Security element for protecting documents of value

A method for distinguishing between documents of value, the method comprising the steps:

• providing a first document of value with at least a first security element, the first security element being configured to protect the first document of value and to be detected by means of a magnet sensor having several measuring tracks with a respective track width (s), wherein the magnet sensor detects for the number of high or low bits in magnetic coding, the first security element including at least one portion of at least one first magnetic coding having approximately the length of the first security element, wherein the first magnetic coding has magnetic areas containing magnetic material and gap areas not containing any magnetic material, or having a lower remanent flux density than the magnetic areas, wherein the magnetic areas and the gap areas are arranged along a predetermined direction, and at least one of the gap areas in the predetermined direction has a first length (L1) and at least one of the magnetic areas in the predetermined direction has a second length (L2), wherein the first and second lengths (L1, L2) of the first magnetic coding fulfill at least one first of the following length conditions (d), (e), and (f):
• d) 1.8s<L1<3s and 0<L2<2s, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (d) correlates to one low bit or two adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (d) correlates to one high bit or two or three adjacent high bits,
• e) 1.8s<L1<3s and 3s<L2, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (e) correlates to one low bit or two adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (e) correlates to four or more adjacent high bits, and
• f) 3.8s<L1 and 0<L2, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (f) correlates to three or more adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (f) correlates to one high bit or two or more adjacent high bits;
• providing a second document of value with at least a second security element, the second security element being configured to protect the second document of value and to be detected by means of the magnet sensor, the second security element including at least one portion of at least one second magnetic coding having approximately the length of the second security element, wherein the second magnetic coding has magnetic areas containing magnetic material and gap areas not containing any magnetic material, or having a lower remanent flux density than the magnetic areas, wherein the magnetic areas and the gap areas are arranged along a predetermined direction, and at least one of the gap areas in the predetermined direction has a first length (L1) and at least one of the magnetic areas in the predetermined direction has a second length (L2), wherein the first and second lengths (L1, L2) of the second magnetic coding fulfill at least one second of the above length conditions (d), (e), and (f), the one first of the length conditions (d), (e), and (f) being different from the one second of the length conditions (d), (e), and (f);
• transporting the first or the second document of value past the magnet sensor and detecting first or second magnetic signals generated by the first or second security element, respectively, with the aid of the magnet sensor;
• determining the magnetic coding of the security element of the transported first or second document of value on the basis of the detected magnetic signals, wherein, if the transported document of value is the first document of value, the first magnetic coding is determined on the basis of the first magnetic signals of the first security element, and, if the transported document of value is the second document of value, the second magnetic coding is determined on the basis of the second magnetic signals of the second security element;
• and
• distinguishing between the first document of value and the second document of value based on the determined first or second magnetic coding, respectively.

A method for distinguishing between documents of value, the method comprising the steps:

