[go: up one dir, main page]

CA2333454A1 - Security printing of cards and the like - Google Patents

Security printing of cards and the like Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2333454A1
CA2333454A1 CA002333454A CA2333454A CA2333454A1 CA 2333454 A1 CA2333454 A1 CA 2333454A1 CA 002333454 A CA002333454 A CA 002333454A CA 2333454 A CA2333454 A CA 2333454A CA 2333454 A1 CA2333454 A1 CA 2333454A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
layer
scratch
cards
card
printed item
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002333454A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Clifford Maurice Wilson
Victor Benson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Scientific Games International Ltd
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2333454A1 publication Critical patent/CA2333454A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63FCARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F3/00Board games; Raffle games
    • A63F3/06Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games
    • A63F3/065Tickets or accessories for use therewith
    • A63F3/0665Tickets or accessories for use therewith having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B42BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
    • B42DBOOKS; 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
    • B42D15/00Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63FCARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F3/00Board games; Raffle games
    • A63F3/06Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games
    • A63F3/065Tickets or accessories for use therewith
    • A63F3/0665Tickets or accessories for use therewith having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer
    • A63F2003/067Tickets or accessories for use therewith having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer using carbon or graphite coating
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63FCARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F3/00Board games; Raffle games
    • A63F3/06Lottos or bingo games; Systems, apparatus or devices for checking such games
    • A63F3/065Tickets or accessories for use therewith
    • A63F3/0655Printing of tickets, e.g. lottery tickets

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Educational Technology (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Printing Methods (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Pens And Brushes (AREA)
  • Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
  • Road Signs Or Road Markings (AREA)

Abstract

A printed item such as a telephone card (10) carrying a credit code which is concealed by scratch off material which is irreversibly removed to use the card, wherein the scratch off material is overprinted with a layer which is an "active" layer (18) in that it exhibits a changing characteristic under particular conditions to enhance the security of the card against compromise.

Description

SECURITY PRINTING OF CARDS AND THE LIKE
This invention relates to the printing of cards, tickets, sheets and the like, wherein secure information is covered by a layer of material which obscures the information, but which, at the appropriate time, can be irreversibly removed by scratching or rubbing with a coin, finger nail or the like, to reveal the information to the user.
Such items of printed matter may take any form, such as cards for lotteries and promotional games, and indeed such cards, known as scratch cards are in wide use in the United Kingdom and in many other countries of the world. These scratch cards are used in connection with "instant" lotteries in that when the user uses the card, he or she knows instantly whether or not a prize has been won. Winning cards are therefore predetermined. Other forms of cards to which the invention relates are the so called "telephone"
cards, which are cards charged with credit amounts which can be used for making telephone calls from public and other appropriate telephone boxes.
The obscuring scratch off material is typically a synthetic rubber latex material containing metal particles, which effectively obscures the information, but which exhibits a desirable tactile but disintegrating characteristic during the scratching off of the material.
The scratch off material has the function of keeping the concealed information (which can take any form) hidden until the card is legitimately used, but unfortunately as knowing the information to identify the winning cards or knowin a telephone card code, without removing the scratch off material or by removing it and replacing it, is of monetary value, there are many unscrupulous individuals who WO 00!05080 PCT/GB99/01086 seek to compromise the cards in this way. Accordingly, much effort has been put into making the cards difficult to compromise, and much of this effort is the subject of patent protection, for example as set forth in United States Patents Nos. 5569512 and 5704647, which are concerned with providing overprinting on the scratch off material.
In the first patent, the idea is to provide an overprint layer which extends over the boundaries of the scratch off layer, so that they cannot be seen. In the second patent, the inventor suggests printing over the scratch off material using at least two halftone printing steps.
In the case of instant lottery cards, where the there are only so many winners in a large number of losers compromising usually has to be organised, and the benefit can only be obtained once, but compromising telephone cards is much more lucrative.
The scratch off concept has recently been extended to telephone cards, and is used in that a purchaser purchases (through stores or dispensing machines) a telephone card which has a predetermined code printed thereon. That code typically is a twelve or fourteen digit number, and it is covered by the scratch off material. The user scratches of the material when he or she desires to use the card, and then to make a telephone call, he or she punches in the number or gives it to an operator over the phone, to validate the card, and then the user can make the telephone call. The card is pre programmed with a credit value equal to the cost of the card, and the user can make any number of telephone calls up to the value of the card price.
Whilst lottery tickets may cost as little as ~1, telephone cards can be of any value, typically ~5 or ~25, and they are particularly valuable.
Also every one is of value, as compared to the many instant lottery tickets which are losers, and so security of the telephone cards should be greater. Surprisingly, however, this need has not been realised, and it has in the past been possible for unscrupulous people to purchase these telephone cards, remove the scratch off material, memorise the code, apply new scratch off material, and resell the ticket. Such a person then uses the code to make calls, each time depleting the credit from the card which has been bought by another.
Also, such an unscrupulous person may duplicate the cards with the same code and sell them to others, whereby there may be a number of people tying to use the same code, and of course they will not all be able to have the same credit to which they believed they were entitled.
The present invention aims to provide a means whereby the above disadvantage is addressed and it possibility is at least reduced.
Although the invention has particular application to telephone cards of the scratch off type, it can be used in any scratch off type of item, including lottery tickets and promotional game tickets.
According to the invention there is provided a printed item carrying information which is concealed by scratch off material which is irreversibly removed to use the item, wherein the scratch off material is overprinted with a layer which is an "active" layer in that it exhibits a changing characteristic under particular conditions.
The changing nature of the layer may be any of a number of possibilities.
For example, the layer may be an ink with an iridescent pigment, and the change referred to above is that the ink is of a different colour when the angle of viewing is changed.
Secondly, the layer may be of a photochromic ink which changes colour depending upon the illumination of the area in which it is located. Thus, the layer would be of a different colour depending upon whether or not it was in daylight.
Thirdly, the layer might be thermochromic, which means that it changes colour when subjected to heat. A person could therefore assess whether or not the card had been compromised by applying his or her finger to the layer. The heat of the finger would be enough to cause the layer to change colour, and when the heat is removed, the layer reverts to the original colour.
Fourthly, the layer may be metameric or holographic, which means that it is in a number of segments which provide different images when viewed in different directions.
The active overprint layer is of course of a type which is irreversibly removed when the scratch off material is removed.
If an active overprint layer is used as provided for by the present invention, it becomes more difficult for the card to be compromised in the ways indicated above, and a purchaser can ascertain easily be observing the change in the layer when he is asked to purchase a card from another.
The overprint layer may extend over all of the scratch off layer or only part thereof, and it may be opaque or transparent or any mixture thereof.

