Banknotes With Interrelated FPE Security Features

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current banknotes lack advanced security features that can effectively prevent counterfeiting and ensure authenticity, as existing security measures can be individually replicated or bypassed, compromising the trust in currency and government.

Innovation Solution

Integration of flexible printed electronic (FPE) elements with interrelated security features, such as RFIDs, sensors, and organic thin film transistors, that provide enhanced security through encrypted signatures and verifiable interrelations between multiple security features, including luminescent compounds and spatial relationships, to create unique combinations that are difficult to forge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple independent security features are incorporated in banknotes, then the security against counterfeiting is improved, but the complexity of the security system increases and makes it harder to verify authenticity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against counterfeitingVSAvoidcomplexity of security system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple security features (watermark, security thread, hologram, color-shifting ink) into a unified system where each feature contains encoded data about the others. This merging creates interdependencies that reduce effective complexity while maintaining high security, as the features work together as an integrated authentication system rather than independent elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The security features are designed with mutual verification capabilities where each feature provides feedback about the presence and authenticity of other features. For example, the security thread contains encoded information about the watermark, and the hologram verifies the color-shifting properties, creating a feedback loop that simplifies verification while enhancing security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If advanced security features with interrelationships are integrated in banknotes, then the difficulty of counterfeiting increases, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedifficulty of counterfeitingVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates encoded data about security features during the banknote manufacturing process itself, rather than adding verification layers later. The security thread, watermark, and hologram are embedded with pre-encoded information about each other's properties and locations, establishing the interrelationships during production which simplifies subsequent verification while maintaining high manufacturing standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If FPE elements with encrypted signatures are embedded in banknotes, then the authenticity verification capability is enhanced, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthenticity verification capabilityVSAvoidprocessing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The FPE elements act as intermediaries that contain encrypted signatures and verification data, mediating between the physical security features and the authentication process. These elements store and transmit encoded information about the banknote's security features, enabling precise authenticity verification without requiring complex processing of all security features directly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3191311B1Banknotes having interrelated features
Publication Date: 2020.08.19 SICPA HOLDING SA
  • EP3191311B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3191311B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3191311B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A banknote having one or more security features and at least one flexible printed electronic (FPE) element embedded in the banknote. At least one of the security features and at least one FPE element have an interrelationship with each other.