. The authenticity determination unit 46 determines whether or not the code converted and identified from the second pattern 200 by the code identification unit 45 in the above-mentioned reading device 30 is authentic by comparing it with the authenticity determination information 53 in the storage unit 32a. It has the ability to judge. That is, the authenticity determination information 53 is comparison information for determining the authenticity of the information recording body 1.
Note that a computer refers to an information processing device equipped with a control section, a storage device, etc., and the authenticity determination device 60 is an information processing device equipped with a control section 31a, a storage section 32a, etc., and is included in the concept of computer. .

(e) Authenticity determination method for information recording medium Continuing with the method for determining the authenticity of information on the information recording medium 1 of this embodiment, the steps following the above-described reading method shown in FIG. 4 will be described. After the code specifying unit 45 has successfully converted the code into a specific code and the fact is displayed on the display unit 36 of the reading device 30 (step S403 and step S404), the authenticity determining unit 46 The authenticity of the code identified from the second pattern 200 is determined (step S405). Here, if it is determined that the code is genuine, a message to that effect is displayed (steps S406 and S407), and if it is determined that the code is not genuine, a message to that effect is displayed (steps S406 and S409). ), the process ends. Even if the second pattern 200 cannot be converted into a specific code (steps S403 and S408) and the process proceeds to process A, the process ends via step S409.

Here, the authenticity determination information 53 stored in the storage unit 32a may be a value that matches the code converted from the second pattern 200, for example, or may be a value encrypted using a predetermined encryption key. In this case, the authenticity determining unit 46 is equipped with the predetermined encryption key, calculates a value decrypted with its own encryption key from the value of the referenced authentication information 53, and converts this into the code specified from the second pattern 200. Authenticity may be determined by comparing with. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the risk that the authenticity determination information 53 is read out illegally from the outside or tampered with.

Note that the authenticity determination information 53 may be stored not in the storage unit 32a of the authenticity determination device 60 but in a storage unit of a separate management server. In this case, the authenticity determination device 60 preferably has a function of communicating with the management server via the Internet, a wide area communication network for mobile phones, or the like.

The reading device 30 and the authenticity determining device 60 correctly extract a necessary specific code from the information recording medium 1 and determine the authenticity. Thereby, correct information can be specified from the information record 1 and procedures can be carried out securely using this as a condition for financial transactions, and forgery or unauthorized use of the information record can be easily detected.

The authenticity determination device 60 includes, for example, a personal computer or a server having the functions of a control section 31a and a storage section 32a, a CCD camera or the like as a reading section 33, an illumination light source 21, an operation section 35, and a display section 36. It may be composed of. The devices may be communicably connected to each other via a cable, or the devices may be communicably connected to each other via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the authenticity determination device 60 constructs an authenticity determination system in which each device is communicably connected to each other. Moreover, the authenticity determination device 60 may be a device in which the above-mentioned functions are integrated, such as a smartphone, for example.

2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The laminated structure of the information recording body 1a according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5(a) is the same layered structure as the information recording body 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1(b). This point also applies to other embodiments and modifications described below except for the twelfth embodiment. The information recording body 1a includes a pattern image 301 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 301 includes a first pattern 101 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 200 made up of the transparent ink layer 4.

In the information recording body 1a of the second embodiment, the first pattern 101 constituting the pattern image 301 is not a pattern composed of characters, etc., but the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 are both two-dimensional codes. is different from the first embodiment. That is, it is possible to read the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 separately and convert them into a unique specific code using a general reading device equipped with a two-dimensional code reading function. .

It is better if the transparent ink that is the second pattern 200 is difficult to see, and the positioning when reading with a machine (for example, a camera) is performed while visually observing the first pattern 101, which has good visibility. With this configuration, it is possible to easily align the positions while visually checking them through a machine.

Further, the colored ink layer 3 forming the first pattern 101 may have the same structure as the first embodiment, and the colored ink forming the colored ink layer 3 has a dot area ratio of 35% or more and 55% or less. It is preferable to use halftone dots, and more preferably 40% or more and 50% or less of halftone dots. This is because even if the first pattern 101 is a two-dimensional code, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be expected.

It is assumed that the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 are both model 2 QR codes (registered trademark). At this time, the outline of both patterns is approximately square, and cutout symbols 101p and 200p, which are composed of a small square and an outer frame of a slightly larger square that surrounds the outside, are arranged at the three vertices. . In particular, when it is necessary to convert the first pattern 101 to a specific code, it is preferable to arrange the cutout symbols 101p of the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 so that they do not overlap. This is because the readability of the first pattern 101 is improved.

Next, a description will be given of how the pattern image 301 formed on the information recording medium 1 looks depending on changes in the viewing angle. The information recording body 1a on which the pattern image 301 has been formed is placed on a flat table (not shown), and white light is emitted from the illumination light source 21 arranged at an angle with respect to the normal direction to the main surface of the information recording body 1a. It will be explained as shown below.

At this time, when observed from the viewpoint 22a at the position P1, which is a position tilted by an angle β1 smaller than the angle α toward the opposite side of the illumination light source 21 with respect to the normal direction, the pattern that can be visually recognized on the information recording body 1a The image becomes a pattern image 301a shown in FIG. 5(b). That is, only the first pattern 101 is clearly visible from the viewpoint 22a at the position P1 where the viewing angle is β1. Furthermore, when observed from the viewpoint 22b at the position P2, which is a position tilted by an angle β2, which is approximately the same angle as the angle α, on the opposite side of the illumination light source 21 with respect to the normal direction, the information recording body 1a The visible pattern image is a pattern image 301b shown in FIG. 5(c). That is, from the viewpoint 22b at position P2 where the observation angle is β2, both the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 are visible, and the second pattern 200 is particularly visible.

Note that the pattern image that can be visually recognized on the information recording body 1 when observed from the viewpoint 22c at the position P3, which is a position tilted by an angle β3 larger than the angle α on the opposite side of the illumination light source 21 with respect to the normal direction. becomes a pattern image 301a shown in FIG. 5(b). That is, the view is similar to the viewpoint 22a at position P1 where the viewing angle is β1.

It is assumed that the pattern image 301a formed on the information recording body 1 in FIG. 5(b) is read by a two-dimensional code reading device at the viewpoint 22a at position P1 or the viewpoint 22c at position P3. Here, among the reflected light from the information recording medium 1 that enters the reading device, the reflectance of the reflected light on the glitter ink layer 5, which is the base of the pattern image 301a, with respect to the white light of the original illumination light source 21 is calculated as Re211 (% ). Further, the reflectance of the reflected light in the first pattern 101 with respect to the white light of the illumination light source 21 is defined as Re212 (%). In other words, the definition is the same as in the first embodiment.

At this time, the reading device performs binarization processing according to the amount of light incident on each pixel, which is a CCD element. Then, the reflectance threshold is set to a first threshold Re13 that is greater than Re212 and smaller than Re211, pixels that receive light with a reflectance that is greater than or equal to the threshold are defined as 1 or white, and pixels that receive light with a reflectance that is less than the threshold. is determined to be 0 or black. Through such processing, the reading device captures the part of the glitter ink layer 5 underlying the pattern image 300a as 1 or white, and captures the part of the first pattern 101 as 0 or black, thereby reading the first pattern 101. It can be extracted with good contrast and converted to a specific code.

