Document of value having two seperate corresponding data

• US 6,244,508 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1997
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient (Giesecke & Devrient GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: Straub, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/982,074
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 235/449, 235/462, 235/472, 235/468, 235/491, 235/493, 235/462.01, 235/380, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06056 the marking comprising a further embedded marking, e.g. a 1D bar code with the black bars containing a smaller sized coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation

Abstract

A document of value, such as a check or ID card or the like, having information specific to the document, in particular user-related data. The document having at least one luminescent area which is partially masked so as to yield a coding which is machine-readable and correlated at least with parts of the specific information in order to permit authenticity testing.

Claims

1. A document of value comprising;

information specific to the document on the document of value;

at least one luminescent area in addition to and separate from the information specific to the document;

a coding on the document of value; and

a mask positioned on the document of value, such that the luminescent area is partially masked by the mask so as to yield the coding, the coding is machine-readable and correlated at least with parts of the information specific to the document in order to permit authenticity testing.

2. The document of value of claim 1, wherein the luminescent area is in the form of a stripe.

3. The document of value of claim 1, wherein the luminescent area has a substance which luminesces in the invisible spectral region.

4. The document of value of claim 3, wherein the luminescent area additionally has a substance which fluoresces in the visible spectral region.

5. The document of value of claim 1, wherein the luminescent area includes a luminescent substance in the form of small yet visually recognizable structures.

6. The document of value of claim 1, wherein the coding absorbs in the visible spectral region.

7. The document of value of claim 1, wherein the coding is in the form of geometrical configurations which are disposed in spaced apart areas.

8. The document of value of claim 1, wherein the document of value has magnetic information which is correlated with the coding.

9. The document of value of claim 8, wherein the document includes a magnetic stripe and wherein the magnetic information is stored in the magnetic stripe.

10. A method for producing a document of value, having information specific to the document, the steps comprising:

providing the document with a luminescent area in one location of the document that is separate from the information specific to the document;

partially masking the luminescent area with a mask at a later time so as to yield a coding which is machine-readable; and

correlating the luminescent area coded by the mask at least with parts of the information specific to the document in order to permit authenticity testing.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the steps of providing the document, with a luminescent substance in at least one predetermined area of the document, and masking the luminescent substance partially with a different substance which absorbs light at least in the spectral region of the luminescent radiation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the mask is configured in the form of spaced apart geometrical configurations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the coding is defined by the spacing between the geometrical configurations.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the mask is applied by a printer selected from the group consisting of a laser printer, a matrix printer and an offset printing machine.

15. A method for testing the authenticity of a document of value comprising information specific to the document on the document of value, at least one luminescent area in addition to and separate from the information specific to the document, a coding on the document of value and a mask positioned on the document of value, such that the luminescent area is partially masked by the mask so as to yield the coding, the coding is machine-readable and correlated at least with parts of the information specific to the document in order to permit authenticity testing, the steps comprising:

detecting the masked area to obtain a first signal;

exciting and detecting the emission of radiation of the luminescent area to obtain a second signal; and

comparing the first and second signals to recognize alteration of the document.

16. A document of value comprising;

user-related data on the document of value;

at least one luminescent area in addition to and separate from the user-related data;

a coding on the document of value; and

a mask positioned on the document of value, such that the luminescent area is partially masked by the mask so as to yield the coding, the coding is machine-readable and correlated at least with parts of the user-related data in order to permit authenticity testing.