Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
  • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
  • B42D25/00—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof
  • B42D25/20—Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof characterised by a particular use or purpose
  • B42D25/23—Identity cards
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
  • G07D7/00—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
  • G07D7/004—Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency using digital security elements, e.g. information coded on a magnetic thread or strip
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
  • G06K7/08—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by means detecting the change of an electrostatic or magnetic field, e.g. by detecting change of capacitance between electrodes
  • G06K7/089—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by means detecting the change of an electrostatic or magnetic field, e.g. by detecting change of capacitance between electrodes hand-held scanners

Definitions

• This invention relates to a security system, and more particularly to a security system which enables one or more selected credentials of anyone seeking to use the system to be readily verified.
• identity or security card Another use of such security systems is as an alternative form of identity or security card.
• Such cards are used for example where entry to an area or building is to be restricted to selected personnel.
• identity cards it can be fairly simple and cheap to forge authentic-looking cards with readily available materials.
• Such cards may also be used to identify the card carrier as a member of a club or library etc and so on.
• a validity viewer for establishing the identity of an authorised user of the viewer, said viewer including:- identification means storing image data and operable selectively to display an image repesenting a selected credential of an authorised user;
• data input means for allowing a data code to be input into the viewer
• code store means for storing at least one preset code
• processor means for receiving the data code input via said data input means and the preset code in said code store means and for causing said identification means to display said selected credential only when said inputted data code corresponds with said preset code.
• Then invention also extends to a security system including a security card in combination with a validity viewer as defined above for identifying the authorised user of the card.
• Figure 1 is a top plan view of a validity viewer in accordance with this invention prior to insertion therein of a security card;
• Figure 2 is a section view taken on lines II— II of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a top plan view of the validity viewer of Figure 1 with the security card inserted therein, and
• Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the interrationship between the components of the validity viewer of Figures 1 and 2.
• the validity viewer illustrated in the drawings is intended to be used with security cards to allow the authorised user of the card to be identified. Exar ⁇ ples of such security cards include cheque cards, credit cards, charge cards, membership cards, security passes etc.
• the validity viewer provides a means by which the proper identity of the authorised user of the security card may be readily checked. To do this, the validity viewer reads a data code from the security card and, if the code agrees with a pre-stored code held in the validity viewer, the image of the authorised user is displayed on the validity viewer.
• the validity viewer may also be used otherwise than in combination with a security card.
• a security card instead of providing personnel with laminated photo-cards as security passes, they may instead be provided with a validity viewer of the form illustrated in the Figures.
• the validity viewer would be programmed so that the image of the authorised user of the validity viewer was revealed only when an appropriate personal identification number (P.I.N.) was entered by the authorised user.
• P.I.N. personal identification number
• the validi ty viewer 10 comprises a casing 12 of slim rectangular form having on its upper surface a keyboard/alpha ⁇ numeric display area 14 and an identification display area 16.
• the keyboard/alpha-numeric display area 14 includes a membrane keypad 18 by which the usual alpha-numeric symbols may be keyed into the viewer, a solar cell panel 20 for generating the power required for operation of the validity viewer and a conventional numerical display, e.g. digital display panel 22 having several characters of seven segment form.
• the identification display 16 comprises an image 24 representing a selected credential of an authorised user located beneath a screen 26.
• the image 24 is in the form of a photograph of the head of a user with a facsimile of the signature of the authorised user beneath the photograph.
• the screen 26 is electronically operable and made of a material which may be rendered opaque or substantially transparent dependent on the electrical signals applied thereto.
• Such a screen could, for example, be made of a liquid crystal display which is normally opaque but which, on application of an energising current, is rendered transparent. The construction and operation of such screens will be well known to those skilled in the art.
• the validity viewer includes a reader 32 for reading a code from the security card.
• a code for example, many forms of security card now available include a magnetic stripe containing coded information including a P.I.N. code.
• the reader 32 incorporated in the validity viewer reads this code and supplies it to the processor 28 of the validity viewer.
• Such readers are well known to those skilled in the art. It will be understood that other forms of data transfer for transferring data stored on the security card to the processor 28 may be used. For example, the data may be stored on the security card in the form of a bar code or similar optically readable code.
• the security card may be a "smart card" of the type including a processor and means for transferring data to or from the smart card by means of magnetic induction.
• the validity viewer may include a receiver loop for receiving data transmitted from the smart card.
• Figure 3 shows the validity viewer when the card having a code corresponding to that held in the validity viewer has been inserted in the slot 28. It will be seen that the screen 26 has been rendered transparent to reveal the photograph and signature of the authorised user.
• the processor 30 is operable both to perform various validation checks on data fed into the viewer as well as to perform the usual arithmetic calculations of a standard calculator. Data may be input to the processor by means of the membrane keyboard 18 or a card reader 32 associated with the slot 28. Power for the processor and the peripheral equipment is supplied by means of the solar cell panel 20. Power may also be supplied by means of a battery (not shown).
