TWI527714B - Micro-optic security and image presentation system - Google Patents

Description

Micro-optical security and image rendering system

The present invention is directed to a micro-optical image presentation system that, in the exemplary embodiment, is formed from an array of focusing elements and an array of image-representing elements in a polymeric film. The invention also relates to a synthetic magnification micro-optic system, which in the exemplary embodiment is formed as a polymeric film. The unusual effects provided by the various embodiments are disclosed as security devices for the public and covert identification of currency, documents and merchandise, as well as visual enhancement of merchandise, packaging, printed materials and consumer merchandise.

Various image rendering systems have been tried previously. A typical image rendering system includes conventional printing techniques. Some image rendering systems include holographic photographic image displays and/or relief image features. These systems all have the disadvantage of being related to the nature or quality of the displayed image. More specifically, the channels and the like have disadvantages in that they can be quickly copied and thus cannot be used as an authentication or safety device.

Various optical materials have been used to provide an imaging system for the identification of currency and documents, while identifying and distinguishing reliable products from counterfeit goods, and providing visual enhancement of manufactured articles and packaging. Examples include holographic imaging displays, as well as other imaging systems that include lenticular structures and arrays of spherical microlenses. Full-image photography has been commonly used for credit card, driver's license and clothing labels.

An example of a lenticular structure for document security is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,892,336, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The security thread is transparent, having a printed pattern at one end and a lenticular lens structure conforming to the printed pattern at the other end. The lenticular lens structure is described as comprising a plurality of parallel cylindrical lenses, or alternatively a spherical or honeycomb lens.

U.S. Patent No. 5,712,731, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference to the entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire entire extent The lens can also be an astigmatic lens. The lenses are each typically 50-250 [mu]m and have a typical focal length of 200 [mu]m.

These methods all suffer from similar disadvantages. It produces an extremely thick structure that is particularly unsuitable for document identification. The use of cylindrical or spherical lenses provides a narrow view of the range that produces blurred images and requires precise and difficult correction of the focus of the lens with the associated image. In addition, it has not been verified as a particularly effective safety or anti-counterfeiting measure.

In these and other shortcomings, the industry needs safe and visually unique optical materials that promote the open identification of currency, documents, manufactured objects and goods, and provide visual enhancement of manufactured objects, goods and packaging. Optical material.

The present invention relates to an image rendering system, such as a micro-optical image rendering system. For example, a synthetic optical imaging system can be provided that includes an array of focusing elements, and an imaging system, as described below, that includes or is formed from an array or pattern of image-illustrating elements that are designed Forming an image or some desired information in common, and wherein the array of focusing elements and the image system are matched, for example, via optical bonding, to form at least a portion of the composite optical image of the image representation, wherein the synthetic optics The image is optionally enlarged. In another image presentation system provided, as described below, includes or is formed from an array or pattern of graphic elements of the microstructure, wherein the graphical elements of the microstructure are designed to collectively an image or Certain selected information, and wherein the imaging system is designed to exist separately, and to view images or read information, such as a magnifying glass or microscope, by using an amplification device provided independently of the imaging system.

The present invention also relates to a film material that uses a two-dimensional array of regular non-cylindrical lenses to magnify micro-images, referred to herein as image representations or simple illustrations, and through the multiplicity of individual lens/illustrated imaging systems. The combined performance forms a synthetically magnified image. The synthetically magnified image and the surrounding background may be positive or negative, colorless or colored, and the image or the surrounding background or both may be transparent, translucent, colored, fluorescent, phosphorescent , showing optically variable color, metallized or substantially retroreflected. Materials that display a colored image on a transparent or tinted background are particularly suitable for use in conjunction with printed information underneath. When a material is applied to printed information, both the printed information and the image can be viewed simultaneously in space or dynamically in motion with each other. Such materials can also be placed on top of the printing, i.e., have a print applied to the uppermost (lens) surface of the material. On the other hand, materials that display color (or any color, including white and black) images on translucent or substantially different opaque backgrounds are particularly suitable for use alone or in combination with printed information, but not under Print information is combined.

The amount of amplification of the resulting synthetic image can be controlled by the selection of a number of factors, including the degree of 'skew' between the axis of symmetry of the lens array and the axis of symmetry of the illustrated array. A regular periodic array has an axis of symmetry that defines a line that surrounds the reflection and does not change the basic geometry of the pattern, and a line that is in an infinite ideal array. For example, a square array can reflect reflections around any square diagonal without changing the relative orientation of the array: if the sides of the square are corrected by the x and y axes of the plane, then the sides of the square will still be after reflection These axis corrections assume that the edges are identical and indistinguishable. The array is said to have rotational symmetry or rotationally symmetric.

Rather than mapping a square array, the array can be rotated via an angle equal to the axis of symmetry of the same type. In the case of a square array, the array can be rotated through 90 degrees, ie the angle between the diagonals, to an array orientation that cannot be distinguished from the original array. Similarly, a regular hexagonal array can be mirrored or rotated around a large number of axes of symmetry, including hexagonal "diagonal" (line connecting opposite vertices) or "midpoint divisor" (connecting the opposite sides of the hexagon) Point line). The angle between any type of axis of symmetry is sixty degrees (60°), resulting in an array orientation that is indistinguishable from the original orientation. The array of equilateral triangles has an angle between the axes of symmetry of 120 degrees. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the image illustrates a planar array of focusing elements that can have at least three sets of rotational symmetry.

If the lens array and the illustrated array are initially configured with a plane dimension defining their respective x-y planes, one of the axes of symmetry is selected to represent the x-axis of the first array, the corresponding type of the axis of symmetry (eg, a symmetric pair) The angle axis is selected to represent the x-axis of the second array, the two arrays being substantially evenly spaced apart along the z-axis direction, and when the arrays are viewed along the z-axis, if the x-axes of the arrays appear parallel to each other, Then each array is said to have zero skew. In the case of a hexagonal array, an array is rotated again by rotation at an angle of 60 degrees or multiples thereof, so that the array is not corrected, as in the case of a square array, rotated at an angle of 90 degrees or multiples thereof. There is no skew. The angle between any x-axis does not coincide, which is different from "zero-skew rotation" and is called skew. Small deflections, such as 0.06 degrees, can produce large magnifications, more than 1000 times, while large deflections, such as 20 degrees, produce small amplifications, which can be as small as one. Other factors, such as the relative scaling of the two arrays and the F# of the lens, can affect the magnification of the composite image and its rotation, the positive parallax movement and the surface visual depth.

There are many obvious visual effects that can be referred to by this material (which is often referred to as "consistent" of the material, or a consistent material that represents each effect," the following names, "consistent movement", "consistent depth", "consistent ultra-deep", " Consistent floats, "consistent hyperfloat", "consistent float", "consistent morphology", and "consistent 3-D" are provided, and various embodiments thereof produce each effect, which is generally described as follows: Consistent movement presentation shows positive parallax Moving (OPM) image - When the material is tilted, the image moves in an oblique direction that appears to be perpendicular to the expected direction of normal parallax. Consistent deep and ultra-deep representations appear as images that are placed visually on a spatial plane that is deeper than the thickness of the material. Uniformly floating and super-floating appears as an image placed on a spatial plane above the surface of the material; and when the material is rotated through a particular angle (eg, 90 degrees), the uniform float appears from a consistent deep (or ultra-deep) swing to a uniform float ( Or super-floating images, then returning to the same depth (or ultra-deep) when the material is further rotated by the same amount. When the material is rotated or viewed from different viewpoints, the consistent shape presents a composite image of varying form, shape or size. Consistent 3-D rendering displays images of large scaled three-dimensional structures, such as images of faces.

A multi-channel uniform effect can be incorporated into a film, such as a combination of form, color, direction of movement, and a film that amplifies a plurality of uniformly moving image planes. Other films may be combined with a uniform deep image plane and a uniform floating image plane, while other films may be designed to incorporate uniform, uniform, and uniformly floating layers of the same color or different colors, the images having the same or different graphic elements. The color, graphic design, optical effects, magnification, and other visual components of the multi-channel image plane are largely independent, and the planes of the visual elements can be combined in any manner.

For many currency, document, and product safety applications, the total thickness of the film needs to be less than 50 microns (also referred to herein as "μ" or "μm"), such as less than about 45 microns, and, as further examples, at about 10 microns. Up to about 40 microns. This can be done, for example, via the use of focusing elements having an effective base diameter of less than 50 microns, such as less than 30 microns as further exemplified, and, as further examples, from about 10 microns to about 30 microns. For another example, a focusing element having a focal length of less than about 40 microns can be used, and as a further example, a focusing element having a focal length of from about 10 to less than about 30 microns can be used. In a particular example, a focusing element having a base diameter of 35 microns and a focal length of 30 microns can be used. On the other hand, the hybrid refraction/diffraction embodiment can be made into a thin film of 8 microns.

Due to the complex multilayer structure of the film herein and its high aspect ratio elements that cannot be remanufactured by conventional manufacturing systems, it is highly anti-counterfeiting.

Thus, the present system preferably provides a micro-optic system in which, when the one or more images are projected by naked-eye viewing reflections or emitted light, it is in the form of a polymer film having a thickness: i. Displaying a positive parallax movement (consistent movement) Ii. appears to be placed on a spatial plane deeper than the thickness of the polymer film (consistent deep and uniform super deep); iii. appears as a spatial plane placed above the surface of the polymer film (consistent floating and consistent super Floating); iv. When the film is rotated azimuthally, the oscillation between the spatial plane deeper than the thickness of the polymer film and the spatial plane above the surface of the film (consistent floating); v. from a form, shape, size , color (or some combination of these attributes) is converted into a different form, shape, size, or color (or several combinations of those attributes) (consistent form); and / or vi. appears to have realistic three-dimensionality (consistent 3-D).

The disclosed synthetic magnification micro-optic system can be used, for example, as a security or authentication device, comprising: (a) a planar array of image representations having an in-plane symmetry axis, and the image representation having repeats within its planar array And (b) the image illustrates a planar array of focusing elements having an in-plane symmetry axis, and the image illustrates the focusing element having a repeating period within its planar array, wherein the image illustrates the plane of the focusing element The array is configured in a planar array of the image representation and forms at least a portion of the synthetically magnified image of the image representation at a sufficient distance from the image-focused focusing element, and wherein the security device has less than 50 microns The thickness, or image, of the focusing element has an effective diameter of less than 50 microns, or both.

In another embodiment, a method of fabricating a synthetic magnification micro-optic system and a method of fabricating a document security device each comprise the steps of: (a) providing a planar array having an image representation of its in-plane symmetry axis, the image representation Having a repeating period within the array; (b) providing a planar array of image-imaged focusing elements having an in-plane symmetry axis thereof, the image showing focusing elements having repeating periods within the array, wherein the system includes the image representation Planar array, and the image shows a planar array of focusing elements having a thickness of less than 50 microns, or the image-capturing focusing element has an effective diameter of less than 50 microns, or both; and (c) for the image The image is arranged in a planar array to illustrate a planar array of focusing elements and to form at least a portion of the composite magnified image of the image representation at a sufficient distance from the image-capturing focusing element.

In yet another embodiment, a method of controlling an optical effect in a synthetic magnification micro-optic system or a security or authentication device is disclosed, the optical effect comprising a motion effect, an amplification, a visual depth effect, or a synthesis of the effect, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a planar array having an image representation of its in-plane symmetry axis, the image representation having a repeating period within the array; (b) providing a planar array of image-imaged focusing elements having an in-plane symmetry axis thereof, The image illustrates that the focusing element has a repeating period within the array, wherein the system includes a planar array of image representations, and the image illustrates a planar array of focusing elements having a thickness of less than 50 microns, or the image-capturing focusing element has An effective diameter of less than 50 microns, or both; and (c) substantially parallel to the planar array of the image representation, the image is illustrated as a planar array of focusing elements, and sufficient to focus the elements with the image Forming at least a portion of the synthetically magnified image of the image representation; (d) wherein the repeating period of the image representation is combined with the image representation The ratio of the repetition period of the focal element is selected from the group consisting of less than 1, substantially equal to 1 and greater than 1, and selecting the plane of symmetry of the planar array of the image and the planar array of the corresponding image illustrating the focusing elements The axis of symmetry is corrected or directionally offset.

In a further exemplary embodiment, an image representation for use in a synthetic micro-optic system is disclosed, the synthetic-magnification micro-optic system comprising: (a) a planar array of image representations; and (b) a planar array of image-wise focusing elements, Configuring the planar array of the image focusing elements in a manner corresponding to the planar array of the image representation, and forming at least a portion of the composite image of the image representation at a sufficient distance from the image indicating focusing element; The image representation includes an image representation formed as a recess in the substrate, the recess forming the void being selectively filled to provide material contrast with the substrate.

Also disclosed is a synthetic magnification micro-optic system or document security device and method of fabricating the same, comprising: (a) a planar array of image representations; and (b) a planar array of image-focused components, the focusing element comprising a multi-band of polygonal bases Focusing element.

Furthermore, a security or authentication thread is disclosed comprising: (a) a material having a periodic array of micro-images or image representations of the recesses in which the fill is formed; (b) being disposed at a sufficient distance from the focusing element a periodic array of non-cylindrical, flat, non-spherical or polygonal base multi-band micro-focusing elements of at least a portion of the micro-image or image representation of at least one synthetically magnified image, the micro-focusing element comprising having a range from about 20 to about a 30 micron base diameter focusing element; and (c) a colored or metallic sealing or masking layer covering the array of microimages or image representations.

A document security device or security thread specifically for money is disclosed, comprising: (a) a planar array having an image representation of its in-plane symmetry axis, the image representation having a repeating period within the array; and (b) having The image of the in-plane symmetry axis illustrates a planar array of focusing elements having a repeating period within the array, the image being disposed substantially parallel to the planar array of image representations of the focusing element The planar array forms at least a portion of the composite enlarged image of the image representation at a sufficient distance from the image-capturing focusing element, wherein the system includes a planar array of the image representation, and the image illustrates a plane of the focusing element The array has a thickness of less than 50 microns, or the image shows that the focusing element has an effective diameter of less than 50 microns, or both.

And a synthetic magnification optical and security system comprising an image and a plurality of image focusing elements disposed in a plane associated with each other, wherein the system is tilted about an axis substantially parallel to a plane of the system At the time, at least one synthetically magnified image is formed which appears to move in a direction parallel to the tilt axis.

The present invention further provides a synthetic magnification micro-optic system and a method of fabricating the same, comprising: (a) one or more optical spacers; (b) a micro image composed of a planar array of image representations, the image representation having at least An axis of symmetry near one of the axes, and positioned on or near the optical spacer; and (c) an image of an axis of symmetry having at least one of its planar axes illustrating a planar array of focusing elements, the axis of symmetry As with the planar axis of the micro-image array, each focusing element is a polygonal base multi-band focusing element, or a lens that provides an enlarged field of view beyond the width of the associated image, such that the perimeter of the associated image representation does not fall within the view. Outside the field, or the non-spherical focusing element has an effective diameter of less than 50 microns.

The system can include one or more of the above effects. A method is provided whereby the effects are optionally included within the system.

The invention further provides a security device suitable for at least some companies, and for incorporating a security document, a label, a tear strip, a tamper indicating device, a sealing device or other authentication or security device, comprising at least one micro-optic system as described above . More specifically, the present invention provides a document security device and a method of fabricating the same, comprising: (a) one or more optical spacers; (b) a micro image composed of a planar array of image representations, the image representation having at least An axis of symmetry near one of the axes, and positioned on or near the optical spacer; and (c) an image of an axis of symmetry having at least one of its planar axes illustrating a planar array of focusing elements, the axis of symmetry Same as the plane axis of the micro image plane array, each focusing element is a polygonal base multi-band focusing element, or a lens providing an enlarged field of view beyond the width of the associated image, so that the periphery of the related image does not fall on Outside the field of view, or the non-spherical focusing element has an effective diameter of less than 50 microns.

In any one or more of the above embodiments, the image illustrates that the focusing element can have an F number equal to 4 or less, such as equal to 2 or less, or even equal to 1 or less. Moreover, the image illustrates that the focusing element can comprise a non-cylindrical lens or a non-cylindrical focusing mirror, or both.

Further, the present invention provides a visual enhancement device comprising at least one micro-optical system as described above, and having the above effects, for visual enhancement of clothes, skin care products, documents, printed materials, manufactured goods, merchandising systems, Packaging, purchasing presentation points, publications, advertising devices, sports goods, financial documents and transaction cards, and all other items.

In yet a further embodiment, a synthetic micro-optic system and security device is disclosed, comprising an in-plane image formed by an array or array of image representations and an array of focusing elements, the system fabricating at least two different synthetic images, This synthetic image job is used to modulate or control the length of occurrence of another synthetic image. In an exemplary form, the array of image representations is characterized by an area of the shaded or shaded area of the illustrated area or a non-illustrated area. The array of image representations forms an in-plane composite image, and the array of focusing elements interacts with the array of image representations to form individual composite magnified images for controlling the field of view of the in-plane image, and thus Modulates or controls the length of occurrence of an image in the plane. Thus, the presence of the in-plane image visually appears or disappears, either on or off, depending on the viewing angle of the system.

In a still further embodiment, a micro-optic system is disclosed, comprising: (a) an in-plane image having a boundary and an image region within the boundary, visually placed in a substantial plane of the substrate, the in-plane being disposed on the substrate (b) one or more control patterns of the illustration contained within boundaries of the in-plane image; and (c) an array of focusing elements positioned to form at least a portion of the one or more of the illustrations At least one synthetically magnified image of the control pattern, the synthetically magnified image providing a limited field of view to view the in-plane image that modulates the occurrence of the in-plane image.

The synthetically magnified image can be visually intersected with the synthesized magnified image of the image region of the in-plane image by itself moving to provide a field of view for viewing the in-plane image. Therefore, the in-plane image is visible when the synthesized magnified image is visually intersected with the image region of the in-plane image, and when the synthesized magnified image does not visually intersect with any portion of the image region of the in-plane image Invisible. The amount of image seen in the in-plane image can be determined by the amount by which the synthetically magnified image visually intersects the image region of the in-plane image.

As defined above, a security document or label having at least one security device is also provided that is at least partially embedded therein or mounted thereon.

Other systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the <RTIgt; All remaining systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention and are protected by the scope of the claims.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning meaning meaning All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference. In the event of a conflict, this specification, including definitions, will be controlled. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting.

Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Although many embodiments are described in conjunction with the drawings, the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. Conversely, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

For the sake of brevity and avoiding repeated explanations, all subsequent references to the following nouns will be understood as definitions, descriptions and details in the text. For convenience, the defined nomenclature will be apparently printed in the first example described in the specific embodiments.

Filler material shown - any material used to fill the microstructured graphic elements. The illustrated filler materials can be gases, liquids, gels, powders, solids, latexes, suspensions, composite materials, and combinations thereof. The illustrated fill material typically provides some property that is measurable or detectable different from the surrounding illustrated layer material. These different properties may provide optical effects, or they may provide properties for non-contact detection or identification of the material, or both. The combination of materials can be used to illustrate the filler material while providing the multiplicity of properties of the desired illustrated components.

The material properties of the filler material are shown to produce the desired optical effects including, but not limited to, transparency, opacity, refractive index, color distribution, scattering properties, pearl powder, protein light, iridescence, color reflection and color absorption, reflection Polarity properties of sex, linear, circular and elliptical, Raman or Rayleigh properties, optical rotation, fluorescence, luminescence, phosphorescence, two-photon effect, thermochemistry, pressure discoloration, photochromism, triboluminescence, electroluminescence, Electrochromic and magnetochromic. The illustrated filler material can be a simple material, or can be obtained as a mixture, combination, suspension, or other combination of multiple materials.

Graphical properties of the filler material that can produce the desired non-contact detection or identification properties include, but are not limited to, magnetic reaction, magnetization, charge separation, electrical reaction, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, dielectric strength, fluoresceness, luminescence , phosphorescence, two-photon effect, nuclear magnetic resonance, transparency, opacity, refractive index, color distribution, scattering properties, pearl powder, protein light, iridescence, color reflection and color absorption, reflective, linear, circular and elliptical Polarization properties, Raman or Rayleigh properties, radioactivity, radioactivity, optical rotation, thermochemistry, pressure discoloration, photochromism, triboluminescence, electroluminescence, electrochromism, and magnetochromism.

The illustrated filler material may preferably include a carrier material such as a monomer, oligo or polymer material, and combinations thereof, which are solvent curing, heat curing, oxidative curing, reaction curing, or radiation curing. An exemplary radiation curable photopolymer is Lord Industries' U107 photopolymer.

The optical, non-contact detection, and non-contact identification properties of the illustrated filler material can be modified by mixing or combining the following materials, such as, but not limited to, the materials: dyes, colorants, pigments, powder materials, inks, Powder minerals, magnetic materials and particles, magnetized materials and particles, magnetically reactive materials and particles, phosphors, liquid crystals, liquid crystal polymers, carbon black or other light absorbing materials, titanium dioxide or other light scattering materials, photonic crystals, nonlinear crystals, Nanoparticles, nanotubes, buckyballs, cloth based tubes, organic materials, pearlescent materials, powdered pearls, multilayer interference materials, opalescent materials, iridescent materials, low refractive index materials or powders, high refractive index materials or powders , diamond powder, structural pigments, polarized materials, polarized rotating materials, fluorescent materials, phosphorescent materials, thermochromic materials, pressure-changing materials, photochromic materials, triboluminescent materials, electroluminescent materials, electrochromic materials, Magnetically variable materials and particles, radioactive materials, radioactive materials, charge separation materials, and combinations thereof. Exemplary illustrated filler materials include photopolymer carriers such as Lord Industries' U107, which are based on submicron pigment powders to form a thick "ink".

Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Cladding material - any material used to coat the illustrated layer or the illustrated filler material, or to coat any layer of the corrugated amplification system, including but not limited to lenses, illustrated planes, illustrated layers, microstructured graphic elements Filler material, or any layer of material disposed, laminated or applied to the lens, the illustrated layer, or any layer of the interior or exterior of the lens, graphic layer, substrate or transparent substrate.

The cladding material typically provides properties that are detectably different from those of the illustrated layer, the illustrated fill material, the substrate, the transparent substrate, or other materials in the lens layer. These different properties may provide an optical effect, or they may provide non-contact detection or identification properties of the starting material, or both. A combination of materials can be used to coat the material while providing the multiplicity of properties of the desired cladding material.

Material properties of the coating material that produces the desired optical effect include, but are not limited to, transparency, opacity, refractive index, color distribution, scattering properties, pearl powder, protein light, iridescence, color reflection and color absorption, reflectivity, Linear, circular and elliptical polarization properties, Raman or Rayleigh properties, optical rotation, fluorescence, luminescence, phosphorescence, two-photon effects, thermochemistry, pressure discoloration, photochromism, triboluminescence, electroluminescence, electrophoresis Discoloration and magnetochromism. The covering material can be a simple material or a mixture, a combination, a suspension or other combination of multiple materials to obtain such properties.

The appropriate method of applying the cladding material depends on a number of factors, including the material properties and the desired function or effect of the material. Wet reduction reaction (like wet silver plating), electroless plating, electroplating, vapor deposition, sputtering, plasma spraying, molecular beam epitaxy, hot stamping, foil transfer, lamination and other appropriate and well-known methods And combinations thereof, metals, metal oxides, semiconductor coatings, and combinations thereof can be applied. Wet coating, spray coating, printing, lamination, chemical reaction on the surface of the graphic, inkjet, electrical printing, dip dyeing, crescent coating, wave coating, reactive coating and other suitable and well-known methods and combinations A coating material incorporating a liquid carrier material can be applied. Film or foil-based cladding materials can be applied by thermal embossing, foil transfer, lamination, and other suitable and well-known methods and combinations thereof.

The cladding material may preferably be an evaporated or sputtered metal such as aluminum, gold or silver, or a metal oxide such as indium-tin oxide or iron oxide. The coating material in combination with the filler material may preferably comprise a carrier material such as a monomer, oligo or polymer material and combinations thereof, which are solvent curing, heat curing, oxidative curing, reaction curing or radiation curing. An exemplary radiation curable photopolymer is Lord Industries' U107 photopolymer.

The optical, non-contact detection and non-contact identification properties of the coated carrier material may be modified by mixing or combining with any of the following materials, such as but not limited to: dyes, colorants, pigments, powder materials, inks. , powder minerals, magnetic materials and particles, magnetized materials and particles, magnetic reactive materials and particles, phosphors, liquid crystals, liquid crystal polymers, carbon black or other light absorbing materials, titanium dioxide or other light scattering materials, photonic crystals, nonlinear crystals , nano particles, nanotubes, cloth based balls, cloth base tubes, organic materials, pearl luminescent materials, powder pearls, multilayer interference materials, milky white materials, iridescent materials, low refractive index materials or powders, high refractive index materials or Powder, diamond powder, structural pigment, polarized material, polarized rotating material, fluorescent material, phosphorescent material, thermochromic material, pressure-changing material, photochromic material, triboluminescent material, electroluminescent material, electrochromic material , magnetically variable materials and particles, radioactive materials, radioactive materials, charge separation materials, and combinations thereof. Exemplary coating materials include, for example, the photopolymer carrier of Lord Industries U107, which is based on a submicron pigment powder to form a thick "ink".

The coating material can also be selected to provide physical, chemical, mechanical, primer or adhesion promoting properties.

Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Graphical component of the illustrated design or pattern, wherein the object type of the illustrated component, such as a character or logo, is colored, colored, metallized, or with the background of the illustrated component. the difference. In general, during the manufacturing process, the object type of the component being illustrated will obtain its own distinguishing properties before any distinguishing property is obtained or applied to the background of the component being illustrated.

Positive image - An image or composite image formed by the component being shown.

Negative graphic element - a graphic element of a graphic design or pattern, wherein the background of the graphic element is colored, colored, metallized, or distinguishable from the object type of the illustrated element, such as a character Or sign. Typically, during the manufacturing process, the background of the negative graphic element will obtain its own distinguishing properties before any distinguishing property or object type applied to the negative graphic element is obtained.

Negative image - An image or synthetic image formed by a negative graphic element.

Object-type of the illustrated component - a discrete and bounded graphical component of the design or pattern, such as a character or logo. In general, the article features of the illustrated components are preferably bounded by one, two, or three illustrated components or patterns, but may be more bounded.

The background of the illustrated component - the area of the unbounded line of the illustrated design or pattern surrounds the object type. Generally, the background of the illustrated elements or patterns continually spans multiple illustrated elements or patterns.

The substantially planar layer of the illustrated layer-microprint can be applied to the face of the substrate or transparent substrate, or can be a separate layer. A wide range of materials can be used for the illustrated layers including, but not limited to, thermoset polymers, thermoformed polymers, cast polymers, reactive cast polymers, radiation curable polymers, biopolymers, gels, starches, sugars, cesium polymerization , multilayer dielectric polymer film, solvent cast polymer, compression mold polymer, injection mold polymer, letterpress polymer, glass, metal oxide, diamond, aluminum oxide, photopolymer, photoresist, printing ink or styling Coating, inkjet printing coating, electroprinting coating, and combinations thereof.

The exemplary illustrated layer material is a photopolymer, such as the U107 photopolymer of Lord Industries. The illustrated layer may be a single material or may be combined with dyes, colorants, pigments, powder materials, inks, powder minerals, magnetic materials and particles, magnetized materials and particles, magnetically reactive materials and particles, phosphors, liquid crystals, liquid crystal polymers, Carbon black or other light absorbing materials, titanium dioxide or other light scattering materials, photonic crystals, nonlinear crystals, nanoparticles, nanotubes, cloth-based spheres, cloth-based tubes, organic materials, pearlescent materials, powder pearls, multilayer interference Materials, milky white materials, iridescent materials, low refractive index materials or powders, high refractive index materials or powders, diamond powders, structural pigments, polarized materials, polarized rotating materials, fluorescent materials, phosphorescent materials, thermochromic materials , pressure-changing materials, photochromic materials, triboluminescent materials, electroluminescent materials, electrochromic materials, magnetically variable materials and particles, radioactive materials, radioactive materials, charge separation materials and combinations thereof, and can enhance or change their optics, Other suitable materials for electrical, magnetic, nuclear magnetic resonance or other physical properties.

The exemplary illustrated layer material is Lord Industries' U107 photopolymer. Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Microstructured image element - a graphic element having a physical relief printing or a microstructure that can be formed in the illustrated layer by a number of suitable mechanisms, including thermoforming, casting, compression molding, injection molding, relief, styling Radiation exposure and development, laser exposure and development, inkjet printing, electrical printing, printing, engraving, electroforming, line drawing, photography, holographic photography, and well-known curing and etching or expansion processes, masking and precipitation processes , matte and chemical etching, masking and reactive etching, masking and ion milling, micro-mechanical, laser mechanical and laser melt loss, photopolymer exposure and development combined with other suitable mechanisms and combinations thereof Shoot exposure.

The microstructured image element is preferably a liquid photopolymer between a cast polymer substrate (typically PET) and a nickel plated microstructured image component tool, radiation cured the photopolymer, and an attached cured photopolymer It is formed by peeling off the polymer substrate from the nickel-plated microstructured image element tool.

Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Microstructured Image Component Tool and Method - A tool and method for forming a microstructured image component in a layer as illustrated by thermoforming, casting, compression molding, injection molding, relief, styling radiation exposure, and Development, electroforming, and photopolymer exposure and development. The tool can be manufactured by many similar and appropriate mechanisms, including thermoforming, casting, compression molding, injection molding, letterpress, styling radiation exposure and development, laser exposure and development, inkjet printing, electrical printing, printing, engraving, electricity. Casting, line drawing, photography, holographic photography, and well-known curing and etching or expansion processes, masking and deposition processes, masking and chemical etching, masking and reactive etching, masking and ion milling, micromachined, laser Laser exposure of mechanical and laser melt damage, photopolymer exposure and development, and other suitable mechanisms and combinations thereof.

The microstructured image component tool preferably produces the original microstructure, the conductive metallization of the microstructured photoresist surface, and the nickel plating of the conductive surface by optical exposure and development of the photoresist material on a hard substrate or a rigid transparent substrate. Produced by well-known methods.

Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Transparent substrate - any substantially planar and substantially optically transparent material including, but not limited to, glass, metal oxides, polymers, composite materials, biopolymers, sugars, celluloses, starches, gels, and combinations thereof, It is used to support an optical component of a uniform corrugated amplification system that optionally includes a microlens array and one or more illustrated image arrays. The PET polymer film is an exemplary substrate for the illustrated layer and corrugated amplification system of the present invention.

Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Substrate - any substantially planar material including, but not limited to, glass, metal, composite materials, metal oxides, polymers, biopolymers, sugars, cellulose, starch, gels, paper, fibrous materials, non-fibrous materials , foil, non-woven paper substitutes and combinations thereof. The PET polymer film is an exemplary substrate for the present invention.

Other attributes, materials, methods, mechanisms, and combinations thereof, which are not explicitly mentioned herein, are obviously understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Conformal cladding material - a coating material that conforms to the surface shape of the application. Sputtered metal cladding is typically conformal - it covers the vertical surface, the microstructured sidewalls, the relief regions, and the horizontal surface.

Non-conformal cladding material - a cladding material that does not conform to the applied surface shape. The evaporative metal cladding is typically non-conformal - it preferentially coats the horizontal surface, but insufficiently covers the vertical surface and the microstructured sidewalls, and does not enclose the relief region.

Directional Cladding Material - A coating material that preferentially coats a horizontal surface and a surface that has a vertical surface that is directed toward the general direction of the cladding source, but does not cover a surface that is directed away from the vertical surface of the general direction of the cladding source. The compensated or obstructed evaporating metal coating is an example of a directional cladding material: the flow of metal vapor is directed to a surface that is not substantially perpendicular to the angle such that the "near" surface of the microstructure will be coated, but the microstructure The "far" surface will be covered and uncoated.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1a depicts an embodiment of a micro-optic system 12 that provides positive parallax movement of one or more images of the system.

The system 12 microlens 1 has at least two axes of symmetry that are substantially equal and are arranged in a two-dimensional periodic array. The diameter of the lens 2 is preferably less than 50 μ, and the void space between the lenses 3 is preferably 5 μ or less. (We alternately use the nouns "μ" and "μm" to indicate the same size.) The microlens 1 focuses the image of the component 4 and projects the image 10 onto the viewer. This system is typically used for ambient illumination with normal levels, so the illumination of the illustrated image is generated by reflection or transmission of ambient light. The illustrated element 4 is an element having a periodic array of graphic elements that are substantially similar to the period and size of the lens array including lens 1. Between the lens 1 and the illustrated element 4 is an optical spacer 5 which may be continuous with the material of the lens 1, or alternatively an individual substrate 8 - in this embodiment, the lens 9 is separated from the substrate. The illustrated element 4 is optionally protected by a sealing layer 6, which is preferably a polymeric material. The sealing layer 6 can be transparent, translucent, colored, dyed, opaque, metallic, magnetic, optically variable, and any combination thereof, providing the desired optical effect and/or for The remaining functions for security and authentication purposes, including automated currency identification, verification, tracking, counting, and inspection system support, rely on optical effects, conductivity or capacitance, and magnetic field detection.

The total thickness 7 of the system is typically less than 50[mu]; the actual thickness depends on the F# of the lens 1 and the diameter of the lens 2, and the remaining security features or the thickness of the visual effect layer. The repetition period 11 of the illustrated element 4 is substantially the same as the repetition period of the lens 1; the "scaling ratio", i.e., the ratio of the repetition period of the illustration to the repetition period of the lens, is used to create a number of different visual effects. When the direction of the symmetry axis of the lens and the figure is deviated, the axial symmetry value of the scaling ratio is substantially equal to 1.0000, resulting in a uniform moving positive parallax effect, and the axial symmetry of the scaling ratio when the symmetry axis of the lens and the figure is substantially corrected. A value less than 1.0000 results in a consistent deep and consistent ultra-deep effect, and when the axis of symmetry of the lens and illustration is substantially corrected, the axial symmetry of the scaling ratio is greater than 1.0000, resulting in a consistent floating and consistent super-floating effect. The axial asymmetry values of the scaling ratio are, for example, 0.995 in the X direction and 1.005 in the Y direction, resulting in a uniform floating effect.

A consistent morphological effect can be obtained by zooming during lens repetition or during graphical repetition or by scaling deformation of the two, or by combining spatial changes to the graphical representation. By combining the spatial change information into the graphic pattern, a consistent 3-D effect can also be produced, but in the present embodiment, the information represents the difference of the three-dimensional object as seen from a specific position substantially corresponding to the position of the figure. View point.

Figure 1b presents an isometric view of the system, as depicted in cross-section in Figure 1a, with a square array pattern of lenses 1 and a repeating period 11 and an optical spacer thickness of 5 (Figure 1a is not a specific square array pattern) , but for all the regular period of the array pattern represents the cross section). The graphical component 4 is shown as a "$" image and is clearly seen in the front end cut-off section. Although there is a substantially one-to-one correspondence between the lens 1 and the illustrated element 4, the axis of symmetry of the lens array will not be correct, which is indeed corrected with the axis of symmetry of the illustrated array.

In the case of the embodiment of the uniform (positive parallax shifting) material of Fig. 1a-b having a zoom ratio of 1.0000, when the axis of the lens 1 is substantially corrected with the axis of the illustrated element 4, the resultant image of the illustrated component is synthesized (this In the example, the big "$") "photographic magnification" is amplified by a factor that is theoretically close to infinity. The slight misalignment of the axis of the lens 1 and the axis of the illustrated element 4 reduces the magnification factor of the composite image of the illustrated component and rotates the magnified composite image.

The moving composite image produced by the lens, the optical spacer, and the specific combination of the illustrations is specifically changed by the viewing angle shifting amount, and the matching amount is a part of the composite image repeating distance. For example, if a consistent moving material is presented that exhibits a composite image with a repeating distance of 0.25 inches, and when the viewing angle changes by 10 degrees, the composite images appear to have a positive parallax movement of 0.1 inches, then used to manufacture 1.0 inch The same lens, illustration and spacer with the same repeating distance of the synthetic image will show a large positive parallax shift of -0.4 inches proportionally when the viewing angle is changed by 10 degrees. The amount of positive parallax image movement is scaled to match the repeat distance of the resulting composite image. The relationship between the change in viewing angle and the scaling of the positive parallax movement depends on the F# of the lens used. For a change in the selected viewing angle, a low F# lens produces a smaller amount of positive parallax movement than a larger F# lens.

An exemplary lens for uniformly moving materials can have an F# of 0.8. One reason for the desired F# is to minimize the vertical difference between the image seen by the observer's left eye and the image seen by the right eye. The vertical difference is the vertical misalignment between the left eye and the right eye image - an image appears to be replaced vertically with respect to other images. Horizontal image differences are common and normal: they are one of the factors used by the eye-brain system to sense three-dimensional depth. Vertical images are often not encountered by people - if their optics are not coincident, they are sometimes seen in binoculars or binocular microscopes. Although horizontal images occur continuously in people's binocular vision, vertical images have never been different in nature, so people's ability to adapt to different vertical images is extremely limited. This adjustment requires a slight upward or downward look at the other eye. This is an unnatural experience, although it will not harm people, but it produces immediate physical perception in the viewer's eyes due to unaccustomed eye muscle movements. This physical perception has been described in various ways, from "it makes my eyes feel weird" to "this is not easy for me to see". This effect is presented regardless of the azimuthal direction of the view (ie, the uniformly moving material can be rotated at any angle in its plane without missing the effect). Any type of conventional printing does not cause this physical perception of the viewer.

Consistent moving materials can be designed to elicit this perception in the viewer by increasing the vertical difference of the image. Since the viewer's eyes are placed in a horizontal plane, the vertical image is different in the uniformly moving material. Since the left eye view is different from the horizontal angle from the right eye view system, the synthetic image seen by the left eye is replaced with the synthetic image in the right eye and positively in the vertical direction, so that the vertical image is manufactured differently. Vertical images differ in amounts less than the low F# lens and are generally not noticed by the viewer. However, the vertical image can be enhanced by a larger F# lens such as F# 2.0 or larger, so that vertical different perceptions are deliberately created in the viewer's eyes.

The advantage of creating an enhanced vertical image in a consistently moving material is that the physical perception that is triggered in the viewer is unique, immediate and automatic and can thus be used as a novel authentication method. No other known material provides similar perception from all viewing azimuth directions.

The embodiment of the synthetic magnification factor of consistently deep, uniformly floating, and uniformly floating is based on the angular correction of the axis of the lens 1 from the axis of the illustrated element 4, and the scaling ratio of the system. When the scaling ratio is not equal to 1.0000, the maximum amplification obtained from the substantial correction of the axes is equal to the absolute value of 1/(1.0000-(scaling ratio)). Thus a consistently deep material with a 0.995 scaling ratio will exhibit |1/(1.000-0.995)|=200x. Similarly, a consistent floating material with a 1.005 zoom ratio will also exhibit a maximum magnification of |1/(1.000-1.005)|=200x. In a manner similar to the embodiment of the uniformly moving material, the consistently deep, uniformly floating and uniformly floating lens 1 axis does not coincide with the slight angle of the axis of the illustrated element 4, reducing the magnification factor of the composite image of the illustrated element, And rotate the magnified composite image.

The synthetic image produced by the consistent deep or ultra-deep graphic pattern is the upper right relative to the orientation of the consistent deep or ultra-deep graphic pattern, while the synthetic image produced by the uniformly floating or super-floating graphic pattern is reversed. Rotate one hundred and eighty degrees (180°) relative to the orientation of a uniform floating or superfloating graphic pattern.

Figure 2a schematically depicts the counter-intuitive positive parallax image shifting effect seen in the consistent moving embodiment. The left side of Figure 2a depicts a consistent moving material 12 in a plan view of a swing or rotation 18 about a horizontal axis 16. If the synthetically magnified image 14 is moved in accordance with the parallax, it appears as an up-and-down replacement as the material 12 swings about the horizontal axis 16 (as shown in Figure 2a). The surface parallax movement is typically an actual object, a conventional print, and a holographic image. Instead of presenting the parallax shift, the synthetic magnified image 14 shows the positive disparity shift 20 - the movement perpendicular to the normal expected parallax shift direction. The right side of Figure 2a depicts a perspective view of a material 12 that exhibits a positive parallax shift of a single synthetically magnified image 14 as it swings 18 about a horizontal axis of rotation 16. The point contour 22 shows the position after the synthetically magnified image 14 is moved to the right by the front view axis, and the point outline 24 shows the position after the synthetically magnified image 14 is moved to the left by the front view axis.

The visual effects of the consistent deep and consistent floating embodiment are equally dimensioned in Figures 2b, c. In Fig. 2b, a uniform deep material 26 presents a synthetic magnified image 28 that, when viewed by the eye of the observer 30, appears to be physically mirrored below the plane of the uniform deep material 26. In FIG. 2c, a uniform floating material 32 presents a synthetic magnified image 34 that, when viewed by the eye of the viewer 30, appears to be physically mirrored over the plane of the uniform floating material 32. The consistent deep and uniform floating effect can be seen from all azimuth viewing positions and a wide height position, from the vertical height (such that the eye of the observer 30 to the uniform deep material 26 or the line of sight of the uniform floating material 32 is perpendicular to the material The surface is as low as a shallow height angle typically less than 45 degrees. The wide visibility of the angle and orientation of the uniform and consistent floating effect provides a simple and convenient method of simulating consistent deep and consistent floating materials using cylindrical lenticular optics or holographic photography.

2d-f shows the solid mirrored depth position of the composite magnified image 38 of the three different azimuthal rotations of the uniform floating material 36 as seen by the eye of the observer 30, and the uniform floating material 36 and the synthetic magnified image 38. The size of the corresponding plan view, depicting the effect of consistent floating embodiments. When the uniform floating material 36 is originally as shown in plan view, FIG. 2d depicts the synthetically magnified image 38 (hereinafter referred to as 'the image') as a solid mirror appearing in a plane placed below the uniform floating material 36. The dark black line in the plan view is used as the azimuth orientation reference 37 for illustration. Note that the orientation reference 37 in Figure 2d is corrected in the vertical direction and the image 38 is corrected in the horizontal direction. The image 38 appears because the zoom ratio is less than 1.000 along a first axis of the uniform floating material 36 that is substantially parallel to the line connecting the observer's binocular pupils (this will be referred to hereinafter as the 'scaling ratio of the solid mirror'). In a consistently deep position. The scaling of the solid mirror of the uniform floating material 36 is greater than 1.000 along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, as shown in Figure 2f, whereby the second axis is substantially parallel to the line of the observer pupil. A consistent floating effect of the image 38 is made. Please note that this orientation reference 37 is in a horizontal position in the figure. 2e depicts the intermediate azimuthal orientation of the uniform floating material 36, which produces a consistently moving positive parallax image effect due to the fact that the solid mirror of the azimuthal orientation has a zoom ratio of substantially 1.000.

As the material is azimuthal rotated, the uniform floating image 38 moves from below the uniform floating material 36 (Fig. 2d), up to the level of the uniform floating material 36 (Fig. 2e), and further up to the uniform floating material 36. Above the level (Fig. 2f), the visual effect can be enhanced by combining the consistent floating material 36 with conventional printed information. The depth of the conventionally printed unaltered solid mirror serves as a reference plane for better perception of the depth of the solid mirror of the image 38.

The illustrated "shadow image" can be seen when the consistent material is illuminated with a strong directional light source such as a 'dot' light source (eg, a spotlight or LED flash) or a collimated source (eg, daylight). These shadow images are unusual in many ways. Although the resultant synthetic image does not move in the direction of illumination, the resulting shadow image moves. In addition, although consistent synthetic images can be placed in a different plane than the plane of the material, the shadow image is always placed in the plane of the material. The color of the shadow image is the color of the icon. So the black icon creates a black shadow image, the green icon creates a green image, and the white icon creates a white shadow image.

The movement of the shadow image is related to the angle of illumination, which is related to a particular depth or movement consistent effect in a manner parallel to the visual effects presented in the composite image. Thus, as the viewing angle changes, the movement of the shadow image as the ray angle changes parallel to the movement displayed by the composite image.

The moving shadow image moves positively as the light source moves.

Dark shadow images move in the same direction as the light source.

The floating shadow image moves in the opposite direction of the light source.

The floating shadow image moves in the direction of the above synthesis.

The floating dark shadow image moves in the same direction as the light in the left-right direction, but opposite to the direction of the light in the up-down direction; the floating floating shadow image moves in the opposite direction of the light in the left-right direction, but with the up-down direction The direction of the light is the same; the floating moving shadow image shows a positive parallax movement relative to the light movement.

The consistent shape shadow image shows the morphological effect as the light source moves.

The remaining unusual shadow image effects are visible when, for example, the diverging point source of LED light is directed toward or away from the uniform film. When the light source is further away from its scatter line and closer to the approximate collimated ray, and the shadow image is generated due to the depth, the ultra-deep, floating or super-floating consistent composite image appears in the same size of the composite image. When the light is closer to the surface, the shadow image of the deep and ultra-deep material shrinks due to the strong divergence of the illumination, and the shadow image of the floating and super-floating material expands. Illuminating the materials with concentrated illumination causes the deep and ultra-dark shadow images to be enlarged to a size larger than the composite image, while the floating and super-floating shadow images are reduced.

The shadow image of the uniformly moving material does not significantly change the zoom as the divergence or aggregation of the illumination changes, but the shadow image rotates around the center of the illumination. When the divergence or aggregation of the illumination changes, the uniformly floating shadow image is reduced in one direction and enlarged in the vertical direction. Consistent morphological shadow images change with respect to a particular morphological pattern as the divergence or aggregation of illumination changes.

All of these shadow image effects can be used as the remaining identification methods for consistent materials for security, anti-counterfeiting, brand protection applications, and other similar applications.

Figures 3a-i are plan views showing the satisfaction factors for different types of symmetric two-dimensional arrays of various embodiments and microlenses. Figures 3a, d and g depict microlenses 46, 52 and 60, respectively, which are configured as a regular hexagonal array pattern 40. (Array pattern dashed lines 40, 42 and 44 represent the symmetry of the lens pattern, but do not necessarily represent any physical component of the lens array.) The lens of Figure 3a has a substantially circular base geometry 46, and the lens of Figure 3g has substantially The hexagonal base geometry 60, and the lens of Figure 3d has an intermediate base geometry with an incomplete hexagon 52. As seen in Figures 3b, e and h, a similar development in lens geometry is applied to the square array 42 of lenses 48, 54 and 62, wherein the lenses have a range from substantially circular 48 to incomplete square 54 to substantially square 62. Base geometry. Accordingly, as seen in Figures 3c, f and i, the equilateral triangle array 44 comprises a lens having a base geometry ranging from substantially circular 50 to incompletely triangular 58 to substantially triangular 64.

The lens pattern of Figures 3a-i is a lens that can be used in the present system. The void space between the lenses does not directly provide a synthetic magnification of the image. Materials made using these lens patterns will also include an array of illustrated elements that are placed in the same geometry with nearly the same scaling, allowing for scaling for consistent movement, consistent depth, consistent float, and consistent floating effects. difference. If the space of the void is large, such as shown in Figure 3c, the lens will have a low satisfaction factor and the contrast between the image and the background will be reduced due to light scattering from the illustrated elements. If the space of the gap is small, the lens will have a high satisfaction factor and the contrast between the image and the background will be high, providing the lens itself with good focus properties, and the illustrated elements are in the focal plane of the lens. It is generally easy to form high optical quality microlenses with round or nearly circular bases instead of square or triangular bases. A good balance of lens performance and void space minimization is shown in Figure 3d; the hexagonal array of lenses has a fully hexagonal base geometry.

Lenses with low F# are particularly suitable for this system. With regard to low F#, we are less than 4, especially for consistent movement of about 2 or lower. The low F# lens has a high curvature and a correspondingly large depression, or center thickness, as a function of its diameter. A typical uniform lens with a F# of 0.8, a 28 micron wide hexagonal base, and a center thickness of 10.9 microns. The typical Delwater lens of 50 micron diameter and 200 micron focal length has a F# of 4 and a center thickness of 3.1 microns. If scaled to the same base size, the uniform lens has a depression that is approximately six times larger than the Delincker lens.

We have found that polygonal base multi-tape lenses, such as hexagonal base multi-strip lenses, have important and unexpected advantages on a circular base spherical lens. As explained above, the hexagonal base multi-strip lens is significantly improved by virtue of its stress relief geometry, but the remaining undesired optical advantages are obtained through the use of a hexagonal base multi-strip lens.

I refer to these lenses as multi-band because they have three optical zones, each offering different and unique advantages of the subject invention. The three zones are the central zone (constituting a half of the lens), the side zone and the corner zone. The polygonal lenses have an effective diameter that is a circular diameter located within the corner region, surrounding the central region and including the side regions.

The central region of the hexagonal base multi-strip lens of the subject invention has a non-spherical form (for example, for a 28 micron diameter lens having a nominal 28 micron focal length, having [y = (5.1316E) x 4-(0.01679) ×3+(0.124931)×+11.24824] in the form defined, which directs light to at least one focus, and the spherical surface has the same diameter and focal length. 30 depicts the central region 780 focus property 782 (lens and substrate n=1.51) of a nominal 28 micron diameter hexagonal base multi-strip lens 784 having a nominal 28 micron focal length in a polymer substrate 786, and FIG. The central region 788 has a focus property 790 (lens and substrate n = 1.51) of a 28 micron diameter spherical lens 792 nominally 30 micrometers focal length in the polymer substrate 794. A comparison of the two figures clearly shows that the subject disclosure discloses at least a hexagonal base multi-strip lens 784 and a spherical lens 792. From a wide viewing angle, the central region 780 of the hexagonal base multi-strip lens 784 provides a high image resolution and a shallow depth field of view.

As depicted in Figure 32, the six side regions 796 of the hexagonal base multi-strip lens 784 of the subject invention each have a focal length that depends in a complex manner depending on the location of the region, but this effect results in The focus of the side region 796 extends beyond the range of values 798, including about +/- 10 percentage points of the focus of the central region. The vertical blur 798 of the focus effectively increases the depth of the field of view of the lens in the zones 796 and provides the advantage of having a flat field of view lens. The performance of the outer zone 800 of the spherical lens 792 can be seen in FIG. Compared to the hexagonal base multi-strip lens 784, the vertical blur of the focus 802 is significantly less for the spherical lens 792.

This is especially important for normal viewing: increased field of view depth, and effective beautification of the field of view, mitigating sudden image out of focus, which occurs in a spherical lens when the curved focal surface is separated from the illustrated plane. Thus, a consistent material is displayed using a uniform material of a hexagonal base multi-strip lens that fades away from the focus more gently at a higher viewing angle than the same consistent material using a spherical lens. This is desirable because it enhances the effective viewing angle of the material and thus enhances its usefulness as a security device or image rendering device.

The corner region 806 of the hexagonal base multi-strip lens 784 of Figure 32 possesses a divergent focus property that provides the unexpected advantage of scattering 808 ambient illumination to the illustrated plane, thereby reducing the sensitivity of the uniform material to the illumination condition. The spherical lens 792 of Fig. 33 does not scatter ambient illumination into a wide area (as seen by the absence of rays scattered to the illustrated planar area 804), so that compared to the uniform material made using a hexagonal base multi-strip lens, For angled viewing, a consistent material made with a spherical lens has a large composite image brightness variation.

Since the hexagonal base multi-strip lens has a higher satisfaction factor (the ability to cover the plane) than the spherical lens, the benefits obtained from the exemplary hexagonal base multi-strip lens are further amplified. The void space between the spherical lenses provides virtually no ambient light scattering, while the non-scattering area is smaller than in the case of a hexagonal base multi-strip lens.

It can thus be seen that even though the focus property of the hexagonal base multi-tape lens is lower than that of the spherical lens evaluated by the conventional optical standard, in the context of the subject invention hexagonal base multi-strip lens, the undesired provision on the spherical lens is provided. Benefits and advantages.

Each type of lens can benefit from additional scattering microstructures or into or into the lens void space to enhance the scattering of ambient illumination to the illustrated plane. In addition, the lens void space may be filled with a material that will form a small radius crescent shaped with gathered or divergent focus properties to direct ambient illumination to the illustrated plane. These methods can be combined, for example, into a crescent shaped fill material that incorporates light scattering particles into the lens voids. Alternatively, the lens void region can be originally fabricated with a suitable scattering lens void region.

Spherical lenses having such ratios are very difficult to manufacture because the high contact angle between the surface of the film and the edge of the lens serves as a pressure concentrator for applying the force separating the lens from the tool during manufacture. These high pressures fail to attach the lens to the film and the lens cannot be removed from the tool. In addition, the optical properties of the low F# spherical lens gradually compromised so that the radius region is far from the center of the lens: the low F# spherical lens cannot focus well except near its central region.

The hexagonal base lens has the unexpected and significant benefit of overcoming a substantially circular base lens: the hexagonal lens releases its tool with a lower peeling force than an optically equal lens with a substantially circular base. The hexagonal lens has a shape that is substantially axially symmetrically mixed into a hexagonal symmetry near the center and has a corner as a pressure concentrator at its base. The concentration of pressure induced by the corners of the pointed base reduces the overall peeling force required to separate the lens from its mold during manufacture. The amount of effect is substantial - the peeling force during manufacture is reduced by the factor of two or more hexagonal base lenses compared to a substantially circular base lens.

The image contrast of the material can be filled with a light absorbing (dark color) opaque coloring material to fill the lens void space, effectively reducing the mask forming the lens, and enhancing it. This eliminates the contrast reduction caused by light scattering through the illustrated layer of the lens void space. The additional effect of this void filling is that the surrounding illumination is blocked and cannot be transmitted to the illustrated plane through the void space, and the overall image becomes dark. As long as the surrounding lens area that blocks the offset is filled, the sharpness of the image produced by the lens with the surrounding out of focus can be improved by opaque colored void filling.

Different effects can be obtained by filling the lens void space with a white or bright colored material, or a material that matches the color of the substrate used as the material of conformity. If the filling of the bright colored lens voids is dense enough, and the illustrated plane is intensively contrasted with the background and the background, the consistent synthetic image will be substantially invisible when viewed with reflected light, when transmitted at the lens end. When the light is viewed, it will be clearly visible, but it will not be visible when viewed from the end of the diagram. This provides a novel security effect with unidirectionally transmitted images that are only visible in the transmitted light and visible only from one end.

Instead of or in addition to visible light pigments, a fluorescent material can be used in the coating of the lens voids to provide the remainder of the identification.

Figure 4 shows the effect of changing the scaling ratio of the solid mirror along the axis of the material, SSR (during the repeating of the illustrated elements / during the repetition of the lens array). A zone of a system with an SSR greater than 1.0000 will produce a consistent floating and super-floating effect, a zone with a SSR of substantially 1.0000 will produce a consistent mobile positive parallax shift (OPM) effect, and a zone with an SSR of less than 1.0000 will produce a consistent depth And consistent super deep effect. All of these effects can be generated and converted one by one in a variety of ways along the axis of the system membrane. This figure depicts one of the infinite combinations. The dashed line 66 represents the SSR value corresponding to substantially 1.0000, the consistent deep and uniform ultra deep and the uniform floating line between the uniform floating and the consistent super floating, and the SSR value presenting the OPM. In zone 68, the consistent material has an SSR of 0.995, which produces a consistently deep effect.

Adjacent is zone 70, where the SSR jumps from 0.995 to 1.005, creating a spatial transition from consistent deep to consistent floating effects. The SSR in the next zone 72 is 1.005, producing a consistent floating effect. The next zone 74 produces a smooth down-conversion from a consistent floating effect to a consistent deep effect. Zone 76 advances dramatically, from consistent deep effects to OPM, to consistent floating effects, and zone 78 down to OPM. Variations in the repeating period required to complete these effects are often very easy to accomplish in the component layer. In addition to changing the SSR in each zone, it may be necessary to change the angle of rotation of each zone of the array, preferably in the illustrated array of elements, to maintain a substantially similarly sized synthetically magnified image.

The easiest way to interpret the graph is to consider it as a section of the solid mirror depth that will be perceived as the entire axis of a system material. Thus, it is possible to create a solid mirror-shaped field of view of the image by local control of the SSR and optionally by corresponding local control of the array rotation angle, which is a visual surface for displaying the contour. The solid mirror surface can be used to represent an unlimited range of shapes, including faces. The creation of a pattern of graphic elements in a solid mirror or a period of time can be a particularly effective way to visually display complex surfaces.

Figures 5a-c are plan views depicting the effect of a rotating array pattern with respect to other types of material fabrication in the present system. Figure 5a shows a lens array 80 having a regular periodic array spacing 82 without substantially changing the angle of the array axis. Figure 5b shows an illustrated array of elements 84 having an increasingly varying array axis azimuth angle 86. As illustrated, if the lens array 80 is coupled to the illustrated array of elements 84 by means of a translation lens array on the illustrated array, the resulting visual effect is shown in Figure 5c. In Figure 5c, a pattern of synthetic magnified images 89, 90, 91 is produced via bonding of the material 88 made by the lens array 80 and the illustrated array 84, which changes the scaling and rotates the entire material. The upper edge of the image 89 toward the material 88 is large and shows a small rotation. The image 90 is smaller toward the upper midsection of the material 88 and is rotated through a significant angle relative to the image 89. The different scaling and rotation between images 89 and 91 is a result of the difference in angles between the lens pattern 82 and the illustrated component pattern 86.

6a-c depict a method of shaping a composite magnified OPM image 98 into another composite magnified image 102 as the first image moves across the boundary 104 of the illustrated component patterns 92 and 94. The illustrated component pattern 92 has a circular graphic element 98 that is shown in the enlarged insert 96. The illustrated component pattern 94 has a star-shaped graphical element 102 that is shown in the magnified insert 100. The illustrated component patterns 92 and 94 are not individual objects but are joined at their boundaries 104. When the materials are combined using the combined graphic elements, the final OPM image will show the deformation effects depicted in Figures 6b and c. Figure 6b shows an OPM circular image 98 that moves to the right 107, across the boundary 104 and from that boundary, and likewise, the star image 102 also moves to the right. The image 106 is converted as it crosses the boundary, partially rounded and partially star shaped. Figure 6c shows the image after it has moved further to the right: image 98 is now closer to boundary 104, and image 106 completes its shape almost completely across the boundary, from a circle to a star. By creating a transition zone from a graphical component pattern to other styles instead of having a hard boundary 104, the deformation effect can be accomplished in a less abrupt manner. In the transition zone, the illustration will gradually change from a circle to a star via a series of stages. The smoothness of the visual form of the final OPM image will depend on the number of stages used for the conversion. The range of possibilities for graphics is endless. For example, the transition zone can be designed such that the circle appears to be reduced, while the pointed star point traverses upwards, or on the other hand the rounded side can appear concave to create a sharp, star-shaped star, which gradually Sharpen until the final design is reached.

Figures 7a-c are cross sections of the material of the system depicting another embodiment of the illustrated elements. Figure 7a depicts a material with lens 1 and optical spacer 5 separated from the illustrated element 108. The illustrated element 108 is formed from a colorless, colored, colored or tinted material applied to the underside of the optical spacer 5. Any of a number of common printing methods, such as inkjet, laser, letterpress, flexographic, gravure, and die, can be used to place such graphic elements 108 as long as the print resolution is good.

Figure 7b depicts a similar material system with different embodiments of the illustrated elements 112. In the present embodiment, the illustrated element is formed from a pigment, dye or particle embedded in the support material 110. Examples of the present embodiment of the illustrated element 112 in the support material 110 include: silver particles in the gel, like photographic emulsion, colored or dyed ink that is absorbed into the ink receiver, dye sublimation converted to dye receiver coating, And photochromic or thermochromic images in the imaging film.

Figure 7c depicts a microstructured method of forming the illustrated element 114. This approach has the benefit of almost unlimited spatial resolution. The illustrated element 114 can be formed by the microstructures 113 or voids in the solid region 115, either alone or in combination. The voids 113 are optionally filled or coated with another material such as a vaporized metal, a material having a different refractive index, or a dyed or colored material.

Figures 8a, b depict positive and negative embodiments of the illustrated components. Figure 8a shows a component 116 being illustrated with a contrasting transparent background 118 being a colored, tinted or tinted background 120. Figure 8b shows a negative graphic element 122 whose contrasting colored, tinted or tinted background 120 is a transparent background 118. The materials of the system are optionally combined with both positive and negative graphic elements. The present method of making positive and negative graphic elements is particularly applicable to the microstructured graphic element 114 of Figure 7c.

Figure 9 shows a cross section of an embodiment of the pixel material of the present system. This embodiment includes a region having a short focus lens 124 and other regions having a long focus lens 136. The short focus lens 124 projects an image 123 of the component 129 illustrated in the illustrated plane 128 of the focal plane of the lens 124. The long focus lens 136 projects an image 134 of the illustrated element 137 in the illustrated plane 132 disposed in the focal plane of the lens 136. Optical spacer 126 isolates short focus lens 124 from its associated illustrated plane 128. The long focus lens 136 is separated from its associated illustrated plane 132 by the sum of the thicknesses of the optical spacer 126, the illustrated plane 128, and the second optical spacer 130. The illustrated element 137 in the second illustrated plane 132 is located outside of the focal depth of the short focus lens 124 and thus does not form a distinct synthetically magnified image in the short focus lens area. In a similar manner, the illustrated element 129 is too close to the long focus lens 136 to form a distinct synthetically magnified image. Thus, the area of the material having the short focus lens 124 will display the image 123 of the illustrated element 129 while the area of the material having the long focus lens 136 will display the image 134 of the illustrated element 137. The projected images 123 and 134 may differ in design, color, OPM direction, synthetic magnification factor, and effects including deep, uniform, floating, and floating effects described above.

Figure 10 is a cross section of another embodiment of the pixel material of the present system. This embodiment includes an area of the lens 140 raised by the lens support 144 above the base of the non-raised lens 148. The focal length of the elevated lens 140 is a distance 158, and the focus of the lenses is placed in the first illustrated plane 152. The focal length of the non-elevating lens 148 is a distance 160, and the focus of the lenses is placed in the second illustrated plane 156. The two focal lengths 158 and 160 are similar or non-similar. The raised lens 140 projects an image 138 of the illustrated element 162 in a pictorial plane 152 disposed at a focal plane of the lens 140. The non-elevating lens 148 projects an image 146 of the illustrated element 164 disposed in the illustrated plane 156 of the focal plane of the lens 148. The raised lens 140 is isolated from its associated graphic element 162 by the sum of the thicknesses of the lens support 144 and the optical isolation 150. The non-elevating lens 148 is isolated from its associated graphic element 164 by the sum of the thicknesses of the optical isolation 150, the illustrated layer 152, and the illustrated spacer 154. The illustrated element 164 in the second illustrated plane 156 is located outside of the focal depth of the raised lens 140 and thus does not form a distinct synthetically magnified image in the raised lens area. In a similar manner, the illustrated element 152 is too close to the non-raised lens 148 to form a distinct synthetically magnified image. Thus, the area having the material that raises the lens 140 will display the image 138 of the illustrated element 162, while the area of the material having the non-raised lens 148 will display the image 146 of the illustrated element 156. The projected images 138 and 146 may differ in design, color, OPM direction, synthetic magnification factor, and effects including deep, uniform, floating, and floating effects.

Figures 11a, b are cross-sectional views depicting a non-refracting embodiment of the present system. Figure 11a depicts an embodiment that uses a focusing mirror 166 instead of a refractive lens to project an image 174 of the illustrated element 172. The illustrated layer 170 is placed between the viewer's eyes and the focusing optics. Focusing mirror 166 can be metallized 167 to achieve high focusing efficiency. The illustrated layer 170 is maintained by the optical spacer 168 a distance equal to the focal length of the mirror. Figure 11b discloses a pinhole optical embodiment of the present material. The upper layer 176, which is preferably black so as to contrast the enhanced opacity, is perforated by the aperture 178. Optical spacer element 180 controls the field of view of the system. The illustrated element 184 in the illustrated layer 182 is imaged via aperture 178 in a manner similar to the pinhole optics of a pinhole camera. Since a small amount of light passes through the aperture, this embodiment is most effective when illuminated rearwardly, first passing light through the illustrated plane 182 and then through aperture 178. The effects of each of the above embodiments, such as OPM, deep, floating, and floating, can be fabricated using a reflective system design or a pinhole optical system design.

12a, b are cross-sectional views comparing the structure of a fully refractive material 188 having a hybrid refractive/reflective material 199. Figure 12a depicts an exemplary structure with isolation from the illustrated plane 194 by optical spacers 198. The selected sealing layer 195 contributes to a total refractive system thickness 196. Lens 192 projects image 190 to a viewer (not shown). The hybrid refractive/reflective material 199 includes a microlens 210 having a graphic plane 208 directly below. Optical spacer 200 isolates lens 210 and the illustrated plane 208 from reflective layer 202. The reflective layer 202 can be metallized, such as by evaporating or sputtering aluminum, gold, ruthenium, chromium, ruthenium, by chemically arranging silver or by consuming uranium or silver by means of multiple layers of interference films. Light scattered from the illustrated layer 208, reflected from the reflective layer 202, passes through the illustrated layer 208 and into the lens 210, which projects the image 206 to a viewer (not shown). The two graphs are drawn at approximately the same scale: visually, the total system thickness 212 of the hybrid refraction/reflection system 199 is approximately half of the total system thickness 196 of the total refraction system 188. An exemplary size of the equivalent system, the total refractive system 188 thickness 196 is 29μ, and the total hybrid refractive/reflective system 199 thickness 212 is 17μ. The thickness of the refractive/reflective system can be further reduced by scaling. Thus, a hybrid system having a lens having a diameter of 15 μ can be made with a total thickness of about 8 μ. The effects of each of the above embodiments, such as OPM, deep, floating, floating, Morph, and 3-D, can be fabricated using a hybrid refraction/diffraction design.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the embodiment of the 'peeling out to present' tamper indicating material of the present system. The image is not displayed in this embodiment until it is tampered with. The tamper-free structure is shown in region 224, wherein refractive system 214 is optically hidden beneath top layer 216 comprising selected substrate 218 and peelable layer 220 that is angled to lens 215. The peelable layer 220 effectively forms a negative lens structure 220 that is mounted over the positive lens 215 and counteracts its optical power. Lens 215 is unable to form an image of the illustrated layer in the untampered region, and scattered light 222 from the illustrated plane is not in focus. The top layer 216 can include a selected film substrate 218. The tamper shown in region 226 causes the top layer 216 of the refractive system 214 to be released to expose the lens 215 such that it can form an image 228. Each of the effects of the above embodiments, such as OPM, deep, floating, and floating, may be included in the tampering indication 'strip to show' system of the type of FIG.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view depicting an embodiment of the 'peeling to change' tamper indicating material of the system. This embodiment displays the first image 248 of the first graphical image 242 prior to tampering 252, and then displays the second image 258 in region 254 after being tampered with. An untampered structure is shown in region 252, wherein two refractive systems 232 and 230 are stacked. The first illustrated plane 242 is placed under the lens 240 of the second system. The first or upper system 232 presents an image of the first graphical plane 242 prior to tampering in zone 252. The second illustrated plane 246 is too far outside the depth of focus of the lens 234 to form a distinct image. The first lens 234 is isolated from the second lens 240 by a selected substrate 236 and a peelable layer 238 that is a conformal to the second lens 240. The peelable layer 232 effectively forms a negative lens structure 238 that is mounted over the positive lens 240 and counteracts its optical power. The top layer 232 can include a selected film substrate 236. The tampering result in the peel 256 of the top layer 232 is displayed in the region 254 from which the second lens 240 is exposed such that it forms the image 258 of the second graphic layer 246. Since the illustrated layer is too close to the lens 240, the second lens 240 does not form an image of the first graphic layer 242.

This embodiment of the tamper indicating material is highly suitable for use as a tape or label for an article. The tamper releases the top layer 232, leaving the second system 230 attached to the object. This embodiment presents a first image 248 prior to tampering. After tampering 254, the second system 230 still attaches the object, presenting the second image 258, while the peeling layer 256 does not present the image at all. Each of the effects of the above embodiments, such as OPM, deep, floating, and floating, may be included in the first system 232 or the second system 230.

Note that another embodiment accomplishes an effect similar to that of Fig. 14i, with two other systems laminated to each other. In this embodiment, when the upper layer is peeled off, the first graphic plane and its image are used to reveal the second system and its image.

Figures 15a-d are cross-sectional views showing various double-sided embodiments of the present system. Figure 15a depicts a double-sided material 260 that includes a single illustrated plane 264 that is imaged 268 on one side by lens 262 and imaged 270 on the opposite side by a second set of lenses 266. The image 268 (shown) seen from the left is the in-mirror image of the image 270 seen from the right. The illustrated plane 264 may include illustrated elements that are symbols or images that appear similar to images in the mirror, or that are in the form of a different element than the one in the mirror, or a combination of the illustrated elements, where The illustrated component is correctly read during the side view and the other illustrated component is correctly read when viewed from the other side. Each of the above embodiments of OPM, deep, floating, and floating can be displayed from either side of the double-sided material according to the present embodiment.

Figure 15b depicts another double sided embodiment 272 having illustrated planes 276 and 278 imaged 282 and 286 by two sets of lenses 274 and 280, respectively. This embodiment is essentially two separate systems 287 and 289, such as depicted in Figure 1a, with the illustrated layer spacers 277 interposed therebetween. The thickness of the illustrated layer spacer 277 will determine the extent to which the 'wrong' graphic layer is imaged 284 and 288 by a set of lenses. For example, if the thickness of the illustrated spacer 277 is zero such that the illustrated layers 276 and 278 are in contact, then the second illustrated layer is imaged by the two sets of lenses 274 and 280. In another example, if the thickness of the illustrated spacer 277 is substantially greater than the depth of the focus of the lenses 274 and 280, the 'wrong' graphic layer will not be imaged by the lenses 274 and 280. In yet another example, if the depth of the focus of one set of lenses 274 is large, but the depth of the focus of the other sets of lenses is small (because lenses 274 and 280 have different F#), then the second illustrated plane 276 and 278 will image 282 via lens 274, but only one of the illustrated planes 278 will be imaged via lens 280, so this type of material will display two images from one side, but only one of the images will be displayed from the opposite side. Each of the above embodiments of OPM, deep, floating, and floating may be displayed from either side of the double-sided material in accordance with the present embodiment, and the projected images 282 and 286 may be the same or different colors.

Figure 15c shows yet another double-sided material 290 having a colored patterned layer spacer 298 with the lens on one side of the restraining material seeing the 'wrong' set. Lens 292 image 294 illustrates layer 296, but the illustrated layer 300 cannot be imaged due to the appearance of colored layer 298. Likewise, lens 302 image 304 illustrates layer 300, but the illustrated layer 296 cannot be imaged due to the appearance of colored patterned layer 298. Each of the above embodiments of OPM, deep, floating, and floating may be displayed from either side of the double-sided material in accordance with the present embodiment, and the projected images 294 and 304 may be the same or different colors.

Figure 15d discloses an embodiment of a further double-sided material 306 having a lens 308 that images 318 the illustrated layer 314, and an opposite side imaging 322 that illustrates the lens 316 of layer 310. The illustrated layer 310 is in close proximity or substantially in contact with the base of the lens 308, and the illustrated layer 314 is in close proximity or substantially in contact with the base of the lens 316. The illustration 310 is too close to the lens 308 to form an image, so its light scatters 320 instead of focusing. The illustration 314 is too close to the lens 316 to form an image, so its light scatters 324 instead of focusing. Each effect of the above embodiments of OPM, deep, floating, and floating may be displayed from either side of the double-sided material in accordance with the present embodiment, and the projected images 318 and 322 may be the same or different colors.

16a-f are cross-sectional views and corresponding plan views depicting three different methods of fabricating grayscale or hue graphical component shapes and subsequent synthetic magnified images using the present system. 16a-c are cross-sectional details of the illustrated end of material 307, including a portion of optical spacer 309 and a transparent microstructured layer 311. The illustrated elements are formed as embossed surfaces 313, 315, 317 which are then filled with colored or dyed materials 323, 325, 327, respectively. The lower end of the illustrated layer is optionally sealed with a sealing layer 321 which may be transparent, colored, colored, tinted or colored, or opaque. The embossed microstructures of the illustrated elements 313, 315, and 317 provide varying thickness variations of the tinted or colored fill materials 323, 325, and 327, respectively, as seen in plan view, varying in optical density of the fabricated components. The plan views corresponding to the illustrated elements 323, 325, and 327 are plan views 337, 339, and 341. The use of methods for making grayscale or tonal synthetic magnified images is not limited to the example details disclosed herein, but is generally applicable to the manufacture of unlimited grayscale image variations.

Figure 16a includes an illustrated element 313, a tinted or colored graphical element fill 323, and a corresponding plan view 337. The cross-sectional view of the illustrated plane at the top of the figure can only show a cutting plane through the illustrated elements. The position of the cutting plane is indicated by dashed lines 319 through plan views 337, 339 and 341. Thus, the cross-section of the illustrated element 313 is a plane that illustrates the element through a substantially hemispherical shape. The hue or gray scale, optical density variation represented in plan view 337 is made by appropriately limiting the overall dye or pigment density of fill 323, the thickness variation of dyed or colored fill 323. An array of such illustrated elements can be synthetically magnified in the material system to produce an image showing equal grayscale variations.

Figure 16b includes an illustrated element 315, a tinted or colored graphical element fill 325, and a corresponding plan view 339. Plan view 339 shows an embossed representation of the illustrated element 315 as a face. The change in hue in the image of the face is complex, as shown by the complex thickness variation 325 in the cross-sectional view. With respect to the disclosed related graphical elements 313, an array of such illustrated components, such as 315, 325, and 339, can be synthesized and magnified in the present material system to produce an equivalent gray showing the image of the representative surface in this example. An image with a scaled change.

Figure 16c includes an illustrated element 317, a tinted or colored fill 327, and a corresponding plan view 341. In a manner similar to that discussed above with respect to Figures 16a, b, the relief shape of the illustrated element structure results in the appearance of a tinted and colored fill 327, and a change in hue in a synthetically magnified image produced by the material system. The illustrated element 317 depicts a method of making a bright center in a complete surface compared to the effect of the graphic element 313 that produces a dark center in a complete surface.

16d, e disclose another embodiment 326 comprising a transparent relief microstructured layer 311 of the illustrated elements 329 and 331 that coats the high refractive index material 328. The illustrated layer 311 can be sealed with a selected sealing layer 321 that fills the illustrated elements 329 and 331, 330 and 332, respectively. The high refractive index layer 328 creates its own reflection by total internal reflection to enhance the visibility of the slanted surface. The plan views 342 and 344 present representative images of the appearance of elements 329 and 331 and their synthesized magnified images. The high refractive index coating embodiment provides an edge-enhancing effect without the addition of pigments or dyes to make the illustration and its image visible.

Figure 16f discloses yet another embodiment 333 of a transparent embossed microstructure 335 that uses an air, gas or liquid amount 336 to provide a visual definition of the phase interface 334 microstructure. The selected sealing layer 340 may or may not contain a selected adhesive 338 to trap the air, gas or liquid amount 336. The visual effect of the phase interface graphic elements is similar to the visual effects of the high refractive index coated graphic elements 329 and 331.

Figures 17a-d are cross-sectional views showing the system used as a laminate film for printing information, such as I.D. cards and driver's licenses, wherein material 348 (including a coordinated microarray of lenses and images described above) covers a substantial proportion of the surface. Figure 17a depicts a consistent embodiment for lamination on printing 347. Material 348 having at least some of the optical transparency in the illustrated layer is laminated with a laminate adhesive 350 as a fibrous substrate 354, such as a paper or paper substitute, covering or partially covering the printing element 352, which has previously been applied to the fibrous substrate 354. . Since the material 348 is at least partially transparent, the printing element 352 can be seen through, and the effect of the combination is to provide a dynamic image effect of the system in combination with static printing.

Figure 17b shows an embodiment of a system material for lamination onto a printing element 352 that is applied to a non-fiber substrate 358, such as a polymeric film. As shown in Figure 17a, material 348 having at least some of the optical transparency in the illustrated layer is laminated with a laminating adhesive 350 as a non-fibrous substrate 358, such as a polymer, metal, glass, or ceramic substitute, covered or partially covered. Printing element 352, which has previously been applied to fiber substrate 354. Since the material 348 is at least partially transparent, the printing element 352 can be seen through, and the effect of the combination is to provide a dynamic image effect in combination with static printing.

Figure 17c depicts the use of a printing element directly on the lens end of material 360. In this embodiment, material 348 has a printing element 352 that is applied directly to the upper lens surface. This embodiment does not require that the material be at least partially transparent: the printing element 352 is placed on top of the material and a dynamic image effect is visible around the printing element. In this embodiment, material 348 is used as the base for the final product, such as currency, identification cards, and other items that require identification or identification of another item.

Figure 17d depicts the use of a printing element directly on the illustrated end of the at least partially transparent material 362. Printing element 352 is applied directly to the illustrated layer or sealing layer of at least partially transparent system material 348. Since the system material 348 is at least partially transparent, the printing element 352 can be seen through, and the effect of the combination is to provide a dynamic image effect in combination with static printing. In this embodiment, system material 348 is used as the base for the final product, such as currency, identification cards, and other items that require identification or identification of another item.

Each of the embodiments of Figures 17a-d can be used alone or in combination. Thus, for example, system material 348 can be over printed (Fig. 17c) and printed back (Fig. 17d), and then selectively laminated over the print on the substrate.

(Fig. 17a, b). For example, combinations of counterfeiting, simulation, and tamper resistance that further enhance the material of the system.

Figures 18a-f are cross-sectional views depicting the application of the system, or combining various substrates and printing information. The embodiment of Figures 18a-f differs from the embodiment of Figures 17a-d, which disclose system material 348 covering most or all of the items, while the embodiment of the present disclosure reveals that the system material or its optical effect is substantially absent Covers the entire surface, but covers only part of the surface. FIG. 18a depicts an at least partially transparent system material 364 attached to a fibrous or non-fibrous substrate 368 with an adhesive element 366. The selected printing element 370 has been applied directly to the upper lens of the surface of the material 364. Printing element 370 can be a partially larger pattern that extends beyond the material 364. This material 364 is selectively laminated over the printing element 372, which has been applied to the fiber or non-fiber substrate prior to the application of the material 364.

FIG. 18b depicts an embodiment of a single-sided system material 364 incorporating a non-optical substrate 378 as a window, wherein edges of at least some of the system material 364 are occupied, covered, or surrounded by a non-optical substrate 378. Printing element 380 is optionally applied to the top end of the lens surface of the system material, and the printing elements can be corrected or corresponding to printing element 382 that is applied to non-optical substrate 378 adjacent the area of printing element 380. Likewise, printing element 384 can be applied to the opposite side of the non-optical substrate that corrects or corresponds to printing element 386 that is applied to the graphic or sealing layer 388 of system material 364. When viewing material from the lens end, the effect of such a window will be apparent and there will be no image when viewed from the end of the drawing, thus providing a one-way image effect.

Figure 18c shows an embodiment similar to Figure 18b, except that system material 306 is a double-sided material 306 (or other two-sided embodiment described above). The functions of printing elements 390, 392, 394, and 396 substantially correspond to the previously described printing elements 380, 382, 384, 386. When viewing materials from the opposite side, the effect of such material windows will present different distinct images. For example, a window incorporated into a currency document may display a numerical denomination of the banknote, such as "10" when viewed from the front of the banknote, but when viewed from the back of the banknote, the consistent window may display different information, such as "USA", which may To be the same color as the first image, or a different color.

Figure 18d depicts a transparent substrate 373 as an optical spacer of material formed by the regions of lens 374 of limited length, and a patterned layer 376 extending substantially beyond the area of lens 374. In this embodiment, the effect will only be visible in this region including the lens and illustration (corresponding to lens region 374 in the figure). Both the lens 374 and the adjacent substrate are optionally printed 375, and the printing elements can be applied to the illustrated layer 376 or to a sealing layer that covers the selection of the illustration (not shown - see Figure 1). After the mode of the embodiment, the multi-lens lens area can be used on the object; regardless of the placement position of the lens area, a uniform effect can be seen; for each lens area, the size of the image, the rotation, and the depth position of the solid mirror And OPM properties can be different. This embodiment can be applied to an application for an ID card, a credit card, a driver's license, and the like.

Figure 18e shows an embodiment similar to Figure 18d, except that the illustrated plane 402 does not extend substantially beyond the length of the lens zone 400. Optical spacer 398 isolating lens 400 from diagram 402. Printing elements 404 and 406 correspond to printing elements 375 and 377 in Figure 18d. Following the manner of this embodiment, the multiplexed zone 400 can be used on objects; each zone can have individual effects. This embodiment can be applied to an application for an ID card, a credit card, a driver's license, and the like.

Figure 18f depicts an embodiment similar to Figure 18d, except that this embodiment incorporates an optical spacer 408 with its isolation lens 413 and illustrated plane 410. Lens 413 extends substantially beyond the perimeter of illustrated area 412. Printing elements 414 and 416 correspond to printing elements 375 and 377 in Figure 18d. After the mode of the embodiment, the multi-lens lens area can be used on the object; the effect can be seen regardless of the placement position of the lens area; for each lens area, the size of the image, the rotation, and the depth position of the solid mirror And OPM properties can be different. This embodiment can be applied to an application for an ID card, a credit card, a driver's license, and the like.

19a, b depict a cross-sectional view of a focused field of view comparing a focus field of a spherical lens with a flat field aspheric lens when incorporating a structure of the type described above. Figure 19a depicts a substantially spherical lens applied to the above system. In essence, the spherical lens 418 is isolated from the illustrated plane 422 by optical spacers 420. The image 424 projected perpendicular to the surface of the material is from the focus 426 within the illustrated layer 422. Since the focus 426 is located within the illustrated layer 422, the image 424 is the precise focus. When the lens is viewed from an oblique angle, since the corresponding focus 430 is no longer in the plane of the drawing, the image 428 is blurred and out of focus and exceeds the substantial distance. Arrow 432 shows the curvature of field of the lens, equal to the curve of focus 426 to 430. The focus is located throughout the illustrated plane of zone 434, which facilitates external movement of the illustrated plane in zone 436. Lenses suitable for use in conforming to the printed image or illustrated plane typically have a low F#, typically less than one, producing a very shallow depth of focus - effectively using a higher F# lens with deep and floating effects, but when used consistently When moving the effect, a commensurate vertical binocular is formed, which is different from the effect described in the text. Once the lower limit focus depth moves outside the plane of the illustration, the image clarity drops rapidly. As can be seen from this figure, the curvature of field of the spherical lens substantially limits the field of view of the image: the image is clearly located only within the focus area 434, and the more oblique viewing angle is rapidly out of focus. Substantially the spherical lenses are not flat field lenses, and the field curvature of the lenses is amplified to a low F# lens.

Figure 19b depicts a non-spherical lens applied to the present system. Regarding the non-spherical lens, its curvature is not close to the ball. The aspherical lens 438 is separated from the illustrated layer 442 by an optical spacer 440. The aspherical lens 438 projects an image 444 of the illustrated plane 442 that is perpendicular to the plane of the material. This image is produced at focus 446. Since the aspherical lens 438 has a flat field of view 452, its focal length is placed within the illustrated plane 442 to provide a wide viewing angle, from a vertical viewing angle 444 to a tilted viewing angle 448. The focal length of the lens changes depending on the viewing angle through it. This focal length is the shortest at the vertical viewing angle 444 and increases as the viewing angle becomes more oblique. At the oblique viewing angle 448, the focus 450 is still within the thickness of the illustrated plane, and the oblique image is thus still at the focus when tilting the viewing angle 448. The focus area 454 of the aspherical lens 438 is larger than the focus area 434 of the substantially spherical lens 418. The aspherical lens 438 thus provides an enlarged field of view across the width of the associated image representation such that the perimeter of the associated image representation does not fall outside of the figure as compared to the field of view of the spherical lens 418. Aspherical lenses are preferred for the present system due to the increased field of view provided and the increased visibility of the associated images produced.

Figures 20a-c are cross-sectional views depicting two benefits derived from the utility of using a thick graphic layer. Applications of These Benefits Regardless of whether the lens 456 used for viewing is a substantially spherical lens 418 or a non-spherical lens 438, the greatest benefit is the incorporation of a non-spherical lens 438. FIG. 20a depicts a thin graphic layer 460 system material that includes a lens 456 that is isolated from the illustrated layer 460 by an optical spacer 458. In contrast to the field of view curvature of the lens 463, the illustrated element 462 is a thin graphical element 461 that limits the focus area to a small angle, i.e., the image projected in the vertical direction 464 and the highest tilt angle of the focus 470 in the illustrated layer 460. The angle between images 468. The maximum field of view is obtained by designing the vertical image focus 466 at the bottom of the illustrated plane to maximize the tilted field of view angle, limited by the point at which the focus 470 is placed at the top of the illustrated plane. The field of view of the system in Figure 20a is limited to 30 degrees.

Figure 20b depicts the benefit obtained by the combination of the illustrated plane 471, which is a thick graphical plane 472 compared to the field of view curvature of the lens 456. Lens 456 is isolated from thick graphic element 474 by optical spacers 458. The thick graphic element 474 is maintained at 55 degrees, in the focus 475 on the field of view that is larger than the thin graphical element 462 of Figure 20a. The vertical image 476 projected from the focus 478 via the lens 456 is at a sharp focus, and the focus remains sharp as the viewing angle increases up to 55 degrees, with the oblique image 480 focus 482 placed at the top of the thick graphical plane 471. If viewed, the increased field of view is greatest for a flat field lens, such as the aspheric lens 438 of Figure 19b.

Figure 20c depicts yet another advantage of the thick graphical plane 492; reducing the sensitivity of the material of the present system to a change in thickness S can be derived from manufacturing variations. Lens 484 is separated from the bottom surface of the illustrated layer of thickness i by a distance S. The lens 484 projects an image 496 from a focus 498 disposed at the bottom of the illustrated layer 492. The figure shows that the change in optical space S between the lens and the illustrated layer can vary over a range equal to the thickness of the illustrated layer i without missing the image 496, 500, 504 focus. At lens 486, the optical spacer thickness is approximately (S + i/2), and the focus 502 of image 500 is still within the thickness i of layer 492. At lens 488, the thickness of the optical spacer is increased to (S+i) 490, and the focus 506 of image 504 is placed at the top end of thick graphic element 494. The thickness of the optical spacer can thus vary over a range corresponding to the thickness of the illustrated layer i: the thin patterned layer thus provides a small tolerance for the thickness variation of the optical spacer, and the thick patterned layer provides a large tolerance for the thickness variation of the optical spacer the amount.

The remaining benefits are provided by a thick graphic layer 492. For example, an incomplete lens of a substantially spherical lens may have a shorter focal length 493 toward its edge rather than its center 496. This is a view of the disadvantage of a common spherical aberration of a substantially spherical lens. The thick graphic layer provides an illustrative element that is clearly focused over a range of focal lengths 498 to 495 to improve the overall sharpness and contrast of the image produced by the lens 484 having a focal length variation.

Figures 21a and b are plan views showing that the system is applied to currency and other security documents as a 'windowing' security thread. Figures 21a, b show a windowed thread structure, including system material 508 that has been torn into a ribbon, referred to as a "thread", which is typically in the range of 0.5 mm to 10 mm wide. Thread 508 is incorporated into the fiber file substrate 510 and provides a windowing zone 514. The thread 508 can optionally incorporate a colored, tinted, filled or encapsulated sealing layer 516 to increase image contrast and/or provide the remaining security and identification features such as conductivity, magnetic, nuclear magnetic resonance detection and identification, Or when viewed from the back side of the substrate (the opposite side of the side exhibiting the uniform synthetic image and adhesive layer 517), the hidden material is protected from the reflected illumination view to enhance the bond between the actuator 508 and the fibrous substrate 510. The thread 508 is maintained in an orientation to maintain the lens at the top so that the image effect in the windowed region 514 is visible. The fibrous substrate 510 and threads can be overprinted by the printing element 518 and the fibrous substrate can be printed 520 on the back side thereof.

21a, b depict the thread 508 and its image effect 522, visible only in the upper surface 521 of the substrate 510 in the windowed region 514. The thread 508 is covered by the fibrous substrate material in the inner region 512, and the image effect 522 is substantially invisible in the regions. When incorporated into the thread 508, the OPM effect is particularly noticeable (see Figure 22). When the fiber substrate 510 is tilted in various directions, an OPM image can be formed to scan the width 524 across the thread to create a surprising and dramatic visual effect. The scan feature of the OPM image makes it possible to present an image 522 that is larger than the width of the thread 508. The user checks the file containing the windowed thread 508 and can then tilt the file to scan the entire image across the thread, scrolling it like a awning symbol. The effects of the deep, floating, and floating embodiments can also be used to obtain the benefits of the windowed thread format.

The thread 508 can be at least partially incorporated into the security paper during manufacture in the art commonly used in the paper industry. Thread 508 can be pressed into the wet paper when the fibers are unsolidified and soft, as set forth in U.S. Patent 4,534,398, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The system's windowed threads are especially useful for currency. The typical total thickness of the thread material is in the range of 22μ to 34μ, while the total thickness of the currency document can be as high as 88μ. By locally reducing the thickness of the paper to a thickness equal to the thickness of the thread, the windowed security thread of the system can be combined with the currency file without substantially changing the total thickness of the paper.

In an exemplary embodiment, the thread 508 includes: one or more optical spacers; one or more selected periodic planar arrays positioned within, above or adjacent to the optical spacers or illustrated; And a selected periodic planar array of one or more non-cylindrical microlenses positioned within, above or adjacent to the optical spacer or planar graphic array, wherein each microlens has a base diameter of less than 50 microns.

In another embodiment, the microimage or illustration forms a filled void or recess formed on the surface of one or more optical spacers while the non-cylindrical microlens is a non-spherical microlens, each of which An aspherical microlens has a base diameter in the range of from about 15 to about 35 microns. At least one colored sealing or masking layer 516 can be positioned on the micro image or the illustrated planar array for added contrast and thus visual acuity, and also for masking when the thread is at least partially embedded in the security document The presence of thread 508.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, the thread 508 includes: an optical spacer having opposite upper and lower planar surfaces; a micro image or map comprising a filled recess formed on a planar surface below the optical spacer Array of periodic arrays; a periodic array of non-cylindrical, flat field, non-spherical or polygonal base multi-band microlenses positioned on a planar surface above the optical spacer, wherein each microlens has from about 20 to about 30 The base diameter of the micrometer range; and a colored sealing or masking layer 516 positioned on the illustrated array.

