Mass-Producible, Forgery-Proof Marking, Particularly A Forgery-Proof Label, Method For Mass Production Of Such A Marking, And Method For Identifying Such A Marking

Abstract

The application relates to a forgery-proof object, particularly a forgery-proof label having, applied to a first main surface of the object, a multicolored imprint of at least two coloring compounds each of which comprises a different color and which, in a random manner, both at least partially run into one another and are smudged or blown together. The coloring compounds are preferably in the form of pigment droplets, and said running and smudging is brought about by a corresponding air nozzle which acts on the coloring compounds applied to the object, before they dry.

Claims

1. A mass-producible, forgery-proof marking comprising: an object; a multicolored imprint, located on the object, of ink droplets, each of which comprises a different color and each of which, in a random manner, at least partially intermix with one another and are smudged, blown or swirled together.

2. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein the ink droplets are formed of pigmented inks.

3. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 2, wherein two ink droplets have a different color.

4. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein at least three coloring compounds having different colors are applied to the object.

5. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein the random intermixing and smudging of the ink droplets is produced by air flow swirling.

6. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the ink droplets contains fluorescent pigments, glitter particles, or both fluorescent pigments and glitter particles.

7. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein the object is a paper, cardboard, film, a textile material, a label, or spare part.

8. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein the object comprises, in addition to the multicolor imprint, a coding in which data is stored.

9. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 8, wherein the coding is disposed on a main surface of the object to which the multicolor imprint is also applied.

10. The mass-producible, forgery-proof marking according to claim 1, wherein the marking is completely or at least partially stored in a database to be analyzed during a later identification of the object.

11. A method for mass-producing a forgery-proof marking, comprising: providing an object having a main surface, applying an ink droplet to the main surface of the object in supersaturated form, distributing the ink droplet, as long as it has not dried, via an air nozzle to form a distributed imprint, drying the distributed imprint.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the air nozzle rotates.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein applying an ink droplet to the main surface of the object in supersaturated form comprises applying at least two ink droplets at a spacing from each other.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein applying an ink droplet to the main surface of the object in supersaturated form comprises applying at least two ink droplets in at least a partially overlapping manner.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the ink droplet is applied to the object using airbrushing technology.

16. A method for identifying an anti-forgery marking according to claim 11 comprising: optically detecting a reference marking and electronically storing the reference marking in a database, optically detecting a marking to be identified using a mobile terminal and electronically storing an image of the marking to be identified, comparing the image captured by the mobile terminal to the reference marking stored in the database, determining that an original marking was captured, if a) the image captured using the mobile terminal does not comprise copy-related striation, and b) matches or largely matches the image stored in the database, and determining that a forged marking is present if at least one of a) and b) is not met.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method is performed using an app in that a user photographs a marking to be identified and sends it using the mobile terminal of a controller, which is connected to a database, and the controller performs the comparison and sends a message which indicates whether the marking optically captured by the mobile terminal is an original marking or a forged marking.

18. The method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the stored images are stored in the form of an identifier.

Description

[0041] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment of a forgery-proof label. However, the invention is not limited to producing and providing a forgery-proof label. Instead, a forgery-proof marking according to the invention can also be applied to any other object, e.g. products (e.g. a soccer ball), spare parts in vehicles, etc. It is assumed merely for illustration purposes that a forgery-proof label is provided. Wherein:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a label according to the invention to which various ink droplets were applied in a first process step,

[0043] FIG. 2 shows the label of FIG. 1 in which the ink droplets are distributed among each other using an air nozzle,

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a forgery-proof label according to the invention in black and white and in color, and

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a forged label in comparison to the label of FIG. 3, likewise in black and white and in color

[0046] In the figures below, like reference numbers identify like components having the same meaning, unless indicated otherwise.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an object 10, which herein is a flat label having a first upper main surface 11 and a lower main surface 12. This label 10 may for example consist of paper, a cardboard, a film or a textile material for being attached to a product, such as a car spare part, a toy, such as a soccer ball or the like.

