US6209923B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Security document and authentication scheme
Assignee: Sr Acquisition Corp
•
Filing: 1999-04-14
•
Granted: 2001-04-03
•
Expires: 2019-04-14
Abstract
Abstract A security document is provided including a unique combination of covert triggers, overt triggers, and overt secure document indicators arranged to enhance the security of the document at issue. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a security document is provided including a security image and a covert trigger printed on a face of the document. The security image is defined by a collection of security image elements. The security image defines at least one document authentication scheme. The document authentication scheme is arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity. The covert trigger is defined by a collection of trigger elements. The trigger elements are arranged to resemble the security image elements so the covert trigger is not readily apparent on the face of the document. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of authenticating a security document is provided. The method includes the steps of:(i) defining an authentication constellation within the security image, wherein the authentication constellation defines a set of constellation pixels, and wherein the constellation pixels are arranged at predetermined coordinates within the security image; (ii) identifying respective occupation characteristics of each of the constellation pixels, wherein each of the respective occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter within a selected constellation pixel; and (iii) determining whether the respective identified occupation characteristics correspond to an authentic document by comparing the respective identified occupation characteristics to a set of authentic occupation characteristics.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel D. Thaxton
- 👤 William H. Mowry, Jr.
- 👤 Russell E. Hill
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 22:15
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41M; B41M3/00; B41M3/14; B41M3/146; G; G07; G07D; G07D7/00; G07D7/20; G07D7/202; G07D7/206
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
21 words
A security document wherein said covert trigger elements and said security image elements are constructed of shapes having substantially identical geometry.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
A security document wherein said covert trigger elements and said security image elements are constructed of shapes having substantially identical geometry.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
127 words
A security document comprising: a security image printed on a face of said document, wherein said security image includes a collection of security image elements defining a document authentication scheme arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity; and a covert trigger printed on said face of said document, wherein said covert trigger is defined by a collection of trigger elements, and wherein said trigger elements are arranged to resemble selected ones of said security image elements such that said covert trigger is not readily apparent on said face of said document, and wherein said covert trigger is arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity in addition to and independent of the indication of document authenticity provided by said document authentication scheme of said security image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
127 words
A security document comprising: a security image printed on a face of said document, wherein said security image includes a collection of security image elements defining a document authentication scheme arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity; and a covert trigger printed on said face of said document, wherein said covert trigger is defined by a collection of trigger elements, and wherein said trigger elements are arranged to resemble selected ones of said security image elements such that said covert trigger is not readily apparent on said face of said document, and wherein said covert trigger is arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity in addition to and independent of the indication of document authenticity provided by said document authentication scheme of said security image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A security document as claimed in claim 2 wherein said security document includes at least one variable data field printed on said document and wherein said covert trigger defines an authentication parameter for said at least one variable data field.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A security document as claimed in claim 3 wherein said variable data field comprises a date field and wherein said authentication parameter defined by said covert trigger comprises an encoded date.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A security document as claimed in claim 3 wherein said variable data field comprises an amount field and wherein said authentication parameter defined by said covert trigger comprises a maximum amount limit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A security document as claimed in claim 2 wherein said covert trigger is arranged to match a predetermined authentication mask.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A security document as claimed in claim 2 further comprising an overt trigger arranged to be visually distinct from said security image elements, wherein said overt trigger is arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A security document as claimed in claim 2 further comprising an overt trigger arranged to be visually distinct from said security image elements, wherein said overt trigger is arranged to identify said document authentication scheme.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
A security document as claimed in claim 8 wherein said overt trigger includes an encoded identification of said document authentication scheme.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A security document as claimed in claim 2 further comprising an overt secure document indicator arranged to be visually distinct from said security image elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A security document as claimed in claim 10 wherein said overt secure document indicator comprises a graphical icon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
143 words
A security document comprising: a security image printed on a face of said document, wherein said security image includes a collection of security image elements defining a document authentication scheme arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity: a covert trigger printed on said face of said document, wherein said covert trigger is defined by a collection of trigger elements, and wherein said trigger elements are arranged to resemble selected ones of said security image elements such that said covert trigger is not readily apparent on said face of said document; and a pseudo-covert trigger printed on said face of said document, wherein said pseudo-covert trigger is more apparent on said face of said document than said covert trigger, and wherein pseudo-covert trigger elements are arranged to resemble said security image elements to a significantly lesser extent than said collection of trigger elements.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
143 words
