Identification system

• US 7,940,159 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG, PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Inventors: Fix, Walter, Reinhart, Werner, Ullmann, Andreas, Clemens, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie
• Application Number:
  US11/721,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20090237248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

The invention relates to a security element in the form of a flexible, multilayer film body and to an identification system comprising a security element of this type. The security element has a receiving unit (61) for receiving an electromagnetic verification signal (7) containing a specific coding from a verification device, an output unit (66) for outputting an enable signal, and an electronic release system (63, 64, 65) having active and/or passive organic components. The electronic release system (63, 64, 65) checks whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit (66) for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit (61) contains the specific coding.

Claims

1. A security element in the form of a flexible multilayer film body, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving an electromagnetic verification signal containing a specific coding from a verification device;

an output unit for outputting an enable signal; and

an electronic release system having active and/or passive organic components, wherein the electronic release system is configured to check whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and in that the output unit has at least one electrochromic element, a thermochromic element, an electroluminescent element, an electrophoretic element, a liquid crystal element or an organic light emitting diode;

wherein the electronic release system is further configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of the direction from which the signal impinges on the security element, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit impinges on the security element from a predetermined direction.

2. The security element as claimed in claim 1

wherein the output unit has a piezoelement for generating a sound signal or a signal that can be detected by a tactile device.

3. The security element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured for generating a signal that can be detected thermally or by the sense of smell.

4. The security element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the receiving unit comprises an antenna structure comprising a structured electrically conductive layer for receiving the electromagnetic verification signal.

5. The security element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic release system is configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of whether the signal waveform of the received signal corresponds to a specific coding comprising the frequency and/or the amplitude of the signal of a predetermined value.

6. The security element as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic release system comprises one or more layers that are composed of organic conductive and/or semiconducting materials and are produced by printing technology.

7. The security element as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving unit, the output unit and the electronic release system form separate systems that are connected to one another via electrical contact points.

8. An identification system, comprising:

a verification device with a transmitting unit for emitting an electromagnetic verification signal containing a specific coding; and

at least one security element in the form of a flexible, multilayer film body, which security element contains a receiving unit for receiving the verification signal, an output unit for outputting an enable signal and an electronic release system having active and/or passive organic components, wherein the electronic release system is configured in such a way that it checks whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and in that the output unit has at least one electrochromic element, a thermochromic element, an electroluminescent element, an electrophoretic element, a liquid crystal element or an organic light emitting diode.

9. A security element in the form of a flexible multilayer film body, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving an electromagnetic verification signal containing a specific coding from a verification device;

an output unit for outputting an enable signal; and

an electronic release system having active and/or passive organic components, wherein the electronic release system is configured to check whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and in that the output unit has at least one electrochromic element, a thermochromic element, an electroluminescent element, an electrophoretic element, a liquid crystal element or an organic light emitting diode;

wherein the electronic release system is configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of whether the change in the signal waveform of the signal corresponds to the specific coding comprising a change in the frequency, phase and/or the amplitude of the signal corresponding to predetermined values.

10. The security element as claimed in claim 9 wherein the output unit has a piezoelement for generating a sound signal or a signal that can be detected by a tactile device.

11. The security element as claimed in claim 10 wherein the electronic release system is configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of whether the signal waveform of the received signal corresponds to a specific coding comprising the frequency and/or the amplitude of the signal of a predetermined value.

12. The security element as claimed in claim 10 wherein the electronic release system comprises one or more layers that are composed of organic conductive and/or semiconducting materials and are produced by printing technology.

13. A security element in the form of a flexible multilayer film body, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving an electromagnetic verification signal containing a specific coding from a verification device;

an output unit for outputting an enable signal;

an electronic release system having active and/or passive organic components, wherein the electronic release system is configured to check whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and in that the output unit has at least one electrochromic element, a thermochromic element, an electroluminescent element, an electrophoretic element, a liquid crystal element or an organic light emitting diode;

wherein the electronic release system is further configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of whether a code word contained in the modulated signal corresponds to the specific coding as to whether said code word matches a predetermined code word stored in a memory of the security element; and

wherein the electronic release system is further configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of whether the signal waveform of the received signal corresponds to a specific coding comprising the frequency and/or the amplitude of the signal of a predetermined value.

14. The security element as claimed in claim 13 wherein the output unit has a piezoelement for generating a sound signal or a signal that can be detected by a tactile device.

15. The security element as claimed in claim 13 wherein the electronic release system comprises one or more layers that are composed of organic conductive and/or semiconducting materials and are produced by printing technology.

16. A security element in the form of a flexible multilayer film body, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving an electromagnetic verification signal containing a specific coding from a verification device;

an output unit for outputting an enable signal;

an electronic release system having active and/or passive organic components, wherein the electronic release system is configured to check whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and in that the output unit has at least one electrochromic element, a thermochromic element, an electroluminescent element, an electrophoretic element, a liquid crystal element or an organic light emitting diode;

wherein the security element includes a power unit for applying power to said output unit and electronic release system; and

wherein the electronic release system is further configured to check the signal received by the receiving unit in respect of whether the signal waveform of the received signal corresponds to a specific coding comprising the frequency and/or the amplitude of the signal of a predetermined value.

17. The security element as claimed in claim 16 wherein the output unit has a piezoelement for generating a sound signal or a signal that can be detected by a tactile device.

18. The security element as claimed in claim 16 wherein the electronic release system comprises one or more layers that are composed of organic conductive and/or semiconducting materials and are produced by printing technology.

19. A security element in the form of a flexible multilayer film body, comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving an electromagnetic verification signal containing a specific coding from a verification device;

an output unit for outputting an enable signal; and

an electronic release system having active and/or passive organic components, wherein the electronic release system is configured to check whether or not a signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and drives the output unit for outputting the enable signal if the signal received by the receiving unit contains the specific coding, and in that the output unit has at least one electrochromic element, a thermochromic element, an electroluminescent element, an electrophoretic element, a liquid crystal element or an organic light emitting diode;

wherein the security element includes a sensor unit for sensing any one of a plurality of different parameters and feeding the sensed parameter as an input to the release system.