Similarly, it is assumed that the pattern image 301b formed on the information recording body 1a in FIG. 5(c) is read by the reading device at the viewpoint 22b at the position P2. Here, among the reflected light from the information recording medium 1a that enters the reading device, white light from the illumination light source 21, which is the source of the reflected light in the part of the glitter ink layer 5 serving as the base of the pattern image 301b and the first pattern 101, is used. As mentioned above, the reflectance with respect to the rays is assumed to be Re21 (%). Re21 indicates a reflectance including both of the above-mentioned Re211 and Re212. Further, the reflectance of the reflected light in the second pattern 200 with respect to the white light of the illumination light source 21 is defined as Re22 (%).

At this time, the reflectance threshold for the binarization process of the reading device is set to a second threshold Re23 that is smaller than Re21 and larger than Re22, and a pixel that receives light with a reflectance equal to or higher than the threshold is set as 1 or white, and the threshold is set as 1 or white. Pixels that receive light with a reflectance of less than 0 are determined to be 0 or black. Through such processing, the reading device captures the part of the glitter ink layer 5 that is the base of the pattern image 301b and the part of the first pattern 101 as 1 or white, and the part of the second pattern 200 as 0 or black. . Thereby, the second pattern 200 can be extracted with good contrast and converted into a specific code.

The glitter ink layer 5 is slightly exposed in the gap between the first pattern 101 on the base of the pattern image 301b, but as mentioned above, the cell size of the two-dimensional code of the first pattern 101 is sufficiently small, so the glitter There is little possibility that the portion of the ink layer 5 will hinder reading of the second pattern 200. It has been explained that the pattern image 301 appears in two ways, the pattern images 301a and 301b, depending on the positional relationship between the illumination light source 21 and the viewing angle. This can be caused without changing the positional relationship between the observation angle and the observation angle. This point is similar to the first embodiment.

As a result, since the first pattern 101 is easily visible but the second pattern 200 is difficult to see on one side of the information recording body 1a, the existence of the second pattern 200 containing information that can be converted into a specific code is detected. It can be made difficult for third parties to know, increasing security. Furthermore, when the pattern image 301 on one side of the information recording medium 1 is copied by a copying machine, since the illumination light source of the copying machine differs from the constant light irradiation from a fixed position, the pattern image 301 made of the transparent ink layer 4 is It is difficult to extract two patterns 200. As a result, only the first pattern 101 composed of the colored ink layer 3 with the glittering ink layer 5 that diffusely reflects it as a base is easily extracted. Therefore, it has the effect of discouraging copying in a copying machine, making it difficult to copy the information recording body 1a, and from this point of view as well, security is improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 constituting the pattern image 301 can both be read by a general reading device equipped with a two-dimensional code reading function under predetermined conditions, and each It is a pattern that can be converted into a unique and specific code. The first pattern 101 is provided only for camouflage, and the specific code converted from the first pattern 101 may be a meaningless dummy code. In this case, by reading the second pattern 200 under predetermined conditions as in the first embodiment, it is possible to convert this into a specific code or to determine authenticity.

However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the first pattern 101 constituting the pattern image 301 is read by the reading device under a predetermined first condition, and the first pattern 101 constituting the pattern image 301 is read by the reading device under a predetermined second condition. The second pattern 200 constituting the pattern image 301 may be read. At this time, the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 200 are each converted into a specific code, and when each code matches the two types of authenticity determination information 53 stored in the storage section 32a, the pattern image 301 is converted into a specific code. Authenticity may be determined to be genuine. In this case, the predetermined first condition may be a condition in which the illumination of the reading device is turned off, and the predetermined second condition may be a condition in which the illumination of the reading device is turned on.

3. Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The information recording body 1b according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6(a) includes a pattern image 302 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 302 includes a first pattern 101 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 201 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The second pattern 201 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 of the information recording body 1b is composed of a plurality of partial patterns 201a, 201b, 201c, and 201d separated and arranged at four locations: upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right. . This point differs from the information recording bodies 1 and 1a of the first and second embodiments. Each partial pattern is arranged in a matrix of two vertical columns and two horizontal columns.

In this embodiment, the four partial patterns constituting the second pattern 201 are all two-dimensional codes of the same pattern. In other words, if each partial pattern constituting the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 201 can be read separately with a general reading device equipped with a two-dimensional code reading function, the reading device can uniquely identify each partial pattern. can be converted to a specific code. Partial patterns 201a, 201b, 201c, and 201d are each converted into the same code.

The four partial patterns are arranged so that they are spaced apart by a predetermined gap and are oriented in the same direction. That is, the cutout symbols 201p of a plurality of partial patterns are arranged so as not to overlap each other, and the cutout symbols 201p are arranged at the upper left, upper right, and lower left of each partial pattern.

In this way, the information recording body 1b of the third embodiment has all the configurations of the information recording bodies 1 and 1a of the first and second embodiments, but the second pattern 201 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 is It is composed of a plurality of partial patterns separated into four locations. Furthermore, each partial pattern is converted into the same code.

Since the information recording body 1b has such a configuration, the quality of the information recording body 1b can be improved and its adaptability to the reading environment can be expanded. That is, there may be a manufacturing defect such as a part of the second pattern 201 made of the transparent ink layer 4 being lost, or the information recording medium 1b may be illuminated too strongly by the illumination light source, and the second pattern 201 may be damaged. Some may cause halation. Even in such a case, if any one of the four partial patterns can be completely read, the correct specific code can be decoded. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine authenticity while relaxing the reading environment conditions of the reading device.

4. Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The configuration of the information recording body 1c according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6(b) is almost the same as the information recording body 1b according to the third embodiment. The information recording body 1c includes a pattern image 303 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 303 includes a first pattern 101 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 202 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The second pattern 202 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 of the information recording body 1c is different from the third embodiment in that it is composed of different partial patterns, and each partial pattern can be converted into a different specific code. .

(a) Structure of information recording body The plurality of partial patterns 202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d that are separated and arranged in four places constituting the second pattern 202 have the same arrangement of cutout symbols 202p, but all of them are It is a two-dimensional code with different patterns. Therefore, each partial pattern when read by the reading device is converted into a different specific code. For example, partial patterns 202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d can be converted to "XYZ67890,""ABC11111,""ABC22222," and "ABC33333," respectively. Incidentally, the first pattern 101 can be converted to "ABC12345".

Since the information recording body 1c has such a configuration, four different types of information can be stored in the second pattern 202 of the information recording body 1c, and by making some association with these pieces of information, the information recording body can be changed. Security regarding reading can be further improved. For example, only the code converted from partial pattern 202a may be a genuine code, and all the codes converted from other partial patterns 202b, 202c, and 202d may be dummy codes. Which of the four partial patterns is the genuine code may be set and stored in advance as application data in the reading device, or the code converted by reading the first pattern 101 may be the correct partial pattern. The location information and specific information may also be included.

