SYSTEM FOR PROTECTED DOCUMENTS Related Request The priority for the present application is based on the US Provisional Patent Applications. 60 / 703,860, filed August 1, 2005, and 60 / 794,826, filed April 26, 2006. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to methods for the protection of documents and the product. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for hiding information in a document, by means of an image or hidden message, which is practically invisible to the naked eye and which can be revealed only through the use of an adaptive display device . The present invention further relates to a method for creating original documents containing hidden messages, which are revealed when the document is read by a specialized display device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, secure documents have been produced by typographic printing, offset printing or rotogravure processes. Currently there is a need to print secure documents not only through the Internet and transfer to a printer, but also the ability to remotely print tickets and coupons that
they contain common security features and individual "hidden" information. Additionally, there is a need for secure images for areas printed in homogeneous color. In the past, most security dyes comprised reticles of points and lines, commonly no more than 50% density, but as the need for structuring security is increasing there is a need to add security features to print designs. More specifically in pharmaceutical and automotive structuring, most graphic material designs contain an increasing number of homogeneous color areas that traditionally have not contained any printed security. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide improved security for protected documents that are incorporated with variable and / or static protected information. It is understood in all of the following modalities that a document can take many forms including an electronic document as well as a hard copy. Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an advanced method for hiding protected information in a document that is transmitted (
example, through the Internet, extranet, wireless, facsimile, etc.) copied or otherwise successfully reproduced on an output device such as a printer. The protected information is hidden by creating a first and second printing structures and then combining them. It is also provided according to another embodiment of the present invention, a dye to hide the protected information of non-proposed users. The protected information is hidden from view by means of a seemingly homogeneous tint that does not reveal the information when viewed with the naked eye, photocopied, scanned or digitally photographed. Any attempt to reproduce or copy the document in any way can result in an area with illegible dye. Alternatively, the document may be copied in a substantially identical manner including the protected information, which remains hidden from view, but which is still visible by a specialized display device, even after transmission, copying or other reproduction. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of concealing the protected information can be achieved using any color, ink, toner or inkjet fluid. The stage of hiding the protected information is most effectively achieved using a dye
dark or metallic or UV / IR inks. The stage can also be achieved effectively by printing specific frequencies on a counteracted image. Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of concealing the protected information is achieved using lines, dots, spots, swirls or images, generally referred to as printed elements, either individually or in combination. The stage of hiding the protected information is achieved more effectively using printed elements of equal size and density. Still more in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the printed elements of the protected information must be placed at substantially orthogonal angles to each other in order to more effectively hide the information. The most effective placement of the reticles would be 135 ° / 45 °, with an angle for the protected information and an angle for background. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the step of establishing the angles of the printed elements depends on the definition of the printed element's reticles. The printed element can be imaged between 60 and 500 lines per inch and can be more effective at 150 lines per inch for protected information and surrounding areas. The units of
The most commonly used grid frequency are lines per inch ("lpi"), but it is understood that printed elements other than lines could be used; for convenience "lpi" is still used as a unit of frequency. Additionally, the dye density of the printed element of the protected information may be between 10% and 50%, preferably at or about 20%. Additionally, for the embodiment of the present invention which is incapable of being transmitted, copied or reproduced, numerous reticles of the printed element are the most effective in not being reproduced, ie 60-300 lpi and more preferably 120-190 lpi. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a specialized display device is provided, which is specifically adapted to the document, substantially matching the frequency of the printed elements of the protected information. When held in a substantially flat position against the protected information on the document, the specialized display device reveals it while making the background appear less noticeable. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the specialized display device can be a lens made of either plastic, glass or a
