Patent ID: 7244043
Filing Date: 2007-07-17
Classification: G03H,G07D

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for illuminating documents or other items that may be laminated, have special inks or special coatings, and special security features, to expose optically variable devices and other indicia in or on the documents and their laminates, where the illumination must be from different directions with respect to the surface of a document for the optically variable devices and other indicia to be seen, said apparatus comprising: a first plurality of lights emitting light at a given wavelength that are positioned with respect to a document to illuminate it from selected ones of a first range of different directions, and wherein each of the individual lights comprising the first plurality of lights are located at different positions to illuminate the document from the selected ones of the first range of different directions; a second plurality of lights emitting light of the given wavelength that are positioned with respect to the document to illuminate it from selected ones of a second range of different directions, and wherein each of the individual lights comprising the second plurality of lights are located at different positions to illuminate the document from the selected ones of the second range of different directions; and means for energizing different ones of the first plurality of lights and different ones of the second plurality of lights at different levels of intensity; wherein ones of the first plurality of lights and ones of the second plurality of lights are lit at independently different levels of intensity to thereby change the direction from which illumination impinges upon the document; and wherein after ones of the first plurality of lights and ones of the second plurality of lights are selected to pick the direction from which the document will be illuminated, the intensity of illumination of the selected ones of the first plurality and the second plurality of light sources is changed accordingly to view optically variable devices and other indicia in or on the documents and their laminates or coatings.