MXPA97004348A

MXPA97004348A - Methods of protection of documents and products

Info

Publication number: MXPA97004348A
Application number: MXPA/A/1997/004348A
Authority: MX
Inventors: M Wicker Thomas
Original assignee: M Wicker Thomas
Priority date: 1996-06-13
Filing date: 1997-06-12
Publication date: 1998-04-01

Abstract

A method and product for producing non-reproducible documents (20) wherein almost invisible signals (23) in the document 20 are printed by continuous screened lines of a desired step (22) and a background (24) that does not reproduce by copying, which is formed by orthogonal reproduction of positive / negative images of solid lines to produce interrupted lines of a width and step

Description

METHODS OF PROTECTION OF DOCUMENTS AND PRODUCTS This invention relates in general to document and product protection method and more particularly to methods and products to print and obtain original documents that can be easily differentiated from copies made in those documents, either by photocopiers in color or blank-and-black, scanning devices, computer printers or photographic processes. Many methods and products have been developed, for example, to discourage the falsification of valuable documents or financial instruments such as paper money, so that unauthorized copies that are attempted to make of those documents can be easily distinguished from the originals. Most of these documents are prepared by printing or lithography on high quality media such as silk, rice paper, and high contact rag paper, and the printing of original documents can be done either in white-and-black (B & W) or in color, and if it is in color, colored backgrounds and / or multi-color printing. In the case of colors, the tendency has been in the direction of using multiple colors for original documents for aesthetic value, for ease of recognition and originally for copying protection by conventional means. The common printing processes of valuable originals, whether in black and white or in color, are rotogravure and photogravure among others. These and the other processes mentioned in this application are very well known in the art and will not be discussed in more detail. Various developments in the prior art for purposes of providing document protection are described in the patent literature, such as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,767 issued May 28, 1991; the U.S. Patent No. 5,193,853 issued on March 16, 1993; the U.S. Patent No. 3,675,948 granted on July 11, 1972; and the U.S. Patent. No. 4,143,967 issued March 13, 1979, all to Ralph C. Wicker; in the U.S. Patent No. 4,227,720 issued October 14, 1980, and US Pat. No. 4,310,180 issued January 12, 1982 both to William H. Mowry et al., As well as US Pat. No. 5,149,140 granted on September 22, 1992 to Mowry et al .; and in the U.S. Patent. No. 5,487,567 granted on January 30, 1996 to John R. Volpe. All of these patents describe various means for providing methods and products for allowing copies of documents to be distinguished from the originals, such as for example by a "large dot-small dot pattern", a "spaced pattern of closed lines" and images or signs that are printed by stenciling to spaces and / or minimum varied angles in the originals and are intended to produce a highly visible moire pattern effect in unauthorized copies.

