Abstract: A security feature for protecting valuable documents, in particular for ensuring the authenticity of valuable documents, comprises a luminescent pigment which has a host lattice doped with a first luminophore and a second luminophore, with an excitation energy of the first luminophore being transferable to the second luminophore. However, in the case of the luminescent pigment according to the invention, the excitation energy is not transferred completely from the first luminophore to the second, but rather only partially. The incomplete transfer of the excitation energy is achieved by selecting suitable amount-of-substance fractions of the first and the second luminophores on the luminescent pigment. As a result of the incomplete transfer of the excitation energy, the luminescent light that is emitted by the luminescent pigment also has, in addition to a luminescence peak of the second luminophore, a luminescence peak of the first luminophore.

Abstract: A value document processing apparatus comprises an input for value documents to be processed, an output and/or a storage device for processed value documents, a transport device for singled transport of value documents from the input to the output or the storage device, a housing, a checking device arranged in the housing for checking value documents transported in singled form past it, and a suction conduit system for suction air which has a port for a suction unit for sucking air with dust out of the suction conduit system, and at least one hand cleaning portion connected to the port and having a suction opening movable in the area of the checking device, and/or at least two conduit portions connected to the port and having suction openings arranged at different portions of the transport path and directed onto the transport path.

Abstract: In an apparatus for singling sheet material, multiple picks are avoided by a retaining device ensuring that sheet material entrained with the sheet to be singled is retained not only on one side but also on the other side of the sheet to be singled. While the first retaining device is located opposite a singling gap of the singling device and is continually effective, the second retaining device acts before, or in, the singling gap from the other side of the singling gap and is only activated after the sheet to be singled is reliably grasped by the singling device, and deactivated when it has left the singling gap.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an elongated security element (40) for security papers, value documents and the like, having a longitudinal direction and, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and having, arranged on a support, a magnetic layer (44) that includes machine-readable magnetic regions. According to the present invention, the magnetic layer comprises a plurality of frame-shaped magnet elements (44) that include the machine-readable magnetic regions and that are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the elongated security element (40).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the data communication between a portable data carrier (10) and an external communication device, which both in each case comprise a TCP/IP protocol stack (24). In a first step the communication device sends communication data to the data carrier (10), the communication data comprising at least commands according to an Internet protocol of the application layer of the TCP/IP reference model and commands in the form of APDUs according to ISO/IEC 7816-4. The method additionally comprises the steps of transmitting the communication data between the communication device and the data carrier (10), of receiving the communication data by the data carrier (10) and of separating the received APDUs and the received Internet protocol commands from each other by means of the allocator unit (32) of the data carrier (10).

Abstract: A method is suggested for the simultaneous personalization of several portable data carriers (2) respectively having at least one integrated circuit (6) for storing and/or processing information. According to the invention a unidirectional protocol serves for transmitting an identical personalization signal to several portable data carriers (2). These detect personalization data on this basis and store them in the integrated circuits (6). Preferably adapter elements (100; 101; 102) are used, which can accommodate at least one data carrier (50) and which are equipped with first interfaces (140; 150) for communicating with a reading device (20; 21; 22) and with second interfaces (120) for communicating with the accommodated data carrier (2). In a variant the portable data carriers (1) are transported in a transport device (600) which, at least temporarily, electrically contacts the contact area (9) of the portable data carriers (2) by means of a contacting unit (604).

Abstract: The invention relates to a security element for protecting documents of value, which has magnetic material. Furthermore, the invention relates to a document of value, a transfer material and method for producing such security elements and documents of value as well as a method and an apparatus for checking such a security element or document of value. According to the invention the security element has at least two magnetic materials, wherein the magnetic materials have different coercive field strengths and are applied onto and/or incorporated in the security element in such a manner that their remanence is equally high.