Optical spacers can be formed using one or more substantially colorless polymers including, but not limited to, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, polyester or polyethylene terephthalate is used to form an optical spacer having a thickness in the range of from about 8 to about 25 microns.

The illustrated and microlens arrays can be formed using substantially transparent or clear radiation curable materials including, but not limited to, acrylics, polyesters, epoxies, urethanes, and the like. Preferably, an array of acrylate urethanes from product Chemicals U107 from Lord Chemicals is used.

Each of the illustrated recesses formed on the planar surface below the optical spacer is measured to a depth of from about 0.5 to about 8 microns, typically a microimage of 30 microns or a width of the illustration. The recess can be filled with any suitable material, such as a colored resin, ink, dye, metal or magnetic material. In an exemplary embodiment, the recess is filled with a colored resin comprising a sub-micron pigment from Spectra Pac, a product of Sun Chemical Corporation.

The colored sealing or masking layer 516 can be formed using one or more opaque coatings or inks, including but not limited to colored coatings, including pigments, such as titanium dioxide distributed within the binder or carrier of the cured polymeric material. Preferably, the radiation curable polymer is used to form a seal or masking layer 516 having a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 to about 3 microns.

As described above, the thread 508 can be prepared according to the following methods: applying a substantially transparent or clear radiation-curable resin to the upper and lower surfaces of the optical spacer; forming a microlens array on the upper surface of the optical spacer and optically An illustrated array of recesses is formed on the lower surface of the separator; a substantially transparent or clear resin is cured using a radiation source; the illustrated array recess is filled with colored resin or ink; removed from the lower surface of the optical spacer Excess resin or ink; and a colored seal or masking coating or layer applied to the lower surface of the optical spacer.

In many cases, security threads for currency and other high-value financial and identification documents that are detected and authenticated by high-speed contactless sensors are required, such as capacitive sensors, magnetic field sensors, optical transmissions, and opacity sensors. , fluorescing and / or nuclear magnetic resonance.

The fluorescent material is incorporated into the illustrated filling element of the lens, substrate, graphic matrix or uniform film, and the presence or absence of spectroscopic properties can initiate concealment or forensic identification of consistent materials. The fluorescent uniform film can be designed to have the property of either side of the material visible or only visible to one side of the material. The material under the layer shown does not have an optically isolating layer, and the luminosity of any portion of the uniform material will be visible from either side. The incorporation of the optically isolating layer allows it to distinguish the visibility of the luminescence on both sides. Thus, a consistent material that is incorporated into the optical isolation layer in the illustrated plane can be designed to exhibit a number of different ways of fluorescing: the color A of the fluorescent light can be seen from the lens end, and the fluorescing can not be seen from the optical isolation end. The color A or B from the end of the optical isolation layer but not the fluorescent light is visible from the lens end, and the color A of the fluorescent light can be seen from the lens end and the fluorescent color A or B can be seen from the end of the optical isolation layer. The uniqueness of the various fluorescent signatures can be used to further enhance the safety of consistent materials. The optically isolating layer can be a colored or tinted material layer, a metal layer, or a combination of colored layers and metal layers that absorb or reflect the fluorescent emission from one side of the material and avoid being seen from the other side.

The illustrations formed from the shaped voids, and the illustrations formed from the shaped columns, are specifically authorized to attach machines to read consistent material safety threads that identify features to currency and other high value documents. The illustrated matrix, the illustrated fill, and any number of retro-coated (sealed wrap) may be combined with all, individually, and/or all combinations of non-fluorescent pigments, non-fluorescent dyes, fluorescent pigments, fluorescent dyes, metals Particles, magnetic particles, nuclear magnetic resonance signing materials, laser light particles, organic LED materials, optically variable materials, evaporating metals, thin film interference materials, liquid crystal polymers, optical up-conversion and down-conversion materials, dichroic materials, optical effects Materials (with optical rotation magnification), optically polarized materials, and other related materials.

In some cases, such as when a dark or colored cladding (eg, a magnetic material or a conductive layer) has been attached to a consistent material, or when the color of the illustrated plane is unpleasant, when viewed from the back of the substrate, It is desirable to view or hide the presence of embedded, partially embedded or windowed consistent material security threads from one side of the paper substrate as viewed in reflected light while viewing the thread from the opposite side of the substrate. Other types of monetary security threads typically incorporate a metal layer, typically aluminum, to reflect light transmitted through the surface substrate, thereby providing similar brightness to the surrounding substrate. A neutral or reflective metal of aluminum or other color can be used in a similar manner, by applying the metal layer on the back side of the uniform material, and then selectively sealing it properly, while masking the appearance of a consistent thread. For the same purpose, a colored layer can be used in place of or in combination with the metallized layer to hide or mask the visibility of the security thread from the "back" side of the document. The colored layer can be of any color, including white, but the most effective color is one that conforms to the color and density of internal scattering of the inner and outer rays of the fibrous substrate.

The addition of a metallized layer to a uniform material can be accomplished in a number of ways, including the illustration of a consistent material via evaporation, sputtering, chemical precipitation or other suitable mechanism or direct metallization of the sealing layer, or the illustration or sealing of a laminated uniform material. The layer is to the metallized surface of the second polymer film. It is a common practice to manufacture a monetary safety thread in such a way that by metallizing a film, metallizing the film leaving the narrow 'band' of the metallized area, laminating the metallized surface to the The two polymeric film, followed by tearing of the laminated material, causes the metal ribbon to be isolated from the edge of the tear-opening actuator by a laminating adhesive, thereby protecting the metal from chemical attack at the edge of the thread. This method can also be applied to the state of the subject invention: the uniform material can simply replace the second laminate film. Thus, a consistent material can be added via the addition of a shaped or amorphous metallization layer.

The composite image can be designed as a binary pattern with a defined color (or lack of color) and a different color (or lack of color) defining the background, in which case each graphic area includes a completely single-tone image. It uses a fully open or fully closed image 'pixel'. A more sophisticated synthetic image can be produced by providing a change in the color of the selected graphic color. Synthetic image tonal variations can be made by controlling the density of colors in each of the illustrated images, or by effectively or semi-toning the composite image by including or excluding the design elements in the selected set of icons.

The first method of controlling the density of the color of each of the illustrated images can be accomplished by controlling the optical density of the material from which the microimage is printed. One convenient method of implementation is to illustrate the embodiment using the gaps that have been previously described.

A second method of 'half-toning' the composite image by including or excluding the design elements in the selected group of diagrams depicted in FIG. 23, may be via an image design component comprising a ratio of graphical regions equal to the desired color density . Figure 23 depicts an example of a hexagonal repeat pattern using the illustrated region 570 that conforms to a similar hexagonal repeat pattern of the lens. Each of the illustrated areas 570 does not contain the same information. All of the illustrated image elements 572, 574, 576, and 578 are substantially rendered in the same color density. The illustrated image elements 572 and 574 are presented in some of the illustrated areas, and different illustrated image elements are presented in other illustrated areas. Some of the illustrated areas include a single illustrated image element 570. Specifically, the illustrated image element 572 is presented in half of the illustrated area, the illustrated image element 574 is presented in three-quarters of the illustrated area, and the illustrated image element 578 is presented in half of the illustrated area, and The image element 576 is presented in one third of the illustrated area. The information presented in each of the illustrated areas determines whether the associated lens will display the color of the illustrated image pattern or display the color of the illustrated image background from a particular viewing orientation. The image elements 572 or 578 will be visible from all of the lenses associated with the graphic representation, but the composite image 580 space of the illustrated image element 572 overlaps the composite image space of the illustrated image element 578. Since each lens will project the image color in the overlap region 582, the mechanism of the overlap region 582 of the composite image of Figures 572 and 578 will appear at a 100% color density. The non-overlapping portion 588 of the two synthetic images is only visible in 50% of the lens, so it appears at a 50% color density. The composite image 586 of the illustrated element 576 can only be seen in one third of the lens, so it appears at a 33.3% color density. The composite image 584 of the illustrated image element 576 accordingly appears at a 75% color density. By the omission of the selection of the image elements illustrated in a portion of the selected image area, a very large range of tonal variations can be obtained in the composite image, which is entirely within the scope of this document. For maximum effectiveness, the distribution of the image elements throughout the illustrated image area will be extremely consistent.

The related illustrated image design method depicted in Figure 24a can be used to fabricate bonded synthetic image elements that are smaller in size than the smallest features of the individual synthetic image elements. This is possible in the general case where the minimum feature size of the illustrated image is greater than the configuration accuracy of the feature. Thus at the level of two micron size, the illustrated image can have minimal features, but the features can be accurately placed at any point of the 0.25 micron spaced grid. In this case, the minimum feature of the illustrated image is eight times greater than the configuration accuracy of the feature. The previous figures depict this method using a hexagonal graphic pattern 594, but it can be applied to any other available pattern symmetry. In a manner similar to the method of Figure 23, the method relies on the use of different information in at least one of the illustrated regions. In the example of Figure 24a, two different graphical patterns 596 and 598 are each presented in half of the illustrated area (for clarity, only one of each pattern is shown). The illustrated images produce a composite image 600 that is combined with a composite image 602 produced by the image element 596 and a composite image 604 created by the image element 598. The two synthetic images 602 and 604 are designed to have overlapping regions 606 and 608 that appear to have a 100% color density while the non-overlapping regions 605 have a 50% color density. The minimum size of the overlap region in the synthesized synthetic image can be as small as the positioning accuracy of the synthetic zoom and zoom of the illustrated image element, and thus can be smaller than the minimum feature size of the composite image designed to overlap in the small region. . In the example of Figure 23, the overlap region is used to make a symbol of the number "10" in a line that is narrower than the others.

As shown in Figure 24b, this method can also be used to create a narrow pattern of gaps between the illustrated image elements. The hexagonal illustrated area 609 can be square or any other suitable shape to create a space-filled array, but a hexagonal shape is preferred. In this example, half of the illustration is shown to image 610 and half of it is illustrated image 611. Ideally, the two types will be extremely uniformly distributed between the illustrated areas. All of the elements of these patterns are depicted as being substantially equal and consistent in color density. The second type in isolation does not clearly suggest the form of the final image, and it can be used as a security element - the image is not apparent until it is formed by the array of lenses thereon. An example of the composite image 612 formed by the combination of the composite image of the graphic element 610 and the composite image of the graphic element 611 is displayed, whereby the gap maintained between the individual synthetic images forms a number "10". In this case, the two synthetic images combine to form the final composite image, so the colored parts of the image 613 show a 50% color density. The method is not limited to the content of the example: three icons may be used instead of two, and the gaps of the required components in the synthesized synthetic image may be defined to have variable width and unlimited shape types, and the method can be combined with the figure. The method of 23, 24a, b or 25, or the combination of other graphic design methods mentioned by us.

Concealed, hidden information can be incorporated into a pictorial image that cannot be seen in the resulting composite image. Concealed information hidden in the illustrated image can be used, for example, for covert identification of objects. Figure 25 depicts two ways to accomplish this. The first method is depicted by using matching graphical images 616 and 618. The illustrated image 616 shows the solid edge pattern and the number "42" contained within the edge. The illustrated image 618 displays a solid shape having the number "42" as a hole in the shape of the shape. In this example, the surrounding shapes of the illustrated images 616 and 618 are substantially the same, and the relative positions within the individual graphical regions 634 and 636 are also substantially the same. When the synthesized composite image 620 is manufactured from the illustrated images, since all of the illustrated images have patterns in the corresponding regions, the edges of the synthesized composite image 622 will display a 100% color density, so from the illustrated image 616 and There is a complete overlap in the synthetic images made by 618. The synthesized composite image 620 is due to a "42" image from the space surrounding the illustrated image 618 that fills only half of the illustrated area, and a "42" image from the color of the illustrated image 616 that also fills the half of the illustrated area. The color density of the interior 624 will be 50%. Thus, there is no difference in hue between "42" and its background, so the synthesized composite image 626 observed will show an image with a 100% color density edge 628 and a 50% color density interior 630. The "42" that is implicitly presented in all of the illustrated images 616 and 618 is thereby "offset" and cannot be seen in the synthesized composite image 626 that is observed.

A second method of incorporating covert information into the illustrated image is depicted by triangle 632 in FIG. The triangles 632 can be arbitrarily placed in the illustrated area (not shown), or they can be placed in an array or other pattern that does not substantially conform to the illustrated regions 634, 632. The composite image is produced by the multiplicity of the image of the regular array imaged by the corresponding regular array of microlenses. A graphic image pattern that does not substantially correspond to the period of the microlens array will not form a complete composite image. Thus the pattern of triangles 632 will not produce a coherent composite image and will not be seen in the observed composite image 626. This method is not limited to a simple geometric design, such as triangle 632. Other covert information such as alphanumeric information, bar codes, data bits, and large zoom patterns can be incorporated into the graphical plane by this method.

Figure 26 depicts a general method (consistent 3-D) for making a fully three-dimensional overall image in a consistent material. The single pictorial area 640 includes a pictorial image 642 that represents a zoom-distort view of the object to be displayed in 3-D as seen from the vantage point of the illustrated area 640. In this case, the illustrated image 642 is designed to form a composite image 670 of the hollow tube 674. The illustrated image 642 has a foreground frame 644 representing the proximal end 674 of the hollow tube 672, a stacked conical gap pattern 646 representing the corner 676 of the hollow tube 672, and a background representing the most distal end 678 of the hollow tube 672. Frame 648. The relative scale of the foreground frame 644 and the background frame 648 in the illustrated image 642 can be seen, not corresponding to the ratio of the most proximal end 674 to the farthest end 678 of the synthetic image hollow tube 672. The reason for the difference in zooming is that the image appearing further from the plane of the uniform material undergoes a large magnification, so the size of the illustrated image must be reduced to provide the correct scaling of the magnification to form the composite image 672.

We have found a graphical area 650 at different locations of the consistent 3-D material that includes different graphical images 652. As with the illustrated image 642, the illustrated image 652 represents a zoom-speech view of the composite image 672 as seen at different vantage points of the illustrated region 650. The relative scaling of foreground frame 654 and background frame 658 is similar to the corresponding elements of illustrated image 642 (although this will generally not be true), but the position of background frame 658 has been offset, along with the size of corner pattern 656 and Orientation. The illustrated area 660 is placed further away from the consistent 3-D material, and it presents yet another zoom-distorted image 662, including a foreground frame 664, a stacked cone gap pattern 667, and a background frame 668. Image 662 is shown.

Typically, the image shown in each of the graphical regions of a consistent 3-D material will be slightly different from its neighbors and significantly different from those farther away. It can be seen that the illustrated image 652 represents the transition phase between the illustrated images 642 and 662. Typically, each of the graphical images of a consistent 3-D material can be unique, but each will represent a transition phase between the illustrated image and its other side.

The composite image 670 is formed by the multiplicity of the image as shown in the illustrated images 640, 650, and 660 as a composite image through the associated lens array. The composite image of the hollow tube 674 shows the effect of different synthetic magnification factors resulting from the effective repetition period of the different elements of each of the illustrated images. Let us assume that the hollow tube image 674 is expected to be considered an ultra deep image. In this case, if the illustrated area 640 is disposed some distance from the lower left of the illustrated area 650, and the illustrated area 660 is disposed some distance from the upper right of the illustrated area 650, the foreground frames 644, 654 and 664 can be seen. The effective period will be less than the effective period of the background frames 648, 658 and 668, whereby the nearest face 676 of the tube (corresponding to the foreground frames 644, 654 and 664) is placed closer to the plane of the uniform material, and the tube is made The farthest face 678 is placed deeper and further away from the plane of the uniform material and magnified by a larger factor. The corner elements 646, 656 and 667 conform to the foreground and background elements, creating the effect of smoothly varying the depth therebetween.

Figures 27a-b more fully describe the design of a consistent 3-D graphical image. The figure isolates a single image projector 680. As previously described, a single image projector includes a lens, an optical spacer, and a pictorial image; the illustrated image has substantially the same dimensions as the repeat period of the lens (allowing for small zoom differences in producing consistent visual effects) . The field of view of the lens and its associated illustration is shown as a conical shape 682: which also corresponds to the inversion of the focal conic of the lens, so the ratio of the field of view conic 682 is determined by the F# of the lens. Although the figure shows that the conical shape has a circular base, the shape of the base will actually be the same as the shape of the illustrated area, such as a hexagon.

In this example, we would like to create a consistent 3-D synthetic image that combines copies of three "UNISON" words 686, 690, and 694 of the same visual size of three different super deep image planes 684, 690, and 692. The diameters of the image planes 684, 688, and 692 extend with the field of view conic: in other words, as the depth of the image increases, the area covered by the field conic increases. Thus the field of view of the shallowest depth plane 684 is only around the "NIS" portion of the UNISON word, while the intermediate depth plane 688 surrounds the "NIS" all and the "U" and "O" portions, and the deepest depth plane 692 surrounds almost all of the "UNISON" ", only the last "N" part is missing.

The information presented by each of the composite image planes 684, 688, and 692 (UNISON 686, 690, and 694) must ultimately be incorporated into a single graphical image in the image projector 680. This captures the information in the field conical 686 of each depth plane 684, 688, and 692, and then scales the resulting graphical image to the same size. The illustrated image 696 represents the field of view of the coincident image 686 as seen in the depth plane 684. The illustrated image 704 represents the field of view of the coincident image 690 as seen by the depth plane 688, and the illustrated image 716 represents the view of the consistent image 694 as seen by the depth plane 692. field.

In the illustrated image 696, the illustrated image element 698 is from the first "N" portion of the UNISON image 686, the portion of the image element 700 from the "I" of the UNISON image 686, and the illustrated image element 702. The part from the "S" of the UNISON image 686. In the illustrated image 704, the image element 706 is shown as part of the "U" of the UNISON image 690. The image element 708 is shown from the first "N" portion of the UNISON image 690, and the image element 710 is shown. The portion of the "S" of the UNISON image 690, and the portion of the illustrated image element 714 from the "O" of the UNISON image 690. Note that although the composite images 686, 690, and 694 are rendered in a similar zoom, the illustrated image 704 of the intermediate depth plane 688 presents its UNISON letter with a smaller zoom than the illustrated image 696. This consideration illustrates that the image 704 will be magnified by the higher synthesis (when combined with the multiplicity of the illustrated image around the same depth plane). In a similar manner, the illustrated image 716 incorporates the illustrated image element 718 from the UNISON image 694, and incorporating the UNISON letter of its illustrated image will further reduce scaling.

As shown in FIG. 28, the last image of the image projector is produced by combining the three illustrated images 696, 704, and 716 to a single image 730. The combined graphic element 732 combines all of the graphics and depth information required by the image projector 680 to cause a composite image formed by the multiplicity of the image projector, each combination originating from its own field of view conical intersection and concentrated The specific image information of the image projector and the level and components of the composite image to be produced. Since each image projector is replaced with a lens repeat period from at least each of the other image projectors, each image projector will carry different information originating from the intersection of its field of view cones having a composite image space.

Each graphic image required to present the selected 3-D image can be calculated from the following data: knowledge of the three-dimensional digital model of the synthesized image, depth position and depth range required to be presented in the composite image, lens repeat period, lens view The resolution of the final graphics of the field and the image. The latter factor is placed on a level that is limited to detail, which can be presented in each depth plane. Since the depth plane further derived from the plane of the uniform material carries a large amount of information (due to the increased field of view), the resolution of the graphical representation of the graph has the greatest influence on the resolution of the composite image depth plane.

Figure 29 depicts how the method of Figures 27a-b can be applied to complex three-dimensional synthetic images, such as the invaluable ice age engraving mammoth ivory art, Miss Brassemouy 742. The individual image projectors 738 incorporate at least one lens, an optical spacer element, and a pictorial image (not shown) and are placed in a plane 740 that isolates the uniform material of the floating synthetic image space from the deep synthetic image space. In this example, the synthetic image space encompasses a consistent material such that part of the image is placed in the floating synthetic image space and partially placed in the deep synthetic image space. The image projector 738 has a substantially conical field of view that extends into the deep synthetic image space 744 and the floating synthetic image space 746. The depth image planes are numbered 748 and 752-762, and must be spaced to obtain the spatial resolution of the desired deep synthetic image. Similarly, the floating image planes are numbered 750 and 764-774, and must be spaced to obtain the spatial resolution of the desired floating composite image. Some of these planes, such as deep plane 748 and floating plane 750, will extend beyond the composite image and will not contribute to the final information in the illustrated image. For clarity, the number of image planes shown in Figure 29 is limited to a small amount, but the number of actually selected image planes can be many, such as 50 or 10 planes, or more, to achieve the desired composite image depth resolution.

The method of Figures 27a-b and 28 is then applied to determine the intersecting shape of the surface of object 742 via selected depth planes 756-774 to obtain a pictorial image of each depth plane. The resulting individual graphical image is scaled to the final size of the combined graphical image. All floating graphic images are first rotated 180 degrees (because the rotation is again experienced when it is projected, thereby returning it to the correct orientation in the composite image), and then combined with the deep graphic image to form the final representation of the image projector 738. image. This process is repeated at each location of the image projector to obtain a complete image of the graphical image required to form a fully synthetic image 742.

The resolution of the synthesized image depends on the resolution of the optical projector and the resolution of the illustrated image. We have obtained a resolution of a pictorial image of less than 0.1 micron, which exceeds the theoretical optical resolution (0.2 micron) of the magnifying optics. A typical graphical image is manufactured with a resolution of 0.25 microns.

Consistent materials can be fabricated using monolithic or roll processing in conjunction with lenses and illustrated microstructures, respectively. Lens tools and graphic tools are derived from the use of light masks and photoresist methods.

The lens tool was originally designed as a semiconductor type mask, typically black chrome on glass. A mask with sufficient resolution can be fabricated by photo reduction, electron beam writing or laser writing. A typical mask of a lens tool will incorporate a repeating pattern of opaque hexagons with a selected period of, for example, 30 microns, which is separated by a hexagon having a clear line that is less than 2 microns wide. The mask is then used to expose the photoresist to a glass plate using a conventional semiconductor UV exposure system. The thickness of the resist is selected to obtain the desired depression of the lens. For example, a 5 micron thick AZ 4620 positive photoresist is coated with a glass plate via a suitable mechanism, such as by spin coating, immersion coating, crescent coating or spray coating, to form a nominal 30 micron repeat and nominally 35 microns. A focal length lens. The photoresist was exposed in the mask pattern and developed down to the glass in a conventional manner, followed by drying and evacuating at 100 ° C for 30 minutes. The lens is formed by thermal reflow according to standard methods known in the art. The resulting photoresist microlens coats a conductive metal, such as gold or silver, and a negative nickel plating tool made by electroforming.

The illustrated tools are manufactured in a similar manner. The graphic design is typically designed with the aid of CAD software and the design is transmitted to the semiconductor mask manufacturer. The mask is used in a similar manner for the lens mask except that the thickness of the exposed resist is typically outside the range of 0.5 microns to 8 microns depending on the optical density of the desired composite image. The photoresist is exposed in the mask pattern and developed down to the glass in a conventional manner, coated with a conductive metal and a negative nickel plating tool fabricated by electroforming. Depending on the choice of original mask design and the choice of resist type (positive or negative), the illustration can be made in the form of voids in the resist pattern, or it can be a resist pattern "platform" or column Form of manufacture, or both.

Consistent materials can be fabricated from a variety of materials and multiplicity methods known in the art of micro-optical and microstructure replication, including extrusion relief, radiation-cured casting, soft relief and injection molding, reactive injection molding, and reactive casting. An exemplary method of manufacture is to form the illustration as a void in a radiation curable liquid polymer that is cast against a base film, such as a 75 gage adhesion promoting PET film, followed by a back surface of the base film that is properly corrected or deflected relative to the graphic The radiation curable polymer forms a lens, and then the coloring material that stains the submicron particles against the film surface is filled with the illustrated voids by a gravure type doctor blade, and the filling is cured by a suitable mechanism such as solvent removal, radiation curing or chemical reaction. Finally, the selected sealing layer can be applied, which can be transparent, dyed, colored or combined with a concealed safety material.

The fabrication of a uniformly moving material requires the illustrated tool and lens tool to combine the misalignment angles of the symmetry axes of the two arrays. The composite image size and composite image rotation in the material resulting from the misalignment control of the symmetry axis of the illustration and lens pattern. It is generally necessary to provide a correction in which the synthetic image substantially intersects the winding direction or the winding direction, and in other cases, the illustration between the lens pattern and the graphic pattern and the total angle of the lens are not coincidently divided. Angles at which the desired angles do not coincide are usually extremely small. For example, a total angle of 0.3 degrees is not critical for magnifying a 30 micron image in a consistent moving material to a size of 5.7 mm. In this example, the total angle does not coincide with the equal division between the two tools, so each tool is deflected by an angle of 0.15 degrees in the same direction of the two tools. Since the tool forms a microstructure on the back side of the base film, the lines are deflected in the same direction, so that the deflections of the tools are added to each other rather than cancel each other.

The skew can be incorporated into the tool during the original design of the mask by rotating the entire pattern to the desired angle before writing. Skew can also be mechanically incorporated into a flat nickel plating tool by cutting the numerically controlled milling machine to the proper angle. The deflected tool is then formed into a cylindrical tool using the deflected cutting edge to correct the axis of rotation of the tool and the impression cylinder.

The synthetic magnifying micro-optic system can be combined with other features including, but not limited to, a single element or a combination of various embodiments, such as a filler material, backside cladding, top cladding, styling and non-styling, lens Filling or inclusions in the optical spacer or graphic material, as if laminated or coated. Ink and/or adhesives include water, solvent or radiation cured, optically clear, translucent or opaque, colored or dyed indicators in the form of positive or negative materials, including but not limited to inks. , metal, fluorescent or magnetic materials, X-ray, infrared or UV absorbers or emission materials, magnetic and non-magnetic metals including aluminum nickel, chromium, silver and gold; magnetic coatings and particles for inspection or information storage Dyes and pigments like fluorescent coatings and particles; coatings, fillings, dyes or granules of IR fluorescing; coating, filling, dyes or granules of UV fluorescing; phosphorescent dyes and pigments, like coatings and Particles, rafts, DNA, RNA or other macromolecular explosive additives, dichroic fibers, radioisotopes, printing containment coatings, coatings or primers, chemically reactive materials, microencapsulated ingredients, sites and materials, conductive particles And metal and non-metal cladding, micro-perforated holes, colored threads or fibers, patches that are consistently embedded in the surface of the document, label or material surface, bonded with paper or polymer Paper carrier during manufacture, fluorescent dichroic thread or granules, Raman scattering coating or granules, color transfer coating or granules, uniform laminated paper, cardboard, cardboard, plastic, ceramics, wool Or metal substrate, such as threads, patches, labels, cover wraps, thermal stamp foils or tear strips, holographic photography, diffraction, diffraction kinegrams, contours, photographic or refractive optics, liquid crystal materials, Upconverting and downconverting materials.

While the image capture assembly has been combined in detail with the above array of focusing elements, the image display assembly can be used to provide image "printing" for other applications. For example, Figure 34 is a cross section of an illustrated layer 821 of an embodiment of a material having microstructured elements, such as an array of microstructured elements. The illustrated graphic layer 821 may constitute the illustrated layer of the synthetic magnified micro-optical image projection system, the corrugated amplification system, the graphical layer of the "key and key" corrugated amplification system (as described below), micro-image or effective "micro" Printed as a separate layer, a patterned layer of a microcylindrical lenticular image film system, or an image or graphic layer of another micro-optical system.

The illustrated layer 821 can be independently or alternatively mounted on the substrate 820 or the transparent substrate 820 (if the layers illustrated form an element in a corrugated amplification system in which the illustrated layer 821 is optically coupled to the microlens array via the transparent substrate 820, Need to be the latter). The selected substrate or transparent substrate 820 is supported or in contact with the illustrated layer 821, which incorporates various microstructures that can be used as elements of the illustrated image. The microstructured graphic element can be formed as a recessed or raised area in the material layer, such as the illustrated layer 821, or in the substrate. The microstructured image elements can take a variety of forms and geometries including, but not limited to, asymmetric void pattern 822, symmetric void pattern 823, light trap pattern 824, holographic photographic surface relief pattern 825, general diffraction Surface relief printing pattern 826, binary structure pattern 827, "binary optical instrument", "structural color" and general stepped relief printing pattern 828, random rough and virtual random rough pattern 829, nominal flat surface pattern 830 and concave surface 831 and convex surface 832 (as shown in the figure, viewed from the lower end of the illustrated layer).

The illustrated layer 821 can incorporate an array or pattern of homogenous microstructures, such as only the asymmetric void pattern 822. In another aspect, the illustrated layer 821 can incorporate an array or pattern of two or more microstructure embodiments 822-832. The microstructures are illustrated elements that can be formed in an array of microstructured graphic elements that together form an image, similar to a group or array of pixels that form a conventional printed image. For example, a system having an array of microstructured elements can be fabricated, the array of microstructured elements being combinable with an array of the above-described focusing elements, wherein the two arrays conform to form a synthetic optical image that is or can not be magnified. It is also possible to fabricate a system having an array of microstructured graphic elements that collectively form a "microprinted" image that is intended to be magnified for viewing, for example, with the aid of a magnifying glass or microscope.

The microstructured graphical elements 822-832 of Figure 34 can be designed to present within the part and its parts and the illustrated layer 821 when the illustrated element is immersed or contacted with vacuum, gas (including mixed gases such as air), liquid or solids. Optical contrast between the surrounding non-structural areas. This optical contrast can be enhanced by refraction, total internal reflection, surface reflection, scattering, partial polarization, polarization, optical rotation, diffraction, optical interference, and other optical effects.

Microstructured component

35 is a cross-sectional view depicting a patterned layer 777 of a coating of an embodiment of an image element in combination with a plurality of microstructures. The illustrated layer 777 is similar to the illustrated layer 821 of FIG. 34 and may also be independently or alternatively provided to the substrate 775 or the transparent substrate 775. The illustrated embodiment of the illustrated component can include the pattern of FIG. 34, including an asymmetric void pattern 779, a symmetric void pattern 781, a light trap pattern 783, a holographic photographic surface relief pattern 785, and a universal diffraction surface relief printing. Model 787, binary structure type 789, "binary optical instrument", "structural color" and general stepped relief printing pattern 791, random rough and virtual random rough pattern 795, nominal flat surface pattern 797 and concave surface Model 799 and convex 801 (as shown in the figure, viewed from the lower end of the layer shown).

The microstructured image element is formed in the illustrated layer using any of the microstructured image element tools and methods described above.

