METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATING A HIGH-VALUE ITEM

Abstract

A method for authenticating a high-value item, wherein an optically identifiable code is generated and applied to the item by being integrated into a surface region of the item that is provided with graphics or a surface structure, wherein the code is in the form of a two-dimensional arrangement of code elements and the outline of the two-dimensional arrangement is adapted to the outline of the surface region or of part of a surface region, and wherein the code is linked to an information source that provides information, able to be displayed on a display, in relation to the item, and wherein a reader, such as for example a smartphone, is provided with programming for detecting and reading the code and, when the code is read, the link to the information source is activated and the information is displayed on the display of the reader.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a high-value item, the method comprising: generating and applying to the item an optically identifiable code; and reading and interpreting said code using a reader, wherein: a surface region of the item provided with a graphic or a surface structure, or a part of said surface region, is selected, a code is generated in the form of a two-dimensional arrangement of code elements in the form of line and/or area elements, the code having an information content, the outline of the two-dimensional arrangement being adapted to the outline of the surface region or of the part of a surface region, the code elements being integrated into the graphic or surface structure of the surface region or the part of a surface region, the code is further linked to an information source that provides information, able to be displayed on a display, in relation to the item, a reader, such as a smartphone, is provided with programming for recognizing and reading the code, and when the code is read, the link to the information source is activated and the information is displayed on the display of the reader.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the code elements comprise line elements that are straight, curved, or bent at different angles, and/or area elements that are round, angular or of any desired shape and have the same color or different colors.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional arrangement of code elements is flat or curved fitting the surface region or the part of a surface region, or is adapted to a relief of the surface region.

4. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein the code is integrated in the form of two or more partial codes, each having the form of a two-dimensional arrangement of code elements, on two or more spaced-apart parts of a surface region or on different spaced-apart surface regions of the item, the partial codes being captured together when being read.

5. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein the code is integrated into the graphic by first extremely enlarging the graphic, integrating the code into the graphic in a form that has also been extremely enlarged, and then reducing the graphic, including the integrated code, back to its intended size and applying it to the item.

6. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein the code is applied to the item by printing, engraving or laser engraving.

7. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein the code is integrated into a working surface region of a pressing tool, punching tool, embossing tool, casting mold or other tool, which working surface region is used for producing a surface structure of the item, so as to produce the surface structure provided with the code during manufacture of the item.

8. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein the code is linked to the information source indirectly via at least one intermediate location through which the connection to the information source can be manipulated.

9. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein at least the surface region of the item provided with the code is coated, after integrating the code, with a coating that has extremely light-reflecting microparticles dispersed in it.

Description

EXAMPLE

[0038] The attached drawing shows, as an exemplary item, a coin or medal with a coin image comprising a legend and a pictorial representation of the upper body of a man in armor. A section of the beard region of the head of the man depicted in the coin image has been enlarged to the top right, which is also an example of a region of the coin image that is confusing due to a tangle or a multitude of lines. This region is particularly suitable for placing a code according to the above-described method in the form of a two-dimensional arrangement of individual line elements; the outline of the arrangement may be adapted to the outline of the beard region.

[0039] Such a two-dimensional arrangement in the form of a pattern of individual line elements in a two-dimensional arrangement is shown as an example, enlarged again to the right, as a small section of the pattern in the dot-dashed circle.

[0040] The specific shape of the individual line or dash elements and their relative arrangement, thickness, length, geometric shape (straight, bent or curved) and also their color can be freely selected, and the arrangement of line or dash elements as a whole forms a code which can be assigned a selectable meaning. The line elements can be characterized by shorter or longer, straight or curved dash portions, which may be the same or different from each other, and which may be arranged in the same orientation or different orientations.

[0041] The individual line elements are thus applied to the coin or medal in such a way that they are at least largely invisible to the human eye, even if they have been physically produced by embossing, because the elements forming the code appear to the viewer as part of the coin image and the viewer therefore cannot realize that there is a marking, let alone differentiate between image and code. However, reading is possible with a reader such as the camera of a smartphone equipped with a special app that can recognize the arrangement of the line elements as a code.

[0042] Even if the line elements were by themselves (just barely) perceptible to the eye, they will, on the one hand, disappear in the tangle of lines of the representation of the beard in the coin image and will appear to the viewer as part of the coin image or another image or surface pattern on the item, for example in the form of decoration or ornamentation.

[0043] In the same way, for example, the hair region of the coin image, or some other region of the coin image, would be suitable for accommodating such a line element pattern representing a code.