One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein;-Fig. 1 is perspective view of a card according to the embodiment;
and Fig. 2 shows the card of Fig. 1 after the overprint layer has been subjected to its active change.
In the drawing, reference 10 indicates a telephone card of the type which might be bought from a dispenser, and it carries a code number of fourteen digits, referenced 12. The code (although visible in the drawing) is in fact obscured from vision by means of an irreversible scratch off layer 14 of synthetic rubber latex or the like.
Printed over the layer 14 is an active layer 1G which may be opaque or transparent, which in this embodiment is a thermo-chromic layer 18, of a character which change colour with heat, and so Fig. 2 shows the card of Fig. 1 after the user's thumb has been applied to the layer 1G, as a validation check. The thumb mark 18 is of a different colour from the remainder 20 of the layer, but will return to the colour of part 20 with the passage of time. By this means the user can make the assumption that the card is genuine, and has not been tampered with. He or she can use it with confidence.
The use of active layers in accordance with the present invention provides excellent security in that it is expensive to set up equipment to apply active layers.
As shown, the card may carry in an area separate from the scratch off material, other printed matter 24 of for example an informative and/or promotional nature.

Claims (6)

1. A printed item carrying information which is concealed by scratch off material which is irreversibly removed to use the item, (wherein) characterised in that the scratch off material is overprinted with a layer which is an "active" layer in that it exhibits a changing characteristic under particular conditions and such changing characteristic is observable by the user whereby he can check if the item has been compromised before irreversibly removing the scratch off material.
2. A printed item according to claim 1, wherein the changing nature of the layer is achieved by an ink with an iridescent pigment, and the change is that the ink is of a different colour when the angle of viewing is changed.
3. A printed item according to claim 1, wherein the layer is of a photochromic ink which changes colour depending upon the illumination of the area in which it is located.
4. A printed item according to claim 1, wherein the layer is thermochromic, which means that it changes colour when subjected to heat.
5. A printed item according to claim 1, wherein the layer is metameric or holographic, which means that it is in a number of segments which provide different images when viewed in different directions.
6. A printed item according to any preceding claim, wherein the overprint layer extends over all of the scratch off layer or only part thereof, and it is opaque or transparent or any mixture thereof.
CA002333454A 1998-07-21 1999-04-08 Security printing of cards and the like Abandoned CA2333454A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9815706.8 1998-07-21
GBGB9815706.8A GB9815706D0 (en) 1998-07-21 1998-07-21 Improvements relating to security printing of cards and like
PCT/GB1999/001086 WO2000005080A1 (en) 1998-07-21 1999-04-08 Security printing of cards and the like

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2333454A1 true CA2333454A1 (en) 2000-02-03

Family

ID=10835781

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002333454A Abandoned CA2333454A1 (en) 1998-07-21 1999-04-08 Security printing of cards and the like