(b) Characteristics of the reading device for the information recording medium of the fourth embodiment )). As shown in FIG. 7, the reading device 30a includes a storage section 32b for the reading device 30, and the storage section 32b stores the first pattern position specifying information 51 and the second pattern in addition to the program storage section 38. The difference is that position specifying information 52 is stored. Further, the reading device 30a differs from the reading device 30 in the following points. That is, the control section 31b includes a first pattern position specifying section 42 that specifies the reading position and reading range of the first pattern 101 by referring to the first pattern position specifying information 51 in the storage section 32b. Furthermore, the control section 31b includes a second pattern position specifying section 43 that specifies the reading position and reading range of the second pattern 202 with reference to the second pattern position specifying information 52.

The storage of the first pattern position specifying information 51 is optional, and is used when the first pattern 101 of the information recording body 1c is separated into a plurality of partial patterns, each of which can be converted into a different specific code. At this time, the first pattern position specifying information 51 includes placement information of a partial pattern having a genuine code. In this embodiment, since the first pattern 101 can be converted into one code, this information may not be necessary. Further, the second pattern position specifying information 52 includes arrangement information of a partial pattern having a genuine code among the plurality of partial patterns forming the second pattern 202 of the information recording body 1b. For example, the information indicates that the partial pattern 202a located at the upper left is genuine.

Note that the reading device 30a includes, for example, a personal computer or server having the functions of a control section 31b and a storage section 32b, a CCD camera or the like as a reading section 33, an illumination light source 21, an operation section 35, and a display section 36. may be configured. The devices may be communicably connected to each other via a cable, or the devices may be communicably connected to each other via a network such as the Internet. Further, the reading device 30a may be a device in which the above-mentioned functions are integrated, such as a smartphone, for example.

(c) Method for reading information recording medium Next, a method for reading information from the information recording medium 1c of this embodiment will be described mainly based on FIGS. 8 and 9. First, the reading device 30a activates the reading section 33 such as a camera (step S421 in FIG. 8). Next, the reading device 30a brings the pattern image 303 of the information recording body 1c into the field of view of the reading unit 33. Here, if the first pattern position specifying information 51 is stored in the storage section 32b, the control section 31b refers to this, and the first pattern position specifying section 42 causes the reading section 33 to locate the position in the pattern image 303. The position and range where reading is required for the first pattern 101 is specified (step S422). In this embodiment, the first pattern 101 is a single two-dimensional code, and the position and range where the first pattern 101 should be read can be specified by the cutout symbol 101p, so this operation is not necessary.

Subsequently, the illumination control section 41 of the reading device 30a turns off the illumination light source 21 to enable the reading section 33 to photograph only the first pattern 101 from the pattern image 303 of the information recording body 1c. By turning off the illumination light source 21, strong parallel light does not enter the information recording medium 1c from a specific direction, and the information recording medium 1b receives diffused light predominantly as a whole. As a result, in the reading section 33, the reflected light from the glitter ink layer 5 of the information recording medium 1c increases more than the reflected light from the colored ink layer 3, and the light reflected from the glitter ink layer 5 of the information recording medium 1c is displayed as a background. The contrast with the first pattern 100 of the colored ink layer 3 becomes clear. As a result, only the first pattern 101 can be photographed satisfactorily. In this state, the image acquisition unit 44 acquires the image of the first pattern 100 from the reading unit 33, and the code identification unit 45 converts it into a specific code (step S423).

Note that the state in which the reading unit 33 can photograph only the first pattern 101 from the pattern image 303 of the information recording body 1c is not limited to the case where the illumination light source 21 is turned off. For example, it is possible to turn on the illumination light source 21 and adjust the amount of light to become very weak.

Here, if the conversion to a specific code by the code specifying unit 45 is successful, that effect is displayed on the display unit 36 of the reading device 30a (steps S424 and S425). On the other hand, if the conversion to a specific code fails, that fact is displayed on the display unit 36 (steps S424 and S426). In the former case, processing continues on to process B, which is a step of specifying the reading position and range of the second pattern 202 based on the code specified from the first pattern 101. On the other hand, in the latter case, processing continues with process C.

In process B, the second pattern position specifying section 43 of the control section 31b refers to the second pattern position specifying information 52 stored in the storage section 32b. Then, the reading unit 33 specifies the position and range of the second pattern 202 read from the pattern image 303 that needs to be read, that is, the position and range of the partial pattern that the image acquisition unit 44 should acquire (FIG. step S441). In this embodiment, when four partial patterns 202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d are read as the second pattern 202, only the partial pattern 202a located at the upper left of them is the partial pattern that the image acquisition unit 44 should acquire. identify something.

Subsequently, the illumination control section 41 of the reading device 30a turns on the illumination light source 21 to enable the reading section 33 to photograph only the second pattern 202 from the pattern image 303 of the information recording body 1c. By turning on the illumination light source 21, strong parallel light from the illumination light source is incident on the information recording medium 1c, and by orienting the reading device 30a to an appropriate viewing angle, the reading section 33 receives the direct light from the information recording medium 1c. It is possible to allow reflected light to enter. At this time, in the reading section 33, the reflected light from the transparent ink layer 4 of the information recording medium 1c is reduced compared to the reflected light from the glitter ink layer 5 and the colored ink layer 3. As a result, against the background of the glitter ink layer 5 and the first pattern 101 of the colored ink layer 3, the contrast between these and the second pattern 202 of the transparent ink layer 4 becomes clear.

As a result, a large amount of reflected light from the glitter ink layer 5 and the colored ink layer 3 enters, and a smaller amount of reflected light from the transparent ink layer 4 enters. That is, the reading unit 33 can photograph the second pattern 202 well. In this state, the image acquisition unit 44 acquires an image of the partial pattern 202a of the second pattern 202 from the reading unit 33, and the code identification unit 45 converts it into a specific code (step S442).

Here, if the conversion to a specific code by the code specifying section 45 is successful, that effect is displayed on the display section 36 of the reading device 30a (steps S443 and S444). On the other hand, if the conversion to a specific code fails, that fact is displayed on the display unit 36 (steps S443 and S445). In the former case, another process as described above can be continued based on the code specified from the partial pattern 202a of the second pattern 202.

(d) Configuration of Authenticity Determining Device for Information Recording Body Next, we will explain the configuration of the authenticity determining device 60a for determining the authenticity of information on the information recording body 1b of this embodiment, and its differences from the above-mentioned authenticity determining device 60. I will mainly explain. As shown in FIG. 10, the authenticity determination device 60a is different from the above-described authenticity determination device 60 in that it includes a storage section 32c, and the storage section 32c includes, in addition to the program storage section 38 and the authenticity determination information 53, first The difference is that pattern position specifying information 51 and second pattern position specifying information 52 are stored. The authenticity determination device 60a also includes a first pattern position specifying unit 42 in which the control unit 31c specifies the reading position and reading range of the first pattern 101 with reference to the first pattern position specifying information 51 in the storage unit 32c. Be prepared. Furthermore, the control section 31c includes a second pattern position specifying section 43 that specifies the reading position and reading range of the second pattern 202 with reference to the second pattern position specifying information 52. Note that the storage unit 32c stores authenticity determination information 53 as comparison information for determining the authenticity of the information recording body 1b.

The authenticity determination device 60a includes, for example, a personal computer or server having the functions of a control section 31c and a storage section 32c, a CCD camera or the like as a reading section 33, an illumination light source 21, an operation section 35, and a display section 36. It may be composed of. The devices may be communicably connected to each other via a cable, or the devices may be communicably connected to each other via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the authenticity determination device 60a constructs an authenticity determination system in which each device is communicably connected to each other. Further, the authenticity determination device 60a may be a device in which the above-mentioned functions are integrated, such as a smartphone, for example.

