Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ANTI-PHOTOGRAPHIC/PHOTOCOPY IM~GI~ PROCESS
AND PRODUCT MADE BY SAME
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
ThiS invention relates generally to protected documents,
those documents having some intrinsic value that is readily
recogni2able on their face. More particularly, the instant
invention deals with the method for producing a documen~ that
will be nonreplicable by modern photographic/photocopy
techniques. Specifically, the photographic replication which
is to be defeated by the instant invention is that which
would result in or could be used to provide a color
transparency or a high resolution positive (or neg~tive) from
which a printing plate may be made in order to reproduce the
document that was photographed. Thus, the Field of the
Invention is properly that art which deals with document
security systems, antiphotocopy documents and
antiphotographic documents, insofar as they are used to
thwart counter~eiting activities.
The instant invention, although uni~ue in its own right,
derives fro~n one of the instant inventors' inventions dealing
with nonreplicable documents and methods for producing same,
subject of United States Patent Applicat.ion, No. 298,020
~'020) fiIed on 18 January l989 and entitled "COUNTERFEIT : :
PREVENTION", prlority established by PCT/US 90/00221 in
WO90/08046, publi~hed 26 July 1990. Those documents shall
provide a significant portion of the background topic in the
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instant application.
Discussion of the Prior Art
In the early 1980's, with the proliferation of many
extremely fine photocopiers, it became apparent that, as the
science progressed in terms of authentic replication and
quality of print, the likelihood of counterfeited documents,
including currency, would soon become a problem of national
significance. Those skilled in the art of printing protected
documentation, almost as a whole, attempted to create
techniques and products which would frustrate the amateur,
copy machine-operating counter~eiter by contriving documents
wh~ch, when scanned by an electro-optical scanning system
(such as that found in a photocopier machine or an opticon),
would produce replicas which were darkened in tone or hue, or
revealed hidden images, th~ most common hidden image being
the word "VOID". A most interesting and relevant example of
such art is disclosed in US Patent No. 4,58Z,346, issued to
Caprio et al in April 1986 for a DOCUMENT SECURITY SYSTEM. In
that patent, a protected document included background printed
matter and line pattern printed warning indicia, a compound
imaging process akin to "cloaking". Upon an attempt to
replicate the document by a copying machine, the warning
indicia are slurr d ~a characteristic of all types of
photocopiers) and become visibl~. Thus, by the patentee's
own disclosure, the technique exploits copier directional
slur, a phenomenon caused by toner drag, or the elongation of
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the trailing e~ges of ima~es as toner is deposited onto
copying drums. The resultant Caprio product is a protected
document comprising a substrate having a surface, background
printed matter on a first portion of the surface, and warning
printed matter on a second portion of the surface, within the
first portion. The warning printed matter is formed such
that, upon xerographic copying of the document, the warning
indicia slurs to become visible. The background printed
matter is a dot pattern, printed on the face surface with a
dot pattern screen of 5% density and 133 rows per inch. Thls
density and pitch (the number of rows per ~nch) is
significant in that, after one of the instant inventors had
made the previously mentioned nonreplicable document (see
Field of the Invention), a retrospective look at the Caprio
et al. process revealed that they, although having succeeded
in producing a veryj expensive and intricate security
document, had missed the knack of acquiring a truly
nonreplicable document because their invention had been
directed toward printed indicia that the copying machine
could actually "see", that is, detect and photoprint.
Therein lies the truly subtle secret between a very expensive
and highly contrived product and one which is simple,
elegant, inexpenslve and which has additional benefits that
not only serve as an adjunct to the nonreplicability of the
instant inventors' document by photocopy machine, but also,
when practiced in its fullest and most comprehensive sense,
provides a modicum of antiphotographic characteristic as
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well. Application '020 reveals and exploits most of the
secret, save part of that now discussed herein.
Mowry, Jr. et al., in U.S. Patent No. 4,310,180
discussed the method of making a protected document. They
disclose a protected document, such as a negotiable
instrument, which is to be protected by their technique from
illegal copying by color copiers. Their method is, in some
respects, similar to predecessor methods, essentially
preprinting a particular word, warning or cancellation phrase
pattern in a half tone or multi-tone on a document and,
thereafter, camouflaging the pattern by placing over the
cancellation phrase a random line background mask effecting
the disappearance of the cancellation phrase into the
background design. The instant inventors term this
"cloaking" because there is a definite intent to cover one
form of visible print with another, a technique and expense
they avoidO
In the interim, the period between the above Mowry, Jr.
