AU2005211867B2

AU2005211867B2 - Identification document and method for the production thereof

Info

Publication number: AU2005211867B2
Application number: AU2005211867A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lothar Fannasch; Karl-Heinz Wendisch
Original assignee: Smartrac IP BV
Current assignee: Smartrac IP BV
Priority date: 2004-02-16
Filing date: 2005-02-02
Publication date: 2009-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2025-02-02
Also published as: EP1564022B1; DE502004007979D1; DE102004007731A1; KR20060123623A; EP1564022A2; CA2555677C; CA2555677A1; NZ549007A; NO20064180L; WO2005077667A3; ATE407020T1; IS2778B; EP1564022A3; WO2005077667A2; NO334782B1; KR20090053861A; CY1108493T1; ES2309408T3; IS8539A; PT1564022E

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

-1 IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF The present invention relates to an identification 5 document comprising two 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. 10 Background of the Invention 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 15 nationality of the document holder as a 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 20 printed-out data characterising the document holder as optical personal data. The personal data are usually printed on a paper layer laminated between covering layers of plastic. The identification sheet has the surface dimension of the inserted sheets and is fixed together 25 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 stamps. 30 It would be advantageous if there was provided 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 reduced. 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09 -2 Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an identification document comprising 5 two 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 being provided with a transparent covering layer consisting of a plastic material, wherein the covering sheets, the 10 inserted sheets and the identification sheet are connected to a common lateral edge in a fixed manner, and a transponder layer being provided with an antenna coil arranged on a substrate layer is integrated in either the identification sheet or in the covering sheet, wherein the is substrate layer of the transponder layer is formed of a fabric material and the antenna coil is formed by laying a coil wire on a thermoplastic additional coating of the fabric material. 20 In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided 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 25 above one another and fixed to a lateral edge, wherein the identification sheet is produced by laminating before or during fixing on the lateral edge, wherein heat and pressure act on a substrate layer and a transponder layer comprising an antenna coil and a chip, on an adhesive 30 layer adjacent to the transponder layer, on a paper layer containing the optical personal data and on a transparent external covering layer, wherein a fabric material is used as the substrate layer and the antenna coil is formed by laying a coil wire on a thermoplastic additional coating 35 of the fabric material. 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09 -3 The particular advantage of the identification document according to such an aspect is that both the electronic personal data and also the optical personal data are integrated in a common sheet of the identification 5 document. On the other hand, this can reduce the manufacturing 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 10 of the identification document. This transponder layer advantageously has a substrate layer consisting of a fabric material so that the identification document is relatively flexible. The bending properties of the conventional identification sheet are not substantially 15 impaired hereby. In an embodiment, the fabric transponder layer is provided with an excitable layer on the surfaces so that an intimate connection can be made on both sides with a paper 20 layer and a covering layer for example. The optical and electronic personal data may be combined in a non-destructible sheet wherein the durable transparent plastic covering layers protect the 25 transponder layer and also the paper layer. The transponder layer and the paper layer may cover the same area so that the identification sheet has relatively homogenous bending properties. 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09 -4 According to a further embodiment, 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 s provided to be laminated together 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 10 allocation of the same to the optical personal data applied to the paper layer by printing. An advantage of the second aspect is that in one processing step, the optical personal data and the 15 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 flexible identification sheet thus formed 20 can then be joined together with further inserted sheets or covering sheets at a common lateral edge to form an identification document. 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09 -4a The sheets may be fixed by sewing on a machine, wherein the identification sheet is preferably fixed over the transponder layer or the plastic covering layer with the other sheets. 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 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 15 personal data can be seen, Fig. 2 is a plan view of a transponder module, Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the multi-layer 20 transponder module according to Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a multi-layer structure of the identification document directly after fixing the sheets. 25 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT An identification document 1 (passport) according to a preferred embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 1 substantially consists of two relatively stiff outer 30 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. 35 Identification data 5 such as, for example, the country, the name, the date of birth of the document owner as well as a 17417401 (GHMatters) 3009/09 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. s It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. 10 In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as 15 "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. 20 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09

Claims

1. An identification document comprising two covering sheets, a plurality of inserted sheets for stamps and visas and an identification sheet displaying the personal 5 data of the holder of said document and being 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, and a transponder layer 10 being provided with an antenna coil arranged on a substrate layer is integrated in either the identification sheet or in the covering sheet, wherein the substrate layer of the transponder layer is formed of a fabric material and the antenna coil is formed by laying a coil 15 wire on a thermoplastic additional coating of the fabric material.

2. The identification document according to claim 1, characterised in that the transponder layer is provided 20 with an excitable adhesive layer on at least one surface for connection by heat and pressure to a paper layer containing the optical personal data of the document holder and/or to the transparent covering layer. 25

3. The identification document according to claim 2, characterised in that the adhesive layer is embodied so that it is thermally excitable or excitable by ultraviolet radiation or excitable by pressure. 30

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

5. The identification document according to any one of 35 claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the area of the transponder layer and the area of the paper layer and the area of the covering layer substantially correspond to the 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09 - 9 area of the inserted sheets.

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

7. A transponder module for insertion in an io identification document according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the transponder module firstly comprises a transponder layer comprising an antenna coil and a chip which are adhesively applied to a substrate layer consisting of fabric material and secondly comprises 15 an excitable adhesive layer on at least one covering side of the transponder layer.

8. A method for producing an identification document, wherein two covering sheets, a plurality of inserted 20 sheets and an identification sheet laminated in plastic material are guided into position above one another and fixed to a lateral edge, wherein the identification sheet is produced by laminating before or during fixing on the lateral edge, wherein heat and pressure act on a substrate 25 layer 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, wherein a fabric material is used as the substrate 30 layer and the antenna coil is formed by laying a coil wire on a thermoplastic additional coating of the fabric material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the covering 35 sheets and the inserted sheets and the identification sheet are fixed by sewing on a machine. 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09 - 10

10. The method according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that from the identification sheet only the transponder layer or the covering layer is fixed by sewing with the inserted sheets and the covering sheets. 5

11. An identification document substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 10

12. A method for producing an identification document substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 17417401 (GHMatters) 30/09/09