Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6816180
-
Patent Number
6,816,180
-
Date Filed
Monday, May 5, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 9, 200419 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 347 171
- 347 172
- 347 174
- 347 176
- 347 224
- 400 12004
- 283 72
- 283 74
- 283 75
- 283 77
- 283 81
- 283 82
- 283 92
- 283 93
-
International Classifications
- B41J2325
- B41J2435
- B42D1500
- G03F300
-
Abstract
A method of forming authenticated secure images on image areas on labels including the steps of storing in memory a number of different selectable label size and shapes; selecting an appropriate label size and shape from the memory for a particular image; moving a colorant donor element having a plurality of transferable colorants into transferable relationship with a receiver, the colorant donor element includes a representation of the particular image and marks which authenticate the particular image having colorant over such representation and marks; transferring colorants onto the receiver in accordance with the representation of the particular image and marks in the colorant donor element and the size of the selected label to form authenticated images in the receiver; and cutting the images on the receiver into the selected shape to form a plurality of labels each having an authenticated image.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates forming authenticated images on labels.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore images of high quality have been produced by thermal printers. In a typical thermal printer an image is formed in three passes. First a dye donor having color such as yellow is placed in dye transfer relationship with a receiver and then the dye donor is heated in a pattern corresponding to the yellow portion of an image to be completed. Thereafter, cyan and magenta portions of the image are formed in a similar fashion. The completed color image on the receiver is continuous tone and in many cases can rival photographic quality.
In one type of thermal printer, which prints colored images, a donor contains a repeating series of spaced frames of different colored heat transferable dyes. The donor is disposed between a receiver, such as coated paper, and a print head formed of, for example, a plurality of individual heating resistors. When a particular heating resistor is energized, it produces heat and causes dye from the donor to transfer to the receiver. The density or darkness of the printed color dye is a function of the energy delivered from the heating element to the donor.
Thermal dye transfer printers offer the advantage of true “continuous tone” dye density transfer. This result is obtained by varying the energy applied to each heating element, yielding a variable dye density image pixel in the receiver.
Thermally printed images are used in a number of different applications. In one of those applications, so-called “sticker prints” are made on a receiver and arranged so that they can be peeled off and individually pasted onto another surface. However, these stickers are not used in situations, which require that they be “authentic”. By use of the term “authenticated” it is meant that the image can indicate to a viewer or a reader with a high degree of certainty that the image has not been counterfeited.
Thermally printed images have an advantage over other forms of printing in that smaller number of unique prints can be made on a cost effective basis. Product safety and brand protection standards dictate that one of the most important areas of protection or authentication is the product label. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,752 discloses a thermal printer to make postage stamps which uses a receiver having authenticating marks, the disclosures of which arc incorporated by reference.
Businesses throughout the world lose substantial sums to non-authentic products bearing labels that are counterfeit. With the advent of inexpensive digital printers it is possible to counterfeit labels of premium products thus creating revenue losses to bonafide manufacturers, and potential dangers to the public in terms of low or no performance of the product as in the case of pharmaceuticals for example. In other cases labels are used to indicate that a product or object has undergone and passed or failed certain inspection by is approved or bonded authorities or their agents. In these cases it is very important that labels are authentic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to produce an authenticated image, which can be used in applications such as secure product labels of different shapes and sizes.
This object is achieved in a method of forming authenticated secure images on labels comprising the steps of:
(a) storing in memory a number of different selectable label sizes and shapes;
(b) selecting an appropriate label size and shape from the memory for a particular image;
(c) moving a colorant donor clement having a colorant into transferable relationship with a receiver, the colorant donor element includes marks which authenticate a particular image and having colorant over such marks;
(d) transferring colorant onto the receiver in accordance with the representation of the particular image and marks in the colorant donor element and the size and shape of the selected label to form authenticated images in the receiver; and
(e) cutting the images on the receiver into the selected shape to form a plurality of labels each having an authenticated image.
The present invention provides secure product labels having different shapes and sizes. Furthermore it neither provides a size and shape adjusting step including sizing the image so that it forms a justified image on a given label size and shape.
An advantage of the present invention is that an image is authenticated by marks transferred to the receiver.
An advantage of the present invention is that images can rarely be produced which are authentic and which prevent counterfeiting, misuse or fraud.