and Caprio type inventions and that of the instant inventors,
other techniques were attempted such as microimaging in
certain locations of the security document. For example,
government printing offices, including the United St~tes
Bureau of Engra~ing, fell upon the technique of including
microimages in the borders and edges of pictures (images) and
portraits (also lmages) in paper currency. When attempts are
made to reproduce such paper currency by color photocopier
means, the microi-aq-s are lost. Vnfortunatel~, the loss of
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WO 91/11331 PCr/U591/00713
20'~.~0~3
an image which cannot ordinarily be seen, is generally of
little consequence when one co~siders the fact that most
currency exchanged in the open marketplace is rarely scanned
by the handlers with a lens any more powerful than the
unaided human eye. Thus, not only do the counterfeits of
these currencies appear genuine to l:he casual observer, but
the genuine notes are extremely expensive to produce, being
attainable only through high quality engravings used with
intaglio printing techniques. What was needed, and provided
by one of the instant inventors, was a document which, when
reproduced by the best of modern color copiers, would be
obviously bogus. The invention disclosed and claimed in
United States Patent Application No. 298,020 makes it
possible for the first time to produce legal tender paper
currency, genuine traveler's checks, original postage stamps,
government issued food sta~ps, important documents or
certificates such as driver's license and identification
papers, and the like which, to the naked eye are identical to
prior items of the same kind but, in fact, have
characteristics which reveal their copier (especially color)
replications to be obvious counterfeits.
It was discovered that a long-time bane of the printer,
moire distortion, could be turned into a benefit if the
proper philosophy were pursued. The moire image, in the
optical sciences a virtual image because it i5 not the
reflection of the real object nor the exact image being
projected from the real object, is observed when an
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interferin~ grid is placed between the object to be observed
and the observer. Analogously, this occurs in a photocopier
or any electro-optical scanning device such as ~ television
opticon whPn a grid of some form prevents the detecting
device (or surface) from " seeing" or sensing all of the
light reflection from the object or target. It was reasoned
that such a grid indeed exists in the aforementioned photo-
copying devices; and, that grid is the scanning pattern of
the device itself. Quite literally, the device "sees" only
the image directly under its scanning or imaging fieldj and
that is an array of straight lines (the scan lines). Thus,
if the device does not scan an ob~ect, it does not "see" it,
does not record it, and does not replicate it. It is thus
"blinded" by a virtual grid corresponding to the scan line
spacings or "not see" zones. It was reco~nized that in this
discovery lay the key to solving the copier replicating
problem. We used the moire e~fect to reveal the bogus color
copy of a genuine banknote, for example, by producing the
banknote image lineation pitch (see definition hereinafter)
in purpose~ul mismatch to the scanner frequency of a (color)
copier. Additionally, the lay-down or printing pattern is
deliberately altered, portionwise, in azimuth and/or pitch
throughout the document by either a single printing (from a
single plate) or a montage of either separate printings or a
special compound (image) plate.
The invention was conceived to counteract a specific illegal
threat, without having to resort to legislative action which
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would in some way hinder the technological growth and
refinement of the photocopy machine industry, and limit its
most noteworthy pr~ducts. Quite simply, if a photocopier (of
any advanced design) relies upon a discrete scanning
protocol, it can be defeated as a counterfeiting device by
incorporation of the '020 invention therein.
During the later productions of the earlier
(nonreplicable document) invention, as partly disclosed in
'020, it was realized that the characteristic most notable in
the attempted reproduction of the nonreplicable document,
namely missing details (in addition to moire skewing), was
also present when an attempt was made to produce a positive
or negative image (photograph) transparency. Such
photographic techniques are employed when a counterfeiter
desires to produce a photo-etched plate for printing some
security document. At this point, it was reasoned that,
since this phenomenon was not present when ordinary ~xisting
security documents were photographed, th~re had to be some
causative agent in the invention (to which we alone were
privy) that was inducing nonreplicability in a photograph.
It was from this somewhat serendipitous discovery, that the
instant invention was generated.
Before summarizing and disclosing the instant invention
in detail, it is first necessary to define several terms
which shall be used hersi~after and with which the reader
should ~amiliarize himsel~/her~elf so that a comprehensive
understanding o~ the instant invention will follow.
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Definitions
Bloom or Flare. A phenomenon where light, either
direct or reflected, ovèrwhelms a recording medium, surface
or device such as a photon detector, an occular r~tina, a
photographic emulsion or the like, so that the recording
medium (or surface) does not record or sense all of the
content in contrasting darker areas of the image,
specifically the lineations comprising the image.
Bloomable or Flareable I~age. An image which reflects
li~ht disproportionately from the various pixels that compose
the image, by projecting to a recording medium diminished
contrast between lighter and darker areas because of the
preponderance of lighter pixels adjacent a darker one.
Dissonance. Mismatch between frequencies such as in
different line pitches or color spectr~. The term generally
means "out of tune".
Image. A marklng made on a matte or integrally formed
therein. An image may be lineations, pictures or portraits.
The pictures or portraits re geometric patterns or images of
persons and are generally comprised of various lineations.
Lineations. Multiple lines in an etching, print, or
similar r~production which are comprised of dots, lines/hooks
and swirls and comprise the detail of which an image is made.
A lineation may be straight or curviline~r and is merely a
general description of in-line dots, lines/hooks and swirls.
~ ine Pitch. The frequency tf) of repetition in pri~ted
indicia such as lineations.
