Methods of creating a tamper resistant informational article

• US 6,164,548 A
• Filed: 02/05/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Global Security Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Safecard ID System Incorporated
• Inventors: Curiel, Yoram
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/019,509
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 235/457, 235/489, 235/488, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0011 for security or authentication holograms on information-bearing cards B42D25/328; testing papers with holograms G07D7/0032
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating

Abstract

Methods of creating tamper resistant informational articles and related products are disclosed. In one method a metal foil has a hologram formed therein after which information is created on the metal foil at least partially over the hologram and the foil is encapsulated in a resinous plastic material. Encapsulation may be effected by extruding the resinous plastic material. The assembly may be separated into individual informational articles which resist tampering and resist undesired counterfeiting as by photocopying. In another embodiment, a tamper resistant informational article is provided by creating a base having an upper surface and a lower surface with an elongated metal core having extruded therearound a resinous plastic material. A magnetic media storage element is secured to this base. A lens is created by providing an elongated transparent layer, forming a hologram in the lower surface thereof and applying information to the hologram. The lens lower surface is then secured to the base upper surface to protectively surround the information. This joinder of the base and lens is preferably accomplished when the extruded resinous plastic material is at an elevated temperature. Particles which resist photocopying may be incorporated in the resinous plastic material prior to extrusion. The magnetic storage element may be an elongated magnetic strip or a microchip, for example. An antenna operatively associated with the magnetic strip or microchip may be provided. Products produced by these methods are also disclosed. In one embodiment, the metal core serves as a ground to resist undesired loss of information stored on the magnetic media. In another embodiment, a preformed transparent hologram containing article has information added thereto and is then metallized. A protective resinous layer may be secured over the metallized layer.

Claims

1. A method of creating a tamper resistant informational article comprising

providing a metal foil,

forming a hologram in said metal foil,

creating information on said metal foil at least partially over said hologram, and

encapsulating said information and said metal foil in a resinous plastic material such that physical access to said information cannot be obtained without destruction of at least a portion of said resinous plastic material.

2. The method of claim 1 including

effecting said encapsulation over said metal foil by extruding said resinous plastic material thereover.

3. The method of claim 2 including

employing aluminum foil as said metal foil.

4. The method of claim 2 including

employing copper foil as said metal foil.

5. The method of claim 2 including

creating said information by printing.

6. The method of claim 2 including

employing a continuous strip of said foil, and

after said hologram forming, information creating and extrusion, severing portions of said strip to create a plurality of informational articles.

7. The method of claim 6 including

employing said method to create cards having said information which provides identification.

8. The method of claim 7 including

said card being selected from the group consisting of credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, identification cards, organization membership cards and security cards.

9. The method of claim 2 including

creating said informational article with an upper surface through which said information is visible and a lower surface, and

establishing said resinous plastic material overlying said information in a thickness of about 10 to 20 mils on said upper surface.

10. The method of claim 2 including

establishing a plurality of zones of different color from said foil generally adjacent to or overlying said hologram and said information.

11. The method of claim 10 including

providing said zone of different color from said information.

12. The method of claim 1 including

effecting said encapsulation by injection molding said resinous plastic material over said metal foil.

13. The method of claim 1 including

employing as said resinous plastic material a material which is at least partially transparent in order to permit viewing said information.

14. The method of claim 1 including

employing said metal foil in a thickness of about 15 to 150 microns.

15. The method of claim 1 including

creating said information on a film, and

securing said film adjacent to said hologram.

16. The method of claim 1 including

providing a bar code as part of said information.

17. A tamper resistant informational article comprising

a metal foil core,

a hologram formed in said metal foil core,

information on said metal foil at least partially overlying said hologram,

a resinous plastic material encapsulating said hologram, said information and said metal foil such that physical access to said information cannot be obtained without destruction of at least a portion of said resinous plastic material, and

said resinous plastic material being transparent in portions overlying said information.

18. The informational article of claim 17 including

said resinous plastic material substantially completely covering said metal foil.

19. The informational article of claim 18 including

said metal foil being aluminum foil.

20. The informational article of claim 18 including

said metal foil being copper foil.

21. The informational article of claim 18 including

said information being printed.

22. The informational article of claim 18 including

said informational article being an individual card severed from a continuous strip.

23. The informational article of claim 22 including

said information serving to provided identification.

24. The informational article of claim 23 including

said card being selected from the group consisting of credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, identification cards, organization numbering cards and security cards.

25. The informational article of claim 18 including

said informational article having an upper surface through which said information is visible and a lower surface, and

said resinous plastic material having a thickness of about 10 to 20 mils in the portion overlying said information.

26. The informational article of claim 18 including

a plurality of zones of different color from said foil adjacent to or overlying said hologram and said information.

27. The informational article of claim 26 including

said zones of different color having a different color from said overlying information.

28. The informational article of claim 26 including

said hologram having a plurality of components with at least some of said components underlying portions of said information.

29. The informational article of claim 18 including

said information disposed on a film.

30. The informational article of claim 18 including

a bar code overlying said metal foil core an d encapsulated within said resinous plastic material.

