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US 9,704,301 B2Granted
Printed postage container having integrated security features
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsDaniel J. Barrett, Daniel Y. Chen, Robert W. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container having postage printed on the container and having integrated authenticating security features is provided. The container can further include a recipient address field and a sender address field.
Claims22
A container, comprising:
- pre-paid postage printed on the container prior to providing the container to a sender, the postage being visually perceivable by a human from all viewing angles with respect to a surface of the container;
- and
- a multi-level security element, comprising:
- a pseudo-latent image comprising a plurality of letters forming a word, the pseudo-latent image formed on the surface of the container at a first location and being visually perceivable by a human from fewer than all viewing angles with respect to the surface of the container;
- and
- an encoded design comprising a version of the pseudo-latent image comprising a misspelling of the word, the misspelling of the word being according to a verification code indicating an authenticated misspelling of the word, and the encoded design formed on the surface of the container at a second location different from the first location and being visually perceivable by a human,
- wherein, based on the verification code, the visually perceivable encoded design is compared to the visually perceivable pseudo-latent image in order to authenticate the container.
4 more elements
A container, comprising:
- a recipient address field;
- pre-paid postage printed on the container prior to providing the container to a sender, the postage being visually perceivable by a human from all viewing angles with respect to a surface of the container;
- a multi-level security element, comprising:
- a pseudo-latent image comprising a plurality of letters forming a word, the pseudo-latent image formed on the surface of the container at a first location and being visually perceivable by a human from fewer than all viewing angles with respect to the surface of the container;
- and
- an encoded design comprising a version of the pseudo-latent image comprising a misspelling of the word, the misspelling of the word being according to a verification code indicating an authenticated misspelling of the word, and the encoded design formed on the surface of the container at a second location different from the first location and being visually perceivable by a human;
- and
- a sender address field,
- wherein, based on the verification code, the visually perceivable encoded design is compared to the visually perceivable pseudo-latent image in order to authenticate the container.
6 more elements
A method for supplying a container, comprising:
- printing postage on the container, the postage being visually perceivable by a human from all viewing angles with respect to a surface of the container;
- producing a multi-level security element by:
- forming, by applying an overcoat with a drop-off pattern, a pseudo-latent image on the surface of the container at a first location, the pseudo-latent image comprising a plurality of letters forming a word and being visually perceivable by a human from fewer than all viewing angles with respect to the surface of the container;
- and
- forming an encoded design on the surface of the container at a second location different from the first location, the encoded design comprising a version of the pseudo-latent image comprising a misspelling of the word, the misspelling of the word being according to a verification code indicating an authenticated misspelling of the word, and being visually perceivable by a human;
- and
- providing the container to a sender,
- wherein, based on the verification code, the visually perceivable encoded design is compared to the visually perceivable pseudo-latent image in order to authenticate the container.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.