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Matte. A substrate for containing an image therein or
thereon. In the instant art a matte is generally, but not
always, a high quality rag or rice paper, polished to varying
degree. It may also comprise printi.ng plates , platens or
similar picture formative means.
Picture Formative. Something such as an engraving, a
photo-replicator or the like that is' used to make images on
suitable mattes by facilitating transfer of inks, dyes and
similar marking stuff.
Replication. An exact image or picture reproduction,
true as opposed to imperfect, bogus or inaccurate.
Hereinafter, replicat}on, replica, etc. shall be used to
express a true reproduction; while nonreplication,
nonreplicable, etc. shall mean that a document or image
hav.ing such characteristics, when copied, is counterfeit or
bogus to the casual observer. I
Stuf~. The material out of which something may be
shaped or made, raw or unwrought material.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Several techniques are employed to produce a photocopier
or photographically nonreplicable image or document
containing images:
(1) The rendition of images as dots surrounded by
lighter dyesipaint~s/inks or print stuff and arrayed in
omnidirectional for.mats compr1ses the heart of the lnstant
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WO91/11331 ~CT/US91/00713
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invention, the basic bloomable image;
t2) subtle hue gradations on a matte for the purpose of
decimating the reproductions is of significant importance,
and has by itself the ability to frustrate accurate
photocopying;
(3) the in~ention disclosed in the prior art
"nonreplicable document method", namely, the inclusion of
lines, dots and/or hooks/swirls (lineations) embodied and
integrally formed into art, pictures and (other forms of)
images so as to differentiate minutely in vertical and/or
horizontal pitch from the linear grids employed by the
scanning mechanisms of electro-optical scanning and photocopy
machines is used as an adjunct to the image of (1);
(4) use of a matte having definite relief, that is, high
and low areas as is experienced with use of high quality rag
bond and the like accentuates unequal reflection character;
this dissonant reflection character is further enhanced by
using a dry offset printing technique, often coupled with
image lineations done by intaglio pxinting, 50 as to effect
extremely erratic reflectiYity over the entire matte;
(5) omni-directional placement of the various lineations
comprising the image, which enhances the bloom or flare
aspects of the image; and
(6) placement of the thinner (less dense) lineations of
a bloomable image at a pitch beyond the resolving capability
of a spherical camera lens and the emulsion grain of high
resolution filma, at least greater than 180 lines per inch,
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at which this latter and all of the aforesaid techniques are
enhanced relative to the invention's ability to ~rustrate
photography o~ its images.
~ 7) xerographic imaging of the :invention onto
photosensitive plates or with transfer of a resinous powder
to darker paper (matte) with subsequent thermal fixation. A
fixed resin images glistens under photo light and blooms or
flares spectacularly. ~his is another application of (1),
above.
(8) The most expedient methods for making documents or
picture formatives of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Or the Drawings:
Figure la is a small portion of a printed image;
Figure lb is a nominal grid overlay;
Figure lc is the superposition of the Fig1~re lb grid
on the Figure la print;
Figure 2a is an alternate embodiment of a print similar
to Figure la;
Figure 2b is a stylized rendering of an ima~e with a
detail of the lineations orming the image;
Figure 3 is an artist's sketch Qf a well known portrait
which appears on a national currency bill;
Figure 3a is an artist's rendering of the print detail
of the Figure 3 image embodying the instant invention;
Figure 3b is an artist's rendering of a copy of the
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Figure 3a image produced by a modern photocopying machine;
Figures 4a-4d are illustrations of the types of lines,
dots and hooks used to construct lineations of the inYention
in graduated detail;
Figures 5a-5e comprise a series of illustrations which
depict a general ~ethod for placing the image into picture
formatives such as printing plates;
Figure 6 is flow sequence of a method for making
documents of the invention using a photocopier; and
Figure 7 is a flow chart similar to Figure 6, but
applicable to a non-photocopy production method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The image making techniques employed in the instant
invention derive, in large part, from prslonged
~xperimentation and practice wit~ the invention disclosed in
application '020 and also U.S. Serial No. 473,903, ('903),
filed on February 2, l990 on which priority for this
application is based.
Article Embodiments
Referring more specifically to the first three figures,
Figure la discloses the '020 and '903 inventions l0 rather
~uccinctly. An image is created, on a suitable matte M by
forming lineations, that is, curvilinear marks that are
comprised of lines 12, dots 14 and swirls 16, into pictures,
portraits or other forms of visible imagery. "Curvilinear",
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as used herein, means small curves or hooks at the ends of
dots or lines. This is done according to a certain protocol
which is illustrated in the following Figures lb and lc. In
Figure lb, the reader observes a simple grid barrier
comprised of opaque horizontal slats 17 and vertical slats
19. The spaces between the grid elements 17, l9 are
indicated generally as voids 18. When a grid of the Figure
lb type is laid over a Figure la of printing or im~ging
(assuming that the grid spacing or voids 18 is immutable),
the Figure lc illustration demonstrates dramatically how a
good portion of the image of Figure la would be lost to an
observer by the interposition of the opaque grid 17, 19.
