Security marking and security mark

Abstract

The application discloses a security mark consisting of a plurality of layers, of which the cover layers are highly conductive films and the layers of the card core are films of varying transparency. One layer carries information, which can be read directly, if desired, above a security print, while the transparent conductive layer has an additional security markings, such as biometric or product identifiers marking which can be read conductively only with the aid of a special reader. All the layers consist of polymers, papers or mixtures which can be fused together to form a laminate which is fused together. The conductive layers form conductive traces which may be formed with single-walled or multi walled nano tubes or they can be formed from multiple layers or dispersions containing, carbon nano tubes, carbon nano tubes/antimony tin oxide, carbon nano tubes/platinum, or carbon nano tubes/silver, carbon, silver or carbon nano tubes/silver-cloride. An alternative layer can be formed from a separate conductive layer or suitable dispersion and the encoding accomplished by overlaying a nonconductive trace.

1 . An identity marking, comprising: 
 a patterned layer of conductive material on an object, wherein the pattern of conductive material comprises identifying indicia that can be read by a conductivity meter.    
     
     
         2 . The identity marking as of  claim 1 , wherein the identity marking is disposed in a layer of translucent material applied to a security card or product label.  
     
     
         3 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive material comprises carbon nano tubes.  
     
     
         4 . The identity marking of  claim 3 , the carbon nano tubes are less than 15 nm in diameter.  
     
     
         5 . The identity marking of  claim 3 , the carbon nano tubes are less than 70 um in length.  
     
     
         6 . The identity marking of  claim 3 , further comprising a polymer coating over the identity marking.  
     
     
         7 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer has conductive indicia encoded therein.  
     
     
         8 . The identity marking of  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia comprise biometric information.  
     
     
         9 . The identity marking of  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia comprise gaming information.  
     
     
         10 . The identity marking of  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia comprise product information.  
     
     
         11 . The identity marking of  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is formed to provide a binary representation.  
     
     
         12 . The identity marking of  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is formed to provide a barcode representation.  
     
     
         13 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein said conductive indicia is formed to provide a graphical representation.  
     
     
         14 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein said conductive indicia is formed to provide representations of information based on the resistance reading of the conductive material.  
     
     
         15 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is unique to a particular product.  
     
     
         16 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said conductive indicia is applied to the product as a traceable marking.  
     
     
         17 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is encoded to contain information that is read by a computer peripheral and used to confirm the identity of a computer user.  
     
     
         18 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is applied to the identification device containing a microprocessor such that the conductive indicia form a representation of identification information.  
     
     
         19 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is applied to the identification device containing a semiconductor electronic circuit such that the conductive indicia form a representation of identification information.  
     
     
         20 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said conductive indicia is applied to a identification device containing a microprocessor such that the conductive indicia forms a representation of identification information.  
     
     
         21 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said conductive indicia is a representation of gaming information.  
     
     
         22 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said conductive indicia is a representation of gaming information.  
     
     
         23 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said conductive indicia is a representation of security information.  
     
     
         24 . The identity marking as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said conductive indicia is a representation of security information.  
     
     
         25 . An identity marking contained in the first layer of a security card, comprising: a conductive material containing at least one element of identifying indicia that can be read by conductivity and the conductive material is mixed with fluorescence dye.  
     
     
         26 . An identity marking contained in a layer of a security card, comprising: a conductive material containing at least one element of identifying indicia that can be read by conductivity and the conductive material is mixed with infrared dye.  
     
     
         27 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , comprising conductive materials containing carbon.  
     
     
         28 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , comprising conductive materials containing selected from metals such as silver, copper or gold.  
     
     
         29 . The identity marking of  claim 19 , where the conductive materials form identification means as well as an antenna.  
     
     
         30 . The identity marking of  claim 20 , where the conductive materials form identification means as well as the antenna.  
     
     
         31 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , comprising conductive materials containing metal oxide types.  
     
     
         32 . The identity marking of  claim 31 , wherein the metal oxides are selected from tin-indium mixed oxide (ITO), antimony-tin mixed oxide (ATO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) or aluminum-doped zinc oxide (FZO).  
     
     
         33 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein said indicia comprise conductively readable information for use with a computerized workstation to provide access information to the workstation or resources.  
     
     
         34 . The identity marking of  claim 3 , wherein the conductive film is formed from single and multi walled carbon nano tubes and the average outer diameter size of the carbon nano tubes is greater than 0.5 nm.  
     
     
         35 . The identity marking of  claim 34 , wherein said nano tubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs), double-walled nano tubes (DWNTs), multi-walled nano tubes (MWNTs), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         36 . The identity marking of  claim 32 , wherein said nano tubes are substantially single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs).  
     
     
         37 . The identity marking of  claim 34 , wherein said nano tubes are present in said film at about 0.001 to about 10% based on weight.  
     
     
         38 . The identity marking of  claim 34 , wherein said nano tubes are present in said film at least about 0.5% by weight.  
     
     
         39 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein the film has a surface resistance of less than about 25,000 ohms/square.  
     
     
         40 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric material.  
     
     
         41 . The identity marking of  claim 34 , wherein said nano tubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs), double-walled nano tubes (DWNTs), multi-walled nano tubes (MWNTs), and mixtures thereof to form a dispersion.  
     
     
         42 . The identity marking of  claim 41 , wherein the dispersion comprises a plurality of nano tubes with an outer diameter of less than 15 nm.  
     
     
         43 . The identity marking of  claim 42 , wherein said nano tubes have an outer diameter of about 0.5 to 15 nm.  
     
