Patent Application
20180264866
This description is generally directed toward products such as polymer and paper bank notes (or currency) with optical security features, and, more particularly, to a new configuration for an optical security element for products that provides high quality color imagery by addressing prior problems with registration during printing processes by forming an opaque mask (or masking layer of opaque material) for each different, individual color to be printed in the ink layer (or image layer) positioned under a lens array in the optical security element.
There are many products presently manufactured and distributed with optical security features so as to try to limit copying and counterfeiting. One of the most prevalent of these is currency of a country used daily in commerce. Other examples include tags or labels provided on clothing and other consumer items and credit and bank cards. It is desirable to provide optical security features to these and other products with minimal cost while also providing high levels of anti-counterfeiting protection. The anti-counterfeiting market is rapidly growing worldwide with anti-counterfeiting elements placed on a wide range of items such as upon currency (e.g., on a surface of a paper bill to help prevent copying) and on labels for retail products (e.g., labels on clothing showing authenticity).
Security features that are provided on paper can also be provided on polymer bank notes. Additionally, though, new security features that cannot be provided with paper currency can be provided with polymer bank notes because the substrate or body of the bank notes can be provided to be transparent (herein, “transparent” is intended to mean translucent to transparent to light). Hence, a transparent window may be provided that is used to display a security image that allows the bank note to be authenticated. An optical security feature may take the form of a lens or lens array (e.g., a lenticular lens array (linear lenses) or an array of round, hexagonal, aspherical, or other-shaped lenses) that is used to display an image printed on an opposite side of the transparent substrate (e.g., an interlaced image). The displayed or visible image may be a three dimensional (3D) image, an image that is animated with movement of the bank note (or with differing viewing angles), an image provided by a full volume pixel map or moiré pattern, and/or provide other optical effects available through the use of lenticular, diffraction, and other optical technologies.
In any type of full color printed lens array (e.g., a lens array with linear, round, hex, aspheric, or other-shaped lenses paired with a printed ink or image layer) when multiple colors are used in the ink layer, all of the colors are printed under each lens. In other words, pixels (or printed dots) from an interlaced image used to create the print files or “plates” are provided under each lens of the lens array.
The registration requirements during printing increase dramatically as the pitch or frequency of the lenses increase. In other words, printing a linear lens at 75 LPI (lenses per inch) in a 4-color process is difficult but is far easier than a pixel-mapped round lens in multiple colors at 1,200 lenses per inch in two axes. The registration requirements for multiple colors under one lens can be as difficult as having a registration tolerance of less than 1 micron in two axes to get the proper frames in the proper colors back to the viewer. In web and sheet-fed printing processes, movements of 30 to 300 microns are common and often within specification of the manufacturer of the equipment.
Since in traditional lens technologies all of the colors in the image must be printed under each individual lens for the image to work properly to the viewer, these tolerances are very small. For instance, in a 75 LPI lens that has a focal length of about 18/1000-inch, a normal print resolution of about 2400 DPI (dots per inch, with a theoretical dot size of 0.000417 inches) is used. The width of the lens is about 0.0133 inches. For a typical image to be printed, this is divided into about 8 segments or equal to 0.001666 inches per image frame. For this to work to the viewer for proper viewing, these image frames in a linear lens are generally printed in a 4-color process or can be individual colors (e.g., a CMYK color model used in color printing using four inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (or black)). This means that each of the images must register to within about the amount of each image frame under each lens. While this can be done with traditional sheet-fed equipment, the dynamics get far more difficult as the lenses get smaller. Further, the registration requirements are not just in one axis, but, instead, they are in two axes (both X and Y or side to side and up and down).
One specific example is that a security thread for currency may have 1,200 lenses per inch or be about 21μ in diameter. In order to create a 3D or animated image, the number of image frames may be about 10 frames in two axes to achieve this. This equates to about a 2μ pixel size per each frame. In order to make an image work and in multiple colors for a viewer, the registration requirements are about 0.5μ or less, which is impossible with any known processes.
As is understood in the industry, imaging systems for micro lenses create the need for extremely high-resolution imaging or printing systems, especially with lenses with focal lengths of less than about 125 microns. Printing pixels is especially difficult because the required resolution for images and the resulting printing using any traditional method such as gravure, flexography, offset, screen letterpress, or any other inking method requires an accurate reproduction of the target pixels or image icons. Often times, high resolutions of over 10,000 DPI can be achieved in engraved cylinders, plates, and the like, but the images or pixels are greatly distorted in the translation of the printing on the back of the lenses or other substrate that may be laminated to the lenses. In some cases, such with very fine magnifying moirés, resolutions of more than 20,000 DPI are needed for focal lengths under 30 microns and lenses under 30 microns in diameter.
In most cases, the reality is that is difficult to actually resolve even twenty-five percent of the resolution present in the plating or cylinder engraving on the substrate. This results in issues such as poor image quality with the lenses, ghosting, blurred images, and so forth. Dot “gain” is also a large problem when printing under micro lenses because it causes the images to ghost or not function at all. It is not unusual to have a thirty to fifty percent dot gain when printing fine images under lenses, which renders the image unreadable and useless as part of an optical security element. This security element is best used in currency threads, currency patches, and so forth utilizing micro-lenses from about 35μ in diameter to about 20μ in diameter with focal lengths from about 20μ to about 40μ. This technology can be sued in a reflective or transmissive mode.
One continuing problem with fabricating optical security elements is that in order to have enough contrast, one has to apply enough ink for the image to remain bright to the viewer through the lenses. However, with any traditional printing method, increasing the density of the ink causes the ink dots to expand larger than the DPI desired to print the image cleanly. As this happens, the dot over-fills the image frame in the interlaced image, which causes the produced image to be blurry or even fail to resolve for a viewer. Making the problem worse (as discussed above), printing with multiple colors is especially challenging because the images must be registered in two axes perfectly or in exactly the same optical pitch (i.e., frequency of the optical pitch to the lens array) as desired. This ratio may be one-to-one or something less or more between the colors, image icons, or pixel sets depending upon the desired visual effects to be provided by an optical security element. In a web printing method, for instance, the stretch of the film between printing units can be problematic as it makes it difficult to maintain the desired relationship between the lenses and the printing. A movement of even one or two microns between printing of two colors can result in blurred images or other problems.