Quite matter of Eactly, the vertical portions 19 may be
removed and the reader can sufficiently imagine that, absent
19' elements of the interfering grid, the remaining image
would still be sufficiently distorted so as to be apparent to
the ordinary observer. This phenomenon, a very noticeable
phenonmenon, results in what is termed a moire pattern or
color skewing; and, it occurs any time an observer attempts
to view or record what is essentially a virtual image. The
term virtual image is used herein because the viewer or
recorder does not see/sense an image as it is accurately
portrayed on its matte or substrate medium, but rather as it
appears to the senses/sensor. It is an image which has been
distorted by some interfering grid-like phenomenon. The
phenomenon may be real, such a~ the grid of Figure lb or it
too may be virtual, such as an inability to see or perceive.
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WO91/11331 Pcr/us9l/oo7l3
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For example, if a person were to observe an image through a
defective eye, say an eye which possessed a damaged retin~ so
that the entire image was not sensed, the actual perception
of the observer would be entirely different from that of an
observer with normal vision. Thus, the philosophical
transition made by the instant inventors is to select a
virtual grid for an actual one. This i5 done by first
determining which type of device will be used to record a
particular image -- in this case, the imaging apparatus
(recording) is a video scanner (opticon and the like), a
photocopier scanner or a camera. In the case of the first
two devices, an image lO is made on a suitable matte M with
lineations 20 IcomPrising dots, lines and swirls) spaced at a
distance which will be minutely less or more than the
scanning frequency, or some frequency factor such as (f .
interger), of the aforementioned devices. Thus, when che
optical scanning devices scan a document containing the above
described image format, the points and lines along which the
device scans, or "sees", will be recorded (spaces between
scan lines are not) and later transferred to another matte in
the reproduction protocol. Thus, for a short portion of its
scanning protocol, the scanning device "viewing area" will be
in registry with discrete image parts and the machine thereby
recording lineation 20 of the image lO. However, and because
of the purposeful line pitch dissonance between the machine
or the device scanning pitch and th image lineations 20, the
"seeing line" of the scanner will soon be out of registry
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with the lineation pitch of the image 10 and, since the
device will no longer be able to "sele" all of the lineations
20, the device will not be able to record and reproduce the
document bearing the image with any reasonable degree of
accuracy. Hence, the instant inventors use the kerm
"nonreplicable document" to describe ~ny document bearing an
image such as that first described (10) because it cannot be
replicated accurately.
The illustration at Figure 2a explains in a somewhat
more detailed fashion the invention related in Figures la -
lc. Therein, the reader will note that the invention 10
comprising lineations 20, that is, lines formed of dots,
lines and swirls, are arrayed so as to ha~e a definite,
predetermined pitch d. At this point, a second aspect of the
instant invention is taught wherein the thickness of the
lines or lineations 20 is ~aried, from line to line and also
within the same lineation. At the top of Figure 2a, a
lineation thickness begins at the left hand side with a
thickness somewhat less than the lineation pitch d, that is,
the distance between lineations. This illustration shows a
constant lineation pitch d, but according to the teachinqs of
the instant inventors, all that is necessary is that the
pitch distance d be an amount to purposefully create
dissonance, i.eO, more or less than the scanning pitch of the
scanning device which is to be frustrated. For most of the
available color copiers on the market today, those capable of
making a counterfeit document, pitches of greater than 180
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W091/11331 PC~/US'~1/t)~713
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lines per inch is generally sufficient. In the case of a
well defined threat, it may be advisable to prepare face
val~le documents, such as banknotes or currency, not only with
a document lineation pitch slightly above or below the pitch
protocol of the threatening device, but to embody varying
pitches, pitch factors (f . integer), azimuths and other
aspects of the instant invention. Such an adoption leads to
one of the most significant aspects of the instant invention,
that which lends an antiphotographic character to the image
lO, as well. In Figure 2a, the bottom left hand lineation,
comprised essentially of characters such as a lower left hand
dot 14' is of a thickness significantly less than the pitch
distance d. This allows pr~ctice of two features described in
the Summary of the Invention, the use of subtle hue
gradations on the matte which is serving as the substrate for
positioning of the image thereon, and the creation in that
image of a blooming or flaring characteristic. I
Relative to the use of the bloomable image and the tonal
gradation, the instant inventors will digress slightly to
more thorough'y explain these facets of the invention.
Relative to tone, as it applies to the printing of documents,
the actual print must be of a certain opacity and the density
thereof should be at least .05 in raflective density, where
such reflective density is proportional to the area that is
being covered by the print. In the printing field, opacity
is related on a relative scale of 0.0 to 3.0, the former
being white-white and the latter, solid black. By cantrast,
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in the photographic arts, black is 3.02. The average density
(reflective) of a solid image in the printing art is l.60.
Reflective density on paper or similar substrate (matte) is
also dependent on the substrate composition -- called "trap".