• providing a first document of value with at least a first security element, the first security element being configured to protect the first document of value and to be detected by means of a magnet sensor having several measuring tracks with a respective track width (s), wherein the magnet sensor detects for the number of high or low bits in magnetic coding, the first security element including at least one portion of at least one first magnetic coding having approximately the length of the first security element, wherein the first magnetic coding has magnetic areas containing magnetic material and gap areas not containing any magnetic material, or having a lower remanent flux density than the magnetic areas, wherein the magnetic areas and the gap areas are arranged along a predetermined direction, and at least one of the gap areas in the predetermined direction has a first length (L1) and at least one of the magnetic areas in the predetermined direction has a second length (L2), wherein the first and second lengths (L1, L2) of the first magnetic coding fulfill at least one first of the following length conditions (g) and (h):
• g) 2.8s<L1<4s and 0<L2<s, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (g) correlates to two or three adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (g) correlates to one high bit or two adjacent high bits, and
• h) 2.8s<L1<4s and 2s<L2, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (h) correlates to two or three adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (h) correlates to three or more adjacent high bits;
• providing a second document of value with at least a second security element, the second security element being configured to protect the second document of value and to be detected by means of the magnet sensor, the second security element including at least one portion of at least one second magnetic coding having approximately the length of the second security element, wherein the second magnetic coding has magnetic areas containing magnetic material and gap areas not containing any magnetic material, or having a lower remanent flux density than the magnetic areas, wherein the magnetic areas and the gap areas are arranged along a predetermined direction, and at least one of the gap areas in the predetermined direction has a first length (L1) and at least one of the magnetic areas in the predetermined direction has a second length (L2), wherein the first and second lengths (L1, L2) of the second magnetic coding fulfill at least one second of the above length conditions (g) and (h), the one first of the length conditions (g) and (h) being different from the one second of the length conditions (g) and (h);
• transporting the first or the second document of value past the magnet sensor and detecting first or second magnetic signals generated by the first or second security element, respectively, with the aid of the magnet sensor;
• determining the magnetic coding of the security element of the transported first or second document of value on the basis of the detected magnetic signals, wherein, if the transported document of value is the first document of value, the first magnetic coding is determined on the basis of the first magnetic signals of the first security element, and, if the transported document of value is the second document of value, the second magnetic coding is determined on the basis of the second magnetic signals of the second security element;
• and
• distinguishing between the first document of value and the second document of value based on the determined first or second magnetic coding, respectively.

A method for distinguishing between documents of value, the method comprising the steps:

• providing a first document of value with at least a first security element, the first security element being configured to protect the first document of value and to be detected by means of a magnet sensor having several measuring tracks with a respective track width (s), wherein the magnet sensor detects for the number of high or low bits in magnetic coding, the first security element including at least one portion of at least one first magnetic coding having approximately the length of the first security element, wherein the first magnetic coding has magnetic areas containing magnetic material and gap areas not containing any magnetic material, or having a lower remanent flux density than the magnetic areas, wherein the magnetic areas and the gap areas are arranged along a predetermined direction, and at least one of the gap areas in the predetermined direction has a first length (L1) and at least one of the magnetic areas in the predetermined direction has a second length (L2), wherein the first and second lengths (L1, L2) of the first magnetic coding fulfill at least one first of the following length conditions (i) and (j):
• i) 2.8s<L1<4s and 0<L2<2s, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (i) correlates to two or three adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (i) correlates to one high bit or two or three adjacent high bits, and
• j) 2.8s<L1<4s and 3s<L2, wherein any first length (L1) of length condition (j) correlates to two or three adjacent low bits and any second length (L2) of length condition (j) correlates to four or more adjacent high bits;
• providing a second document of value with at least a second security element, the second security element being configured to protect the second document of value and to be detected by means of the magnet sensor, the second security element including at least one portion of at least one second magnetic coding having approximately the length of the second security element, wherein the second magnetic coding has magnetic areas containing magnetic material and gap areas not containing any magnetic material, or having a lower remanent flux density than the magnetic areas, wherein the magnetic areas and the gap areas are arranged along a predetermined direction, and at least one of the gap areas in the predetermined direction has a first length (L1) and at least one of the magnetic areas in the predetermined direction has a second length (L2), wherein the first and second lengths (L1, L2) of the second magnetic coding fulfill at least one second of the above length conditions (i) and (j), the one first of the length conditions (i) and (j) being different from the one second of the length conditions (i) and (j);
• transporting the first or the second document of value past the magnet sensor and detecting first or second magnetic signals generated by the first or second security element, respectively, with the aid of the magnet sensor;
• determining the magnetic coding of the security element of the transported first or second document of value on the basis of the detected magnetic signals, wherein, if the transported document of value is the first document of value, the first magnetic coding is determined on the basis of the first magnetic signals of the first security element, and, if the transported document of value is the second document of value, the second magnetic coding is determined on the basis of the second magnetic signals of the second security element;
• and
• distinguishing between the first document of value and the second document of value based on the determined first or second magnetic coding, respectively.