Identification and authentication using liquid crystal material markings

摘要

The present invention relates to a marking of polymeric liquid crystal material having determined optical characteristics allowing its authentication and reading by a machine and its authentication by the human eye. The marking is applied onto an item, good or article by a variable information printing process. The marking is in the form of indicia representing a unique code which allows for an easy authentication by the human eye and a secure tracking and tracing of the marked item, good or article throughout its life cycle.

主权项

1. Marking for an item or article, said marking comprising polymeric liquid crystal material having determined optical characteristics which allow for authentication of the marking and reading by a machine, as well as authentication of the marking by the human eye, the marking being produced by applying a liquid crystal precursor composition in liquid form on a substrate by a variable information printing process to have the form of indicia representing a unique code allowing identification of the marking, wherein said indicia representing a unique code is selected from 1-dimensional barcodes, stacked 1-dimensional barcodes, and 2-dimensional barcodes, and wherein the optical characteristics of the indicia are detectable against a background, wherein the background is the substrate.