Hybrid vector/bitmap printed warped security feature
View Patent ↗A technique is described by which a warped security feature is created on a substrate using a hybrid vector/bitmap process. The print element follows a series of curved vector lines during printing to form the security feature, instead of the straight line-by-line process used with a bitmap image. The method of producing the warped security feature, the warped security feature, and the substrate containing the warped security feature are considered to be unique and inventive.
1. A method of producing a warped security feature on a plastic card or a passport page, comprising:
creating a hybrid vector/bitmap data stream that is used to form the warped security feature, the hybrid vector/bitmap data stream includes vector position information and intensity value information;
using the hybrid vector/bitmap data stream to control a print mechanism to create spaced spots on the plastic card or a passport page to form the warped security feature, the print mechanism following curved vector lines dictated by the vector position information and the intensity value information is used to create the spots that form the warped security feature.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spots are dots or lines.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the print mechanism comprises a laser of a laser processing mechanism.
4. The method of claim 3 , comprising adjusting the power of the laser based on the intensity value information to create at least some of the spots using different laser powers.
5. The method of claim 3 , comprising controlling the laser to create at least some of the spots with irregular spacing between the spots.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warped security feature comprises alphanumeric characters or an image.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid vector/bitmap data stream is generated by performing a rendering process on data that represents the warped security feature by taking a vectorial description of the data and warping the vectorial description to a target, and rendering the warped vectorial description into the vector position information of the hybrid vector/bitmap data stream.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic card or passport page includes personal data of an intended holder of the plastic card or passport page.
9. A plastic card or a passport that includes the passport page containing the warped security feature produced by the method of claim 1 .
10. A warped security feature on a plastic card or on a passport page that is produced by the method of claim 1 .