It is well known however that the technology of copiers and printers - computer explorer has become even more sophisticated since the development of the previous technique in document protection. The goal of copier technology if it has not already been achieved, has been, especially in desk publishing and the like, to obtain copies as good as an original. The concept of "what you see is what you get" in color documents, has been very achievable in copier and duplicator equipment including scanning power devices and even desktop computers have become sophisticated enough in color reproduction, including color adjustment of copiers to color standards such as the PANT0NEMR color adjustment system. Many and not all document and product protection methods were developed in the face of this very significant improvement in copier and computer reproduction technology, and it has been found that it is not as effective in the latest color reproduction technology, especially in color copiers with a "photo" setting that intentionally copies a document in a "not sharp" spotlight in order to give the effect of a continuous tone image, the effect of which is to overcome the precise line variation between the copier scanner and the security pattern in the original document. Developed at the time of limited copier and printer advancements, these specialty techniques for document protection may not work as reliably against the many forms of current or soon available copier / duplicator and computer / computer equipment / scanners. In this way it has become imperative for document security purposes, that further improvements be found in the area of document protection, especially when there is a need to avoid copying or duplication of valuable originals without easily distinguishing copies of the originals. My invention overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior art that are limited in applications due to the potential availability of newer and different copiers that can override the techniques and methods employed by the specialty. My invention follows the techniques of printing and making basic plates used by the previous technique in order not to require capital or substantial new equipment because of the vast number of printers that print these originals, and it is a significant improvement over the techniques of "great point-small point "and continuous line at different angles now available. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a significantly improved method for printing originals to thwart unwanted copying of documents by the use of copier / duplicator techniques and computers. Another object of the invention is to produce a document for documents in which valuable documents can be printed, which either substantially thwart duplication by copiers / duplicators and computer systems or allow authorized replication only in a desired form. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention can be determined from the following description of preferred embodiments according to the invention and the accompanying drawing, wherein like numbers refer to like elements and wherein: Figures 1 and 2 are examples of the prior art in the field of this invention; Figure 3 is an enlarged version of a portion of a printed document according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged views of alternate embodiments according to the present invention; Figure 7 is an example of a paper product embodying the present invention; Figures 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d are enlarged views of product sections of Figure 7 to illustrate specific aspects of the present invention; and Figures 7e and 7f are copies made from the paper product illustrated in Figure 7. The term "latent image" is employed herein not in the photographic sense of an unseen image which will be revealed after processing by chemical reaction, but to indicate signs that are printed in originals so that they are almost invisible to the naked eye. In this specification the words "printing11 and" printing "are used to refer to the preparation of an original document regardless of the techniques used and the words" copying "and" copying "refer to the making of copies from an original. As an example of the prior art, Figure 1 depicts a "large dot-small dot" pattern printed on a "security paper" 10, described for example in U.S. Patent No. 4,310,180 where the " "desired" latent images to be made visible in copies in the original document are printed on large dots 12 by appropriate well-known halftone screening techniques, while the smaller dots 14 also printed by the halftone screens are they form in pattern, with the intention of not being visible in copies produced by copiers, and also, a pantograph pattern or masking of halftone screen points is often added to auxiliary in disguising the desired signals in the original document. Figure 2 on the other hand illustrates a security document 16 from which the desired "latent image" signals 17 to be printed are formed by screened solid lines 18 at an angle and a bottom also formed of solid lines 19, but in a different angle of these signals intended to be visible when printed, as illustrated for example in the US Patent No. 5,487,567. In this case, the lines 18 illustrating the hidden signals are drawn at an angle with a pitch of 65 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) and approximately with .00254 cm (.001") in width, and the background pattern is formed by horizontal lines 19 with space closer to a higher step, in the latter case, it has been possible to produce background patterns without using a separate masking overlay, as is often the case with the "large dot-small dot" technique, but patterns can be introduced as is known in the prior art of Figure 2 to resemble the pantographs, while the examples illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, as well as the other examples of the prior art, such as the methods of moire pattern described in the patents identified in the USA, have been useful to date to deter random falsification.I have found a very surprising and unexpected result of a relatively inexpensive modification of the known techniques that will produce very highly desirable results and allow the production of original valuable documents that can discourage the copying of an even larger number of available copiers / duplicators and output devices / computer scanners. According to a preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated in Figure 3, I have provided an original document 20, a portion of which is illustrated, having solid lines 22 for the signal 23 which is the latent image that will be visible to simple view after copying. The solid lines 22 extend through the intended visible signals 23, in this case the word "null" although any word or graphic signals will work. The lines 22 can have a width between approximately .00127 mm (.0005") and approximately .381 mm (.015"), but preferably they are of uniform width between approximately .0381 mm (.0015") and approximately .2032 mm (.008"). The total pitch or line spacing of lines 22 may be between 50 to 200 lines per 2.54 cm (inch) although the preferred range is from about 75 to about 140 lines per 2.54 cm (inch) and an ideal from about 90 to about 133 lines by 2.54 cm (inch). As will be described below with reference to Figure 7, I have also found that according to my invention the printing of the signals 23 of the lines 22 may not be repeated in more than four orthogonal angles say 5 °, 45 °, 95 ° and 135 ° to the vertical axis of the document each to improve document protection during copying, regardless of the scanning frequency of the copying equipment or the position of the original on the copier plate. According to my invention, the presentation of the solid lines 22 for the latent image of the signals 23, is combined with interrupted lines 24 for the background between the signals 23 that are specially made according to this invention. As illustrated, they are shown as shorter lines 26 with spaces 28 to be described more fully, but at an angle of preference between about 10 ° and about 170"with respect to the solid lines 22 of the latent image signal 23 and more specifically from about 30 to about 120 ° with respect to the solid lines When viewed with the naked eye, the solid lines 22 of the latent image signal 23 and the shorter lines 26 of the bottom will appear to have a continuous pattern. 