Abstract: A method for accepting and/or dispensing/returning bank notes wherein bank notes to be accepted or dispensed/returned are transported from or to an input and dispensing position to or from a processing position. At least an input velocity for the bank notes is ascertained upon an input of bank notes to be accepted, or at least a withdrawal velocity for the bank notes upon the dispensing/return of bank notes to be dispensed/returned is ascertained, and the bank notes to be accepted are transported at a transport velocity corresponding substantially to the input velocity or withdrawal velocity, whereas the bank notes to be dispensed/returned are transported at a transport velocity corresponding substantially to the withdrawal velocity or input velocity.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for processing bank notes, in particular a compensation unit for adapting the bank-note stock of a recycling apparatus. In recycling apparatus standing in the cash offices of retailers a lack of bank notes of small denominations occurs quickly. In order to render the filling and emptying of the bank-note stock of recycling apparatus easy and safe, and to extend the time intervals for refilling and emptying recycling apparatus and thereby operate them in an economically sensible fashion, a compensation unit is connected to the recycling apparatus, in which bank notes of certain types are stored. It is possible to both transfer bank notes from the recycling apparatus to the compensation unit and to feed bank notes from the compensation unit to the recycling apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for checking documents of value which have a security element with several magnetic areas, including at least one high-coercive magnetic area, at least one low-coercive magnetic area and at least one combined magnetic area which contains both the high-coercive and the low-coercive magnetic material. After the magnetization of all magnetic areas in a first direction, first magnetic signals of the security element are detected with a first magnetic detector. After a subsequent second magnetizing, which is effected antiparallel to the first magnetizing and magnetically reverses only the low-coercive magnetic material, second magnetic signals of the security element are detected. For identifying the magnetic areas, the second magnetic signals or a signal derived therefrom are compared with two thresholds.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data carrier having a semiconductor chip. In order to prevent an attacker from determining secret data of the chip from intercepted signal patterns of the chip, security-relevant operations are performed only with commands or command strings of the operating program whose use does not permit the processed data to be inferred from the signal patterns.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for personalizing card-shaped data carriers (10, 11, 12), for example chip cards in the formats ID000 to ID3 or other suitable formats, a card-shaped data carrier (10, 11, 12) to be personalized is transported by means of a transport device within the apparatus. During the transport motion, personalization data are transferred to an electronic storage device (13) of the card-shaped data carrier (10, 11, 12) by means of a personalization device (40). The transporting of the card-shaped data carrier (10, 11, 12) is effected by means of a band-shaped or tubular carrier (20, 21, 22, 23) on which a multiplicity of card-shaped data carriers (10, 11, 12) to be personalized are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for visually representing measuring values. The present invention starts out from the idea of veiling the visual representation of authenticity data or other measuring values by visually representing not the measuring values themselves, but camouflage data, which are formed by measuring values changed with the help of a mathematical algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a security element (12) having a metalized microrelief pattern and a negative pattern in register therewith, in which P) a substrate (20) is provided with an embossing pattern having elevations (24) and depressions (26) that form first and second regions having different first and second height levels, wherein the desired microrelief pattern (28) is introduced into the first regions of the embossing pattern, and the second regions of the embossing pattern are developed in the form of the desired negative pattern, M) the embossing pattern with the first and second regions is contiguously metalized (30), and L) the metalized embossing pattern is impinged on with laser radiation, to selectively remove the metalization (30) in the second regions of the embossing pattern through the action of the laser radiation.

Abstract: A security element for securing valuable articles comprises an optically variable layer (18) that conveys different color impressions at different viewing angles, and a color-constant layer (17, 24). The optically variable layer (18) and the color-constant layer (17, 24) are stacked in a covering region (20), while at most one of the optically variable layer (18) and the color-constant layer (17, 24) is present outside (22) the covering region. The color impression of the stacked layers (18, 17, 24) in the covering region (20) and the color impression of the one layer (18) outside (22) the covering region are matched with each other when viewed at a predetermined viewing angle. Further, the color-constant layer comprises an ink layer (17) and a metal layer arranged below the ink layer (24).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a see-through security element (12), for security papers, value documents and the like, having at least one micropattern having a visual appearance that is viewing-angle dependent when looked through (26, 28). According to the present invention, the at least one micropattern is formed from an arrangement of a plurality of pattern elements (24) having a characteristic pattern spacing of 1 ?m or more, and the see-through security element (12) exhibits a total thickness of 50 ?m or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element for security papers, value documents and the like, having a laser-markable transparent or translucent marking layer into which, through the action of laser radiation, visually perceptible identifiers are introduced in the form of patterns, letters, numbers and/or images. The identifiers each comprise a lamellar structure composed of a plurality of substantially parallel lamella that extend into the depth of the marking layer and include the parameters color, width, height, lateral orientation, tilt angle and/or spacing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a grating image (30) for depicting a motif (24) that moves upon tilting the grating image (30) about a tilt axis (20), having two or more grating fields (32, 34, 36) having a viewing-angle-dependent visual appearance, that each include an electromagnetic-radiation-influencing grating pattern composed of a plurality of grating lines, and exhibit a preferred direction that establishes a viewing angle from which the appropriate grating field (32, 34, 36) is visually distinguishable, wherein, according to the present invention, the grating fields (32, 34, 36) are formed from a plurality of sub-regions nested within each other (32-i, 34-i, 36-i), and each grating field (32, 34, 36) displays a motif (24) view (24-A, 24-B, 24-C) that is shifted substantially along the tilt axis (20), wherein the viewing angles for the visual distinguishability and the shifts of the motif views (24-A, 24-B, 24-C) of the grating fields (32, 34, 36) are coordinated with each other such that, upon til

Abstract: A screen for producing two-level watermarks is produced by completely closing part of the screen with a viscous sealing compound, which is subsequently cured actively or passively. At the thus closed partial areas of the screen, paper deposit is hindered during papermaking so that the finished paper appears light in transmission in the areas. A mask is used for exactly positioning the sealing compound in the partial areas of the screen and/or for curing the sealing compound only in the given partial areas, whereby in the latter case the uncured areas of the sealing compound are washed out.

Abstract: Scanning apparatuses for scanning bar codes applied to documents have a reflector arrangement having either a variable reflection element or a light guide system. The reflection element or light guide system serves to deflect the beam path of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by a radiation source or an illumination device in the document plane along a line substantially perpendicular to the feed direction of the document, or to capture it, and to relay it to a detector.