1. A redispersible pigmented printing ink composition for the continuous ink-jet printing process, said ink composition having a viscosity in the range of between 2 and 10 mPas said ink composition comprising
at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water and organic solvents of the group of alcohols, ketones and esters,
a binder system in an amount between 0.5% and 20% by weight of the total ink which comprises at least one polymer compound selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resins, and
at least one inorganic luminescent pigment selected from the group consisting of crystalline compounds comprising activator-doped zinc sulfides, oxysulfides, vanadates, fluorides, oxides and oxyfluorides of yttrium or the rare-earth elements of the periodic table, and mixtures thereof,
conductivity control agents, and
at least one flocculating agent forming a re-dispersible sediment of said pigment in said composition, wherein said flocculating agent is selected from the group consisting of inorganic salts of aluminum, calcium and iron (III), and of organic polymers carrying functional groups able to interact with and bind to the surface of said pigment particles, and wherein said flocculating agent is present in a concentration range of 0.01 to 20% of the inorganic pigment weight.
2. A printing ink composition according to claim 1, further comprising defoaming, and humectant agents.
3. A printing ink composition according to claim 1, further comprising at least one dispersing agent.
4. A printing ink composition according to claim 1, wherein said flocculating agent is an organic flocculating agent selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids or salts of a polycarboxylic acid, polyamines or salts of a polyamine, polycarboxylic acid salts of a polyamine amide, polyamides, alkylolammonium salts of an unsaturated fatty acid, polyacrylates, hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, polyimines, (poly)phosphates, (poly)phosphonates, quaternized polyamines, and polyacrylamides or mixtures thereof.
5. A printing ink composition according to claim 1, wherein said solvent is water, and said thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of water-soluble resins comprising vinylpyrrolidone polymers and copolymers, water-soluble polyesters, salts of acrylic and maleic anhydride polymers and copolymers, polyvinylalcohol cellulose derivatives, and polyethyleneimides.
6. A printing ink composition according to claim 1, wherein said solvent is an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones and esters, and said thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, vinylic resins, polyvinylbutyral resins, cellulose resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins, polyamine resins, phenolic resins and epoxy resins.
7. A process of using a printing ink composition according to claim 1 for printing security documents or articles, comprising the steps of providing said printing ink composition and printing therewith said security documents or articles by means of a continuous ink-jet printer.
8. A process according to claim 7, wherein said security document is selected from the group consisting of banknotes, identity documents, lottery tickets, and warranty labels.
9. A method for enhancing the redispersibility of pigment sediments in a pigmented printing ink composition according to claim 1 for the continuous ink-jet printing process, said ink composition having a viscosity in the range of between 2 and 10 mPas, said method comprising the steps of
(a) providing a printing ink composition comprising at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water and organic solvents of the group of alcohols, ketones and esters, a binder system in an amount between 0.5% and 20% by weight which comprises at least one polymer compound selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resins, at least one inorganic luminescent pigment selected from the group consisting of crystalline compounds comprising activator-doped zinc sulfides, oxysulfides, vanadates, fluorides, oxides and oxyfluorides of yttrium or the rare-earth elements of the periodic table, and mixtures thereof, and conductivity control agents; and
(b) adding at least one flocculating agent forming a redispersible sediment of said pigment in said composition, wherein said flocculating agent is selected from the group consisting of inorganic salts of aluminum, calcium and iron (III), and of organic polymers carrying functional groups able to interact with and bind to the surface of said pigment particles, and wherein said flocculating agent is present in a concentration range of 0.01 to 20% of the inorganic pigment weight.
10. A method of manufacturing a pigmented printing ink composition according to claim 1 for the continuous ink-jet printing process, said ink composition having a viscosity in the range of between 2 and 10 mPas, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of water and organic solvents of the group of alcohols, ketones and esters, a binder system in an amount between 0.5% and 20% by weight which comprises at least one inorganic luminescent pigment selected from the group consisting of crystalline compounds comprising activator-doped zinc sulfides, oxysulfides, vanadates, fluorides, oxides and oxyfluorides of yttrium or the rare-earth elements of the periodic table, and mixtures thereof, and conductivity control agents;
(b) pre-dispersing the pigment in the mixture of step (a);
(c) adding further solvent to the mixture of step (b); and
(d) adding at least one flocculating agent, either to the mixture of step (a) or to the mixture of step (c), wherein said flocculating agent forms a re-dispersible sediment of said pigment in said composition, wherein said flocculating agent is selected from the group consisting of inorganic salts of aluminum, calcium and iron (III), and of organic polymers carrying functional groups able to interact with and bind to the surface of said pigment particles, and wherein said flocculating agent is present in a concentration range of 0.01 to 20% of the inorganic pigment weight.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein in step a) furthermore dispersing, defoaming, and humectant agents are provided.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A locator system comprising:
a portable disposable badge including a wireless transmitter, a signal conditioner, and an oscillator, operable to periodically wirelessly transmit a data signal including a unique badge identification code;
a portable wireless transceiver including a processor, a memory including a storage area to store a unique transceiver identification code and executable instructions for operating the transceiver, and a data conditioner, operable to receive the data signal from the portable disposable badge, convert the received data signal to a format readable by the processor, and wirelessly transmit the converted signal over a network; and
a central processor including a receiver to receive signals transmitted by the transceiver and a memory including executable instructions for processing the received signals and operating the locator system.
2. The locator system of claim 1, wherein the portable wireless transceiver automatically and periodically transmits the signals to the central processor.
3. The locator system of claim 2, wherein the signals are transmitted asynchronously by the transceiver to the central processor.
4. The locator system of claim 3, wherein the signals include a mechanism to alert the central processor to receive the signal.
5. The locator system of claim 4, further comprising a collision discrimination program to resolve signal collisions.
6. The locator system of claim 2, wherein the portable wireless transceiver transmits the signals to the central processor about every four seconds.
7. The locator system of claim 1, wherein signals received by the central processor are selectively time stamped.
8. The locator system of claim 7, wherein the signals are time stamped based on a detected change in location of the badge.
9. The locator system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a display and a printer coupled to the central processor for outputting data generated by the locator system.
10. The locator system of claim 1, wherein the central processor periodically polls the transceiver and the transceiver transmits a signal to the central processor in response to the polling.
11. A method for configuring a locator system including a plurality of transmitters coupled to movable objects or persons in a facility, a plurality of portable transceivers positioned at spaced-apart locations in a facility to receive signals from the transmitters, and a processor to process signals generated by the transceivers and operate the locator system, the method comprising:
placing a portable transceiver at a first location in need of locator system coverage;
operating the locator system with the transceiver located at the first location;
determining that a second location is in need of locator system coverage;
virtually instantaneously moving the transceiver to the second location; and
operating the locator system with the transceiver located at the second location.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
storing data relating to signals received from the portable transceiver at the first location;
storing data relating to signals received from the portable transceiver at the second location; and
comparing the data relating to signals received from the portable transceiver module at the first location to the data relating to signals received from the portable transceiver module at the second location.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the results of the comparing step.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the locator system further includes a plurality of transceiver modules to receive signals from the transceivers and the processor processes signals generated by the transceiver modules, comprising:
installing a transceiver module at a third location;
operating the locator system with the transceiver module located at the third location;
determining that the transceiver module should be moved to a fourth location,
moving the transceiver module to the fourth location, and
operating the locator system with the transceiver module located at the fourth location.
15. A locator system, comprising:
a plurality of portable disposable transmitter members,
a plurality of portable transceivers, and
a processor coupled to a network to receive signals from the portable transceivers, wherein:
each transmitter member includes a memory to store a unique identifier and transmits the unique identifier to the transceivers,
each transceiver includes a receiver to receive unique identifiers from transmitter members within its reception range, a transmitter to transmit data signals from the transceiver to the processor, a memory to store programs for operating the transceiver and to store a transceiver ID code, and a level detector to detect signal strength of signals received from transmitter members, and
the processor includes a receiver to receive signals from the transceivers, a clock to time stamp received signals, and memory including executable programs and commands to compare and evaluate the time stamps and the signal strengths of signals received by the transceivers to track locations and durations of visits to such locations by the portable transmitter members.
16. The locator system of claim 15, wherein the transmitter members are sized to be attached to a person.
17. The locator system of claim 15, wherein each transmitter member includes its own power supply.
18. The locator system of claim 15, wherein each transceiver includes its own power supply.
19. The locator system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the transceivers includes a keypad for inputting data to be stored in the transceiver memory.
20. The locator system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the transceivers includes a display to display at least one of data and programmed conditions.