Security, identificaiton and verification systems

• US 20040112962A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew John Farrall, Keith Michael Barfoot
• Original Assignee: Andrew John Farrall, Keith Michael Barfoot
• Inventors: Farrall, Andrew John, Barfoot, Keith Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/086 with markings consisting of randomly placed or oriented elements, the randomness of the elements being useable for generating a unique identifying signature of the record carrier, e.g. randomly placed magnetic fibers or magnetic particles in the body of a credit card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/10 at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/128 Viewing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/205 Matching spectral properties
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/244 Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2442 Tag materials and material properties thereof, e.g. magnetic material details
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2445 Tag integrated into item to be protected, e.g. source tagging

Abstract

A method of operating a security system includes making a plurality of security tags, each of which includes a plurality of particles randomly distributed in a light-transmitting matrix, providing a reader which includes means for causing light of one or more wavelengths to impinge on a security tag and means for interpreting the light reflected and/or refracted and/or diffracted by the particles in the matrix, and presenting said tags to said reader.

Claims

1. A method of producing a tag which comprises the application to a substrate of a matrix containing randomly distributed particles some at least of which include a reflective layer/component and/or a refractive layer/component.

2. A security system which includes means for producing tags by the method of claim 1, means for causing light to impinge on a tag and means for interpreting the light reflected and/or refracted and/or diffracted and/or otherwise operated on by the particles in the matrix.

3. A reader for use with tags made by the method of claim 1, said reader including means for causing light to impinge on a tag and means for interpreting the light reflected and/or refracted and/or diffracted by the particles in the matrix.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the matrix is afforded by an optically transparent medium with which the particles are mixed when the medium is in a fluid state and which sets or is caused to set after application of the medium containing the particles to the substrate.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, in which the substrate is photographic paper.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the matrix and/or the particles are inherent in the object being “

tagged”

.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the matrix is afforded by an optically transparent medium with which the particles are mixed when the medium is in a fluid state and which sets or is caused to set to form a marker which can be attached to a substrate.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the particles are of metallised plastic foil.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the particles are geological crystals.

11. A security system as claimed in claim 2, in which a plurality of light sources are used to illuminate the tag.

12. A security system as claimed in claim 11, in which the light sources are diffractive optical elements.

13. A security system as claimed in claim 2, in which the interpreting means is a computer on which an image of the tag is stored.

18. A security system as claimed in claim 13, which includes means for recording the co-ordinates of illuminated pixels.

19. A security system as claimed in claim 18, in which the co-ordinates are stored on an object to which the tag is attached.

20. A security system as claimed in claim 18, in which the co-ordinates are encrypted and the encrypted co-ordinate information is stored on a central database.

21. A security system as claimed in claim 2, which includes the use of dual key encryption.

22. A security system as claimed in claim 2, which includes a facility for tag encryption/decryption.

23. A security system as claimed in claim 18, which includes the use of a bar code for storing encrypted information concerning the co-ordinates.

24. A security system as claimed in claim 18, which includes means for manipulating the co-ordinate information.

25. A security system as claimed in claim 2, which includes means for selecting the required level of security.

26. A tag made by the method of claim 1.

29. A security system as claimed in claim 2, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

30. A reader as claimed in claim 3, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. A method of operating a security system, said method comprising making a plurality of tags, each of which includes a plurality of particles randomly distributed in a light-transmitting matrix, providing a reader which includes means for causing light of one or more wavelengths to impinge on a tag and means for interpreting the light reflected and/or refracted and/or diffracted by the particles in the matrix, and presenting said tags to said reader.

14. A method of operating a security system as claimed in claim 4, in which the particles are of metallised plastic foil or geological crystals.

15. A method of operating a security system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 14, in which the reader includes a plurality of light sources arranged to illuminate the tag at different angles and/or with light of different wavelengths.

16. A method of operating a security system as claimed in any one of claims 4, 14 and 15, in which the matrix is afforded by an optically transparent medium with which the particles are mixed when the medium is in a fluid state and which sets or is caused to set after application of the medium containing the particles to the substrate.

17. A method of operating a security system as claimed in any one of claims 4, 14 and 15, in which the matrix is afforded by an optically transparent medium with which the particles are mixed when the medium is in a fluid state and which sets or is caused to set to form a marker which can be attached to a substrate.

31. A method of operating a security system as claimed in claim 4, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

27. A method of making a tag substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

28. A tag made by the method of claim 27.

32. A tag for security, identification or verification purposes produced using any one or more of the particulate materials hereinbefore described.