# US 5,707,083 A · Security documents with multi-angled voids

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- Number: US 5,707,083 A
- Document ID: US5707083A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/700,772
- Filed: 1996-08-22
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1996-08-22
- Assignees: Moore Business Forms, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephen J. Wallace
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707083A

## CPC

- B42D 25/29: Securities; Bank notes
- Y10S 283/902: Anti-photocopy
- B42D: BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A document that is substantially copy proof even using modern digital color copiers may also be constructed so that it is scanner and image friendly. The document includes at least first through fourth areas each having colored background lines at a first angle and colored VOID lines at a second angle, the second angle being at least 20.degree. different than the first angle, but not 70.degree.-110.degree. or 160.degree.-200.degree. different. At least one of the first and second angles for each of the areas is at least about 10.degree. different than the first and second angles for the other areas. Substantially all of the background and VOID lines have a black content of at least 15% and a density of between about 7-22%. For scanner and image friendly documents the density must be between about 10-12%. All of the lines in the areas have an average maximum line width variation of about 0.0005 inches. The background and VOID lines typically all have a frequency of between about 97-103 lines per inch. The document includes first and second quality control sections adjacent opposite edges of the document, the first quality control section having a density that is about 2% greater than the main body of the document, and the second quality control section having a density that is about 5% greater.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A document that is both scanner and image friendly, and copy resistant, comprising:
first through fourth areas each having colored background lines at a first angle and colored VOID lines at a second angle, said second angle being at least about 20 degrees different than said first angle, but not 70-110 degrees or 160-200 degrees different;
at least one of said first and second angles for each of said first through fourth areas being at least about 10 degrees different than said first and second angles for each of said other first through fourth areas; and
substantially all of said background and VOID lines having a black content of at least about 15%, and a density of between about 10-12%, so that said document is both scanner and image friendly and substantially copy proof.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 wherein substantially all of said lines have a frequency of between about 97-103 lines per inch.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 wherein said VOID lines include lines that are at angles between about 0-15 degrees from the direction of travel of a copier scan head for a document laid against a copy guide, and also from 90 degrees to the direction of travel of a copier scan head.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A document as recited in claim 3 wherein said VOID lines include lines that are at angles between about 5 degrees from the direction of travel, and perpendicular to the direction of travel, of a copier scan head.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A document as recited in claim 4 further comprising at least fifth through eighth areas each having colored background lines at a first angle and colored VOID lines at a second angle, said second angle being at least about 20 degrees different than said first angle, but not 70-110 degrees or 160-200 degrees different;
at least one of said first and second angles for each of said first through eighth areas being at least about 10 degrees different than said first and second angles for each of said other of said first through eighth areas; and
substantially all of said background and VOID lines having a black content of at least about 15%, a density of between about 10-12%, and an average maximum line width variation of about 0.00025 inches, so that said document is both scanner and image friendly, and copy proof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A document as recited in claim 5 wherein areas are provided with colored background lines and colored VOID lines so that lines are provided at substantially all angles between about 95-175 degrees at about 10 degree increments with respect to the direction of travel of a copier scan head for a document laid against a copy guide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 wherein said document has first through fourth edges, and first and second quality control sections each adjacent one of said first through fourth edges, said first quality control section having a density that is about 2% greater, and said second quality control section having a density that is about 5% greater, than the density of said first through fourth areas, each of said quality control sections having a width of about 1/8 inch or less.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A document as recited in claim 7 wherein said first through fourth areas have a substantially uniform density of about 10%, said first quality control section being at said first edge of said document and having a density of about 12%, and said second quality control section being at said third edge of said document, opposite said first edge, and having a density of about 15%.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 wherein said lines have a line width of between about 0.0025-0.003 inches and an average maximum line width variation of about 0.0005 inches.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 further comprising a color image on said document having little or no black content.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 wherein said colored background and VOID lines in each of said first through fourth areas are of substantially the same color.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A document as recited in claim 1 wherein all of said lines in said first through fourth areas have an average maximum line width variation of about 0.00025 inches.