Country Status (18)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1098777B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1308579A (en)
AT (1) ATE217584T1 (en)
AU (1) AU745039B2 (en)
BR (1) BR9912034A (en)
CA (1) CA2333454A1 (en)
CZ (1) CZ200138A3 (en)
DE (1) DE69901504T2 (en)
GB (1) GB9815706D0 (en)
HU (1) HUP0103242A3 (en)
ID (1) ID28069A (en)
IL (1) IL140815A0 (en)
MX (1) MXPA00012378A (en)
NO (1) NO20010271L (en)
NZ (1) NZ508277A (en)
PL (1) PL345622A1 (en)
TR (1) TR200003896T2 (en)
WO (1) WO2000005080A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1064973B1 (en) * 1999-07-01 2004-01-14 Banque Nationale De Belgique S.A. Document with scratch-off layer precluding fraudulent reading
GB9919861D0 (en) * 1999-08-23 1999-10-27 Ditone Labels Limited Label
DE20004025U1 (en) * 2000-03-03 2000-04-27 Schreiner Etiketten und Selbstklebetechnik GmbH & Co., 85764 Oberschleißheim Cover or seal label
FR2824019B1 (en) * 2001-04-30 2004-01-23 Gemplus Card Int MEDIUM INCLUDING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
DE20205815U1 (en) 2002-04-12 2002-07-04 Jaskulski, Ulrich, 58452 Witten token
EP1572645A2 (en) 2002-12-03 2005-09-14 Enobia Pharma Inc. Derivatives of succinic and glutaric acids and analogs thereof useful as inhibitors of phex
DE10306576A1 (en) * 2003-02-17 2004-08-26 Quiss Gmbh Device to identify marking on product for refund of deposit and to alter identification marking to prevent repeated refund, for automated recycling of e.g. drinks cans
US7125017B2 (en) 2003-05-20 2006-10-24 Oberthur Gaming Technologies Inc. Dual play area lottery game with enhanced authentication system
FR3005436B1 (en) * 2013-05-13 2016-01-01 Fasver METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SECURELY PROTECTING AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT AND OFFICIAL DOCUMENT SO PROTECTED

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2232086A (en) * 1989-06-02 1990-12-05 Traqson Ltd Game cards
US5282651A (en) * 1991-04-15 1994-02-01 Frank Alonso Trading cards and method of concealing and revealing information thereon
US5193854A (en) * 1992-02-28 1993-03-16 Babn Technologies Inc. Tamper-resistant article and method of authenticating the same
US5681065A (en) * 1994-12-09 1997-10-28 Webcraft Technologies, Inc. Recyclable instant scratch-off lottery ticket with improved security to prevent unauthorized detection of lottery indicia

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1098777A1 (en) 2001-05-16
GB9815706D0 (en) 1998-09-16
DE69901504T2 (en) 2003-01-09
AU3431799A (en) 2000-02-14
NZ508277A (en) 2002-05-31
ATE217584T1 (en) 2002-06-15
ID28069A (en) 2001-05-03
MXPA00012378A (en) 2002-04-24
HUP0103242A2 (en) 2002-01-28
HUP0103242A3 (en) 2002-03-28
CN1308579A (en) 2001-08-15
WO2000005080A1 (en) 2000-02-03
NO20010271L (en) 2001-01-19
AU745039B2 (en) 2002-03-07
NO20010271D0 (en) 2001-01-17
TR200003896T2 (en) 2001-07-23
EP1098777B1 (en) 2002-05-15
IL140815A0 (en) 2002-02-10
DE69901504D1 (en) 2002-06-20
BR9912034A (en) 2001-09-25
PL345622A1 (en) 2002-01-02
CZ200138A3 (en) 2001-08-15

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4790565A (en) Game
US6142368A (en) Prepayment wristband and computer debit system
US6474557B2 (en) Prepayment wristband and computer debit system
CA2752551C (en) Printed document including bar code authentication system
EP0345405B1 (en) Plastic safety case for a gold coin, precious stone, pearl or the like, ensuring authenticity and unaffected quality of coinage or preparation of the piece
WO1992004090A1 (en) Random number supplier to execute bets
EP1098777B1 (en) Security printing of cards and the like
EP0707507B1 (en) Improvements relating to game tickets
EP1066978A2 (en) Security of printing articles
AU767316B2 (en) Lottery ticket with hidden conductive ink security means
US20040056088A1 (en) Prepayment wristband and computer debit system
GB2355431A (en) Pre-paid telephone card with tamper evident scratch off area
GB2188849A (en) Lottery game tickets
WO1999024130A1 (en) Identification process of secured markings in scratchable zone of instant win lottery tickets
GB2314527A (en) Telephone card with scratch-off layers
GB1580768A (en) Device carrying concealed information
JPH04137871U (en) Anti-see-through printed matter
JP4240352B2 (en) Concealment information carrier
US20040157046A1 (en) Gaming ticket
WO2000046745A1 (en) Pre-paid card having abradable material
JP4233682B2 (en) Confidential information concealment card and method of use
SERIES Oniteb* tateo rabe= lnark Asociation

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued