Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for authentication of documents by using the intensity profile of moire patterns

US6249588A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
8References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 28, 1995
Grant dateJun 19, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 28, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07D7/207
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a new method and apparatus for authenticating documents such as banknotes, trust papers, securities, identification cards, passports, etc. The documents may be printed on any support, including transparent synthetic materials and traditional opaque materials such as paper. This invention is based on moire patterns occuring between superposed dot-screens. By using specially designed basic screen and master screen, where at least the basic screen is comprised in the document, a moire intensity profile of a chosen shape becomes visible in their superposition, thereby allowing the authentication of the document. If instead of the master screen a microlens array is used for the authentication purpose, the document comprising the basic screen may be printed on an opaque reflective support, thereby enabling the visualization of the moire intensity profile by reflection. Automatic document authentication is supported by an apparatus comprising a master screen or a microlens array, an image acquisition means such as a CCD camera and a comparing processor whose task is to compare the acquired moire intensity profile with a prestored reference image. Depending…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.