A feature of the present invention is that authenticating marks can be formed on a receiver as part of the printing process. This authenticating information can be in the form of a bar code, an official seal, alphanumeric data or encoded digitized information
Another feature of the present invention is that it facilitates the design of images to be authenticated such as secure product labels and documents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a schematic block diagram of a thermal printing apparatus, which makes authenticated images on a receiver to make labels in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
a
is an exploded cross-sectional view showing various layers in a receiver and protective layer, which has been transferred from a clear coat patch of the colorant donor element to the receiver;
FIG. 2
b
shows a strip of a typical colorant donor element in web format, which can be used by the apparatus shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 2
c
shows another embodiment of the strip of colorant donor element shown in
FIG. 2
b;
FIG. 3
shows a strip of a typical receiver element with authenticated images in label form printed by the apparatus shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
shows a die cutting apparatus for cutting a completed series of images containing authenticating markings into a pre-specified shape for a product label;
FIG. 5
is a flowchart for the controlling the operation of the computer
32
shown in
FIG. 1
to size the images and form such images on a receiver, which is cut by the apparatus shown in
FIG. 4
to form labels of a particular size; and
FIG. 6
illustrates a die cutting apparatus for cutting a completed series of authenticated images into a pre-specified shape for a product label.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
shows a thermal printer apparatus
10
, which employs a receiver
12
and a colorant donor element
14
in the form of a web. Receiver
12
is driven along a path from a supply roller
13
onto a take-up roller
16
by a drive mechanism
28
coupled to the take-up roller
16
. The drive mechanism
28
includes a stepper motor, which incrementally advances and stops the receiver
12
relative to the colorant donor clement
14
to a print position. As used herein the term “colorant” can include dyes, pigments or inks, which can be transferred from the colorant donor element
14
to the receiver
12
.
Now referring to
FIG. 2
a
, receiver
12
includes an image receiving structure
50
, which is formed on a support
56
. The support
56
can he formed of paper or plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate. It can either be in the form of a web or a single sheet. In this embodiment an adhesive layer
54
provided on the back surface of the support
56
. A peelable protective release layer
59
is provided over the adhesive layer
54
until it is to be used for securing the image receiving structure
50
to a surface. This type of construction is particularly suitable when a series of peel-a-part labels
75
(see
FIG. 3
) are used, e.g. on secure product labels
70
as shown in FIGS.
3
and documents. Now returning to
FIG. 2
a
, the image receiving structure
50
includes in sequence three layers, the support
56
, a barrier layer
58
and the colorant receiving layer
60
. After authentication marks
68
are formed on the colorant receiving layer
60
, a protective layer
62
, which will be described later, is then formed on the colorant receiving layer
60
. Referring now to
FIG. 1
, in operation, a platen
18
is moved into print position or transferable relationship with the receiver
12
by an actuator
20
pressing the receiver
12
against the colorant donor element
14
. Actuators are well known in the field and can be provided by a mechanical linkage, solenoid, and small piston arrangement or the like. Now referring to
FIG. 2
b
, the colorant donor element
14
includes a series of colorant patches
64
a
,
64
b
, and
64
c
. These colorant patches
64
a
,
64
b
, and
64
c
can be yellow, cyan and magenta and they are sequentially moved into image transferring relationship with the colorant donor element
14
. The result of this process is authenticated images
71
(shown in
FIG. 3
) formed on the receiver
12
.
Now referring to
FIG. 1
, the colorant donor element
14
is driven along a path from a supply roller
24
onto a take-up roller
26
by a drive mechanism
28
coupled to the take-up roller
26
. The drive mechanism
28
includes a stepper motor, which incrementally advances and stops the colorant donor element
14
relative to the receiver
12
.
A control unit
30
has a microcomputer converts digital signals corresponding to the desired image
31
from a computer
32
to analog signals and sends them as appropriate to the optical system
38
which modulates the laser beam produced by a laser light source
34
and focuses the laser light onto the colorant donor element
14
. The computer
32
includes a memory
33
such as a read only memory that stores different sizes and shapes of labels that can be selected. The laser light source
34
illuminates the colorant donor element
14
and heats such colorant donor element
14
to cause the transfer of colorant to the colorant receiving layer
60
of the image receiving structure
50
. This process is repeated until an authenticated image
71
shown in
FIG. 3
is formed on each of the image receiving structures
50
. Alternatively, a plurality of dye donor resistive elements (not shown) can be in contact with the colorant donor element
14
and can be used to form the authenticated images
71
shown in FIG.
