Embedded optical signatures in documents

• US 8,177,136 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games LLC (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games International Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Finnerty, Fred W., Streeter, Gary R., Irwin, Kenneth E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US12/914,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 235/491, 235/454, 235/494, 235/381, 235378-379, 235/375, 283 93- 94, 283/901, 283/903
• US Class Current: 235/491
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0685 having a message becoming legible after a chemical reaction or physical action has taken place, e.g. applying pressure, heat treatment, spraying with a substance, breaking microcapsules use of microcapsules for duplicating paper B41M5/165
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/08 Alphanumerical data
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/34 Markings visible under particular conditions or containing coded information
• 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 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/143 Glyph-codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/004 using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/005 Testing security markings invisible to the naked eye, e.g. verifying thickened lines or unobtrusive markings or alterations
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/128 Viewing devices

Abstract

A method of embedding an optical signature in a document and document produced therefrom. The optical signature uses an invisible optical pattern or covering that can reflect light in non-visible wavelengths, such as light in infrared, or fluoresces when exposed to a particular wavelength of light, such as ultra-violet light. The invisible optical pattern can be a covering over another optical pattern, or a base pattern upon which a second optical pattern is embedded.

Claims

1. A method of validating a document having an optical signature comprised of a predefined disuniform edge of the document, comprising the steps of:

placing the edge of the document against a background; and

determining if the edge is disuniform and comparing the detected disuniform edge to the known predefined optical signature of the document thereby indicating if the document is valid based on a match between the detected disuniform edge and the optical signature of the document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a predefined template of a disuniform edge of a document; and

comparing the disuniform edge of the document against the template to determine if the document is valid.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of placing the edge of the document against a platen having a predefined pattern to thereby determine if a disuniform edge is present.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the further comprising the step of placing the edge of the document against a backlighted platen to thereby highlight the edge of the document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is a scratch-off lottery ticket, the step of determining if the edge is disuniform comprising detecting perforation marks along one or more edges of the lottery ticket.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising detecting a periodic sequence generated by the perforation marks.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising generating a digital image of the lottery ticket and analyzing the digital image for a light/dark sequence generated by the perforation marks of a valid lottery ticket.