(e) Authenticity determination method for information recording body Next, a method for determining the authenticity of information on the information recording body 1c of this embodiment will be described mainly based on FIGS. 8 and 11. First, as described above, the authenticity determination device 60a performs operations from activating the reading unit 33 (step S421 in FIG. 8) to identifying the code by reading the first pattern 101 (step S424), and displays a message to that effect ( Step S425). This is similar to the method of identifying the code of the first pattern 101 by the reading device 30a. Next, the authenticity determination device 60a performs steps S461 to S464 shown in FIG. 11, which correspond to steps S441 to S444 in FIG. 9, which are the processes for the reading device 30a shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the authenticity determining unit 46 determines the authenticity of the code identified from the partial pattern 202a by the code identifying unit 45 (step S466). Here, if it is determined that the code is genuine, a message to that effect is displayed (step S467), and if it is determined that the code is not genuine, a message to that effect is displayed (step S469), and the process ends. Even if the first pattern 101 cannot be converted into a specific code (steps S424 and S426 in FIG. 8) and the process for specifying the code of the second pattern 202 cannot be entered, the process ends via step S469.

The information recording body 1c of the fourth embodiment is readable so that the first pattern 101 composed of the colored ink layer 3 can be converted into a specific code. The second pattern 202 made of the transparent ink layer 4 is made up of four partial patterns 202a, 202b, 202c and 202d, each of which can be read so as to be converted into a specific code. Furthermore, at least one of these partial patterns can be converted into a code that is different from the others. Here, the first pattern 101 can be converted into a first specific code, and the specific partial pattern 202a can be converted into a second specific code. The first specific code includes information regarding the position and range of a specific partial pattern 202a in the second pattern 202 in which the code is to be specified.

Therefore, first, the first specific code is extracted from reading the first pattern 100, and based on this, the position and range of the specific partial pattern 202a to be read in the second pattern 202 is specified, and the specific part is read. A second specific code can be extracted from pattern 202a. The second specific code may be any one of the partial patterns 202a to 202d, or may be a combination of codes read from any plurality of partial patterns.

Because the information recording body 1c has such a configuration, it is difficult to correctly read the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 202 separately. Furthermore, even if all of the four partial patterns constituting the first pattern 101 and the second pattern 202 can be read using a general-purpose reading device, which of the codes identified from these patterns is the information recording object in question? It is difficult to determine whether the value represents the authenticity of 1b. As a result, the information recording body 1c can further improve security.

5. Fifth Embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The information recording body 1d according to the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 12(a) includes a pattern image 304 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 304 includes a first pattern 101 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 203 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The configuration of the information recording body 1d is almost the same as the first pattern 101 and the information recording body 1b according to the third embodiment, but the second pattern 203 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 is arranged separately at four locations. The orientations of the plurality of partial patterns are different from the second pattern 201.

In other words, the plurality of partial patterns 203a, 203b, 203c, and 203d, which are separated and arranged at four locations constituting the second pattern 203, are all two-dimensional codes of the same pattern. However, when the information recording body 1d is viewed from above from one side, the partial pattern 203b is arranged in a direction obtained by rotating the partial pattern 202a by 90° clockwise.

Similarly, partial pattern 203c is arranged so as to rotate partial pattern 203a by 90 degrees counterclockwise. Furthermore, the partial pattern 203d is arranged so as to rotate the partial pattern 203a by 180° clockwise or counterclockwise. Therefore, the partial pattern 203a is arranged so that its cutout symbols 203p are at the upper left, upper right, and lower left of the partial pattern 203a, and the partial pattern 203b is arranged so that its cutout symbols 203p are at the upper left, upper right, and lower right. be done.

Furthermore, the partial pattern 203c is arranged so that its cutout symbols 202p are at the upper left, lower left, and lower right, and the partial pattern 203d is arranged so that its cutout symbols 203p are at the upper right, lower left, and lower right.

In other words, the second pattern 203 of the information recording body 1d is composed of a plurality of partial patterns, each of which has one or more cutout symbols 203p, and all the cutout symbols 203p are located outside the second pattern 203. It is placed at the end so that it faces. In other words, in each partial pattern, the cutout symbols 203p are arranged so as not to be near the center of the second pattern 203.

Note that in this embodiment, each partial pattern has three cutout symbols 203p, but the present invention can be applied even when there is only one cutout symbol. In this case, each partial pattern is arranged so that the cutout symbol of the upper left partial pattern is arranged at the upper left, and the cutout symbols of the upper right, lower left, and lower right partial patterns are arranged at the upper right, lower left, and lower right, respectively.

Since the information recording body 1d has such a configuration, the quality of the information recording body 1d can be improved and its adaptability to the reading environment can be expanded. That is, depending on the adjustment of the illumination light source, the information recording medium 1d may be illuminated too strongly, causing significant halation (a phenomenon in which areas hit by strong light rays become white and blurred) near the center of the second pattern 203. At this time, when each partial pattern constituting the second pattern 203 is read by a reading device, a part of the partial pattern near the center of the second pattern 203 cannot be read.

However, since the cutout symbol 203p, which serves as a reference for detecting the position of the partial pattern, is arranged along the outer periphery of the second pattern 203, the possibility that the reading device will cause a reading error when detecting the position of the partial pattern is reduced. can.

On the other hand, since a two-dimensional code has a certain degree of redundancy in its information, even if areas other than the extracted symbols are missing to some extent, the code can often be restored using an error correction function. Therefore, in the information recording body 1d of this embodiment, partial patterns can be read satisfactorily even if the reading environment is poor to some extent.

In addition, in the information recording body 1d, the first pattern 101 can be converted into a specific code, and some or all of the four partial patterns 203a, 203b, 203c, and 203d making up the second pattern 203 are different from each other. It may also be possible to convert it into a specific code. At this time, the information recording medium combines the functions and effects of the present embodiment and the fourth embodiment, and the reading devices 30, 30a and the authenticity determining devices 60, 60a can also be applied to such information recording bodies. It is possible.

6. Sixth Embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The information recording body 1e according to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 12(b) includes a pattern image 305 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 305 includes a first pattern 101 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 204 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The configuration of the information recording body 1e is similar to the information recording body 1d according to the fifth embodiment, but the second pattern 204 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 is arranged separately at nine locations instead of at four locations. The difference is that it includes a partial pattern.

That is, the plurality of partial patterns 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d, 204e, 204f, 204g, 204h, and 204i, which are separated and arranged at nine locations constituting the second pattern 204, are all two-dimensional codes of the same pattern. These are arranged in a matrix of three vertical columns and three horizontal columns. When the information recording body 1e is viewed from above from one side, partial patterns 204a, 204c, 204g, and 204i are arranged at the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right corners of the second pattern 204, which is approximately square. . Furthermore, partial patterns 204b, 204d, 204f, and 204h are arranged between partial patterns 204a and 204c, between 204a and 204g, between 204c and 204i, and between 204g and 204i, respectively.

Each partial pattern includes three cutout symbols 204p at each corner. Among these, the partial patterns 204a, 204c, 204g, and 204i arranged at the four corners of the second pattern 204 are arranged so that the three cutout symbols 204p are along the outer periphery of the second pattern 204.