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film substrate. Specialized display devices can be designed to be easily destroyed after use to ensure additional document security. The specialized display device may be transparent, colored or scratched to aid in the display of the protected information and may contain several distinct areas to visualize the multiple hidden areas. The implementation of the method and system of the present invention involves performing or completing selected tasks or steps in a manual, automatic or a combination thereof. Furthermore, in accordance with the actual instrumentation and equipment of the preferred embodiments of the method and system of the present invention, various stages selected by hardware (hardware) or by software (programs) may be implemented in any operating system of any firmware (software). unalterable) or a combination thereof. For example, as hardware, the selected steps of the invention can be implemented as a chip (integrated chip) or a circuit. As software, the selected steps of the invention can be implemented as a plurality of software instructions that are executed by a computer using any suitable operating system. In any case, the selected stages of the method and
The system of the invention can be described as being performed by a data processor, such as a computing platform for executing a plurality of instructions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more fully understood and will be appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention wherein the Protected information is revealed through a specialized display device. Figure 2 is a simplified illustration of the solid lines of the protected information placed at a different angle with respect to the continuous lines of the second plane. Figure 3 is a simplified illustration of the solid lines of the protected information containing a printed code. Figure 4 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment of the present invention that uses a second plane of homogeneous dye with printed elements of the protected information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for
Hide information from non-proposed users and allow the observation of information through a specialized visualization device. In a typical scenario, in accordance with the present invention, a user wishing to transmit protected information contained in a document to a specific receiver can provide the receiver with an adaptive display device designed to adapt to the document and recognize the protected information. Protected information can be hidden from view and can not be accessed unless an appropriate display device is used. Any other recipient of the same document would not have access to the protected information hidden from view and would not have knowledge of the protected information present in the document or would only be informed of the specific information located in a specific area of the document. Before explaining in detail at least one embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and ordering of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of containing other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways, such as laminates or holographic foil papers. Also, it must be understood
that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be considered as limiting. Now referring to Figure 1, a protected document form 100 contains protected information 101, a second plane 102 and a refillable field 105. A specialized display device 110 is also shown. In one embodiment of the present invention, the user inserts protected information 101 in the background 102, as described in detail below. The protected document 100 is then ready to be transmitted, copied or otherwise successfully reproduced by an output device (not shown). The output device can be a copier, scanner, fax machine, or the like. In a typical scenario, a person who wishes to send protected information 101 through the Internet can use form 100 on a computer having a refillable field 105. Protected information 101 can be entered in the refillable field 105 either by the person complete the form 100 and / or the receiver of the form 100, who may wish that at least some of the details that are sent remain confidential. Either during or after the introduction of the protected information 101 in the refillable field 105, the protected information 101 is
it includes in the background area 102 of document 100 as described and shown below in Figures 2 and 3. Form 100 may then be transmitted through electronic means, e.g., via the Internet or by facsimile. In one embodiment of the invention, the form 100 can be sent to an intermediary or to a Terminal service where the information visible in the refillable field 105 can be removed leaving only the information hidden in the second plane 102 for viewing by a display device specialized 110. The specialized display device 110 may be a lens made of either plastic, glass or film having a printed element frequency that matches the printed element frequency of the protected information 101. The specialized display 110 it can be transparent, colored or scratched to aid in the display of protected information 101 and can contain several distinct areas to visualize the multiple protected areas. For operation, the specialized display device 110 is simply held against the protected information 110 for display. The use of the specialized display device 110 can make the appearance of the background image 102 clearer or less noticeable while revealing the information
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protected 101, as shown in Figure 1. The specialized display device 110 can be designed to be easily destroyed after use to ensure the additional security of the document. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the visible information disappears from the form 100 during or after including the protected information in the background area 102, thus making the electronic document free of the information it is intended to protect. As the refillable field 105 becomes empty, a non-proposed observer would not have access to the protected information 101. A proposed user may then use a specialized viewer 110 to observe the protected information that has been included in the background area 102. More preferably , the protected information 101 and the background 102 can be created using a software program such as Forms X6 for Quark Xpress from DigiComp, Maple Grove, MN. Reference is now made to Figure 2, which is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of the present invention 200 having solid lines 201 and 202 at substantially different angles to each other to hide protected information 201. A user who wishes to hide protected information 201 of the general view, you can place printed elements of protected information, in this case,