26 are designed not to be reproduced in copying, either by making substantial portions of the entire document 20 invisible in copies or by giving greater prominence to the desired signals 23 invisible in the copies.Preferably, the shorter lines 26 are of the same width that the solid lines 22, but may vary in width with respect to the continuous lines 22 to a 1: 6 ratio but more preferably between ximately a 1: 1 ratio and approximately a 1: 2 ratio. The pitch or spacing of lines between interrupted lines 24, preferably is different from the pitch of solid lines 22, such as for example 133 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) for interrupted lines 24 and 90 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) for the continuous lines 22, but they can also be selected generally within the same total optical range of line pitch as the continuous lines, ie 50 to 200 lines by 2.54 cm (inch). As will be seen in Figure 7, the interrupted lines 24 preferably also employ a variety of printing angles (up to 4) in the original document, for example 5 °, 45 °, 90 ° and 135 °. Furthermore, as seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6, it is possible to break the patterns of both solid lines 22 and short lines 26 as seen in Figure 4 by white areas of random size 28, for example, to create a total cloud type pattern in the original 30, or as seen in Figure 5, a regular overlay pattern 32, in this case a diamond pattern, to further disguise the protection system in the paper of document 34. My invention is sufficiently flexible to use other total designs equally, as illustrated for example in Figure 6, where the step and line angles 36, 38 remain the same as with Figure 3, but the printing density from the top of the Document 40 at the bottom is decreased from about 20% to about 5% by gradually changing the thickness of lines from about .0508 mm (.002") to about .0127 mm (.0005") to present a continuous dark to light background. Since the words or graphics in the latent image signals are sufficiently large compared to the random areas or the repetition in the pattern, these occasional interruptions in the solid lines of the latent image signals or the variation in the density ranges present described, will not frustrate the intention of the invention. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interrupted lines 24 are made by producing separate positive and negative images of solid lines with desired width and pitch and then orthogonally placing the negative image against the positive image and making a new image from of the composite image, which will result in short lines 26 of the same pitch spaced from each other and the same interrupted line 24 by spaces 28 of approximately the width of each of these lines 26. Depending on the width and line pitch, the length of each space 28 between any two of the short lines 26 may vary from about 10% to about 45% of the length of each of the short lines 26, with about 28% appearing to work best. Based on my experimentation, the prior art as illustrated above in Figures 1 and 2 only appears to be able to be printed in approximately 184 printed colors and then can avoid copying by only about 50% of the available black and white copiers and especially does not seem to work in photo mode or "not sharp" for color copiers. In the case of my invention, up to 600 PANTONE "" colors can be used, often with as little as one percent black in color, working virtually with all copiers, virtually all color copiers, in both sharp and photo, and in known desktop publishing team. Figure 7 illustrates a document 42 using my present invention, wherein the latent image signals 44, 46 are randomly separated in this case at two different angles or 5 ° and 45 ° from the axis of the page, using solid lines 48, 50 of .0508 mm (.002") in width and one step of 90 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) Bottom 51 or lines interrupted 52, 54 is also approximately .0508 mm (.002") in width and approximately 133 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) with the spaces 56 that represent approximately 28% of the total length of each short line 58, depending on the sifted material that is used to form the images 44, 46. The angles of the lines 52, 54 they are illustrated in Figures 7a and 7b at about 45 ° of their adjacent signal lines 48, 50. Furthermore, it is also possible to use my invention by inverting the screen arrangement, such that the desired word 60 is visible in the original document 42 such as for example the shovel bra "valid", and this word does not appear in the copy. In this case, the word 60 uses 133 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) and the bottom 90 lines by 2.54 cm (inch). Figure 7e is an example of a normal copy 62 that is attempted to be made by the normal settings of a typical copier, where the background 51 and the visible word 60 are not printed but the latent image signals, 44, 46 which become visible. With an attempt to obscure the copy by increasing the organic pigment deposit setting in the copier, as illustrated in Figure 7f, the copy still does not produce the visible word 60 and continues to distinguish the signals 44, 46 from the background 51. The latent images for the signals of the original document of my invention are printed, for example, photographed from a negative of a solid of the desired signals, say the word "null", through a sieve of lines of 90 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) each with an approximate width of .0508 mm (.002"). A second negative is made from the composite image of the background pattern, as is produced with the negative-positive film composed as described above in additional combination and with the solid signals that are then printed with the original continuous line signal to form a positive pattern to constitute the composite image whereby throughout the document can be printed from elaborate plates of the film. Various ways to produce these films and plates are well known in the specialty, including the use of color separations and / or divided ink sources to print in multiple colors. The illustrations show patterns of straight lines for backgrounds, but curved line patterns can also provide the width and pitch of the lines that follow my invention. Similarly, the short lines do not all need to be in the same two directions within the pattern in the document but as illustrated in Figure 7, they can be formed in patterns at different angles even adjacent to each other to further mask the signals 44, 46, varying up to the four preferred angles through the background pattern 51, whether or not they are adjacent to the latent images of the signals 44, 46. The printing technique according to my invention also as described, is very useful for copying or authorized because the uniform background pattern in an original will not be reproduced by a conventional copier and will result in a substantially clear background. In this way, it may be convenient in document printing to include a latent image signal with a background pattern of my invention in the original document paper material, such as for example the repeated word "copy" as the signal, of Such that when legitimate distribution copies are made from that document, the copies may have a uniform clear background but still easily be distinguished from the original in distribution due to the visibility of the repeated word "copy".

