AU2005211867A1

AU2005211867A1 - Identification document and method for the production thereof

Info

Publication number: AU2005211867A1
Application number: AU2005211867A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lothar Fannasch; Karl-Heinz Wendisch
Original assignee: Smartrac Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Smartrac IP BV
Priority date: 2004-02-16
Filing date: 2005-02-02
Publication date: 2005-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-02
Also published as: CA2555677A1; WO2005077667A3; NZ549007A; EP1564022A3; IS2778B; KR20090053861A; KR20060123623A; DE502004007979D1; CY1108493T1; CA2555677C; PL1564022T3; PT1564022E; NO20064180L; ES2309408T3; WO2005077667A2; EP1564022B1; NO334782B1; ATE407020T1; IS8539A; AU2005211867B2

Abstract

The document (1) has two cover sheets (2) several inserted sheets (3) for stamps, visas etc., and a pass sheet (4) with the personal data of the holder under a covering layer of plastic. The cover sheets, inserted sheets and pass sheet are fixed to each other at a common side edge (14). The transponder layer with a substrate layer of woven material is integrated into the pass sheet.

Description

IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF The invention relates to an identification document comprising two 5 covering sheets, a plurality of inserted sheets for stamps and visas and an identification sheet displaying the personal data of the holder of said document and provided with a transparent covering layer consisting of a plastic material, wherein the covering sheets, the inserted sheets and the identification sheet are connected to a common lateral edge in a fixed 10 manner. The invention further relates to a method for producing an identification document, wherein two covering sheets, a plurality of inserted sheets and an identification sheet laminated into the plastic material are guided into 15 position above one another and fixed to a lateral edge. Known from DE 203 06 145 U1 is an identification document comprising two relatively rigid covering sheets and a plurality of inserted sheets which shows the identity or nationality of the document holder as a 20 passport for travel abroad. In addition to the inserted sheets made of paper for stamps and visas, the known identification document comprises an identification sheet which contains photographic information on the document holder and other printed-out data characterising the document holder as optical personal data. The personal data are usually printed on 25 a paper layer laminated between covering layers of plastic. The identification sheet has the surface dimension of the inserted sheets and is fixed together with the same and the covering sheets at a common lateral edge so that the identification document can be opened like a notebook to check the identity of the document holder or to attach visa 30 stamps.

2 It is the object of the present invention to provide an identification document and a method for producing the same so that the manufacturing expenditure for an identification document provided with a transponder can be further reduced. 5 In order to achieve this object, the identification document according to the invention in conjunction with the preamble according to claim I is characterised in that a transponder layer comprising a substrate layer consisting of a fabric material is integrated in the identification sheet. 10 The particular advantage of the identification document according to the invention is that both the electronic personal data and also the optical personal data are integrated in a common sheet of the identification document. On the one hand, this can reduce the manufacturing 15 expenditure. On the other hand, any mishandling during the manufacturing process can be prevented since the security-relevant data are provided in a common body (identification sheet) for fixing the sheets of the identification document. The transponder layer advantageously has a substrate layer consisting of a fabric material so 20 that the identification document is relatively flexible. The bending properties of the conventional identification sheet are not substantially impaired hereby. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fabric 25 transponder layer is provided with an excitable adhesive layer on the surfaces so that an intimate connection can be made on both sides with a paper layer and a covering layer for example. Advantageously, the optical and electronic personal data can be 30 combined in a non-destructible sheet wherein the durable transparent plastic covering layers protect the transponder layer and also the paper layer.

3 According to a further development of the invention, the transponder layer and the paper layer cover the same area so that the identification sheet has relatively homogeneous bending properties. 5 According to a further development of the invention, a transponder module consisting of a transponder layer and provided with a fabric layer respectively arranged on the surfaces of the same, which is prepared as an intermediate product, is provided to be laminated together 10 with the paper layer. The lamination takes place at the manufacturing site of the identification document where the electronic personalisation is also made, that is the introduction of the electronic personal data into the transponder and the allocation of the same to the optical personal data applied to the paper layer by printing. 15 In order to achieve the object, the method according to the invention in conjunction with the preamble of claim 8 is characterised in that the identification sheet is produced by laminating before or during fixing at the lateral edge, wherein heat and pressure act on a substrate layer 20 consisting of fabric material and a transponder layer comprising an antenna coil and a chip, on an adhesive layer adjacent to the transponder layer, on a paper layer containing the optical personal data and on a transparent external covering layer. 25 The particular advantage of the method according to the invention is that in one processing step, the optical personal data and the electronic personal data are brought together in an identification sheet. These are brought together by laminating the transponder layer to the paper layer, forming a protective transparent plastic covering layer. The relatively 30 flexible identification sheet thus formed can then be joined together with further inserted sheets or covering sheets at a common lateral edge to form an identification document.