31. The informational article of claim 17 including

said resinous plastic material being at least partially transparent to permit viewing of said information therethrough.

32. A method of creating a tamper resistant informational article comprising

creating a base having an upper surface and a lower surface by passing a metal core through an extruder which encapsulates said metal core with a resinous plastic material,

creating a lens by providing an elongated transparent plastic layer forming a hologram in the lower surface thereof and providing information underlying said hologram, and

permanently securing the upper surface of said base to the lower surface of said lens.

33. The method of claim 32 including

effecting said securing of said base to said lens while said base extruded resinous plastic material is at an elevated temperature.

34. The method of claim 33 including

subsequent to said securing of said base to said lens cooling said lens-base assembly.

35. The method of claim 34 including

subsequent to said cooling severing said lens-base assembly into a plurality of information articles.

36. The method of claim 35 including

securing a magnetic media storage element to said base, and

said magnetic media storage element being an elongated magnetic strip secured generally to the undersurface of said base.

37. The method of claim 36 including

securing antenna means to said magnetic media storage element.

38. The method of claim 35 including

employing a microchip as said magnetic media storage element.

39. The method of claim 32 including

prior to effecting said resinous plastic material extrusion incorporating a plurality of particles of a different material within said resinous plastic material.

40. The method of claim 39 including

incorporating g lass beads as said particles.

41. The method of claim 40 including

incorporating said glass beads in a volume percentage of about 1/4 to 3/4 percent based on the volume of said resinous plastic material.

42. The method of claim 32 including

securing an anti-abrasion material to the upper surface of said lens.

43. The method of claim 32 including

providing a film between said metal core and said hologram having at least one transparent portion and at least one opaque portion, whereby only portions of said hologram will be visible.

44. The method of claim 43 including

providing information on said film.

45. A method of creating a tamper resistant informational article comprising

creating a base having an upper surface and a lower surface by passing a metal core through an extruder which encapsulates said metal core with a resinous plastic material,

creating a lens by providing an elongated transparent plastic layer forming a hologram in the lower surface thereof and providing information underlyin said hologram,

securing the upper surface of said base to the lower surface of said lens,

effecting said securing of said base to said lens while said base extruded resinous plastic material is at an elevated temperature,

subsequent to said securing of said base to said lens cooling said lens-base assembly,

subsequent to said cooling severing said lens-base assembly into a plurality of information articles,

employing a microchip as said magnetic media storage element,

providing information on said film,

securing antenna means to such informational article in operative relationship with respect to said microchip, and

connecting said microchip to said metal core.

46. A tamper resistant informational article comprising

a transparent lens having an upper surface and a lower surface,

a hologram formed in the lower surface thereof and information applied to the said hologram,

a base having a metal core encapsulated in a resinous plastic material between an upper resinous plastic material layer having an upper surface and a lower resinous plastic material layer, and

said upper surface of said base being secured permanently to the lower surface of said lens, whereby said hologram and information will be protectively encased within said article.

47. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

a plurality of particles of a different material disposed within said resinous plastic material.

48. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 47 including

said particles being glass beads.

49. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 48 including

said glass beads being present in a volume percentage based upon the volume of said resinous plastic material of about 1/4 to 3/4 percent.

50. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

a magnetic media storage element secured to said base, and

said magnetic media storage element being an elongated magnetic strip.

51. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 50 including

antenna means secured to said magnetic storage element.

52. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

an anti-abrasion material secured to the upper surface of said lens.

53. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

said information provided on a film.

54. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

said informational article being a card, and

said card being selected from the group consisting of credit cards, debit cards smart cards, identification cards, organization membership cards and security cards.

55. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

a film disposed between said metal core and said hologram, and

said film having portions which are transparent and portions which are opaque, whereby only portions of said hologram will be visible.

56. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 55 including

providing information on said film.

57. The tamper resistant informational article of claim 46 including

said metal core being aluminum foil of a thickness of about 15 to 150 microns.

58. A tamper resistant informational article comprising

a transparent lens having an upper surface and a lower surface,

a hologram formed in the lower surface thereof and information applied to the said hologram,

a base having a metal core encapsulated in a resinous plastic material,

the upper surface of said base being secured to the lower surface of said lens, whereby said hologram and information will be protectively encased within said article,

a magmetic media storage element secured to said base,

said magnetic media storage element being an elongated magnetic strip,

antenna means secured to said magnetic storage element,

employing an aluminum foil strip as said core material to provide an electromagnetic ground, and

connecting said magnetic storage element to said foil strip.

59. A method of creating a tamper resistant informational article comprising

creating a substantially rigid transparent lens having a hologram formed therein,

creating information on said hologram,

metallizing said information containing hologram, and

covering said metallized information containing hologram with a resinous layer, whereby destruction of said resinous layer would be required to physically access said information.

60. The method of claim 59 comprising

effecting said metallizing by securing a metal foil layer to said information containing hologram.

61. The method of claim 59 comprising

effecting said metallizing by applying a metallizing coating to said information containing hologram.

62. The method of claim 59 including

after creating said substantially rigid hologram containing transparent lens but prior to creating said information thereon storing said lens.