EP0088941B1 - Information carrier protected against falsification - Google Patents

Abstract

An identity card for information is provided by the imprint of security figures on the card or the exposure of features in the data carrier insert. The data carrier may be a photographic silver halide layer of a recording material. In addition to the photograph and data about the owner there is provided a film covering the information carrier with externally applied imprints. The shapes of these external imprints are identical to the security features on the insert and are positioned exactly above said features.

Description

The invention relates to a tamper-proof information carrier, e.g. an identity card (ID card), a bank ID card, an authorization card or another corresponding document consisting of an insert containing information such as data, photo and security features and at least one film covering the information and firmly connected to the insert.

It is known to provide documents such as banknotes, securities, authorization and identification cards (ID cards) or passports with a large number of safeguards which are intended to make it impossible to forge these documents.

Examples of such safeguards are screen printing or line printing on the document or background lines as described, for example, in DE-A 2 630 002.

The documents mentioned often also have visible or tactile watermarks in special papers. The printing colors of the documents are often difficult to reproduce with photographic materials. From DE-A 2 908 742 it is known documents with such reproduction or. to provide counterfeit-proof colored representations.

It is also known to provide documents such as ID cards with passport photos, signatures or fingerprints and then to weld the documents between foils.

To prevent the exchange of inserted passport photos, the insert can be made from a piece of special photo paper, on the layers of which the data and the passport photo are exposed and then developed. This insert can also be provided with additional line or raster prints and sealed between foils.

From Swiss patent specification 4 077 066, an identification card is known, in which watermarks, radioactive or fluorescent markings, and a photographic emulsion layer applied to an intermediate layer, which carries a passport photograph of the card holder, are provided. Furthermore, a signature strip, which is no longer accessible in the finished identification card, and an embossing stamp applied to the outer cover film are provided. An additional print on the card blank in the form of thin wavy lines, such as banknotes (guilloches), which can be made in different colors, enhance protection against falsification.

It is also known to apply photographic records to the documents. Another common safety precaution is to prepare one of the inner sides or the surface of the documents with dyes that are only visible at ultraviolet or infrared wavelengths.

This and a large number of other known document versions have the disadvantage that they do not offer secure protection against potential counterfeiters and do not allow easy and clear authenticity determination by simple means by humans. A combination of a multitude of security measures naturally complicates the falsification of such documents and at the same time brings with them a considerable increase in the price of the documents. Most of the time, the documents must also be produced with facilities that are not customary in the trade (special designs), which are very complex in the case of short runs.

From the patent FR-A-2 449 930 it is known to record alphanumeric characters or other information by means of a laser beam through the cover film onto the insert of information carriers, the recording on the surface of the insert being made visible by baking or blackening, and with this laser beam at the same time to melt the surface of the cover sheet, so that relief-like structures are formed on the surface of the cover sheet which correspond to the records on the insert and are arranged above them. However, this process is technically very complex and requires expensive equipment at the often decentralized issuing offices for information carriers.

The invention has for its object to develop an information carrier that is relatively simple and therefore economical to manufacture and is nevertheless highly secure against forgery.

This object is achieved in that, in the case of an information carrier of the type described in the preamble of claim 1, the security features (9, 10) are photographically applied to the insert (6, 7) or printed with printing inks for the visible and / or invisible spectral range and in that the contours lying exactly over it are formed on the covering film (5) by embossing.

The production of such an information carrier is surprisingly simple.

The embossments that are precisely assigned to the security features on the insert and lie above them make a forgery of the information carrier immediately visible and detectable in a surprisingly simple manner after the film has been removed from the insert. Falsification of the information carrier is practically impossible.

Methods and tools suitable for the production of form and fit prints and embossments are known.

In a special embodiment, the insert is a photographic recording material with a base made of paper or plastic, the base being printed with a token, for example with guilloches and / or with watermarks Is provided. The information and a picture of the owner are photographically transferred to the insert. The photographic emulsion on the insert can be either a black and white silver halide emulsion for the production of a black and white insert or a color emulsion with which a colored card can be produced.

The photographically developable layer can either be a daylight-sensitive silver halide emulsion or a daylight-insensitive, development-containing receiving layer for the silver salt diffusion process, so that the insert can be made in daylight.