In such a case, the matte surface, being uneven allows the
ink image to bleed or peek through to the other side and, in
some cases, allows it to actually soak through to the second
side or other side of the matte. This phenomenon is called
"offset". This is best exemplified if the reader exa~ines a
currency note and observes on the obverse that images bleed
through from the reverse side. The offset phenomenon is only
one factor, albeit an important one, in reducing the
re~lective density of the ink OII one side of a printed
document. Factors contrihuting more or less to offset are
tack and pressure, of the ink and press, respectively. It
stands proven, therefore, that if a matte having definite
relief is used, either using a matte design or making a
preliminary intaglio "pressing" without ink, an unequal
reflection character is acquired and this dissonant
reflection character is further enchanced by using a dry
offset printing technique, often used by the instant
inventors with image matter that is done by additional
intaglio printing (with ink~, so as to effect extremely
erratic reflectivity over the entire matte. Thus, an
antiphotographic character is incoroporated in documents
printed according to the instant invention. Hereinafter,
explanation will be made regarding the use o~ tonal
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gradations on or in the base matte which will have further
effect on the overall reflective density of an
antiphotographic document.
In photography, as well as electronic scanning, a
phenomenon known as "flare" or "bloom" is known to exist.
Indeed, patents have been obtained for printing techniques
and products (made from the techniques) that incorporate
reflective inks or dyes. The reflectivity of the inks or
dyes used is obtained by including aluminized mylar
particles or other reflective particles in the printing inks
or dyes; until now, "bright" printing media have not been
used. Irrespective of how the patentees term such
techniques, what they mean to inculcate is the use of media
having dissonant reflective densities within a document.
When such documents were photographed years ago, emulsion
grains and ASA or din values were not yet obtainable that
would be able to resolve the reflective discontinuities
emitted or reflected by such documents. Today, however, with
high speed, high resolution emulsions, something more is
required to a~quire a ~lare or bloom phenomenon in a
document. Flare is essentially the effect of the interaction
of lens curvature ~in the camera) and reflections from
juxtaposed light and darker surfaces in the document's image.
The brighter light reflections have a more pronounced effect
on the film and are gathered more readily by the curved lens;
thus, the light ar~as appear to "bloom" or flare, thus
swamping out portiohs of the darker image, particularly at
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the margins. Although it would seeM that ex-ternal lighting
could be all but eliminated from the photographic
environment, light is still required to activate the film;
and where the liyht-dark juxtaposit:ion still exists, so does
the flare or bloom. Referring once again to Figure 2a, this
character is incorporated in the instant invention by the
spacing 15 o~ the lineations 20 so t:hat the resultant images
must be comprised of lineations having small enough thickness
to exhibit a very low reflective density of ~rom about 0.01
to 0.10. In such image areas, the resulting photograph of
the document will reveal omissions of the image or extremely
reduced replicas -- in both size and density.
A very valuable, although somewhat limited, system for
incorporating flara in the invention has also been discovered
and used with considerable success by the instant inventors.
In seeking elements that would induce the flarable feature so
! that camera, photocopier and telecopier machines or devices
would be equally frustrated in a copying or transfer attempt,
the inventors successfully applied a resinous powder to
several forms of matte, here papers that were somewhat darker
than the usual copy paper. When the powder is permanently
fixed by heat, and several thermal cure or fixation methods
are known, it results in an imaging which is clearly visible
in ambient light because each indicia glistened, thus making
the pattern of indicia or the image highly visible. However,
any attempt to recopy the finished image by photographic
means is unsuccessful and attempts to recopy by xerographic
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(photocopy) means or any optical scanning means (telecopier),
produced absolutely outstanding results in that the resultant
product was completely dark~ned. In 1:his particular case, the
bloom or flare aspect of the image indicia predominated over
the line pitch/azimuth/dissonant char.acter and, in fact, will
suffice under the circumstances of use mentioned herein~
Figure 2b depicts, at the left hand side, an artist's
rendering of what is normally a print:ed image seen in the
traveler's check printed art. At the right, a detail of such
an image could be rendered accordingly. The invention
disclosed in Figures 1a - lc is incorporated in sectors
ranging from about 0 degrees to about 45 degrees in arc. The
reader should note that Sector I is skewed from Sector II.
Sector III, which is in alignment with Sector IV, is offset
pitchwise so that a scanner, clearly "seeing" a line in
Sector III, would probably miss its counterpart in Sector IV.
This is assuming, of course, that the person attempting to
counterfeit the image would have turned it so that the
scanning device would scan orthogonally and not in the usual
bottom to top fashion. Sectors V and VI differ in pitch d
and in pitch azimuth (arc d). Such a torturous layout is
felt necessary to thwart counterfeiters that would attempt to
take several scannings along differing scan azimuths and use
a computer to resolve inaccuracies or omissions on a pixel-by
-pixel basis. Finally, Sector VII shows an embodiment of all
of the aforesaid technigues, save the tonal gradation, as may
be embodied in a doc:ument utilizing the invention in its
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fullest sense. In actual practice, and using practically any
available color copier, an image created (i.e., copied) in
the detail of Figure 2b, using a three or four color scheme
would be virtually nonreplicable in the sense that a casual
observer would readily recognize the moire skewing
(colorwise) and omissions in the counter~eit product.
