Method and system for generating and authenticating documents having stored electrostatic pattern information

• US 20060225595A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gilfix, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/489
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/02 Nature of the markings
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/34 Markings visible under particular conditions or containing coded information
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/02 Testing electrical properties of the materials thereof G07D7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/206 Matching template patterns

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating and authenticating documents having stored electrostatic pattern information provides security with respect to the authenticity of documents. A liquid medium including a plurality of electrostatic monopoles is applied to the surface of a document, which embeds a permanent electrostatic pattern in the document. The pattern is then readable by an electrostatic scanner. The monopoles may be associated with differing colors, including black and white, may be transparent or have a neutral color. The patterns may embed data, certificates or shapes. The monopoles may provide a watermark or visible image. The apparatus may be a pen or printer, and may include multiple selectable vessels containing ink and/or electrostatic liquid medium of one or both charge states. Visible features of the document can be compared with the detected pattern, or the pattern may be compared to a database or decrypted with a key.

Claims

1. A method for generating a document with embedded features by which said document may be authenticated, said method comprising:

first applying visible document content to a surface of said document;

second applying a liquid medium to said surface, said liquid medium including a plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles in suspension; and

fixing said liquid medium on said surface, wherein a readable permanent electrostatic field pattern is provided at a surface of said document for subsequent verification of authenticity of said document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second applying applies a liquid medium that further comprises a second plurality of electrostatic monopoles of opposite charge to a charge state of said first plurality of monopoles, wherein differentiation of said electrostatic field pattern is improved during said subsequent authentication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first applying and said second applying are performed simultaneously by said second applying said liquid medium having visible properties readily distinguishable from said surface, wherein said first applying is accomplished by application of said liquid medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first applying and said second applying are accomplished by handwriting with a pen that includes said liquid medium in at least one vessel for supplying to a tip of said pen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said pen includes multiple vessels for supplying differing inks to one or more tips of said pen, and a mechanism for selecting among said vessels, and wherein said method further comprises selecting among at least two of:

a first liquid medium including plurality of electrostatic monopoles in suspension;

a second liquid medium including a second plurality of electrostatic monopoles in suspension, said second plurality of elestrostatic monopoles having an opposite charge from a charge state of said first plurality of electrostatic monopoles; and

an ink containing no electric monopoles and having visible properties readily distinguishable from said surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying is performed by directing said liquid medium through a nozzle at said surface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising selecting among at least two of:

a first liquid medium including plurality of electrostatic monopoles in suspension;

a second liquid medium including a second plurality of electrostatic monopoles in suspension, said second plurality of elestrostatic monopoles having an opposite charge from a charge state of said first plurality of electrostatic monopoles; and

an ink containing no electric monopoles and having visible properties readily distinguishable from said surface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second applying applies a liquid medium containing a plurality permanently charged negative and positive dipoles, and further comprising applying an electric field pattern to said surface prior to fixing said liquid medium, wherein a readable permanent electrostatic field pattern is provided at a surface of said document.

9. An apparatus for generating a document with embedded features by which said document may be authenticated, comprising:

a vessel containing a liquid medium that includes a plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles in suspension; and

an applicator for applying said liquid medium to a surface of said document, wherein a readable permanent electrostatic field pattern is provided at a surface of said document for subsequent verification of authenticity of said document.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said applicator is the tip of a pen and the vessel is contained within a body of said pen.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one other vessel containing at least one other liquid medium comprising at least one of another plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles of opposite charge to said plurality of liquid monopoles and an ink containing no electric monopoles and having visible properties; and

a selection mechanism for selecting among said vessel and said at least one other vessel, and wherein said tip of said pen is provided with a selectable ink having at least one selection containing charged monopoles.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of said vessels is attached to a corresponding one of a plurality of pen tips, and wherein said selection mechanism further selects among said pen tips.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said applicator is an ink-jet printer head having an inlet coupled to said vessel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one other vessel containing at least one other liquid medium comprising at least one of another plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles of opposite charge to said plurality of liquid monopoles and an ink containing no electric monopoles and having visible properties; and

a selection mechanism for selecting among said vessel and said at least one other vessel, and wherein said ink jet printer head is provided with a selectable ink having at least one selection containing charged monopoles.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said selection mechanism comprises multiple groups of jets, each jet within a group coupled uniquely to one of said vessel and said at least one other vessel, wherein activation of said each jet selects between said vessel and said at least one other vessel.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said liquid medium comprises another plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles having a charge opposite the plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles and wherein said ink jet printer head selects between said plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles and said other plurality of permanent electrostatic monopoles by applying an electric potential of selectable polarity.

17. A method for verifying the authenticity of a document having an embedded electrostatic pattern provided by a plurality of permanently-charged monopoles affixed to the face of said document, said method comprising:

detecting an electric field near the surface of said document to distinguish changes in charge of said electrostatic pattern;

storing a result of said detecting to provide a model of said pattern in a memory; and

comparing features of said pattern using a known record to determine whether or not said document is authentic.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting visible features of said document; and

storing said detected visible features, and wherein said comparing compares said visible features to said pattern to determine whether or not said document is authentic.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said known record is a key, and wherein said comparing comprises processing features of said pattern using said key to determine whether or not said document is authentic.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said detecting detects changes in polarity of said charge.