WO2005122068A1

WO2005122068A1 - Method and apparatus for detection of markings

Info

Publication number: WO2005122068A1
Application number: PCT/FI2005/000268
Authority: WO
Inventors: Raimo Sepponen; Juho Partanen; Tuomo Reiniaho
Original assignee: M-Real Oyj
Priority date: 2004-06-08
Filing date: 2005-06-08
Publication date: 2005-12-22
Also published as: FI20040789A0

Abstract

The invention relates to a marking and to a method and a system for detection of the marking. The marking consists of electrically conductive and non-conductive areas formed on paper or cardboard by using a conductive polymer. The detection of the marking is based on a capacitive coupling between the marking (13, 23, 35) and at least one first (12, 22, 34) electrode coupling an excitation signal to the marking and at least one receiving second electrode (16, 26, 43). The information relating to this coupling is derived from the signal, which is obtained by means of the said electrodes, in such a way that the electrodes (12, 22, 34, 16, 26, 43) and the marking move relative to each other. With the aid of the invention, information can be advantageously stored in products.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTION OF MARKINGS

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the detection of marking and to an electrically conductive marking. The method, apparatus, and marking can be applied, for example, in the packaging industry, in printed media, in confirming authenticity, in recording product data, and in logistics applications.

It is appropriate to integrate information in product packaging, which has conventionally been checked visually or optically. The packaging can also include information which is invisible when viewed externally, but which can nevertheless be read without opening or touching the package. The costs relating to the storage of this information, particularly the material and manufacturing costs should be very low, and preferably insignificant compared to the production costs of the package. Therefore it is advantageous to use the actual package as the base for the information and to transfer the desired marking to the package already in its manufacturing stage. The marking could thus also be placed on the inner surface of the paper, cardboard, or package, so that the marking would be in a hidden location, when viewed from outside.

On the other hand, it may also be necessary to hide invisible data, which can be used to confirm, for example, authenticity or value, in paper documents, such as certificates, cards for collectors, advertisements, brochures, special-offer coupons, legal documents, and admission tickets. In this case, an electrically conductive marking could be printed on the surface of the document, and, in addition, the physical or chemical structure of the marking could be such that it does not reflect light in the visible wavelengths, so that the marking cannot be detected by the human eye. The marking can also be hidden by adding a layer of printing ink or varnish, or an adhesive sticker or label on top of it.

Of known methods, a bar code has some of the properties referred to above, but a bar code must, however, be outwardly detectable to the eye, so that it can be read. For example, a bar code can be used to individuate a product for pricing, for example, in supermarkets, and thus retrieve the price data for it from a database. However, the amount of data contained in a bar code is quite limited, and thus may not necessary include, for example, the data of manufacture, the manufacturing batch, acknowledgements, or even price data. In fact, it is most sensible to use bar codes to monitor the movements of the product and to retrieve information stored elsewhere referring to the product. Another important limitation is reading distance, as the bar-code reader must be brought into the immediate vicinity of the package. This means that bar codes are not suitable for use, for example, as theft alarms. In addition, the static nature of a bar code must be taken into account, i.e. once it has been printed on a package it cannot be changed without difficulty.

In addition, uncertainty factors, such as dirtying, wear, and vandalism are also associated with optical and visual reading. At some stage of the logistics, it is also possible to attach plastic pockets to the surface of a package while labels or identifiers may be glued to it, which may cover an optically readable marking.

A conventional bar code based on optical reading and manufactured using typical printing inks also cannot be used to protect a product against imitation, because it is quite as simple to forge a conventional bar code, as it is to forge, for example, the printing of the package. It has therefore no security value.

In addition to optical information storage methods, there are also methods based on an electromagnetic coupling. In these, the coupling is achieved by using an electrical or magnetic field, to an adhesive label placed on the package, which contains an antenna, through which a connection is made to microcircuits. One example is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) label, which can be either active or passive. A passive label can include a resonance circuit, to which connection can be made at a distance of even several metres. Thus it can be utilized at, for example, a theft alarm, or as simple information storage or reading memory. Inductive energy, which is also required for operation by the circuit element located on the label, is fed to the circuit contained in the passive label. The power required by the circuit contained in an active label is, in turn, acquired from a separate power supply, for example from a battery. The circuit element can have a memory, in which even large amounts of information relating to the product can be stored. In an active label it is also possible to implement functions monitoring the environment, such as temperature, moisture, and acceleration sensors, which record their observations in the memory for later use. A common drawback of all adhesive labels containing metallic conductors and circuit elements are the related manufacturing costs, which in extreme cases are greater than that of the actual package or the retail value of the product packed in it. Thus, they are not suitable for use in connection with the packages of cheap mass- produced products, such as cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, or foodstuffs. In general, they are not worth using in connection with products with large production volumes, because in that case the amount of money used for the labels will inevitably become large.

