Anti-counterfeit Medium with Retardation Layers for Self-Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional anti-counterfeit technologies require a verification tool for authenticity determination, making it difficult for general consumers to verify the authenticity of anti-counterfeit media without access to such tools, and are costly to manufacture.

Innovation Solution

An anti-counterfeit medium with a support member having transparent and light-shielding portions, an adhesive layer, and an anti-counterfeit device comprising retardation layers with different slow axis directions and a polarizing layer, allowing authenticity determination using unaided observation with or without a reflector, eliminating the need for a special verification tool.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a verification tool is provided in the anti-counterfeit medium, then authenticity determination becomes easy, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthenticity determinationVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The anti-counterfeit medium performs self-verification by incorporating the verification tool directly into the medium itself. The medium includes both the anti-counterfeit device and the verification tool, allowing it to verify its own authenticity without requiring external verification tools, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing cost

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the anti-counterfeit device and the verification tool into a single integrated medium. The verification tool is incorporated within the same medium that contains the anti-counterfeit device, eliminating the need for separate verification tools and reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining ease of authenticity determination

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If a verification tool is required for authenticity determination, then authenticity can be verified, but general consumers cannot verify without access to specialized tools

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthenticity verificationVSAvoidaccessibility to consumers
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The anti-counterfeit medium enables general consumers to verify authenticity independently by incorporating the verification tool directly into the medium. Consumers can perform verification without requiring access to external specialized tools, as the medium itself provides the necessary verification capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The anti-counterfeit medium serves multiple functions: it provides both the anti-counterfeit device and the verification tool within a single product. This multi-functionality allows the medium to be both the security feature carrier and the verification tool, making authenticity verification accessible to all consumers regardless of their access to specialized equipment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables easy authenticity determination by general consumers without specialized tools, reducing manufacturing costs and making the verification process accessible to a wider audience.

Implementation Method 1

an anti-counterfeit device comprising retardation layers with different slow axis directions and a polarizing layer, allowing authenticity determination using unaided observation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPolarization: Polarisation

Implementation Method 2

retardation layers with different slow axis directions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBirefringence: Birefringence

Data Source

PatentEP3537191B1Anti-counterfeit medium verification method
Publication Date: 2020.12.16 TOPPAN HOLDINGS INC
  • EP3537191B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3537191B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3537191B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An anti-counterfeit medium (10) described herein is capable of easily determining authenticity and easily reducing the manufacturing cost. The anti-counterfeit medium (10) includes a support member (1) including a portion (PI) having optical transparency, a retardation layer (2) facing the portion (PI) and including regions (R1, R2) whose slow axis directions are different from each other, and a polarizing layer (3) facing the retardation layer (2) at a position of the portion (PI). The anti-counterfeit medium (10) includes only the polarizing layer (3) as a polarizer. A portion out of the anti-counterfeit medium (10) where the portion (PI), the retardation layer (2), and the polarizing layer (3) form a stacked structure has optical transparency.