Hence, there remains a need for new designs of optical security elements and associated printing/fabrication process that make the registration requirements more forgiving, especially for thin security films and lenses that are not linear such as for the round, square, hexagonal and aspheric lenses used in many optical security elements.
Briefly, a lens-based display apparatus or assembly is described herein that is useful as an optical security element.
According to one aspect of the description, a method is provided for fabricating a lens-based optical security element. The method includes: (a) using color separation to generate a plate for each of at least two colors from a digital interlaced image, each of the plates including a set of digital data defining a number and a location of pixels of a particular color; (b) dividing each of the plates into a plurality of equally sized sections; (c) identifying a subset of the sections from each of the plates, with a different pattern being used to identify each of the subsets of the sections and with the different patterns being configured such that there no co-located ones of the sections; (d) generating a combination plate including all of the subsets of the sections of the at least two colors; (e) processing the combination plate to form a file defining a mask with openings at the locations of the pixels in the subsets of the sections and with opaque areas at locations in the combination plate free of the pixels in the subsets of the sections; (f) forming a mask using the file defining the mask; (g) forming a printed image using a different color of ink to print a color block that is matched in size and location with the subsets of the sections; and (h) mating the mask and the printed image with a lens array, with each of the color blocks in the printed image are positioned underneath a differing subset of lenses of the lens array.
According to some embodiments of this method, the different patterns used to identify each of the subsets of the sections are configured such that the subset of sections in the combination plate have a checkerboard arrangement. The forming steps and the mating step can be performed such that the mask is sandwiched between the printed image and the lens array. The lens array may be a sheet of transparent material with a plurality of linear lenses, round lenses, aspherical lenses, square lenses, or hexagonal lenses (e.g., micro lenses with any of these configurations).
According to another aspect of the description, a method is provided for fabricating an optical security element. The method includes generating, using color separation, a plate for each of at least two colors from a digital interlaced image, and each of the plates includes a set of digital data defining a number and a location of pixels of a particular color. Further, the method includes dividing each of the plates into a plurality of equally sized sections, and then identifying a subset of the sections from each of the plates for use in displaying a color three dimensional (3D) or animated image. Often, a different pattern is used to identify each of the subsets of the sections, and the different patterns are configured such that there no co-located ones of the sections. The method also includes forming a mask on a planar back surface of a lens film that includes a lens array on a surface opposite the planar back surface, and the mask includes holes corresponding to the location of the pixels in the identified subsets of the sections and includes opaque masking elements in areas between the holes. Additionally, the method includes forming a printed image using two or more different colors of ink to print blocks corresponding to the identified subsets of the sections of each of the plates, and the printed blocks are arranged in sets of two or more in a checkerboard pattern. Further, the method includes mating the printed image with the lens film to form the optical security element with the mask sandwiched between the printed image the lens film, and each of the sections in the printed image are positioned underneath a differing subset of micro lenses of the lens array. The forming and mating steps may be performed concurrently in some cases.
In some implementations, each ofthe subsets of lenses includes a predefined number of lenses greater than 40,000 lenses with an outer dimension of less than 15 mils. Also, the two or more different colors can be chosen so that each of the sets of two or more blocks include a cyan block, a magenta block, a yellow block, and a black block. In some cases, the forming of the mask includes: (a) performing metallization to form a layer of metal upon the planar back surface generally with a vapor deposition chamber in a vacuum metallizing chamber; (b) printing a photoresist in a pattern corresponding to a negative or positive image over the metallization to the identified subset of the sections from each of the plates for use in displaying the color three dimensional (3D) or animated image; (c) dissolving portions of the layer of metal not covered by the photoresist printing exposing clear areas of the substrate using a chemical bath to dissolve the unprotected metal areas; and (d) removing the untreated metal to expose the opaque masking elements. In such cases, the layer of metal may be aluminum, gold, or silver, the photoresist can be a lacquer or a varnish, and the forming of the printed image may involve filling or covering the holes or clear areas in the mask with the two or more different colors of ink.
In some implementations of the method, the forming of the mask involves applying a layer of opaque ink on the planar back surface the lens film. In the same or other cases, the mask has an optical pitch with a 1 to 1 match to an optical pitch of the lens array, and the lens array focuses to the mask within plus or minus twenty percent of an ideal focus of lenses in the lens array. The method may be configured such that the optical security element is provided in or on a substrate of a banknote, a piece of currency, a financial card, a driver's license, an identification badge, a patch, a passport, or an authenticity label.
According to yet another aspect of the description, a lens-based display apparatus is taught that is useful as an optical security element. The apparatus includes a lens array with a first side comprising a plurality of lenses and a second side opposite the first side, and it further includes an ink layer comprising blocks formed of ink of a first color arranged in a first pattern and blocks formed of ink of a second color arranged in a second pattern differing from the first pattern. A mask is provided that is proximate to the second side of the lens array and positioned between the ink layer and the lens array. The mask includes a first set of openings associated with a first set of pixels that are filled or covered with the ink of the first color. Further, the mask includes a second set of openings associated with a second set of pixels that are filled or covered with the ink of the second color. The mask also includes opaque masking elements between the openings, and the first set of openings are arranged into a first set of sections that are arranged in a third pattern matching the first pattern of the blocks. Additionally, the second set of openings are arranged into a second set of sections that are arranged in a fourth pattern matching the second pattern of the blocks, and the first set of openings are located underneath a first set of the lenses of the lens array. Also, the second set of openings are located underneath a second set of the lenses of the lens array that differs from the first set of the lenses.
In some implementations of the apparatus, the first set of pixels corresponds with a subset of pixels of a first color plate for an interlaced image or, instead in some cases, for a magnifying moiré, and the second set of pixels corresponds with a subset of pixels of a second color plate for the interlaced image or magnifying moiré. In such implementations, the interlaced image is a full color image, and the mask includes third and fourth sets of openings associated with third and fourth sets of pixels from third and fourth color plates for the interlaced image. The printed image further may include blocks formed of ink of a third color and arranged in a third pattern and blocks formed of ink of a fourth color and arranged in a fourth pattern differing from the first, second, and third patterns.
In the same or other embodiments, the first and second patterns are selected such that the blocks of the first and second colors of ink are arranged in a checkboard pattern. The lenses can be micro lenses with an outer dimension less than 10 mils. Preferably, a 1 to 1 match is provided between optical pitch of the mask to the lens array. The mask may be a layer of metal formed by de-metallization of a metalized film to form the openings, or, instead, the mask may be a layer of opaque ink.