Figure 3 is an artist's rendering of the Jackson image
as it appears in a United States twenty dollar bill. Since
United States currency i5 produced from an engraving, and
printed in the intaglio method, a Figure 3a detail would
illustrate the previously described facets of the instant
invention, with the exception of tonal gradation. Were such
a document copied on a color copier, even of the most modern
type, the resultant (counterfeit) image of Figure 3b would
contain such obvious defects and omissions that the
counterfeit virtually would be unpassable. Most noteworthy
in i~he Figure 3b effects would be the omission of detail 40
above the eyes, and ioss of a great deal of the horizontal
grid integrity 42 from the background area o~ the portrait.
In an attempt to adjust for loss of contrast, the
counterfeiter would increase the toner laydown, thu~
acquiring a great deal of toner slur on the aspects of the
image that were "seen" by the copier scanning device. Such
an attempt to recreate background in darker toned areas would
result in an accentuation (~ur~her dec~mation) in the areas
of omisslon. Worse for the counterfeiter, toner slur would
become more pronounced, and ~ince the copy machine cannot
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reproduce what it has not seen, the attempted contrast
adjustment will only serve to effect brighter spots where
there was normally (or originally) a light hue. On some
modern copiers, an averaging function is used for supplying
toner (extra laydown) to compensate for nonscanned or
"unseen" indicia in documents.
One final aspect of the invention, relative to the
article made, is worthy of discussion, the use of tonal
gradation for the purposes of decimating photographic
reproductions. In the newprlnt industry, the compositer
(hand typesetter), now "pastes up" old ads from previous
printings with new copy on the same page. The old copy,
besause of aging, has varying shades of "yellowing". Such
variable shading is similar to what the inventors term tonal
gradation. Such advertisements contain writing and
illustrations in line form, as well as half-tone. The
procedure is to produce a negative of the full "paste up" on
an offset reproduction camera. The bane o the compositer is
the presence of the varying tones of yellow in, around and
juxtaposed to type. These varying tones of yellow, or tone
gradations, are app~rent when compared to the o~erall opacity
viewed in a negative area of the reversed image of the new
ads. Thus, the sheet of total material, i.e., the matte with
images thereon, suffers intermittent variations in tone and,
as a whole, lacks consistency during reproduction. This
problem actually arises because the darker shades o yellow
retain density (in the negative) that will print darker than
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WO91/11331 PC17US91/00713
-23- 207So~3
white (or a shade of gray) and all lighter shadei~ of yellow,
including white, will exhibit a similar effect. By
purposefully incorporating, in the instant invention, a
tonally graded (~raduated) matte, the reflective densities of
an overall document are further altered. Although making
such a tonally graded matte is more in the province of the
stockmaker, the ir~stant inventors choose to use one
particular technique that is particularly effective and
offers an additional enhancement to the preparation of a
security document or face value certificate.
One of the methods for producing a document with the
instant invention and, particularly the invention of the '020
application is to make, as close as possible, a photoreplica
of a true document on a modern color copier. Because the
matte is altered by the heat of the developing process, the
lineations of the replicated image will dif~er minutely from
the scanning pitch of the copier. Thus, the replication will
contain the instant invention. If the replication is made
onto a plate, documents may now be printed containing the
invention which has been literally provided by the copier.
This was first taught in '020 when the instant discovery,
that a copy machine could not accuately repLicate its own
copy, was first revealed. The replication may also be given
the "feel" of a true printed document ~y merely overprinting
or underprinting the copier (copy) with a common printer s
varnish. The varniish would be applied by means of a print
formative such as an intaglio or offi5et plate. Such a
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varnish is clear and often without hue or tone, but may
contain such. More than one layer is generally preferred.
If at least one layer of varnish is applied by over/under-
printing a copy machine replica, a document will be obtained
having all the looks and "feel" (-that is, ~ense to the
touch), of a genuine certificate. In fact, it may serve as
~he genuine certificate and thus, embodying all the aspects
of the instant invention, replace the genuine certi~icates of
that type that are so easily counterfelted. If the printer
wishes to incorporate the tonal gradation facet of the
instant invention, more than one overprint of varn~sh may be
used. This time using a different toned or hued varnlsh. In
this instance, the plate for such printing must be made so
that the varying tones or hues of varnish will be layed down
between the lineations 20 or some other refraction-disturbing
pattern is employed. As those of ordinary skill may readily
surmise, it is not necessary to apply this tonal gradation
technique only to a photocopy or replica; but rather, it may
be applied to any printed document, particularly offset
printings.
In addition to, or instead of, overprinting with
printers varnish, a primary coat of varnish may be applied
directly to the matte. Then, if that coat is one defining an
image not visible to the unaided eye, that image will b~
revealed upon attempted photo replication of the finished
document because the overprinted image is not seen by the
photo replicating machine sc~nner. Moreover, the varnish
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WO91/11331 PC~/US91/00713
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image will be replicated either darker or of different color
from the original coat image, a distortion caused by the
differences in refractive indexes of air and varnish (even
though both appear to be clear or neaxly invisible).