US patent publications 6,168,080 and 6,202,029 disclose a method, in which a bar-code pattern is printed in conductive ink on paper and is read by moving it in an electrical field produced by a single electrical electrode and detecting the capacitive changes caused by the bar code with at least a single second electrode.

The invention is intended to eliminate the defects of the state of the art disclosed above and for this purpose create a method and apparatus, which provides an economical solution for detecting markings in different objects, for example, in packaging, label papers, papers, and documents. In addition, the invention is intended to create a marking, which is suitable for use in connection with the method and apparatus.

The marking consists of areas formed on paper or cardboard with the aid of a conductive polymer, some of which are electrically conductive and some electrically non-conductive. The detection of the marking is based on a capacitive coupling between the marking and at least one first electrode coupling an excitation signal to the marking and at least one receiving second electrode. The form of the marking (i.e. the distribution of the conductive areas on the paper or cardboard) and through it the information contained in the marking, is derived from the signal, which is obtained by means of the electrodes, in such a way that the electrodes and marking move relative to each other.

More specifically, the method according to the invention for detecting a marking and the corresponding reading apparatus are characterized by what is stated in the characterizing parts of claims 1 and 9.

The marking according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing portion of claim 25. In the following, the invention is examined in greater detail with reference to the attached drawings.

According to a preferred embodiment, during reading the marking and the reading electrodes move relative to each other linearly (in position coordinate system). Figures 1 -

5 illustrate reading of this kind that takes place in one direction, as well as an apparatus and markings suitable for such reading.

Figure 1 shows one possible electrically conductive marking 13 formed on a surface, which is read using a reading station 11, in which there is a first electrode device 12 optimized for the marking, a second electrode device 16, and a guide plate 15. The electrode devices lie on the same line at right angles to the reading direction. There is then a short gap between the first 12 and the second 16 electrode device. During the reading event, the marking moves over the electrode devices.

Figure 2 shows a second possible electrically conductive marking 23 formed on a surface, which is read using a reading station 21, in which there is a first electrode device 22 optimized for the marking, a second electrode device 26, and a guide plate 25. The electrode devices are located parallel to each other and at right angles to the reading direction. There is then a long gap between the first 22 and the second 26 electrode device. During the reading event, the marking moves over the electrode devices.

Figure 3 shows schematically the principle of coupling of the reading method in connection with one possible apparatus implementation.

Figure 4 shows one possible marking 52, formed in this case on paper 51, next to which there is a synchronization pattern 54. In the same connection is shown the temporal amplitude response 53, 55 corresponding by way of example to this marking, and further the bit string 56 corresponding to this.

Figure 5 shows one possible marking 62, formed in this case on paper 68, which is preceded by a possible start mark 61. In the same connection is shown the amplitude response 67 corresponding by way of example to this marking and the bit string 63, 64 corresponding to this. Further, the figure clarifies the interpretation of the bit string by dividing it, with the aid of the amplitude response of the start mark 61 into portions 65 and by defining a threshold level 66.

An electrically conductive substance is arranged to form areas on the surface, which have a specific common conductivity. Areas that are essentially electrically non-conductive remain between these areas. The conductive areas should be electromagnetically distinguishable from the non-conductive areas. The conductive areas are arranged on the surface at a distance from each other, for example, in the manner shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, or 5. Thus the areas are located consecutively in the linear reading direction of the marking. Several such groups can be formed parallel to each other (in the direction at right angles to the reading direction), so that several channels are created in the apparatus.

The detection method according to the invention permits, for example, product or security information to be stored directly on paper or cardboard, for example, on the internal or external surface, or an inner layer of a package or document. According to one embodiment, the information can be read without a galvanic and/or mechanical contact, in which case the reading method is contact-free.

A typical feature of the detection method disclosed is electromagnetic coupling, which mainly takes place capacitively, i.e. through an electrical field, between the electrodes and the conductive areas. The coupling can also be in other forms, for example, inductive or galvanic. In one channel of the reading unit there are at least two electrodes, excitation being led to the first 12, 22 of these and the response being read from the second 16, 26, 43. The presence or otherwise of conductive material between the electrodes can be decided from the strength, phase change, frequency analysis, or other characteristics of the response. For example, even from purely the amplitude response obtained in time domain it is possible to determine the shape of the marking and, in turn, the information stored in it.

The information is contained in the marking, for example, in the geometric properties of the conducting and non-conducting areas contained in the marking. Figures 1 and 2 show two different versions, both of which are fully functional. In the version of Figure 1, the idea is that conductivity, the dark area in the figure, corresponds for example to a bit one, and non-conductivity, the light area in the figure, corresponds to a bit zero. The reading event thus reveals the bit string in which the information is coded. In the version of Figure 2, several conductive areas as arranged next to each other. In that case, the different numbers of parallel conductive areas can correspond to different bytes, for example, 00, 01, 10, 11. As above, the corresponding bit string contains coded information. The effectiveness of the marking of Figure 2 can be further increased by increasing the number of channels for determining the location of the conductive pattern, as the location information will increase the amount of coded information in the marking.

The reading event can be implemented by using excitation for changing the temporal location of the electrodes to be coupled and the electrodes participating in the reading, relative to the marking. According to one embodiment, this is implemented in such a way that the excitation and reading electrodes and the marking are arranged moving relative to each other. In Figures 1 and 2 this is illustrated by the marking to be read moving relative to the reading station. According to another embodiment, the movement is eliminated by using a scanning construction, but the principle remains the same. The two-dimensional direction of the movement is not necessarily essential.

The reading speed and its non-linearity affect the response, but the effect can, however, be eliminated with the aid of signal processing or a synchronization pattern. If a synchronization pattern is added next to the marking to be read, it can be read using a second channel and data from these measurement channels can be combined later. This principle is illustrated in Figure 4, in which the marking to be read is divided into a data portion 52 and a synchronization portion 54. The response 55 given by the synchronization pattern helps to find the correct locations of the bits from the response 53 of the data portion, the final result obtained being a bit series 56, which in the example is eight-bit. In this way a distortion of the marking, i.e. a varying interval of the distances of the bits, does not form a problem even for long bit strings. Another way to take varying reading speed into account is to add a standardized bit series to the marking, from which the distance between the bits and a threshold level can be defined. Figure 5 illustrates this alternative, in it, for example, an eight-bit number 62, 64 is preceded by a start mark 61, 63, from which the distance 65 between can be interpreted. This distance 65 is then exploited when retrieving the bits of the ends. Equally, a threshold value 66 can be defined from the start bits, which are used in decision-making relating to the value of the bit. Even though this version is not able to eliminate the effect of the non-linear reading speed on the response, it is, however, functional, particularly with short bit strings, for example of 2 - 8 bits. The version also has the advantage that the second channel need not be reserved for reading the synchronization data.

According to one embodiment,-the .reading speed between the marking and the reading device is detected using a suitable separate device. Such a device can consist of, for example, a roller attached to the reading device, which is in contact with the product being monitored and which rotates at a speed that is directly proportional to the speed of movement. The effect of variation of speed on the interpretation of the marking can be eliminated with the aid of the signal obtained form the device, which in the case of the roller example would be proportional to the speed of rotation of the roller.

The temporal change of the excitation electrodes and the electrodes -participating in the reading, relative to the marking, can also be arranged to take place electronically, in which case the mutual physical movement of the reading station and the marking will not be required.

The operation of the actual reading station can follow the principle according to Figure 3. An excitation signal is creation using an oscillator 33, which is, for example, of the. ien bridge type, and the frequency of which can be, for example, 1 kHz - 1 MHz, typically 1 kHz - 100 kHz, for instance 2 kHz or 90 kHz. It is preferable, but not essential for the amplitude of the excitation signal to be great, for example 200 - 300 V, so that a considerable electrical field is obtained above the electrodes 34, 43, so that a transformer can be added between the oscillator and the electrodes. The transformer can be driven, for example, by an operational amplifier, in which case large currents will not be obtained from the circuit, and the high voltage will thus not endanger the user of the device. The excitation is coupled between the levels through an electrical field; the marking in the product package 32 is shown as a resistance 35. The signal that is capacitively coupled through the resistance 35 is led to the detection electronics. Before the detection of the signal being coupled, it may have to be amplified and filtered 37, 38. In the filter and the amplifier the phase of the signal can be converted non-linearly, so that the phase can be advantageously detected 36 directly form the measurement signal. If the phase detector 36 gives the phase information as an analog signal, one possible implementation can be a combination of a multiplexer 39 analog-digital converter, from which the responses can be led in digital form to a computer for analysis, through a connector 42.