Further, partial patterns 204b, 204d, 204e, 204f, and 204h other than those described above are arranged in the same direction as the partial pattern 204a, with the cutout symbols 204p of each partial pattern being at the upper left, upper right, and lower left. However, the partial patterns placed at locations other than the corners of these second patterns 204 may be placed in any direction.

Note that the same process can be performed even when each partial pattern has only one cutout symbol. Further, the number of partial patterns included in the second pattern 204 is not limited to nine, but may be arbitrarily increased to 16, 25, etc., or may be arranged in different numbers of vertical and horizontal columns.

In this way, in the information recording body 1e of the sixth embodiment, the cutout symbols 204p of the partial patterns arranged at four corners of the second pattern 204 among the respective partial patterns of the second pattern 204 are arranged in the second pattern. It is arranged at the end along the outer periphery of 204. Since the information recording body 1e has such a configuration, the quality of the information recording body 1e can be further improved and its adaptability to reading environments can be further expanded.

7. Seventh Embodiment Next, a seventh embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. The information recording body 1f according to the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 13 includes a pattern image 306 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 306 includes a first pattern 101 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 205 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The configuration of the information recording body 1f is similar to the information recording body 1e according to the sixth embodiment. The second pattern 205 composed of the transparent ink layer 4 includes partial patterns arranged at four corners thereof. Further, the second pattern 205 is sandwiched between these partial patterns (first and second partial patterns), and includes four partial patterns that share the cutout symbol 205p and a partial pattern located in the center (third partial pattern). ) has a total of nine partial patterns.

When the information recording body 1f is viewed from above from one side, partial patterns 205a, 205c, 205g, and 205i are arranged at the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right corners of the second pattern 205, which is approximately square. . In addition, there are sections between partial patterns 205a and 205c, between 205a and 205g, between 205c and 205i, and between 205g and 205i that cannot be converted to a specific code or are intended to be converted. A dummy pattern that does not work is embedded. These dummy patterns form dummy partial patterns that disguise two-dimensional codes by sharing the cutout symbols 205p of the partial patterns arranged on the left and right or above and below.

For example, dummy partial patterns 205b, 205d, 205f, and 205h are formed between partial patterns 205a and 205c, between 205a and 205g, between 205c and 205i, and between 205g and 205i. Note that a dummy pattern is also embedded in the center surrounded by partial patterns 205a, 205c, 205g, and 205i, forming a dummy partial pattern 205e. Note that partial patterns 205a, 205c, 205g, and 205i of the second pattern 205 can be converted into specific codes in which 205c, 205g, and 205i are the same, and 205a can be converted into a different specific code. .

In this embodiment, the second pattern 205 of the information recording body 1f appears to include nine partial patterns. However, in reality, only the partial patterns 205a, 205c, 205g, and 205i placed at the four corners can be converted into a specific code as a two-dimensional code, and the others can be converted into a specific code. It is just a dummy partial pattern that cannot be converted. Furthermore, the partial patterns at four locations include those that are converted into different specific codes, and for example, only the partial pattern 205a can be converted into a genuine specific code.

To create such print data for the second pattern 205, first, dummy patterns constituting parts other than the cutout symbols of the dummy partial patterns 205b, 205d, 205e, 205f, and 205h are created and laid out in a predetermined area. Next, a pattern including the cutout symbols of partial patterns 205a, 205c, 205g, and 205i is formed by overwriting the above-mentioned dummy pattern. That is, when a partial pattern overlaps with a dummy pattern, data of the former is preferentially adopted. By creating the print data of the second pattern 205 using such a procedure, the partial patterns 205a, 205c, 205g, and 205i can be reliably read.

In this way, in the information recording body 1f of the seventh embodiment, each partial pattern of the second pattern 205 is divided into a partial pattern that can be correctly converted into a specific code and a dummy partial pattern that cannot be converted into a specific code. I know. Therefore, even if the pattern image 306 of the second pattern 205 could be photographed, it would be difficult to separate the correct pattern from the dummy pattern. Furthermore, even if a plurality of partial patterns that can be correctly converted into codes can be identified, it is difficult to identify which of them can be converted into a genuine code.

Note that, in the information recording body 1f of this embodiment, like the information recording body 1e of the sixth embodiment, the cutout symbols 205p of the partial patterns arranged at four corners of the second pattern 205 are the same as the information recording body 1e of the sixth embodiment. It may be deformed so that it is disposed at the end along the outer periphery. Alternatively, the partial patterns arranged at the four corners of the second pattern 205 may all be the same pattern, or may be all different patterns. It goes without saying that the above-described reading devices 30, 30a and authenticity determining devices 60, 60a can also be applied to the information recording medium 1f.

8. Eighth Embodiment Next, an eighth embodiment of the information recording medium of the present disclosure will be described. An information recording body 1g according to the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 14 includes a pattern image 308 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 308 includes a first pattern 102 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 208 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The configuration of the information recording body 1g is similar to the information recording body 1f according to the seventh embodiment. The second pattern 208 made of the transparent ink layer 4 appears to have a plurality of partial patterns and two-dimensional codes, which are dummy partial patterns, arranged in a matrix of three vertical columns and five horizontal columns. For example, in the top row, dummy partial patterns 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d, and 208e are arranged in order from left to right.

Here, the partial pattern and the dummy partial pattern each include three cutout symbols, but the partial pattern and the dummy partial pattern that are adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction share the respective cutout symbols 208p. Furthermore, only the partial patterns 208b and 208d that are not adjacent to each other can be converted into a specific code, and the dummy partial patterns 208a, 208c, and 208e are meaningless patterns other than the cutout symbol 208p, and cannot be converted into a specific code. It's impossible. The same applies to the dummy partial patterns 208f, 208g, 208h, 208i, and 208j arranged in order from left to right in the second stage of the second pattern 208. Furthermore, the same applies to the dummy partial patterns 208k, 208l, 208m, 208n, and 208o arranged in order from left to right in the third row.

In this embodiment, among the partial patterns 208b, 208d, 208g, 208i, 208l, and 208n, the patterns other than 208b are the same, and only 208b is a different pattern. In this way, in this embodiment, the second pattern 208 of the information recording body 1g appears to include partial patterns at 15 locations. However, in reality, only the patterns in the second and fourth columns from the left are partial patterns that can be converted into a specific code, and the rest are made up of meaningless dummy patterns. Furthermore, by making part or all of the six partial patterns that can be converted into a specific code into a pattern that is converted into a different code, it becomes even more difficult to extract only the genuine code and read it correctly. can do. For example, in this embodiment, only the partial pattern 208b can be converted into a genuine code.

However, all of the plurality of partial patterns other than the dummy partial patterns may be the same pattern. In this way, although it is difficult to extract a partial pattern that can be converted into a genuine code, if any one of the plurality of partial patterns is successfully read, it is possible to convert it into a specific code. This increases operational convenience by suppressing the performance of the reading device.
Note that, as an example of the dummy partial pattern, it is conceivable that the cutout pattern has a defect. If the cutout pattern has a defect, the reading device cannot identify the dummy partial pattern.

