Authenticatable article and method of authenticating

• US 20060033325A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Maruvada, Sriramakrishna, Schottland, Philippe, Potyrailo, Radislav
• Granted Patent: US 7,597,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/95
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/281 by changing the physical properties of the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/13 Tracers or tags

Abstract

An authenticatable article can comprise a polymer layer comprising a first taggant, and a second taggant disposed adjacent to the first taggant. The relative relationship of the first taggant and the second taggant can be such that at least one of the first taggant and the second taggant can cause an alteration in an emission from the other of the first taggant and the second taggant. One method of authenticating an article comprises illuminating an article and determining if an altered emission is within a selected emission range. The article comprises a polymer layer and a coating disposed on a side of the polymer layer. The polymer layer comprises a first taggant, and the coating causes a predetermined alteration in an emission from the taggant to form the altered emission.

Claims

1. An authenticatable article, comprising:

a polymer layer comprising a first taggant; and

a second taggant disposed adjacent to the first taggant, wherein the relative relationship of the first taggant and the second taggant is such that at least one of the first taggant and the second taggant can cause an alteration in an emission from the other of the first taggant and the second taggant.

2. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the second taggant is disposed in a selected location on the polymer layer.

3. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate-siloxane copolymers, transparent polycarbonate-polyester blends, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing materials.

4. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the polymer layer comprises polycarbonate.

5. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the second taggant is disposed in a coating layer and wherein the coating layer is non-uniform and causes a different alteration of the emission from different areas of the article.

6. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein two coating layers are disposed on the polymer layer in a predetermined arrangement such that the alteration of the emission enables the article to be authenticated.

7. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the second taggant comprises a fluorophore.

8. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the alteration is a synergistic alteration.

9. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein when the coating layer and the polymer layer are illuminated, a photoluminescence emission from the first taggant causes an authenticatable emission from the second taggant.

10. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein at a detection wavelength a ratio of a second taggant excitation coefficient to a first taggant excitation coefficient is less than or equal to about 10%.

11. The authenticatable article of claim 10, wherein the ratio is less than or equal to about 1%.

12. The authenticatable article of claim 11, wherein the ratio is less than or equal to about 0.1%.

13. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein when the coating layer and the polymer layer are illuminated, a photoluminescence emission from the first taggant causes an emission from the second taggant, and wherein a combined emission from the first taggant and the second taggant are authenticatable.

14. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the article is a DVD and wherein the first taggant is in a first half of the DVD and the second taggant is in a second half of the DVD, and wherein a metal layer is disposed between the first half and the second half.

15. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the article is a DVD and wherein the first taggant is in a first half of the DVD and the second taggant is in an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is disposed between the first half and a second half of the DVD.

16. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first taggant and the second taggant is at least partially dysfunctional, forming a pattern.

17. The authenticatable article of claim 1, wherein the second taggant is disposed in at least a portion of a housing disposed around the polymer layer.

18. A method of authenticating an article, comprising:

illuminating an article comprising a polymer layer and a coating disposed on a side of the polymer layer, wherein the polymer layer comprises a first taggant;

wherein the coating causes a predetermined alteration in an emission from the taggant to form an altered emission; and

determining if the altered emission is within a selected emission range.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the alteration is a synergistic alteration.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a second taggant in the coating causes the predetermined alteration.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first taggant is in a first half of the article and the coating is a second half of the article, and wherein a metal layer is disposed between the first half and the second half.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first taggant is in a first half of the article and the coating is an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is disposed between the first half and a second half of the article.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the coating further comprises a second taggant, wherein at least one of the first taggant and the second taggant is at least partially dysfunctional, and wherein the altered emission forms a pattern.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the coating is a housing disposed around the polymer layer.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the coating comprises second taggant and wherein the altered emission is a combined emission from the first taggant and the second taggant.