A security document comprising: a security image printed on a face of said document, wherein said security image includes a collection of security image elements defining a document authentication scheme arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity: a covert trigger printed on said face of said document, wherein said covert trigger is defined by a collection of trigger elements, and wherein said trigger elements are arranged to resemble selected ones of said security image elements such that said covert trigger is not readily apparent on said face of said document; and a pseudo-covert trigger printed on said face of said document, wherein said pseudo-covert trigger is more apparent on said face of said document than said covert trigger, and wherein pseudo-covert trigger elements are arranged to resemble said security image elements to a significantly lesser extent than said collection of trigger elements.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A security document as claimed in claim 2 wherein said covert trigger elements are selected from one or more of a printed element, a partial printed element, and non-printed space.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of authenticating a security document including a security image printed on a face of said document, wherein said security image is defined by a collection of security image elements, wherein said security image defines at least one document authentication scheme, and wherein said document authentication scheme is arranged to provide a primary indication of document authenticity, said method comprising the steps of: defining an authentication constellation within said security image, wherein said authentication constellation defines a set of constellation pixels, and wherein said constellation pixels are arranged at predetermined coordinates within said security image; identifying respective occupation characteristics of each of said constellation pixels, wherein each of said respective occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter within a selected constellation pixel; and determining whether said respective identified occupation characteristics correspond to an authentic document by comparing said respective identified occupation characteristics to a set of authentic occupation characteristics.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of authenticating a security document including a security image printed on a face of said document, wherein said security image is defined by a collection of security image elements, wherein said security image defines at least one document authentication scheme, and wherein said document authentication scheme is arranged to provide a primary indication of document authenticity, said method comprising the steps of: defining an authentication constellation within said security image, wherein said authentication constellation defines a set of constellation pixels, and wherein said constellation pixels are arranged at predetermined coordinates within said security image; identifying respective occupation characteristics of each of said constellation pixels, wherein each of said respective occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter within a selected constellation pixel; and determining whether said respective identified occupation characteristics correspond to an authentic document by comparing said respective identified occupation characteristics to a set of authentic occupation characteristics.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 14 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represent a degree of printed matter defined by at least a portion of a covert trigger defined on said face of said security document.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 14 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represent a degree of printed matter defined by at least a portion of said security image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 14 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter defined by at least a portion of said security image and at least a portion of a covert trigger defined on said face of said security document.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 14 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represent an absence of printed matter within one of said selected constellation pixels.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 14 wherein said step of identifying respective occupation characteristics of each of said constellation pixels is executed by an automated machine.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of authenticating a document including an image printed on a face of said document, wherein said image is defined by a collection of image elements, said method comprising the steps of: defining an authentication constellation within said image, wherein said authentication constellation defines a set of constellation pixels, and wherein said constellation pixels are arranged at predetermined coordinates within said image; identifying respective occupation characteristics of each of said constellation pixels, wherein each of said respective occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter within a selected constellation pixel; and determining whether said respective identified occupation characteristics correspond to an authentic document by comparing said respective identified occupation characteristics to a set of authentic occupation characteristics.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of authenticating a document including an image printed on a face of said document, wherein said image is defined by a collection of image elements, said method comprising the steps of: defining an authentication constellation within said image, wherein said authentication constellation defines a set of constellation pixels, and wherein said constellation pixels are arranged at predetermined coordinates within said image; identifying respective occupation characteristics of each of said constellation pixels, wherein each of said respective occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter within a selected constellation pixel; and determining whether said respective identified occupation characteristics correspond to an authentic document by comparing said respective identified occupation characteristics to a set of authentic occupation characteristics.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method of authenticating a document as claimed in claim 20 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter defined by at least a portion of a covert trigger defined on said face of said document.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 20 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represent a degree of printed matter defined by at least a portion of said image.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 20 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represents a degree of printed matter defined by at least a portion of said image and at least a portion of a covert trigger defined on said face of said security document.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of authenticating a security document as claimed in claim 20 wherein a predetermined number of said authentic occupation characteristics represent an absence of printed matter within one of said selected constellation pixels.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of producing a security document comprising the steps of: defining a security image including a collection of security image elements, wherein said security image embodies a predetermined document authentication scheme arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity; defining a covert trigger including a collection of trigger elements, wherein said trigger elements are arranged to resemble said security image elements; defining a trigger mask, wherein said trigger mask is arranged to define respective non-printed portions aligned with each of said trigger elements, and wherein each of said non-printed portions defines a non-printed buffer zone surrounding a corresponding trigger element; constructing a printed image from each of said security image, said covert trigger, and said trigger mask; and printing said constructed printed image on a substrate.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of producing a security document comprising the steps of: defining a security image including a collection of security image elements, wherein said security image embodies a predetermined document authentication scheme arranged to provide an indication of document authenticity; defining a covert trigger including a collection of trigger elements, wherein said trigger elements are arranged to resemble said security image elements; defining a trigger mask, wherein said trigger mask is arranged to define respective non-printed portions aligned with each of said trigger elements, and wherein each of said non-printed portions defines a non-printed buffer zone surrounding a corresponding trigger element; constructing a printed image from each of said security image, said covert trigger, and said trigger mask; and printing said constructed printed image on a substrate.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of producing a security document as claimed in claim 25 wherein said security image includes a background image layer, a message layer, a message layer mask, and a camouflage image layer.
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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) | 2004-04-02 | 2004-10-02 | 2005-04-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-04-02 | 2008-10-02 | 2009-04-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-04-02 | 2012-10-02 | 2013-04-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |