OPTICAL ARTICLE HAVING AN ELECTRICALLY RESPONSIVE LAYER AS AN ANTI-THEFT FEATURE AND A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INHIBITING THEFT

• US 20080012707A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Peters, Andrea, Krishnan, Kasiraman, Wisnudel, Marc, Nagarkar, Kaustubh, Patel, Ben, Misner, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,202,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2437 Tag layered structure, processes for making layered tags
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2442 Tag materials and material properties thereof, e.g. magnetic material details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer

Abstract

A method of changing a functionality of an optical article is provided. The method includes exposing the optical article to an external stimulus. The optical article includes an electrically responsive layer being configured to transform from a first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to the external stimulus. The electrically responsive layer is configured to transform from a first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to an external stimulus, and is capable of irreversibly transforming the optical article from the pre-activated state of functionality to the activated state of functionality. The electrically responsive layer includes an ion-conducting polymeric material, an electrically responsive material dispersed in the ion-conducting polymeric material, an electrolyte and at least one pair electrodes in electrical communication with the electrically responsive layer, wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the same surface of the electrically responsive layer. Also provided is an activation system for transforming an optical article from a pre-activated state of functionality to an activated state of functionality.

Claims

1. A method of changing a functionality of an optical article, comprising:

exposing the optical article to an external stimulus, the optical article comprising an electrically responsive layer being configured to transform from a first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to the external stimulus, and being capable of irreversibly transforming the optical article from the pre-activated state of functionality to the activated state of functionality the electrically responsive layer comprising;

a binder material;

an electrically responsive material;

an electrolyte; and

at least two electrodes in electrical communication with the electrically responsive layer, wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the same surface of the electrically responsive layer.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the electrically responsive layer renders the optical article un-readable upon unauthorized activation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising subjecting the electrically responsive material to a time-dependent voltage profile or a time-dependent electrical stimulus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical article further comprises

a tag comprising at least one pair of electrodes in contact with the optical article such that the electrodes are in electrical communication with the electrochemically responsive layer, and wherein the method further comprises

sending a signal from an activation system to the tag,

applying an electrical stimulus to the electrical circuitry of the tag to generate a time-dependent voltage profile;

and

subjecting the electrochemically responsive layer to the time-dependent voltage profile, resulting in the electrically responsive material transforming from the first optical state of functionality to the second optical state of functionality.

5. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the electrically responsive layer comprises an ion-conductivity of greater than about 10⁻

8 S/cm.

6. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the electrically responsive material comprises one or more of a dye, an initiator, a catalyst, an electrochemical acid generator, an electrochemical base generator, an electrochemically polymerizable material, an electrochromic material, or a redox material.

7. The optical article of claim 6, wherein the dye comprises one or more of a leuco dye, a pH sensitive dye, an electrochemically degradable dye, an electrochemically responsive dye, or a redox dye.

8. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises a polymeric material.

9. The optical article of claim 8, wherein the polymeric material comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, a polymer blend, a branched copolymer, a cross-linked polymer, or polymer precursors.

10. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the binder comprises an ion-conducting polymeric material.

11. The optical article of claim 10, wherein the ion-conducting polymeric material comprises one or more of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, poly(vinylbutyral), poly(vinylacetate), poly(ethers), poly(phenols), or copolymers thereof.

12. The optical article of claim 10, wherein the ion-conducting polymeric material comprises a polymeric material and an electrolyte.

13. The optical article of claim 12, wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid or a salt.

14. The optical article of claim 12, wherein the polymeric material comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of a homopolymer, a random copolymer, a block copolymer, a polymer blend, a branched copolymer, a cross-linked polymer, or polymer precursors.

15. The optical article of claim 10, wherein the ion-conducting polymeric material comprises one or more cross-linkable moieties.

16. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the electrically responsive layer further comprises a plasticizer.

17. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the electrically responsive layer further comprises one or more of a pH modifier, an anti-photobleach agent, or combinations thereof.

18. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the optically transparent second layer has a conductivity of greater than about 10⁻

10 S/cm.

19. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the electrically responsive layer is disposed on the data side of the optical article.

20. The optical article of claim 1, further comprising a wirelessly powered flexible tag operably coupled with the electrically responsive layer, wherein the tag is configured to interact with the external stimulus.

21. The optical article of claim 1, wherein the electrically responsive layer is transformed from the first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to a voltage difference of 0.1 Volts to about 50 Volts applied across the electrically responsive layer

22. An activation system for transforming an optical article from a pre-activated state of functionality to an activated state of functionality, comprising:

an optical article comprising;

at least one data side; and

an electrically responsive layer having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the electrically responsive layer is characterized by an optical absorbance in the range of about 200 nanometers to about 800 nanometers, the electrically responsive layer being configured to transform from a first optical state to a second optical state upon exposure to an external stimulus, and being capable of irreversibly transforming the optical article from the pre-activated state of functionality to the activated state of functionality;

at least two electrodes in electrical communication with the electrically responsive layer, wherein the electrodes are in electrical communication with the same surface of the electrically responsive layer;

an activation device for applying the external stimulus to the optical article to effect a change in at least one optical property of the optical article and thereby activating the optical article;

wherein the activation device is operably coupled to the optical article through a communication device, wherein the communication device provides an activation signal to the activation device to permit activation of the optical article.

23. The system of claim 22, where in the communication device is configured to communicate with the activation device through a reader disposed outside the optical article.