EP2980761B1 - Terminal unit for verification of a security document - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a terminal unit for the automatic verification of a security document and to a corresponding method.

Currently, a variety of different security documents such as identity cards, passports or driver's licenses are in use. These can have a variety of different formats and with security elements and / or RFID chips at different positions inside and on the surface of the security document.

The ICAO ("International Civil Aviation Organization") - Document 9303 defines i.a. the formats for machine-readable travel documents. The document describes passports with machine readable data in text recognition format and specifications for electronic passports with biometric identification capabilities using embedded RFID chips. Currently, for example, security documents in the format ID-1 (ISO / IEC 7810, equivalent to 85.60 mm x 53.98 mm) are used. Application areas are z. Bank cards, credit cards, debit cards, driving licenses and the electronic identity card introduced on 1 November 2010 in Germany. The old German identity card had the format ID-2 (105 x 74 mm). Visa labels often have the ID-2 format so they can be pasted into passports. The German passport itself has the format ID-3 (125 x 88 mm). The ID-3 format determines the size of passports worldwide. Passports with a flexible envelope (eg the provisional German passport) usually correspond exactly to the ID-3 format, in the case of passports with a fixed envelope (eg the German ePass) the insides are in the ID-3 format, while the Cover protrudes approx. 2 mm.

At checkpoints, such as national borders, airports or entrances to company premises, terminals are used to automatically verify the security documents and thereby check whether a person is really the person for whom he or she claims to be using the security document and / or to check whether the security document is genuine and valid.

The publication DE102004056007 A1 (Mobile verification device for checking the authenticity of travel documents) describes a mobile verification device for authenticity verification of travel documents, which weighs less than 1000 g, especially less than 700 g. The verification device comprises an identification device for identifying an authorized user, a release device, an optical reading unit for reading on the pages the pictorial and / or alphanumeric information contained in the travel document, a data processing unit for processing the signals supplied by the optical reading unit, and a display unit for displaying the read-out data and the determined verification result.

document DE 102013206700 A1 (Device and method for document detection) describes a device for document detection, wherein the device has at least one support surface for supporting a document, wherein the device has at least one cover member for covering the support surface, and a corresponding method for document detection.

DE 202007000708 U1 (Device for reading identification documents) describes a device for reading identification documents, in particular of electronic identity documents, comprising a reading unit, which can be brought into a read-out position with respect to a passport document and makes it possible to carry out an authenticity check and / or a function test of the passport document.

DE10028241 A1 (Document verification device) describes a document testing device for the automatic testing of value and security documents, which has a movable in the XY direction cross slide, on which the necessary components for the evaluation of the authenticity features are arranged. In this case, the X slide of the cross slide, which can be moved in the X direction, is movably arranged within an outer Y slide which can be moved in the Y direction, wherein a first group of evaluation units for evaluating the diffraction structure on the X slide with laser and evaluation optics and a second group of evaluation components, for example, for evaluating a text, IR field and / or a photo field, is arranged on the Y-carriage.

DE 10 2006018876 A1 describes a card payment terminal having a card interface for reading data from a portable data carrier of a paying customer, a user interface for issuing information to and receiving data from a paying customer and a secure one Processing unit for processing read-out and / or received data. In the housing of the terminal are, inaccessible to a paying customer, a bill validator which allows the checking of at least one machine-readable market feature of presented banknotes. On the outside of the housing is a customer-accessible device for equipment that conveys banknotes presented by the customer to the banknote validator.

International patent application WO 2014/023514 A1 describes a document reader with a document support for placing an identification document, a detection device for detecting an actual position of the identification document on the document support, and a display device for displaying an indication of the desired position of the identification document on the document support.

Document- DE10 2004056007 A1 describes a mobile verification device for checking the authenticity of travel documents, which weighs less than 1000 g, in particular less than 700 g. The verification device comprises an identification device for identifying an authorized user, a release device which releases the use of the mobile verification device for use on the basis of a signal of the identification device, an optical reading unit for reading image-based and / or alphanumeric information contained on the pages of the travel document, a data processing unit for processing the signals supplied by the optical reading unit according to a predetermined algorithm, and a graphic display unit for displaying the read-out pictorial and / or alphanumeric data and the verification result determined by the data processing unit.

International patent application WO 2008/40602008 A1 describes an RFID reader for a document having at least one RFID chip, with a first support surface for a first side of the document and a second support surface for a second side of the document, a first antenna disposed below the first support surface, and a second antenna that is below the second Support surface is arranged, wherein the first and second antennas are each formed for inductive readout of the at least one RFID chip via a near field.

DE10 2012003241 A1 (Device and method for the automatic verification of value and / or security documents) describes a device for automatic testing of value and / or security documents with a support surface
for the value and / or security document and a first test device and at least one second test device. The particularly compact, inexpensive and equipped with a robust mechanism device is characterized in that it comprises a holding element to which a first arm and at least one further arm is at least temporarily fixed rigidly, wherein the first test device on and / or in the first arm and the at least one second test device is arranged on and / or in each case a further arm.

A highly accurate reading of localized security features of different document types is a technical problem in this context.

The invention is the object of the invention to provide an improved terminal unit and method for verification of a security document.

The objects underlying the invention are each achieved with the features of the independent claims. Embodiments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims. The embodiments listed below are freely combinable with each other, unless they are mutually exclusive.

A "security document" is a document that includes one or more security features that are intended to make it difficult or impossible to duplicate and / or falsify information from a simple copy and that are stored in the security document or physically applied or imprinted. The information stored in the security document may include, for example, a name, date of birth, place of birth, place of residence, nationality, height, eye color, skin color, gender, graphic representation of the security document associated person, in particular a passport photo, biometric data of the person associated with the identity document, such as fingerprint data, iris information, facial information, etc. In addition to these personal A security document may also include information that identifies the security document itself, such as a badge number, and characteristic security features. In the following, the security document is also referred to as "document" for short.

A security document may e.g. a banknote, a check, a ticket, or an identity document. The identity document may be, for example, a passport, an identity card, an identity card, a driver's license, a work permit, and so forth.

A terminal is a user terminal for entering and displaying data. A terminal includes a contactless or contact interface for exchanging data with a security document. A terminal may be located within or at the entrance of a security facility, e.g. at airports, railway stations or the entrance of a company premises.

An "excitation source" is a component or functional unit of a device from which an excitation signal, e.g. a light signal is emitted or can be emitted. Excitation sources can be divided into different types according to the nature of the signal you generate (light of different wavelength ranges, ultrasound, etc.).

A "sensor" is a component or functional unit of a component that is capable of sensing signals that are scattered, reflected, or reflected by a security element when excited by an excitation source. The sensed signal thus depends both on the nature of the security element from which it is received and on the nature (wavelength, intensity) of the excitation source.

A "security element" is a spatial or structural unit that comprises or represents at least one security feature. As "security features" Such features are referred to, which make it difficult and / or impossible to imitate, falsify and / or copy the security document.

For the purposes of this invention, "visible light" is understood as meaning light having a wavelength in the range from 381 to 780 nm. Red light is understood to mean light having a wavelength of 641 to 780 nm. Orange light is understood as meaning light having a wavelength of 601 to 640 nm. Yellow light is understood as meaning light having a wavelength of 571 to 600 nm. By green light is meant light having a wavelength of 490 to 570 nm. By blue light is meant light having a wavelength of 430 to 490 nm. Violet light is understood to mean light having a wavelength of 380 to 430 nm. Ultra-violet light (UV) is understood as meaning light having a wavelength of 200 to 380 nm. In the UV range, a distinction is made between UV-A with a wavelength of 316 to 380 nm, UV-B with a wavelength of 281 to 315 nm and UV-C with a wavelength of 200 to 280 nm. In the UV-A range, a wavelength of 375 nm is preferred, in the UV-B range of 312 nm and in the UV-C range of 253 nm. Under infrared light (IR) is in particular near infrared light (NIR) with a wavelength of 780 nm understood to 3 microns. Most preferably, NIR having a wavelength of 781 to 1100 nm is used.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a terminal unit for machine verification of a security document. A "terminal unit" is a component or module that can be installed in a terminal. The terminal unit includes a feed opening and catching means for automatically feeding the security document in the opened state into the intake opening. The collection means are adapted to retract the unfolded security document so that in this case the wide edge of the lid or the wide edge of the rear wall of the security document is pulled in towards the feed opening.

