Particulate Agglomerates for Anti-Forgery Value Documents

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for securing documents of value against forgery, such as banknotes, rely on single authenticity features that can be easily counterfeited due to random distribution and intensity fluctuations of luminescent and non-luminescent substances, leading to ineffective security against forgery.

Innovation Solution

The creation of particulate agglomerates combining two non-luminescent substances detectable by different spectroscopic methods, where the substances are mixed in a saline aqueous solution with low shearing forces and neutralized by an acid source, forming core/shell particles or encapsulated agglomerates that exhibit statistical correlation of measurement signal intensities, enhancing security features and preventing separation during storage and processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If single authenticity features (luminescent or magnetic substances) are used in documents of value, then the security against forgery is improved, but the features can be easily counterfeited due to random distribution and intensity fluctuations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against forgeryVSAvoidintensity fluctuation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple non-luminescent feature substances (first and second substances) into a single homogeneous phase within particulate agglomerates. This merging ensures that both substances are distributed together throughout the document, eliminating the random distribution problem of single substances and providing correlated measurement signals that are difficult to counterfeit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite particulate agglomerates containing multiple feature substances in a homogeneous phase. These composite structures integrate different spectroscopically detectable substances (detectable by different spectroscopic methods) into unified particles, ensuring consistent spatial distribution and reducing intensity fluctuations through the composite nature of the material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If multiple feature substances are combined to increase security, then the number of possible codings increases, but the substances may separate during storage and processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against forgeryVSAvoidseparation during storage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple feature substances into a single homogeneous phase within each particulate agglomerate. This unified structure prevents separation during storage and processing because the substances are integrated at the molecular level within the homogeneous phase, rather than being separate phases that could segregate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent encapsulates the homogeneous phase containing multiple feature substances within a shell formed by nanoparticles. This shell structure physically protects the internal homogeneous mixture from separation, maintaining the integrated composition of multiple substances throughout the document's lifecycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Ease of operation

If luminescent substances are used for authenticity verification, then visual detection is possible, but the random distribution leads to intensity fluctuations that reduce reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual detectionVSAvoidintensity fluctuation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces visual detection of luminescent substances with spectroscopic detection methods. Instead of relying on human visual assessment of luminescence intensity (which is subjective and affected by random distribution), the invention uses objective spectroscopic measurements of non-luminescent substances that provide more reliable and quantifiable data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple spectroscopically detectable substances in homogeneous phases within particulate agglomerates. This merging ensures that both substances are uniformly distributed throughout the document, eliminating the random distribution problem of luminescent substances and providing consistent, reliable measurement signals across different locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This approach significantly increases security against forgery by recognizing non-correlating feature signals as 'false' and increasing the number of possible codings, ensuring that the signals of combined substances correlate, thus enhancing the authenticity verification process.

Implementation Method 1

each based on a first non-luminescent substance detectable by a spectroscopic method and a second non-luminescent substance detectable by a spectroscopic method

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpectroscopy: Absorption Spectroscopy

Implementation Method 2

The authenticity assurance of documents of value by means of luminescent substances has been known for a long time

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLuminescence: Luminescence

Data Source

PatentEP3049253B1Value document and method for verification of the presence thereof
Publication Date: 2018.02.21 GIESECKE & DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
  • EP3049253B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3049253B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3049253B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a value document comprising particulate agglomerates, which each contain at least two different homogeneous phases, wherein the first homogeneous phase is based on a first non-luminescent substance detectable by means of a spectroscopic method and the second homogeneous phase is based on a second non-luminescent substance detectable by means of a spectroscopic method. In an evaluation of measured values which can be obtained by a location-specific measurement, carried out at different locations on the value document, of the first measurement signal intensity caused by the first substance and forming the basis for the spectroscopic method, and of the second measurement signal intensity caused by the second substance and forming the basis for the spectroscopic method, a statistical correlation exists between the first measurement signal-intensities and the second measurement signal intensities.