Any of the illustrated component microstructures may be covered by a conformal, non-conformal and/or directional cladding material 793.

Shaped coating

The cladding material 793 can be conformal, non-conformal, continuous, non-continuous, shaped, unshaped, pointed, or it can have properties or materials other than the illustrated layer 777 or a combination thereof. The pattern of cladding material 793 can provide a graphic image element that conforms to the microstructured image element pattern, or is independent of the microstructured image element type, or both. The cladding material 793 can be shaped to equip the surface of the illustrated layer 777 with the illustrated image elements, whether or not the layer 777 is shown to incorporate any of the microstructured features. Neither the shaped or unshaped cladding material 793 need to cover the entire surface of the illustrated layer 777. This cladding material is only applicable to selected portions of the illustrated layer 777.

For example, the illustrated image element can be fabricated by de-metallizing the aluminum layer as a polyester graphic layer (as an example of the illustrated layer 777) in the region of the polyester graphic layer without any microstructure. A coating material (such as an example of cladding material 793) is formed (e.g., as depicted in Figure 40 below). In this example, the pattern demetallized aluminum layer provides a pictorial image that does not use the microstructured surface on the illustrated layer. The patterned metallized aluminum layer can also be used to bond the microstructured image elements in another region of the polyester graphic layer. The patterned metallized aluminum layer conforms to the microstructured image element such that its intended appearance is enhanced by the metallization of the aluminum layer by the pattern, or the graphic provided by the metallization of the aluminum layer by the pattern The image can be imaged independently of the illustrated layer microstructure such that the patterned metallized aluminum layer image is used to create a composite image while the microstructured image element is used to fabricate a second composite image.

Includes positive and negative images of the shaped cladding

Both the microstructured image element and the patterned layer coating can be used to form a positive or negative image (see also Figure 40 below) such that any of the image elements can exhibit a selected "foreground" attribute or selection. The "background" attribute, while the surrounding area renders one of the above two attributes that are not rendered. Thus, the illustrated image elements can be used to form vertical images or images of opposite colors, and correspondingly vertically composite images or synthetic images of opposite colors.

For an example, any of the illustrated image element methods can be used to provide an image (eg, currency denomination - "50") that is opaque or a first color relative to a transparent background or a background of a second color, while In different regions of the illustrated layer 777, the colored pattern can be reversed such that the image is transparent or a second color while the background is opaque or the first color.

Graphical image element embodiment for micro-printing

While any and all of the illustrated image element embodiments of the present invention can be used as components of a corrugated amplification system, they can be used only for ultra-high resolution micro-printing for a wide range of applications. The illustrated image component method of the subject invention can be used to fabricate microprints for compact information storage for the identification of hidden money, documents, packaging and manufactured objects for use in currency, documents, packaging and manufacturing. Barcode and digital tags, and for all applications that benefit from ultra-high resolution printing or information tags. In this embodiment, a pattern or array of microstructured graphical elements that collectively form an image is provided, or some information that requires magnification viewing is provided.

Figures 36a, b present a cross-section through a patterned layer 836 of a material having additional layers of cladding material 838 and 840 similar to the microstructured image elements of Figures 34 and 35. The illustrated layer 836 can be formed as a graphical layer of a corrugated magnification system, a graphical layer of a "key and key" corrugated amplification system (as described below), a microimage or an effective "microprinting" of separate layers, microcylindrical A layer of the lenticular image film, or a layer of another micro-optical system.

The illustrated layer 836 can be self-contained or alternatively mounted on the substrate 834 or the transparent substrate 834. The selected substrate or transparent substrate 834 is supported or in contact with a patterned layer 836 of various microstructures that can be combined as an element of the illustrated image, either alone or in combination. The microstructured image elements can take a wide variety of forms or geometries including, but not limited to, embodiments 844-864 corresponding to the embodiment of FIG.

As depicted in Figure 36a, the illustrated layer 836 having microstructured graphic elements 844-856 is shown laminated with a layer of adhesive material 840 that is laminated to a substrate or transparent substrate 842 that can be supported by a layer of adhesive 838. The laminate adhesive 838 can first be applied to the illustrated layer 836 and then brought into contact with the cladding material layer 838 as indicated by the gaps in the laminate adhesive as shown by the microstructured graphic elements 844 and 846, or layers The pressure-sensitive adhesive 838 may first or alternatively be applied to the cladding material layer 840 and then brought into contact with the illustrated layer 836 as continuous in the laminating adhesive 838 as shown by the microstructured image elements 848-856. Indicated by the layer.

In this embodiment, the cladding material layer 840 is in close proximity to or in contact with the microstructured image elements 844-856. The cladding layer is similar to the cladding layer 793 of FIG. 34 and may have the effects described in connection with the cladding layer 793.

In Fig. 36b, a cross section of a patterned layer 837 having microstructured image elements 858-864 is shown, which is shown laminated to a laminate substrate 843 having a cladding material layer 841 using a laminate adhesive 839. Although the laminate adhesive 839 is shown as having been applied to the illustrated layer 837 and then brought into contact with the laminate substrate 843, it should be understood that the laminate adhesive 839 may first or alternatively be applied to the laminate. Substrate 843 is then brought into contact with layer 837 as shown.

In the present embodiment, the cladding material layer 841 is isolated from the illustrated layer 837 by laminating the substrate 843. The cover layer 841 can be any of the materials previously listed for the cladding layers 840 and 793.

When the microstructured image elements 844-864 are shown as being unfilled in FIG. 36a, at least a portion of the microstructured image elements 844-864 may be selectively filled with a fill material, or prior to lamination. An angular, non-conformal or directional covering material. The microstructured graphic element does not need to be completely filled. When filled, it can only be partially filled, or part of the fill.

The microstructured image element can appear as a positive or negative image, or both. In Figures 37a-c, the illustrated layer 868 can be self-contained or alternatively mounted on a substrate 866 or a transparent substrate 866. The illustrated layer 868 optionally provides a layer of cladding material 870 that may partially or completely cover the illustrated layer 868.

In Figure 37a, the illustrated layer 868 has two regions of microstructured graphic elements: a positive graphic element 872 and a negative graphic element 874. For the sake of illustration, the general form of the graphical element 872 is already reflected in the form of a negative graphical element 874. The selected cladding material 870 is shown as a wrap on the 831 on the positive 872, and a non-conformal wrap on the negative representation 874, for example only the conformal and non-conformal wraps can be used with The combination of the illustration 872 and the negative representation 874.

The object pattern of image element 872 is shown as a recess or void 871 in layer 868, while the background area of image element 872 is being provided as a raised area in region 872. The background area of the negative graphic image element 874 is provided as a recess 875 in the illustrated layer 868, and the object pattern of the negative graphic image element 874 is provided as a raised area in the illustrated layer.

Figure 37b depicts how the effects of the positive and negative graphical elements and patterns are particularly attractive when illustrated with a filled fill material having properties different from those of the illustrated layer 868 material. The different regions of the illustrated layer 868 and the selected substrate 866 are shown with a filled positive representation 876 and a filled negative representation 880. The illustrated fill material 878 forms the object pattern 886 of the illustrated element 876, and the background of the filled negative graphic element 880.

Referring to Figure 37c, a detailed plan view 882 of the filled positive graphic element 890 and the filled negative graphic element 892 shows a filled positive graphic element 886 that appears 888 different from the surrounding background appearance 884. For example, the common difference between the filled positive component and the appearance around the background is color. If the illustrated fill material 878 has a pigment, dye, or other coloring material, the filled positive graphic element 886 will display a high concentration 893 of the illustrated fill material 886 while the surrounding background area 884 will be no. In a similar manner, the background of the filled negative graphic element 892 will show a high concentration of the illustrated filling material 886 while the filled negative graphic element 892's object pattern will display an insufficient 894 of the illustrated filling material.

Through these mechanisms and combinations with other disclosures herein, it can be seen that positive and negative image graphic elements can be fabricated. When used as components of a corrugated amplification system, the positive and negative image representation elements can be used to produce positive and negative composite images. The positive and negative image elements can be used alone or in combination.

Figures 38a-c present representative examples of embodiments of the incorporation and incorporation of the indicia. The illustrated layer 898 can be self-contained or alternatively mounted on the substrate 896 or the transparent substrate 896. The selected substrate or transparent substrate 896 is supported or in contact with a patterned layer 898 of various microstructures that can be combined as an element of the illustrated image, either alone or in combination.

Figure 38a shows a cladding material 900 that has been applied to at least a portion of the surface of the illustrated layer 898 by a suitable mechanism (as depicted in Figure 35). The cover material 900 is shown as being conformal to the surface of the illustrated layer 898, but it may be non-conformal, non-continuous, shaped, or coated with different properties and/or materials. . The positive graphic element 904 has its object-like microstructure filled with the illustrated filling material 902, and its unfilled background elements. The negative graphic element 906 has its background microstructure filled with the illustrated fill material 902 while its object-type microstructure 908 is unfilled.

The embodiment shown in Figure 38a can provide visual enhancement of the illustrated image via different optical effects produced by the different viewing angles of the cladding material 900 and the illustrated fill material 902. For example, if the cladding material 900 is a thin layer of aluminum such that when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the plane of the illustrated layer 898, it is substantially transparent, and the central region of the filled graphic element will appear substantially the same color. As if it were not covered. The reflectivity of the thin aluminum layer increases as the angle of incidence increases, so that more reflection occurs at the slanted end of the filled, coated component, resulting in a high contrast profile of the illustrated component. If the covering material 900 is covered by a single layer or a plurality of layers of dielectric, the color of the coating may vary with different viewing angles, thereby adding a color hue or a high color lighting effect to the end of the illustrated component. Other types of coating materials can be used to promote attachment to create additional visual effects, or can provide concealed, machine readable or forensic features to the material. It will be understood that the illustrated elements need not be filled or coated. We can only partially fill in some of the graphic components.

The embodiment shown in Figure 38b reverses the sequence of filling and cladding of Figure 38a, wherein the microstructured representation is first filled with the illustrated fill material 902 and then coated with the cladding material 900. The illustrated layer 898 can optionally be mounted on the substrate 896 or the transparent substrate 896, or can be arbitrarily fixed. The illustrated elements 910 and 912 are filled with a filler material 902 as illustrated and then selectively coated with a cladding material 900.

The visual effect of the embodiment of Figure 38b will generally differ from the visual effect of Figure 38a, although the same material is used for the cladding material 900 and the illustrated filler material 902. Depending on the optical properties of the illustrated fill material 902, the cover material 900 may or may not be visible via the illustrated fill material 902. The cladding material 900 can be seen directly in the area between the filled representations.

Assuming that the illustrated elements are substantially completely filled with the illustrated fill material 902, the cover material 900 is visible throughout, whether seen or directly seen through the illustrated fill material 902, which is substantially parallel to the figure. The surface of layer 898 is shown. Thus the presence of the cladding material 900 may modify the overall appearance of the illustrated fill material 902, but it does not provide the contour or edge lift function of Figure 38a. The cladding material 900 can be designed to have other effects or functions in addition to or in place of optical effects - for example, the cladding material 900 can initiate non-contact identification, detection, or identification of articles attached to the illustrated layer 898.

If the illustrated components are not filled with the illustrated fill material 902, the cladding material 900 may not substantially parallel the surface of the illustrated layer 898. In this case (not depicted), the remaining optical effects provided by the cladding material 900 may be present in the cover material 900 in contact with the illustrated fill material 902 and substantially non-planar regions.

The embodiment of Figure 38c is an extension of the embodiment of Figure 38b to include a plurality of illustrated fill materials. (Although not depicted herein, a multiplexed fill material can be used in the embodiment of Figure 38a, and the following discussion applies to this embodiment as well.) The illustrated layer 898 has a positive fill filled with a first illustrated fill material 916. Structure diagram element 926 and negative microstructure diagram element 928. The microstructured graphical elements 926 and 928 are not filled by the first illustrated fill material 916. This can be accomplished by a plurality of mechanisms, including dispersing the first illustrated fill material 916 in a solvent to disperse the solvent of the first illustrated fill material 916 to fill the illustrated microstructure, and to dry the solvent and thereby reduce the first icon. The amount of filler material 916. Another mechanism that does not fill the illustrated microstructure is to fill with the first illustrated fill material 916, and then remove some of the illustrated fill material 916 by means of an erase or tear mechanism, such as a buffer or high pressure with a doctor blade. Erase.

The first illustrated fill material 916 can be selectively stabilized, cured, or dried via drying, chemical reaction (eg, two-part epoxide or resin and hardener polymerization), radiation curing, oxidation, or other suitable mechanism. The first illustrated fill material 916 can also be selectively destabilized such that it can chemically react with the second illustrated fill material 918 in some manner.

The illustrated microstructures 926 and 928 are then selectively filled with a second illustrated fill material 918. Depending on the method used to provide the first illustrated fill material 916, the relative thicknesses of the first illustrated fill material 916 and the second illustrated fill material 918 may be different in different regions, or have different depths, widths, or appearances. It is different from the microstructure of the illustrated components. The positive graphic element 926 displays approximately equal amounts of the first illustrated fill material 916 and the second illustrated fill material 918, and the thickness of the two fill materials is approximately equal to the center of the filled region 920. The negative graphical element in the figure shows a large difference in aspect ratio such that the central portion 922 of the two larger filled graphical elements exhibit a fill of, for example, about 1:3 for the first and second illustrated fill materials 916 and 918, respectively. Material thickness ratio. The center of the smaller negative graphic element 924 shows a very different fill material thickness ratio for the first and second illustrated fill materials 916 and 918, respectively, for example, about 4:1. The illustration of the fill is optionally covered with a cladding material 900.

The cladding material 900 can also be selectively applied to the illustrated layer 898 prior to filling the illustration with the first illustrated fill material 916, or it can be applied to the illustrated layer 989 and before being filled with the second illustrated fill material 918. A fill material 916 is illustrated. These changes are not depicted in the figure.

The positive graphic element 920 has its object-like microstructures filled with the illustrated filling materials 916 and 918, and its unfilled background elements. The negative graphic element 928 has its background microstructure filled with the illustrated filling materials 916 and 918, while its object-like microstructure is unfilled.

It is noted that any of the illustrated layer materials in any of the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the materials of Figures 38a-c and may themselves incorporate a pigment, dye, colorant, fluorescent material or previously stated in this definition paragraph. Any suitable type of filler material. Due to the formation of a transparent, undyed and uncolored patterned layer, and then a particular microstructured graphic element filled with a colored, patterned fill material, it can be considered as a component being illustrated while being formed with a colored patterned layer, and The very identical microstructured component elements, which are then filled with transparent, undyed and uncolored, graphic fill materials, can be considered as negative components, so the filled graphic layer provides a clear representation between the theoretical positive and negative graphic components. . In this example, the change between all of the illustrated elements and the negatively illustrated elements is the choice of the materials of the illustrated layers and the illustrated fill material. When it is convenient to discuss positive and negative graphic elements, there is actually a contiguous area of possibilities, including a graphical element having a color or optical effect in the background, and a second color present in the object pattern and / or optical effects and vice versa.

If the illustrated components of Figures 38a-c are used as a partial corrugation amplification system, the unique effects provided by the combination of the cladding material and the illustrated filler material will continue to exist in the composite image produced by the corrugated amplification system.

The shape of the package is shown as an illustration

Figures 39a-c depict applications and combinations of shaped cladding materials, thermal stamp foils, directional coatings, and filled illustrations. In FIG. 39(a), the illustrated layer 932 can be stand-alone or it can alternatively be mounted on a substrate 930 or a transparent substrate 930. The selected substrate or transparent substrate 930 is supported or in contact with a patterned layer 932 of various microstructures that can be combined as an element of the illustrated image, either alone or in combination.

In Fig. 39a, the pattern structure of the cladding material 934 constitutes a region that presents 935 cladding material, and a region that lacks cladding material. The pattern structure of the cladding material 934 can be in any form or for any purpose, including the fabrication of the illustrated elements of the corrugated magnifying micro-optic system. A number of methods are known in the art for coating a pattern structure comprising printing or precipitating a resist material on a coated and chemically etched exposed coating, followed by selectively chemically stripping the resist from the coating. material. The resist layer can be photoresist, and the pattern structure of the resist can be completed by an optical exposure method. Another method of coating the patterned structure is to first deposit a shaped resist (or deposit a resist on the other hand and subsequently set), then apply the coating to the surface of the material and the resist, followed by chemical removal. The attached resist and coating. For example, the latter method is common in the manufacture of "demetallized security threads" in which a resist material is printed on a polymer substrate, and the substrate and resist are coated with aluminum by vacuum metallization or sputtering. And chemically removing the resist. At the location where the resist is present, the aluminum cladding is lacking and "released" when the resist is removed. Instead of chemical removal of the selected metallization regions, the regions can be mechanically removed, such as by friction. It will be understood that only the coated portion can be preformed.

A shaped metallized coating that does not conform to the scaling and geometry of the elements illustrated in the corrugated magnifying film can be used to produce a partially transparent metal in the composite image, as the location of the demetallized region will vary with the components shown. - In a manner similar to the half-toning method used in printing, the synthetic image formed from the graphical elements exhibiting opacity is proportional to the portion of the cladding presentation.

Alternatively, the shaped demetallized metal cladding can be used to fabricate a different set of illustrated components than the microstructured components that can be used to create the second composite image set. One application of this additional synthetic image is for the covert identification of materials protected by currency, documents and trademarks.

In Figure 39a, the cladding material 934 in the region designated by the bracket 936 is shaped in a manner that does not conform to the geometry of the microstructured component. The shaped cladding material 934 can carry individual information, such as different patterns of the illustrated components, or it can carry other graphical or textual information, or no information.

In contrast, the cladding layer 934 in the region designated by the bracket 938 conforms to the illustrated elements, encasing the suppressed shape 931, but not covering the "flat portion" 939 therebetween. Such a pattern structure can be completed by covering the entire surface of the graphic layer 932 with the covering material 934, including the suppressed region 931 and the "flat portion" 939, followed by demolition, rubbing, wiping, shaving, grinding, chemical etching, The cover material 934 is removed from the "flat portion" 939 by the adhesive being removed or by other suitable mechanism.

The shaped cladding material 934 that conforms to the illustrated elements in this manner can provide a strong visual, optical, electromagnetic, magnetic, or other enhancement of the illustrated elements. For example, the illustrated layer 932 incorporating the microstructured graphic elements can be sputtered with gold, which can then be removed from the flat portion 939 by rubbing the coated surface relative to a fibrous material such as paper. The gold remaining in the illustrated element then provides a gold-finished metal surface while the flat portion contains no gold, so the illustrated element appears as a gold object that is separated from the background.

Figure 39b depicts various illustrated layer 932 embodiments that are a single piece (946) and combination (950, 951) incorporating a thermal stamp foil wrap 942 and illustrated fill material 948. A typical thermal stamp foil structure is shown in which a thermal adhesive layer 940 is bonded to a thermal stamp foil clad foil layer 942 to the illustrated layer 932. A hot stamped foil-coated frangible lacquer layer 944 is optionally equipped to support the thermal stamp foil 942. The frangible lacquer layer 944 can incorporate a microstructured pattern, such as a hologram. In the area designated by the carriage 946, the thermal stamp foil cover 942 has been applied to the surface of the illustrated layer 932 by well-known mechanisms, sealed to the area of suppression of the microstructured graphic elements. In the area designated by the cradle 950, the thermal stamp foil 942 has been applied to the microstructured representation containing the illustrated fill material 948. In the area designated by the carriage 951, the thermal stamp foil 942 has been applied to the illustrated layer 932 and then the thermal stamp foil cladding material overlying the area of inhibition of the microstructured graphic elements is removed. Suitable mechanisms for removing the thermal stamp foil wrap material include, but are not limited to, high pressure gas jets, high pressure water or other liquid jets, and mechanical collapse and friction. The microstructured graphic elements are optionally filled with the illustrated fill material 948 such that the illustrated microstructured surface is controlled by the illustrated fill material 948 and the "flat portion" surface is controlled with the thermal stamped foil cover material. As shown, the illustrated fill material 948 is selectively overlaid over at least a portion of the thermal stamp foil wrap 942, or it can be applied such that only the illustrated recesses (not shown) are filled.

Figure 39c depicts various illustrated layer 932 embodiments in combination with a directional clad material (952 and 962) that may alternatively be used in combination with the illustrated fill material 948. The first directional wrap 952 is applied to the illustrated layer 932 from the direction specified by arrow 954. The directivity deposit of the first directional wrap 952 preferentially coats the "flat portion" and the right side of the illustrated component in the region designated by the cradle 956 (as shown). The cladding provides visual high illumination on one side of the microstructured graphic element, creating a "shadow" or "concentrated illumination" effect.

In the area designated by the carriage 958, a dichroic coating is used. Arrow 954 indicates the direction of application of the first directional cover 952 that covers the "flat portion" and the right side of the microstructured graphical element in the region. The second directional wrap 962 is applied from the direction specified by arrow 960 and covers the left side of the microstructured graphic element. The first and second directional wraps (952 and 962, respectively) may be the same material or different materials, and they may be applied from opposite directions (954 and 960) as shown, or they may be applied in a similar orientation. For example, if the first directional wrap 952 is silver and it is applied from the direction indicated by arrow 954, and if the second directional wrap 962 is gold and it is applied from the direction indicated by arrow 960, then the microstructure Silver will appear on the right side of the component and gold will appear on the left side, while the center remains uncoated and can appear transparent. Regarding another example: the condition of the previous example, except that the silver is applied at the angle shown by arrow 954, and the gold is applied from the same general direction at an angle of ten degrees closer to the vertical surface of the entire illustrated layer 932. The gold will then be coated on the same side as the illustrated elements of the silver, but the gold will cover the upper right side or center of the illustration. The resulting graphical elements appear to have a right side of silver that is mixed with gold toward the top of the illustrated element (as shown). Many other combinations and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Yet another variation is shown in the area of Figure 39c designated by the cradle 964, wherein the microstructured graphic element has a bidirectional wrap, a first directional wrap 952 and a second directional wrap 962, and then Filler material 948 is shown filled. The figure has not previously been shown, and the illustrated fill material optionally attaches any of the coated microstructured elements of any of the Figures, including regions 936 and 938 in Figure 39a, and region 956 in Figure 39c.

Figure 40a depicts the use of a shaped cladding material 967 as a mechanism for making the illustrated image elements. The shaped cladding material 967 is provided on a substrate 966 or a transparent substrate 966 that incorporates a region of the selected thickness of the cladding material 968, and a region of the cladding material 969 having a smaller thickness or without the cladding material 970. Area, or both. The different thicknesses of the cladding material - full thickness (968), partial thickness (969) and zero thickness (970) (or lack of cladding material) - can be shaped to represent the image information as a component in a corrugated amplification system. A full thickness cladding material or a zero thickness cladding material can be used to form the article features of the illustrated components. Figure 40b depicts a plan view 972 for forming object types (letters and numbers) for a background 976 formed of a zero thickness or a portion of a thickness of cladding material using a full thickness graphic element. Since the object pattern of the illustrated component shown in plan view 972 is formed by the presence of cladding material 967, the illustrated image is referred to as a positive image. Figure 40c presents a plan view 978 of a negative graphic image in which the background is formed by a full thickness cladding material 982 and the article pattern is formed by a partial or zero thickness cladding material 980. The area of the partial thickness cladding material 969 can be used to fabricate a gray scale pattern wherein the optical effect of the cladding material 967 modifies or reduces the density effect depending on the nature of the cladding material.

The pattern structure of the cladding material 967 can be accomplished by any of the methods previously described with respect to FIG. The portion of the portion of the thickness of the cladding material may be fabricated by an additional masking and etching step, or by coating a full thickness of the portion of the etched portion of the thickness region, followed by completion of a second cladding of the cladding material 967 to precipitate a portion of the thickness layer. A zero thickness region 970 is created over the entire substrate 966 or transparent substrate 966, optionally masked and etched more than once.

The remaining layer of cladding material is optionally attached to the shaped cladding material 967. Examples include, but are not limited to, vacuum precipitated metallization, colored dyed coatings, or any of the previously listed in the definition paragraphs of this document. Example: This layer can be applied directly, laminated, thermally stamped, coated or otherwise provided. The use of this additional layer can provide an advantage in changing the area of the portion of the thickness cladding material 969 and the presence of a region of zero thickness (lack of) cladding material 970.

Figures 41a, b depict two embodiments of a two-part corrugated magnification system that can be used as a "key and key" authentication system in which the microlens array is an individual item that acts as a key to "turn on" the information in the illustrated array item. In FIG. 41a, the selected transparent substrate 984 supports a microlens 986 fabricated from a light transmitting material 988 that may be different or the same as the material used to form the selected transparent substrate 984. The total thickness of the lens sheet 1000 in combination with the microlens 986 plus the selected substrate 984 is less than the focal length 1004 of the microlens 986.

The lens sheet 1000 does not permanently attach the graphic sheet 1002, but is a free and individual item that can be used as the identification device of the graphic sheet 1002. When used as an authentication device, the lens sheet 1000 is introduced into contact with or near the surface of the graphic sheet 1002. The gap 992 between the two sheets will typically comprise an air film, or the gap 992 can optionally be filled with water, glycerin or other fluid to provide optical or mechanical coupling between the lens sheet 1000 and the graphic sheet 1002.

The illustrated layer 1002 on the farthest surface of the lens sheet 1000 is disposed in conjunction with the selected transparent substrate 990, the illustrated layer 994, and the graphic element 1002 of the illustrated element 996 (which is optionally filled with the illustrated filling material 997 as shown). The total thickness of the image sheet 1002 plus the lens sheet 1000 is designed to be substantially equal to the focal length 1004 of the microlens 986. When the lens sheet 1000 is placed substantially in proximity, such as contact with the graphic sheet 1002 with or without fluid, the focus 998 of the microlens 986 will be placed within or adjacent to the illustrated layer 994. The preferred location of focus 998 is the slightly lower or lower surface of layer 994.

The system formed in accordance with the embodiment of Figure 41a can be used as an anti-counterfeiting, authentication or security device. For example, the illustrated layer 994 of the illustrated sheet 1002 can be attached, adhered, or permanently affixed or incorporated into an article or document during manufacture, original creation, packaging, or dispensing. The graphic sheet 1002 itself does not need to have any visible distinguishing features. In fact, the illustrated element 996 will be extremely small, ranging in size from a few microns to tens of microns, and the naked eye will be effectively invisible. The remaining conventional printing or imaging may be equipped or attached to the graphic sheet 1002 as needed.

An example of such additional imaging may be a photo that a person uses for identification such that the graphic piece is completed as a background for the photo. The identification of the illustrated sheet 1002 can be accomplished by incorporating a securely attached article, and placing a suitable zoom lens sheet 1000 that is substantially in contact with the illustrated sheet 1002, and rotating the lens sheet 1000 in its plane until the lens and graphic element 996 It is sufficiently corrected to form a composite image of the graphic element 996. (The "appropriately scaled" lens sheet is a lens sheet in which the array of focusing elements has a rotationally symmetric and substantially repeating period consistent with the array of elements 996 illustrated on the illustrated sheet 1002, and the illustration/lens repetition rate is designed And the selected optical effects [ultra-deep, deep, moving, floating, super-floating, floating, 3-D, and combinations thereof]).

Figure 41b depicts another embodiment of the perspective of the present invention. In the present figure, lens sheet 1010 is unitary and consists of a single material that includes microlenses 1008 from the upper surface, and the selected additional thickness of material 1006 provides optical spacing. If the lens sheet 1000 does not include the selected transparent substrate 984, the lens sheet 1000 of Fig. 41a can also be formed in this manner. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 41a, the lens sheet 1010 of FIG. 41b can be formed using a transparent substrate and a microlens layer. For completeness, the other two structures of the lenticular sheets 1000 and 1010 - the lenticular sheet 1000 or 1010 - may have one of the two structures shown - an integral lens (Fig. 41b) or a substrate plus lens (Fig. 41a).

The function of the lens sheet 1010 in the embodiment of Fig. 41b is the same as that of the lens sheet 1000 of Fig. 41a, although the total thickness of the lens sheet 1010 will generally be larger than the microlens 1008 due to the difference of the illustrated sheet 1014 compared to the illustrated sheet 1002. The ratio of the focal length of 1024. The graphic sheet 1014 incorporates a surface having the illustrated element 1020, which is optionally filled with the illustrated filling material 997. For completeness, the illustrated image sheet 1014 is monolithic, having an un-isolated graphic layer and a base layer, but on the other hand, the graphic sheet 1014 can be formed in the manner of a sheet 1002 having a base and attached icons. Floor. In the same manner, the graphic sheet 1002 can be formed as a unitary sheet in accordance with the structure of the illustrated sheet 1014.

The functional difference between the illustrated sheet 1014 and the illustrated sheet 1002 is that the former has its illustrated elements on the surface closest to the lens sheet 1010, while the latter has its illustrated elements on the surface furthest from the lens sheet 1000. Moreover, since the illustrated component 1020 of the graphic sheet 1014 is located on its upper surface, the material 1018 disposed beneath the illustrated component 1020 need not be transparent, whether the illustrated wafer 1014 is integral or has a graphic sheet. The structure of 1002 has the illustrated layer and the substrate. The substrate 990 of the illustrated sheet 1002 need not be substantially transparent, as for the lens 986, light must pass through the substrate 990 to form an image of the illustrated element 996.

The selected cladding material 1016 can be mounted on the illustrated component 1020 of the illustrated sheet 1014. The cladding material 1016 can provide optical or non-contact identification of the illustrated sheet as needed, unlike mechanisms that use the lens sheet 1010. The cladding layer 1016 can include other optical features, such as a holographic or diffractive structure. The illustrated elements of both the illustrated slice 1002 and the illustrated slice 1014 can take any form, including any of the illustrated elements of the embodiments herein.

With respect to the situation of the embodiment of Fig. 41a, the lens sheet 1014 of the embodiment of Fig. 41b is not permanently attached to the illustrated sheet 1014, but can be used as a free and individual item of the identification device of the table 1014. When used as an authentication device, the lens sheet 1010 is introduced into contact with or near the surface of the graphic sheet 1014. The gap 1012 between the two sheets will typically comprise an air film, or the gap 1012 can optionally be filled with water, glycerin or other fluid to provide optical or mechanical coupling between the lens sheet 1010 and the graphic sheet 1014.