3
. When a dye donor resistive element is energized it is heated which causes dye to transfer from the colorant donor element
14
to the receiver
12
in a pattern to provide the colored image. For a more complete description of this type of thermal printing apparatus reference is made to commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. Re 33,260. Of course the process has to be repeated using the yellow, cyan and magenta patches to complete the colored authenticated image
71
on the secure product label
70
shown in FIG.
3
. In accordance with the present invention the authenticated image
71
can have one or more colors.
FIG. 2
b
shows a typical section of a strip of a colorant donor, which can be used in the thermal printer apparatus
10
of FIG.
1
. The colorant donor element
14
, shown in
FIG. 1
as a web, includes a series of colorant patches. These colorant patches can be cyan, yellow, and magenta
64
a
,
64
b
,
64
c
, respectively, and they are sequentially moved into image transferring relationship with the colorant donor element
14
. Each series of colorant patches
64
a-c
is followed by a protective coating patch
66
which is formed of a material that can form a clear protective layer
62
.
FIG. 4
shows a laser cutting device
80
which uses the digital file stored in the control unit
30
of the thermal printer apparatus
10
to cut out the selected secure product label
70
of different shapes and sizes
72
a
,
72
b
,
72
c
, and
72
d
with the authenticated image
71
both shown in FIG.
3
. The laser
81
translates along in the direction of the arrow
82
to cut a selected secure product label
70
from one of the labels
72
a
,
72
b
,
72
c
, and
72
d
as the receiver
12
moves in the direction indicated by the arrow
84
.
Now referring to
FIG. 5
, the various shapes and sizes of the labels
72
a
,
72
b
,
72
c
, and
72
d
are stored in memory as shown in step
200
. Before printing, the appropriate label shape and size is selected from the memory
33
as shown in step
210
and the image
31
stored in memory is resized to justify the image
31
to the size and shape of the selected label shape as shown in step
220
. The colorant donor element
14
having a plurality of transferable colorants
14
is moved into transferable relationship with the receiver
12
. The colorant donor element
14
includes a representation of the particular authenticated marks
68
which authenticate the particular image having colorant over such representation and marks as shown in step
230
. The colorants are transferred onto the receiver
12
in accordance with the representation of the particular image
31
stored in memory and marks
68
in the colorant donor element
14
and the size of the selected label
72
a
,
72
b, c
, and
d
to form authenticated images
71
in the receiver
12
as shown in step
240
and the authenticated images
71
on the receiver
12
are cut as shown in step
250
into the selected shape
72
a
,
72
b
,
72
c
, and
72
d
to form a plurality of peel-a-part labels
75
each having the authenticated image
71
.
It is desirable that the authentication marks
68
be highly accurate so that they may not be counterfeited. For that purpose the authentication marks
68
shown in
FIG. 2
b
can be created in the protective coating patch
66
containing them by a gravure process. The authentication marks
68
are formed with a high level of detail so that they are difficult to duplicate and permit colorant on the authentication marks
68
to form authenticated images
71
. The authentication marks
68
cause an image of the authentication mark
73
shown in
FIG. 3
to be formed in the receiver
12
. The authentication marks
68
have a high level of detail so that when an authentication mark image
73
is formed it will indicate to a viewer or reader of the receiver
12
that the images are authentic. The gravure process is capable of creating authentication marks
68
of very high resolution, well beyond the capabilities of most common printers. The gravure process is an intaglio process. It uses a depressed or sunken surface for the authentication marks
68
. The colorant patches
64
a
,
64
b
, and
64
c
consist of cells or welds etched into a copper cylinder and the unetched surface of the cylinder represents the non-printing areas. The cylinder rotates in a bath of ink. Gravure printing is considered excellent for printing highly detailed authentication marks
68
or pictures. The high expense in making cylinders usually limits gravure printing for long runs. Different types of inks may be used for depositing the authentication marks
68
by the gravure process as noted later.
As is well known in the art, the colorant donor element
14
can be formed in a gravure process. In accordance with the present invention, during the gravure process authentication marks
68
are formed in protective coating patch
66
. Alternatively, authentication marks
68
can be formed in one or more of the colorant patches
64
a
,
64
b
and
64
c
of the donor element
14
. These authentication marks
68
will embed official information onto an image when colorant is transferred to the receiver
12
. These authentication marks
68
provide authenticating information. This authenticating information can be in the form of a bar code, an official seal, alphanumeric data or encoded digitized information. Therefore, during the image forming process the image
31
stored in memory
33
is provided and also the authentication marks
68
are formed on the receiver
12
which permit the image
31
to be authenticated. Alternatively as shown in
FIG. 2
a
, the protective layer
62
can be formed on the colorant receiving layer
60
after the image
31
stored in memory has been formed to such colorant receiving layer
60
. Authentication marks
68
which authenticate the image
31
after it has been formed can be preformed within the protective layer
62
by a number of well known processes including the thermal printing processes described above. The image
31
stored in memory can be applied to the receiver
12
using the fourth or fifth pass of a thermal printing process. The fourth or fifth pass of the printing process is used to form a transferable protective layer
62
of the receiver
12
. For a more complete description of this process, reference is made to commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,387,573 and 5,332,713, which are incorporated herein by reference.
