Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera is disclosed which includes a printer for printing
images onto a receiver having preformed authenticating information,
the receiver being formed in a cartridge which is insertable into
the printer. The camera captures and digitizes an image of a scene
and stores the captured digitized scene image. The cartridge includes
security control circuitry having a predetermined code for enabling
the printer. The printer includes a print station adapted to print
the captured digitized scene image in relation to the preformed
authenticating information on the receiver; and receives the cartridge
having the receiver and advances the receiver past the print station;
logic and control circuitry is responsive to the inserted cartridge
for receiving the predetermined code to enable the printer, and
is also responsive to the captured digitized scene image for causing
the receiver to advance past the print station and for providing
signals to the enabled printer in response to the captured digitized
scene image for causing the printer to print an image on the receiver
in relation to the preformed authenticating information on the receiver.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A digital camera including a printer for printing images onto
a receiver having preformed authenticating information, the receiver
being formed in a cartridge which is insertable into the printer,
comprising:
(a) the camera including:
capturing means for capturing and digitizing an image of a scene,
and
storing means for storing the captured digitized scene image;
(b) the cartridge including security control circuitry having a
predetermined code for enabling the printer;
(c) the printer including:
(i) a print station adapted to print the captured digitized scene
image in relation to the preformed authenticating information on
the receiver; and
(ii) means for receiving the cartridge having the receiver and
for advancing the receiver past the print station; and
(d) logic and controlling means for performing logic and control
and including:
enabling means responsive to the inserted cartridge for receiving
the predetermined code to enable the printer, and
advancing means responsive to the captured digitized scene image
for causing the advancing means to advance the receiver past the
print station and for providing signals to the enabled printer in
response to the captured digitized scene image for causing the printer
to print an image on the receiver in relation to the performed authenticating
information on the receiver.
2. The digital camera of claim 1 wherein a plurality of images
of the captured digitized scene image are formed on the receiver.
3. The digital camera of claim 2 wherein the receiver includes
an image receiving structure to which a series of user viewable
images of the captured digitized image scene are formed such as
postal stamps, the image receiving structure further comprising:
(e) a support having first and second surfaces including preformed
authenticating information;
(f) a barrier layer formed on the first surface of the support;
and
(g) a colorant receiving layer formed on the barrier layer to which
a series of images can be transferred.
4. The digital camera of claim 1 further including an antenna and
RF transponder for sending and receiving radio signals and wherein
the cartridge includes a cartridge RF transponder for sending and
receiving radio signals and in response to a received signal from
the RF transponder the cartridge RF transponder sends a signal having
the predetermined code to the antenna which transmits such signal
to the RF transponder, and wherein the logic and control means includes
means coupled to the RF transponder for receiving the predetermined
code to enable the printer.
5. The digital camera of claim 4 wherein the cartridge RF transponder
includes a counter having a number corresponding to the number of
receivers included in the cartridge and wherein the counter is decremented
each time the printer is actuated.
6. A digital camera including a printer for printing images onto
a receiver, the receiver being provided in a cartridge which is
insertable into the printer having preformed authenticating information
on peelable stickers, comprising:
(a) the camera including
capturing and storing means for capturing and digitizing an image
of a scene and for storing the captured digitized scene image;
(b) the cartridge including security control circuitry having a
predetermined code for enabling the printer;
(c) the printer including:
(i) a print station adapted to print the captured digitized scene
image in relation to the preformed authenticating information on
the receiver; and
(ii) means for receiving the receiver and for advancing the receiver
past the print station; and
(d) logic and controlling means for performing logic and control
and including:
enabling means responsive to the inserted cartridge for receiving
the predetermined code to enable the printer, and
advancing means responsive to the captured digitized scene image
for causing the advancing means to advance the receiver past the
print station and for providing signals to the enabled printer in
response to the captured digitized scene image for causing the printer
to print an image on one or more stickers on the receiver in relation
to the preformed authenticating information on one or more stickers
on the receiver.
7. The digital camera of claim 6 further including an antenna and
RF transponder for sending and receiving radio signals and wherein
the cartridge includes a cartridge RF transponder for sending and
receiving radio signals and in response to a received signal from
the RF transponder the cartridge RF transponder sends a signal having
the predetermined code to the antenna which transmits such signal
to the RF transponder, and wherein the logic and control means includes
means coupled to the RF transponder for receiving the predetermined
code to enable the printer.