The phase detection referred to above can be implemented, for example, with the aid of a phase-locked loop. In the loop, the phase difference between two signal is compared, the result of the comparison being output typically as either an analog signal, in which case the phase difference is given by the signal's frequency or voltage, or as a digital signal, in which case the phase difference is obtained directly as a character string. In this method, particularly the phase-difference change points provide information as to where in the time-dependent response there is an interface between different conductivity levels, i.e. a conducting and a non-conducting area. This phase information combined with the amplitude response facilitates the interpretation of the marking.

In Figure 3, the physical location of the electrodes 34, 43 on the upper or lower surface of the reading plate affects the distance of the electrodes from the marking being read, and thus in turn the strength of the response and the separation ability of the apparatus. These are also affected by the material of the reading plate and the location of the reference level 41. It is advantageous for the reading electrodes to be a low as possible, for example, drawn copper strips on top of a circuit-board material, in which case the electrical field will not be able to concentrate between the ends of the electrodes. The electrical field can then be guided on top of the electrodes and surrounding them on the sides and below with a substance that has the lowest possible dielectric value, for example air, Teflon, or polystyrene.

A mechanical guide 15, 25 ensures the correct orientation of the marking relative to the electrodes. The guide will not be essential, if the number of channels and logic is increased.

The marking can include information of different types, for example, value, identification, time, position, and supplier information. Time information includes, for example, dates of manufacture and packing, and best-by dates. Position information is, for example, package alignment information. Supper information includes, for example, manufacturer, packer, marketer, and distribution information. Identification information includes, for example, authenticity, country of manufacture, and material information. The marking can also be advantageously exploited as a theft alarm.

Conductive polymers, which are suitable for creating the marking, are, for example, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polyacetylene, polythiophene, and polyparaphenylene, as well as their derivatives and mixtures. Derivatives to which special reference can be made are particularly alkyl and aryl derivates of the aforementioned polymers and chloric and bromic-substituted derivates. As required, it is also possible to add electrically conductive particles, such as graphite, metallic pigments, or carbon black. The marking can then be created using a conductive printing ink or varnish, the conductivity of which can be created, for example, using the aforesaid conductive polymers. To create the marking it is possible, in addition, to use patterned metal foil, or a metallized polymer membrane. In this docύrrient the term conductive polymer indeed refers broadly to electrically conductive compositions with a polymer content.

Polyaniline is well suited as the material of the marking. In an aniline polymer, aniline or a derivative of it is the monomer, the nitrogen atom of which is bound principally to the carbon of the para position of the benzene ring of the following unit. Unsubstituted polyaniline can appear in various forms, of which the so-called emeraldin form is generally used in conductor-polymer applications.

The electrically conductive polymer can consist of an inherently conductive polymer (ICP), which is so-called doped (blended, treated), in order to create charge carriers (openings and electrons). All electrically conductive polymers have in common a main chain of conjugated double bonds (alternating single and double bonds, a delocalized silicon electron system), which permits the movement of charge carriers. An electrically conductive polymer has typically both ionic and electronic conductivity, which can be exploited in different applications. The conductivity of a conductive polymer can vary adjustably in the range insulator... metallic conductivity. Generally a polymer is regarded as being electrically conductive, if its resistivity is no greater than 10^π ohms (surface resistivity).

A conductive polymer can be bound to a substrate in both an electrically conductive and an electrically non-conductive form. The term conductive polymer thus also refers to a polymer that is electrically non-conductive at a moment of examination, but which can, however, be brought into an electrically conductive state, for example, by treatment with a suitable doping substance. The polymer can thus be applied in a non-conductive state to a wide area on top of a substrate, and part of the area can.be doped to create a conductive marking. The non-conductive areas of the marking can thus consist of the polymer in a non-conductive form and the conductive areas of the same polymer doped to a conductive form. It is also possible to proceed in such a way that the polymer is brought in a conductive form and doped to be non-conductive in specific areas.