In addition, the terminal unit comprises an RFID card reader which is adapted to receive data from an RFID chip of the recovered security document read, provided that the RFID card reader and the RFID chip are each at a reading position inside the terminal unit.

In addition, the terminal unit comprises a type recognition module for automatically detecting a document type of the security document and for automatically determining a document type-specific position of the RFID chip within the deployed security document based on the recognized document type. The RFID chip may be inside or on the lid, inside or on the back wall, or inside or on an inside of the security document. Furthermore, the terminal unit comprises a drive which is designed to automatically move relative to one another based on the determined position of the RFID chip, the RFID card reader and the retracted folded security document so that both the RFID card reader and the RFID chip in their respective Reading position are located.

The terminal unit also comprises a verification module, which is designed to read out data from the RFID chip of the security document by means of the RFID card reader after the movement of the RFID card reader and the security document to reach the respective read positions and to verify the security document based on the read-out data. The verification result may be displayed, for example, via a graphical display device of the terminal or the terminal unit.

In a first aspect, such a terminal unit may be advantageous, since the described collection mechanism could enable a fully automated, fast, user-friendly and less error-prone document review: by allowing the document to be automatically retracted, it would be possible to prevent an untrained user, who rarely, for example in the course of a holiday trip at the airport, identifies himself at a terminal, interrupts the document check by prematurely withdrawing the document from the terminal.

Also, the user or operator need not pay attention to whether the document is placed up or down in the insertion opening, for example to ensure that the RFID chip comes to rest in the right place above the RFID card reader. Rather, the format and type of security document are automatically detected and the RFID card reader and security document positioned accordingly. This could also reduce the time required for document validation, since time lost due to misplacing the security document (coupled with the automatic ejection of the document and one or more attempts by the user to properly insert the document) can be avoided.

In a further advantageous aspect, the fact that documents can be retracted and automatically checked in the unfolded state can be advantageous since the height of the terminal unit can be reduced. A more compact design could be realized thereby. This can be particularly advantageous if the terminal unit is intended for installation in a mobile terminal.

In particular, the described terminal unit may be advantageous, since duplicate retraction and scanning of large format security documents such as the passport in the ID-3 format may become unnecessary: depending on the country and type of passport, the passport may include an RFID chip in its lid, within its back wall or in or on a data page. Compared with terminals that collect and evaluate only one half of the security document, the terminal unit described above has the advantage that an RFID chip, regardless of whether it is in the lid or in the back wall of the security document, is pulled into the interior of the terminal unit and there, if necessary can be tested. A double collection, evaluation and output of the security document and the associated loss of time can thus be avoided.

In the following, a security document in the "unfolded state" is understood to mean a security document which has at least one cover and one security document Rear wall and optionally also includes one or more inner sheets, which are connected to a document back with each other. The lid and the rear wall have at the spine on a Aufklappwinkel of approximately 180 °. The flip-up angle can be between 170 and 190 °, for example.

By way of example, the document output can be carried out after the RFID chip has been read so that the document is transported back to the feed opening by the feed means (which, for example, rotate in the opposite direction to the document feeder during output). The security document is stopped at a position where the catch means, eg pick rollers, still grasp and hold the document so that it does not fall, and can be easily picked up by the user.
Preferably, the collection means are dimensioned and positioned so that security documents in smaller formats, for example check card formats, ID-2 and ID-1 formats, can be safely drawn in and issued without the small-format security documents tilting and being skewed.

According to embodiments, the terminal unit further comprises a feed surface, which allows the security document to be placed on the feed surface in the unfolded state. The collection means are designed to automatically retract an opened and placed on the catchment surface security document. The feed surface is preferably large enough for a document to be placed in the ID-3 format without falling down. For example, the feed surface may be inclined towards the intake opening so that an applied security document automatically slips so far into the intake opening that it can be automatically picked up and pulled in there by the intake means. The feed surface may for example be 100 mm x 160 mm or even larger.
In other embodiments, the insertion opening has guide elements, for example a funnel-shaped attachment, which allows manual insertion of the security document into the intake opening to a point where the security document automatically fed, facilitate. However, a feed surface may also be present in these embodiments.

The feed surface and / or the guide elements can thus facilitate the insertion of the security document into the feed opening and thus speed up the document verification process. The operator at the terminal can thus use the hands for other tasks, such as entering a PIN or the capture of at least one fingerprint.

According to some examples not covered by the invention, the RFID card reader is immobile and the drive is designed only to move the security document. The movement of the security document may e.g. take place only along the feed direction or in addition to it at a 90 ° angle to the feed direction within the plane, which is spanned by the recovered security document. In contrast, according to the invention, the drive is designed to move the RFID card reader and the security document.

According to embodiments, the automatic retraction of the document and all steps required for its verification and executed by the terminal unit are automatically initiated by a user inserting the security document more than a predefined minimum depth into the intake opening.

According to some embodiments, the RFID card reader has an antenna with an area of at least 70% of the feed surface. Such a large antenna can be advantageous since it makes the probability that the RFID chip of the document is already at a suitable reading position after the security document is completely inserted that is detected by the antenna of the RFID card reader very high. This can also increase the probability that the document or the RFID card reader need not be moved at all, so that data can be read from the RFID chip of the security document. This can speed up the process and reduce wear on the moving parts of the drive.

According to embodiments, the terminal unit includes an electronic database in which a plurality of security document types are stored. In the database, each of the security document types is assigned one or more security elements as well as security-element-specific data. The security element specific data may e.g. Reference values of signals from security elements that were irradiated with light of a certain wavelength. In addition, these data may include the location of the security element within the security document, that is, information on which page and at which position within that page a security element is located. Further, these data may include instructions on how to test the security element. Additionally or alternatively, the terminal unit may have a network interface for connection to a corresponding database via a network, e.g. the internet, own. The data transmission can e.g. via SOAP / XML messages.

The terminal unit may include an upper module having a first excitation source and a first sensor. In addition, the terminal unit may comprise a lower module with a second excitation source and a second sensor. The upper module is positioned above the intake opening, the lower module is positioned below the intake opening.

The first and second excitation sources correspond to a first excitation type and are designed to excite at least a first security element of the recovered security document during the collection of the security document.

The first and second sensors are designed to receive a first signal during the collection of the security document, if it emanates from the at least one excited first security element in the direction of the respective sensor. The first signal corresponds to a first type of signals that can be received by the first and second sensors.

When verifying the security document, the verification module not only evaluates the data read, but also evaluates and considers the first signal and other data associated with the at least one first security element. For example, it may be considered whether a first signal has ever been received, and if so, whether the signal has been received by the first or the second sensor. If e.g. if the excitation starts from the first excitation source and the first security element lies on the upper side of the document, the first signal will be received by the first sensor, since both are in the upper module. If e.g. if the excitation originates from the second excitation source and the first security element lies on the lower side of the document, the first signal will be received by the second sensor, since both are located in the lower module.

In the database, the further information for the document type of the recovered document may contain, for example, whether the first security element is contained on the lid, the back wall or a data page of the security document, as well as the position inside the lid, back wall or data page. The received first signal may be evaluated to check where the first signal would have been expected given the type of document presently present and if it was also detected there and corresponds to an expected value, eg a reference value specifically stored for the first security element. The further data verified during verification may include, for example: the time when an excitation source was active, the excitation type of the excitation source (eg UV light, IR light, white light, etc.) and whether the position of the excitation source (eg either in the upper module or in the lower module); The time when a sensor sensed a corresponding signal, the position of the sensor (eg either in the upper or lower module), sensitivity range of the sensor, etc. This may include the examination, based on an image analysis of a scan of the top and bottom of the unfolded document determine whether the cover of the document is at the top or bottom, and whether, taking into account this identified situation of the security document, the first signal was received there, where it was expected and must be received, if the document is genuine.
For example, the database may contain over 1000 document types from different countries, each of which may have different functions. For each stored document type its format, the position of its RFID chip as well as position, type and possibly reference data of the security elements contained in the document type can be stored in the database.