9. Ninth Embodiment and Tenth Embodiment Up to now, embodiments in which both the first pattern and the second pattern are two-dimensional codes have been mainly illustrated. However, the first pattern and the second pattern of the information recording body according to the present disclosure are not limited to two-dimensional codes, and a pattern in which at least the second pattern includes information that can be converted into a specific code by a reading device is applicable. As examples of these, a ninth embodiment in which the first pattern and the second pattern are barcodes and a tenth embodiment in which alphanumeric characters are used will be briefly described.

An information recording body 1h according to the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 15(a) includes a pattern image 307 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 307 includes a first pattern 103 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 206 made up of the transparent ink layer 4. The information recording body 1h has a first pattern 103 in which horizontally long barcodes are arranged continuously in the vertical direction, and the exposed portion of the surface of the underlying base material 2 is reduced. It is. In addition, a second pattern 206 is a horizontally elongated barcode and is arranged as two partial patterns 206a and 206b above and below so as to overlap with this. Both the first pattern 106 and the second pattern 206 are composed of barcodes of CODE39.

Similarly, the information recording body 1i according to the tenth embodiment shown in FIG. 15(b) includes a pattern image 309 on one side of the base material 2 so as to overlap with the glitter ink layer 5. The pattern image 309 includes a first pattern 104 made of the colored ink layer 3 and a second pattern 207 made of the transparent ink layer 4. The configuration of the information recording body 1i is such that the first pattern 104 is configured as a pattern in which "ABC12345", which is a combination of alphanumeric characters written horizontally, is continuously combined in the horizontal and vertical directions. The structure is such that the exposed portion of the surface of 2 is reduced.

Further, to overlap with this, the second pattern 207 is configured as partial patterns 207a and 207b in which "XYZ67890", which is a combination of alphanumeric characters written horizontally, is arranged at two locations, upper and lower. Both the first pattern 107 and the second pattern 207 are created using the Century font, but may be created using other fonts or OCR characters. Even with such information recording bodies 1h and 1i, the functions and effects described in the first embodiment and other embodiments can be obtained.

10. Eleventh Embodiment Next, as an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure, a printed matter including an information recording body will be described. Examples of printed matter having an information recording body include tickets, admission tickets, cards, etc. for movies, concerts, amusement parks, etc., to which the information recording body is attached. Printed matter that includes an information recording body has monetary value in itself, but a copy of this printed material, such as a color copy, naturally has no monetary value. An example of a printed matter including an information recording body is a printed matter 10 which is an admission ticket shown in FIG. 16(a). The printed matter 10 includes the information recording body 1 of the first embodiment, in which a paper 11 and a part of the paper 11 are considered as the base material 2. Further, a printing section 12 is formed on the paper 11, on which a display indicating the ticket type, a purchaser, a serial number, etc. are printed.

Here, the paper 11 is a base material for the printed matter 10, and is typically a white paper, but the paper may be high-quality paper or coated paper, or may be a plastic other than paper. Alternatively, it may be a mixed material or a laminated material of paper and plastic. In any case, the paper 11 may be any paper as long as it can support the information recording body 1 and bear various printed patterns indicating the ticket type and the like.

The printed matter 10 including the information recording body 1 has a layer structure as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 16(b). FIG. 16(b) shows a cross section of the printed matter 10 of FIG. 16(a), which is cut along the line A-A that passes horizontally through approximately the vertical center of the information recording medium 1, and the cross section is viewed from below. It is a diagram. The information recording body 1 is formed on one surface of a paper 11 of a printed matter 10, with the paper 11 being treated as a base material 2, and includes a glitter ink layer 5, a colored ink layer 3, from the side closer to the surface of the paper 11. and transparent ink layer 4 are laminated in this order. The colored ink layer 3 and the transparent ink layer 4 constitute the first pattern 100 and the second pattern 200, respectively, as described above.

Printed matter that includes an information recording body is difficult to forge or use illegally, especially by copying using a copying machine. Furthermore, compared to holograms that have the same anti-counterfeiting effect, material costs and processing costs are low, and development is easy. Furthermore, using a general-purpose two-dimensional code reading device, it is possible to easily read a specific code and determine authenticity while maintaining high security, improving convenience. The printed matter including the information recording body of this embodiment can be applied even if it is replaced with the information recording body according to each embodiment other than the first embodiment or its modification.

It should be noted that the first pattern of the information recording body described in the first embodiment is easy to visually recognize, but the second pattern is difficult to visually recognize. All of the second to eleventh embodiments have the same features in that they can be made difficult to be known and the security can be improved. Furthermore, when copying a pattern image of an information recording medium using a copying machine, it is difficult to extract the second pattern composed of a transparent ink layer, and only the first pattern composed of a colored ink layer that is likely to be diffusely reflected. The same goes for the fact that it has the effect of discouraging copying in a copying machine because it becomes easier to extract.

11. Twelfth Embodiment So far, an information recording body has been described in which a glitter ink layer 5, a colored ink layer 3, and a transparent ink layer 4 are laminated in this order on a base material 2. However, the gist of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. As an example of other aspects, a twelfth embodiment will be described in which the first pattern and the second pattern are combined with a basic pattern that is a part of each separate code, and the whole can be read and authenticated as a specific code. .

The information recording body 1n according to the twelfth embodiment shown in FIG. It is something. In the first region, a basic pattern 511 is formed on one side of the base material 2 using, for example, black colored ink. The basic pattern 511 constitutes, for example, a part of a two-dimensional code that can be read as a specific code as a whole. On the other hand, in the second region, a glitter ink layer 5 is formed on almost the entire surface of one side of the base material 2, and a colored ink layer different from the first region, for example, blue or red, is formed on the second region. 3, a first pattern 111 is formed. The conditions for the glitter ink layer 5 and the colored ink layer 3 at this time are common to those described in the first embodiment, for example.

The first pattern 111 cannot be read as a specific code by itself, but by reading it together with the basic pattern 511, the first pattern 111 can be read as a specific code as a whole. The basic pattern 511 and the first pattern 111 collectively constitute, for example, a two-dimensional code. Note that in the first region, the basic pattern 511 is formed directly on the base material 2 using colored ink or the like, but similarly to the second region, the basic pattern 511 is formed directly on the base material 2 on one side of the base material 2. A glitter ink layer 5 is formed, and a basic pattern 511 made of colored ink such as black may be formed on the top layer.

On the other hand, another information recording body 1p according to the twelfth embodiment shown in FIG. This constitutes the image 312. In the third region, a basic pattern 512 is formed on one side of the base material 2 using, for example, black colored ink. The basic pattern 512 has the same configuration as the information recording body 1n described above. Further, in the fourth region, a glitter ink layer 5 is formed on one side of the base material 2, and a second pattern 212 is formed on the transparent ink layer 4 without intervening a colored ink layer or the like. ing. The conditions of the glitter ink layer 5, the colored ink layer 3, and the transparent ink layer 4 at this time are common to those described in the first embodiment, for example.

The second pattern 212 cannot be read as a specific code by itself, but by reading it together with the basic pattern 512, the second pattern 212 can be read as a specific code as a whole. The basic pattern 512 and the second pattern 212 collectively constitute, for example, a two-dimensional code.