For example, electrically neutral polyaniline can be made a conductive polyaniline complex by doping. The doping substances used in the invention can vary and can be such as are generally known for doping conjugated polymers to an electrically conductive or semiconductive form.

The doping substances typically contain inorganic and inorganic and organic acids, as well as their derivatives, examples of which include the mineral acids, HCL, H₂SO , HNO₃, HClO₄, HBF , HPF₆, HF, phosphoric acids, sulphonic acids, picric acid, n-nitrobenzene acid, dichloroacetic acid, and polymer acids. A functional acid is preferably used for doping, such as a sulphonic acid, particularly an aromatic sulphonic acid, such as dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid (DBSA) or toluenesulphonic acid (TSA). DBSA and TSA are particularly suitable for the doping of polyaniline. If desired, more than one doping acid can be used. Different bases can be correspondingly used in de-doping.

Marking created from a polymer is particularly suitable for applications with large production runs, such as the packaging industry. The polymer can be bound directly to the fibres of a fibre matrix, or included in a layer located on top of some fibre matrix.

Conductive areas can be created, for example, using some coating, sizing, varnishing, or output method, either as part of the manufacture of the substrate, or in a separate process. The application of the polymer can thus be made using some known on-line or off-line application method, for example, in the web coating or sizing stage. The marking can also be applied in a separate process, for example, in connection with the printing, varnishing, stamping, or scoring stages, or as its own process stage. The wear and moisture resistance of a marking created from a polymer is comparable to that of marking implemented using printing ink. It can also be made to be unnoticeable by using some transparent polymer, in which case it will not affect the outward appearance of the package or other product.

A conductive polymer can be applied to the outer or inner surface of paper or cardboard (in the inner layer). In both cases, one or more layers can be further applied on top of the marking, these being, for example, coating, printing ink, or varnish layers. The layers can be transparent or essentially opaque. The layer can thus also include printing. The layer covering the marking should, however, be essentially electrically non-conductive.

The marking can be transferred to the substrate, such as a package, for example, using a roller-to-roller or a sheet-printing method. Suitable methods include inkjet, flexo, gravure, and offset printing methods. In addition, the marking can be transferred to the substrate by flat-printing, for example with the aid of hot-embossing, or by varnishing, for example using a tank or anilox type varnishing unit, and a patterned varnish transfer rubber.

According to one embodiment, the marking is located in a glued seam of the package. In that case, the marking can be created in the space reserved for the gluing of the packaging blank, while the package is still not folded, or is only partly folded. The marking can then remain with the gluing agent between the layers of cardboard. The advantage in this embodiment is that the glued locations are durable, so that the marking is well protected from impact and wear. The glued seams also do not bend easily. In addition, the application of the marking can be easily added to the jointing stage of the packaging process, in which case separate new stages that slow the packaging process will not arise. Glued seams exist in most packages and typically resemble each other. Thus when the package construction is altered, there is no need to make large changes in the structure of the marking.

The invention has also an advantageous environmental aspect, as there is no need to add to the package plastic stickers or microchips, which contain, for example, silicon and are thus not recyclable. In addition, the manufacturing processes of separate stickers and the antennae and microcircuits that they contain also incorporate, for example, etching type stages, which produce waste that is detrimental to the environment.

There exist several alternatives and generally known forms of implementation of the interpretation of the response given by the reading station, such as electronic circuits and computer-based software, and for this reason the present document does not deal with these implementations.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments or applications referred to above, instead solutions deviating from those disclosed above, can also be envisaged.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method for detection of a marking, which marking comprises electrically conductive and non-conductive areas formed on paper or cardboard, and in which method the detection is based on a capacitive coupling between the marking (13, 23, 35) and at least one first electrode (12, 22, 34) coupling excitation signal to the marking and at least one receiving second electrode (16, 26, 43), the information relating to this coupling beingderived from the signal, which is obtained by means of said electrodes, in such a way that the electrodes (12, 22, 34, 16, 26, 43) and the marking move relative to each other, characterized in that the marking is formed of electrically conductive polymer.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first electrodes (12, 22, 34) and the second electrodes (16, 26,43) and the marking (13, 23, 35) are arranged to be moved temporally from local positions, relative to each other, with the aid of motion, electronic control, or a combination of these.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the detection, the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the signal, or some combination of these properties is utilized.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the interpretation of the response, the time dependence of the said properties of the signal being coupled is utilized.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling is effected principally through electric field.