The excitation and examination of the at least one first security feature at the same time as collecting the security document may be advantageous since it can reduce the overall time for verification of the security document.

According to embodiments, the terminal unit further comprises output means for outputting the security document after carrying out the readout of the data from the RFID chip of the security document. In addition, it includes a third excitation source and a third sensor, which are each part of the upper module, and a fourth excitation source and a fourth sensor, which are each part of the lower module. The third and fourth excitation sources are of a second excitation type and the third and fourth sensors are configured to sense a second type of signal. For example, wheels and rollers, which are movable in both directions, serve both as catchment means and as output means.

The third and fourth excitation sources are designed to stimulate at least a second security element of the security document during the output of the security document. The third and fourth sensors are designed to receive a second signal during the output of the security document, if it emanates from the at least one second security element excited by the third or fourth excitation source in the direction of the third or fourth sensor. For example, if the excitation originates from the third excitation source and the second security element lies on the upper side of the document, the second signal will be received by the third sensor, since both are in the upper Module are located. For example, if the excitation originates from the fourth excitation source and the second security element is on the lower side of the document, the second signal will be received by the fourth sensor, since both are in the lower module. The second signal is of a second signal type. In the verification of the security document in addition to the data read in addition to the second signal and other data associated with the at least one second security element, evaluated and taken into account by the verification module.

The excitation and evaluation of several security elements, in particular several security elements, which are based on different technical methods (for example UV, IR and / or white light excitation) can be advantageous since the reliability and trustworthiness of the verification result can thereby be increased.

According to embodiments, the further data associated with the at least one first security element comprises an indication of the position of the at least one first security element. The verification of the security document includes a check as to whether the position of the at least one first security element contained in the associated further data matches a position communicated by means of the first signal. The position communicated by the first signal also includes whether the first signal was received from the first sensor or the second sensor. In addition, by automatically, e.g. Based on a scan, it is determined whether the top or the bottom of the unfolded document, for example, facing the upper module, it can be determined whether the first security element is where it should be in the current document type.

Additionally or alternatively, the further data associated with the at least one second security element may include an indication of the position of the at least one second security element. The verification of the security document may include a check as to whether or not the associated further data contained position of the at least one second security element with a position communicated by means of the second signal position, wherein the position communicated by means of the second signal also includes whether the second signal was received from the third sensor or the fourth sensor. Accordingly, it is also possible to proceed with further, eg third, fourth and fifth security features, and the terminal unit can correspondingly have further pairs of excitation sources and matching sensors in each case above and below the document feeder.

This may be advantageous because one or more security elements could be fully automatically and accurately checked each time the document is retrieved and / or during the output process. Thus, a particularly fast and secure document verification method could be provided in which a plurality of security elements for a variety of different document formats could be checked by the same terminal or terminal unit.

According to embodiments, the first and second excitation sources each comprise at least one source of electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength range. The first and second sensor is in each case a sensor for a first further wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation, the first further wavelength range being a wavelength range in which the at least one first security element emits the first signal after excitation by the first or second excitation source. The first wavelength range and the first further wavelength range may be identical, for example if the security element only deflects and / or partially absorbs the incident light beam. However, they need not be identical, for example if the security element contains a fluorescent substance, so that it emits light ("signals") in another spectral range than in the region in which it was excited or irradiated.

The third and fourth excitation sources are each a source of electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range. The third and fourth sensor is in each case a sensor for a second further wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the second further wavelength range is a wavelength range in which the at least one second security element emits the second signal after excitation by the third or fourth excitation source. Again, the second wavelength range and the second additional wavelength range may be identical, but need not.

According to embodiments, both the first and second excitation sources emit electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range during document feeding. Both the third and fourth excitation sources emit electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range during document output.
According to some embodiments, the first wavelength range is a range of 781 nm-1100 nm and the second wavelength range is a range of 381 nm-780 nm or vice versa.
In alternative embodiments, the first wavelength range is a range of 381 nm-780 nm and the second wavelength range is a range of 315-380 nm.
According to further alternative embodiments, the first wavelength range is a range of 315 nm - 380 nm and the second wavelength range is a range of 781 nm - 1,100 nm or vice versa.

According to embodiments, the terminal unit further comprises a fifth excitation source and a fifth sensor, both of which are part of the upper module. It also comprises a sixth excitation source and a sixth sensor which is part of the lower module. The fifth and sixth excitation sources are of a third excitation type, ie, are designed to emit an excitation signal of a specific type, for example an electromagnetic radiation of a specific wavelength. The fifth and sixth sensors are adapted to sense a third type of signal.

The fifth and sixth excitation sources are designed to encourage at least a third security element of the security document during the collection of the security document. The fifth and sixth sensors are designed to receive a third signal during the collection of the security document, if this third signal emanates from the at least one excited third security element in the direction of the fifth or sixth sensor. In addition to the data read from the RFID chip, the verification module is additionally designed to evaluate and to take into account the third signal as well as further data associated with the at least one third security element during the verification of the security document.

The fifth and sixth excitation sources may e.g. each represent a source of electromagnetic radiation in a third wavelength range. The fifth and sixth sensors can each represent a sensor of electromagnetic radiation that is specific for a third further wavelength range. The third further wavelength range is a wavelength range in which the at least one third security element emits the third signal after excitation by the fifth or sixth excitation source. Again, the third wavelength range and the third additional wavelength range may be identical, but need not.

According to one embodiment, the first wavelength range used in document feeding for security element testing is a range of 781 nm - 1100 nm, preferably 890 nm. This wavelength range corresponds to infrared light. The second wavelength range used in the document output to test other security elements is a range of 380 nm-780 nm ("white light"). Alternatively, the first wavelength range can also be white light and tested in the document feeder, and the second wavelength range can be in the infrared range and checked during document output.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first wavelength range is a range of 381 nm - 780 nm (white light) and the second wavelength range is a range of 200 to 380 nm, preferably 315-380 nm (UV-A light), particularly preferably 365 nm the reverse case (first wavelength range is UV light, second wavelength range is white light) is possible.

According to an alternative embodiment, the first wavelength range is a range of 200 to 380 nm, preferably 315-380 nm, particularly preferably 365 nm (UV light) and the second wavelength range is a range of 780 nm-1100 nm, preferably 890 nm (infrared light). , The opposite case (first wavelength range is UV light, second wavelength range is infrared light) is also possible.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the first wavelength range (used in the document feeder) is a range of 381 nm-780 nm, the second wavelength range (used in the document output) is a range of 315-380 nm and the third wavelength range (also used in the document feeder) Range of 781 nm - 1,100 nm. In simple terms, therefore, can be checked on both sides for the presence of appropriate security elements in the document feeder both by white light and infrared and tested in the document output on both sides by UV light on the presence of other security elements. The parallel use of two excitation sources and corresponding sensors during feed can be advantageous, since additional safety elements can be tested without loss of time. According to some embodiments, the terminal unit and its first to sixth sensors or excitation sources can also be designed so that the document feeder is tested only with UV light of wavelength 315-380 nm (ie, that the excitation source emits light of the appropriate wavelength) and at the document output both with IR light of wavelength 781 nm - 1100 nm and with white light of wavelength 381 nm - 780 nm.

If the terminal unit also includes a fifth and sixth excitation source and corresponding sensors, it is preferably during the document feeder both in the upper and in the lower module, the infrared light and white light based excitation sources and the corresponding sensors activated and detected corresponding signals. The excitation by the IR light and the white light can take place at the same time or offset in time. During document output, the UV light-based excitation sources and the corresponding sensors are activated in both the upper and lower module and corresponding signals are recorded. This combination of UV light and IR light or white light has proved to be particularly favorable in order to reduce the mutual influence of radiation sources and sensors of different types ("extraneous light").