The images of the signals and the images of the masked background can be related to each other in a configuration or design that can be traced by hand, formed by computer or composed in printing plates or film, all as it is known by those with skill in the specialty or as is also known, after the creation converted to an electronic program or disk to transfer direct images to plate or to print using the programmer disk in any laser or other conventional output device. Although not necessary, pantographs or designs can be superimposed by printing or inverting the pattern such as for example the previously identified cloud pattern. For optimum safety, the invention can also be used in combination with other methods, such as using a visible image to produce moire pattern as described, for example in US Patents. Nos. 5,018,767 and 5,193,853, the latter of which discloses that the lines may be at a deliberately selected desired step, to vary in a minimal way from the scanning stroke of known copying machines and video opticons. Although my invention is described by reference to specific preferred embodiments, it is clear that variations may be practiced or another material employed without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A printed document that is resistant to forgery by known electronic optical copiers and scanners, comprising a first signal formed by continuous lines, a second signal formed by interrupted lines, where the solid lines and interrupted lines are at angles to each other and where only the continuous lines are reproduced substantially by the copier.
2. The document according to claim 1, wherein the lines are of the same width.
3. The document according to claim 1, wherein the interrupted lines have a space between each segment of the line that is approximately equal to the width of that line.
4.- The document in accordance with the claim 1, wherein the lines may have a width of about .00127 mm (.0005") to about .381 mm (.015") and preferably of a uniform width of about .0381 mm (.0015") to about. 2032 mm (.008").
5.- The document in accordance with the claim 1, wherein the lines may have a pitch of approximately 50 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) to approximately 200 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) and preferably a passage of approximately 75 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) to approximately 140 lines per 2.54 cm (inch).
6. - The document in accordance with the claim 1, wherein the ratio in the width of the interrupted lines to the width of the solid lines is from about 1: 1 to about 1: 6 and preferably about 1: 1 to about 1: 2.
7. A method for producing a falsification-resistant document, comprising printing a screen of a desired image of a signal on a substrate, printing a second image of dotted or interrupted lines on a second substrate, wherein the interrupted lines are formed of short lines or of relatively equal length and wherein the spaces between the short lines have a length from about 10% to about 45% of the length of the short lines that overlap the first and second substrates, such that the lines of the The first substrate is at an angle to the lines of the second substrate, and a third substrate of the composite of the first two substrates is printed.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second image is formed by a composite of similar continuous lines in separate negative and positive images placed at orthogonal angles to each other.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the lines can have a width of about .00127 mm (.005") to about .381 mm (.015") and preferably of a uniform width of about .0381. mm (.0015") to approximately .2032 mm (.008"), and where the lines may have a pitch of approximately 50 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) to approximately 200 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) and preferably a step from approximately 75 lines by 2.54 cm (inch) to approximately 140 lines by 2.54 cm (inch).
10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the ratio in the width of the lines interrupted or dotted to the width of the solid lines is approximately 1: 1 to about 1: 6 and preferably from about 1: 1 to about 1: 2.