Security Element Dual Magnetic Tracks Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional magnetic sensors struggle to reliably detect magnetically encoded security elements with high- and low-coercive magnetic areas due to their limited detection range and inability to magnetize high-coercivity materials, leading to incomplete detection of security features in documents of value.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a second magnetic track with additional low-coercive magnetic areas that are strategically arranged alongside the primary magnetic track, ensuring that conventional magnetic sensors can detect the security element's presence and coding without interfering with the reading of the magnetic coding, even when high-coercive areas are far from low-coercive areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-coercive magnetic areas are used in the magnetic coding, then the security element's authentication capability is improved, but conventional magnetic sensors cannot reliably detect them

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication capabilityVSAvoiddetectability by conventional sensors
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The security element is divided into two separate magnetic tracks: a first magnetic track containing the magnetic coding with high-coercive magnetic areas for authentication, and a second magnetic track containing additional magnetic areas with low coercive field strength for detection. This segmentation allows each track to serve its specific function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The second magnetic track with low-coercive additional magnetic areas acts as an intermediary that enables conventional magnetic sensors to detect the presence of the security element. This intermediary track bridges the gap between the high-coercive authentication areas and the sensing capabilities of conventional devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If additional low-coercive magnetic areas are added to enable detection, then detectability by conventional sensors is improved, but the security element's structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetectability by conventional sensorsVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The first and second magnetic tracks are merged into a single security element structure, with both tracks extending along the longitudinal axis. This integration allows the complex functionality to be achieved within a unified structure rather than separate components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the transverse direction (across the width of the security element) to accommodate the second magnetic track alongside the first magnetic track. This dimensional arrangement allows both tracks to coexist without significantly increasing the longitudinal length of the security element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the second magnetic track is arranged next to the first magnetic track, then detection reliability is improved, but the space available for other security features is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidavailable space for security features
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The additional magnetic areas in the second magnetic track are strategically positioned only in specific sections along the longitudinal axis, particularly in sections where no low-coercive magnetic areas are present in the first track. This localized arrangement minimizes the space required while maintaining detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 configuration allows for reliable detection of magnetically encoded security elements by conventional magnetic sensors, enhancing the authenticity and type verification of documents of value, while maintaining space for additional security features and optimizing production costs.

Implementation Method 1

The magnetic coding is formed by at least one high-coercive magnetic area and at least one low-coercive magnetic area... these magnetic sensors can determine the arrangement of the high- and low-coercive magnetic areas along the security element and, from this, the magnetic coding of the security element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetism: Magnetism

Implementation Method 2

Each of the additional magnetic areas of the second magnetic track has a coercive force that is at most 50% of the coercive force of the high-coercive magnetic areas... due to its high coercive field strength, high-coercivity magnetic material is not completely magnetized by the magnetic field of the usual conventional magnetic sensors

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic field effect: Magnetic Field

Data Source

PatentEP2385503B1Security element for keeping valuable documents secure
Publication Date: 2018.06.13 GIESECKE & DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
  • EP2385503B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2385503B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2385503B1 patent drawingFigure 2c~2d

AI summary

The element (2) has magnetic lines (A, B1, B2) extending along a longitudinal axis (x) of the element and arranged parallel to each other. Additional magnetic regions (z) of one of the lines have coercive field strength that amounts to 50 percent of coercive field strength of high coercive magnetic regions (h) of the other line. The additional magnetic regions are arranged on the element such that one of the additional regions is arranged in a section (5) along the longitudinal axis, where low coercive magnetic regions are not arranged in the section.