If a security element is excited with an infrared light excitation source, the sensitivity range of the corresponding sensor pair (each in the upper and lower module, a sensor of the same type) with the wavelength range of the infrared light should preferably be the same or similar.

If a security element is excited with a white-light excitation source, the sensitivity range of the corresponding sensor pair (each in the upper and lower module, a sensor of the same type) should preferably be the same or similar to the wavelength range of the white-light range. A white light LED may e.g. be generated by combining several LED chips of different colors in a common LED housing. As a result, different of the LED chips are superimposed to white light. It is also possible to cover a blue LED with an internal luminescent layer, which converts part of the blue light into yellow light, so as to produce all the essential spectral components of "white light".

However, it is also possible to use a red, blue and green partial light sources at the same time instead of a single white light source, wherein the red partial light source (eg LED) in a wavelength range of 640 to 780 nm, the blue partial light source in a wavelength range from 430 to 490 nm and emitted the green partial light source in a wavelength range of 491 to 570 nm. Corresponding For each of the partial light sources, a partial sensor is used which has a comparatively narrow range of sensitivity wavelengths, which largely corresponds to the emission spectrum of the red, blue or green partial light source. This can be achieved for example by color filters. The signals received by the sub-sensors can be superimposed by a processor, eg a processor of the control unit of the terminal unit, into an overall image whose RGB values largely correspond to the RGB values which would have arisen under a single white-light source.

As an alternative to using RGB-specific partial sensors, it is also possible that the red, green and blue partial light sources emit light sequentially and a single sensor ("gray light sensor") is used covering the entire spectral range of the white light. This sensor not only records the signals emanating from a security element after being excited by one of the RGB partial light sources, but also information that allows an association between the received signal and the partial light source active at that time. These data allow the processor of the control unit to compute an overall image of the document or at least the stimulated security element whose respective R, G and B components are composed of the signals produced by the individual partial light sources.

For example, you can ever for the colors red (R), green (G) and blue (B) use an LED diode with a corresponding emission spectrum and repeatedly activate the LED diodes with respect to each other. For sensing, a single sensor that largely covers the spectrum of visible light ("gray light receiver") is used. Since it is known which diode type is currently lit, a brightness value for the respective color can be calculated from the brightness values ("gray values") received by the sensor. For example, the brightness value of a color may be stored as 8-bit information. Then these three values are put together to a colored RGB image, which can have eg 24 bits per pixel.

If a security element is excited with a UV light excitation source, the sensitivity range of the corresponding sensor pair (each in the upper and lower module, a sensor of the same type) should preferably be the same or similar to the wavelength range of the UV light. Use during ... Type of excitation source [with respect to emitted wavelength range] Sensor type [with regard to sensed wavelength range] document feeder White light (white LED: 381 to 780 nm) White light sensor: a) a general white light sensor for broad light spectrum of about 381 to 780 nm; The sensor detects when a signal was taken and assigns the signal to a blue, red or green excitation source. Or: red LED: (640 - 780 nm) blue LED: (430 - 490 nm) green LED: (491 - 570 nm) b) RGB sensor: one sensor each for the R, G and B flashes (eg three general white light sensors + corresponding color filters); Each type of sensor is designed to receive only the blue, red or green excitation light The terminal unit contains a program which calculates an RGB image from the three RGB signals received according to a) or b). document feeder Infrared light (781-3000 nm, preferably 781-1100 nm, more preferably 890 nm) Preferably, a sensor for a broad Lichtspecktrum of about 380 nm - 1,100 nm. document output UV light (200-380 nm, preferably 315-380 nm, particularly preferably 365 nm) Preferably, the sensor is a white light sensor to test fluorescent security elements that are excited by UV radiation to emit signals in visible light.

According to one embodiment, the first excitation source (for 381 to 780 nm white light) and the third excitation source (for 781-3000 nm IR light, preferably 781-1100 nm, more preferably 890 nm) are combined in a single package comprising a plurality of LEDs (each for R (red), G (green), B (blue), and IR (infrared).) The second excitation source (white light) and the sixth excitation source (for IR light) are also grouped into a single unit LEDs (each for R, G, B and IR) The third and fourth excitation source (UV) are each combined in a separate unit According to embodiments, each of the RGB-IR unit and the UV unit has its own sensor with a 380 nm - 1,100 nm, which can calculate an RGB image and an IR image based on the known emission times of the individual LED diodes, which can then be subjected to an image analysis by the terminal unit In order to determine whether a particular security element causes, for example in the IR range or in the visible range, a specific reflection pattern or absorption pattern on the document surface.

According to embodiments, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and / or sixth excitation source each consist of an indirect illumination device, which comprises an electromagnetic radiation source, e.g. an LED light bar, and a reflective element. The reflection element scatters the radiation of the radiation source in such a way that at least parts of the scattered radiation fall on the surface of the security document facing the radiation source and thus also on possibly existing security elements in the vicinity of the excitation source. According to these or other embodiments, the first, second, third and / or fourth sensor each consist of a scanner, in particular a line scanner. A line scanner, also called a line sensor, is a radiation-sensitive, in particular light-sensitive detector (usually semiconductor detector), which consists of a one-dimensional array of photodetectors or other detector elements. For example, CCD and CMOS line sensors can be used which operate in the range of UV light, visible light and near and medium infrared.

The use of a scanner, esp. A line scanner, may be advantageous because scanner systems often require less space compared to camera systems and thus allow a more compact design of the terminal unit. The excitation source may e.g. consist of one or more LEDs, e.g. from a LED strip. For example, a LED strip may extend over almost the entire length of the feed opening.

According to embodiments, the first and second excitation sources and the first and second sensors are arranged to operate simultaneously during the collection of the security document and during the feed a first scan from an upward surface of the security document and a second scan from a downward Generate the surface of the security document. A "scan" is understood here as an image file. The scan is received by a control unit of the terminal unit. Preferably, the scan is recorded in the visible range, eg white light range, or in the infrared range, ie, the first and second excitation sources and the first and second sensors are preferably either in the white light region emitting or in the infrared region in these embodiments. Performing the scan at the same time as the document feeder can be advantageous since, in addition to the retraction movement of the document, no additional movement of device components is required to generate the scan. This can reduce the wear of components.

According to embodiments, the security document has a "machine readable zone" (MRZ). Depending on which side of the security document is at the top of the document feeder, either the first scan or the second scan contains an image of the MRZ. The control unit is designed to automatically determine the MRZ from the first or the second scan and to enable authentication of the security document with the aid of the determined MRZ of the terminal unit. Reading out the data from the RFID chip is only possible after successful authentication of the terminal unit against the security document. Such a determination of the MRZ can be advantageous since it protects the security document from the fact that personal data is read from the RFID chip against the will of the user. Since both a scan of the top and bottom sides of the document are determined at the same time, it is not necessary to insert and flip the document twice, nor is it necessary for the user to be careful to place the document in a particular orientation.

For example, based on the identified document type, the control unit could determine whether the present document should contain an MRZ at all and, if so, where. Both the first and second scans are then subjected to image analysis to determine which of the two scans contains the MRZ and whether it has been recognized at the position where it would have to be in accordance with the identified document type.

According to embodiments, the type recognition module is configured to perform the automatic recognition of the document type of the security document only after complete insertion of the security document up to a stop position, whereby the recognition of the document type is carried out on the basis of the first and / or the second scan. Possibly. It may be necessary for the security document to be moved back a little from the stop position in the direction of the intake opening in order to bring its RFID chip into read position. The use of the first and second scans to determine the document type can be advantageous, since both the document type and the MRZ can be determined from the same data base (two scans), ie a multiple use of data can be performed can only have been collected in a single step.