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the marking there are conducting and non-conducting areas consecutive in the direction of movement of the electrodes and the marking.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that information is contained in the geometric properties, such as the length or width, of the areas.

8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information includes information on characteristics, for example, identification, alignment, time, or supplier information, of the object, for example, the package, relating to the marking.

9. A system for detection of markings, which marking comprises conducting and nonconducting areas formed on paper or cardboard, and which system includes means (33) for creating an excitation signal, first electrode means (12, 22, 34) for coupling the excitation signal capacitively to the marking (13, 23, 35), second electrode means (16, 26, 43) for receiving an excitation signal capacitively coupled from the marking in such a way that the electrode means (12,22, 34, 16, 26, 43) and the marking are arranged moveably relative to each other, and information-processing means for deriving (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42) the information relating to said coupling, characterized in that the marking is formed of an electrically conductive polymer.

10. A system according to claim 9, characterized in that the electrode means (12, 16, 22, 26, 34, 43) are arranged to move temporally relative to the marking (13, 23, 35), with the aid of motion or an electrical control.

11. A system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the system utilizes the amplitude, frequency, or phase, or some combination of these properties of the signal coupled to the second electrode means (16, 26, 43).

12. A system according to any of claims 9 - 11, characterized in that in the system there are means for detecting and utilizing the time dependence of the properties of the signal being coupled to the second electrode means (16, 26, 43).

13. A system according to any of claims 9 - 12, characterized in that the coupling between the electrode means (12, 16, 22, 26, 34, 43) is arranged to take place principally by means of an electric field.

14. A system according to any of claims 9 - 13, characterized in that the marking (13, 23, 35) contains consecutive conducting and non-conducting areas.

15. A system according to claim 14, characterized in that information is contained in the geometric properties, such as the length or width of the different areas of the marking (13, 23, 35).

16. A system according to any of claims 14 - 15, characterized in that the information contained in the marking (13, 23, 35) includes a portion, which includes information on characteristics, for example, identification, alignment, time, or supplier information, of the object, for example, the package or document, relating to the marking.

17. A system according to any of claims 9 - 16, characterized in that the electrically conductive polymer is one of the following: polyaniline, polypyrol, polyacetelene, or polythiophene.

18. A system according to any of claims 9 - 17, characterized in that the electrically conductive marking is formed on the surface or an inner layer of paper or cardboard.

19. A system according to any of claims 9 - 18, characterized in that opaque or poorly translucent layer of material is located between the marking and the reading station.

20. A system according to any of claims 9 - 19, characterized in that it includes means for taking into account changes in the time dependence of the mutual local variation of the first electrodes (12, 26, 34) and the second electrodes (16, 26, 43) and the marking, with the aid of the properties of the signal, a synchronization pattern (54, 55) contained in the marking, or both.

21. A system according to any of claims 9 - 20, characterized in that a reference level (41) relating to the first (12, 22, 34) and the second (16, 26, 43) electrode means is electrically connected to some voltage level of the apparatus that is, as such, known, for example the ground reference plane.

22. A system according to any of claims 9 - 21 , characterized in that it is used to detect characteristic information from an object, for example, from a package or document, for example, in order to determine identification, alignment, time, or supplier information.

23. A system according to any of claims 9 - 22, characterized in that it is used to ensure the authenticity of an object, such as a package or document.

24. A system according to any of claims 9 - 23, characterized in that it is used to determine price or value information of an object, such as a package or document.

25. An electrically conductive marking, which consists of conducting and non-conducting areas created on paper or cardboard, information being contained in the the geometric properties of the areas, characterized in that the marking is formed of an electrically conductive polymer.

26. A marking according to claim 25, characterized in that the paper or cardboard comprises a package.

27. A marking according to claim 26, characterized in that it is located in an inner layer of the package.

28. A marking according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that it is located in a glued seam of the package.

29. A marking according to any of claims 25 - 28, characterized in that the nonconducting areas consist of a polymer in a electrically non-conductive form and the conductive areas of the same polymer in a conductive form.

30. A marking according to any of claims 25 - 29, characterized in that the conductive polymer is contained within a layer, such as a coating, sizing, printing-ink, or varnish layer, on top of the fibre matrix of the paper or cardboard.