Card with enhanced security features

A method of making a card, having generally parallel top and bottom surfaces defining a space therebetween and four sides around the edge of the card, with increased security features comprising the steps of:

• defining a particular location on one of the top and bottom surfaces of the instrument;
• said particular location occupying an area which is typically less than 20% of the surface area of the surface on which said dedicated area is located;
• forming random marks within the particular area whereby a random pattern is formed within the instrument which is intended to be different than the pattern formed on any other instrument;
• and
• wherein the random pattern is characterized in that, when subjected to a light signal, the random pattern produces an optical pattern indicative of the random pattern.

A system for impeding the counterfeiting of an instrument comprising:

• said instrument having front and back surfaces and a dedicated region on the front surface in which optical marks are formed randomly;
• where said randomly formed marks include one of the following:
• (a) partial through holes extending from the front of the instrument which are less than 100 microns in diameter;
• (b) through holes extending from the front surface to the back surface which are less than 100 microns in diameter;
• (c) ink marks;
• and (d) burn marks;
• wherein the ink marks and the burn marks are shaped such that they are less than 100 microns along their longest direction;
• said instrument also including a data storage element for storing information to be read by a reading device;
• means for illuminating the dedicated region containing the random pattern for generating signals corresponding to the random pattern, and encoding data corresponding thereto within said data storage element;
• and
• means for subsequently illuminating the random pattern and optically sensing the correspondingly generated optical signals produced and for reading the corresponding encoded data within the data storage element to validate the instrument.

A light enclosure comprising:

• a first plate having a front surface and a back surface;
• a second plate having a front surface arranged to be generally parallel to the back surface of the first plate and at a distance “d” therefrom;
• the second plate formed of a white light reflective and light diffusing material;
• a light source mounted on the back surface of the first plate;
• the light from the light source being directed to the front surface of the second plate for producing an array of relatively uniform light reflected from the front surface of the second plate towards the back surface of the first plate.

A combination comprising:

• means for holding a card having a front surface and a back surface and said card having a dedicated region within said front surface in which marks are randomly formed;
• a source of light for illuminating the front surface of the card at an acute angle relative to the plane of the card whereby;
• (a) light incident on the front card at an acute angle is reflected from the card at an angle of 180 degrees minus the acute angle of the incident light;
• except for light incident on the marks;
• and (b) light incident on the marks is reflected in multiple directions from the surface of the card;
• and
• optical sensing means mounted opposite the front surface of the card for sensing the signals reflected from the marks.

A system for impeding the counterfeiting of a card comprising:

• a card having a front surface with a highly reflective region with random optical marks formed on said highly reflective region of said front surface for generating an optical pattern corresponding to said random optical marks when the card is illuminated;
• said card including a data storage element;
• means for illuminating said highly reflective region for generating optical signals corresponding to the pattern formed by said random marks;
• said card also having a back surface;
• means for illuminating the back surface of the card for generating optical signals corresponding to the pattern formed on the card;
• means positioned in front of the front surface of the card for optically sensing the optical signals and encoding the data storage element with information corresponding to the sensed optical signals;
• and
• means for authenticating the card including means for illuminating said highly reflective region for sensing the pattern produced by said random marks and for comparing the sensed pattern versus the pattern encoded in said data storage element.