8. The digital camera of claim 7 wherein the cartridge RF transponder
includes a counter having a number corresponding to the number of
peelable stickers included in the cartridge and wherein the counter
is decremented each time the printer is actuated.
9. A digital camera, comprising:
a sensor capturing and digitizing an image of a scene and storing
the captured digitized scene image;
a cartridge comprising:
security control circuitry with a predetermined code; and
a receiver being formed in the cartridge and having preformed authenticating
information formed on the receiver;
a printer printing images on to the receiver, the cartridge being
insertable into the printer, the printer being enable by the predetermined
code and comprising:
a print station printing the captured digitized scene image in
relation to the preformed authenticating information on the receiver;
and
a mechanism receiving the cartridge and advancing the receiver
past the print station; and
a logic and control unit responsive to the inserted cartridge,
receiving the predetermined code to enable the printer, causing
the advancing means to advance the receiver past the print station,
providing signals to the enabled printer in response to the captured
digitized scene image and causing the printer to print an image
on the receiver in relation to the performed authenticating information
on the receiver.
Digital Camera Patent Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to digital cameras which include printers
for printing images of a scene on receivers having preformed authenticating
information.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Heretofore images of high quality have been produced by thermal
printers. In a typical thermal printer an image is formed in three
passes. First a dye donor having color such as yellow is placed
in dye transfer relationship with a receiver and then the dye donor
is heated in a pattern corresponding to the yellow portion of an
image to be completed. Thereafter, cyan and magenta portions of
the image are formed in a similar fashion. The completed color image
on the receiver is continuous tone and in many cases can rival photographic
quality.
In one type of thermal printer which prints colored images, a donor
contains a repeating series of spaced frames of different colored
heat transferable dyes. The donor is disposed between a receiver,
such as coated paper, and a print head formed of, for example, a
plurality of individual heating resistors. When a particular heating
resistor is energized, it produces heat and causes dye from the
donor to transfer to the receiver. The density or darkness of the
printed color dye is a function of the energy delivered from the
heating element to the donor.
Thermal dye transfer printers offer the advantage of true "continuous
tone" dye density transfer. This result is obtained by varying
the energy applied to each heating element, yielding a variable
dye density image pixel in the receiver.
Thermally printed images are used in a number of different applications.
In one of those applications, so-called "sticker prints"
are made on a receiver and arranged so that they can be peeled off
and individually pasted onto another surface. However, these stickers
are not used in situations which require that they be "authentic".
By use of the term "authentic" is meant that the image
can indicate to a viewer or a reader with a high degree of certainty
that the image has not been counterfeited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a security
control arrangement for insuring that the printer in a digital camera
only prints images on valid receivers having preformed authenticating
information.
This object is achieved in a digital camera including a printer
for printing images onto a receiver having preformed authenticating
information, the receiver being formed in a cartridge which is insertable
into the printer, comprising:
(a) the camera including means for capturing and digitizing an
image of a scene and means for storing the captured digitized scene
image;
(b) the cartridge including security control circuitry having a
predetermined code for enabling the printer; and
(c) the printer including:
(i) a print station adapted to print the captured digitized scene
image in relation to the preformed authenticating information on
the receiver; and
(ii) means for receiving the cartridge having the receiver and
for advancing the receiver past the print station;
(d) logic and control means including means responsive to the inserted
cartridge for receiving the predetermined code to enable the printer,
and means responsive to the captured digitized scene image for causing
the advancing means to advance the receiver past the print station
and for providing signals to the enabled printer in response to
the captured digitized scene image for causing the printer to print
an image on the receiver in relation to the preformed authenticating
information on the receiver.
It is a feature of the present invention that a digital camera
which is equipped with a printer can be used to print images on
a receiver having preformed authenticating information in an efficient
and cost effective manner while ensuring that images are only printed
on valid receivers which are preloaded in a cartridge with a security
control circuit.
An advantage of the present invention is that it effectively authenticates
images preventing counterfeiting, misuse or fraud.
