Angstrom Technologies, Inc.

William J Ryan

Louis H Liang

Daniel A Marinello

Donald Lee Wray

David Silverglate

A multiple-reader system for authentication of articles uses a first reader (400) which employs predetermined modulated illuminating light (20) and a multiplicity of discriminating variables, such as wavelengths (110), amplitudes (120), and time delays (140) relative to the modulated illuminating light (20) to characterize fluorescent light (70) detected from fluorescent indicia on the articles. The fluorescent indicia may also incorporate spatial distributions such as bar codes as discriminating features. Additional readers (410 and 420), which may be readers of fluorescent marks and/or readers of other indicia, are synchronized with the fluorescence reader by timing signals. The discriminating features may be re-programmed by the user of the authentication system. Thus the discriminating features define a user-determined and programmable encryption of the articles' authentic identity. The outputs provided by individual readers (400, 410 and 420) are combined by a computer (85) programmed to produce the authentication result. The fluorescence authentication reader includes integration and synchronization of multiple readers of various types, an improved coaxial optics subsystem (450), and electronic circuitry with improved time-base stability, which cooperate in enhancing signal/noise ratio. The resultant stable triggering of the authentication output of the individual fluorescence reader, combined with time synchronization of the individual fluorescence reader with other readers, provides a reliable integrated multi-reader authentication system.

Fluorescence authentication reader with coaxial optics

Accessory apparatus for authenticating articles is used in conjunction with existing readers or scanners of articles bearing stored data, such as credit cards or identification cards. The accessory apparatus is disposed before, after, on, under, inside, or adjacent to existing reader apparatus, to have a view of the article whose data is to be read. Information in addition to the stored data is coded on the article in non-visible indicia and is detected by the accessory authenticating apparatus. This coded additional information may be related to identification data stored in the article by the article's normal storage mechanism, such as a magnetic stripe or an embedded memory IC chip. The additional information may be coded in various combinations of predetermined characteristics of light emitted by the article to be authenticated when the article is irradiated with non-visible light from the accessory apparatus. The code combinations are preferably complex combinations of the various radiation characteristics. The article is irradiated at a high enough frequency (above 10,000 Hz modulation) for rapid determination of authenticity, and for reading and decoding standard bar codes. Visible and/or audible indicators alert a user when the authentication process detects an invalid card. With certain arrangements, an invalid card may be blocked from being read by the existing reader or scanner. The accessory apparatus may be connected to interrupt the normal communication channel of the existing reader or scanner with which it is used, when an article fails to be authenticated. The accessory apparatus may be used as an adjunct to existing readers or scanners of information on such cards or other articles, to perform authentication functions without replacing or obsoleting such existing readers or scanners.

Methods and apparatus for authenticating data storage articles

A system for authentication of articles uses a multiplicity of discriminating variables to characterize light detected from the articles after predetermined illumination. Articles are tested which have been marked with substances such as dye or ink that fluoresce in a region of the optical spectrum when illuminated with light in another region of the spectrum, such as the ultraviolet region. The authentication system illuminates the articles with light modulated at a frequency of more than about 50 kHz, and secondary fluorescent light returned from the articles is synchronously detected. A programmable microcomputer digitizes the synchronously detected signal and analyzes it to compare the signal with predetermined standard digital signals. The standard signals incorporate a number of discriminating features, for example the fluorescent light's wavelengths, amplitudes, and time delays relative to the modulated illuminating light. The standard signals may also incorporate spatial distributions such as bar codes as discriminating features. The discriminating features may be re-programmed by the user of the authentication system. Thus the discriminating features define a user-determined encryption of the articles' authentic identity. For applications in which the articles are stationary, the authentication system can include scanning means to scan the articles with modulated light. In other applications, the articles move past the authentication system optics and do not require scanning. In quality control applications, predetermined fluorescent substances are added in small percentages to tag other materials, which may be non-fluorescent, and the authentication system is used to provide statistical information about the presence and quantities of the tagged materials. The authentication system can include readers of visible bar codes, readers of magnetic stripe codes, or other readers of coded indicia, in addition to a reader of indicia made with fluorescent substances. Security documents having multiple fields, with at least one field bearing fluorescent indicia, make use of the authentication system and methods.

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Underhill, VT, United States of America

William J Ryan