According to embodiments, at least some of the catch means are elastically deformable or displaceable in the document feeder, so that security documents which have a thickness of 2 mm-10 mm in total or in the unfolded state (even during the document feed or output) are prevented from slipping and / or bulging can be and are only movable when a minimum force acts on them, for example exercised by the means of collection. The elasticity can be achieved, for example, by elastic mounting of the pulling-in means (for example wheels or rollers), e.g. by means of springs or elastic materials such as rubber. The collection means may e.g. consist of a plurality of friction wheels and / or a friction belt for transporting the document from a retraction position into the interior of the terminal unit.

Additionally or alternatively, at least some of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth sensors are elastically deformable or displaceable during document feeding, so that security documents which have a thickness of 2 mm-10 mm overall or in the unfolded state are thus held by the sensors in that movement of the security document relative to the sensors is possible only by the action of a force exceeding a minimum height. For example, it may be necessary for the force to be at least as high must be like the force applied to the collection of the security document by the collection means. This can be advantageous since a uniform contact pressure could also be achieved in the area of document back-off, which in turn could increase the overall quality of the scans and / or the verification process.

According to embodiments, the intake opening is formed in a slot shape. The terminal unit further comprises a movable positioning means for positioning the security document in front of or in the feed opening. The positioning means is designed to exert a displacement force parallel to the edge-shaped intake opening on the security document laid on the egg-handling surface. This displacement force causes the launched security document occupies a retraction position. The positioning means and / or the collection means can align the security document during collection so that its wide cover or rear wall edge is arranged parallel to the slot-shaped intake opening. This may be advantageous because document skewing in automatic document feeder could be prevented and the quality of the scans or evaluation of the security elements improved because no distortion effects reduce the scan quality or corrupt the position information in the sensed first and second signals.

According to embodiments, the upper module includes an upper cassette. The upper cassette and the upper module are configured so that the upper cassette can be repeatedly taken out and reinserted from the upper module, with a first part of the drawing means and at least the first excitation source and the first sensor being located inside the upper cassette and so configured are that they can be removed and reused as part of the upper cassette.
Additionally or alternatively, the lower module may include a lower cassette, wherein the lower cassette and the lower module are configured so that the lower cassette can be repeatedly removed and reinserted from the lower module. A second part of the catchment and at least the second The excitation source and the second sensor are located inside the lower cassette and are designed so that they can be removed and reused as part of the lower cassette.
For example, the rollers could be driven from outside the upper and lower cassettes, such as by a motor and a plurality of force-transmitting elements that transmit the power of the motor to those parts of the rollers that are external to the cassette (s) and into one Rotate rotary motion of the rollers.

This can be advantageous since the longevity of the terminal unit is thereby increased. The collection means, e.g. Rollers or cogs can become dirty in continuous operation after some time. It may also be that individual LEDs, which serve as an excitation source, are no longer functional after expiration of the usual service life. In this case, only one cartridge needs to be replaced to load new LEDs and / or clean rolls for the document feeder. Failure of the terminal for several hours or even days until the arrival of a service technician could be avoided.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a terminal including a user interface and the terminal unit according to one of the aforementioned embodiments, wherein the terminal unit has an interface for data exchange with the user interface. The user interface can consist, for example, of a keyboard for inputting a PIN and / or a display device for displaying usage instructions, error messages and / or the result of the verification of the security document. The interface for exchanging data between the terminal unit and the user interface may, for example, enable the user to whom the security document is assigned to authenticate to the security document by means of an entered PIN and / or to indicate to the operator of the terminal whether the security document has been successfully verified or not. A successful verification means that the check of at least the data read from the RFID chip and possibly additionally the examination of further data and security elements revealed that the security document is not a forgery, is still valid, and, if the security document is an identity document, is associated with the correct person.

The terminal can be designed in particular as a mobile terminal.
The terminal can be used, for example, for the following purposes: international border control at airports, seaports and border crossings; automatic border control, self-service by the citizen; Document control by police, customs, embassies and banks and by document manufacturers in the course of quality control.

• automatisches Einziehen des Sicherheitsdokuments in aufgeklapptem Zustand in die Einzugsöffnung durch die Einzugsmittel, wobei das Einziehen so erfolgt, dass dabei die breite Kante des Deckels oder die breite Kante der Rückwand des Sicherheitsdokuments voran in Richtung der Einzugsöffnung eingezogen wird;
• automatische Erkennung eines Dokumenttyps des Sicherheitsdokuments durch das Typerkennungsmodul ;
• automatische Ermittlung einer dokumenttypspezifischen Position des RFID Chips innerhalb des ausgeklappten Sicherheitsdokuments anhand des erkannten Dokumenttyps durch das Typerkennungsmodul, wobei sich der RFID Chip innerhalb oder auf dem Deckel, innerhalb oder auf der Rückwand oder innerhalb oder auf einer Innenseite des Sicherheitsdokuments befinden kann;
• anhand der ermittelten Position des RFID Chips, automatisches Bewegen des RFID Kartenlesers und des eingezogenen, ausgeklappten Sicherheitsdokuments relativ zueinander durch den Antrieb , bis sich sowohl der RFID Kartenleser als auch der RFID-Chip des Sicherheitsdokuments in einer jeweiligen Leseposition im Inneren der Terminaleinheit befinden;
• falls sich sowohl der RFID Kartenleser als auch der RFID-Chip in ihrer jeweiligen Leseposition befinden, automatisches Auslesen von Daten aus dem RFID Chip durch den RFID Kartenleser;
• Verifikation des Sicherheitsdokuments anhand der ausgelesenen Daten durch das Verifikationsmodul.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method for machine verification of a security document by a terminal unit. The terminal unit includes a feed opening, feed means, an RFID card reader, a type recognition module, a drive and a verification module. The method comprises:

• automatically retracting the security document in the opened state into the intake opening by the draw-in means, wherein the retraction takes place in such a way that the wide edge of the cover or the broad edge of the rear wall of the security document is pulled in towards the intake opening;
• automatic recognition of a document type of the security document by the type recognition module;
• automatic determination of a document type-specific position of the RFID chip within the unfolded security document based on the recognized document type by the type recognition module, wherein the RFID chip can be inside or on the cover, inside or on the back wall or inside or on an inside of the security document;
• based on the detected position of the RFID chip, automatically moving the RFID card reader and the retracted, unfolded security document relative to each other by the drive until both the RFID card reader and the RFID chip of the security document are in a respective reading position inside the terminal unit;
• if both the RFID card reader and the RFID chip are in their respective read position, automatic readout of data from the RFID chip by the RFID card reader;
• Verification of the security document based on the data read out by the verification module.

Figur 1

ein Sicherheitsdokument in verschiedenen Zuständen und Positionen relativ zu einer Einzugsöffnung eines Terminals,

Figur 2

eine Terminaleinheit,

Figur 3

eine Bildsequenz über den Einzug eines Sicherheitselements durch eine Terminaleinheit,

Figur 4

eine Terminaleinheit mit ausgeklappter Kassette,

Figur 5

einen Querschnitt der Terminaleinheit einer Ausführungsform in der Frontalansicht,

Figur 6

einen Querschnitt der Terminaleinheit einer Ausführungsform in der Seitenansicht,

Figur 7

einen Querschnitt der Terminaleinheit einer weiteren Ausführungsform in der Seitenansicht,

Figur 8

ein Submodul der Terminaleinheit welches eine erste Anregungsquelle und einen ersten Sensor beinhaltet, und

Figur 9

ein Flussdiagramm eines Verfahrens nach einer Ausführungsform.

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a security document in various states and positions relative to a terminal of a terminal,

FIG. 2

a terminal unit,

FIG. 3

a picture sequence about the entry of a security element by a terminal unit,

FIG. 4

a terminal unit with unfolded cassette,

FIG. 5

a cross-section of the terminal unit of an embodiment in the front view,

FIG. 6

a cross-section of the terminal unit of an embodiment in side view,

FIG. 7

a cross section of the terminal unit of another embodiment in side view,

FIG. 8

a submodule of the terminal unit which includes a first excitation source and a first sensor, and

FIG. 9

a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment.