The information data can be digital as well as analog data or both. The data can be in plain text and / or encrypted and machine-readable, making it even more difficult to forge.

An advantageous embodiment of the information carrier is characterized in that additional security features, e.g. Signs, dots, lines or areas are photographically applied and corresponding security features are visible, tangible and precisely stamped on the cover film.

In addition to the various information data such as name, birthday, address, code numbers and other data, each insert has symbols, characters, dots, lines (guilloches) or areas that can be black and white or colored, which are defined once and photographically with the insert applied. The film for covering the insert has embossments corresponding to the safety features of the insert in position and shape. The foil with its embossments is applied to the insert in a precisely fitting manner, for example by gluing or welding, in such a way that the embossments are exactly above the exposed security features of the insert.

A further advantageous embodiment of the information carrier is characterized in that, in addition to the photographically applied information data, the insert as security features, e.g. Characters, dots, lines or areas are printed with printing inks for the visible or invisible spectral range and corresponding features are visibly, tangibly and precisely stamped into the cover film.

The printing of the security features with printing ink on the insert does require a further work step, but it shows considerable advantages in that it is possible to use printing inks that cannot be reproduced photographically. Colors can be used which are only recognizable in the infrared or ultraviolet range or which show a different hue or color in polarized light than in normal daylight. In this way, counterfeiting can be made more difficult and the authenticity check can be made more secure. Of course, printing inks with different properties can also be applied by printing the insert several times, for example visible printing inks in the normal spectral range in addition to only being visible with special aids. To protect against counterfeiting, each imprint is assigned an embossing on the cover film, which comes to lie exactly above the imprint on the insert.

If a photographic film is used as the insert, the photographic emulsion of which is poured onto a plastic base, it is sufficient to provide the information-carrying side of the insert with a cover film which is embossed in accordance with the security features.

In an advantageous embodiment, the insert is provided on both sides with cover films and at least one of the sides is embossed to match the printing on this side of the insert. It is of course also possible to provide the insert with security features on both sides and to emboss both cover foils accordingly. Both cover foils can be given the same or different embossings in accordance with the security features. The arrangement of the cover films on both sides also has the advantage that the information carrier does not bend due to its symmetrical structure and is therefore easier to read by machine.

A particularly advantageous embodiment, which makes counterfeiting even more difficult, is characterized in that the cover films are composite films made of at least two films of different chemical compositions, and the embossing extends into each of the films.

Splitting of the composite film is immediately visible because the embossments are damaged. Also splitting the information carrier between the or; The composite films and the insert lead to the final destruction because the security features cannot subsequently be reconciled.

The present invention thus opens up a very reliable and economical way of producing a highly counterfeit-proof information carrier. The invention is particularly suitable for the production of ID cards or ID cards, but also of bank ID cards or authorization cards.

• Fig. 1 eine Aufsicht auf eine Ausweiskarte (ID-Karte)
• Fig. 2 einen Querschnitt durch die Ausweiskarte nach Fig. 1
• Fig. 3 einen stark vergrößerten Ausschnitt eines Querschnittes durch die Ausweiskarte.

An embodiment of the invention is described in more detail with reference to drawings. It shows:

• 1 is a plan view of an identification card (ID card)
• 2 shows a cross section through the identity card of FIG. 1st
• Fig. 3 shows a greatly enlarged section of a Cross section through the ID card.

In Fig. 1, an example embodiment of an identification card is shown in supervision. The ID card contains a field 1 for a photograph of the owner, a field 2 with information about the owner of the card such as name, place of residence, date of birth, signature etc., a field 3 with information about the purpose or validity of the card and about Field 4 for machine-readable data. If necessary, fields 2 to 4 can be created so that there is room for a fingerprint. The identification card has embossments 8 on its surface, the purpose of which is explained below.

FIG. 2 shows a section through an identification card according to FIG. 1. Accordingly, the identification card consists of a layer support 6 which carries a photographic silver halide emulsion layer 7. The layer support 6 can be a photo paper base with or without a plastic coating which, before being coated with the silver halide emulsion layer, has been printed on one or two sides like a banknote and / or provided with various watermarks using security printing (photo security paper), for example with guilloches. The layer support 6 can also consist of a printed plastic film.

