Carrier representing value and comprising patterns applied by a laser beam

• US 5,975,583 A
• Filed: 11/21/1996
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Industrial Automation Integratorsb V
• Original Assignee: Industrial Automation Integratorsb V
• Inventors: Cobben, Johannes Ignatius Marie, Augustinus, Arnoud
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, FRANCES CHIN
• Application Number:
  US08/718,296
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 283/57-59, 283/86, 283/94, 283/93, 283/901, 283/91
• US Class Current: 283/93
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/346 Perforations
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/435 using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data

Abstract

The invention relates to a carrier representing value provided with recognizable pattern, for instance in the form of giro checks, bankchecks, banknotes, shares, bonds and other documents representing a value, wherein the patterns are formed by parts treated by means of a laser beam. This object is reached in that the patterns have been provided by means of a laser light beam. The use of a laser beam makes it possible to apply particularly fine structures which either cannot be applied with other treating methods, or only with the greatest financial effort. The use of laser beams enables variation of the width or depth of the channels or perforations which is almost impossible with other treating methods.

Claims

1. A carrier representing value, comprising:

an identifying mark in said carrier, said identifying mark discernible with the naked eye; and

a laser perforated pattern comprising first and second features, said first feature being a symbol discernible with the naked eye and said second feature forming a portion of said first feature formed so small that said second feature cannot be seen with the naked eye; and

said symbol resembling said identifying mark.

2. A method for forming markings on a carrier representing value, comprising the steps of:

printing a pattern on the carrier to provide a printed pattern; and

perforating the carrier to provide a perforated pattern resembling the printed pattern;

the perforated pattern having first and second features, the first feature being a predefined shape sufficiently large in size that the predefined shape is discernible with a human eye, said second feature being a variation on the predefined shape and being of such a small size, that the second feature is not discernible by a human eye, thereby rendering the carrier difficult to forge as the second feature is not discernible by a human eye making exact duplication unlikely to protect against forgery, and making forgery easily detectable by comparing the perforated pattern with a perforated pattern on a forged carrier which lacks the second feature.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising:

selecting a material for said carrier;

said step of generating including stacking at least two carriers and directing a laser at said carriers, said laser of sufficient power to create holes in all of said at least two carriers and said carriers and said power and said material for said carrier being such that a one of said at least two closest to said laser has a slightly different hole size than a second of said at least two, whereby first and second ones of said at least two are distinguishable.

4. A method for creating a fraud prevention device in a value-representing carrier, comprising the steps of:

generating a pattern in the carrier to provide a generated pattern of a size such that the generated pattern is discernible with the naked eye; and

perforating the carrier with a perforated pattern resembling the generated pattern, the perforated pattern including identifiable features of such a small size that said identifiable features cannot be discerned with the naked eye to protect against forgery of said carrier.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein said step of generating includes modifying a portion of a piece of material of which said carrier is made using a laser.

6. A method as in claim 4, wherein said step of generating includes stacking multiple carriers and directing, toward the resulting stack, a laser, of such power that material of at least two of said multiple carriers are modified by interaction with said laser and such that respective symbols formed in a first and a second of said at least two are distinguishable.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said step of generating includes forming at least one aperture in said carrier.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein said step of generating includes forming at least one depression in said carrier.

9. A carrier representing value having a printed pattern;

and

a perforated pattern comprising perforations arranged to resemble said printed pattern, each of said perforations having first and second features, said first feature being a predefined shape sufficiently large in size that said predefined shape is discernible with a human eye, said second feature being a variation on said predefined shape and being of such small size, that the second feature is not discernible by a human eye, thereby rendering said carrier difficult to forge as said second feature is not discernible by a human eye making duplication unlikely to protect against forgery, and making forgery easily detectable by comparing said perforated pattern with a perforated pattern on a forged carrier which lacks a second feature.

10. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein said first features represent at least one of numbers and letters.

11. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein said predefined shape is one of shapes other than shapes defining numbers and letters.

12. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein said first feature is at least one depression in said carrier and said second feature includes variations in depth of said at least one depression.

13. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein said first feature is at least one substantially round hole and said second feature is the preciseness of the roundness of said hole.

14. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier.

15. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture in said carrier.

16. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

17. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

18. A carrier as in claim 10, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

19. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein said predefined shape is one of shapes other than shapes defining numbers and letters.

20. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein said first feature is at least one depression in said carrier and said second feature includes variations in depth of said at least one depression.

21. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein said first feature is at least one substantially round hole and said second feature is the preciseness of the roundness of said hole.

22. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier.

23. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture in said carrier.

24. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

25. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

26. A carrier as in claim 19, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

27. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein said first feature is at least one depression in said carrier and said second feature includes variations in depth of said at least one depression.

28. A carrier as in claim 27, wherein said first feature is at least one substantially round hole and said second feature is the preciseness of the roundness of said hole.

29. (A carrier as in claim 27, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier.

30. A carrier as in claim 27, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture in said carrier.

31. A carrier as in claim 27, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

32. A carrier as in claim 27, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

33. A carrier as in claim 27, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

34. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein said first feature is at least one substantially round hole and said second feature is the preciseness of the roundness of said hole.

35. A carrier as in claim 34, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier.

36. A carrier as in claim 34, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture in said carrier.

37. A carrier as in claim 34, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

38. A carrier as in claim 34, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

39. A carrier as in claim 34, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

40. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier.

41. A carrier as in claim 40, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture in said carrier.

42. A carrier as in claim 40, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

43. A carrier as in claim 40, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

44. A carrier as in claim 40, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

45. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture in said carrier.

46. A carrier as in claim 45, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

47. A carrier as in claim 45, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

48. A carrier as in claim 45, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

49. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one depression in a surface of a primary plane of said carrier and said second feature is a variation in a depth of said depression.

50. A carrier as in claim 49, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

51. A carrier as in claim 49, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

52. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein at least one of said first feature and said second feature is at least one aperture of a certain average width in said carrier and said second feature is a variation in said width.

53. A carrier as in claim 52, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.

54. A carrier as in claim 9, wherein at least one of said first and second features includes a coloring of a portion of said carrier that is distinct from a remainder of said carrier.