The total thickness of the illustrated wafer 1014 plus lens sheet 1010 is designed to be substantially equal to the focal length 1024 of the microlens 1008. When the lens sheet 1010 is substantially in contact with the illustrated sheet 1014 with or without a coupling fluid, the focus 1022 of the microlens 1008 will be placed in or near the illustrated element 1020. The optimal position of focus 1022 is at or slightly below the shorter range of illustrated element 1020.

A system formed in accordance with the embodiment of Figure 41b can be used as an anti-counterfeiting and authentication device. For example, the lower surface of the graphic sheet 1014 can be attached, adhered, or permanently affixed or incorporated into an article or document during manufacture, original creation, packaging, or dispensing. The graphic sheet 1014 itself does not need to have any visual distinguishing features. In fact, the illustrated element 1020 will be extremely small, ranging in size from a few microns to tens of microns, and the naked eye will be effectively invisible. The remaining conventional printing or imaging may be equipped or attached to the graphic sheet 1014 as needed. An example of such additional imaging may be a photo that a person uses for identification such that the graphic piece is completed as a background for the photo. The identification of the illustrated sheet 1014 can be accomplished by incorporating a securely attached article, and placing a suitable zoom lens sheet 1010 that is substantially in contact with the illustrated sheet 1014, and rotating the lens sheet 1010 in its plane until the lens and illustrated element 1020 The corrected image of the graphic element 1020 is formed sufficiently corrected.

The structure or form of the graphic sheet (1002 or 1014) can be combined with the multiplex pattern forming the graphic elements of different synthetic images (corresponding to 996 or 1020 respectively), and can be rotated by different lens sheets (for example, rotating at 0 degree lens sheets). The angle produces a graphical representation of the largest magnified composite image, and a second graphical representation of the maximum magnified composite image at a 30 degree lens rotation angle), different lenses and illustrated array geometry during different lens repetitions (eg, having An array of hexagonal geometry, and a second array of square geometry, and combinations thereof, are read or identified.

An example of a different lens period discrimination method is a graphic sheet that combines the pattern of the image elements that produce a deep image when synthesized and amplified by a lens sheet having a repeat period of 30 micrometers, and is also combined with a repetition of 45 micrometers. The second illustrated component pattern of the floating image is generated when the lens sheet is synthesized and enlarged. The second illustrated element pattern is optionally identifiable with a different angle of rotation than the first illustrated element pattern.

A material having a multi-way graphic pattern can be combined with a set of information that can be presented by a first key (a lens sheet with a first selected repeat period), and each of the remaining keys can be repeated The scaled lens piece) shows the remaining set of information. The multiplexed pattern can also be provided in different patterned layers that require focusing elements having different focal lengths to form visible synthetic optical images from different illustrated layers.

The embodiment of FIG. 42 is referred to as a 'wet decoder' method and system that incorporates covert information into a ripple amplification system 1026 of the present invention that can then be "decoded" or exhibited via the use of covert identification lens sheet 1040. In the figure, the magnification system 1026 includes a microlens 1028 and a patterned layer 1030 that incorporates a concealed graphic pattern 1034 in or on the illustrated layer 1030. The illustrated layer 1030 can also optionally include a publicly illustrated pattern 1032. As previously mentioned, the magnification system 1026 is designed to produce a publicly viewable composite image 1038 of the publicly illustrated pattern 1032. In contrast, the repeating period and/or rotational symmetry of the covert graphic pattern 1034 is deliberately designed so that a publicly viewable composite image is not produced when viewed through the mechanism of the microlens 1028.

For example, the repeating period of the concealed graphic pattern 1034 can be designed to be substantially different from the repeating period of the microlens 1028; the concealed graphic pattern 1034 can be designed to be 37 microns while the microlens 1028 can be designed while It is 32 microns. The zoom ratio (about 1.156) shown for the lens will produce a floating composite image of the concealed graphical pattern 1034 with a period of about 205 microns. A feature of the concealed composite image of this size is that the naked eye is substantially invisible. (The concealed illustration period may be additionally selected to produce a deep synthetic image during a period equal to the scaling ratio of the illustrated image to the lens of about 0.865. For a particular microlens repeat period, the repeating period of the concealed illustration may be designed to produce A synthetic image of any uniform ripple amplification effect, including but not limited to ultra deep, deep, moving, floating, super floating, morphology.) The particular dimensions presented herein represent only a single example of a contiguous area of selectable size.

Regarding another example, the rotational symmetry of the covert graphic 1034 can be designed to be substantially different from the rotational symmetry of the microlens 1028. In this example, we will assume that the microlenses 1028 and the concealed graphic pattern 1034 are arranged in a hexagonal array, but the orientation of the array of concealed graphic patterns 1034 is rotated 30 degrees from the orientation of the array of microlenses 1028. The misalignment of the two arrays will also avoid the formation of a blatantly viewable composite image of the concealed graphic pattern 1034. Yet another way to avoid the formation of the concealed graphic 1034 synthetic image is to configure the microlenses 1028 into an array of geometries, such as hexagons, while configuring the concealed graphic pattern 1034 into different array geometries, such as squares.

The concealed graphic pattern 1034 can be rendered by forming a composite image with the additional, individual component concealed identification lens sheet 1040, wherein the concealed identification lens sheet 1040 is introduced into the microlens 1028 of the amplification system 1026 with an optical coupling material 1044 filling the gap therebetween. Nearby or substantially in contact with it. The optical coupling material is preferably a liquid having a refractive index similar to that of the material 1052 forming the covert discriminating lens sheet and the material 1050 forming the magnifying system lens 1028, such as glycerin or corn syrup. The coupling material has the function of partially offsetting its focus magnification by immersing the lens 1028 in a medium having a similar refractive index. Other materials can be used to accomplish this, including colloids (including gels), elastomers, and pressure-sensitive adhesives.

The properties of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1040, including its array geometry, repeating period, and lenticular focal length, are designed and the array geometry and repeating period of the covert pattern 1034 and to the total of the covert discriminating lens sheet lens 1042 and the illustrated plane 1030. The distance matches.

In effect, a small amount of fluid, such as glycerin, is placed on the surface of the magnification system lens 1028, and the flat surface of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1040 is placed in contact with the fluid and substantially squeezed into contact with the lens 1028. The covert discriminating lens sheet 1040 then rotates in its plane to substantially correct the orientation of the array of microlenses 1042 and the orientation of the array of concealed graphic patterns 1034. With respect to the correction of the concealed graphic pattern 1034, the composite image 1048 is sufficiently magnified to be recognized by the naked eye, and is close to the maximum magnification of the two arrays having substantially the same orientation.

Another embodiment is to form the covert discriminating lens sheet 1040 as a pressure sensitive label or tape that can be applied to the surface of the lens 1028. In the present embodiment, the function of the optical coupling material 1044 is accomplished by applying a substantially transparent pressure sensitive adhesive that conceals the flat surface of the lens sheet 1040. A method of correcting the covert discriminating lens sheet 1040 to the orientation of the covert pictorial pattern 1034 is desirable, such as by printing a correction pattern or in the direction of the edge of the magnification system 1026, wherein the edge of the discriminating discriminating lens sheet 1040 can be applied Match.

Yet another alternative structure of the 'wet decoder' method and system is to incorporate the covert graphic 1034 into the second graphical layer. The second illustrated layer can be adjacent to the lens 1028 or further from the lens 1028 instead of the first illustrated layer 1030. The focal length and thickness of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1040 are then designed to focus on the second illustrated layer when the discriminating discriminating lens sheet 1040 to the lens 1028 is applied with the optical coupling material 1044. In the present embodiment, as long as the position of the second illustrated plane prevents the lens 1028 from forming a public image of the identifiable covert graphic 1034, the array attributes of the cover image 1034 can be aligned with the pattern of the publicly illustrated pattern. The properties are the same.

The embodiment of FIG. 43 is referred to as a 'dry decoder' method and system that incorporates covert information into an amplification system 1054 that can then be "decoded" or presented via the use of covert identification lens patches 1064. In the figure, the magnification system 1054 includes a microlens 1056 and a patterned layer 1058 that incorporates a concealed graphic pattern 1060 in or on the illustrated layer 1058. The illustrated layer 1058 can also optionally include a publicly illustrated pattern 1059. As previously mentioned, the magnification system 1056 can optionally be designed to produce a publicly viewable composite image of the publicly illustrated pattern 1059. In contrast, the repeating period and/or rotational symmetry of the covert graphic 1060 is deliberately designed such that when viewed through the mechanism of the microlens 1056, a blatantly viewable composite image is not produced.

For example, the repeating period of the concealed graphic pattern 1060 can be designed to be substantially different from the repetition period of the microlens 1056; the concealed graphic pattern 1060 can be designed to be 28.071 microns while the microlens 1056 can be designed while It is 28.000 microns. The zoom ratio (about 1.00255) shown for the lens will produce a floating composite image 1063 (of the concealed graphic pattern 1060) having a period of about 392 microns. A feature of the concealed composite image of this size is that the naked eye is substantially invisible. (The concealed illustration period may alternatively be selected to produce a deep synthetic image during a period equal to the zoom ratio of the illustrated image to the lens of about 0.99746. For a particular microlens repeat period, the repeating period of the concealed illustration may be designed to produce A synthetic image of any uniform ripple amplification effect, including but not limited to ultra deep, deep, moving, floating, super floating, morphology.) The particular dimensions presented herein represent only a single example of a contiguous area of selectable size.

Regarding another example, the rotational symmetry of the covert graphic 1060 can be designed to be substantially different from the rotational symmetry of the microlens 1056. In this example, we will assume that the microlens 1056 and the concealed graphic pattern 1060 are arranged in a hexagonal array, but the orientation of the array of concealed graphic patterns 1060 is rotated 30 degrees from the orientation of the array of microlenses 1056. The misalignment of the two arrays will also avoid the formation of a blatantly viewable composite image of the concealed graphic version 1060. Yet another method of avoiding the formation of the concealed graphic 1060 synthetic image is to configure the microlenses 1056 into an array of geometries, such as hexagons, while configuring the concealed graphic pattern 1060 into different array geometries, such as squares.

The covert graphic pattern 1060 can be made visible by forming a second composite image by the covert identification lens sheet 1064 of the mechanism of the additional, individual elements, wherein the covert discrimination lens sheet 1064 is introduced into the vicinity of the microlens 1056 of the amplification system or substantially Contact, the optical coupling material filling the gap 1065 therebetween is not used. The gap 1065 is filled with any other gas in the environment surrounding the air, vacuum or diffuse amplification system 1054.

The properties of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064, including its array geometry, repetition period, and lenticular focal length, are designed to be projected into the material 1070 forming the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064, and the array geometry of the concealed pictorial pattern 1063 The repeating period and the total distance from the position of the covert discriminating lens sheet lens 1066 to the concealed composite image 1063 are matched.

In fact, the flat surface of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 is placed in contact with the magnifying lens 1056. The covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 then rotates in its plane to substantially correct the orientation of the array of microlenses 1066 and the orientation of the array of concealed graphic patterns 1063. With respect to the correction of the concealed composite image 1063 that forms the second composite image 1068, the second composite image 1068 is sufficiently magnified to be recognized by the naked eye, proximate to the maximum magnification of the two arrays having substantially the same orientation.

Another embodiment is to form the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 as a pressure sensitive label or tape that can be applied to the surface of the lens 1056. In the present embodiment, a very thin (substantially smaller than the height of the microlens 1056) substantially transparent pressure sensitive adhesive (not shown) can be applied to conceal the entire flat surface of the disc lens 1064, or set pressure. A sensitive adhesive (not shown) can be applied to the surface. In the first case, the application of the extremely thin, substantially transparent pressure sensitive adhesive - for the covert discriminating lens sheet of the enveloping system 1056, will cause the adhesive to contact the top end of the lens 1056 without filling the gap 1065 and masking the lens side, thereby avoiding the lens 1056 from forming an air gap of the first concealed composite image 1063. In the second condition, the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 will maintain the unfilled gap 1065 in the adhesive free region. A method of correcting the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 to the orientation of the covert pictorial pattern 1060 is required, for example, by printing a correction pattern or in the direction of the edge of the magnification system 1056, wherein the edge of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 can be used when applied. Match.

Yet another alternative structure of the 'dry decoder' method and system is to incorporate the covert graphic 1060 into the second graphical layer. The second graphic layer can be proximate to the lens 1056 or further from the lens 1056 rather than the first illustrated layer 1058, at any position where the activation lens 1056 forms a real or virtual image of the concealed graphic 1060. The focal length and thickness of the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 are then designed such that when the covert discriminating lens sheet 1064 is placed substantially in contact with the lens 1056, its focus falls on the position at which the lens 1056 forms a concealed composite image.

Yet another method of presenting hidden information in the magnification system of the present invention is depicted in Figures 44a, b. We have coined the term "HydroUnison" to mean a corrugated amplification system using the principles of this embodiment. In Fig. 44a, the water uniform corrugated amplification system 1078 incorporates an array of microlenses 1080, a patterned layer 1082, and an optical spacer 1081 therebetween, adjacent to the microlens 1080 or the illustrated layer 1082, or both. The illustrated layer 1082 is coupled to the graphical pattern 1084. The thickness of the optical spacer 1081 is substantially greater than the focal length 1086 of the microlens 1080 when in air, another gas, or under vacuum. It can be seen that the air focus 1088 of the microlens 1080 is remote from the illustrated pattern 1084 and the illustrated layer 1082. The synthetic image projection 1090 from the air of the microlens 1080 is severely blurred and out of focus, with no identifiable image.

Figure 44b depicts the effect of immersing microlens 1080 in a suitable fluid 1092, such as water. (Immersion is a relative case - as long as the fluid 1092 is placed above the microlens 1080 in the layer greater than the center height 1091 of the lens 1080, the lens is "immersed" from the optical standard point.) Changing the medium of the water uniform corrugated amplification system 1078 The refractive index of the object changes the focal length of the microlens 1080. In this example, increasing the refractive index of the external medium of the system increases the focal length of the microlens 1080. The thickness of the optical spacer 1081 is selected to direct the focus 1088 of the microlens 1080 immersed in the fluid 1092 into or near the illustrated layer 1082. Under these circumstances, the microlens 1080 can project a composite image 1095 of the well-focused graphical image 1084.

When viewed in the dry state with the in-air lens 1080, the water-consistent system according to the present embodiment appears to have no visible image. The synthetic image suddenly appears when the lens is wetted (immersed) with a liquid having a refractive index substantially equal to the selected immersion fluid 1092. This effect is particularly noticeable if the composite image is a combined floating/deep image or an ultra-deep image. As the water uniform system dries, the synthetic image becomes dull and disappears.

For a particular selection of fluid 1092, when immersed in fluid 1092 having a selected index of refraction, the design water consistency system is completed by making the thickness of the optical spacer 1081 approximately equal to the focal length 1094 of the microlens 1080 immersed in the fluid 1092. Produce this effect. Convenient fluid 1092 is water with a typical refractive index of about 1.33. For the selected immersion fluid 1092, although the water uniform corrugated amplification system 1078 can be a non-"thin lens" optical system, the thin lens system design lens manufacturing equation can be used to find a design aperture of a suitably accurate optical spacer 1081.

The lens manufacturing equation is: 1/f = (n _{lens -} n _o ) (1/R ₁ - 1 / R ₂ ) where: f = lens focal length n when immersed in the medium of refractive index n _{o lens} = lens material Refractive index n _o = refractive index of the immersion medium R ₁ = radius of curvature of the first lens surface R ₂ = radius of curvature of the second lens surface

Since the focus of the lens 1080 is the interior of the water-consistent corrugated magnification system 1078, the only curvature affecting the focal length is the first curvature, and R ₁ -the second curvature R ₂ can be considered as a flat surface with an infinite radius, reducing the 1/R ₂ ratio to be zero. The lens manufacturing equation is then simplified to: 1/f = (n _{lens -} n _o ) or f = R ₁ / (n _{lens -} n _o ) for airborne lenses, n _lens = 1.487, and n _o = n _air = 1.000: f _air = R ₁ /(1.487-1.000)=R ₁ /0.487=2.053 R ₁ in terms of a lens immersed in water, _n-lens = 1.487, and n _o = n _water = 1.333: f _water = R ₁ / (1.487-1.333)=R ₁ /0.154=6.494 R ₁ Therefore, it is found that the focal length of the lens 1080 immersed in water is greater than the focal length in the air of the lens 1080, and the quotient is: f _water / f _air = (6.494 R ₁ ) / (2.053 R ₁ )=3.163

For example, if a particular microlens 1080 formed from a material having a refractive index of 1.487 has a focal length 1086 in air of 23 microns, the microlens 1080 will have a size of about 23 x 3.136 = 72.7 microns when immersed in water.

Other fluids having a refractive index similar to that of the selected immersion fluid 1092 can be used to reveal a hidden image with effectiveness based in part on how closely conforming to the specific fluid of the immersion fluid 1092. For example, ethanol has a refractive index of about 1.36. When immersed in ethanol, the focal length of the lens in the above example will be 88.2 microns, so if the optical spacer 1081 is designed to have a thickness of about 73 microns, corresponding to the selected immersion fluid 1092 having a refractive index of water, the composite image 1095 will Slight out of focus.

The embodiment of Figures 44a, b can be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, the identification of articles having water consistent system film laminates, stickers, patches, threads, seals, stamps or labels, such as tournament tickets, lottery tickets, ID cards, visas, passports, driver's licenses, government documents, birth certificates, negotiable instruments, traveller's cheques, bank checks, currency, gambling chips, manufactured goods, and other related and similar items. The water consistency system can also be used to provide decorative, novel and wet indicating effects to articles, documents and manufactured goods.

Other embodiments of the consistent corrugated amplification system referred to in the foregoing are also wet indications - the lenses of the uniform systems are immersed in the fluid, typically avoiding the formation of a synthetic image of the material. The composite image is returned when the liquid is dried or removed.

The embodiment of Figures 44a, b can be further extended to provide a multiplexed image water consistency system 1096 that can exhibit two or more of the same or different colors when the water-consistent microlens 1098 is immersed in different media (1112, 1120, 1128) A number of different uniform ripples magnify the composite image. The example presented in Figures 45a-c depicts a water consensus system 1096 that can produce three different synthetic images (1114, 1126, 1134). The first synthetic image is produced when the lens is in an air vacuum or another gas medium 1112; the second synthetic image is produced when the lens is immersed in water 1120 or other liquid having a refractive index of about 1.33; and The synthetic image is produced when the lens is immersed in a medium 1128 having a refractive index of about 1.418 (e.g., a uniform mixture of 62 volume percent glycerol and 389 volume percent water).

Each of the three synthetic images may be of the same color, type, and uniform effect, or may be different colors, patterns, and uniform effects from each other. Although the type, color, and pattern of consistent synthetic images may be the same as some or all of the synthetic images produced by a water-consistent system, it is important to note that consistent depth effects (ultra-deep, deep, floating, super-floating, floating) The amount, that is, the surface height of the floating image and the depth of the deep image are proportional to the f-number of the microlens 1112. Immersion of the microlenses 1098 into a medium having a different refractive index changes the f-number of the microlenses 1098 and proportionally amplifies the amount of uniform depth effects in the resulting synthetic images.

The water uniform corrugated amplification system 1096 combines the microlens 1098, the isolation microlens 1098 with the first optical spacer 1100 of the first graphic layer 1102, the first graphic layer 1102 having the first graphic pattern 1117, and the first image isolation. a second optical spacer 1104 of the display layer 1102 and the second graphic layer 1106, a second graphic layer 1106 having a second graphic pattern 1119, and a second insulating layer 1106 and a third graphic layer 1110. A three optical spacer 1108 and a third illustrated layer 1110 having a third graphic pattern 1111.

Figure 45a depicts the functionality of an exemplary multiplexed image water consistency system 1096. When the microlens 1098 is immersed in a medium (eg, vacuum, air, and most of the gas) having a refractive index substantially equal to 1.000, the microlens 1098 has a focal length 1116 that configures its focus 1118 within or near the first illustrated layer 1102. The illustrated layer 1102 can be omitted, but if it presents and if it has a suitable graphical representation 1117 of the correct geometric relationship with the microlens 1098 (as in the related embodiments of the subject invention as mentioned), then the microlens 1098 The composite image 1114 of the first graphic pattern 1117 will be projected.

Figure 45b shows microlens 1098 immersed in a liquid 1120 having a refractive index of about 1.33, such as water. The fluid immersion focal length 1122 of the microlens 1098 is now three times larger than the air focal length 1116 of the microlens 1098. The water immersion focus 1124 is now about the depth of the second graphic layer 1106, and the microlens 1098 can form a composite image 1126 of the second graphic pattern 1119.

The function of the exemplary multiplexed image water uniform corrugated amplification system 1096 is illustrated in Figure 45c when the microlens 1098 is immersed in a fluid 1128 having a refractive index of 1.418. Since the refractive index of the immersion fluid 1128 is even closer to the refractive index of the microlens 1098, its focal length 1130 is substantially greater - about 7.2 times greater than the focal length 1116 in air. The new focus 1132 is now about the depth of the third graphical layer 1110, and the microlens 1098 can form a composite image 1134 of the third graphical representation 1111.

The infinite variations of the embodiments of Figures 45a-c are clearly possible within the scope of the subject invention, including the selection of the number of synthetic images that can be projected, the color and type of the composite image, the presence or absence of a particular graphic layer, immersion in fluid refraction. The choice of rate and so on.

Applications of the embodiments of Figures 45a-c include, but are not limited to, rewards and promotional items, authentication and security materials, gaming devices, moisture indicators, and devices that distinguish between different liquids.

Another effect can be obtained by using the magnification system of the present invention depicted in FIG. This effect activates the viewer to view the composite image to change as the viewer's associated azimuth angle changes. The altered image is viewed in a conical shape that deviates from the viewing angle that is replaced by a vertically selected amount. When the viewer observes that the hollow viewing cone conforms uniformly around the corrugated magnification system, the image seen can be designed based on the particular azimuthal angle of the viewer surrounding the hollow conical shape. At the top of Figure 46, the viewer views the magnification system from view point A, and she sees a composite image of the capital letter "A" from the view point. If the viewer moves to a different azimuth view point, such as view point B shown at the bottom of Figure 46, she can see different composite images, such as the uppercase letter "B".

The method of accomplishing this effect is also depicted in the upper left and lower right of Fig. 46. When the viewer views the magnification system from view point A, as shown at the top left of the figure, the microlens in the system forms a composite image from the left side of the graphical representation. When the viewer views the material from the point of view B, as shown at the bottom right of the figure, the microlens forms a composite image from the right side of the graphic pattern. Since each graphic pattern carries information surrounding the composite image as seen from the multi-view point, the particular image elements incorporated into each graphic pattern will typically be unique for each graphic pattern.

Figure 47 depicts a particular image element incorporating a representative graphical representation. As can be seen in this figure, the image elements in the area A of the illustration are seen from the height range of the azimuth view point direction A. Similarly, the illustrated area B will be seen from the inspection point direction B, and so on. Note that on the upper left side of the graphic (Zone F), and is the image element in the icon area, as seen from the view point in direction F, it will represent a blank area in the composite image.

This embodiment has the multiplicity of use. Examples include: synthetic images that appear as not changing from different azimuth angles, such that they always face or "track" the viewer; a series of connected images that can be rendered to form a moving picture or animation; text or graphic information that can be provided Multiple pages allow viewers to "flip pages" and view from different azimuthal positions via rotating material; street numbers for drivers approaching from different directions or traffic control symbols that present different information; and many other applications.

Figures 48a-f depict a preferred method of making a filled pictorial microstructure. The film substrate (preferably 92 standard size polyester film) is coated with a gel or liquid polymer 1502 (e.g., U107 from Lord Industries) in Figure 48a. In Figure 48b, a gel or liquid polymer coating 1502 is introduced into contact with the illustrated microstructure tool 1504, which is typically fabricated from nickel electroformed and applied with appropriate energy (e.g., ultraviolet or electron beam radiation) such that The gel or liquid polymer coating 1502 polymerizes and maintains the microstructured shape of the illustrated microstructure tool 1504. In FIG. 48c, when the illustrated microstructured tool 1504 is removed, the polymeric overlay graphic layer 1510 maintains a negative embossing of the illustrated microstructured tool that constitutes the illustrated layer 1510 of the illustrated microstructure 1508. In Figure 48d, the illustrated layer 1510 is then overlaid with the illustrated fill material 1512, which fills the illustrated microstructure 1508. The illustrated fill material 1512 is removed from the top surface of the illustrated layer 1510 via a mechanism of the doctor blade 1514 that moves in the direction of arrow 1516 (as shown). As shown in Figure 48f, the doctor blade 1514 selectively removes the illustrated fill material 1512 from the flat upper surface of the illustrated layer while leaving it behind the illustrated microstructure 1508. The illustrated fill material 1520 remaining in the illustrated microstructure 1508 is then selectively polymerized by application of a suitable energy source, such as ultraviolet light or electron beam radiation.

If the filler material 1512 is illustrated as being solvent based, the final process step may include heating to remove excess solvent.

The systems and devices herein have many uses and applications. Examples include: government and defense applications - whether federal, national or foreign (eg passport, ID card, driver's license, visa, birth certificate, demographic record, voter registration card, ballot paper, social security card, bond, food stamp, stamp and tax form) Currency; regardless of federal, national or foreign (eg security thread in banknotes, characteristics in polymer currency and characteristics on banknotes); documents (eg ownership, deed, permit, license and certificate); financial and negotiable instruments ( Such as guaranteed bank cheques, company cheques, personal cheques, bank receipts, stock certificates, travellers cheques, money orders, credit cards, charge cards, ATM cards, charitable credit cards, prepaid calling cards and gift cards); secret information (such as movie scripts, laws) Document intellectual property, medical records/hospital records, prescriptions/bars and "secret prescriptions"; product and trademark protection, including textiles & home care (eg laundry detergents, textile conditioners, dish protection, households) Cleansers, surface coatings, textile softeners, bleaches and special textiles); beauty care (eg hair care, hair color) Skin & Cleansing, Cosmetics, Aromas, Antiperspirants & Deodorants, Women's Protection Sticks, Cotton Balls and Pads; Baby & Family Care (eg baby diapers, baby and toddler wipes, baby aprons, baby sheets & Bed seats, paper towels, toilet paper and facial tissue); health care (eg oral care, pet health and nutrition, prescription medication, no prescription medication, drug delivery and personal health care, prescription vitamins and exercise and nutritional supplements; prescriptions and non- Prescription glasses; medical devices and equipment sold to hospitals, medical professionals and wholesale medical wholesalers, ie: bandages, equipment, implantable devices, surgical supplies); food and beverage packaging; dry packaging; electrical appliances, parts & ingredients Apparel and footwear, including sportswear, footwear, licensed and non-licensed zoom, sports and casual wear, textiles; biotech pharmaceuticals; aerospace components and parts; automotive components and parts; sports goods; smoking products; Discs and DVDs; Bursts; novelty items (such as gift papers and ribbons); books and magazines; school goods and office supplies; business cards; shipping documents and packaging Notebook sets; book covers; bookmarks; competitions and tickets; Boss applications (such as lottery, game cards, casino chips and card supplies, lottery sales and total bets); household equipment (such as towels, linen products and furniture) Flooring and wall coverings; jewellery &watches;handbags; artwork, collections and souvenirs; toys; exhibitions (eg product purchase locations and sales presentations); product labeling, labeling and packaging (eg stickers, tags, labels, execution) Threads, opening strips, outer packaging, tamper-proof images, camouflage and asset tracking used to identify or enhance trademarks or documents used for identification or enhancement.

Suitable materials for the above examples include a wide range of polymers. Acrylic, acrylate polyester, acrylate urethane, polypropylene, urethane, and polyester having suitable optical and mechanical properties of both microlens and microstructured elements. Suitable materials for the selected base film include most commercially available polymeric films, including acrylic, cellophane, sei, nylon, polycarbonate, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene combinations. The microstructured filler material can include any of the above listed materials suitable for fabricating microstructured graphic elements, as well as solvent based inks and other common pigment or dye developers. The dye or pigment incorporated into the materials will be compatible with the chemical construction of the vehicle. The pigment must have a minimum dimension that is substantially smaller than the components of any of the illustrated components. The selected sealing layer material may comprise any of the above listed materials suitable for fabricating microstructured graphic elements, plus many different commercially available coatings, inks, surface finishes, varnishes, and bright colors for the printing and paper and film conversion industries. Paint and clear paint. There is no better material combination - the choice of material depends on the geometry of the material, the optical properties of the system, and the desired optical effect.

Synthetic image arranged in sequence

Another embodiment of the present invention is referred to as an Unan Flicker, optionally presenting different composite images from different viewing points. In a type of film composite image (SI), it is a static in-plane image, rather than a dynamic (moving) in-plane image in the motion image discussed at this point.

A consistent movie can be designed to present the multiplicity of a series of synthetic images, providing a short animation effect to present a composite image that appears or disappears from a view or "movie" (powering this embodiment), presenting a series of consecutive or eg different texts The composite image of the discontinuous information page of the page, and the rendered composite image that provides other visual effects derived from the view angle dependent image set.

Figure 49 is referred to as a film composite image by means of 63 depicted various views and designs, visibility control of the surface and in-plane images, or field of view (FOV) control. An in-plane image is an image of a structure having a plurality of visual boundaries, patterns, or visually substantially in a plane of the substrate on which the in-plane image is carried. The field of view (FOV) control of the in-plane image is accomplished by the illustrated FOV control pattern or array within the boundaries of the in-plane image. The individual synthetically magnified images are produced by interaction of an array of focusing elements, such as any of the previously described, and one or more FOV control graphic patterns or arrays that we call FOV controlled synthetic images. The focusing element and the illustration can be formed and can have the dimensions and features of the focusing element and image representation described above. The FOV control composite image provides a field of view for moving the image in the in-plane of the movie, such as parallax, positive parallax or hidden parallax movement of the FOV controlled synthetic image in or out of the visual intersection with the movie image region.

The parallax movement of the composite image is derived from the depth effects of the solid mirror, including, for example, the previously described deep, ultra deep, floating, super floating, floating, surround, and 3-D effects. The hidden parallax composite image moves into a mixture of parallax and positive parallax movement. The hidden parallax composite image will move at non-parallel and non-perpendicular angles relative to the effective tilt view axis, for example 30 degrees (where parallel is defined as 0 degrees, vertical) Defined as 90 degrees). Recall that the positive parallax movement is a direction that is generally parallel to the direction of the tilt axis of the plane of the image. Hidden parallax composite images will also typically exhibit the depth effects of some solid mirrors. The above-described morphological image can also create hidden parallax image movement.