According to an additional aspect of the description, a method is provided for fabricating a lens-based display assembly or optical security element. The method includes using color separation to generate a plate for each of at least two colors from a digital interlaced image, with each of the plates including a set of digital data defining a number and a location of pixels of a particular color. The method also involves dividing each of the plates into a plurality of equally sized sections and then identifying a subset of the sections from each of the plates. Typically, a different pattern is used to identify each of the subsets of the sections, and the different patterns are configured such that there no co-located ones of the sections. The method then includes generating a combination plate including all of the subsets of the sections of the at least two colors, and then processing the combination plate to form a file defining a mask with openings at the locations of the pixels in the subsets of the sections and with opaque areas at locations in the combination plate free of the pixels in the subsets of the sections. The method further includes forming a mask layer, using the file defining the mask, that includes holes corresponding to the pixels in the subsets of the sections and opaque masking elements corresponding to the opaque areas. Additionally, the method includes providing an ink layer over the mask layer using a different color of ink to print a color block that is matched in size and location with the subsets of the sections, thereby forming a checkboard pattern of the color blocks. The method involves mating the mask layer and the ink layer with a lens array, and each of the color blocks in the printed image are positioned underneath a differing subset of lenses of the lens array. The mask layer is sandwiched between the ink layer and the lens array with the holes covered or filled with the ink.
In this method, the lens array includes a plurality of round lenses, aspherical lenses, square lenses, or hexagonal lenses each with an outer dimension of less than 10 mils. In some useful cases, the mask layer has an optical pitch with a 1 to 1 match to an optical pitch of the lens array, and the lens array focuses to the mask layer within plus or minus twenty percent of an ideal focus of the lenses in the lens array. The pixels of the first color are often arranged in patterns under the lenses that differ from patterns of the pixels of the second color under the lenses, whereby the lenses exclusively focus for a viewer on locations of the pixels of the first color or the pixels of the second color.
Briefly, the present description is directed toward products, such as branding labels, credit/debit/bank cards, and polymer bank notes, that are fabricated so as to include an optical security element (or feature or assembly), which is designed to provide enhanced optical focusing onto each color used in the printed image (or in the ink layer).
The optical security assembly may include a carrier film or substrate (transparent product body, in some cases, while other embodiments have an opaque substrate such as a paper layer). An image element, e.g., a printed ink layer, is provided on a first surface of the carrier film/substrate, and the optical security assembly further includes an array or plurality of micro lenses on a second surface of the carrier film/substrate opposite the image element (when the substrate/carrier film is transparent). The micro lenses are provided in an optical material layer deposited upon the second surface, and the lenses and the film/focusing substrate of the deposited optical material may be thought of as a “focusing element.” As discussed above, the inventors recognized that printing multiple colors can be difficult due to registration errors or variances between processes of printing each color. For example, some printers or printing processes may have a registration error/variance in the range of 10 to 40 microns, with 20 microns being common for many commercially available printers.
In order to make the registration and print requirements easier, pixels can be isolated into sections or portions of the printed ink layer/printed image, which can then be arranged to align with or be located underneath predefined groups or sets of lenses (i.e., each set/group of lenses may be dedicated to focusing upon a particular color of ink) rather than having all of the colors under each lens. The resulting registration requirements are far less stringent, and the colors physically print better and are more clear (not on top of each other) when viewed through the lenses of the lens array of the optical security element.
However, it is not a simple task to modify and/or reorganize the pixels for the print files. First, the inventors determined that one solution to the print registration problem is that one can use multiple lenses (or a lens set) dedicated to one color and get the information back to the viewer. However, this should be done in an organized way while mapping the images. Second, the inventors determined that providing only one color under a lens is facilitated by the absence of data for the other colors in each of the lenses dedicated to just one color (e.g., a lens used to provide yellow would not have pixels of for cyan underneath it in the ink layer). The pixels of the print files are organized under (or mapped to) the lenses so that only the data from a specific color appears under that lens set, and the other data is missing. It is also important that the data appear in the exact desired position relative to that data for each lens used to provide that color in the image viewed through or produced by a lens array. Conversely, the data for the other colors also contain data only from that lens set (or only pixels for that color) and are in the proper position under those lens sets.
In one preferred embodiment, exact numbers of lenses corresponding to colors are not beneficial in displaying each section/portion of a particular color, as it creates some unwanted visual patterns such as banding in the displayed/viewed image. The inventors recognized that it is far better to have a fractional number of lenses in both axes for each section/portion (say 4.5 rows and 4.5 columns or 4.5 rows and 5.5 columns) rather than even numbers (e.g., rather than 4 lenses in each row and column to provide 16 lenses or 4 lenses in the rows and 5 lenses in the columns to provide 20 lenses). A mis-registration between the colors may still be visible to the viewer with the new process as some color overlap will still be present (such as less than about 30 percent such as less than 20 percent and preferably less than 10 percent), but it is not nearly as sensitive as the traditional method of having all of the colors under the same lenses. Also, the colors tend to be more pure and clean as there is no (or at least less) overlap in the dots or pixels (as 70 percent or more of each section/portion of the printed image is focused as clean or non-overlapping pixels).
It is important to note that the data space occupied under each lens set (color set) cannot be common to both colors relative to the lens itself, or the colors will be on top of each other (as will the images). With regard to mapping or interlacing the images for printing, the inventors understood that traditional interlacing software by itself or without modification will not work for this type of mapping or interlacing. New software (or modified software) was developed for removing data associated with other colors from each of the lenses, and the printing method and resulting new optical security element are described in detail following discussion of
Many products or items may be fabricated to include an optical security element or assembly of the present description, but it may be useful to illustrate one particular product to show one intended and beneficial use.
The bank note 100 further includes materials including layers of ink and other compounds to provide imagery and information associated with the currency definition or design for the country. As shown, the note 100 includes an upper currency image stack 120 and a lower currency image stack 130 that are used to display imagery and data associated with the front and back of a particular currency run, e.g., the imagery may differ for each denomination of a country's currency and the imagery may be updated periodically (such as to show a different country leaders image). The upper currency image stack 120 is shown to include first and second sets of ink (and/or other material) layers 122 and 124, and, likewise, the lower currency image stack 130 is shown to include first and second sets of ink (and/or other material) layers 132 and 134. The layers 122, 124, 132, 134 may include a base layer (e.g., a layer of white ink) followed by several other layers to print differing colors of an image.