On the light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer 7, which is attached to the prepared substrate, an image 1, the information 2 to 4, possibly including the fingerprint, and other security features 9, 10 are exposed. The layer is then fixed and dried after washing. The information 3, 4 and the security features 9, 10 can, however, also be printed with printing inks before or after the exposure and processing of the photographic layer (FIG. 3). The usual printing methods are suitable for printing.

If the photographic layer 7 consists of an image-receiving layer which is insensitive to daylight, the printing on the layer support 6 and the photographic layer 7 can take place in daylight.

The finished insert 6, 7 is connected at least on the side carrying the photographic layer 7 with a film 5 or (as shown in FIG. 2) on both sides with films 5. The connection is made by lamination with special adhesives, such as those containing curing initiators, which can be activated by radiation, thermally or by accelerators and which can be cured in this way. Such laminates are e.g. known from DE-A 2 952 322 (EP-A-0 031 521). When using these adhesives, it is not possible to detach the films from the insert without destroying the film and the insert.

The permanent connection of the foils 5 to the insert 6.7 can also be achieved using pressure and heat by welding if the foils 5 and the insert 6.7 can be fused together.

In Fig. 2, 5 films are shown as films, which consist of two films A, B of different chemical composition. The foils A and B can have a slight color tint of various types in order to make counterfeiting even more difficult.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged section of FIG. 2 with the layer support 6, the photographic layer 7 and a composite film 5 firmly connected to the photographic layer 7. On the photographic layer 7 provided with the photograph 1 and the information 2, 3, 4 security features 9, 10 are printed. The security features can e.g. Characters or areas 9 or fine lines (guilloches) or dots 10 and be printed at certain points on the insert 6.7 or distributed over the entire area of the insert 6.7.

The film 5 is provided with embossments 8 at the points corresponding to the printed image of the security features 9, 10, so that an exactly coincident embossing 8 comes to lie over each printed security feature 9, 10.

The film 5 can be provided with the embossments 8 before it is attached to the insert 6, 7 and then applied to the insert 6, 7 in a suitable manner.

The embossments 8 can, however, also be applied after the foils 5 have been applied, the information carrier being fed to the embossing tool in a suitable manner.

The embossing takes place from above in the direction of the arrow and is carried out so deep that both foils A and B of the composite foil 5 are embossed 8. The embossing extends through the film A into the film B. Every attempt to split the composite film 5 is therefore immediately visible.

A separation of the film B from the insert 6, 7 can be determined immediately because of the embossing pattern 8 of the films A and B which is identical to the pattern printed on the insert 6, 7 and cannot be reversed.

Not only opaque but also transparent colors can be used as printing inks, in order to make the information carrier easier to read, if necessary. Colors can also be used that are not recognizable in the visible spectral range without tools. In general, the usual pigmented printing inks can be used.

Instead of printing on the security features, the photographic layer of the insert can also be provided with a background pattern by appropriate exposure and development and / or characters, fine lines or dots can be exposed, for example, which are applied to the film Embossments match (Fig. 2).

Claims (5)

1. A forgery-proof information carrier consisting of an insert (6, 7), containing the information, such as data (2, 3, 4), photographs (1) and security features (9, 10), and at least one film (5) which covers the surface of the insert, is firmly bonded thereto and has externally applied contours which are identical in their content to the security features on the insert and which lie above said featurea in perfect alignment therewith, characterised in that the security features (9, 10) are applied to the insert (8, 7) photographically or are imprinted thereon with printing inks for the visible and/or invisible spectral region and in that the contours on the covering film (5) which lie above the security features in perfect alignment therewith are formed by imprinting.

2. Information carrier according to Claim 1, characterised in that the insert (6, 7) is a photographic paper or film having a value mark print (guilloches) and the information data (2, 3, 4) and a picture (1) of the owner are transferred photographically on to the insert (6, 7).

3. Information carrier according to Claim 2, characterised in that the information data (2, 3, 4) are digital and/or analog data.

4. Information carrier according to Claim 1, characterised in that the insert (6, 7) is provided with films (5) on both sides and at least one side has the imprints (8) in perfect alignment with the features (9, 10) on the insert (8, 7).

5. Information carrier according to Claim 1, characterised in that the films (5) are composite films consisting of at least two films (A and B) of different chemical composition and the imprint (8) extends into each of the films (A, B).

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