[0048] Multiple coloring compounds are applied to the upper main surface 11, here in the form of ink droplets 20, 30, 40. The ink droplets 20, 30, 40 can in principle have any color, but preferably have one of the solid colors red, blue, or yellow. The ink droplets 20, 30, 40 may also have other colors. The individual color droplets can also have just one color, e.g. red. In the simplest case, a single ink droplet 20 is applied to the main surface 11.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 1, the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 partially overlap when being applied to the upper main surface 11 of the label 10. The ink droplets 20, 30, 40 can also be applied in a completely overlapping manner to the flat main surface 11. In addition, the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 can be applied next to each other at a spacing from each other to the main area 11. Ideally, the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 overlap at least partially. After applying these ink droplets 20, 30, 40 to the main area 11 and before they have dried, these ink droplets 20, 30, 40 are at least partially intermixed and distributed. As shown in FIG. 1, an air nozzle 60 may be used for this purpose, which blows onto the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 from above at some distance and ensures their distribution. To effect an optimum distribution, this air nozzle 60 may also rotate, as indicated by the rotational arrow R in FIG. 1. The air flow generated by the air nozzle 60 is aimed at the previously applied ink droplets 20, 30, 40 and distributes them in accordance with the air flow arrows P outlined in FIG. 1.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows the result of this color mixing and distributing of the ink droplets 20, 30, 40. The three ink droplets 20, 30, 40 intermix at their approximate centers. In the edge region of each of the ink droplets 20, 30, 40, the ink of the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 spreads out in a radial and spattering manner. After the air nozzle 60 is removed or the air flow switched off and the resulting color imprint 15 has dried, there will be a smudged and blended color imprint, as outlined in FIG. 2. This resulting color imprint is then the fingerprint of the label 10, as it were.

[0051] This fingerprint is characterized by areas in which the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 are randomly intermixed and/or have run into each other. In addition, the fingerprint has colored ink spatters and jets distributed via the air flow P, which also make the fingerprint unique and forgery-proof. These ink spatters or jets have a different brightness profile. The smudged area of the ink droplet 20 is identified by the reference symbol 21 in FIG. 2. The smudged area of the ink droplet 30 is identified by the reference symbol 31, and the smudged area of the ink droplet 40 is identified by the reference symbol 41. In addition, the fingerprint features sporadic ink spatters due to the action of the air flow. These are identified in FIG. 2 by the reference symbols 22, 32, and 24. The smudged areas 21, 31, 24 and the ink spatters 22, 32, 24 are typically rather remote from the center of the fingerprint. In the approximate center of the fingerprint, the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 are intermixed in a random manner by the action of the air flow. In FIG. 2, these intermixed areas are identified by the reference symbols 23, 34, and 24. The reference symbol 23 identifies an area in which the ink droplet 20 is intermixed with the ink droplet 30. The reference symbol 34 identifies an area in which the ink droplet 30 is intermixed with the ink droplet 40, and the reference symbol 24 identifies an area in which the ink droplet 40 is intermixed with the ink droplet 20.

[0052] It is comprehensible that, even if the process of dripping the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 onto the main area 11 of the label 10 and subsequent swirling of the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 by the air nozzle 60 is repeated, it will never be possible to produce an identical fingerprint. This exactly is the rationale of the invention. Mixed colors will occur, particularly in the mixed areas 23, 24, and 34, which also are not mass-reproducible because such mass-reproduced copies made using printers or copiers always require a striation of the mixed colors.

[0053] As additionally indicated in the FIGS. 1 and 2, a coding 70 can be placed next to the fingerprint on the main area 11 of the label 10. This coding 70 can contain different data, such as product-specific data, data about the manufacturing of the fingerprint, quality information, etc. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 shown, a square field is applied next to the imprint 15 or fingerprint, which may for example be a barcode or a QR code.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a detailed exemplary embodiment of an original label 10 with a coding 70. The reference symbols already known are used again for the same components. For reasons of clarity, a colored figure of the label 10 is enclosed in the application documents in addition to a black and white presentation to demonstrate the idea the present invention is based on and particularly the comparison to a forged label 10, as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged excerpt A of the original label 10 to make each detail of the original label 10 well visible.

[0055] The color imprint 15 or fingerprint, respectively, is in the exemplary embodiment shown implemented by four ink droplets 10, 20, 30, which are applied next to each other to the label 10. As shown in FIG. 3, two red ink droplets 30 are applied next to each other to the label 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 are applied to the label 10 in supersaturated form using an airbrush gun. Supersaturated means in this context that such a quantity of coloring compound is applied for each ink droplets 20, 30, 40 that this ink can be distributed in a subsequent process, for example using an air nozzle of the airbrush gun. After applying the ink droplets 20, 30, 40, it is preferred that an air nozzle is aimed at the centers of the previously applied ink droplets 20, 30, 40, such that the still wet ink of the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 can run radially outwards in a star shape, as shown.