The techniques for applying the image stacks 120, 130 are well known in the currency industry and, hence, are not explained in detail herein. For this description, it is more relevant that the ink layers 122, 124, 132, 134 increase the overall thickness of the bank note, and this build up thickness can be used to provide a focusing element 141 on one side 112 of the note substrate 110 and an image element (e.g., layers of ink providing a printed interlaced image or other imagery) 148 on the opposite or second side 114 of the substrate 110 without bumps or bulges that could negatively affect later use and processing of the bank note 100 and without an exposed profile/surface that could readily be copied/counterfeited. For example, the thickness of the ink layers 122, 124 (and also ink layers 132, 134) may be in the range of 7 to 25 microns with a thickness in the range of 10 to 20 microns and, in some cases, 12 to 18 microns being common in polymer bank notes presently in production.
In some useful but not limiting embodiments, it is desirable to design the bank note 100 such that any security features (including that of the optical security assembly or element 140) are provided without increasing the overall thickness of the note 100 and without providing a bulge or bump at the location of any of the security features. To this end, the bank note 100 is shown to include an optical security element or assembly 140 that is adapted, at least in this non-limiting example, to have an overall thickness that matches or is less than the overall thickness of the note 100 (e.g., thickness of the substrate 110 and ink layers 120, 130).
The optical security assembly 140 includes a focusing element or lenticular lens array 141 attached to or, more typically, formed upon the first or upper side (or surface) 112 of the note substrate 110. In some cases, the focusing element 141 is cast or formed of the same material as the substrate 110, such as a transparent plastic or polymer (e.g., polypropylene or the like), but, in other cases, it is desirable to use a lower index of refraction material (relative to substrate 110) and the focusing element 141 is deposited such as with ultraviolet (UV) casting onto surface 112 of the substrate 110. The focusing element 141 is made up of a plurality of linear lenses 142 such as concave lenticules, as shown in
The optical security assembly 140 further includes an outer layer 144 including a plurality of fillers or fill portions (or covering film) 146, which are formed by applying material over the concave focusing element 141 so as to fill in and/or protect the lenses 142. In some embodiments, the outer layer 144 and its covering film 146 is eliminated or left off the optical security element 140, but in many cases, it may be desirable to provide material over the lenses 142 to provide a covering film 146 with an outer/exterior surface that is flat or planar and that is level or about level with the outer/exterior surfaces of the ink stacks 122, 124 (or ink layer 120) to avoid bumps or dips in the note 100 where the optical security element 140 is provided. The outer layer 144 may be formed of a transparent material such as a polypropylene with similar optical characteristics including an index of refraction as that of the focusing element 141 and/or the substrate 144. However, the outer layer 144 may also be provided with material having a higher index of refraction than the focusing element 141.
The optical security assembly 140 also includes an image element 148, which may be a layer of ink providing a printed interlaced image such as by interlacing of images corresponding with the concave lenticules/lenses 142 of concave focusing element 141, and the image element 148 is provided on the second or lower side 114 opposite the lenses 142. Significantly, the image element or ink layer 148 is printed using the techniques described herein such that different sets of the lenses 142 are paired with sections or portions of the ink layer 148 printed in differently colored inks. Hence, a first set of lenses 142 is aligned with or registered with the location of a first set of sections/portions of the interlaced image that are printed in a first color while a second set of lenses 142 is aligned with or registered with the location of a second set of sections/portions of the interlaced image that are printed in a second color (and so on for each additional color of ink used in the printed image element/ink layer 148).
The optical security element or assembly 140 further is shown to include a portion or segment 144 of the substrate 110 (e.g., a carrier film) that is sandwiched or positioned between the lenses 142 of the focusing element 141 and the image element 148. The lenses 142 of the focusing element 141 are configured (as discussed below) so as to focus through the substrate portion or carrier film 144 onto the back or second side 114 and the image element 148 provided there (or slightly in front of or behind the image element 148). The focusing element 141 is shown to be positioned in the gap or space between the ink layers 122 and the ink layers 124 while the image element 148 is positioned in the gap or space between the ink layers 132 and the ink layers 134, with portions of the image element (such as a slice or stripe of an interlaced image) 148 being aligned or registered with one (or more) of the lenses 142 of the concave focusing element 141.
Note, the bank note 110 may also be provided with a paper substrate for carrier film 144, and, in such an embodiment, the image element 148 would be printed on an upper surface of the carrier film/paper substrate 144 to be adjacent to the lens array 141 in the optical security element 140. Further, it should be understood that some preferred embodiments will include a mask as part of the image element 148, and, in these embodiments, the mask would be provided on the back or second side 114 of the carrier film 110 with the ink blocks of color/ink layer being provided on the mask (e.g., such that the mask is sandwiched between the micro lenses and the ink layer/ink blocks of color). Also, in a paper substrate embodiment, the mask would be provided between the lens array and the ink layer/color blocks, which may be printed on the paper substrate.
The lenses 246 are used to focus light passing through the material of the focusing element and cover/outer layer 248 so as to display images 245 (e.g., 3D images, images with motion, and the like), which are provided via an image element/printed ink on the back or opposite surface of the note 200 and that allow a viewer to verify the authenticity of the bank note 200. As shown in
As shown, the security element (or more generally lens-based display element) 410 includes a lens array or film 412 that may be made up of a plurality of lenses of any of the shapes described herein. An image or ink layer 420 is provided on (or adjacent) an opposite or back side 413 of the lens array or film 412, and the ink layer 420 may be printed directly upon the lens array surface 412 or upon a substrate that is then positioned adjacent (e.g., abutting) the lens array surface 412. The ink layer or printed image 420 is divided up into a first set of sections or portions that are each to be printed in a first color (i.e., their pixels are printed in that first color) and a second set of sections or portions that are each to be printed in a second color (i.e., their pixels are printed in that second color). This is represented in
Upon assembly, the first set of pixels 422 is paired with a set of lenses 414 selected for focusing on pixels of the first color (lenses 414 are focusing on blank sections in
As shown in
Then, as shown in
Further, as discussed above, it may be desirable to avoid matching the section size to the lens size that provides an even integer number of lenses in the set of lenses used to display each section of a color image as this can lead to banding. For example, if the lenses are round and have a 25 micron diameter, it may be useful to avoid sizing the sections in the ink layer at 100 microns (or other multiple of 25 microns) as this will result in 16 lenses in each square (or an even integer) and instead to choose a section size that is 90 microns or 110 microns or the like (a number not perfectly divisible by the lens diameter).
