Secure paper product

• US 4,835,028 A
• Filed: 05/29/1987
• Issued: 05/30/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics Corporation (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Security Tag Systems, Inc. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Dey, Subrata, Menyhert, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ives, P. C.
• Application Number:
  US07/056,495
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 428/537.5, 428/67, 428/464, 428/915, 428/913, 428/916
• US Class Current: 428/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 5/08 Photoprinting G03C5/18 takes precedence; Processes and means for preventing photoprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/043 by using an original which is not reproducible or only reproducible with a different appearence, e.g. originals with a photochromic layer or a colour background
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2411 Tag deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2434 Tag housing and attachment details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/902 Anti-photocopy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/915 Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/22 Nonparticulate element embedded or inlaid in substrate and visible
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31703 Next to cellulosic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31993 Of paper

Abstract

A paper product includes both means for preventing images from being copied from the paper product by use of a xerographic photocopier; and means for enabling detection of the paper product when the paper product is transported through an interrogation zone of an article surveillance system.

Claims

1. A paper product from which images cannot be copied by use of a xerographic photocopier that reproduces an image defined by print on the paper product by a process that includes sensing light received from the paper product upon the paper product being exposed to high intensity light within a predtermined portion of the light spectrum that is absorbed by the print, said paper product comprising

a print receptive mixture of a paper ingredient, such as cellulose, and a material selected from a group consisting of materials that either (a) respond to light with said predetermined portion of the light spectrum by flooding the light sensing means of the photocopier so as to obscure any image defined by print on the paper product, or (b) totally absorb light within said predetermined portion of the light spectrum so that no light is received from the paper product by the light sensing means of the photocopier.

2. A paper product according to claim 1, wherein the light-flooding materials are copolymer-based acrylic materials that luminesce in response to light within said predetermined portion of the light spectrum.

3. A paper product according to claim 1, wherein the light-absorbing materials are cholesteryl-based materials or conducting polymers.

4. A paper product according to claim 1, further comprising

means for enabling detection of the paper product when the paper product is transported through an interrogation zone of an article surveillance system.

5. A paper product according to claim 4, wherein the detection enabling means comprises

means embedded in the paper product for producing a unique signal in response to an interrogation signal.

6. A paper product according to claim 5, wherein the embedded means comprises

a heat-treated amorphous magnetostrictive wire that responds to magnetic reversal by producing a high amplitude signal over a wide range of harmonics of the magnetic reversal frequency.

7. A paper product that can be detected when the paper product is transported through an interrogation zone of an article surveillance system, comprising

paper;

and

means embedded in the paper for producing a unique signal in response to an interrogation signal.

8. A paper product according to claim 7, wherein the embedded means comprises

a heat-treated amorphous magnetostrictive wire that responds to magnetic reversal by producing a high amplitude signal over a wide range of harmonics of the magnetic reversal frequency.

9. A paper product according to claim 7, wherein the paper product is a paper product from which images cannot be copied by use of a photocopier that reproduces an image defined by print on the paper product by a process that includes sensing light received from the paper product upon the paper product being exposed to high intensity light within a predetermined portion of the light spectrum that is absorbed by the print.

10. A paper product according to claim 9, wherein the paper product comprises a print receptive mixture of a paper ingredient, such as cellulose, and a copolymer-based material that luminesces in response to light with said predetermined portion of the light spectrum and floods the light sensing means of the photocopier so as to obscure any image defined by print on the paper product.

11. A paper product according to claim 9, wherein the paper product comprises a print receptive mixture of a paper ingredient, such as cellulose, and a cholesteryl-based material or a conducting polymer that totally absorb light within said predetermined portion of the light spectrum so that no light is received from the paper product by the light sensing means of the photocopier.

12. A paper product, comprising

a print-receptive material from which images cannot be copied by use of a xerographic photocopier;

and

means for enabling detection of the paper product when the paper product is transported through an interrogation zone of an article surveillance system.