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continuous lines, 201, and printed background elements, in this case, continuous lines, 202, at substantially different angles to each other. The printed elements of the protected information 201 define the axis x2 and the printed background elements 202 define the axis y2. The angle b between the axes xl and yl is preferably 90 °, plus or minus 5o, as shown in Figure 2, but may, in fact, vary greatly. Of course, the printed elements of the protected information 201 and the printed background elements 202 can be replaced with dots, spots, swirls or images (not shown), either individually or in combination. Figure 3 is a simplified illustration of one embodiment of the present invention 300 similar to Figures 1 and 2, having continuous lines as printed elements of the protected and background information, 301 and 302, respectively. The axes x3 and y3, defined by the printed elements 301 and 302, are arranged at an angle c, again preferably at 90 °, plus or minus 5o, to hide the protected information. Additionally, the printed code 303 is inserted, preferably, at the apex of the angle c. The printed codes can be used for additional security, identification of authorship, or the like. The printed code 303 is shown as the letter "w" of the minor case in Figure 3, but may comprise any printed element,
including, but not limited to, lines, dots, spots, swirls or images. Figure 4 is a simplified illustration of another embodiment of the present invention 400 in which the protected information 402 can not be easily scanned or copied. The printed information elements 402, shown as dotted lines, are used in combination with a homogeneous second plane 401, shown as solid lines in Figure 4. By selecting the appropriate dyes, the printed elements 401 can be concealed within a homogeneous second plane. 401 and subsequently visualized using a specialized display device (not shown). The darker tints for homogeneous second planes 401 are preferred and the colored dyes for the printed elements of the protected information 402 are preferred. A user who wishes to isolate the protected information 402 as shown in Figure 4, can cover or put underneath the printed elements of the protected information 402 with a dye, color, coloring or counteracting the paper substrate. The information displayed in this way is observed as a homogeneous tint. The protected information 402 can be hidden more effectively through the use of dark colors, metallic colors and / or UV inks. The user can select
use a printed or colored homogeneous background or colored paper in addition to dark or metallic or UV / IR ink. For example, the user may select to print with a blue ink on red paper, or red ink on a homogeneous metallic blue area. The metallic base ink can be overprinted with an opposite color that would also hide the protected information. The UV and IR inks used to create the information can be placed to reveal half of an image when a plastic or glass display is placed over the top of the document and the rest of the image "appears" when the UV or IR light shows through the display device on the document. In this way, additional "codes" can be hidden as secondary messages. In all the above embodiments, the user, who has selected to reveal protected information 101 to a receiver of the document, provides the receiver with a specialized display device, shown as 110 in Figure 1. If multiple areas of the document are used to hide multiple portions of protected information 101 and it is intended that different receivers visualize the different areas of the protected information 101, the user provides each receiver of the document with a different display device 110, each designed to adapt
to a different protected information. The process can be achieved by using different grid frequencies or different elements printed in a grid, such as points for printed elements of protected information for the first receiver and lines as printed elements of protected information for the second receiver. Alternatively, a page of a document containing a second color plane may be transmitted and the protected information printed in a translucent overlay may be transmitted in a separate manner such that when the overlay is placed on the background grid, the information may be read. protected. The additional objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following examples, which are not intended to be limiting. Additionally, each of the various embodiments and aspects of the present invention as outlined in the foregoing and as claimed in the claims section below, find experimental support in the following examples. It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which for clarity are described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. On the contrary, several
features of the invention, which for brevity are described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination, such as a document with a specific protected information partially revealed by a fixed permanently laminated display device to the document which also contains additional protected information to a first, second or third frequency of printed element and / or ink composition. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is clear that many alternatives, modifications and variations fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference in the specification, to the same extent as if each patent publication or individual patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated into the patent. the present by reference. In addition, the citation or identification of any reference in this application should not be construed as an admission that such a reference is available as a prior art to the present invention.