In this example, the first section/portion 502 of the security element 500 includes a set of four micro lenses 520 covering the set of red pixels 510 (pixels of the first color), and as can be seen with the lens 520 in the lower lefthand corner the data-containing (or colored) pixels 512 are arranged in a first pattern while other pixels 515 under this lens are free of color/ink or are data-empty (or absent) pixels. The second section/portion 504 of the security element 500 is the same size and shape and includes a set of four micro lenses 524 covering the set of blue pixels 512 (pixels of the second color). In other words, the lenses 520 are dedicated for focusing on pixels of a first color while the lenses 524 are dedicated for focusing on pixels of a second color. The sections 502, 504 are shown be rectangular in shape (e.g., square) with sides having lengths of dx and dy, and these dimensions for the sections 502, 504 typically are chosen to suit a particular printing process and its registration error/variance to limit overlap of the two printed sections (sets of pixels) 510, 512 (such as by limiting overlap to 30 percent or less overall (or 15 percent or less per side) to provide 70 percent or more clean pixels in the sets 510, 512).
As can be seen with the lens 524 in the lower lefthand corner of the section 504, the data-containing (or colored) pixels 514 are arranged in a second pattern differing from the first pattern used for the corresponding lens 520 of section 502 while other pixels 513 under this lens are free of color/ink or are data-empty pixels. Hence, when lenses 520, 524 are focusing on pixels of the first color (such as pixels 512) for the lenses 520 they are not concurrently focusing on pixels of the second color (e.g., not on pixels 514) but are focusing on data-empty pixels (such as pixels 513) for the lenses 524. Similarly, when lenses 520, 524 are focusing on pixels of the second color (such as pixels 514) for the lenses 524 they are not concurrently focusing on pixels of the first color (e.g., not on pixels 512) but are focusing on data-empty pixels (such as pixels 515) for the lenses 520. In this manner, the display of each set of differently colored pixels (and their associate images) is cleaner than in prior optical security elements as the colored pixels are generally not overlapping (or printed in the same location in the security element's ink layer).
Specifically, the color set 620 is shown to include a first section of pixels 622 of a first color side-by-side or adjacent in a horizontal row with a first section of pixels 624 of a second color. Further, the color set 620 includes a second section of pixels 625 of the second color below (and adjacent to) in a vertical column with the first section of pixels 622 of the first color and yet further includes a second section of pixels 623 of first color below (and adjacent to) in a vertical column with the first section of pixels 624 of the second color (or, in other words, the second or lower row is offset by one section from the first or upper row to achieve a checkerboard/chessboard arrangement). In this way, the color set 620 include an equal number of sections for each color (assuming that only two colors are displayed but similar design principles apply to use of a larger number of colors) as well as an equal number of pixels for generating each of two colored images.
In this example, the sections are shown to be square in shape and have a height, HSection, and a width, WSection, and these dimensions when added together define, respectively the height, HColor Set, of a color set of ink layer 620 and the width, WColor Set, of the color set of the ink layer 620. Here, a color set is chosen to be a portion of rows and columns equal to the number of differing colors being displayed in the security element/display assembly (e.g., a 2 by 2 array of sections for two colors, a 3 by 3 array of sections for three colors, and so on). Generally, the size of the color set 620 (and each section) is chosen based on the registration error/variance of the printing device/process used in printing the ink layer of an optical security element. As a minimum, the color set's height, HColor Set, and width, WColor Set, are chosen to be greater than the registration error. More typically, these dimensions will be 2 to 20 times or more greater to give a large percentage (i.e., 70 percent or greater) of “clean” or non-overlapping pixel in each section. For example, the registration error may be 20 microns, and the color set may have dimensions of 200 microns, with each section having dimensions of 100 microns. This example provides more than 70 percent (such as about 80 percent or more) clean pixels even when the printing is toward its maximum registration error/variance (or plate movement).
The method 700 continues at 710 with forming or retrieving/accessing a pixel mapped or interlaced image in full color (CMYK). Then, at 720, the method 700 continues with running this image through the RIP for color separation. At 730, the method 700 involves obtaining and saving filed corresponding to each color from the process of step 720. In step 740, the method 700 continues with using the files from step 730 to create the plates (e.g., printing plates) that contain the specific pixels for each color.
Then, at 750, instead of creating those plates, the files (of plate files or file plates) are modified as described herein such that each file contains blocks (or sections) of dots with that specific color. In step 760, the method 700 continues with recombining the files modified in step 750 into a single file. Since the block for each color have different positions (i.e., they typically do not overlap), this new combination file contains the information for all colors (e.g., see
Then, in step 780, the fabrication method 700 continues with forming the mask based on the mask file from step 770. Step 780 may involve printing the mask onto a substrate (or back side of a lens array or a substrate including the lens arrays on the opposite side) with opaque ink. The mask may be formed in step 780 using a de-metallization process (such as with a laser, e.g., an excimer laser or the like or such as with chemical de-metallization), and, in such cases, the mask file would be as shown in
At 830, each of the color plates is divided (such as with a grid pattern of rows and columns) into a plurality of sections/boxes (of pixels), with the same dividing process used on each plate such that there is an equal number of sections/boxes in each gridded/divided plate (and with the sections/boxes having the same shape, size, and locations). Then, at 840, a unique pattern is applied to each gridded/divided color plate (e.g., a pattern associated with each color) to identify a subset of the sections/boxes in each color plate 830 to be used in printing a print image/ink layer. As discussed above, it is desirable to have an equal number of sections/boxes chosen in step 840 for each of the plates and for these to be spaced apart relatively equally to produce a quality color imagery with the optical security element/lens-based display assembly. A print file 850 is then generated with the set of color plates form step 840 that can be used by a print controller to operate a printer/print system to apply the two or more colors in an ink layer/printed image on a substrate or upon the back of the lens array (see, for example,
As shown, the memory 930 is shown to include an interlaced image 932, which is a digital file defining the interlacing of two or more color images/frames for display with a lens array 976. The memory 930 also includes a lens array definition 936 that defines values for design parameters of the lens array 976 such as lens shape, lens size, lens density/frequency, and the like. The memory also includes a grid definition 934 defining section/box dimensions for use by the print file generator 920 in creating a print file 960. Also stored in the memory 930, a color set for printing 938 is stored, and this may be default or set based on user input via I/O devices 914 and indicates which two or more colors are to be printed in the printed image/ink layer 974 by the printer 970 (e.g., all colors, first and second colors, first, second and third colors, and so on). The sizes of the sections/boxes of pixels defined is useful for matching the sections to sets of lenses in the lens array 976 (and this may be non-integer numbers of lenses for each section/box as discussed above). Additionally, the memory 930 includes a section pattern for each color 940 that defines which sections/boxes for each color plate are to be used in the printing process.
During operations, the print file generator 920 accesses or retrieves the interlaced image 932, and the generator 920 uses a color separation module (e.g., an RIP or the like) to create a plate 950 for each color in the printing color set 938. Generally, there will be at least two plates 950 with three or four being common for many optical security elements 980. The print file generator 920 than processes each of the generated plates 950 based on the grid definition 934 to divide each plate into a plurality of sections/boxes to provide gridded plates for each color as shown at 954. The print file generator 920 then functions to process each of these gridded plates 954 with the section pattern 940 for each particular color so as to generate a plate for each color with the pattern applied to define with sections/boxes are to be used in printing 966 as shown at 966. The combination of these color plates that have been gridded/divided into sections and that have been patterned to define printing subsets of sections is stored in memory as shown at 966 and used to create a print file 960.
Then, printing may proceed, with the workstation 910 providing a copy of the print file 963 to a color printer/print system 970 (or its print controller). The printer 970 uses the print file 968 to print each color of ink defined in the color set 938 based on each plate 966 on a substrate/carrier film 972 (or directly on the lens array 976) so as to form the printed image/ink layer 974. The printer may be configured to provide the printing on the lens array or substrate surface using offset printing, flexograpy, gravure, or digital printing. Some overlapping of the pixels of differing colors due to registration error/variance/tolerances of the printer 970, but it will be significantly less than with prior printing techniques that printed every color under every lens. For example, 70 percent or more of the area (and pixels) of each section/box that is printed to provide the printed image/ink layer 974 may be “clean” or non-overlapping (e.g., only one color in a particular location). The optical security element or lens-based display assembly 980 is then formed by mating the lens array 976 with the printed image 974 and substrate 972 (when the ink layer 974 is not printed directly onto the lens array 976—in which case, the substrate if used may be applied to the lens array 976) so that each printed section/box of colored pixels is positioned under sets of lenses dedicated to focusing on that particular color. As shown at 973, a mask may be formed on the substrate/carrier such as prior to the forming of the printed image 974 when the print file defines a checkerboard of color blocks (as discussed in more detail below) that are aligned/registered with portions of the mask 973 to align color pixels with lenses for proper display of an image with the formed optical security element 980.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed. For example, the printing techniques discussed herein are useful with a wide variety of lenses including micro lenses with a focal length less than 10/1000 inches.
With the above methods and optical display features understood, it may be useful to further describe the use of RIP software that is modified to provide the functionality taught herein and to further explain use of a mask with the printed color blocks/dots to provide improved visual effects. A raster image processor (RIP) is a component (software and/or firmware) used in a printing system which produces a raster image also known as a bitmap. Such a bitmap is used by a later stage of the printing system to produce the printed output. Digital half-toning refers to the process of converting a continuous-tone image or photograph into a pattern of black and white pictures elements for reproduction by a binary display device such as an ink jet printer, which can only choose to print or not print dots. In these digital printers, the half-toning process of projecting a continuous-tone original through a halftone screen has been replaced with a raster image processor (RIP) that converts each pixel of the original image from an intermediate tone directly into a binary dot based upon a pixel-by-pixel comparison of the original image with an array of thresholds. Pixels of the original with intensities greater than their corresponding threshold are turned “on” (printed) in the final half-toned image while pixels less than their corresponding thresholds are turned “off.” From a full color picture of a face for example, the RIP will convert each of the original pixels in binary C, M, Y, or K pixels that can be printed by the device. It is also important to notice that any shade or color will be accomplished by the right combination and percentages of binary dots C, M, Y or K.
For a lens based image it is impossible to register the four color process dots under each lens. In a first alternative, the registration is performed as discussed above. However, in some preferred embodiments use a second alternative to perform registration. It is possible to work with sections of colors just like the diagrams and obtain a perfect color and image flip like this example (of
As a more sophisticated alternative, an actual full color picture of a dog and a bird may be used, but the registration requirements may be difficult to nearly impossible for a lens feature. The inventors recognized and generate one useful solution. First, the fabrication process involves using a pixel mapping system for the full color frames (or original images) to create an interlaced image in full color. Second, the image is run through RIP software to convert the pixel mapped or interlaced image in a binary fashion containing only C, M, Y, and K dots. Usually this is the image that is printed, but, in this case, the registration requirements for a micro lens makes this impossible or at least very difficult. Third, the image rasterized image (or each of the C, M, Y, and K files containing the corresponding dots from the interlaced image) is taken and used to create sections of colors in a chessboard like configuration and selecting only the corresponding dots to each section (see 840 of
However, the inventors recognized that it may be useful to generate a digital mask file as shown at 1100 in
A mask may be generated or fabricated from the file/mask image 1100 for inclusion in an optical display assembly or feature described herein, and this mask would be positioned between the ink layer/color dots or blocks and the lens array. The mask may be formed as a trough(s) via a demetallization process, may be generated using excimer laser ablation, or may be formed using some other opaque mask system that can be registered with printed blocks of color. An advantage to the use of the mask is that each of the printed blocks of color can have some room for unregistration or overprinting, but the “mask” will provide the image back to the viewer in perfect registration. In this case, the blocks or dots or pixels of color can be printed directly on the back of the mask or they can be printed on the banknote/substrate, and the mask with the lenses applied on top. Each of the color sections 1010, 1020, 1030, and 1040 has the right percentage of color dots to create any color or shade because they come from the image processed by the RIP software/firmware such that the viewer will see a full color image through the lenses with the corresponding effect or animation.
In some preferred implementations, the ink layer or printed image is a checkboard pattern of colored blocks rather than a printing of the pixels/color data from the interlaced image and color plates. In these embodiments, a solid color block (e.g., a cyan block, a magenta block, a yellow block, or a black block in a CMYK implementation) is provided in the ink layer/printed image, and the mask is configured to allow the color to be seen underneath each set of lenses (which are dedicated to a particular color) at the pixels and/or with the desired percentages to create the colored interlaced image. As discussed above, the mask is also configured to be blank or block colors under sets of lenses that are not designated to focus on that color.
The optical display assembly, which may be used as a security element for example, may be used with a transparent substrate (e.g., polymer currency or the like) or with a paper (or opaque) substrate (e.g., for paper currency, on a product label, on a front side of a financial card or identification document, or the like). For example, the bank note 100 of
At this point in the description, it may be useful to describe a method of generating a mask and an ink layer/print image for an optical display assembly that utilizes color (or colored) blocks combined with a mask to present lens-based imagery with two or more colors. As will be understood from the prior discussion, each color block is printed in a pattern (checkboard or the like) such that its colored blocks are aligned with sets of lenses in a lens array chosen for focusing on the particular color of each of these blocks, and a mask is used to define for a particular image the dots or pixels of each image/frame of an interlaced image are displayed via the lenses.
The method begins with choosing (or accessing from memory) a sequence or matrix of frames (digital images) that typically will have images that are of two or more colors with full color sequences of frames used in many embodiments.
In the method, the next step may be to complete color separation of the image 1400 of
The method of generating a file for a mask and an ink layer/image may then continue with the new software described herein (e.g., the print file generator 920 of
In contrast to the method described above where each of these plates is used in color printing, the color block process/method continues as shown with image 2500 of
The method may now continue, after the colored dots/pixels have been separated into blocks or block-shaped sections, with creating another file or digital image.
The file/image 2600 is used in the method of fabricating an optical display assembly to product a mask. The mask can be formed, for example, by using the file/image 2600 and processing a metallized film with a demetallization system, excimer ablation system, or the like such that the mask material has opening or apertures associated with each color pixel in image 2500 (or is at least translucent to light at these locations) and is opaque in non-colored/blank portions of the image 2500. If enough resolution is available, the mask can also be printed with an opaque ink (e.g., a white color) or similar technique to block the needed pixels from showing through from the ink layer/printed image. As discussed above, the mask will be positioned between the lens array and the ink layer/printed image in the optical display assembly, and it is aligned with sets of the lenses in the lens array such that each of these sets focuses on a section of the mask associated with a block/section of color pixels from image 2500 of
The method then continues with printing an ink layer/printed image on the mask or on the substrate such that the mask is sandwiched between the ink layer/printed image and the lens array and such that blocks of each color associated with section/block of color pixels defined by the mask are aligned with or registered to the correct areas of the mask.
At this point in the description, it may be useful to describe further the fabrication of the mask 1230 of
The mask 1230 may be formed by creating an opaque layer of aluminum (or aluminum oxide), gold, silver, or other metal (or compound of such metals), e.g., via metallization on a substrate 1210 or upon the back surface of the lens array 1240 (opposite the round or other shaped micro lenses). In this metal layer-forming step or process, the “solid” metallization is generally deposited in a vacuum metallization system on a clear film, which may be poly-ethylene terephthalate (PET) or another clear or at least translucent polymer film. This can be done directly on the film or may be on the backside (planar side) of a pre-embossed or cast micro lens film (e.g., upon planar side of lens array 1240). General thicknesses of the metallization layer are between 30 nanometers (nm) and about 1 micron, with 200 to 500 nm being a useful thickness in many applications.
As a next (or additional) step of the method of fabricating an optical security element, a pixel-mapped area generally containing the negative or positive data corresponding to a 3D or animation image (e.g., the mask file or image 1100 of
The stack of the lens array, metallization, and lacquer/resist layer is then printed or sent through a chemical bath that is formulated or designed to remove the metallization in the areas where the photoresist/lacquer has not been applied (or areas not covered and protected by the photoresist material). The coating or lacquer protects the metal in the metallization or metal layer where it has been applied, and the metal of the metallization/metal layer is removed in the other unprotected/uncovered areas. The photoresist is often applied using a high-resolution system, and it only requires a thin coating to protect the metallization/metal layer. For example, the printing of the photoresist (e.g., lacquer or the like) may be done at more than 4,000 DPI such as in the range of 4,000 to 12,000 DPI with a resolution proximate to 10,000 DPI being useful for a fine micro lens array. The chemical bath process may involve use of a concentrated sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution in water to dissolve the exposed (non-coated or non-printed areas) portions of the metallization (e.g., metallic aluminum, gold, silver, or the like). The dissolved metal is then subsequently washed away (e.g., with water), and the fabrication continues with some type of drying operation using infrared (IR) drying, hot air, or the like to remove excess water and/or moisture.
The result of the de-metallization is a mask with a pattern that corresponds to the lenses in the lens array in exact pitch or frequency and that forms an image to the viewer through the lens as a negative image. The “holes” or absence in color have create a “mask” that is highly opaque due to the reflective metallization. These “holes” make up an interlaced image or a moiré image of an element or icon or combination of elements that when combined with the micro lenses of the lens array, form an image to the viewer. The absence of metal in the mask or mask layer presents a “clear area” with no color.
The fabrication process can now continue with printing an image or ink layer (or layer of color blocks) upon the formed mask. A unique part of the printing of the image corresponding to the lenses is that the mask acts as a stencil for the printing process. The holes in the metal layer/mask created by dissolving uncovered metal may now be covered or filled with one, two, three, or more colors (with four colors used in some examples) in a more “crude” way or with less resolution by printing color blocks over areas of the stencil-providing mask. The use of the mask in an optical security element works in part because forming the mask is generally a one-step technique to create all of the two or more colored-pixels (or at least pixel locations) so that all the color pixels are aligned simultaneously. In practice, the formed mask with its opening/holes defining where color pixels are located is the inverse of the pixel map (often defining the C, M, Y, K or other colored pixels in the output from the RIP software, which processes the full color interlaced image). The mask is engineered for color blocks (e.g., a set of four color blocks is repeated throughout the ink layer/printed “image” with each of the four color blocks being underneath a subset of micro lenses of the lens array (such as being under a number of lenses (e.g., a 200 by 300 block of micro lenses or 60,000 micro lenses (or each block may be sized to be under/aligned with 40,000 to 80,000 micro lenses in some embodiments))).
When the lens system or optical security element/assembly is turned over and viewed from the lens side, only the color corresponding to the clear areas, which are unblocked by the mask, comes back to the viewer to create a high contrast image. The contrast is dramatic as there is no limitation to the density or thickness of the ink layer over the metal mask when viewing through the focusing lens array. In other embodiments of optical security elements, the back of the film or mask need not be printed as the print or ink layer can be applied to the security substrate itself (such as a banknote) as shown with substrate 1210 of
The following diagrams/figures show the above-described selective metallization and de-metallization processes for forming masks or mask layers work with printing to form useful optical security elements.
The optical security element 2800 further includes a mask or mask layer 2820 formed on or positioned to abut the planar second or bottom side 2816 of the lens film or substrate 2810. The mask 2820 includes a plurality of opaque masking elements 2822 (e.g., metallic elements when metallization is used to form mask 2820, ink when printing is used form mask 2820, and so on) and a plurality of holes, openings, or gaps 2823 between the opaque masking elements 2822 (which are spaces or areas of the mask where no metal or other opaque material is present). Additionally, the element 2800 includes a printed ink or image layer 2830 that covers the masking elements 2822 and, more significantly, fills each of the holes, openings, or gaps 2823 to provide one of two or more colors used to form the ink layer 2830 in each of the holes, openings, or gaps 2823 that is visible or viewable through the lens film 2810. As shown with arrows 2818, the lenses 2812 are focused to the back surface 2816 and portions of the ink layer 2830 in the holes, openings, or gaps 2823.
The ink layer 2830 in the optical security element 2800 is configured to provide four blocks of different color (i.e., a four-color block) that are repeated in rows and columns over the entire area of the ink layer 2830. For example, these four colors may follow the CMYK pattern (cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (or black)) used in some useful color printing or another color set to create a color image by combination of colored pixels. In other embodiments, a different number of colors may be combined such as two colors, three colors, or the like in a repeated pattern of printed color blocks.
As shown in
The inclusion of a mask (such as mask 2820 in element 2800 of
The de-metallization process is used to create an image by de-metallizing a deposited metal layer (e.g., aluminum layer or the like) that is viewable as a negative or positive image. A chemical de-metallization process may be used that includes sodium hydroxide. This forms the mask or mask layer that when used in combination with the lens array upon which it is formed is useful in the creation of an image viewable from the lens side in a pixel mapped 3D or animated image. The inventors teach an opaque “mask,” which can be used for a magnifying moiré. The chemical de-metallization process allows the positive or negative image of interlaced pixels or magnifiers corresponding to the lens array to form a 3D or animated image in the form of the leftover metallized area. The fabrication method may include inking or printing the abated areas of the metal layer or metallization (after the chemical bath process) with ink in one or more colors on the back of the lens film (planar side of film with lenses on opposite side or lens film) and in the ablated areas/portions over the de-metallized areas created by the chemical de-metallization process.
A substrate may be printed prior to the application of the lens/de-metallization system film (such as a banknote or security document including, but not limited to, a security badge, a passport, or a driver's license) so that the printed substrate creates color through the “windows” or clear areas in the lens/mask system when the lens/mask system is applied to the bank note or security document (with adhesive or other method). As will be appreciated, the optical security element taught herein with the masks may be used in a banknote or any security document or may be used in labels and/or packaging of products to provide brand enhancement. The optical security element may be provided in a variety of ways on these objects such as a patch for currency, a thread for currency, and so on.
Significantly, as part of fabricating the mask upon or underneath the lens array, the optical pitch of the mask to the lens feature is controlled to provide a match of about 1 to 1 (or within 10 percent of 1 to 1 match, within 5 percent of 1 to 1 match, within 2 percent of 1 to 1 match, or within 1 percent of 1 to 1 match). The ink utilized to form the ink or image layer of colored blocks may be any type of ink. In some cases, the mask is formed of an ink instead of a metal or conductive material, with some embodiments using a chemical bath to remove portions of the ink of the mask layer to create the pattern of holes, openings, or gaps to define pixels visible in the ink or image layer of colored blocks through the ink-based mask. As with other mask formations, the opening or hole pattern is defined by a mask image (or mask file) corresponding to a pixel mapped or interlaced image. The lenses may each be micro lenses with some preferred embodiments using lens arrays with lenses with outer dimensions of less than 10/1000 inches (or 10 mils).
As an alternative to creating a metallized mask using chemical de-metallization or other techniques, other methods can work for this process to create an image or a mask. For example, microstructures may be embossed with heat and pressure or through ultraviolet light (UV) casting (or soft embossing) onto the back of the film/substrate. Each pixel from the pixel map is represented by a micro cavity in the embossed structures.
Another useful method for making a mask involves use of gravure printing. In one gravure printing method, the methods includes making a gravure printing cylinder that can be imaged with diamond tooling or a photo resist system. Typically, the resolution for the photo resist and diamond tooling is about 1000-5080 DPI, but they can be made at over 50,000 DPI in some photo resist systems. In this embodiment, the ink is printed with transfer into the cavities of the cylinder and then transferred to the substrate. The ink transferred on the planar side of the lens is generally going to be a dark color but could be any opaque color to create a mask system. The color can be independent as a feature (clear in the non-mask areas) or those areas may be filled in with a second, third, or greater number of colors. Metallic colors and black and dark blue are preferable in some applications, but the mask can be any color.
Further, the same type of mask can also be achieve with a fine screen printing method that may be rotary or flat screen printing method. In this method, generally a fine mesh screen is needed to create high resolutions. Just as with the gravure method, the opacity and contrast is important.
In reviewing this description, it may be understood that
The file from the recombining step is described with reference to
This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/782,077, filed Oct. 12, 2017, that claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/408,122, filed Oct. 14, 2016, and this application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/509,307, filed May 22, 2017. All three of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62408122 | Oct 2016 | US | |
| 62509307 | May 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15782077 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 15980352 | US |
