Hybrid document with variable state

• US 10,150,326 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
• Original Assignee: X-Celeprint Limited
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S., Rotzoll, Robert R., Bower, Christopher, Willner, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Shin H
• Application Number:
  US15/593,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20170313119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/30 Identification or security features, e.g. for preventing forgery
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/305 Associated digital information record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/36 comprising special materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/485 by electronic processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0711 the source being mechanical or acoustical
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07705 the visual interface being a single light or small number of lights capable of being switched on or off, e.g. a series of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07707 the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07715 the interface being used to indicate that the record carrier is active, e.g. a blinking light to indicate that the record carrier is busy communicating with a secondary device or busy computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/18 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/16 Handling of valuable papers within containers G07D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/24 Managing the stock of valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/30 Tracking or tracing valuable papers or cassettes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/003 using security elements using digital security elements G07D7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/01 Testing electronic circuits therein
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/205 Matching spectral properties

Abstract

A hybrid document includes a document having visible markings, one or more light-controlling elements embedded in or on the document, and a controller including a circuit having a non-volatile memory. The controller is embedded in or on the document and electrically connected to the one or more light-controlling elements for controlling the one or more light-controlling elements. A power input connection is electrically connected to any one or all of the controller, the circuit, the memory, or the one or more light-emitting elements. The memory stores a state and the circuit causes the one or more light-controlling elements to indicate the state. A hybrid document validation machine is adapted to accept one or more of the hybrid documents, change the state of the hybrid documents, and optionally display the state on a display.

Claims

1. A hybrid document, comprising:

a document having visible markings;

one or more light-controlling elements embedded in or on the document;

a controller comprising a circuit having a memory that stores multiple values in memory locations that are ordered in a sequential order, wherein

the memory is a non-volatile read/write memory or a non-volatile write-once memory,

the controller is embedded in or on the document, and

the controller is electrically connected to the one or more light-controlling elements for controlling the one or more light-controlling elements; and

a power input connection electrically connected to any one or all of the controller, the circuit, the memory, or the one or more light-emitting elements,

wherein the memory stores a variable state representing the value of the document and the circuit causes the one or more light-controlling elements to indicate the variable state to a human viewer.

2. The hybrid document of claim 1, wherein the document is a banknote, a bond, a stock certificate, a commercial certificate, a printed value-bearing document, or an identification document.

3. The hybrid document of claim 1, wherein the document memory includes an identifier or serial number.

4. The hybrid document of claim 1, wherein the state is encrypted.

5. The hybrid document of claim 1, wherein the hybrid document is adapted to a hybrid document validation machine that changes the state of the hybrid document from valid to invalid or from invalid to valid.

6. The hybrid document of claim 1, wherein the light-controlling elements are light-emitting elements, light-reflecting elements, inorganic light-emitting diodes, organic light-emitting diodes, micro-electromechanical reflective elements, reflective electrophoretic elements, or reflective electrochromic display elements.

7. The hybrid document of claim 1, comprising a power source connected to the power input connection.

8. The hybrid document of claim 7, wherein the power source is a piezoelectric power source or a photovoltaic power source integrated into the hybrid document.

9. A hybrid document system, the system comprising:

a hybrid document comprising;

a document having visible markings,

one or more light-controlling elements embedded in or on the document,

a controller comprising a circuit having a memory that stores multiple values in memory locations that are ordered in a sequential order, wherein

the memory is a non-volatile read/write memory or a non-volatile write-once memory,

the controller is embedded in or on the document, and

the controller is electrically connected to the one or more light-controlling elements for controlling the one or more light-controlling elements, and

a power input connection electrically connected to any one or all of the controller, the circuit, the memory, or the one or more light-emitting elements,

wherein the memory stores a variable state representing the value of the document and the circuit causes the one or more light-controlling elements to indicate the variable state to a human viewer; and

a power source for electrical connection to the power input connection, wherein the power source is external to the hybrid document and is adapted to electrically connect, inductively couple, or magnetically couple to the hybrid document.

10. A method of using a hybrid document, comprising:

providing a hybrid document and a hybrid document validation machine, wherein the hybrid document comprises

a document having visible markings,

one or more light-controlling elements embedded in or on the document,

a controller comprising a circuit having a memory that stores multiple values in memory locations that are ordered in a sequential order, wherein

the memory is a non-volatile read/write memory or a non-volatile write-once memory,

the controller is embedded in or on the document, and

the controller is electrically connected to the one or more light-controlling elements for controlling the one or more light-controlling elements, and

a power input connection electrically connected to any one or all of the controller, the circuit, the memory, or the one or more light-emitting elements,

wherein the memory stores a variable state representing the value of the document and the circuit causes the one or more light-controlling elements to indicate the variable state to a human viewer, and

the hybrid document validation machine comprises, optionally, a display, and a reader/writer adapted to accept one or more hybrid documents, change the state of the hybrid document, and, optionally, display the state of the hybrid document on the display; and

operating the hybrid document validation machine to set the state of the hybrid document.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving the hybrid document in a state and operating the hybrid document validation machine to change the state of the hybrid document.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising providing the hybrid document in a state, then transporting or storing the hybrid document, and finally operating the hybrid document validation machine to change the state of the hybrid document.