METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VALIDATING A SECURITY MARKING

• US 20100117350A1
• Filed: 04/13/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Auslander, Judith D., Cordery, Robert A., Zeller, Claude
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/144 using fluorescent, luminescent or iridescent effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/12 using a selected wavelength, e.g. to sense red marks and ignore blue marks

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating an item by using a security marking. The security marking is provided on the item with an OVD ink capable of absorbing light in a visible wavelength range to appear visibly black and producing a red fluorescent emission under ultraviolet excitation. Under visible light illumination and ultraviolet excitation, a visible image and a fluorescent image are obtained from the security marking using image scanners. The images are compared to find a substantial match with each other. The security marking can be a postage indicium, a barcode, a symbol, a message or an image. The item to be authenticated can be a mailpiece, a banknote, a tag, a ticket, a document, an identification card, or the like.

Claims

1. A method of printing a security marking on an item, the method comprising the step of:

printing the security marking using a single medium capable of absorbing light in a visible wavelength range to appear visibly black, the medium also producing a fluorescent emission under excitation illumination, wherein the fluorescent emission has a first wavelength and the excitation illumination has a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the security marking can be authenticated by acquiring a first image of the security marking in the visible wavelength range under illumination of visible light, acquiring a second image of the security marking from the fluorescent emission under excitation illumination, and verifying authenticity of the item using the first image and the second image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises an ink which can be used in an inkjet printer for making the security marking

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible image and the fluorescent image are physically coincident.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluorescent emission is red.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the excitation illumination is ultraviolet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible wavelength range is between 330 nanometers and 800 nanometers.