In yet another embodiment of this invention marks authenticating an image can reside in the memory
33
of the computer
32
shown in FIG.
1
. It will be understood that these marks representing authenticating mark images
73
are stored in a digital format in firmware, disks or in any other suitable storage device. In this particular embodiment, the computer
32
causes colorants from the colorant patches
64
a
,
64
b
and
64
c
to transfer to the image receiving structure
50
in accordance with the stored digital format (image
31
and marks
68
). The firmware can be part of the memory unit
33
of the computer
32
. Thereafter the laser light source
34
and optical system
38
heat the transferred colorants in accordance with the image
31
and the authentication marks
68
stored in memory to form the authenticated image
71
.
Colorants in the colorant donor element
14
are transferred to the image receiving layer
60
of the receiver
12
. A sublimable dye is a suitable colorant that can be effectively transferred to receivers in accordance with the present invention. Examples of sublimable dyes include anthrauinone dyes, e.g. Sumikalon Violet RS.TM. (product of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), Dianix Fast Violet 3R-FS.TM. (product of Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and Kayalon Polyol Brilliant Blue N-BGM.TM. and KST Black 146.TM. (products of Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.), azo dyes such as Kayalon Polyol Brilliant Blue BM, Kayalon Polyol Dark blue 2BM.TM., and KST Black KR.TM. (products of Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.), Sumickaron Diazo Black 5G product of Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.), and Mkitazol Black 5GH.TM. (product of Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc.); direct dyes such as Direct Dark Green B.TM. (product of Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and Direct Brown M.TM. and Direct Fast Black D.TM. (products of Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.); acid dyes such as Kayanol Milling Cyanine 5R.TM. (product of Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.); basic dyes such as Sumicacryl Blue 6G.TM. (product of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), and Aizen Malachite Green.TM. (product of Hodogaya Chemical Co., Ltd.); or any of the dyes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,830. The above dyes may be employed singly to obtain a monochrome. The dyes may be used at a coverage of from about 0.05 to about 1 g/m2 and are preferably hydrophobic.
When the colorants are inks or dyes, they can be of the type that fluoresce and are not necessarily visible to the unaided eye as described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,752,152; 5,919,730; 5,772,250; 5,864,742; 6,001,516; and 5,768,874, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference. These inks or dyes can reside on a patch of a colorant donor element
14
and be applied during additional passes.
Turning now to
FIG. 2
c
which show a strip of a typical colorant donor element
14
in web format with the addition of patch
400
containing thermally transferable UV and IR dies selected from a list disclosed U.S Pat. No. 5,006,503 entitled “Thermally-transferable fluorescent europium complexes” by Byers et al the teachings of which are incorporated by reference. The above fluorescent europium complexes are essentially invisible, but emit with a unique red hue in the region of 610 to 625 nm when irradiated with 360 nm ultraviolet light. This red hue is highly desirable for security-badging applications. Europium(III) is the only rare-earth known to be suitable for the practice of the invention. Rare earth metals, including europium, are described in the literature such as S, Nakamura and N. Suzuki, Polyhedron, 5, 1805 (1986); T. Taketatsu, Talanta, 29, 397 (1982); and H. Brittain, J. C. S. Dalton, 1187 (1979). These inks or dyes can reside on a patch
400
of a colorant donor element
14
and be applied during additional passes by the apparatus shown in
FIG. 1
Turning again to
FIGS. 2
a
and
3
, which shows the structure of the receiver
12
and the output of the printing process, which is a series of viewable authenticated images
71
such as secure product labels
70
and documents respectively. The printer apparatus
10
of
FIG. 1
can produce the series of secure product labels
70
in the receiver
12
using one or more passes. When multiple colors are to be applied then, for example, if cyan, magenta, yellow and black are the colorant patches then there has to be four passes by the receiver
12
. For another example, if cyan, magenta and yellow series of images are formed, another pass can take place, which causes the protective layer
62
to be formed on the receiver
12
. A series of authentication marks
68
were formed in the protective coating patch
66
which are authenticating mark images
73
(a series of images formed on the receiver
12
). The authenticating mark images
73
are shown in
FIGS. 2
a
,
2
b
,
2
c
and
3
. Turning briefly to
FIGS. 2
b
and
2
c
, where there are three colorant patches cyan
64
a
, yellow
64
b
and magenta
64
c
and the protective layer
62
and in another embodiment three colorant patches cyan
64
a
, yellow
64
b
and magenta
64
c
, patch
400
containing thermally transferable UV and IR dies and the protective layer
62
. Authentication marks
68
are provided in the protective coating patch
66
and which have authentication marks
68
applied over them. The authenticated images
71
when formed with their adhesive layer
54
of
FIG. 3
are easily peeled free of the protective release layer
59
. Such a structure is suitable for secure product labels
70
and documents as shown in FIG.
