Security document manufacturing method and apparatus using halftone dots that contain microscopic images

Abstract

A method to capture any user-selected image such as a corporate logo, a photograph, or a key word or phrase, and to convert that image into a microscopic halftone dot with tonal variation features, and to allow substitution of theses dots for conventional square, round, elliptical, diamond and/or other shaped dots typically used in normal commercial printing. Through this invention, all or selected graphical elements of a printed image can be rendered in “logodots” that can be verified with a magnifying device and that are difficult to copy using commercial photocopiers and scanners and result in pronounced streaking patterns in copies so made. Through this invention an economical, graphical manufacturing technique is provided for printing security documents such as checks, certificates, transcripts, and other objects having monetary or intrinsic value.

1 . A physical media comprising: 
 a substrate;    a plurality of halftone dots printed on the substrate, at least one of the halftone dots comprising a microscopic image capable of human recognition when magnified.    
   
   
       2 . A physical media comprising: 
 a substrate;    a first region comprising a plurality of halftone dots printed on the substrate;    a second region comprising a plurality of custom halftone dots printed on the substrate, the custom halftone dots each comprising a microscopic image capable of human recognition when magnified, and the custom halftone dots being perceptively different to the unaided human eye from the halftone dots when the substrate is optically reproduced.    
   
   
       3 . The physical media of  claim 2  wherein the halftone dots and the custom halftone dots are arranged in a pattern to display a self-cancelling image when the substrate is optically reproduced.  
   
   
       4 . A substrate comprising: 
 a region comprising a plurality of custom halftone dots printed on the substrate, the custom halftone dots each comprised of a customized image.    
   
   
       5 . A substrate comprising: 
 a region comprising a plurality of custom halftone dots printed on the substrate, the custom halftone dots each comprising a customized image.