• a code store 34 for storing one or more codes, such as P.I.N. codes associated with the authorised user of the validity viewer.
• the processor controls the numerical display panel 22 and the screen 26.
• a seal sensor 36 is associated with the casing 12 of the validity viewer and in particular with the identification display 16 and detects if these are tampered with. Should tampering be detected, the seal 36 sensor inputs to the processor 30 a signal which disables the processor and renders it inoperable.
• the processor 30 is preferably programmed to return the screen 26 to an opaque state a preset period after it has been made transparent.
• a printed image representing a selected credential of the authorised user is inserted behind the screen 26.
• a code or codes identifying the authorised user are entered into the code store 34. At least one of these codes corresponds to the coded information held in the magnetic strip on the back of the security card.
• the validity viewer 10 There are various levels of of security offered by the validity viewer 10. At one level all that is necessary to reveal the image and signature beneath the screen 26 is for the user to punch in the membrane keypad 18 the correct personal code. If the digits of the code entered by the user of the card correspond to the code held in the code store , the processor will activate the screen 26 to make it transparent so that the photograph and signature of the user are displayed.
• the validity viewer acts as a form of security pass card with an enhanced level of security in that the viewer provides protection against unauthorised removal of the selected credential or tampering with the housing. Also, display of the selected credential is dependent on the correct P.I.N. code being punched into the card by the authorised user.
• a data code from a card entered into the slot 28 is read by the card reader 32. If the data code from the card corresponds to that held in the code store 34, the screen 26 is activated to display the photograph and signature of the authorised user.
• An advantage of this arrangement is that it constitutes a major improvement in security against credit card fraud since it allows the authorised user to be visually identified at the point of sale. Also, since the validity viewer reads the P.I.N. code normally carried on the reverse of cheque cards or credit cards, no special modification of the cards themselves is required to provide this enhanced level of security.
• a data code from a security card is read by the card reader and supplied to the processor which also receives via the membrane keypad 18 a separate code manually entered by the user.
• the two codes are compared with respective codes stored in the code store 34. If the input codes correspond to the respective stored codes, the screen 26 is rendered transparent.
• the security card Whilst in the illustrated example of the validity viewer the security card is read by inserting it into slot 38, other forms of reader may be used. For example, the security card may be "wiped" past a sensor head on the reverse of the validity viewer. Alternatively, as mentioned above, the validity viewer may include an inductor loop or antenna which receives data transmitted from a similar antenna on a smart card. Other forms of data transfer for transferring data representing a code from the security card to the validity viewer will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Where the validity viewer relies on a code inserted via the membrane keypad 18, the code in the code store 34 with which the k ⁇ yed- in code is compared may be changed by the user of the validity viewer. For example, by pressing a special symbol (not shown) on the membrane keypad 18 or entering a preset sequence of symbols, the appropriate code in code store 34 may be altered at will by the user.
• the code may be allocated to the validity viewer and entered with the code store by the issuer of the validity viewer, for example the credit card company or securi ty company etc.
• the code may be selected by the authorised user of the card and then entered into the code store by the issuer of the validity viewer. The validity viewer and the card will usually be sent separately to the authorised user.
• the authorised user's photograph and signature are inserted into the validity viewer during manufacture.
• the authorised user may himself insert the appropriate photograph and signature on receipt of the validity viewer.
• the validity viewer is preferably constructed so that once the photograph and signature have been inserted, a seal sensor device becomes armed so that any attempt to remove the photograph or tamper with the viewer renders the processor inoperable.
• the selected credentials which identify the authorised user may be stored digitally instead of in the form of a photograph.
• the Identification Display 16 will be a screen which is capable of displaying a two dimensional image under the control of the processor 30.
• the image and signature of the authorised user may be stored in scrambled or encrypted form and the processor may include a decoder for decoding the scrambled image prior to its display on the identification display 16.
• the validity viewer may also be used as a conventional calculator.
• the complementary security card Whilst the invention has been described in relation to a security card and a validity viewer actuated by the complementary security card - that is one carrying the identical code, clearly the complementary security card can carry other actuating numbers such as those which added to the card numbers total 9 for each column.
• the invention is not limited to a card, since a key inserted into or turning a lock, or other suitable combinations of components can act to reveal a personal characteristic as above described above.
• the principles disclosed herein may also be used for customs and similar security documents, and passports.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10625214

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1987
  • 1987-10-13 GB GB878723957A patent/GB8723957D0/en active Pending
• 1988
  • 1988-10-06 WO PCT/GB1988/000834 patent/WO1989003314A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1988-10-06 EP EP88908729A patent/EP0395659A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1988-10-06 AU AU25366/88A patent/AU2536688A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1988-10-06 JP JP63508169A patent/JPH03501418A/ja active Pending
  • 1988-10-06 BR BR888807747A patent/BR8807747A/pt unknown
• 1990
  • 1990-04-03 DK DK083490A patent/DK83490A/da unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events