4 According to a further development of the method according to the invention, the sheets can be fixed by sewing on a machine, wherein the identification sheet is preferably fixed over the transponder layer or the 5 plastic covering layer with the other sheets. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. 10 In the figures: Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an opened identification document, where the identification sheet with printed optical personal data can be seen, 15 Fig. 2 is a plan view of a transponder module, Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the multi-layer transponder module according to Fig. 2 and 20 Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a multi-layer structure of the identification document directly after fixing the sheets. An identification document 1 (passport) according to a preferred 25 embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 1 substantially consists of two relatively stiff outer covering sheets 2, a plurality of inserted sheets 3 each consisting of a security paper for application of stamps or visas and an identification sheet 4 containing personal data to identify the document holder. 30 Identification data 5 such as, for example, the country, the name, the date of birth or the place of birth of the document owner as well as a 5 photograph 5' and a signature of the same are printed on a paper layer 6 of the identification sheet 4 as optical personal data. The paper layer 6 can be embodied as security paper on which security elements such as guilloche patterns or watermarks can be printed in addition to the 5 identification data. The identification data 5 or the security elements can, for example, be applied by gravure printing, relief printing, offset printing or screen printing. Furthermore, the identification sheet 4 contains a transponder module 7 10 not visible from the outside, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The transponder module 7 firstly has a central transponder layer 8 and an adhesive layer 9 applied to both sides of the transponder layer 8. The transponder layer 8 comprises a substrate layer made of fabric 15 material to which an antenna coil 10 and a chip 11 are applied by adhesion. The adhesive used in this case allows a planar surface of the transponder layer 8 on the side to which the antenna coil 10 and the chip 11 are applied. The adhesive is embodied as a thermoplastic additional coating which forms a layer on the fabric substrate layer before 20 application of the antenna coil 10 or the chip 11. The antenna coil 10 can be applied, for example by applying a coil wire to the thermoplastic additional coating. The adhesive layer 9 applied to the transponder layer 8 can be embodied 25 as an adhesive which is thermally excitable or excitable by ultraviolet radiation or excitable by pressure. The adhesive layer 9 is capable of producing an intimate and fixed connection during a lamination process between the transponder layer 8 and the paper layer 6 and a covering layer 12 consisting of plastic which protects the identification sheet 4. 30 As can be seen from Fig. 4, the layers of the identification document 1 prepared as roll goods are cut to a specified format and placed above one 6 another as sheets 2, 3, 4, these being fixed along a central plane 13 by sewing together. The central plane 13 forms a hinge which allows the identification document 1 to be leafed through in a conventional manner. 5 In a first step the transponder layer 8 and the paper layer 6 are placed adjacent to one another to produce the identification document 4. Then, the covering layer 12 consisting of transparent plastic is applied both to the free side of the transponder layer 8 and also to the free side of the paper layer 6. The paper layer 6 and the transponder layer 8 are fixedly 10 joined to one another by subsequent lamination and at the same time covered by a protective covering layer 12. In the present exemplary embodiment, the two external covering layers 12 of the identification sheet 4 are embodied as broadened so that they 15 form a central lateral edge 14 of the identification sheet 4 which are fixed to the inner lateral edges of the inserted sheets 3 or the covering sheets 2 in the central plane 13. It is understood that the sheets 2 and 3 are guided into position above 20 one another so that the hinge can be formed subsequently in the central plane 13. The electronic personal data can be incorporated in the transponder module 7 before or after fixing the sheets 2, 3, 4. In this case, 25 geometrical features and/or digital signatures and/or the identification data 5 visible on the paper layer 6 can be stored in the chip 11 in electronic form. According to a further embodiment of the invention which is not shown, 30 the transponder module 7 can also be integrated in the covering sheet 2 of the identification document 1. In this case, the optical personal data 7 or optical security elements produced by printing can be contained on one side of the covering sheet 2 or on one of the inserted sheets 3.

Claims

1. An identification document comprising two covering sheets, a plurality of inserted sheets for stamps and visas and an 5 identification sheet displaying the personal data of the holder of said document and provided with a transparent covering layer consisting of a plastic material, wherein the covering sheets, the inserted sheets and the identification sheet are connected to a common lateral edge in a fixed manner, 10 characterised in that a transponder layer (8) comprising a substrate layer consisting of a fabric material is integrated in the identification sheet (4) or in the covering sheet (2). 15

2. The identification document according to claim 1, characterised in that the transponder layer (8) is provided with an excitable adhesive layer (9) on at least one surface for connection by heat and pressure to a paper layer (6) containing the optical personal data 20 of the document holder and/or to the transparent covering layer.

3. The identification document according to claim 2, characterised in that the adhesive layer (9) is embodied so that it is thermally excitable 25 or excitable by ultraviolet radiation or excitable by pressure.

4. The identification document according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the paper layer (6) is formed from a printable security paper. 30

5. The identification document according to any one of claims I to 4, characterised in that 9 the area of the transponder layer (8) and the area of the paper layer (6) and the area of the covering layer (12) substantially correspond to the area of the inserted sheets (3). 5

6. The identification document according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that only the covering layer (12) or the transponder layer (8) together with the inserted sheets (3) and the covering sheets (2) are fixedly interconnected at a common hinge (13). 10

7. A transponder module for insertion in an identification document according to any one of claims I to 6, characterised in that the transponder module (7) firstly comprises a transponder layer 15 (8) comprising an antenna coil (10) and a chip (11) which are adhesively applied to a substrate layer consisting of fabric material and secondly comprises an excitable adhesive layer (9) on at least one covering side of the transponder layer (8). 20

8. A method for producing an identification document, wherein two covering sheets, a plurality of inserted sheets and an identification sheet laminated in plastic material are guided into position above one another and fixed to a lateral edge (14), characterised in that 25 the identification sheet (4) is produced by laminating before or during fixing on the lateral edge (14), wherein heat and pressure act on a substrate layer consisting of fabric material and a transponder layer (8) comprising an antenna coil (10) and a chip (11), on an adhesive layer (9) adjacent to the transponder layer 30 (8), on a paper layer (6) containing the optical personal data and on a transparent external covering layer (12). 10

9. The method according to claim 8, characterised in that the covering sheets (2) and the inserted sheets (3) and the identification sheet (4) are fixed by sewing on a machine. 5

10. The method according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that from the identification sheet (4) only the transponder layer (8) or the covering sheet (12) is fixed by sewing with the inserted sheets 10 (3) and the covering sheets (2).