     
         44 . The identity marking of  claim 42 , wherein said nano tubes are substantially single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs).  
     
     
         45 . The identity marking of  claim 41 , wherein the dispersion further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, elastomers, conducting polymers and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         46 . The identity marking of  claim 41 , the dispersion further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic hybrid polymers, and phosphine oxides chalcogenides.  
     
     
         47 . The identity marking of  claim 41 , the dispersion further comprising a plasticizer, softening agent, filler, reinforcing agent, processing aid, stabilizer, antioxidant, dispersing agent, binder, a cross-linking agent, a coloring agent, a UV absorbent agent, or a charge adjusting agent.  
     
     
         48 . The identity marking of  claim 41 , the dispersion further comprising conductive organic materials, inorganic materials, or combinations or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         49 . The identity marking of  claim 48 , wherein the conductive organic materials are selected from the group consisting of buckeyballs, carbon black, fullerenes, nano tubes with an outer diameter of greater than about 0.5 nm, and combinations and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         50 . The identity marking of  claim 49 , wherein the conductive inorganic materials are selected from the group consisting of antimony tin oxide, iridium tin oxide, aluminum, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, doped metal oxides, iron, gold, lead, manganese, magnesium, mercury, metal oxides, nickel, platinum, silver, steel, titanium, zinc, and combinations and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         51 . The identity marking of  claim 50 , further comprising a conductive material selected from the group consisting of tin-indium mixed oxide, antimony-tin mixed oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide and combinations and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         52 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive coating is formed from single and multi walled carbon nano tubes and the average outer diameter size of the carbon nano tubes is less than 15 nm.  
     
     
         53 . The identity marking of  claim 52 , wherein said nano tubes are present in said coating at about 0.001 to about 10% based on weight.  
     
     
         54 . The identity marking of  claim 52 , wherein said nano tubes are present in said coating at about 0.05%.  
     
     
         55 . A method for making conductive film specified in  claim 3 , comprising: providing a plurality of nano tubes with an outer diameter of less than 15 nm; and forming a film of said nano tubes on a surface of a substrate.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the step of forming the film comprises a method selected from the group consisting of spray painting, dip coating, spin coating, knife coating, kiss coating, gravure coating, screen printing, ink jet printing, and pad printing.  
     
     
         57 . A multi-layered structure comprising: an electrically conductive film comprising a plurality of nano tubes with an outer diameter of less than 15 nm; and a polymeric layer disposed on at least a portion of said electrically conductive film.  
     
     
         58 . The multi-layered structure of  claim 57 , wherein said nano tubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs), double-walled nano tubes (DWNTs), multi-walled nano tubes (MWNTs), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         59 . The multi-layered structure of  claim 57 , wherein said nano tubes are substantially single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs).  
     
     
         60 . The multi-layered structure of  claim 57 , wherein said nano tubes are present in said film at about 0.001 to about 10% based on weight.  
     
     
         61 . The multi-layered structure of  claim 57 , further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, elastomers, conducting polymers and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         62 . The multi-layered structure of  claim 57 , further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic hybrid polymers, phosphine oxides and chalcogenides.  
     
     
         63 . The multi-layered structure of  claim 57 , wherein said film has a thickness between about 0.005 microns to about 0.005 inches.  
     
     
         64 . A dispersion of nano tubes comprising a plurality of nano tubes with an outer diameter of less than 15 nm.  
     
     
         65 . The dispersion of  claim 64 , wherein said nano tubes have an outer diameter of about 0.5 to 15 nm.  
     
     
         66 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , wherein said nano tubes are selected from the group consisting of single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs), double-walled nano tubes (DWNTs), multi-walled nano tubes (MWNTs), and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         67 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , wherein said nano tubes are substantially single-walled nano tubes (SWNTs).  
     
     
         68 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, elastomers, conducting polymers and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         69 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic hybrid polymers, and phosphine oxides chalcogenides.  
     
     
         70 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , wherein the conductive inorganic materials are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, doped metal oxides, iron, gold, lead, manganese, magnesium, mercury, metal oxides, nickel, platinum, silver, steel, titanium, zinc, and combinations and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         71 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , further comprising a conductive material selected from the group consisting of tin-indium mixed oxide, antimony-tin mixed oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide and combinations and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         72 . The dispersion of  claim 65 , further comprising conductors, fluids, gelatins, ionic compounds, semiconductors, solids, surfactants, or combinations or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         73 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive coating is formed with conductive film or ink and a non conductive upper layer placed on top of the conductive layer which is selectively relived to allow access to the conductive layer below thereby providing a non conductive and conductive encoding means.  
     
     
         74 . An identity marking contained in a layer of a security marking, comprising: 
 a conductive material containing at least one element of identifying indicia that can be read by conductivity.    
     
     
         75 . An identity marking of  claim 74 , wherein said first layer is a non conductive layer.  
     
     
         76 . The identity marking of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive coating formed with carbon nano tubes and other conductive materials.  
     
     
         77 . The identity marking of  claim 1  were the conductive layer is a plastics film.  
     
     
         78 . The identity marking of  claim 1  were the conductive layer is a coating wherein the conductive inorganic materials are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, doped metal oxides, iron, gold, lead, manganese, magnesium, mercury, metal oxides, nickel, platinum, silver, steel, titanium, zinc, tin-indium mixed oxide, antimony-tin mixed oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, aluminum-doped zinc oxide and further comprising conductors, fluids, gelatins, ionic compounds, semiconductors, solids, surfactants, or combinations or mixtures thereof.