The film composite image constitutes the FOV control pattern and the boundary shape. The FOV control pattern is used for the purpose of controlling the range of angles over which the lens within the boundary will be considered "starting". For the sake of simplicity, we will consider a consistent film material that combines a single film FOV control pattern set that does not have any other consistent effect. When a consistent film focusing element, such as a lens, is focused on the FOV control pattern, the color of the FOV control pattern appears to fill the entire lens (and thus the lens "activates"), and when the lens is focused on the FOV control pattern At the point of the point, the lens appears to be filled with the color of the background (and thus the lens is "closed"). The smallest unit of the design of the movie image is thus a single graphic area, and the smallest unit or movie pixel of the movie image is a single uniform film lens or focusing element.

Movie images can be of any size, ranging from a single movie pixel to a multi-megapixel movie pixel or more. Very small movie images, such as tiny black-faced or hidden images that cannot be distinguished by the naked eye, can be made from small samples of movie pixels. As previously mentioned (the "wet decoder" method of FIG. 42 and the "dry decoder" method of FIG. 43), the movie image can be used as a concealed security feature that requires high magnification viewing, such as borrowing high magnification A magnifying glass (20x or larger), microscope or auxiliary lens material to provide a synthetic magnified image.

Figure 49a is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a consistent film film 2000 having an area of the design of a film in-plane image in the form of a formatted mast. Inside the boundary of the region is an array or pattern of FOV control diagrams that constitute an in-plane image and conform to an array of focusing elements (not shown) of the type described above for forming FOV synthesized magnified images 2007 and 2010. . FOV Controlled Composite Images 2007 and 2010 appear as floating (or super-floating) images, but they can also be deep, ultra deep, moving, morphological, wrap, 3-D or other previously described consistently synthesized magnified images. Visual Intersection of Movie Image Region 2005 and FOV Control Composite Image 2007 2015 The surface of the movie image region 2005 filled with the color of the composite image 2007 is controlled by FOV. Thus, the movie image area 2005 can be seen, or appear to "start" from this viewing angle.

Figure 49b is an enlarged plan view of a cinema in-plane image 4019 of the composite mastodon head 2005 of Figure 49a. The in-plane image 4019 has a border 4013 in which a pattern or array of complex image representations is placed. In its plane, the composite form of the plurality of image representations synthetically takes the shape and surface of the mastographic head, but can be formed into any other shape or design. Figure 49c is an enlargement of section 4017 of the in-plane image of Figure 49b. Figure 49c depicts an exemplary embodiment of an image-illustrated array forming an in-plane image 4019. The image representation array is characterized by areas of dark and light illustration. The image representation array may also be formed, for example, by an array of image representations and regions within the in-plane image 4019 lacking an image representation. In one form, the dark icons can all be the same color, or on the other hand a combination of different colors. In the example of FIG. 49, although the dark regions may have other shapes, each of the dark regions generally has a trapezoidal shape.

The FOV control synthetically magnified image 2007, 2010 is fabricated by interaction of an array of focusing elements, such as the array previously described in any of the texts, and the FOV control diagram depicted in Figures 49b, c forming a composite in-plane image 4019. Array. In an exemplary embodiment, the array of focusing elements is cyclic, rotationally symmetric with a planar array of focusing elements of the in-plane symmetry axis of the type previously described (see, for example, Figures 3a-i). The array of FOV control diagrams is also in the form of a loop that is rotationally symmetric with a planar array of in-plane symmetry axes. In the examples of Figures 49a and d, the image illustrates a cyclic, rotationally symmetric planar array of focusing elements having a rotational symmetry substantially corresponding to the rotational symmetry of the array of FOV control diagrams, wherein the cycle of the FOV control diagram In the symmetry axis of the planar array, the ratio of the repetition period of the control pattern to the repetition period of the focusing element is greater than 1, and the corresponding symmetry axis of the circular plane array of the focusing element is substantially corrected, thereby fabricating the FOV floating control synthetically magnified image 2007, 2010 . As depicted in Figures 49a and d, since the image representation of Figure 49c is substantially trapezoidal in shape, the corresponding FOV floating synthetically magnified image will be substantially identical.

As mentioned above, other FOV controlled synthetic magnified images can be generated. For example, a deep FOV control synthesized magnified image may be generated by varying the ratio of the repetition period of the FOV control map to the repeating period of the focusing element, for example, less than one.

Figure 49d depicts the effect of Figure 49a in a perspective view, including the eyes of the viewer 2020. In this view, it can be seen that a FOV control floating (or super floating) synthetically magnified image 2007 is inserted into the line of sight (or visual intersection) between the eye of the viewer 2020 and the movie image area 2005. The apparent size of the visual projection 2025 of the FOV control synthetic image 2007 is larger than the movie image area 2005, so the FOV control synthetic image 2007 appears to be completely filled with the color of the dark or colored image forming the movie image 2005.

Since there is no FOV control icon outside the region or boundary of the movie image region 2005, portions of the FOV control composite image 2007 that are visually placed outside the movie image region 2005 will not be visible. The movie image area 2005 is effectively a window which, under the constraints of this example, determines the length of the FOV control synthetic image 2007 that can be seen.

If the FOV Control Composite Image 2007 has a smaller visual size than the Movie Image Area 2005, it will not fill the Movie Image 2005, causing the entire In-Picture Image 2005 to appear to be "on". Since the FOV of the movie image area is determined by the visual correction of the movie image area 2005 and the FOV controlled synthetic image 2007 or the length of the intersection, some parts will be missing. Another way of expressing, the amount of in-film imagery 2005 that can be seen by the viewer 2020 is determined by the amount by which the FOV-controlled synthetic image 2007 visually intersects or overlaps with the in-film image 2005.

Figures 50a, b depict the effect of a consistent film film 2000 from a different point of view than that of Figures 49a and d. Figure 50a is a plan view of a uniform film film from a viewing angle different from that of Figure 49a. From this point of view, the surface visual position of the FOV control composite image 2007 is replaced with the left side of the line of sight of the previous position in Fig. 49a. As shown in FIG. 50b, the FOV control composite images 2007 and 2010 are not visually overlapped, but are corrected from different view points 2030 and movie image regions 2005. Since the appearance of the movie image graphic pattern is derived from the visual correction or overlap of the FOV control synthetic image and the movie image, the lack of visual correction or overlap makes the movie image appear to be "closed" when viewed from different viewing points. ". Since the movie image area will not be seen to be filled with a dark or colored image, the movie image cannot be seen from the inspection point. The uncorrected in Figures 50a, b is exaggerated, which depicts an example in which the viewing angle is such that the boundary of the composite image 2007 of Figures 49a, d falls outside of the boundary region of the movie image 2005. This effect occurs when the focus of the focusing element falls on a brightly colored representation, or when it lacks the area illustrated in Figure 49c.

Figures 51a-d depict a graphical design method for controlling an FOV of one or more consistent film composite images and selectively combining it with another consistent synthetic image. Figure 51a shows a pictorial representation 2045 showing a consistent depth effect (e.g., the deep or floating synthetic imaging system described above) that exhibits a repeating pattern of Zuni's superstitious bear images. Figure 51b shows a pattern of the representation 2050 to provide FOV control of the movie image of the Lascaux Cave Horse 2052. Figure 51c shows a pattern of the illustration 2055 to provide FOV control of the movie image of the mastodon 2057.

In accordance with the previously mentioned method of the present disclosure, the scaling of each of the individual graphic patterns is designed to achieve each desired effect, for example, an associated array of Zuni superstitious bear graphic pattern arrays 2045 for focusing elements. The scaling ratio, when combined with a microlens array with a 30 micron repeat period, can be designed to be 0.99849849 (derived from about 666 times magnification) to produce a deep synthetic image with a 20 micron period. The zoom ratio of the movie Lascaux Cave Horse 2052 to the FOV Control Diagram 2050 can be designed to produce an ultra-deep FOV composite image with a sufficiently large repeat period so that the visual size of a single paradigm of the synthetically magnified FOV control graphic array will be larger than the movie The size of the graphic representation of the image of the Lascaux cave horse 2052, such as that depicted in Figures 49a, d, wherein the FOV control synthetic image 2007 is enlarged to a larger extent than the pattern area of the image mastodon 2005 in the in-plane image plane. Presented. For example, the ratio of the Lascaux cave horse may be 0.9997398148834 derived from about 3997 times magnification, and the mastod ratio may be 0.9998888066148 derived from about 8993 times magnification.

For clarity, the boundaries of the movie image Lascaux Cave Horse 2052 and the cinema image mastodon 2057 are shown in dashed lines in Figures 50b, c, but the film image does not have any continuous boundaries. As depicted in Figures 49b, c, the dashed line represents the outer casing of the array containing the image representations of the movie images 2052, 2057. The length is defined by the length of its FOV control graphic array patterns 2050 and 2055, respectively. The movie image will only be visible where the array of FOV control icons is present and when there is a visual intersection of the movie image areas with FOV controlled synthetic images. This principle applies to all movie images of the embodiment of the figure.

The size or magnification of a movie image is fixed by its "footprint" or the length of the FOV control array pattern containing the movie image. This is the difference between a movie in-plane image and other types of synthetic images with a fixed size - in-plane imagery. The magnification of the movie FOV controlled synthetic image may be changed by, for example, changing the FOV control image representation/focusing element (eg, microlens) scaling ratio, or via the angle of the array of FOV control image representations associated with the microlens array. Coincident, but the size of the image in the movie plane will not change substantially. Thus, the change in magnification of the FOV synthetic image does not change the shape or length of the image in the plane of the film, but rather changes the magnification of the FOV composite image, changing the extent to which it visually intersects or overlaps with the movie image (ie, fills, overfills, or Not filled).

All of the graphical information 2045, 2050, 2055 of Figures 51a-c can be combined to form a composite combination of the representation 2065 shown in Figure 51d, and enlarged in Figure 52. When the in-plane image is "activated", the graphical information is combined in an additional manner 2065 such that the movie images 2052 and 2057 visually blur the consistent depth effect Zuni bear synthetic image. This combination is made using the "combination" function on the set of illustrations and will be discussed in detail below.

The effects of the composite graphical representation 2065 of Figures 51 and 52 are shown in Figures 53a-j. The composite image 2075, 2080, and 2085 in the illustrated image area 2072 is generated by combining or combining three different graphic patterns 2045, 2050, and 2055. Figure 53j shows the combination of the three types on the uniform material 2070 at position 2115. For the sake of explanation, the individual contributions of the graphic patterns 2045, 2050, 2055 are shown in Figures 53a, d, and g in different hatch patterns, so that their contribution to the overall synthetic image effect can be understood. Of course, as shown in Figure 53j, the actual composite combination of the illustrated images will not show any difference.

Since the repetition periods of the different graphic patterns 2045, 2050, 2055 will generally differ, the particular illustrated image area 2072 shown in Figures 53a, d, g does not represent a consistent illustration of all the illustrations of all locations of the uniform material 2070. Image type. This particular graphical pattern region is applied to point 2115 at the center of uniform material 2070 shown in Figures 53b, e, and h. The form of the composite graphical image is based on a scaling factor that includes the graphical representation of their position on the consistent material 2070, and may or may not be repeated with other locations of the consistent material.

Since the size of the illustrated planar area that can be focused by each focusing element is greater than the repeating size of the array of focusing elements or the pattern of the illustrated array, the illustrated image elements 2075, 2080, and 2085 need not be completely placed in the single illustrated image area 2072. Within a single location of the virtual boundary 2072.

Figure 53a shows three different graphical images 2075, 2080, and 2085 that carry synthetic image information from individual graphic patterns 2045, 2050, and 2055 (Figures 51a-c) of point 2115 on uniform material 2070. As shown in Figure 53c, the circle represents the focus 2090 when the uniform material 2070 is viewed from the angle 2125 of the vertical right side, such as a uniform microlens (not shown). The point 2115 on the uniform material 2070 thus shows the portion of the film mastodon pattern when viewed from the view point 2120. In a similar manner as shown in Figure 53b, when viewed from view point 2120, other focusing elements in uniform material 2070 will also be focused on the pictorial image of the pictograph image, thereby making the mastographic image 2110 visible. .

Figure 53b also shows that in the outer region of the boundary of the film mastodon image 2100, a deep Zuni bear synthetic image pattern 2095 will be seen. From view point 2120, the uniform material 2070 thus presents a composite image of the in-plane movie mastodon head 2110 for the deep synthetic image of the Zuni Bear.

When the point of view change at point 2115 is as shown in Figure 53f, such that inspection 2122 of uniform material 2070 is performed at an angle 2130 perpendicular to its upper surface, the surface of the composite image presented via uniform material 2070 changes. Figure 53d shows that the representative focus 2090 is now offset to the center of the illustrated area 2072, and it no longer falls on the illustrated image 2085, but on the background area between the illustrated images 2075, 2080, and 2085. As shown in Figure 53e, a synthetic image will not be visible at point 2115 on uniform material 2070. Other points on the uniform material 2070 will display the Zuni Bear Composite Image 2095, but the movie images 2110, 2145 will not be visible from the View Point 2122. Essentially, the movie composite images 2110 and 2145 are both "closed" and invisible - only the Zuni bear graphic synthetic image pattern 2095 can be seen from the view point across the face of the uniform material 2070.

When the inspection point of point 2115 changes again, as shown in Figure 53i, the uniform material 2070 is viewed 2124 at an angle 2135 on the vertical left side, and the position representing the focus 2090 falls on the illustrated image 2080 (shown in Figure 53g). ), which provides elements or portions of the illustrated image for the movie Lascaux Cave Horse Graphic Model 2050. Figure 53h shows that in conjunction with his similar focus as viewed from the same view point 2124 via or by other focusing elements, the consistent material is now displayed as a deep background Zuni bear synthetic image 2095 visible outside the border 2140 of the Lascaux cave horse film synthetic image. Lascaux cave horse-shaped synthetic image 2145.

Figures 53a-j thus depict a variable synthetic image effect that can be seen or presented from different viewing angles of the composite graphic set 2065 (Figure 52). In the example of Figures 53a-j, all viewing angles are obtained by rotating the viewing point around axis 2073 parallel to the vertical dimension of the uniform material (as shown). This is merely an example and can be extended in many different ways by those skilled in the art. For example, the graphic pattern can be designed to display a composite image set as it rotates around the axis 2073 to view a consistent material, and display a different composite image set as the consistent material rotates about an axis perpendicular to the axis 2073. Variations of the infinite range of the method are clearly within the scope of the invention.

Figures 54-57 illustrate graphical representations of the combination of graphic sets to obtain visual effects of different synthetic images when viewing consistent materials from different angles or viewing points. As shown in Figures 49-53, the figures are representative of the scaled representation since they do not actually show the actual scaling of the typical illustrated image and the actual scaling of the resulting composite image produced. In these figures, the top image of each label A is a graphical representation of another composite icon set. The portion of the image that exceeds the zoom is the boundary of the pattern 2161 formed by the array of movie image representations. For convenience of illustration, the image of the mastodon image shown in Part A spans a small number of Zuni bear graphic images. In fact, it will produce a very small movie image with a rough image resolution.

In practical applications, the in-plane image pattern 2161 can easily span thousands of graphical images, but it cannot be clearly depicted in the drawings. Rather, a reduced version of the movie image and its associated graphical representation are shown in Part A of the figures. Portions B and C of these figures depict synthetic images that will be made via a consistent material that incorporates a suitably scaled graphical pattern of design methods with Part A. The Zuni bear image of Part A is understood to be a deep Zuni bear synthetic image that is partially enlarged by synthesis to form portions B and C. The deep Zuni bear image is synthetically formed and enlarged by fabricating an array of illustrated images and associated arrays of focusing elements, such as microlenses, to form a uniform deep synthetic magnified image as previously discussed. Although some of the B and C movie mastodon patterns span many repetitions of the deep Zuni bear synthetic image, if the actual relative scaling is displayed, it can span hundreds or thousands of Zuni bear icon images of part A.

Figures 49-53 present a set of synthetic pictorials combined via graphical addition. The Boolean function of the graph can be executed in a computer-aided design program, such as AutoCAD. As shown in Figures 54-61, Boolean functions of other graphics can be used to make a composite icon set.

The composite graphical representations shown in these figures are only a few of the infinite possible combinations. In addition to the combinations presented in Figures 54-61, a number of extensions of these concepts and design principles will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The methods for obtaining these synthetic graphic patterns are summarized as abbreviations according to the following systems: B=Zuni bear icon set (deep) M=full mastodon image FM=film mastodon image set +=Blint combined with graphics Function -= Boolean function minus graph = 布 = Boolean function of intersecting graph

For the purposes of this description, we will assume that the Zuni Bear icon set is designed to produce a deep synthetic image. Figure 54a shows a synthetic graphic set 2160 (B-M) + (FM-B) made by the following method, or placed in the text: "Deducting the whole deciduous image from the Zuni bear icon set, and using the synthetic graphic set In combination with the pattern created by the Zuni bear icon set, the print is extracted from the pictograph set.

As shown in Fig. 54b, assuming that the synthetic image appears black and the background is white, the uniform material 2162 exhibits a synthetic image effect produced by the combination of the illustrations, which will be a full black Zuni bear deep synthesis with a white deciduous planar in-plane region 2170. The image pattern 2165 is magnified, wherein the Zuni bear deep pattern will not be visible when viewed from, for example, a plane perpendicular to the plane of the image and the vertical left side via an associated array of focusing elements (not shown). As shown in Figure 54c, when viewed from a position to the right of the plane perpendicular to the image, the material will display an all-black Zuni bear with a black deciduous in-plane region 2175 containing a negative (white) Zuni bear deep pattern 2180. Sample 2165.

Figure 55a shows a synthetic graphic set 2185 (B-M) + (M-B) or "deducted from the deep Zuni bear icon set in the following manner, and combined with the full milk tooth from the synthetic graphic set. Image is deducted from the pattern created by the deep Zuni bear icon set."

Results The consistent material 2187 synthetic image is shown in Figures 55b, c; the all-black Zuni bear deep pattern 2190 with the black-toothed mastodon head 2195, in which a negative (white) Zuni bear deep pattern 2200 was seen. Since the full mastodon image is used instead of the pictorial image, the general surface of the material is unchanged when viewed from the vertical view point, the vertical left view point (Fig. 55b) or the vertical right view point (Fig. 55c). Essentially, the full mastodon image is an in-plane pattern (non-cinematic in-plane image) seen from all of the vertical and vertical left and right viewing points. Thus, the full mammoth image appears as "on" from all inspection points. Since the Zuni bear synthetic images 2190 and 2200 are deep synthetic images, they will exhibit parallax shifts from different viewing points, while the in-plane black mastodon image composite image 2195 will be no. One result is that as the view point changes, the Zuni Bear Synthetic Image 2190, 2200 will shift in the relative position of the in-plane black mastocephalic synthetic image 2195. When the Zuni bear synthetic image straddles from the outside of the in-plane mastodon 2195, the Zuni bear synthetic image will change from black 2205 to white 2210.

With respect to a further example of this embodiment, Figure 56a shows a synthetic graphic set 2215(B-M)+((B+FM)-(B∩FM)) or (B-M)+(() produced by any of the methods. B+FM)-(B-(B-FM))).

The first method described above defines: "Deducting the whole milk image from the deep Zuni bear icon set, combined with the combination of the deep Zuni bear icon set and the film mastodon image set to deduct the deep Zuni bear icon set and the movie mastodon icon. The pattern created by the intersection of the collection."

The second method does not need to perform the intersection function to achieve the same result.

The resulting composite image is shown in Figures 56b and c. When viewed from an angle perpendicular to the plane or vertical left side of the uniform material 2217, the all black Zuni bear deep synthetic image pattern 2220 is seen (Fig. 56b). When viewed through an associated array of microlenses (not shown) and viewed from a vertical right angle, a black-toothed mastodon head 2225 is seen in which a negative (white) Zuni bear deep pattern 2230 is seen. As previously described with respect to the synthetic image of FIG. 55, when the deep Zuni bear synthetic image straddles from the outside of the in-plane masttooth head 2225, the deep Zuni bear synthetic image will change from black 2235 to white 2240.

Another example of the method of the present embodiment is presented in Figures 57a-c. Figure 57a shows a synthetic graphic set 2245 (B+FM) or a "deep Zuni bear graphic set combined with a pictograph set" made in the following manner.

The resulting composite image is shown in Figures 57b and c. The full black deep Zuni bear pattern 2255 is seen when viewed through the associated array of microlenses and from an angle perpendicular to the plane or vertical left side of the uniform material 2250 (Fig. 57b). When viewed from the angle of the vertical right side, the mastodon head 2260 in the black plane is seen, which has a full black deep Zuni bear pattern 2255 that remains rounded.

For purposes of illustration, the examples of Figures 51-57 depict a deep synthetic magnified image and one or more in-plane synthetic images. It will be apparent that a consistent material can present any combination of effects, and each effect is independent of one another. Consistent materials can exhibit the multiplicity of any type of synthetic image, including but not limited to deep, ultra deep, floating, super floating, floating, morphological, 3-D, mobile, surround, and film. Examples include, but are not limited to, a single movie image; a non-cinear in-plane image with a second movie image; two moving images of the same or different zooming in the same or different directions; an ultra-deep image with in-plane movie images and floating images ; floating images with movie images, etc.

Furthermore, in accordance with the methods mentioned herein, FOVs that consistently synthesize images in the plane can be controlled by one or more additional consistently synthesized magnified images. Figure 49-57 shows how floating synthetically magnified images can be used to provide FOV control of in-plane movie images. These methods can be extended to provide FOV control of other types of synthetic images other than in-plane images. To demonstrate the ubiquity of these methods, Figures 58-61 depict the application of a FOV-controlled mobile composite image of a deep synthetic image pattern, and a deep synthetic image FOV control of a moving composite image.

Figure 58 presents a two-overlapping graphic set or array 2265, a triangular moving graphic set 2270, and a deep Zuni bear graphic set 2275. The movement icon set 2270 is slightly different from the depth map set 2275, and has been assigned a skew angle when substantially combined with the aligned microlens array corrected by the axis of the deep graphic set 2275, and Get the magnification of the selection.

The central portion of the two overlapping graphic set 2265 is shown enlarged in Fig. 59a, showing more clearly the different patterns of overlap between the moving graphic set 2270 and the deep graphic set 2275. Figure 59b presents a composite graphical set 2280 that is the result of performing a Boolean intersection function of the graphs on the sets 2270 and 2275. It can be clearly seen that the change in the graphical representation of the results is enormous.

Figure 60 depicts the non-uniformity of the graphical representation of the intersections on the larger regions of the previously illustrated set of illustrations shown in Figure 58. Due to the different scaling of the original pattern and the skew angle of the original moving pattern, it can be seen that the size and density of the synthetic graphic pattern 2280 are noticeably changed.

When the uniform material 2285 is fabricated using the enlarged area of the composite graphic set 2280, the resultant synthetic image effect is shown in Figures 61a-f. Figures 61-a, c and e show that the triangle moves the interaction 2300 of the FOV image 2295 and the deep Zuni bear image 2290 as the uniform material rotates increasingly around the vertical axis from head to tail through the middle of the figure. Figures 61b, d and f show the surfaces of the uniformly moving materials corresponding to Figures 61a, c and e, respectively. (For clarity, the figures do not present a consistent material 2285 that is shortened or perspectively rotated by perspective).

In Figures 61a-f, the deep graphical set 2275 and the mobile graphical set 2270 are subjected to a Boolean intersection function of the graph. The intersection function produces a pattern that only retains the portions of the original pattern that present the two types - in other words, the overlapping regions of the two original patterns. The resultant image produced by the intersecting composite graphic pattern 2280 (Fig. 60) thus has an FOV that is controlled by the overlap of the two synthetic images. 61a-f present an example in which the enlargement of the triangular moving synthetic image 2295 is greater than the magnification of the deep Zuni bear synthetic image 2290.

The FOV of each composite image is modulated by others, but the other properties of each composite image are independent of each other. Thus, the triangular moving synthetic image 2295 in Fig. 61a appears to move downward in a positive parallax manner as the uniform material 2285 rotates about the vertical axis (Fig. 61c) and further downwards as the uniform material 2285 is further rotated about the vertical axis ( Figure 61e). It should also be noted that the rotational orientation of the triangular motion composite image 2295 is different from the rotational orientation of the graphic 2270 due to the vertical 90 degree movement of the composite image rotation.

At the same time, the deep Zuni bear synthetic image 2290 appears to move to the right with parallax as the uniform material 2285 rotates about the vertical axis (from Fig. 61a to Fig. 61c, finally to Fig. 61e). The only visible portion of any of the composite images corresponds to the deep Zuni bear synthetic image 2300 that falls within the triangle moving synthetic image 2295, and is in its visual intersection or overlap region. The visual surface of the composite image interaction of Figure 61a is shown in Figure 61b, wherein only the visible composite image is the deep Zuni bear 2300 bounded within the length of the triangular motion composite image 2295. As the uniform material 2285 rotates about the vertical axis (Fig. 61d), the triangular motion composite image 2295 effectively creates a sliding window for visibility of the deep Zuni Bear 2300. At the same time, the deep Zuni bear 2300 appears to move to the right with its proper parallax as the uniform material 2285 rotates.

As shown in Figure 61f, the further rotation of the conforming material 2285 about the vertical axis causes the triangular moving composite image 2295 to move further downward and the deep Zuni bear 2300 to move further to the right. Tilting or rotating the uniform material 2285 about different axes, such as the horizontal axis, will cause the two interactive composite images 2290 and 2295 to move in their own unique manner, but always meet the requirements of the overall image of the FOV system controlled by the properties of the two images. .

Thus, the FOV or pattern that exhibits the visibility of the moving composite image can be controlled by deep synthetic images (the only visible portion of the moving composite image is the intersection or overlap of the visually synthesized image with the deep synthetic image), and the FOV or pattern of the visibility of the deep synthetic image. It can be controlled by a moving composite image (the only visible portion of the deep composite image corresponds to the intersection or overlap with the moving composite image).

If a larger FOV is used to control the composite image, the moving composite image can be activated and deactivated in a movie-like manner. The FOV control composite image can be moving, deep, floating, floating or other consistent image types.

These methods are common to FOV control of all types of synthetic images and can be applied to more than two images.

Another parameter is characterized in that the FOV controls the composite image as its on/off transition property. Since the patterns have distinct edges, the floating FOV control composite image 2007 (Fig. 49, 50) and the moving FOV control composite image 2295 (Fig. 61) have a "hard" on/off transition. When the floating FOV control synthetic image 2007 between the positions shown in Figures 49 and 50 is incomplete, the edges of the pattern will fall inside the film mastodon boundary 2005, leaving a visible partial mastodontic image. This may be the desired effect in some applications, but it is also possible to create a FOV-controlled composite image with a "soft" on/off transition in which the density of the controlled synthetic image fades out, replacing the "hard" synthesis of the image with FOV control. The edge passes and suddenly terminates.

One way to achieve a "soft" on/off transition is to use FOV to control the grayscale effect on the edges of the composite image. As mentioned earlier in the text, synthetic image grayscale effects can be accomplished in a number of ways. Figures 62a-b and 63 present an application example of a gray scale method for obtaining a "soft" on/off transition in a FOV controlled synthetic image. The illustrated image 2305 is a square pattern with a deep convoluted edge 2310. If an array of illustrated images is produced, each of the illustrated images is identical to the illustrated image 2305, and each is equally placed within its graphical region (see, for example, region 2072 in Figure 53), then the resulting composite image The appearance (formed by a consistent material in combination with the array of illustrated images) will be identical to the illustrated image 2305. The composite image will have a deep whirling hard edge, just like the resulting image.

However, if the illustrated image is placed at a different location within its graphical region, the illustrated wraparound edge is replaced from one to the other, and the resulting composite image 2315 boundary (not drawn and scaled for the illustrated image 2310) can be rendered. The gradual density conversion, from the maximum internal 2320 density, via the overlap region 2325 to the minimum density 2340 outside the transition region 2325.

Figure 63 depicts the grayscale appearance of the composite image 2315, wherein the density of the composite image varies depending on the number of imaged images that overlap in each region. In fact, optical aberrations, diffraction, and other effects will tend to further smooth the gradient across the transition region.

If the composite image 2315 is used as a FOV control composite image, and if the size of the composite image 2315 is larger than the composite image it controls, the on/off conversion of the controlled composite image will be soft because the density of the controlled composite image will follow The transition edge region of the synthetic image 2315 passes through and fades out.

The film composite image pattern typically has a length - indicating that the FOV control synthetic image does not exist beyond the length of the rendered boundary. When the film composite image is in its "off" state, the slight ghosting of the film composite image remains visible because the light scatters through or around the focusing optics. When a film composite image is combined with an overall deep, ultra-deep, floating, super-floating, floating or moving composite image, the presentation of the scattered light provided by the second composite image greatly reduces the visibility of the "closed" movie ghost.

In a consistent material that combines isolated movie-composite images, the visibility of "closed" movie ghosts can be suppressed by introducing graphical representations of background tones that provide the same degree of density as movie ghosts. The graphic pattern can be designed to deliberately disregard the period of the pattern and the period of the array of focusing elements without forming a uniform composite image. The movie ghost suppression graphic can be random, virtually random, cyclic, unreasonable multiplex during focusing of components, Penrose tile or other suitable geometry to avoid the formation of synthetic images.

The combination of similar random patterns within large graphic images is often required for different reasons. The voids and filling methods that are illustrated are sometimes used in situations where larger voids and smaller voids are not maintained during the gravure-scraping step. By incorporating a columnar, ridged, or other suitable shape into a larger void in a random, virtually random, cyclic, or other non-synthetic image forming pattern, improved retention of the illustrated filler material can be achieved, effectively acting as Smaller.

While the exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that All such changes, modifications, or substitutions are thus apparent within the scope of the invention.

