Appeal No. 2006-1434
Application No. 10/356,621
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to method and apparatus for authenticating an item (e.g., a
banknote or a passport) by checking for particular stimulable (storage) phosphors
contained in the item. Claim 1 is reproduced below.
1. A method for proving authenticity of an item differing from a storage phosphor
screen, wherein said item is provided onto or into at least part thereof, with storage
phosphor particles embedded in a flexible binder, said method comprising the steps of:
- checking for presence of said storage (stimulable) phosphor by first irradiating
the item with electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength shorter than the
wavelength emitted by the stimulable phosphor,
- stimulating the phosphor with electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength
longer than the wavelength emitted by the phosphor,
- detecting the stimulated emission of the phosphor and transforming the light
signal into a visual and/or an audio signal, wherein said stimulable phosphor is
composed of MII FX:Eu2+, MII representing Ba or Sr and X representing Br or I.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Papadopoulos et al. (Papadopoulos) 5,670,086 Sep. 23, 1997
Huston et al. (Huston) US 6,211,526 B1 Apr. 3, 2001
Kimura et al. (Kimura) US 2002/0097899 A1 Jul. 25, 2002
(filed Nov. 3, 1998)
Claims 1-6, 19, and 20 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Huston and Papadopoulos.
Claims 7-18 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over
Huston, Papadopoulos, and Kimura.
-2-
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007