[0056] In this manner, a radial color area is produced for each of the applied ink droplets 20, 30, 40, wherein the star-shaped rays partially run into each other and result in a mixed color. The ink droplets 20, 30, 40 also partially run into each other at the approximate center of the color imprint 15.

[0057] As FIG. 3 shows, a coding 70 explained above in conjunction with the FIGS. 1 and 2 is also imprinted onto the label 10 next to the color imprint 15. As mentioned, FIG. 3 shows the original of the color imprint 15.

[0058] If one tries to reproduce the original label 10, for example using a copier or a printer, this can only be done by accepting clear deviations from the original label 10 or the original color imprint 15, which are identifiable by everyone. FIG. 4 clearly shows this.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a forged label 10. This reproduced or forged label 10 also has a bar coding 70 in the top left corner of the reproduced label 10. At first glance, a color imprint 15 which is very similar to the original label 10 can be seen in FIG. 4. But if one takes a closer look at the detail A shown enlarged in FIG. 4like in FIG. 3it becomes immediately evident that this detail A on the one hand has a striation T which is not present in this manner in the original label 10. It is also noticeable that the radial distribution of the ink droplets 20, 30, 40 and the mixed colors are much more blurred than in the original label 10. This is precisely how the forged object 10, which may for example be a forged label 10, can easily be identified. A forged marking on the label 10 is detectable based on these differences, namely the striated representation of the mixed colors and the blurred details, particularly the radial ink distributions.

[0060] The method for identifying an original marking according to the present invention will once again be explained. It is assumed that the original marking, which is shown in FIG. 3, is stored at least in sections in an image file, preferably in a high-resolution image file. If the marking according to FIG. 3 is captured and stored using a mobile terminal, such as a smartphone, it will be found when comparing this image taken by the mobile terminal with the image stored in the image file that the images match, with the proviso that the resolution of the previously stored image of the image file is about the same as the resolution at which the mobile terminal has captured the marking. If the resolution is slightly different, the will be a slight difference, which will however be rated as a high degree of convergence. It will therefore be recognized that the marking photographed using the mobile terminal is an original marking.

[0061] If however the mobile terminal, e.g. the smartphone, captures the marking produced by a printing method according to FIG. 4, that is, captures a forged marking as defined by the present invention, it will be found due to the rough striation of the marking that there is actually no match with the image file of the original marking, even if said marking appeared to be an identical marking when viewed with the naked eye. A user of the mobile terminal can easily determine this if he or she views the image taken with the mobile terminal, i.e. the smartphone, at a high zoom level. Because, if enlarged, the striation due to the printing method will easily become visible. The method for identifying if a marking is an original or a forged marking can be automated when electronically comparing the image file of an original marking stored in a storage device to the image taken by the mobile terminal of the end customer. The image of the marking to be checked taken by the end user just has to be electronically compared to the original image file. This can easily be implemented as part of a so-called app.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0062] 10 Forgery-proof object, marking [0063] 11 First main surface [0064] 12 Second main surface [0065] 15 Imprint, fingerprint [0066] 20 Coloring compound, particularly ink droplet [0067] 21 Smudged area [0068] 22 Ink spatters [0069] 23 Mixed area of 20 and 30 [0070] 24 Mixed area of 40 and 20 [0071] 30 Color compound, particularly ink droplet [0072] 31 Smudged area [0073] 32 Ink spatters [0074] 34 Mixed area [0075] 40 Color compound, particularly ink droplet [0076] 41 Smudged area [0077] 42 Ink spatters [0078] 44 Mixed area [0079] 60 Air nozzle [0080] 70 Coding [0081] 10 Forged object, particularly label [0082] 11 First main area of the forged object [0083] 12 Second main area of the forged object [0084] 21 Smudged area of the forged object [0085] 22 Ink spatters of the forged object [0086] 31 Smudged area of the forged object [0087] 32 Ink spatters of the forged object [0088] 34 Forged object [0089] 41 Smudged area of the forged object [0090] 42 Ink spatters of the forged object [0091] 44 Mixed area of the forged object [0092] A Excerpt [0093] P Arrow for air flow [0094] R Direction of rotation [0095] T Striation