US3784289A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for hiding and viewing halftone images
Assignee: BNY Mellon NA
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Filing: 1971-07-26
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Granted: 1974-01-08
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Expires: 1991-07-26
Abstract
Abstract A method of halftone printing is disclosed which permits an image to be disguised or hidden in a printed field from detection by ordinary photography or the eye of a viewer and an apparatus is presented which can be used to bring out or detect the hidden image. The printed field comprises three halftone components: an overall halftone at a given angle; a second halftone at a different angle and containing a negative of the image; and the image itself in halftone at a third angle and coincident with the negative portion of the second halftone. When each of the halftones is made up of dot figures of similar size, period and tone, the field will give a uniform appearance to the eye, obscuring the image and resisting photographic analysis except by impractical magnification.
Inventors
- 👤 R Wicker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:21
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41M; B41M3/00; B41M3/14; B42; B42D; B42D25/00; B42D25/30; B42D25/342; B42D25/40; B42D25/405; G; G03; G03C; G03C5/00; G03C5/08; G07; G07D; G07D7/00; G07D7/003; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00838; H04N1/00883; B42D2033/04; B42D2033/06; B42D2033/20; B42D2033/22; B42D2035/02; B42D2035/14; B42D2035/26; B42D25/475; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S283/00; Y10S283/901; Y10S283/902
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
Apparatus for viewing a hidden halftone image comprising an article whose surface is printed with an overall halftone at a given angle, a second halftone at a different angle from said overall halftone and containing blank portions in the form of said image, and a third halftone in the form of said image at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones and in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones being of a similar density and tone, that is having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of a similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; a halftone screen of similar periodicity to the three halftones; and means for mounting said halftone screen adjacent said article surface and for reciprocal movement with respect to the third halftone on the article surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
Apparatus for viewing a hidden halftone image comprising an article whose surface is printed with an overall halftone at a given angle, a second halftone at a different angle from said overall halftone and containing blank portions in the form of said image, and a third halftone in the form of said image at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones and in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones being of a similar density and tone, that is having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of a similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; a halftone screen of similar periodicity to the three halftones; and means for mounting said halftone screen adjacent said article surface and for reciprocal movement with respect to the third halftone on the article surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
203 words
Apparatus for viewing a hidden halftone image comprising: a translucent article having a surface on which an overall halftone is printed at a given angle, a second halftone is printed at a different angle from said overall halftone and contains blank portions in the form of said image, and a third halftone in the form of said image is printed at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftone having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of a similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for holding the article in a fixed orientation; means for shining light through the article while held in said fixed orientatIon; a halftone screen of similar periodicity to the three halftones; means for mounting said halftone screen adjacent said article surface and disposed in the path of the light shining through said article; and means for reciprocally moving said screen across the path of the light shining through said article.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
203 words
Apparatus for viewing a hidden halftone image comprising: a translucent article having a surface on which an overall halftone is printed at a given angle, a second halftone is printed at a different angle from said overall halftone and contains blank portions in the form of said image, and a third halftone in the form of said image is printed at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftone having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of a similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for holding the article in a fixed orientation; means for shining light through the article while held in said fixed orientatIon; a halftone screen of similar periodicity to the three halftones; means for mounting said halftone screen adjacent said article surface and disposed in the path of the light shining through said article; and means for reciprocally moving said screen across the path of the light shining through said article.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
221 words
Apparatus for revealing a hidden halftone image comprising: an article whose surface is printed with an overall halftone at a given angle, a second halftone at a different angle from said overall halftone and containing blank portions in the form of said image and a third halftone in the form of said image at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones and in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones being of a similar density and tone, that is, having a period greater than a 100 lines per inch and being of a similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for supporting the article with its surface in a given plane; a periodic screen of similar density to the three halftones; means for mounting said screen in a plane parallel to that of the article surface and opposite said third halftone; illuminating means for shining light on the third halftone on said article surface and arranged such that said light passes through said periodic screen; and means for producing relative reciprocal movement between the periodic screen and said article surface in their respective planes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
221 words
Apparatus for revealing a hidden halftone image comprising: an article whose surface is printed with an overall halftone at a given angle, a second halftone at a different angle from said overall halftone and containing blank portions in the form of said image and a third halftone in the form of said image at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones and in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones being of a similar density and tone, that is, having a period greater than a 100 lines per inch and being of a similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for supporting the article with its surface in a given plane; a periodic screen of similar density to the three halftones; means for mounting said screen in a plane parallel to that of the article surface and opposite said third halftone; illuminating means for shining light on the third halftone on said article surface and arranged such that said light passes through said periodic screen; and means for producing relative reciprocal movement between the periodic screen and said article surface in their respective planes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
234 words
Apparatus for revealing a hidden halftone image comprising: an article whose surface is printed with an overall halftone at a predetermined angle with respect to a given datum, a second halftone at a different angle from said overall halftone and containing blank portions in the form of said image at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones and in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones being of a similar density and tone, that is, having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for supporting the article with one of said halftones in register with said given datum; a periodic screen of similar density to the three halftones; means for mounting said periodic screen at the same angle as said third halftone with respect to the given datum and opposite the third halftone; illuminating means for shining light on the third halftone on said article surface and disposed such that said light passes through said periodic screen; and means for producing relative reciprocal movement between the periodic screen and said article surface so that the angle between said periodic screen and said third halftone is varied.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
234 words
Apparatus for revealing a hidden halftone image comprising: an article whose surface is printed with an overall halftone at a predetermined angle with respect to a given datum, a second halftone at a different angle from said overall halftone and containing blank portions in the form of said image at an angle different from the angles of said overall and second halftones and in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones being of a similar density and tone, that is, having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for supporting the article with one of said halftones in register with said given datum; a periodic screen of similar density to the three halftones; means for mounting said periodic screen at the same angle as said third halftone with respect to the given datum and opposite the third halftone; illuminating means for shining light on the third halftone on said article surface and disposed such that said light passes through said periodic screen; and means for producing relative reciprocal movement between the periodic screen and said article surface so that the angle between said periodic screen and said third halftone is varied.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
233 words
Apparatus for viewing a hidden halftone image comprising: an opaque article having a surface on which an overall halftone is printed at a given angle, a second halftone is printed at a different angle from said overall halftone and contains blank portions in the form of said image, and a third halftone in the form of said image is printed at an angle different from the angles of said overall and said second halftones in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for holding the article in a fixed orientation; means for illuminating the surface of the article while the article is hEld in said fixed orientation; a periodic screen of similar density to the three halftones; means for supporting said periodic screen adjacent said article surface and disposed in the path of the light reflected from said article surface; a lens for focussing the reflected light from said third halftone on the surface of the article upon the periodic screen; and means for reciprocally moving the periodic screen in a plane parallel with respect to the plane of said article surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
233 words
Apparatus for viewing a hidden halftone image comprising: an opaque article having a surface on which an overall halftone is printed at a given angle, a second halftone is printed at a different angle from said overall halftone and contains blank portions in the form of said image, and a third halftone in the form of said image is printed at an angle different from the angles of said overall and said second halftones in register with said blank portions in said second halftone, two of said halftones being printed at approximately 30* angles with respect to the other halftone and all of said halftones having a period greater than 100 lines per inch and being of similar dot size and degree of brilliance and saturation with respect to a grey scale; means for holding the article in a fixed orientation; means for illuminating the surface of the article while the article is hEld in said fixed orientation; a periodic screen of similar density to the three halftones; means for supporting said periodic screen adjacent said article surface and disposed in the path of the light reflected from said article surface; a lens for focussing the reflected light from said third halftone on the surface of the article upon the periodic screen; and means for reciprocally moving the periodic screen in a plane parallel with respect to the plane of said article surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-07-09 | 1978-01-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-07 | 1981-07-09 | 1982-01-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-07 | 1985-07-09 | 1986-01-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |