The present invention relates to inkjet printing devices for printing secure images on media.
Inkjet printing systems frequently make use of an inkjet printhead mounted to a carriage which is moved back and forth across print media such as paper. As the printhead is moved across the print media, a control device selectively activates each of a plurality of drop generators within the printhead to eject or deposit ink droplets onto the print media to form images and text characters. An ink supply that is either carried with the printhead or remote from the printhead provides ink for replenishing the plurality of drop generators.
Individual drop generators are selectively activated by the use of an activation signal that is provided by the printing system to the printhead. In the case of thermal inkjet printing, each drop generator is activated by passing an electric current through a resistive element such as a resistor. In response to the electric current the resistor produces heat, that in turn, heats ink in a vaporization chamber adjacent the resistor. Once the ink reaches vaporization, a rapidly expanding vapor front forces ink within the vaporization chamber through an adjacent orifice or nozzle. Ink droplets ejected from the nozzles are deposited on print media to accomplish printing.
There is frequently a need to print documents that can be verified as original documents. Documents that can be verified as original documents are referred to herein as “secure” documents. Several examples of documents that require verification of their originality would be desirable include tickets, coupons, and various types of certificates, to name a few. For these printing applications it is necessary that the source of the document be verifiable by examination of the document. The technique used to identify the source of the document should be difficult to duplicate using readily available duplication systems such as copiers and scanners to prevent counterfeiting of the document.
There is an ever-present need for techniques for secure printing using inkjet printing technology. These techniques should be capable of allowing the source of the printed media to be identifiable without adding significant costs to the printing system. These techniques should be suitable for use with standard media. Finally, these techniques for authenticating original inkjet et printed documents should be reliable and easily accomplished.
One aspect of the present invention is a method for printing a secure image on media using an inkjet printing device. The method includes printing an underlayer using an inkjet printing device that penetrates into a front surface of media. The underlayer is configured to define identification indicia. Included in the method is printing a secure image on top of the underlayer using an inkjet printing device. Examination of a back surface opposite the front surface allows viewing of the identification indicia for authenticating the secure image.
Another aspect of the present invention is an inkjet printing device for secure printing. The inkjet printing device includes an input device for receiving image information for specifying images to be printed. Included is a storage device for storing identification indicia information. Also included is a control device for selecting between the input device and the storage device. The control device selects information from each of the first input device and the storage device for each image printed.
a and 3b represent exemplary text and graphic images for printing using the printing system of the present invention.
a and 4b represent exemplary underlayers for printing using the printing system of the present invention.
a and 5b is an exploded view representing the text and graphic images of
In the exemplary embodiment, the cartridge 14 is a three-color cartridge containing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks. In this exemplary embodiment, a separate print cartridge 16 is provided for black ink. The present invention will herein be described with respect to this preferred embodiment by way of example only. There are numerous other configurations in which the method and apparatus of the present invention is also suitable. For example, the present invention is suited to configurations wherein the printing system contains separate print cartridges for each color of ink used in printing. Alternatively, the present invention is applicable to printing systems wherein more than four ink colors are used such as in high fidelity printing wherein six or more colors are used. Finally, the present invention is applicable to printing systems that make use of various types of print cartridges such as print cartridges which include a printhead portion and a separate ink container portion, spaced from the printhead, that used to either continuously or intermittently replenish the printhead portion with ink.
The ink cartridge 14 and 16 shown in
The printer portion 12 includes an input device 28 for receiving information from the host 26 and a storage device 30 for storing image information. The printing device 12 further includes a printer controller 32 capable of selectively receiving image information from each of the input device 28 and the storage device 30. The printer controller 32 provides image information to the print mechanism 34. The print mechanism 34 provides control signals to a media transport device for transporting media 22 through the print zone 24. In addition, the print mechanism 34 includes a carriage transport device for controlling movement of the carriage 18 through the print zone 24 as the printer controller 32 selectively activates the inkjet printhead on each of the cartridges 14 and 16 to selectively form images on print media 22.
Although, the printing system 10 is described herein as having a printhead that is disposed in a scanning carriage 18, there are other arrangements of achieving relative movement between the printhead and media 22. For example, the printing system 10 can also be configured to have a fixed printhead portion and wherein the media 22 is moved past the fixed printhead or another example is where the media 22 is fixed and the printhead is moved past the fixed media 22, to name a few.
The input device 28 receives the image information from the host 26 and converts this image information into a format suitable for the printer controller 32. The input device 28 typically performs various process functions as well as buffering functions on image information prior to providing this information to the printer controller 32.
The storage device 30 stores image information for identifying a source of the image to be printed. This identification information can be unique to the particular printing system 10 or can be unique to a particular or user or organization. This image information stored in the storage device 30 is used by the printer controller 32 and the print mechanism 34 for providing identification indicia on the print media 22 for identifying the particular printing system 10 responsible for printing the image on media 22. The identification information stored in the storage device 30 is either loaded into the storage device 30 from a remote source or is loaded by the printer portion 10. In the case where the printer portion 10 loads the identification information, this information is derived from the image to be printed or altered by the image to be printed. The image is stored in each of the input device 28 and the storage device 30 will now be discussed with respect to
a and 3b are exemplary images 36a and 36b to be printed by the printing system 12. These images are typically images that are received by the input device 28 from the host or source of image information 26.
a and 4b represent identification information or an indicia 38a, 38b, 40a, 40b that can be stored in the storage device 30. The identification indicia in
In this exemplary embodiment, each indicia is formed using small well-spaced droplets of ink. The media 22 is selected to be a media that allows ink to penetrate into the media 22. Various types of media manufactured by media manufacturers such as Union Camp and Jamestown allow ink to penetrate into the media 22. The ink droplet spacing is selected based on drop volume as well as media penetration so that the indicia 38a and 40a are not visible when viewed under normal lighting conditions.
b shows alternative indicia 38b and 40b that are stored in the storage device 30 in the printing system 10. The indicia 38b and 40b in
a and 5b illustrates the technique of the present invention whereby the identification indicia 38a, 38b, 40a, 40b are printed prior to the image to be printed 36a, 36b. The image to be printed 36a and 36b is printed over the respective identification indicia. The backside of the media 22 can then be examined for the identification indicia 38a, 38b, 40a, 40b to identify the printing system 10 to authenticate the image.
As shown in
Once both the underlayer 38a, 38b, 40a, and 40b is printed and the overlayer 36a , and 36b are printed, the image is complete. The complete image is formed so that the underlayer 38a, 38b, 40a, and 40b is not sufficiently visible to be duplicated using a copier or scanner thereby preventing counterfeiting of the complete image. The printed image can then be viewed from the backside opposite the printed side to view the underlayer 38a, 38b, 40a, and 40b to identify this source of the image. Alternatively, for the case where the underlayer 38a, 40a is not completely covered by the overlayer 36a as shown in
While the underlayers 38a, 38b, 40a, and 40b as shown as simple rows or bars of color as shown in
In operation, an image to be printed is provided to the printing system 12 as represented by step 42 in
The present invention has been described herein with respect to thermal inkjet et printing, however, there are other ink droplet ejection devices that are also suitable. The technique of the present invention is suitable for drop ejection devices that allow for ink droplets to be accurately deposited on media. Examples of these drop ejection devices, other than thermal inkjet, include piezo ejection devices and flex tensional ejection devices, to name a couple.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09698644 | Oct 2000 | US |
Child | 11066896 | Feb 2005 | US |