A further feature of the invention is that the preformed authenticating
information can be in the form of silver impregnated threads or
magnetic strip material or in an encoded form that requires a device
such as a bar code reader to scan the images and decode the preformed
authenticating information. The preformed authenticating information
can form water marks.
Another feature of the invention is that the preformed authenticating
information can be embossed.
Another feature of the present invention is that it facilitates
the design of images to be authenticated such as postage stamps,
travelers checks, checks and other types of official documents.
A still further feature is that the images and authenticating information
can be formed on stickers which can be peeled apart from the receiver
and used for a number of purposes such as a postage stamps.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a digital camera having a thermal printer
for printing captured digitized scene images onto receivers with
preformed authenticating information;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the digital camera of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3a is a system block diagram of the digital camera with the
thermal printer;
FIG. 3b shows more detailed block diagrams of RF transponders 100
and 102 shown in FIG. 3a;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the thermal printer of the
digital camera and an insertable thermal printer cartridge being
inserted into the thermal printer of the digital camera;
FIG. 5 is a perspective of an insertable thermal printer cartridge
with receiver drive sprocket and identifying contacts for use with
a digital camera having a thermal printer;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines D--D of the printer
of FIG. 1 showing in cross section an insertable thermal printer
cartridge inserted into the thermal printer of the digital camera;
FIG. 7 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing various layers
of a receiver with preformed authenticating information;
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a receiver with
preformed authenticating information; and
FIG. 9 shows a plurality of peelable stickers having images formed
from the captured digitized scene image and preformed authenticating
information which authenticate such captured digitized scene images
in the receiver of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The overall structure of the present invention will briefly be
reviewed with respect to FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7. The present invention
uses an insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 which is inserted
into a digital camera 11. The digital camera 11 includes a thermal
printer 13 an example of which is the PTMTL1101A manufactured by
the ALPS Electric Company LTD. Insertable thermal printer cartridge
10 includes colorant donor element 21 and receivers 30 which can
include at least a colorant receiving layer 60 with preformed authenticating
information 70. Although a thermal printer 13 is shown it will be
understood that other types of included printers, such as ink jet
printers can also be used in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows a front view of the digital camera 11 including a
lens 48 for focussing light from a subject onto an image sensor
40 (see FIG. 3a) upon depression of a shutter button 8. The digital
camera 11 further includes the thermal printer 13 for producing
hardcopy images of the captured digitized scene image onto receivers
30. The insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 is inserted into
thermal printer 13 by opening insertable thermal printer cartridge
bay door 29 shown here in its closed position.
Turning to FIG. 2, the digital camera 11 is shown from a side view
with included thermal printer 13 again in a general fashion. FIG.
2 shows the arrangement of FIG. 1 as a side view when insertable
thermal printer cartridge bay door 29 is rotated into an open position
about hinge 28 for insertion of the insertable thermal printer cartridge
10 into the insertable thermal printer cartridge bay 10a (See FIG.
4) of thermal printer 13. In this position, a liquid crystal display
(LCD) window 47 is shown and is used during operation of digital
camera 11 for reviewing captured digitized scene images stored in
memory 51 (See FIG. 3a).
FIG. 3a shows a system block diagram of the digital camera 11 with
the thermal printer 13. Light reflecting from subject S is collected
and focussed onto the image sensor 40 by lens 48 upon depression
of the shutter button 8. The timing control of the image sensor
40 is accomplished by a single chip image processor 45 which for
example can be commercially available chip DCAM-103 manufactured
by LSI Logic Corporation. The single chip image processor 45 includes
embedded general purpose input/output circuitry (I/O) for reading
and reacting to user manipulated camera mode control switches (not
shown) and the shutter button 8. The single chip image processor
45 also controls various other parameters and data flow within the
image capture section of the digital camera 11. For example, the
conversion of signals from image sensor 40 to digital form is accomplished
with a conventional A/D converter 72 under the control of the single
chip image processor 45. Single chip image processor 45 also manages
the interface to the memory 51 shown generally as a block. It will
be understood that memory 51 can be a read only memory (ROM), dynamic
random access memory (DRAM), or a conventional compact flash card
removable memory as described by the above referred to chip DCAM-103
and Architecture Specification available from LSI Logic Corporation.