### Claim 13

A copy proof document comprising:
first through fourth areas each having colored background lines at a first angle and colored VOID lines at a second angle, said second angle being at least about 20 degrees different than said first angle, but not 70-110 degrees or 160-200 degrees different;
at last one of said first and second angles for each of said first through fourth areas being at least about 10 degrees different than said first and second angles for each of said other first through fourth areas; and
substantially all of said background and VOID lines having a black content of at least about 15%, a density of between about 7-22%, and all of said lines in said first through fourth areas have an average maximum line width variation of about 0.00025 inches so that said document is substantially copy proof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A document as recited in claim 13 wherein substantially all of said lines have a frequency of between about 97-103 lines per inch.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

A document as recited in claim 13 wherein said VOID lines include lines that are at angles between about 0-15 degrees from the direction of travel of a copier scan head if laid against a copy guide, and also from 90 degrees to the direction of travel of a copier scan head.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

A document as recited in claim 13 wherein said document has first through fourth edges, and first and second quality control sections each adjacent one of said first through fourth edges, said first quality control section having a density that is about 2% greater, and said second quality control section having a density that is about 5% greater, than the density of said first through fourth areas, each of said quality control sections having a width of about 1/8 inch or less.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A document as recited in claim 16 wherein said first through fourth areas have a substantially uniform density of about 10%, said first quality control section being at said first edge of said document and having a density of about 12%, and said second quality control section being at said third edge of said document, opposite said first edge, and having a density of about 15%.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

A document as recited in claim 13 further comprising a color image on said document having little or no black content; and wherein if the density of said areas is less than about 10% the color of said lines having a black content of at least 20%.

### Claim 19

A substantially copy proof document having first through fourth edges, and comprising:
first through fourth areas each having colored background lines at a first angle and colored VOID lines at a second angle, said second angle being at least about 20 degrees different than said first angle, but not 70-110 degrees or 160-200 degrees different;
at least one of said first and second angles for each of said first through fourth areas being at least about 10 degrees different than said first and second angles for each of said other first through fourth areas;
substantially all of said background and VOID lines having a black content of at least about 15%, and a density of between about 7-22%, so that said document is substantially copy proof; and
first and second quality control sections each adjacent one of said first through fourth edges, said first quality control section having a density that is about 2% greater, and said second quality control section having a density that is about 5% greater, than the density of said first through fourth areas.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A document as recited in claim 19 further comprising a color image on said document having little or no black content; and wherein if the density of said areas is less than about 10% the color of said lines having a black content of at least 20%.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

A document as recited in claim 19 wherein said first quality control section is at said first edge of said document and said second quality control section is at said third edge of said document, opposite said first edge, each of said quality control sections having a width of about 1/8 inch or less.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

A document as recited in claim 19 wherein substantially all of said lines have a frequency of between about 97-103 lines per inch.

### Claim 23

A method of making a copy proof document having a first through fourth edges, the first and third edges opposite each other, a central section having: first through fourth areas having each having colored background lines at a first angle and colored VOID lines at a second angle, the second angle being at least about 20 degrees different than the first angle, but not 70-110 degrees or 160-200 degrees different; the first and second angles for each of the first through fourth areas being at least 10 degrees different than the first and second angles for each of the other first through fourth areas; and substantially all of the background and VOID lines having a black content of at least about 15%, and a density of between about 7-20%, so that the document is substantially copy proof; and first and second quality control sections along the first and third edges, respectively, the quality control sections each having a width of about 1/8 inch or less, and the first section having a density about 2% greater than the central section, and the second section having a density about 5% greater than the central section; said method practiced using a press which images the document on a roll of paper, and said method comprising the steps of:
(a) at least at approximately the beginning and end of each roll performing a quality control check of the document by taking measurements on the imaged document itself in each of the central, first, and second sections of the document to determine if the average line width of all lines in the central section are about 0.0025 inches.+-.0.0005 inches, and in each of the first and second sections is about 0.0030 inches.+-.0.0005 inches; and
(b) if necessary make press adjustments to ensure that the line widths are within the ranges set forth in step (a) above as determined by measurements taken after press adjustments are effected.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

A method as recited in claim 23 comprising the further steps of: (c) evaluating the lines in the imaged document to insure that there are no broken lines or gaps, or uneven or excessive variation in width lines, or line density varying from light to dark across the document, or specs or blotches of ink above or below the lines; and (d) if necessary making press adjustments to make the lines smooth with little variation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A method as recited in claim 24 wherein steps (a) and (c) are practiced substantially simultaneously, and steps (b) and (d) are practiced substantially simultaneously.