As an example of operation of reading and authentication using these two types of information recording bodies 1n and 1p, it is possible to perform as follows. First, similarly to the description of the fourth embodiment, the illumination light source of the reading device is turned off and the pattern image 311 of the information recording body 1n is read. At this time, in the basic pattern 511 in the first region and the first pattern 111 in the second region, the incident angle of the illumination light source and the observation angle correspond to the conditions for diffuse reflection. Therefore, each can obtain good contrast with the base material 2 and the glitter ink layer 5, and can be read as one specific code in which both patterns are combined.

Next, the illumination light source of the reading device is turned on to read the pattern image 312 on the information recording body 1p. At this time, in the basic pattern 512 in the third region and the second pattern 212 in the fourth region, the incident angle of the illumination light source and the observation angle correspond to the condition of regular reflection. Therefore, each can obtain good contrast with the base material 2 and the glitter ink layer 5, and can be read as one specific code in which both patterns are combined.

As described above, both the information recording bodies 1n and 1p are read while changing the conditions of the illumination light source of the reading device, and only when the specific code read from each is correct, the information recording bodies 1n and 1p are Authenticity can be determined as genuine. Alternatively, by inputting both the code obtained from the information recording body 1n and the code obtained from the information recording body 1p, the necessary information corresponding to the codes may be obtained for the first time. By using such two types of information recording bodies 1n and 1p, it is possible to construct an authenticity determination system in which the code cannot be read correctly unless the conditions of the illumination light source of the reading device are appropriately changed. That is, under the condition that the incident angle of the illumination light source and the observation angle are diffuse reflection, the information recording medium 1p cannot be read normally, so the reliability of the authenticity determination can be improved.

12. Modification Although not illustrated, an information recording body according to a modification of the information recording body 1 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. However, the following modified examples are not limited to the information recording medium 1 of the first embodiment, but can be applied as modified examples of other embodiments.

(a) Modification 1
The information recording body 1j according to the first modification includes a material that emits visible light when excited by infrared rays or ultraviolet rays, which is an authentication material, mixed into at least a part of the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4j, and the ink of the transparent material is mixed. It is composed of That is, when the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4j is irradiated with light in the infrared or ultraviolet wavelength region, electrons in the luminous body contained in the ink are excited, and when the excited electrons return to the ground state, excess It emits energy as visible light. Note that the wavelength range of infrared rays here can be, for example, 0.78 μm or more and 1 mm or less, and the wavelength range of ultraviolet rays can be, for example, 0.01 μm or more and 0.38 μm or less. However, there is no problem with the ink as long as it emits visible light, even if it has a wavelength range longer than infrared rays or a wavelength range shorter than ultraviolet rays. , X-rays, gamma rays, etc. may be used.

Materials that emit visible light when excited by infrared radiation are also called upconversion emitters. For example, erbium (Er), holmium (Ho), praseodymium (Pr), thulium (Tm), neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd), europium (Eu), samarium (Sm), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy) ) and cerium (Ce), and the base material of the phosphor particles is a halide or the like. In addition, although there are some materials that overlap with those mentioned above, examples include materials disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-297475.

Furthermore, examples of materials that are excited by ultraviolet light and emit visible light include dyes such as fluorescein-based fluorescent dyes, coumarin-based fluorescent dyes, and rhodamine-based fluorescent dyes. Inorganic pigments include europium/manganese activated barium magnesium aluminate, manganese activated zinc silicate, europium activated yttrium oxide, europium activated yttrium sulfide, zinc oxide, and manganese activated germanium. Examples include zinc acid, europium-activated yttrium phosphovanadate, and the like.

In this way, by making the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4j of the information recording body 1j an ink made of a transparent material that is excited by infrared rays or ultraviolet rays and emits visible light, the following effects can be obtained. . That is, the difference in appearance between the first pattern 100 made up of the colored ink layer 3 and the second pattern 200 made up of the transparent ink layer 4j is utilized due to the relationship between the irradiation angle of visible light and the observation angle. The accuracy of the anti-counterfeiting function of the present disclosure can be improved and supplemented.

In addition to the difficulty in reading and duplicating the second pattern 200 under conditions of visible light irradiation, the second pattern 200 is hardly affected by the glitter ink layer 5 or the colored ink layer 3 only when irradiated with infrared or ultraviolet light in a specific wavelength range. The visibility of the transparent ink layer 4j can be improved without any problems. This may ensure greater difficulty in reading and copying. Note that the ink of the transparent material may be made by mixing both a material that is excited by infrared rays and emits visible light and a material that is excited by ultraviolet rays and emits visible light. In this way, the visibility of the transparent ink layer 4j can be improved by irradiation with either of the two types of invisible light, and convenience can be improved.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the information recording body 1j, it is difficult to directly visually confirm whether or not the transparent ink layer 4 forms the predetermined second pattern 200 correctly. However, in this embodiment, the transparent ink layer 4j emits visible light by irradiating infrared rays or ultraviolet rays in a specific wavelength range during or after forming the transparent ink layer 4j, so the presence of the second pattern 200 is not detected. It can be easily confirmed. Therefore, it can contribute to improving the quality of the information recording medium 1j.

(b) Modification 2
Next, the information recording body 1k according to Modification 2 is an ink made of a transparent material by mixing an infrared absorbing material, which is an authentication material, into at least a part of the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4k. . Examples of organic dyes that absorb in the infrared wavelength range include polymethylene-based, phthalocyanine-based, azo-based, and anthraquinone-based compounds, and examples of inorganic infrared absorbers include antimony-doped tin oxide and tin-doped indium oxide. It will be done.

In this way, the same effects as in the first modification can be obtained by making the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4k of the information recording body 1k an ink of a transparent material containing an infrared absorbing material. That is, it is difficult to read and copy the second pattern 200 under visible light irradiation conditions. In addition, only when irradiated with infrared light in a specific wavelength range, the second pattern 200 of the transparent ink layer 4k can be measured using a measuring device such as an infrared camera, without being affected by the glitter ink layer 5 or the colored ink layer 3. can be clearly recognized by This may ensure greater difficulty in reading and copying.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, during or after forming the transparent ink layer 4k, infrared rays in a specific wavelength range can be irradiated, and the state of absorption and reflection of the infrared rays can be visualized with an infrared camera or the like. Therefore, the formation state of the transparent ink layer 4k, which is difficult to confirm with the naked eye, can be easily confirmed through an infrared camera or the like, and this can contribute to improving the quality of the information recording medium 1k.

(c) Modification example 3
Furthermore, the information recording body 1m according to the third modification is made of ink of a transparent material, including a polarizing material as an authentication material in at least a part of the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4m. Such polarizing materials include, for example, an absorption type polarizer obtained by impregnating polyvinyl alcohol with iodine or a dichroic dye and stretching and aligning the same, and an absorption type polarizer obtained by aligning a dichroic dye on an alignment film. , a reflective circular polarizer in which cholesteric liquid crystal is oriented on a base material, and a reflective polarizer formed by laminating birefringent multilayer films. Note that any element other than these can be used as long as it has the property of extracting a polarized component in a specific direction from reflected light or transmitted light.