Captured digitized scene images maybe stored in DRAM or Compact
Flash removable media shown as memory 51. The single chip image
processor 45 furthermore displays captured digital images on LCD
window 47 as it contains an embedded LCD controller.
Continuing with FIG. 3a, a central processing unit (CPU) 55 is
shown connected to the single chip image processor 45. CPU 55 is
a conventional multipurpose microprocessor nominally used to manage
the functions of thermal printer 13. CPU 55 reads an I/O bus 53
to react to a user choosing to print a captured digitized scene
image shown on LCD window 47 via camera mode control switches (not
shown). CPU 55 also communicates via a standard serial bus connection
with security control circuitry which includes an RF transponder
102 and an antenna 104 to interrogate a cartridge RF transponder
100 for a predetermined code contained within cartridge 10 which
further includes valid receivers 30. The RF transponder 102 sends
and receives radio signals. The cartridge 10 includes a cartridge
RF transponder 100 for sending and receiving radio signals and in
response to a received signal from the RF transponder 102 the cartridge
RF transponder 100 sends a signal having the predetermined code
to the antenna 104 which transmits such signal to the RF transponder
102. The CPU 55 is coupled to the RF transponder 102 and is programmed
for receiving the predetermined code to enable the printer 13.
The cartridge RF transponder 100 includes a memory location that
is used for holding a number corresponding either to the number
of receivers 30 or to the number of peelable stickers 92 (See FIG.
9) included in the cartridge. The counter can be included within
the RF converter 112. The counter is decremented each time the printer
13 is actuated. When the counter is decremented to zero, the cartridge
RF transponder 100 is inhibited. For an example of a commercially
available device corresponding to cartridge RF transponder 100,
see Texas Instruments Registration and Identification System known
as TIRIS. Texas Instruments publishes a technical specification
11-09-21-032 dated July 1997 which is incorporated by reference.
The RF transponder 102 and antenna 104 are also commercially available
from Texas Instruments and identified as Micro-reader Model RI-STU-MRD1.
Turning now to FIG. 3b where a block diagram of the RF transponder
102 of the digital camera 11 is shown. The antenna 104 is connected
to an RF receiving and sending unit 106. RF receiving and sending
unit 106 is connected to a bitstream converter 108. The bitstream
converter 108 operates in a bimodal fashion. It sends signals to
the CPU 55 which are converted from the received signals by the
antenna 104. It also receives signals from the CPU 55, converts
them to a bitstream and applies them to the RF receiving and sending
unit 106 which sends RF signals to the RF transponder 100. The RF
signals sent to the RF transponder 102 have a predetermined code
provided by RF transponder 100. The CPU 55 receives the predetermined
code and in response thereto enables the printer.
The RF transponder 100 includes a receiving and sending unit 110.
The RF transponder 100 is shown to include an antenna 111. The RF
transponder 100 sends RF signals in response to signals produced
by the RF converter 112 which provide the predetermined code used
to enable the printer 13. In response to a predetermined received
signal from the RF transponder 102, an RF converter 112 is enabled
and causes the transmission of the predetermined code. It will be
understood that there need not be RF signals generated, but that
the RF transponders 100 and 102 could be directly electrically connected
to each other by appropriate contacts after the cartridge 10 is
inserted into the digital camera 11.
Programming of CPU 55 causes a flow of data to a printer controller
IC 49 an example of which can be commercially available chip PTCTS
1008A manufactured by the ALPS Electric Corporation. Printer controller
IC 49 modulates the current flow to individual resistive heating
elements (not shown) of a thermal head 37 to supply energy to transfer
colorant from colorant donor element 21 to receiver 30 in a manner
well understood in the art. Identifying contacts 18, 19, and 20
of insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 are interrogated by CPU
55 through the connection of I/O bus 53 to identifying probe pairs
42, 44, and 46 which are in intimate contact with identifying contacts
18, 19, and 20. For a more complete discussion of the functionality
of identifying contacts 18, 19, and 20, please refer to the discussion
of FIG. 5. As will subsequently be described, the printer controller
IC 49 causes the advancement of the receiver 30 and the colorant
donor element 21 past a print station 35 and for providing signals
to the thermal head 37 in response to the captured digitized scene
image for causing the thermal printer 13 to print an image on the
receiver 30 in relation to the preformed authenticating information
70. The structure necessary to accomplish these functions will be
described in relation to FIGS. 4-6.
Turning now to FIG. 4, insertable thermal printer cartridge 10
is shown protruding from insertable thermal printer cartridge bay
10a with insertable thermal printer cartridge bay door 29 in an
open position for insertion of the insertable thermal printer cartridge
10 into the insertable thermal printer cartridge bay 10a of thermal
printer 13. Receivers 30 are shown relative to pressure roller 39,
colorant donor element 21 (not visible), and thermal head 37. Receiver
30, while receiving colorant transferred from colorant donor element
21 via thermal head 37, must leave the thermal printer 13 through
a printer egress slot 43. In a manner well known in the art, receiver
30 moves in and out of the printer egress slot 43 to accommodate
a plurality of printing operations wherein a single colorant to
be transferred can be the commonly used cyan, yellow, magenta and
black (CYMK) colorant scheme.
In operation, the insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 is inserted
into the insertable thermal printer cartridge bay 10a which has
features corresponding to the insertable thermal printer cartridge
housing 9 for receiving the insertable thermal printer cartridge
10 containing receivers 30 on receiver supply spool 25. Identifying
contacts 18, 19, and 20 provide feature identification to the CPU
55 for controlling the operation of the thermal printer 13 as shown
in FIG. 3. Receivers 30 on receiver supply spool 25 are caused to
be advanced by the CPU 55 through printer controller IC 49 which
actuates the receiver drive sprocket 17 (See FIG. 5). The receiver
drive sprocket 17 is coupled to the receiver supply spool 25. In
a similar fashion, colorant donor element 21 is caused to be moved
from the donor supply roll 23 onto the donor take-up spool 24 by
the CPU 55 (via printer controller IC 49) actuating the donor drive
shaft 80, shown in FIG. 6, which is mechanically coupled to the
donor take-up spool 24. It will be understood that a drive motor
(not shown)is actually driven by signals from the printer control
IC 49. The receiver drive sprocket 17 is driven by a gear 84 controlled
by a motor 86 operated by a signal from the printer controller IC
49 (see FIG. 3). This arrangement in the thermal printer 13 continuously
advances the receiver 30 and colorant donor element 21 relative
to the heating elements (not shown) of the thermal head 37 at the
print station 35. As will be clear to those skilled in the art,
the motors used in the present invention can be continuous DC motors.
Programming of CPU 55 is responsible for the mechanical positioning
of the receivers 30 and colorant donor elements 21 at the print
station 35. Furthermore, it formats the printing of the captured
digitized scene image relative to areas of receiver 30 that don't
contain preformed authenticating information as evident from FIG.
9. CPU 55 formats the captured digitized scene image based on information
gathered from interrogation of identifying contacts 18, 19 and 20
as described in Table 1 below.
It will also be understood that receivers 30 are temporarily connected
along the length of receivers 30 by orthogonal lines of perforations
41 (see FIG. 5) permitting the color print to be conveniently detached
from unused receivers 30 within insertable thermal printer cartridge
10.
Following on with FIG. 5, a perspective of the insertable thermal
printer cartridge 10 is shown with a section of a receiver 30 extending
from an insertable thermal printer cartridge housing 9. The insertable
thermal printer cartridge housing 9 is provided with a removable
cartridge seal 16 which protects identifying contacts 18, 19, and
20, receiver drive sprocket 17, and donor take-up spool 24 prior
to the use of the insertable thermal printer cartridge 10. In this
manner, features of the insertable thermal printer cartridge 10
such as identifying contacts 18, 19, and 20 are protected from damage.
Similarly, the receiver drive sprocket 17 is prevented from unintentionally
advancing receivers 30. Cartridge seal 16 can be of a Mylar sheet
held in position until use by a conventional low tack adhesive 22
as cartridge seal 16 is only used as a protective seal. Cartridge
seal 16 is removed prior to inserting the insertable thermal printer
cartridge 10 into the insertable thermal printer cartridge bay 10a
provided in the digital camera 11 (See FIG. 4). It will be understood
that cartridge seal 16 can contain human readable data printed on
the outer surface (not shown) indicative of the date of manufacture,
expiration date, printer compatibility, etc. Alignment features
are assembled in the housing 9 and shown as a donor take-up spool
24 and the receiver drive sprocket 17 which are used in the positioning
of insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 into thermal printer
13.
Identifying contacts 18, 19, and 20 can be formed by the application
of an encoded and patterned metallized tape. These identifying contacts
18, 19 and 20 provide the information used for determining if the
receiver 30 has preformed authenticating information 70 and the
position of its placement. Each identifying contact 18, 19, and
20 may be metalized or not forming a conductive or non-conductive
area. These identifying contacts 18, 19, and 20 provide information
of features of the inserted insertable thermal printer cartridge
10 to the thermal printer 13 in the digital camera 11. These identifying
contact 18, 19, and 20 provide information in a manner similar to
the DX encodement of 35 mm film cassettes. For example, see commonly-assigned
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,209 to Pearson. The identifying contact 18,
19, and 20 are used by the CPU 55 to sense the data represented
by the encoded conductive pattern. Such data can represent the manufactured
configuration of the insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 with
respect to the preformed authenticating information 70 of receivers
30 such as postal amount, stamp style (placement of preformed authenticating
information 70) and quantity of receivers 30 as shown in Table 1
below. Table 1 is in reference to the situation where the digitized
capture scene images are applied to receivers having preformed authenticating
information to form postage stamps.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Manufactured configuration
of insertable thermal Identifying Identifying Identifying printer
cartridge 10 Contact 20 Contact 19 Contact 18 ______________________________________
First Class Rate/Style 1/(10) L L L First Class Rate/Style 1/(20)
L L H First Class Rate/Style 2/(10) L H L First Class Rate/Style
2/(20) L H H Post Card Rate/Style 1/(10) H L L Post Card Rate/Style
1/(20) H L H Post Card Rate/Style 2/(10) H H L Post Card Rate/Style
2/(20) H H H ______________________________________
Logic levels shown in Table 1 describe the identification of the
contents of insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 with respect
to the type and quantity of receivers 30. The amount of colorant
donor element 21 provided during manufacture of a donor supply roll
23 is determined in accordance with the number of receivers to be
printed. The identification is accomplished by identifying probe
pairs 42, 44, and 46 (see FIG. 3) contacting identifying contacts
18, 19, and 20 respectively, for the purpose of determining the
conductivity of each identifying contact 18, 19, and 20. Identifying
probe pairs 42, 44, and 46 are controlled by CPU 55 from connection
to I/O bus 53. Typically, a small current will flow across the discrete
elements of identifying probe pairs 42, 44, and 46 causing a Low
Level Voltage to be sensed by CPU 55 if the identifying contact
was conductive. If current does not flow across the probe pairs
42, 44 and 46, the identifying contact was not conductive and a
High Level Voltage is sensed by CPU 55. The identification information
is used by the CPU 55 to produce a superior resultant printed image
and properly placed relative to the preformed authenticating information
70.
It will be well understood by one skilled in the art that additional
identifying contacts 18, 19 and 20 can be used within the scope
of the invention as well as other combinations of receivers 30 and
colorant donor element 21 which are likely to be desired by users
of the apparatus.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines D--D of FIG. 1 which
shows the insertable thermal printer cartridge 10 loaded into thermal
printer 13. In this figure, the receivers 30 are shown in proximate
position to colorant donor element 21 with respect to the thermal
head 37 in the print station 35. In a manner well known in the art,
receivers 30 are moved relative to the colorant donor element 21
to align the image pixels delivered by the thermal head 37 relative
to the preformed authenticating information 70 on the receiver 30.
The receiver 30 receives colorant at predetermined positions through
a plurality of conventional heating elements (not shown) which are
included in the thermal head 37. Pressure roller 39 of the thermal
printer 13 works in cooperation with the thermal head 37 to maintain
proper contact and alignment between colorant donor element 21 and
receivers 30 to effectively create a color print.
Continuing with FIG. 6, cartridge RF transponder 100 is shown within
receiver supply spool 25 where it is sealed at the time of manufacture.
In the above-referenced specification from Texas Instruments, cartridge
RF transponder 100 does not require external connections as it acquires
its power from the electromagnetic signals of the interrogating
RF transponder 102. In fact, within the structure of the digital
camera 11, the orientation of the cartridge RF transponder 100 is
not important for effective communication.
Now referring to FIG. 7, receiver 30 includes an image receiving
structure 50 which is formed on a support 56. The support 56 can
be formed of paper or plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate
or polyethylene napthalate. Alternatively, it can be in the form
of a web. In this embodiment an adhesive layer 54 is provided on
the back surface of the support 56. A peelable protective release
layer 59 is provided over the adhesive layer 54 until it is to be
used for securing the image receiving structure 50 to a surface.
This type of construction is particularly suitable when a series
of images 90 (See FIG. 9) and the preformed authenticating information
70 which can be peeled apart for use, e.g., postal stamps. The image
receiving structure 50 includes in sequence three layers, the support
56, a barrier layer 58 and the colorant receiving layer 60. At the
time of manufacture of the colorant receiving layer 60 preformed
authenticating information 70 are formed on the colorant receiving
layer 60 which authenticate images to be formed. The preformed authenticating
information 70 can be in the form of a bar code, an official seal,
alphanumeric data or encoded digitized information.
A plurality of dye donor resistive elements of thermal head 37
(not shown) which are in contact with the colorant donor element
21. When a dye donor resistive elements is energized it is heated
which causes dye to transfer from the colorant donor element 21
to the receiver 30 in a pattern to provide the colored image. This
process is repeated until an image 90 is formed on each of the image
receiving structures 50. During the final pass a protective layer
62 is then formed on the color receiving layer 60.
At the time of manufacture of the receiver 30, preformed authenticating
information 70 can also be formed on the support 56, as shown in
FIG. 8. The creation of the preformed authenticating information
70 is described in the above-mentioned commonly-assigned U.S. patent
application Ser. Nos. 09/103,019 and 09/165,066.
Turning now to FIG. 9 which shows the output of the thermal printer
13 which is a series of preformed authenticating information 70
and an image 90 on peelable stickers 92. These peelable stickers
92 can be used as postal stamps. The peelable stickers 92 correspond
to the image receiving structure 50 shown in FIG. 7. It is desirable
that the preformed authenticating information 70 on the receiver
30 be highly accurate so that they may not be counterfeited. As
is well known in the art, the receiver 30 in a web form can be run
through a gravure process. For that purpose, the preformed authenticating
information 70 are created in the receiver 30 when the receiver
30 is in a web form by using a gravure process. The preformed authenticating
information 70 are formed with a high level of detail so that they
are difficult to duplicate. The preformed authenticating information
70 have a high level of detail so that when an image 90 is formed
during the thermal printing process, the preformed authenticating
information 70 will be visible indicating to a viewer or reader
of the receiver 30 that the images are authentic. The gravure process
is capable of creating preformed authenticating information 70 of
very high resolution, well beyond the capabilities of most common
printers. The gravure process is an intaglio process. It uses a
depressed or sunken surface for the preformed authenticating information
70. The preformed authenticating information 70 include cells or
welds etched into a copper cylinder and the unetched surface of
the cylinder represents the non-printing areas. The cylinder rotates
in a bath of ink. Gravure printing is considered excellent for printing
highly detailed marks or pictures that create the preformed authenticating
information 70. High cylinder making expense usually limits gravure
for long runs. Different types of inks may be used for depositing
the preformed authenticating information 70 by the gravure process
on the receiver 30 which can be used in the thermal printer 13 of
FIG. 1.
The colorants used to form the preformed authenticating information
70 in the receiver 30 can be inks, dyes or pigments. Inks used in
gravure printing are generally solvent based having fluid properties
that allow them to fill the wells of the engraved cylinders or plates
without spreading outside of these wells, yet are drawn out when
contacted by the receiver 30 which is run in a web form through
the gravure process. The binder solvent used in the formulation
is such that the inks dry by evaporation and have good adhesion
to the receiver 30. These inks are well known in the art and are
described in detail in the Graphic Arts Manual, Arno Press, Musarts
Publishing Corp., New York, N.Y., 1980; specifically in the chapters
titled "Inks in Common Use", Theodore Lustig, Sun Chemicals
Corp. and Introduction to Printing Inks, Gary G. Winters, Inmont
Corporation.
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