Patent US5149139A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5149139A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Stamp such as a postage stamp and a method for producing it
Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft fuer Automation und Organisation mbH
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Filing: 1989-09-05
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Granted: 1992-09-22
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Expires: 2009-09-05
Abstract
Abstract Stamps such as postage stamps, fee stamps, etc., involve the problem of being machine testable with respect to their position on the carrier and their authenticity, and of assuring that they can only be used once. A stamp is proposed with characterizing printing thereon and an adhesive layer for attaching it to a carrier, said stamp containing a machine-testable marking material suitable for automatic processing, the marking material being provided in the adhesive layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Wittich Kaule
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 19:13
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09F; G09F3/00; G09F3/02; B; B41; B41M; B41M3/00; B41M3/14; B41M3/144; B42; B42D; B42D25/00; B42D25/30; B42D25/305; B42D25/36; B42D25/378; B42D25/382; B42D25/387; G09F3/0291; G09F3/0292; G09F2003/0257; G09F2003/0285
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
255 words
A method of automatically detecting with a machine the presence of a previously-used postage-type stamp while said stamp is attached to a carrier substrate, comprising the steps of: passing through a machine a carrier substrate having adhesively adhered thereto a stamp comprised of a base sheet of non-transparent paper or synthetic material and a layer of adhesive on the base sheet of paper or synthetic material adhering said stamp to said carrier substrate, said layer of adhesive containing a machine-testable marking substance suitable for automatic processing and detectable by a machine through the paper or synthetic material comprising the stamp base sheet, wherein said marking substrance is contained within said adhesive layer in such a way that said marking substance is not substantially lost through normal moistening of the adhesive to adhere the stamp, but wherein said marking substance is incorporated into the adhesive layer in such a way that at least a substantial portion of the marking material is removed upon detachment of the stamp from a previous carrier substrate to which the stamp has been adhered by said adhesive layer; performing a machine reading through said stamp base sheet, while said stamp is adhered to said carrier substrate, to determine the presence of said machine-testable marking substance in said adhesive layer; and making a determination of the validity of said stamp, including whether said stamp has been previously adhesively adhered to a carrier substrate and subsequently removed therefrom, based upon the amount of marking substance detected to be present in said adhesive layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
255 words
A method of automatically detecting with a machine the presence of a previously-used postage-type stamp while said stamp is attached to a carrier substrate, comprising the steps of: passing through a machine a carrier substrate having adhesively adhered thereto a stamp comprised of a base sheet of non-transparent paper or synthetic material and a layer of adhesive on the base sheet of paper or synthetic material adhering said stamp to said carrier substrate, said layer of adhesive containing a machine-testable marking substance suitable for automatic processing and detectable by a machine through the paper or synthetic material comprising the stamp base sheet, wherein said marking substrance is contained within said adhesive layer in such a way that said marking substance is not substantially lost through normal moistening of the adhesive to adhere the stamp, but wherein said marking substance is incorporated into the adhesive layer in such a way that at least a substantial portion of the marking material is removed upon detachment of the stamp from a previous carrier substrate to which the stamp has been adhered by said adhesive layer; performing a machine reading through said stamp base sheet, while said stamp is adhered to said carrier substrate, to determine the presence of said machine-testable marking substance in said adhesive layer; and making a determination of the validity of said stamp, including whether said stamp has been previously adhesively adhered to a carrier substrate and subsequently removed therefrom, based upon the amount of marking substance detected to be present in said adhesive layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the marking substance is excitable in the visible spectral range and emits in the infrared spectral range and wherein said step of machine reading comprises measuring the infrared light emitted from said marking substance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the marking substance is a fluorescent substance that is excitable and emits light in a spectral range that is pervious for the stamp and wherein said step of machine reading comprises measuring the light emitted from said fluorescent substance.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the fluorescent substance is chlorophyll.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the marking substance has magnetic properties and produces a magnetic field strength and wherein said step of machine reading comprises measuring the magnetic field strength of said marking substance.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the marking substance comprises electrically-conductive elements and wherein said step of machine reading comprises a capacitative measuring of conductivity of said marking substance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said stamp comprises a stamp bearing on its surface a printed indication of a certain class or value and the adhesive layer of which is provided with a marking substance or marking substance combination characterizing that class or value, and wherein said step of making a determination of the validity of the stamp further includes determining whether the marking substance determined to be present properly belongs with the class or value indicated on the surface of the stamp.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the marking substance is patterned to provide a coding characterizing the stamp and wherein said step of machine reading comprises reading said pattern of marking substance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein the coding comprises a bar code.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein the coding comprises concentric rings.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-22 | 1996-03-23 | 1996-09-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-22 | 2000-03-23 | 2000-09-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-22 | 2004-03-23 | 2004-09-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |