Abstract: Printing plates for all-over printing of large areas by the intaglio printing process, a method for producing the printing plates and data carriers, in particular bank notes, with large-area printed images produced by the intaglio printing process are proposed. Flawless inking is ensured by providing partitions in the engraving of the printing plate which rise up vertically from the base of the engraved area and have at least a height of 50% of the engraving depth. The partitions largely prevent ink from being wiped out of the engraved areas when ink is wiped off the printing plate surface. This permits a large printed area to be covered all over with ink layers on a data carrier. By special arrangement and design of the partitions one can also produce fine structures in the printing area which are recognizable only with magnifying aids depending on the selected distances between the partitions.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatuses and a corresponding method for examining magnetic properties of objects, in particular sheet material, such as bank notes (20). The apparatuses comprise a magneto-optic layer (10) whose optical properties are influenceable by the magnetic properties of the sheet material (20), a light source (11) for producing light that is coupled into the magneto-optic layer (10), and a detector (13) for detecting light that is transmitted and/or reflected by the magneto-optic layer (10). For reliable examination of the magnetic properties of sheet material it is provided that the direction of propagation of the coupled-in light extends parallel to a base surface (9) of the magneto-optic layer (10). The invention permits the magnetic properties in particular of sheet material with areas emitting very weak magnetic fields to be examined with very high sensitivity and reliability.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for testing a biometric feature wherein a set value of the biometric feature is stored in a data carrier in the form of one or more data records. For testing the biometric feature, measured values representing an instantaneous value of the biometric feature are first determined and made available in a terminal. The data carrier transmits to the terminal at least a subset of first reference values depending on the data record or data records for the set value. The terminal links data derived from the measured values with the subset of first reference values and transmits the result of the link to the data carrier. The data carrier tests the result of the link and determines therefrom whether the biometric feature is authentic.

Abstract: A data carrier for interpreter-based execution of an application existing in the form of an application program resulting from an object-oriented source program includes a communication device (10), and a memory device (12) containing at least one application program and an interpreter unit (15). The application program is structured in class files (22) each containing a library section (25) whose entries (46) are formed by invariable elements of the interaction context and which is structured in a sequence of equally long segments (50) each comprising a predetermined number of bytes. A certain number of segments (5) forms an entry (46). The physical position of the first segment of each entry (46) within the byte sequence is used by the interpreter unit (15) as a reference for the entry (46).

Abstract: It is proposed to combine the advantages of PIN-based protection systems and biometry-based protection systems and avoid the disadvantages of the respective systems by generating the PIN biometrically uniquely. For this purpose it is provided that only characteristic data that are uniquely reproducible are derived from the determined biometric raw data. On the basis of these uniquely reproducible characteristic data a key record is then generated that either constitutes the PIN code or is used to generate the PIN code. The PIN code is thus always reproducible uniquely on the basis of the biometric data. The user need no longer remember the PIN code, and the PIN code cannot be passed on to third parties.

Abstract: An apparatus and corresponding method for examining document having at least one excitation device for exciting luminescence light in or on a document to be examined and at least two detector units for detecting at least part of the luminescence light emitted by the document. To increase the reliability of examination of the spectral characteristic of the luminescence light, it is provided that the detector units are disposed one behind the other with respect to the luminescence light emitted by the document. This causes the luminescence light to successively hit the detector units and be detected thereby. The apparatus and method permit any parallactic errors, which occur particularly with a laterally shifted arrangement of detector units, to be greatly reduced so that the detector units can detect the luminescence light emitted by a common partial spatial area of the document.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bank note sorting apparatus. Known such apparatuses have the disadvantage of not being user-friendly since the transport path of the bank notes is not readily accessible to a user due to the elaborate mechanical design of the transport system. Bank notes that block the transport system due to faulty transport can therefore not be readily removed. In the present invention this disadvantage is avoided by the bank note sorting apparatus consisting of at least three parts, with one part disposed in the middle and at least two parts removable therefrom, thereby obtaining easy access to the transport system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for examining documents, in particular documents of value, identification or security documents, having at least two detector units (1, 2, 3) for detecting light (16) emanating from a document (10) to be examined. To increase reliability when examining luminescence, reflection and/or transmission properties of documents, a scattering element (5) is provided on which the light (16) emanating from the document (10) is scattered, the scattering element (5) and detector units (1, 2, 3) being disposed such that the scattered light can be detected by the detector units (1, 2, 3). The scattering element (5) causes spatial mixture and homogenization of the light (16) emanating from the document (10) so as to greatly reduce any parallactic errors that occur in particular with detector units (1, 2, 3) disposed side by side.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for verifying thickness modulations, in particular watermarks, in or on sheet material. To diminish the influence of disturbances from the surroundings and reduce the adjustment effort during production and maintenance of corresponding measuring systems, the sheet material is subjected to sound, in particular ultrasound, the sound transmitted through the sheet material and/or reflected on the sheet material is measured at a plurality of places on the sheet material, at least one value characteristic of the transmitted and/or reflected sound is generated for each of the places, and the thickness modulations are verified by comparing the values with predetermined reference values.

Abstract: In a sheet-processing apparatus, banknotes are separated by a separator (10) and fed to a depositing arrangement (18) via a sensor and transporting unit (8). Depositing takes place in different depositing compartments in accordance with depositing criteria which are determined by certain features of the banknotes (BN) being sensed. The individual depositing compartments (30, 32, 34) of the depositing arrangement (18) are assigned stacker wheels (20, 22, 24), which have stacker fingers which, in pairs, define a sheet compartment between them. The banknotes are introduced into the sheet compartments and are then deposited in the associated depositing compartment by the stacker fingers.

Abstract: The invention relates to different methods for distortion-free production of data carriers having at least in partial areas a transparent plastic layer with a surface structure in the form of a lens structure. The surface structure can be produced by cutting method or embossed by applying heat and pressure. Alternatively the surface structure can be produced as a separate element which is connected after its production with the data carrier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for screen printing for producing security foils for objects of value such as papers of value consisting of a carrier foil and a cover layer applied thereto, the cover layer having the form of characters or patterns and/or coating-free areas in the form of characters, patterns or the like. A printing raw form is fastened in a printing machine and, before a printing operation, a reversible imaging process is performed in which the screen printing raw form having a certain number of screen openings of predetermined mesh width is provided uniformly and completely with lacquer or ink so that all screen openings are closed, and then selected openings are reopened so as to be ink-permeable for the printing operation.

Abstract: A method is described for testing thin material wherein the material is irradiated with ultrasonic waves at least in certain areas and transmission of the ultrasonic waves through the material is determined and evaluated. The transmission of ultrasonic waves of different frequencies is thereby determined. The differences of the transmission at the different frequencies are then used to determine a criterion for evaluating the quality, in particular the porosity, of the irradiated material. Furthermore, a corresponding test device is described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing a paper of value, in particular for condition testing of a bank note, are proposed wherein the bank note is subjected both to dark-field measurement and to bright-field measurement. From comparison of the measuring results of dark-field measurement and bright-field measurement one can make a clear statement about whether a flaw, for example a hole, tear, etc., is present in the bank note in the tested area. The bright-field and dark-field measuring devices can be formed separately with one LED array and detector array in each case. However, preferred embodiments provide for either a common LED array with two detectors or two LED arrays with a common detector. If two LED arrays are used, the dark-field radiation source is preferably formed as an IR light source and the bright-field radiation source as a red-light radiation source in order to permit authenticity testing of the paper of value to be performed as well as condition testing thereof. (FIG.

Abstract: The invention relates to a security device having at least one plastic layer and one specularly reflecting metal layer. An inorganic auxiliary layer is disposed between the plastic layer and the metal layer.

Abstract: In a semiconductor memory chip module (2′) for a smart card, a nonvolatile memory chip (EEPROM) (4) and a volatile memory chip (SRAM) (6) are stacked and coupled directly by vertical chip interconnections (16). The rapid-access volatile memory permits fast execution of programs. Permanent and safe storage of data is effected by reloading the data to the nonvolatile memory. A chip (8) with decoder circuits can be contained in a further level. Likewise integrated into a chip is a buffer capacitor (20) which is constantly recharged to a constant supply voltage during operation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring bank notes for the presence of counterfeit bank notes.

Abstract: A data carrier (1), such as a security, bank notes, ID card or the like, that is embossed in such a way that at least part of said embossment (2) is shaped like an oblique plane (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing security foils for objects of value such as papers of value consisting of a carrier foil and a cover layer applied thereto, the cover layer having the form of characters or patterns and/or coating-free areas in the form of characters, patterns or the like. In this method a printing form fastened in a printing machine is imaged so that areas of the form are ink-accepting, subsequently the form is inked and a carrier foil printed. In the next step the printed carrier foil is provided with a thin cover layer and finally the printed inking and the cover layer thereabove are removed so that coating-free areas arise.

Abstract: A data carrier is proposed for interpreter-based execution of an application existing in the form of an application program resulting from an object-oriented source program. The data carrier comprises a communication device (11) for exchanging data with an external unit, a processor device (10), and a memory device (12) containing at least one application program and an interpreter unit (15). The application program is structured in class files (22) each containing a library section (25) whose entries (46) are formed by invariable elements of the interaction context and which is structured in a sequence of equally long segments (50) each comprising a predetermined number of bytes. A certain number of segments (50) forms an entry (46). The physical position of the first segment of each entry (46) within the byte sequence is used by the interpreter unit (15) as a reference for the entry (46).