Such a transparent ink layer 4m containing a polarizing material can be formed, for example, by the method described in Japanese Patent No. 6519582. First, a solution for an alignment film is prepared by dissolving a resin for an alignment film, and while masking areas other than a predetermined pattern image, this solution is applied to the base material 2 by a microgravure method to form a coating film. Next, an alignment treatment is performed by rubbing the coating film along a predetermined direction using a rubbing cloth to obtain an alignment film. Furthermore, a dichroic dye is added to the UV-curable liquid crystal to create a polarizer solution.

Thereafter, using a microgravure method, a polarizer solution is applied onto the alignment film to a predetermined thickness to form a coating film. Next, the coating film is annealed, and the coating film is irradiated with UV in an oxygen atmosphere to harden the coating film, thereby creating a polarizing function with a transmission axis in a predetermined direction. 4 m of transparent ink layers can be formed. In addition, after forming 4 m of transparent ink layer on the entire surface of a predetermined area of the base material 2 without masking, a laser in a predetermined wavelength range is irradiated to the non-pattern image forming area to thermally destroy the liquid crystal molecules in the area. It is also possible to provide a polarization function only to the pattern image portion.

In this way, the same effects as in Modifications 1 and 2 can be obtained by making the ink forming the transparent ink layer 4m of the information recording body 1m an ink of a transparent material containing a polarizing material. That is, in addition to the difficulty in reading and duplicating the second pattern 200 under conditions of visible light irradiation, it is difficult to read and reproduce the second pattern 200 under conditions of visible light irradiation, and only when a predetermined polarizing film is used, it is hardly affected by the glitter ink layer 5 or the colored ink layer 3. The visibility of the transparent ink layer 4m can be improved without any problems. This may ensure greater difficulty in reading and copying.

Furthermore, the transparent ink layer may be configured to include any or all of Modifications 1 to 3 described above. For example, the ink forming the transparent ink layer may be made of a transparent material that includes an infrared absorbing material in addition to a material that emits visible light when excited by infrared rays or ultraviolet rays. Alternatively, the ink forming the transparent ink layer may be made of an ink of a transparent material that contains a polarizing material in addition to containing an infrared absorbing material. By doing so, the number of verification methods for determining authenticity can be increased, and this contributes to ensuring further difficulty in reading and copying.

In addition, in this embodiment, by using a predetermined polarizing film during or after forming the transparent ink layer 4m, it is possible to easily check the formation state of the transparent ink layer 4m, which is difficult to check with the naked eye, and to record information. It can contribute to improving the quality of one meter of body.

Note that the authentication device 60 that determines the authenticity of the information recording medium 1 described in the first embodiment can perform the function of the authentication device 60 described above by, for example, having the control unit 31a execute a predetermined program. can. Such a program to be executed by a computer included in the authenticity determination device 60 is a program that executes a program for executing the first pattern of the information recording body when the illumination light source is turned on at the first light intensity including the off state. Information is read and the read information of the first pattern is converted into a first specific code. Further, the reading position of the second pattern is specified based on the first specific code, and when the illumination light source is turned on with a second light amount larger than the first light amount, the The information of the second pattern of the information recording body is read, and the read information of the second pattern is converted into a second specific code. Furthermore, the second specific code and comparison information for determining authenticity are compared, and if the two match, the information record is determined to be genuine, and if the two do not match, the information record is determined to be authentic. Judging that the body is not authentic.

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, 1i, 1j, 1k, 1m, 1n, 1p Information recording body 2 Base material 3 Colored ink layer 4, 4j, 4k, 4m Transparent ink layer 5 Glitter ink layer 10 Printed matter 11 Paper 12 Printing section 21 Illumination light source 22 Viewpoint 22a Viewpoint 22b at position P1 Viewpoint 22c at position P2 Viewpoint 30, 30a at position P3 Reading device 31, 31a, 31b, 31c Control unit 32, 32a, 32b , 32c Storage section 33 Reading section 35 Operation section 36 Display section 41 Lighting control section 42 First pattern position specifying section 43 Second pattern position specifying section 44 Image acquisition section 45 Code specifying section 46 Authenticity determining section 51 First pattern position specifying information 52 Second pattern position specifying information 53 Authenticity determination information 60, 60a Authenticity determination devices 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 111 First pattern 101p Cutout symbols 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 212 Second patterns 201a, 201b, 201c, 201d, 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d, 203a, 203b, 203c, 203d, 204a, 204b, 204c, 204d, 204e, 204f, 204g, 204h, 204i, 205a, 205c, 205g, 205i, 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b, 208b, 208d, 208g, 208i, 208l, 208n Partial patterns 200p, 201p, 202p, 203p, 204p, 205p, 208p Cutout symbols 205b, 205d, 205e, 2 05f, 205h, 208a, 208c, 208e, 208f, 208h, 208j, 208k, 208m, 208o Dummy partial pattern 300, 300a, 300b, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 311, 312 pattern Images 500p, 501p Cutout symbols 511, 512 Basic pattern

Claims (12)

base material and
a first printed layer formed with glitter ink on one side of the base material;
a second printed layer formed on the one surface side using a colored ink that is not a glitter ink;
An information recording body comprising a third printing layer formed of transparent ink on the one surface side,
the second printed layer forms a first pattern;
the third printed layer forms a second pattern;
In plan view, the entire area of the first pattern and the second pattern overlaps with a region in which the first printed layer is formed,
The second pattern includes information that can be converted into a specific code, and at least a part of the second pattern overlaps the first pattern. 2. The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the first printing layer is formed as a solid layer, or as halftone dots with a halftone dot area ratio of 80% or more, or as lines. The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the second pattern is composed of a plurality of partial patterns. The information recording body according to claim 3, wherein only some of the partial patterns among the plurality of partial patterns include information that can be converted into the specific code. The second pattern is a two-dimensional pattern that is composed of a plurality of partial patterns, each of which has one or more cutout symbols, and all of the cutout symbols are arranged at the ends of the second pattern. The information recording medium according to claim 1, which is a code. The second pattern is composed of a plurality of partial patterns,
When the plurality of partial patterns are a first partial pattern, a second partial pattern, and a third partial pattern sandwiched between the first partial pattern and the second partial pattern,
A first cutout symbol arranged on the second partial pattern side of the first partial pattern, and a second cutout symbol arranged on the first partial pattern side of the second partial pattern. 6. The information recording body according to claim 5, wherein cutout symbols are formed at at least two locations in the third partial pattern, and the third partial pattern constitutes dummy information that cannot be converted into the specific code. The information recording body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first pattern includes information convertible into a specific code different from the second pattern. The information recording body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the third printing layer is made of the transparent ink that is excited by infrared rays or ultraviolet rays and emits visible light. The information recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the third printing layer is made of ink containing an infrared absorbing material. The information recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the third printing layer is made of ink containing a polarizing material. A printed matter comprising the information recording body according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A reading device for reading the information recording medium according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
an illumination light source;
a reading section;
a control unit;
Equipped with
The reading unit is configured to detect the first pattern of the information recording body, which can be read by turning on the illumination light source at a first light intensity including an off state, and a second pattern larger than the first light intensity. The information of the second pattern can be read by turning on the illumination light source with a light intensity of
The control unit starts the reading unit, turns on the illumination light source at the second light amount in a state where the reading unit can read, and causes the reading unit to turn on the second light amount with the illumination light source turned on. A reading device that reads information of a second pattern, and converts information of the second pattern read by the reading section into the specific code.

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