1, 2, 3, 9, 48, 52, 62, 192, 215, 234, 240, 262, 266, 274, 280, 292, 302, 308, 316, 374, 400, 413, 456, 463, 484, 486, 488, 986, 1056, 1080. . . lens

4, 108, 112, 129, 137, 162, 164, 172, 184, 313, 315, 317, 323, 325, 327, 329, 330, 331, 332, 410, 462, 474, 610, 611, 910, 912, 996, 1020. . . Graphical component

5, 200, 398, 408, 420, 442, 458, 1081. . . Optical spacer

6, 321, 340, 388. . . Sealing layer

7. . . Total thickness

8, 510, 775, 820, 834, 842, 866, 896, 930, 966, 990. . . Base

10, 106, 123, 134, 146, 174, 206, 228, 248, 258, 268, 270, 282, 286, 294, 304, 318, 322, 424, 428, 496, 500, 504, 522, 613. . . image

11. . . Repeat period

12. . . Micro-optical system

12. . . Consistent moving material

14, 28, 34, 38, 89, 90, 91, 102. . . Synthesized enlarged image

16. . . horizontal axis

18. . . Swing or turn

20. . . Positive parallax movement

22, 24. . . Point outline

26. . . Consistent deep material

30, 2020. . . Observer

32. . . Consistent floating material

36. . . Uniform floating material

37. . . Azimuth orientation reference

38. . . Uniform floating image

40. . . Hexagonal array pattern

40, 42, 44. . . Array pattern dotted line

42. . . Square array

44. . . Equilateral triangle array

46. . . Circular base geometry

46, 60, 210, 1008, 1028, 1042, 1066, 1098, 1112. . . Microlens

48, 50. . . Round

52. . . Incomplete hexagon

54. . . Incomplete square

58. . . Incomplete triangle

60. . . Hexagon base geometry

62. . . square

64. . . triangle

66. . . dotted line

68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 436. . . Area

80. . . Lens array

82. . . Regular periodic array spacing

84. . . Illustrated component array

86. . . Array axis azimuth

88, 307, 348, 360, 362, 1006, 1018, 1050, 1052, 1070. . . material

92, 94. . . Graphical component

96, 100. . . Magnify the insert

98. . . Synthesized magnified OPM image

98. . . Circular graphic element

102. . . Star graphic element

104, 2140, 4013. . . boundary

107. . . Right

110. . . Support material

113. . . microstructure

113. . . Void

114, 822-832, 844-856. . . Microstructured component

115. . . Solid area

116, 872, 876, 904, 920. . . Positive component

118. . . Transparent background

120. . . Colored, stained or colored background

122, 874, 924, 928. . . Negative graphic component

124. . . Short focus lens

126, 130, 168, 198, 309. . . Optical isolation board

128, 132, 152, 156, 182, 194, 208, 242, 246, 264, 276, 278, 402, 422, 442, 471, 1030. . . Graphic plane

136. . . Long focus lens

140. . . Raising the lens

144. . . Lens support table

148. . . Non-elevating lens

150. . . Optical isolation

152, 170, 182, 208, 276, 278, 296, 298, 300, 310, 314, 376, 442, 460, 492, 821, 836, 837, 868, 898, 932, 994, 1030, 1058, 1082 1102, 1510. . . Graphic layer

154. . . Graphic isolation board

158, 160. . . distance

166. . . Focusing mirror

167. . . Metalized mirror

176. . . Opaque upper layer

178. . . Aperture

180. . . Optical isolation board component

188. . . Full refractive material

190, 610, 611, 616, 618, 640, 642, 650, 652, 660, 662, 696, 704, 716, 2075, 2080, 2085, 2305, 2310. . . Graphic image

195. . . Selective sealing layer

196. . . Total refractive system thickness

199. . . Mixed refractive/reflective material

202. . . Reflective layer

212. . . Total system thickness

214, 232, 230. . . Refraction system

215, 240. . . Positive lens

216, 232. . . Top

218, 236, 820, 834, 866, 896, 930, 984. . . Selected substrate

218, 236. . . Selected membrane substrate

220, 232, 238. . . Peelable layer

220,238. . . Negative lens structure

222. . . Scattered light

224, 226, 252, 254, 936, 938, 956. . . Area

252, 254. . . Tampering

256. . . Peeling off

256. . . Exfoliation layer

260, 290, 306. . . Double-sided material

268, 270, 274, 280, 282, 284, 286, 288, 294, 304, 318, 322. . . Imaging

272. . . Double-sided embodiment

277,298. . . Graphic layer spacer

287, 289. . . system

306, 348, 364. . . System material

311. . . Transparent microstructure layer

313, 315, 317. . . Embossed surface

319. . . dotted line

320, 324. . . Light scattering

323, 325, 327. . . Colored or dyed material

323, 325, 327. . . Filler

325. . . Thickness change

326, 333. . . Example

328. . . High refractive index material

329, 331. . . High refractive index coated component

334. . . Phase interface

335. . . Transparent relief micro-structure icon

336. . . the amount

337, 339, 341, 342, 344, 882, 972, 978. . . Floor plan

338. . . Selected adhesive

347, 375, 520. . . print

350, 838, 839. . . Laminating adhesive

352, 372, 375, 377, 380, 382, 384, 386, 390, 392, 394, 396, 404, 406, 414, 416, 518. . . Printing component

354, 510. . . Fiber substrate

358, 368. . . Non-fibrous substrate

366. . . Adhesive component

370. . . Selected printing element

373, 775, 820, 834, 842, 866, 896, 930, 966. . . Transparent substrate

374, 400. . . Lens area

378. . . Non-optical substrate

402, 2050, 2055, 2065, 2270. . . Icon

412, 570, 632, 634, 636, 640, 650, 660, 2072. . . Graphic area

418, 438, 792. . . Spherical lens

438. . . Aspheric lens

426, 430, 446, 450, 470, 475, 478, 482, 498, 502, 506, 802, 998, 1022, 1088, 1118, 1132. . . focus

432, 954, 960, 1516. . . arrow

434, 454. . . Focus area

444. . . Vertical viewing angle

448. . . Tilt view angle

452. . . Flat field of view

461. . . Thin graphic component

464. . . Vertical direction

466. . . Vertical image focus

468. . . Tilt angle image

471, 472. . . Thick graphic plane

476. . . Vertical image

480. . . Tilt image

492. . . Thick graphic layer

493, 495, 498, 1004, 1024, 1086, 1116, 1130. . . focal length

494. . . Thick graphic element

496. . . center

508. . . Thread

510. . . Fiber file substrate

512. . . Internal area

514. . . Windowed area

516. . . Coated sealing layer

516. . . Sealing or masking layer

517. . . Adhesive layer

521. . . Upper surface

522. . . Image effect

524. . . width

570, 572, 574, 576, 578, 596, 598, 698, 700, 702, 706, 708, 710, 714, 718, 2075, 2080, 2085. . . Graphic image component

580, 584, 586, 600, 602, 604, 612, 626, 670, 672, 686, 690, 694, 1048, 1095, 1114, 1126, 1134, 1126, 2315. . . Synthetic image

582, 606, 608. . . Overlapping area

588, 605. . . Non-overlapping area

594. . . Hexagonal graphic

596, 598, 1084, 1117, 2045, 2050, 2055. . . Graphic type

609. . . Hexagonal graphic area

620, 622, 626. . . Synthetic synthetic image

624. . . internal

628. . . Color density edge

630. . . Color density interior

632. . . triangle

640. . . Single graphic area

644, 654, 664. . . Foreground frame

646, 656, 667. . . Corner component

648, 658, 668. . . Background frame

646, 667. . . Stacked cone gap pattern

656. . . Corner pattern

672, 674. . . Hollow tube

674. . . Nearest end

674. . . Hollow tube image

676. . . corner

676. . . Recent face

678. . . Farthest

678. . . Farthest

680, 738. . . Single image projector

682, 686. . . Conical

684, 688, 692. . . Depth plane

684, 688, 692. . . Image plane

684, 690, 692. . . Ultra deep image plane

684. . . Shallow depth plane

684, 688, 692. . . Composite image plane

686, 690, 694. . . UNISON word

686, 690, 694. . . UNISON image

688. . . Intermediate depth plane

692. . . Deepest depth plane

730. . . Single graphic image

732. . . Combined graphic component

740. . . flat

742. . . Miss Brassempouy (artwork)

742. . . object

742. . . Fully synthetic image

744. . . Deep synthetic image space

746. . . Floating synthetic image space

748, 752-762. . . Deep image plane

750, 764-774. . . Floating image plane

756-774. . . Selected depth plane

777. . . Coated layer

780, 788, 922. . . Central District

782, 790. . . Focus attribute

784. . . Hexagonal base multi-strip lens

786, 794. . . Polymer substrate

796. . . Side area

798. . . Vertical blur

800. . . External area

804. . . Graphic area

806. . . Corner area

808. . . scattering

779, 822. . . Asymmetric void pattern

781, 823. . . Symmetrical void pattern

783, 824. . . Light trap pattern

785, 825. . . Full-image photographic surface relief printing

787, 826. . . Universal diffraction surface relief printing pattern

789, 827. . . Binary structure

791, 828. . . General stepped letterpress type

793, 952, 962. . . Directional coating material

793, 840, 934, 1016. . . Coating

795, 829. . . Random rough and virtual random rough pattern

797, 830. . . Nominal flat surface pattern

799, 831. . . Concave shape

801, 832. . . Convex shape

838, 840, 841, 870. . . Coating material layer

843. . . Laminated substrate

844-864. . . Microstructured image component

870, 1016. . . Selected cladding material

871. . . Recess or void

872. . . Graphic element

872. . . Positive graphic area

874. . . Negative graphic image component

875. . . Recess

876. . . Filled positive icon

878, 902, 948, 997, 1512, 1520. . . Filled material

880. . . Filled negative icon

880, 892. . . Filled negative graphic component

884, 888. . . Surrounding background

884. . . Surrounding background area

886. . . Object type

886, 890. . . Filled positive component

893. . . High concentration

894. . . insufficient

900, 934, 967, 968, 969, 970, 1016. . . Coated material

908. . . Object type microstructure

916. . . First illustrated filling material

918. . . Second illustrated filling material

920. . . Filled area

926, 928, 1508. . . Graphical microstructure

926. . . Positive microstructured component

928. . . Negative microstructured component

931. . . Suppressed shape

931. . . Suppressed area

935. . . Present

936, 938, 946, 950, 951, 956, 958, 964. . . bracket

939. . . Flat part

940. . . Thermal adhesive layer

942. . . Thermal stamp foil wrap

942. . . Foil layer

944. . . Fragile lacquer layer

946. . . a piece

950, 951. . . combination

967. . . Shaped cladding material

968, 982. . . Full thickness coating material

969. . . Partial thickness coating material

970. . . Zero thickness cladding material

976. . . background

980. . . Partial or zero thickness cladding material

984, 990. . . Selected transparent substrate

988. . . Optical transmission material

992, 1012, 1065. . . gap

1000, 1010. . . Lens sheet

1002, 1014. . . Graphic film

1026. . . Ripple amplification system

1028. . . Amplifying system lens

1032, 1034, 1059, 1060. . . Concealed graphic

1038. . . Openly viewable synthetic images

1040, 1064. . . Hidden discriminating lens

1042, 1066. . . Hidden discriminating lens

1044. . . Optical coupling material

1054, 1056. . . Amplification system

1056. . . Magnifying lens

1058, 1102. . . First graphic layer

1063. . . Floating synthetic image

1063. . . Concealed synthetic image

1063. . . First concealed synthetic image

1068. . . Second synthetic image

1078, 1096. . . Water uniform corrugated amplification system

1088. . . Air focus

1090. . . Synthetic image projection in the air

1091. . . Center height

1092, 1128. . . fluid

1092. . . Selected immersion fluid

1096. . . Multi-channel image water consistency system

1098. . . Water uniform microlens

1100. . . First optical spacer

1102, 1117. . . First graphic pattern

1104. . . Second optical spacer

1106. . . Second graphic layer

1108. . . Third optical spacer

1110. . . Third graphic layer

1111. . . Third graphic pattern

1112, 1120, 1128. . . vehicle

1116. . . Focal length in air

1119. . . Second graphic pattern

1120. . . water

1120. . . liquid

1122. . . Fluid immersion focal length

1124. . . Water immersion in focus

1510. . . Polymer coating layer

1502. . . Gel or liquid polymer

1502. . . Gel or liquid polymer coating

1504. . . Graphical microstructure tool

1514. . . Squeegee

2000. . . Uniform film

2005. . . Formatted mastodon

2005, 2052, 2057, 2110, 2145. . . Movie image

2005. . . Movie image area

2005. . . In-plane image

2005. . . In-plane imagery mastodon

2005. . . Movie mastodon border

2007. . . Field of view control synthetic image

2007. . . Floating FOV control synthetic image

2007, 2010. . . Field of view synthetically magnified image

2015. . . Visual intersection

2025. . . Visual projection

2030, 2120, 2122, 2124. . . View point

2045. . . Zuni superstitious bear graphic pattern array

2045, 2050, 2055. . . Graphic information

2050. . . Field of view control icon

2050, 2055. . . Field of view control graphic array pattern

2050. . . Movie Lascaux cave horse graphic

2052. . . Lascaux Cave Horse

2052. . . Movie image Lascaux cave horse

2055. . . Movie mastodon graphic image

2057. . . Mastic tooth

2057. . . Movie image mastodon

2065. . . Additional method

2065, 2160, 2215, 2245, 2280. . . Synthetic graphic set

2070, 2162, 2187, 2217, 2250, 2285. . . Consistent material

2072. . . Graphic area

2072. . . Virtual boundary

2073. . . Axis

2075, 2080, 2085. . . Composite graphic image

2090. . . Representative focus

2095. . . Deep Zuni Bear Synthetic Image Pattern

2095. . . Deep background Zuni bear synthetic image

2100, 2110. . . Movie mastodon composite image

2110. . . In-plane movie mastodon

2110, 2145. . . Film composite image

2115. . . position

2115. . . point

2125, 2130, 2135. . . angle

2145. . . Movie Lascaux cave horse type synthetic image

2161. . . Pattern

2161. . . In-plane image type

2165. . . All black Zuni bear deep synthetic enlarged image type

2165. . . All black Zuni bear style

2170. . . White deciduous pictographic in-plane area

2175. . . Black deciduous pictographic in-plane area

2180, 2200, 2230. . . Negative (white) Zuni bear deep type

2190. . . All black Zuni bear deep type

2190, 2200. . . Zuni bear synthetic image

2195, 2225, 2260. . . Black-toothed mastodon

2195. . . Synthetic image of black mastodon in the plane

2195. . . In-plane mastodon

2205. . . Black Zuni bear synthetic image

2210. . . White Zuni Bear Synthetic Image

2220. . . All black Zuni bear deep synthetic image type

2235. . . Black and deep Zuni bear synthetic image

2240. . . White deep Zuni bear synthetic image

2255. . . All black deep Zuni bear pattern

2265. . . Overlapping graphic set or array

2270. . . Triangle movement icon set

2275. . . Deep Zuni Bear Icon Set

2275. . . Deep graphic set

2280. . . Synthetic graphic pattern

2290. . . Deep Zuni bear image

2290, 2300. . . Deep Zuni bear synthetic image

2295. . . Triangle moving FOV image

2295. . . Triangle moving synthetic image

2295. . . Moving FOV control synthetic image

2300. . . interactive

2300. . . Deep Zuni Bear

2310. . . Deep swirling edge

2320. . . Maximum internal

2325. . . Overlapping area

2325. . . Conversion area

2340. . . Minimum density

4017. . . Section

4019. . . Synthetic film in-plane image

Many aspects of the invention are best understood by reference to the drawings. To clearly illustrate the principles of the invention, the components in the figures are not necessarily to be scaled. Further, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

1a is a cross-sectional view of a micro-optic system illustrating an embodiment of the present invention providing positive parallax movement of an image of the system.

Figure 1b is an illustration of the embodiment of Figure 1a of equal size and with a portion cut away.

Figure 2a depicts the positive parallax synthetic image shifting effect of the embodiment of Figures 1a-b.

Figures 2b-c depict the deep and floating visual effects of the system.

Figures 2d-f depict the visual effects obtained by the floating rotation of the system.

Figures 3a-i are plan views showing the satisfaction factors for different types of symmetric two-dimensional arrays of various embodiments and lenses of the present system.

4 depicts different combinations of effects of deep, consistent, floating, and floating embodiments resulting from variations in the period of the element/lens.

Figures 5a-c are plan views depicting how the composite magnification of the illustrated image can be controlled by the relative angle between the lens array of the present system and the illustrated array axis.

Figures 6a-c are plan views depicting the effects of the deformation of the synthetically magnified image of the system.

Figures 7a-c are cross-sectional views showing various embodiments of the illustrated layers of the present system.

Figures 8a-b are plan views depicting 'positive' and 'negative' graphical element embodiments.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view depicting an embodiment of a multilayer material for fabricating regions of synthetically magnified images having different properties.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view depicting an embodiment of a multilayer material for fabricating regions of synthetically magnified images having different properties.

Figures 11a-b are cross-sectional views showing the reflective optics and pinhole optics embodiments of the present system.

Figures 12a-b are cross-sectional views comparing the structure of an embodiment of a fully refractive material with the structure of a hybrid refractive/reflective material embodiment.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of 'stripping to show' tamper indicating material.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view depicting an embodiment of 'peeling to change' tamper indicating material.

Figures 15a-d are cross-sectional views showing various embodiments of a double sided system.

16a-f are cross-sectional views, and corresponding plan views depicting three different methods of fabricating a grayscale or hue graphic component pattern and subsequent synthesizing an enlarged image by the present system.

Figures 17a-d are cross-sectional views showing the use of the system in conjunction with printed information.

18a-f are cross-sectional views depicting the application of the system to or incorporation of various substrates and in conjunction with printed information.

19a-b are cross-sectional views comparing the field of view of a spherical lens with the field of view of a non-spherical lens of a flat field of view when each incorporated into the system.

20a-c are cross-sectional views depicting two advantages of the utility of using a thick patterned layer in the present system.

Figures 21a, b are plan views showing the application of the system as a "windowed" security thread.

Figure 22 depicts an embodiment of a positive parallax shift of the present system of "windowed" security thread related images.

Figure 23 depicts a halftone composite image of the present system.

Figure 24a depicts the use of the present system to produce a combined synthetic image that is smaller in size than the smallest feature of an individual synthetic image.

Figure 24b depicts the use of the present system to create a narrow pattern of gaps between the illustrated image elements.

Figure 25 depicts a pictorial image incorporating hidden, hidden information into the system.

Figure 26 depicts the fabrication of a full three dimensional image with the present system.

27a-b depict a method for designing a pictorial image of the three dimensional embodiment of Fig. 26.

Figure 28 depicts a pictorial image produced by the method of Figure 27.

Figure 29 depicts how the method of Figure 27 can be applied to complex three-dimensional synthetic images.

Figure 30 depicts the central region focus properties of an exemplary hexagonal base multi-strip lens with an effective diameter of 28 microns.

Figure 31 depicts the central zone focus properties of a spherical lens having a diameter of 28 microns.

Figure 32 depicts the performance of the side regions of the hexagonal lens of Figure 30.

Figure 33 depicts the performance of the outer region of the spherical lens of Figure 31.

Figures 34a, b depict another embodiment of a microstructured graphic element.

Figures 35a, b depict the microstructured illustrated elements of Figures 34a, b further comprising a cladding material.

Figures 36a, b depict the microstructured illustrated elements of Figures 34a, b further comprising a laminate cladding material.

Figures 37a-c depict positive and negative graphic elements.

Figures 38a-c depict a combination of filled and coated microstructured graphical elements.

Figures 39a-c depict the application and combination of a shaped cladding material to the microstructured components of Figures 34a, b.

Figures 40a-c depict the use of a shaped cladding material to make the illustrated image elements.

Figures 41a, b depict a "key and key" embodiment of the micro-optic system disclosed herein.

Figure 42 depicts another embodiment of the "key and key" embodiment of Figure 41.

Figure 43 depicts a further embodiment of the "key and key" embodiment of Figure 41.

Figures 44a, b depict an immersible embodiment of the micro-optic system disclosed herein.

Figures 45a, b, c depict another embodiment of the immersible embodiment of Figures 44a, b.

Figure 46 depicts an embodiment of a micro-optic system based on azimuth viewing angles.

Figure 47 depicts another embodiment of the micro-optic system of Figure 46.

Figures 48a-f depict a method of fabricating the illustrated elements of a filled microstructure for an embodiment of a micro-optic system.

Figure 49a is a top plan view illustrating yet another embodiment of a micro-optic system in which a composite image modulates or controls the field of view of another composite image produced by the system.

Figures 49b, c are enlarged plan views of the in-plane image area of the embodiment of Figure 49a.

Figure 49d is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 49a.

Figure 50a is a top plan view of the embodiment of Figure 49a from a different viewing angle.

Figure 50b is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 49d from a different viewing angle.

Figures 51a-d depict an image representation design method for controlling the field of view of one or more synthetic images of the embodiment of Figures 49a-d and selectively combining it with another synthetic image.

Figure 52 is an enlarged view of an exemplary composite combination of the image representations of the embodiment of Figures 51a-d.

Figures 53a-j depict an exemplary combination of each of the three different image representation arrays to produce three different composite images.

Figures 54a-c depict an embodiment of an in-plane synthetic image of a mastodon lens head that is fabricated in conjunction with a deep synthetic image of a Zuni bear.

Figures 55a-c depict an alternate version of the embodiment of Figures 54a-c.

Figures 56a-c depict another alternate version of the embodiment of Figures 54a-c.

Figures 57a-c depict yet another alternative version of the embodiment of Figures 54a-c.

Figure 58 depicts an embodiment of a pictorial representation of a moving triangle image that is combined with a deep Zuni bear image.

Figures 59a-b depict an enlarged segment of Figure 58.

Figure 60 depicts the non-uniformity of the intersecting graphical representation of Figure 58.

Figures 61a-f depict the application of the Boolean intersection function for the combined graph of the graphical representation of Figure 58.

Figures 62a-b depict the application of the grayscale method to obtain a soft on/off transition in a view field (FOV) controlled composite image of the embodiment of Figures 49-61.

Figure 63 depicts another grayscale method relative to Figure 62, wherein the density of the composite image varies depending on the number of overlapping image images in each region.

1. . . Microlens

2. . . Lens diameter

3. . . lens

4. . . Graphical component

5. . . Optical spacer

6. . . Sealing layer

7. . . Total thickness

8. . . Base

10. . . image

11. . . Repeat period

12. . . Micro-optical system

Claims (40)

A micro-optic system comprising: an in-plane synthetic image having a boundary and an image region within the boundary, the optical region being substantially visually placed in a plane of the substrate on which the image is synthesized; the image is covered in the plane; Forming one or more control patterns within the boundary of the composite image; and an array of focusing elements positioned to form at least one composite magnified image of at least a portion of the one or more control patterns of the illustration The at least one synthesized magnified image provides a limited field of view for viewing the synthesized image in the plane, and the field of view moves the at least one synthesized magnified image and the image of the in-plane synthesized image by moving the at least one synthesized magnified image The visual intersection of the area is provided. The micro-optical system of claim 1, wherein when the at least one synthesized magnified image visually intersects the image region of the in-plane synthesized image, the in-plane synthesized image is visible, and when the at least one synthetic enlargement The image is invisible when it does not visually intersect any part of the image area of the composite image in the plane. The micro-optic system of claim 1, wherein the visual projection of the at least one synthetically magnified image has an apparent size larger than an image area of the synthetic image in the plane. The micro-optic system of claim 1, wherein the amount of the in-plane synthesized image is determined by the amount by which the at least one synthetically magnified image visually intersects the image region of the in-plane synthesized image. A micro-optic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illustrated control pattern has a dark and lightly illustrated area. A micro-optic system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more control patterns of the illustration comprise a planar array of image representations having symmetry axes in their planes, and having repeating periods within the array And the array of the illustrated focusing elements includes a planar array having symmetrical axes in its plane and image-representing focusing elements having repeating periods within the array, the image illustrating a planar array of focusing elements associated with the An array of image representations is configured sufficient for the image to illustrate that the focusing element forms at least one composite magnified image of at least a portion of the image representation. The micro-optical system of claim 6, wherein the ratio of the repetition period of the image representation to the repeating period of the image indicating focusing element is substantially equal to 1, and the symmetry axis of the planar array of the image representation The image illustrates a rotationally biased corresponding symmetrical axis of the planar array of focusing elements. A micro-optical system as claimed in claim 7 wherein a positive parallax movement effect is provided. The micro-optical system of claim 6, wherein the ratio of the repetition period of the image representation to the repetition period of the image indicating focusing element is greater than 1, or less than 1, or the repetition period of the image representation The ratio of the image during the repetition of the focusing element is axially asymmetric in the image representation and the plane of the focusing element, the scaling ratio is less than 1 in one axis of symmetry, and the scaling ratio is greater than 1 in other axes of symmetry. . Such as the micro-optical system of claim 1 of the patent scope, in which the plane The composite image and the at least one synthetically magnified image produce different visual images. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the one or more control patterns of the illustration comprise a composite combination of a plurality of illustrated arrays to produce visually distinct images. The micro-optic system of claim 11, wherein the one or more of the plurality of illustrated arrays comprise at least two illustrated arrays having different repeating periods to produce visually distinct images, at least one of the images A variable synthetic visual effect is presented, the plurality of illustrated arrays being combined by the addition of graphics, preferably a Boolean function of the graphics to form the composite combination. A micro-optic system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the in-plane synthetic image is converted between a visible and invisible transition to a hard on/off transition, or a soft on/off transition. A micro-optic system according to claim 13 wherein the gray-scale effect is incorporated into an edge of the at least one synthetically magnified image to produce the soft on/off transition. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the illustrated control patterns comprises a background of at least one control pattern of the illustration, the background comprising a hue. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the one or more control patterns of the illustration include at least two illustrated arrays having different repeating periods within the illustrated array, Forming at least two visually different synthetically magnified images. Such as the micro-optics system of any one of claims 1 to 6 The array of the illustrated focusing elements includes a focusing element having an effective diameter of less than 50 microns, or the system has a thickness of less than 50 microns, or both. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the focusing element is a non-cylindrical focusing element, preferably a non-spherical focusing element. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the array of the illustrated focusing elements comprises a focusing element having an effective diameter between 10 microns and 30 microns. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the array of focusing elements comprises a focusing element having an F number equal to 4 or less, preferably an F number equal to 2 or less Focusing components. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each focusing element has an effective diameter of less than 30 microns. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system has a total thickness of less than about 45 microns. The micro-optic system of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the system has a total thickness of from about 10 to about 40 microns, or a focusing element having a focal length of less than about 40 microns. A micro-optic system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which comprises a focusing element having a focal length of 10 to less than 50 microns. The micro-optic system of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the illustration is formed as a recess in the substrate, the recess forming a material, a dye, optionally having a different refractive index from the substrate, Metal, coloring The material, or a combination thereof, fills the void. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system comprises a transparent tamper indicating material disposed on the focusing element. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system is incorporated into a security or authentication device. A micro-optic system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the system operates as a document security or authentication system, the file being selected from the group consisting of an ID card, a credit card, a charge card, a driver's license, a financial document, a banknote, a check, and a currency. A group, or a security thread that is incorporated into a currency file, or incorporated into currency and includes machine detectable features. For example, the micro-optical system of claim 28, wherein the security thread is a windowed security thread. A micro-optic system according to claim 29, wherein the windowed security thread incorporates one or more colored, dyed, filled or encapsulated sealing layers to increase image contrast or provide additional identifying features, Or include one or more of conductivity, magnetic, NMR detectability, or include one or more colored, sealed or masked layers behind the focusing element. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system further comprises one or more arrays of one or more control patterns positioned in the illustration and an array of the image-focused elements Optical spacers between. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the illustration is made of one or more colorless, transparent, opaque a pattern of ink, inked, colored, colored or dyed material formed or formed as a protrusion in the surface of the substrate, the space between the protrusions optionally having one or more The substrate is filled with materials of different refractive indices, dyes, metals, pigmented materials, or the illustration is a positive or negative illustration associated with the background in which it appears. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one synthetically magnified image appears to be placed on a deeper spatial plane than the system, or appears to be placed on a spatial plane above the system Or appear to move between a spatial plane deeper than the system and a spatial plane above the system. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the system is tilted about an axis, the axis is substantially parallel to a plane of the system, the at least one synthetically magnified image appearing to be parallel to the Move in the direction of the tilt axis. The micro-optic system of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the at least one synthetically magnified image appears to be converted from one or more forms, shapes, sizes or colors to another form, shape, size Or color. A micro-optic system according to claim 35, wherein the conversion is generated by scaling deformation of one or both of the repetition period or the focusing element repetition period, or by combining one or more of the illustrations The spatial change information is generated in the pattern. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least one synthetically magnified image appears to be three-dimensional. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the focusing element is a non-spherical focusing element, and wherein the drawing is formed as a recess in the substrate, the recess forming optionally A void filled with a material having a different refractive index than the substrate, a dye, a metal, a colored material, or a combination thereof. The micro-optic system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the system is incorporated into a security or authentication device applied to the article, wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of a passport, an ID card, a driver's license. , visas, birth certificates, organ records, voter registration cards, ballot papers, social security cards, bonds, food stamps, stamps and tax forms; security threads in currency, banknotes, characteristics in polymer currency and characteristics in banknotes; ownership, Deeds, permits, licenses and certificates; guaranteed bank cheques, company cheques, personal cheques, bank receipts, stock certificates, travellers cheques, money orders, credit cards, charge cards, ATM cards, charitable credit cards, prepaid calling cards and gift cards; Scripts, legal documents, intellectual property, medical records/hospital records, prescriptions/bars and secret prescriptions; wool and home care products; cosmetics; baby and home care products; health supplies; food and beverage packaging; Dry goods packaging: electrical appliances, parts and components; apparel, sportswear and footwear goods; biotechnology pharmaceuticals; aerospace components and parts; automotive components and parts; sports goods; smoking products; software; optical discs and DVDs; firecrackers; , gift paper and ribbons; books and magazines; school goods and office supplies; business cards; shipping documents and packaging; notebook sets; book covers; bookmarks; competition tickets and tickets; Boao goods and equipment; furniture goods; carpets and wallpapers; Jewelry and watches; Handbags; art, treasures and souvenirs; toys; purchase locations and sales presentations; and product identification and labeling objects for branded products or documents for identification or promotion, such as counterfeit goods, or for asset tracking. A synthetic micro-optical system comprising at least two synthetic images, one of which is an in-plane synthesized image, wherein the other of the synthesized images is a synthetically magnified image, wherein the at least one synthetically magnified image is operated to modulate or determine the image The amount of appearance of a synthetic image in the plane.