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US4568141A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Document having an optical-diffraction authenticating element

Assignee: OVD Kinegram AG
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Filing: 1983-09-21
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Granted: 1986-02-04
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Expires: 2003-09-21
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Abstract

Abstract A document includes a substrate which has an outer surface and defines a plane, and a coordinate system which is defined with respect to the plane. A diffraction-optical authenticating element covers at least part of the outer surface, and generates at least one color pattern constituting a visually testable feature which verifies the authenticity of the document. The diffraction-optical authenticating element provides a color pattern moving at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined track when the document is illuminated from a first direction and viewed from a second direction, as defined with respect to the coordinate system, upon the document being rotated within the plane along a prearranged sense of rotation, and at a prearranged velocity.

Inventors

  • 👤 Gregor Antes

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 20:14
CPC Classifications
B; B42; B42D; B42D25/00; B42D25/30; B42D25/328; B42D25/20; B42D25/29; B42D25/40; B42D25/405; B42D25/41; G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/18; G02B5/1842; G03; G03H; G03H1/00; G03H1/26; G03H1/30; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/08; G06K19/10; G06K19/16; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G07F7/086; B42D2033/14; B42D2035/02; B42D2035/34; G03H1/0005; G03H1/0011; G03H1/02; G03H1/024; G03H1/0244; G03H1/04; G03H1/0476; G03H2001/0482; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S283/00; Y10S283/904

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 131 words
A document comprising: a substrate having an outer surface defining a plane, a diffraction-optical authenticating element covering at least a part of said outer surface and capable of generating at least one color pattern constituting a visually testable feature verifying the authenticity of said document, said diffraction optical authenticating element including a diffraction grating structure which defines a predetermined movement track, said grating structure having a spatial frequency and an angular orientation, at least one of which varies along said track, such that, when said document is illuminated from a first direction and viewed from a second direction and is rotated within said plane, adjacent regions of said diffraction grating structure successively diffract light along said second direction to provide said color pattern which appears to move along said movement track.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 131 words
A document comprising: a substrate having an outer surface defining a plane, a diffraction-optical authenticating element covering at least a part of said outer surface and capable of generating at least one color pattern constituting a visually testable feature verifying the authenticity of said document, said diffraction optical authenticating element including a diffraction grating structure which defines a predetermined movement track, said grating structure having a spatial frequency and an angular orientation, at least one of which varies along said track, such that, when said document is illuminated from a first direction and viewed from a second direction and is rotated within said plane, adjacent regions of said diffraction grating structure successively diffract light along said second direction to provide said color pattern which appears to move along said movement track.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 44 words
The document as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diffraction grating structure is capable of generating at least said one color pattern when said document is viewed substantially at a right angle to said plane, said first direction being an arbitrary direction of illumination.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
The document as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diffraction grating structure comprises at least three discrete diffraction grating regions, each of said regions having a different spatial frequency.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 42 words
The document as claimed in claim 3 wherein the diffraction grating region having the smallest spatial frequency includes at least about 460 lines per millimeter and the diffraction grating region having the largest spatial frequency includes at least 1400 lines per millimeter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 41 words
The document as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diffraction grating structure includes a multiplicity of adjoining diffraction grating regions, the lines of adjoining diffraction grating regions defining different spatial frequencies and having different angular orientations with respect to one another.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 34 words
The document of claim 1 wherein said diffraction grating structure has a spatial frequency and angular orientation such that at least one of said spatial frequency and angular orientation varies continuously along said track.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 131 words
An authenticating element for use in connection with a document comprising: a diffraction optical authenticating element covering at least part of a surface of said document and capable of generating at least one color pattern constituting a visually testable feature verifying the authenticity of said document, said diffraction optical authenticating element including a diffraction grating structure which defines a predetermined movement track, said grating structure having a spatial frequency and angular orientation at least one of which varies along said track, such that, when said document is illuminated from a first direction and viewed from a second direction and is rotated within said plane, adjacent regions of said diffraction grating structure successively diffract light along said second direction to provide said color pattern which appears to move along said movement track.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 131 words
An authenticating element for use in connection with a document comprising: a diffraction optical authenticating element covering at least part of a surface of said document and capable of generating at least one color pattern constituting a visually testable feature verifying the authenticity of said document, said diffraction optical authenticating element including a diffraction grating structure which defines a predetermined movement track, said grating structure having a spatial frequency and angular orientation at least one of which varies along said track, such that, when said document is illuminated from a first direction and viewed from a second direction and is rotated within said plane, adjacent regions of said diffraction grating structure successively diffract light along said second direction to provide said color pattern which appears to move along said movement track.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1996539A Cited
US3412493A Cited
US4119361A Cited
US4129382A Cited
US4184700A Cited
US4094575A Cited
GB2093404A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-02-03 1989-08-05 1990-02-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-02-03 1993-08-05 1994-02-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-02-03 1997-08-05 1998-02-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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