It has also been discovered that this image result can
be consistently obtained whether or not one or more overlays
of varnish are applied to the printed document.
It has still further been discovered that it is possible
to create, in effect, a watermark by using as the primary
coat a varnish which will penetrate the matte sufficiently
that the varnish image is visible to the eye when the
document is held up to a light source. Thus, although the
matte has no transparency, the varnish image shows clearly;
and if that image is a positive, it will replicate as a
negative and vice versa.
On the basis of these discoveries, one can now produce a
certificate bearing an image in varnish which is visible to
the unaided eye as a watermark and is replicable on exposure
of the reverse side as either a positive or a negative; and
the replicated portrait can also be behind a replicated
pattern of choice printed on the reverse side of the
certificate in a form which can be seen by the copy making
machine scanner. Thus the original mismatch concept of this
invention described above may be used to prevent
counterfeiting of the front and/or back of a certificate and
the printers varnish image concept of this invention may be
used to prevent counterfeiting of both the front and the back
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WO91/11331 ~a~6~ -26 PCr/US'~1/00713
of the certificate.
Figures 4a-4d are graduated serial definitions o~
illustrations depicting, first in Figure 4a, a portion of an
image comprised of Lineations of a certain pitch and an inner
section 60 thereon. Figure 4b is a detail of Figure 4a taken
at circle 4b. This is done to show the reader that the
indica are lines, not only of different azimuth, but of
different pitch, as well. Figure 4c is a larger detail of
the Figure 4b intersection 60 area. Finally, Fi~ure 4d is a
blow-up and exaggeration of the intersection 60 area depicted
as a rectangle in Figure 4c. In a construction of an image
according to the invention, lineations 20 are depicted as a
series of lines, dots, hooks or swirls arranged according to
a consistent pitch d' or varying pitches d''. Machine scan
lines l1 and l~ clearly illustrate how components of various
lines would be "seen" by a photoscanning me~ns, but also,
critical portions would not be sPen and recorded between the
lines, herein depicted as a space s. As will be se~n later
herein, a couple of the techniques for embodying the
inv~ntion in a document rely upon the maker of the particular
picture formative (generally a printing plate) to take
careful cognizance of the factors depicted in Figure 4d.
Figure 4d is depicted with but two colors, a dark and a
white, or blac~ and white. Thus, an image may be formed in
black lineations or what appear to be shades of black and
gray. Were three colors to be used, the same techniques
would apply for assuring that vario1~s components of the color
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WO91/11331 PC~/US91/00713
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would not be seen if other components were to he seen.
Figures 5a-5e illustrate how one would go about making a
plate formative, either by computer or hand engraving, so
that the invention would be embodied in the formative and, of
course, in the resulting document printed by the formative.
Figure 5a represents a three color-component pixel X and
the succeeding Figures 5b-5e illustr.ate the sequence of
actions that would be taken to embody pixel X into a document
bearing the invention X'. The process proceeds essentially as
follows: a negative is made of the image thus renderinq the
three colors a, b and c distinctive as shown in Figure 5b.
Then, as depicted by Figure Sc, a positive is made of pixel X
screened with a preselected screen frequency as shown in
Figure 5c. Here, as in Figure 4, 11, 12, etc. represent the
photoscanner or photocopier scan lines; and s represents the
spaces between the "seeing" scan lines, or the "no see"
zones. Figure 5d represents the pixel X as it would appear
on a three color plate with the invention formed therein. The
reader should note that when making the plate, and in order
to maintain the proper color, tone and hue that was
originally that of pixel X, it is necessary to compensate ~or
the lack of the color components by making deeper wells or
using darker color components to print the document. Thus,
the document pixel X', as shown in Figure 5e is composed of
colors a', b' and c' to indicate their color and tone
difference from the pixel of Figure 5a.
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Methodoloqy
Beside the obvious method of making a picture formative
of the invention, that is, hand engraving a predesigned image
with the invention, including pitch variations and azimuthal
change, as well as lineation portions in one, three or more
colors, there are the automatic/automated methods such as:
direct screen image creation, electronic scanning creation,
photocopier creation, direct plate image creation and
indirect gravure or intaglio plate making.
The first, direct screen image creation was essentially
described in the description of Figures 5a-5e. A film
negative of a picture (in whole or part) i5 photographed. A
variable tone line screen, which emulates the line screen of
a laser black and white or color copier, is placed in
registry and in contact with the negative and both are placed
in contact with a new film. In effect, the first grid
(photocopier scanning pattern) is placed over the picture or
document image. The thickness o~ this grid is important, as
well as its pitch. The new film is then exposed and
developed. This film is either a negative or a positive and
is used to produce a printing plate of the invention image as
shown in Figure 5d. To maximize the effect of using the
invention imagery as a montaye, several parts of a document
are so treated with screens of differing pitch that are
rotated about the z axis of the ima~es' x-y planes. The
various screens correspond to various photocopier scan copy
(frequency) protocols.
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WO91/11331 PC~/US91/00713
2o~o63
The instant inventors are familiar with the following
addressed techniques of copier and computer operation, but
claim no expertise therein. Nevert:heless, a skilled copier,
computer operator or printer is capable of acquiring the
articles of the invention by application of the methods that
follow. Relative to electronic scanning creation, a picture
formative tPlate) or document of the invention may be created
using many of the computer-controlled systems that are
available today. Reference to Figure 6 will give the reader
a broad view of such a method. An original copy, engraving
or a picture is scanned and entered into memory o~ a
digitized computer imaging system. Also prestored in the
memory is a digitized line screen that is a gesmetric match
to the line screen of a selected laser copier. Several such
line screens may be stored in memory for such a purpose. The
image that was scanned is presented on the video-com or
monitor, and enhanced by contrast and size for
reconstruction. The line screen is also summoned as a screen
overlay and the image is then reconstructed to follow or "map
into" the line screen paying special attention to place
critical color components in as thin lineations as possible.
Subsequently, a negative is output and is used to produce a
printing plate with the invention's image. During the
mapping process, the various screens and azimuths may be
employed granting the finished negative the multi-azimu~h and
pitch variations of the a~orementioned montage.
Photocopier c:reation is perhaps the most expedient means
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091/11331 9~a~ P~/US')1/00713
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of creating the invention in a picture formative. An
original copy artwork, engraving, OI' picture is placed on the
platen of a laser copier. Film transparencies are placed in
readiness in the blank paper tray of the copier, hereinafter
termed "film tray". Copier adjustments are made in that the
laser potentiometer is adjusted to produce maximum beam
sharpness while copier settings such as "detaill' and
"contrast" are adjusted to produce the sharpest copy line
image and the "black mode" of the copier is activated.
Changes to pitch, azimuth, line or dot pattern, without
changing the astetic look of the original, may be made by
numerical control subsystem (if available) to the copy.
Special shadow effects may be introduced into the medium-to-
dark tones with a redrawing of original lines to create
sharper lineations. The copy may be divided into one or more
sections, with each section being placed on a copier platen
at a given azimuth which empirically is seen to produce the
greatest interference betwPen the original design image and
that resulting from the new azimuth placed on the platen.
Each change of azimuth, relative to the original document, is
treated as a separate section and the ilm transparency is
produced of each. One mas~er film is produced of the copy as
a composite of all the parts. The master film is then
selected for registration and each section i~ then registered
to (mapped into) the whole original by the above process.
Separate masks are created of each section or part of the
whole copy that was selected bearing an azimuth change.
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Positives of the masks are then created and, a new piece of
f.ilm is placed in the film tray and each mask is exposed
separately and in registry with the selected section while
m~sking the background around it with the positive to create
a film negative (or positive) which is a whole of the
original. The ~ilm is then used in a conventional manner to
produce a printing plate for the replication of invention
documents.
Direct plate image creations is also an expedient manner
of producing picture formatives (plates) and the invention
doc1~ments by use of a copier. In this technique, a plastic
or paper printing plate ~the film which i5 etched for offset
printing) is placed in the paper tray of the copier, now
redesignated "film tray" for these procedures. An original
copy of the document to be rendered noncopyable is placed on
the copier platen. Adjustments to the copier are made as
were done previously in the explanation of photocopier
creation techniques, and a copy is made in black only onto
the surface of the printing plate film. The plate-film is
then etched, placed on an offset printing press and multiple
copies are produced of the invention document~ This is the
most cost-expedient and first attempted method that we
employed ~or making the invention. With monotone documents,
it is extremely e~fective and derives from the critical,
original discovery that was disclosed in '020 -- that a
photocopier cannot truly replicate its own copy of a
document.
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Finally, an indirect gravure or intaglio plate making
p~ocess may be used as depicted in Figure 7. A copy of an
original image is made and entered into the memory of a laser
copier. Th laser memory copy output, which is digital, is
intercepted and converted to analogue signals in order to
activate a laser photo-electric cell which redigitizes the
original memory of the copy and exposes the light sensitive
coating on a gravure or steel engraving plate. A~ter
development and etching, the printing plate is produced of
which multiple copies bearing the invention can be printed on
a gravure or intaglio printing press. As may be readily
surmised, most of the methodology aforementioned is known to
those of ordinary skill in the art. It has been disclosed
herein simply because these are the methods which have proven
most effective to the instant inventors in the realization of
security documents bearing the invention with its various
enhancements.
Use of and practice with the herein disclosed invention,
in all or but one or two of its aspects, will provide an
effective means for controlling counter~eiting of valuable
security or face value documents. Routineers in the printing
field have the capability of adding many variations to the
principles and techniques discussed herein~ It is the
intention of the instant inventors that such be done freely;
but they reserve to themselves that body of right secured by
the hereinafter appended claims and equivalent practice(s)
thereof.
