An IC card includes a first visible layer comprising a nonmetallic natural material having a physical structure including a unique visual pattern. The IC card further includes a storage device configured to store a reference image of the unique visual pattern. The reference image is a scan of the unique visual pattern. The reference image is configured to be visually compared with the unique visual pattern for authentication. A second layer is included on a bottom surface of the first visible layer. The first visible layer and the second layer are laminated together. Each of the second layer and the nonmetallic natural material of the first visible layer have a same size to define a shape of the IC card.

A transaction card construction and computer-implemented methods for a transaction card are described. The transaction card has vector-formatted visible information applied by a laser machining system. In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed for enabling the sourcing of visible information using a scalable vector format. The systems and methods may receive a request to add visible information to a transaction card and capture an image of the visible information. The systems and methods may capture data representing the image. The systems and methods may also determine an ambient color saturation of the image. Further, systems and methods may translate the image based on the ambient color saturation of the image. The systems and methods may also map the translated image to a bounding box and convert the mapped image into vector format. In addition, the systems and methods may provide the converted image to a laser machining system.

A transaction card construction and computer-implemented methods for a transaction card are described. The transaction card has vector-formatted visible information applied by a laser machining system. In some embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed for enabling the sourcing of visible information using a scalable vector format. The systems and methods may receive a request to add visible information to a transaction card and capture an image of the visible information. The systems and methods may capture data representing the image. The systems and methods may also determine an ambient color saturation of the image. Further, systems and methods may translate the image based on the ambient color saturation of the image. The systems and methods may also map the translated image to a bounding box and convert the mapped image into vector format. In addition, the systems and methods may provide the converted image to a laser machining system.

A method for verifying the authenticity of printed printing materials includes applying a random pattern to a printing material during a printing procedure in a first step. The printed printing materials are captured by a first electronic reading device during a production run, the captured data are transmitted to a computer and encrypted data are generated in the computer from the captured data of the applied random pattern. In a second step the printed printing material is at least partly scanned by using a second electronic reader and the authenticity of the printed printing material is ascertained from the scanned image data by a comparison with the encrypted data of the random pattern. A dynamically generated mask is used in the computer for selecting the random pattern when generating the encrypted data of the random pattern on the printed printing material.

Sheet-like product and method for authenticating a security tag including a section of the sheet-like product. The sheet-like product includes at least one security feature having optical properties that change with the viewing angle and, and at least one marker, wherein each marker is uniquely attributable to a position on the sheet-like product. The position of the at least one security feature on the sheet-like product is predetermined relative to the position of the at least one marker on the sheet-like product.

Sheet-like product and method for authenticating a security tag including a section of the sheet-like product. The sheet-like product includes at least one security feature having optical properties that change with the viewing angle and, and at least one marker, wherein each marker is uniquely attributable to a position on the sheet-like product. The position of the at least one security feature on the sheet-like product is predetermined relative to the position of the at least one marker on the sheet-like product.

A chip card is provided. The chip card can have a metal layer in which an opening is formed and a slot that extends from one edge of the opening to the outer edge of the metal layer, a booster antenna structure, arranged in the opening, having an antenna section for electromagnetically coupling to the metal layer and having a coupling region for electromagnetically coupling to an antenna structure of a chip module, and the chip module, which is arranged in the coupling region, having the antenna structure arranged on the chip module.

A chip card is provided. The chip card can have a metal layer in which an opening is formed and a slot that extends from one edge of the opening to the outer edge of the metal layer, a booster antenna structure, arranged in the opening, having an antenna section for electromagnetically coupling to the metal layer and having a coupling region for electromagnetically coupling to an antenna structure of a chip module, and the chip module, which is arranged in the coupling region, having the antenna structure arranged on the chip module.

Systems and methods are provided for decoding secure tags using an authentication server and secure tag reader. The system can include at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory. The memory can contain instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the secure tag reader to perform operations. The operations can include detecting a potential secure tag in an image and generating a normalized secure tag image using the image and a stylesheet. The operations can further include providing an identification request to an authentication server, the identification request including the normalized secure tag image. The operations can additionally include receiving rules for decoding tag data encoded into the secure tag as tag feature options and decoding the tag data using the received rules.

Systems and methods are provided for decoding secure tags using an authentication server and secure tag reader. The system can include at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory. The memory can contain instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the secure tag reader to perform operations. The operations can include detecting a potential secure tag in an image and generating a normalized secure tag image using the image and a stylesheet. The operations can further include providing an identification request to an authentication server, the identification request including the normalized secure tag image. The operations can additionally include receiving rules for decoding tag data encoded into the secure tag as tag feature options and decoding the tag data using the received rules.