3
.
Turning now to
FIG. 6
, which shows a die cutting apparatus
300
for cutting a completed series of secure product labels
70
containing authenticated images
71
into a pre-specified shape
305
for the secure product labels
70
.
While the invention has been described with reference to the embodiment disclosed, it is not confined to the details set forth, but is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.
Parts List
10
printer apparatus
12
receiver
13
supply roller
14
colorant donor element
16
take-up roller
18
platen
20
actuator
24
supply roller
26
take-up roller
28
drive mechanism
30
control unit
31
image
32
computer
33
memory
34
laser light source
38
optical system
50
image receiving structure
54
adhesive layer
56
support
58
barrier layer
59
protective release layer
60
colorant receiving layer
62
protective layer
64
a
colorant patch
64
b
colorant patch
64
c
colorant patch
66
protective coating patch (invisible dye donor patch)
68
authentication marks
70
secure product labels
71
authenticated image
Parts List Cont'd
72
a
label shapes
72
b
label shapes
72
c
label shapes
72
d
label shapes
73
image of authentication mark
75
peel-a-part labels
80
laser cutting device
81
laser
82
arrow
84
arrow
200
step
210
step
220
step
230
step
240
step
250
step
300
die cutting apparatus
305
pre-specified product label shape
400
patch
Claims
- 1. A method of forming authenticated secure images on labels comprising the steps of:(a) storing in memory a number of different selectable label sizes and shapes; (b) selecting an appropriate label size and shape from the memory for a particular image; (c) moving a colorant donor element having a colorant into transferable relationship with a receiver, the colorant donor element includes marks which authenticate a particular image and having colorant over such marks; (d) transferring colorant onto the receiver in accordance with the representation of the particular image and marks in the colorant donor element and the size and shape of the selected label to form authenticated images in the receiver; and (e) cutting the images on the receiver into the selected shape to form a plurality of labels each having an authenticated image.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the marks are covered with a colorant of at least one color.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of colorants that form the authenticated image, the colorants being dye and the dyes being transferred in response to heat.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the colorants that form the authenticated image include cyan, magenta and yellow which are sequentially transferred to form continuous tone color images.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the marks are formed by a gravure process so that the marks provide a high level of detail which is difficult to duplicate.
- 6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the marks are invisible to the unaided eye.
- 7. The method according to claim 3 wherein the dyes are selected from fluorescent europium complexes suitable for thermal transfer.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiver has first and second surfaces wherein the first surface is a colorant receiving surface and the second surface has an adhesive.
- 9. A method of forming authenticated secure images on image areas on labels comprising the steps of:(a) storing in memory a number of different selectable label size and shapes; (b) selecting an appropriate label size and shapes from the memory for a particular image; (c) moving a colorant donor element having a colorant into transferable relationship with a receiver, the colorant donor element includes marks which authenticate a particular image and having colorant over such marks; (d) adjusting the size of the particular image to be consistent with the size of the label; (e) transferring colorant onto the receiver in accordance with the representation of the particular image and marks in the colorant donor element and the size and shapes of the selected label to form authenticated images in the receiver; and (f) cutting the images on the receiver into the selected shape to form a plurality of labels each having an authenticated image.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the size adjusting step includes sizing the image so that it forms a justified image on the label.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5882463 |
Tompkin et al. |
Mar 1999 |
A |
6025860 |
Rosenfeld et al. |
Feb 2000 |
A |
6136752 |
Paz-Pujalt et al. |
Oct 2000 |
A |