Elements of the following embodiments which correspond to each other are indicated by the same reference numerals.

The FIG. 1 10 shows a security document 108, for example a fold-out electronic passport, associated with a user 102. The security document may include a lid 110 and a rear wall 112 and a plurality of inner sides P3, P4, P5, P6. Lid and back panel can be made of thicker material, eg reinforced cardboard, be designed as the insides. The document may have personal data printed in text form. In addition, personal data such as name and address or biometric data (fingerprint data, iris scan, facial portraits, etc.) may be stored as reference data in an RFID chip integrated in the lid, the back wall or one of the inner sides or attached to their surfaces ,

In an advantageous aspect of the invention, embodiments of the terminal unit 200 shown in FIG Figures 2-7 be shown in more detail, for example, be installed in a small, mobile terminal 116 and allow a very user-friendly and less error-prone automated document verification. The four scenarios 120, 122, 124 and 126 illustrate the different ways in which a user may insert the security document into the terminal unit's access port to verify the document. Regardless of whether the security document is now retracted with the lid or the rear wall in front, and regardless of whether the surface of the unfolded document formed from the lid and back wall "down" or "up", can by automatic determination of the document format and the format-dependent position of the RFID chip are ensured that the RFID card reader and RFID chip can be positioned to each other so that the data contained in the RFID chip can be read. Operator errors caused by placing the document on the wrong side or in the wrong direction can thus be avoided and the verification process can be speeded up. In addition, the insertion of documents which are folded out by about 180 °, allows a low, compact design of the terminal unit 200 and accordingly allows the use of a compact, small-sized terminal housing. Thus, for example, terminals of height 18 cm, width 22 cm and depth 29 cm can be realized with this design. Even terminals of height 10 cm, width 22 cm and depth 29 cm can be realized, for example.

The wider edge of the lid 110 of the security document 108 is referred to below as k1, the wider edge of the back 112 is referred to as k1 '. The shorter edge of the lid or back is called k2.

FIG. 2 shows a terminal unit 200 comprising an upper module 202 and a lower functional module 204. The body of the two modules 202 and 204 may form a one-piece component. Alternatively, each module can also be a separate, one-piece or composite component.

The upper module 202 is located above a slit-like intake opening 206, the lower module 204 is below the intake opening and forms the bottom of the terminal unit. The gap-shaped intake opening may be formed as a gap, ie, from an approximately rectangular limited opening (see, for example, the in Fig. 4 illustrated intake opening). But it is also possible that the lower and upper unit form an open towards one side, U-shaped limited intake opening 206 (see FIG. 2 and 3 ). The terminal unit may optionally include a document support surface 208 on which the document may be stored so as to be automatically captured by the automatic document feeders. This can facilitate the operation of the terminal, as the operator has both hands free for other tasks, such as the input of PINs or the capture of biometric data, such as fingerprint data.

The terminal unit may include positioning means 210, such as resilient clip retainers, which enclose the document from one or two sides and position the document on the document support surface 208 so that the document does not tilt during the retraction operation. Positioning means are preferably adapted to position a plurality of different document sizes and formats so that they can not tilt during the feeding operation and position both unfolded "booklet-style" documents and credit-card sized security documents suitable for automatic feeding. For example, the clip holders could move the document flush to a side edge of the feed opening or move to the middle of the intake opening. Preferably, the positioning means themselves are so flexibly adjustable that they can correctly position documents in different formats, eg in ID-1, ID-2 and ID-3 format. Within the upper and / or lower module may be a removable and possibly also hinged cassette 216, which in the notes to FIG. 4 is described in detail.

FIG. 3 FIG. 12 shows an image sequence about the entry of a security document 108 by a terminal unit 200 to verify the security document. The verification can be carried out in a method according to FIG. 9 done so that FIG. 9 and FIG. 3 will be described together below.

The security document may include one or more security elements 302, 304, 306 on the insides and / or on the inside or outside of the lid or the back wall of the document 108. For example, security element 306 may be a hologram that is visible under white light and, for example, can be compared to a reference image stored in a database during the verification of the security document. Security element 302 may be an imprint that is visible only under UV illumination (for example, because the imprint is made of a UV light-reflecting substance or a substance that fluoresces in UV light). Security element 304 may be an imprint that is visible only under infrared illumination or is visible, for example, in white light, but not in infrared illumination. However, the described security elements are described by way of example only, a variety of other types of security elements, based for example on metal-coated foil elements, fluorescence, phosphorescence, reflection or absorption of certain spectral line regions are possible and known in the art.

FIG. 3a shows that such a security document 108 can be placed, for example with the unfolded inside up on the support surface 208 of the terminal unit 200 so that the broad side k1 'of the rear wall 112 substantially lies parallel to the slot-shaped intake opening. The positioning means 210 may help align the laid-up document 108 so that it does not skew during document feeding. Alternatively, the document can also be inserted by a user directly into the intake opening.

FIG. 3b shows a security document aligned by the positioning means 210. The feed direction in the terminal unit is shown with a large arrow. As soon as the security document has been moved a sufficient distance into the intake opening, in step 802 pulling-in means, for example rollers, pull the document into the intake opening in the unfolded state. In this case, the wide edge k1, k1 'of the lid or the rear wall is pulled ahead in the direction of the feed opening.

Figure 3c shows the security document 108 in a half-pulled state. The security document is further moved in the feed direction (arrow direction) as in 3d figure shown until it has reached an end position, which is indicated by the dashed line 314. In the end position, the drawn-in document can be completely in the terminal unit or already partially emerge again at a rear side opposite the intake opening.

Preferably, during document feed, a first and a second scan are made from the top and bottom of the unfolded document 108, respectively. So there are two scans when the document has reached the end position 314. These scans may be used by the terminal unit to automatically determine the present format of the security document 108 in step 804.

In addition, the terminal unit may verify one or more first security items during document feeding. The verification of the security elements can be done completely during the collection. Alternatively, during the collection of the security document, signals from the one or more first security elements may be received and recorded. After the automatic Detection of the present document type, the recorded, emanating from the security elements signals can be compared with reference values, which can be stored in a document-type-specific manner in a database.

In a further step 806, based on the determined document type, it can also be determined where an RFID chip is located within the unfolded document in order to move the document and the RFID card reader towards one another in a following step 808 so that both each have a reading position within the terminal unit and the data of the RFID chip can be read out in step 810. If the RFID chip or the RFID card reader is not in the respective read position, the data can not be read out from the chip by the RFID card reader. It may be that the document, which is already at the end position, has to be moved a little way back against the feed direction so that the RFID chip can assume its reading position LP2. In step 812, the security document 108 is verified based on at least the data read from the RFID chip. The result of the verification can be output, e.g. via a display device of the terminal in which the terminal unit is installed. In any case, the document is in any case pulled in completely up to a rear stop position, even if the document is subsequently moved somewhat counter to the feed direction in order to bring the chip into its reading position.

FIG. 4 shows a terminal unit with unfolded upper cassette. The cassette is rotatably mounted on an axis 212 and may optionally be removed completely from the upper unit 202 (and replaced or replaced by another upper cassette). The contents of the upper cassette 216 are more specifically explained in the explanations FIG. 8 described.
FIG. 4 also shows an alternative design of the intake opening 206 and the upper module 202 surrounding this opening FIG. 3 illustrated embodiment, where the lower and upper module enclose the intake opening 206 U-shaped, the upper module 202 forms two webs 402 404, the together with the upwardly facing surface of the lower module 204 and the downwardly facing surface of the upper module 202, form a rectangular, continuous-edged intake opening 206.

FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the terminal unit of an embodiment in the front view. The cross section shows a first excitation source 502 and a second excitation source 504 which run above or below the intake opening 206. For example, each of the first and second excitation sources could consist of a bar of white light LEDs that illuminate both sides of the unfolded document at least during document indentation 108. A first sensor 510 is integrated in a cartridge 216 in the upper module. The first sensor may, for example, consist of a contact scanner, in particular a contact line scanner, which exerts a pressure force on the underlying document or moving document and thus protects the document against uncontrolled slippage and ensures a constant distance between sensor and document surface. A second sensor 512 is integrated in the lower module 204. The second sensor may be inelastically anchored in the lower module or likewise consist of a contact scanner, in particular a contact line scanner, which exerts a pressure force on the document lying above or moving over it. The top and bottom line scanners may be the same or approximately as long as the length of the feed opening 206.

The collection means here consist of one or more wheels or rollers 518, 522, some of which 518 are arranged above and some other 522 below the intake opening.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section of the terminal unit of an embodiment in side view. The first 510 and second 512 sensor and the first 502 and second 504 excitation source are located immediately behind the feed opening 206, through which the unfolded document 108 in the feed direction (arrow direction) is automatically pulled by the rollers 522, 518.

At a specific, document type specific location, an RFID chip 608 is integrated into the document 108, eg within the lid 110. In order for an RFID card reader 606, which is integrated in the terminal unit 200, to be able to read data from the chip 608, the RFID Card reader 606 are located at a predefined first reading position LP1 and the document 108 must be positioned within the terminal unit so that its RFID chip is at a predefined second reading position LP2. The read positions LP1 and LP2 are spatially close enough to each other to enable radio signal based data transmission.
At an in Fig. 6 illustrated situation not encompassed by the invention is the RFID card reader 606 immobile and is always in its reading position LP1. The data can not yet be read from the RFID chip because the chip is not yet in its read position LP2.

FIG. 7 shows a cross section of a contemplated in side view terminal unit of another embodiment. In this embodiment, the intake opening is provided with a funnel-shaped attachment 708 which facilitates the insertion of the document into the intake opening 206. This is particularly advantageous because the terminal unit 200 supports a variety of document types that may have different thicknesses d as a whole or in the unfolded state.

Behind the first excitation source 502 and the first sensor 510, respectively, there is a third excitation source 506 and a third sensor 516 within the upper module 202. The upper module may include an upper cassette 216 containing at least the first and third excitation sources and optionally also the first and third sensor. The lower module may also have a removable cassette (not shown) that includes a second 504 and fourth 508 excitation source, optionally also a second 512 and fourth 520 sensor.
The first and second excitation sources and sensors can emit or sense IR light, for example, and test corresponding IR light-based security elements. This may preferably be done during document feeding, simultaneously for the up-facing and down-facing pages of the opened document. The third and fourth excitation sources and sensors can emit or sense UV light, for example, and test corresponding UV radiation-based security elements. This may preferably be done during document output, simultaneously for the up-facing and down-facing pages of the open document.

In addition, the upper module behind the third excitation source, a fifth excitation source 702 and a fifth sensor 704 have. The fifth excitation source and optionally also the fifth sensor may be mounted within the upper cassette 216 of the upper module 202. In addition, a sixth excitation source 708 and a sixth sensor 706 may be located in the lower module. The fifth and sixth excitation sources and sensors can emit or sense "white light", for example. Thus, the upper cassette may include three excitation sources and corresponding sensors, and also the lower cassette may include three excitation sources of the same type and corresponding sensors, so preferably the terminal unit for the white, UV and infrared wavelength ranges and for the upper 202 and lower 204, respectively Module contains a pair of an excitation source and a compatible sensor.

A control unit 602 controls and coordinates the collection means 518, 522 as well as the individual sensors and excitation sources 502, 504, 506, 510, 512, 702, 704, 706, 708 as well as the movement of the RFID card reader. For example, the control unit may cause the first and second scans to be generated during document feeding by the first and second sensors.

A module 604 for automatic recognition of the document type may use the first and / or second scan as input to determine the document type of the present document 108 by means of image analysis and comparison of the analysis results with a multiplicity of document types stored in a database.

A verification module 610 may include portions of the first or second scan or portions of the analysis results, eg, one based on character recognition (Optical Character Recognition - OCR) used to identify itself or the terminal unit against the security document as entitled to read data from the RFID chip. This can be done for example by means of the BAC or EAC protocol. The read-out data may include, for example, biometric reference data or a reference portrait image. The terminal unit may be part of a terminal, for example, which contains one or more sensors (camera, fingerprint sensor, etc.) for recording current biometric data of the user, for example a portrait image or iris images or fingerprint data. The verification may include comparing currently biometric data taken by the user through the terminal with the reference data stored in the RFID chip 608 and confirming, with sufficient similarity, that the person whose biometric data was acquired by the terminal is the person the security document is assigned. Since both the RFID card reader 606 is in its reading position LP1 and the RFID chip is located in its reading position LP2, the RFID card reader can read this data from the RFID chip. Possibly. However, an authentication of the terminal unit with respect to the document, eg by means of the MRZ determined by OCR, may initially be necessary for this purpose. In addition, the verification of the security document may include a check of one or more security elements 302-306, including checking whether the security element is located in the document according to the determined document type, among other things.

FIG. 8 1 shows a submodule 828 of the terminal unit which contains a first excitation source 502, eg a strip of LEDs which emit UV light, and a first sensor 510, eg a camera sensitive in the UV light range. The submodule thus forms an optical unit which contains an excitation source for one or more security elements and a corresponding sensor. The second excitation source and the second sensor can also form such an optical unit. This also applies to the pairs of third excitation source and third sensor, fourth excitation source and fourth sensor, and so on.

The sub-module includes a light-diffusing element 820 which causes the light emitted by the excitation source to impinge only indirectly on the security element 304. The submodule 820 may be e.g. be formed as a long Ulbricht sphere or consist of a sequence of several Ulbricht spheres. This can be advantageous since a direct incidence of light can cause light reflections which prevent the verification of the security element or can lead to erroneous results. The opaque element 826 protects the security element from direct illumination.

The light beams 824 scattered on the light-diffusing element 820 impinge upon the security element 304 and in turn excite it to emit signals 822 which are received and evaluated by the sensor 510. The signals 822 may be e.g. to act on reflected rays. The authenticity of the security element 304 and thus also the authenticity of the security document can be checked on the basis of the reflection pattern that arises due to light reflection on the security element. Alternatively, the security element 304 may also have an imprint in a UV-fluorescent color. In this case, the wavelength of the light beams 824 incident on the security element deviates from the wavelength of the fluorescence-emitted beams 822. In this case, the sensitivity range of the sensor 510 is not congruent with the wavelength range in which the light source 502 emits light, but it covers the wavelength range of the fluorescence-emitted light 822.

The FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method whose steps already in the context of FIG. 3 were explained.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

102

user

104

passport photo

108

The security document

110

cover

112

rear wall

116

mobile terminal

P3-P6

insides

k1

wider edge of the lid 110

k1 '

wider edge of the rear wall 112

k2

narrow edge

120

Document Feeding Scenario

122

Document Feeding Scenario

124

Document Feeding Scenario

126

Document Feeding Scenario

200

terminal unit

202

upper module

204

lower module

206

feed opening

208

bearing surface

210

positioning means

212

axis of rotation

214

Frame part of the upper module

216

Cassette, integrated into frame part

302-306

security elements

402.404

Stege

502

first excitation source

504

second excitation source

506

third excitation source

508

fourth excitation source

510

first sensor

512

second sensor

516

third sensor

518

feeder means

520

fourth sensor

522

feeder means

602

control unit

604

Module for document type entry

606

RFID card reader

608

RFID chip

610

Module for document verification

612

Database

702

fifth excitation source

704

fifth sensor

706

sixth sensor

708

sixth excitation source

d

Thickness of the (unfolded) document

LP1

first reading position for card readers

LP2

second reading position for RFID chip

820

scattering element

822

Signals that emanate from security element

824

scattered light rays

826

opaque it element

828

submodule

Claims (17)

1. A terminal unit (116) for machine verification of a security document (108), wherein the terminal unit includes:

   - an infeed opening (206);

   - infeed means (518, 522) for automatically drawing the security document in an unfolded state into the infeed opening, wherein the infeed means are designed to draw in the unfolded security document such that, in so doing, the wide edge (k1) of the top (110) or the wide edge (k1') of the rear wall (112) of the security document is drawn in first in the direction of the infeed opening;

   - an RFID card reader (606), which is designed to read data from an RFID chip (608) of the drawn-in security document, provided the RFID card reader and the RFID chip are each arranged in a reading position (LP1, LP2) inside the terminal unit;

   - a type identification module (604) for automatically identifying a document type of the security document and for automatically determining a document type-specific position of the RFID chip within the unfolded security document on the basis of the identified document type, wherein the RFID chip can be situated within or on the top (110), within or on the rear wall (112), or within or on an inner side (P3, P4, P5, P6) of the security document;

   - a drive (518, 522), which is designed to move the RFID card reader and the drawn-in, unfolded security document relative to one another automatically on the basis of the determined position of the RFID chip, such that both the RFID card reader and the RFID chip are in their respective reading positions;

   - a verification module (610), which is designed, after the movement of the RFID card reader and/or the security document so as to achieve the respective reading positions (LP1, LP2), to read data from the RFID chip of the security document by means of the RFID card reader and to verify the security document on the basis of the read data.
2. The terminal unit according to claim 1,

   - wherein the RFID card reader is immobile and the drive is designed only to move the security document; or

   - wherein the drive is designed to move the RFID card reader and the security document.
3. The terminal unit according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

   - a database (612) or a network interface for connection to a database, wherein a plurality of security document types are stored in the database, wherein each of the security document types is associated with one or more security elements (302, 304, 306) and security element-specific data;

   - an upper module (202) with a first excitation source (502) and a first sensor (510), wherein the upper module is positioned above the infeed opening (206);

   - a lower module (204) with a second excitation source (504) and a second sensor (512), wherein the lower module is positioned below the infeed opening;

   - wherein the first and second excitation source are of a first excitation type and the first and second sensor are designed to sense a first type of signals;

   - wherein the first and second excitation source are designed to excite at least a first security element (302) of the drawn-in security document as said security document is being drawn in;

   - wherein, as the security document is being drawn in, the first and second sensor are designed to receive a first signal (822) if this first signal originates from the at least one first security element, excited by the first or second excitation source, in the direction of the first or second sensor;

   - wherein, in addition to the data read from the RFID chip, the verification module is designed, when verifying the security document, to additionally also evaluate and take into consideration the first signal and further data which are associated with the at least one first security document.
4. The terminal unit according to claim 3, further comprising:

   - output means (518, 522) for outputting the security document once the data has been read from the RFID chip by the RFID card reader;

   - a third excitation source (506), which is part of the upper module;

   - a third sensor (516), which is part of the upper module;

   - a fourth excitation source (508), which is part of the lower module;

   - a fourth sensor (520), which is part of the lower module;

   - wherein the third and fourth excitation source are of a second excitation type, and the third and fourth sensor are designed to sense a second type of signals;

   - wherein the third and fourth excitation source are designed to excite at least one second security element (304) of the security document as the security document is being output;

   - wherein the third and fourth sensor are designed to receive a second signal as the security document is being output, if this second signal originates from the at least one excited second security element in the direction of the third or fourth sensor;

   - wherein, besides the data read from the RFID chip, the verification module is designed to additionally also evaluate and take into consideration the second signal and further data which are associated with the at least one second security element.
5. The terminal unit according to claim 3 or 4,

   - wherein the further data associated with the at least one first security element include a specification of the position of the at least one first security element; and wherein the verification of the security document comprises a check as to whether the position of the at least one first security element contained in the associated further data matches a position communicated by means of the first signal, wherein the position communicated by means of the first signal also includes whether the first signal has been received by the first sensor or the second sensor; and/or

   - wherein the further data associated with the at least one second security element include a specification of the position of the at least one second security element; and wherein the verification of the security document comprises a check as to whether the position of the at least one second security element contained in the associated further data matches a position communicated by means of the second signal, wherein the position communicated by means of the second signal also includes whether the second signal has been received by the third sensor or the fourth sensor.
6. The terminal unit according to any one of claims 3-5,

   - wherein the first and second excitation source are each a source of electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength range and the first and second sensor are each an electromagnetic radiation specific for a first further wavelength range, wherein the first further wavelength range is a wavelength range in which the at least one first security element emits the first signal following excitation by the first or second excitation source; and

   - wherein the third and fourth excitation source are each a source of electromagnetic radiation in a second wavelength range and the third and fourth sensor are each an electromagnetic radiation specific for a second further wavelength range, wherein the second further wavelength range is a wavelength range in which the at least one second security element emits the second signal following excitation by the third or fourth excitation source.
7. The terminal unit according to claim 6,

   - wherein both the first and second excitation source emit electromagnetic radiation in the first wavelength range as the document is being drawn in; and

   - wherein both the third and fourth excitation source emit electromagnetic radiation in the second wavelength range as the document is being output; and

   - wherein the first wavelength range is a range from 781 nm - 1,100 nm and the second wavelength range is a range from 381 nm - 780 nm, or vice versa; or

   - wherein the first wavelength range is a range from 381 nm - 780 nm and the second wavelength range is a range from 315 nm

   - 380 nm, or vice versa; or

   - wherein the first wavelength range is a range from 351 nm - 380 nm and the second wavelength range is a range from 781 nm -1,100 nm.
8. The terminal unit according to claim 7, further comprising:

   - a fifth excitation source (702), which is part of the upper module;

   - a fifth sensor (704), which is part of the upper module;

   - a sixth excitation source (708), which is part of the lower module;

   - a sixth sensor (706), which is part of the lower module;

   - wherein the fifth and sixth excitation source are of a third excitation type, and the fifth and sixth sensor are designed to sense a third type of signals;

   - wherein the fifth and sixth excitation source are designed to excite at least one third security element of the security document whilst the security document is being drawn in;

   - wherein the fifth and sixth sensor are designed to receive a third signal as the security document is being drawn in, if this third signal originates from the at least one excited third security element in the direction of the fifth or sixth sensor;

   - wherein, besides the data read from the RFID chip, the verification module is designed to additionally also evaluate and take into consideration the third signal and further data which are associated with the at least one third security element;

   - wherein the fifth and sixth excitation source are each a source of electromagnetic radiation in a third wavelength range and the fifth and sixth sensor are each an electromagnetic radiation specific for a third further wavelength range, wherein the third further wavelength range is a wavelength range in which the at least one third security element emits the third signal following excitation by the fifth or sixth excitation source;

   - wherein the first wavelength range is a range from 381 nm - 780 nm;

   - wherein the second wavelength range is a range from 315 nm - 380 nm; and

   - wherein the third wavelength range is a range from 781 nm - 1,100 nm.
9. The terminal unit according to any one of claims 3-8,

   - wherein the first, second, third and/or fourth excitation source consists in each case of an indirect illumination device, which comprises an electromagnetic radiation source and a reflection element, wherein the reflection element is designed to scatter the radiation of the radiation source such that at least parts of the scattered radiation are incident on the surface of the security document facing the radiation source; and/or

   - wherein the first, second, third and/or fourth sensor consists in each case of a scanner, in particular a line scanner.
10. The terminal unit according to any one of claims 3-9,

    - wherein the first (502) and second (504) excitation source and the first (510) and second sensor (504) are designed such that they work simultaneously as the security document is being drawn in and, as said security document is being drawn in, generate a first scan of an upwardly directed surface ({P5+P6}; {110+112}) of the security document (108) and a second scan of a downwardly directed surface ({110+112}; {P5+P6}) of the security document (108), which is received by a control unit (602) of the terminal unit.
11. The terminal unit according to claim 10,

    - wherein the security document has an MRZ, and wherein, depending on which side of the security document was facing upwards as the document was drawn in, either the first scan or the second scan contains an image of the MRZ;

    - wherein the control unit is designed to determine the MRZ automatically from the first or the second scan and to enable an authentication to the security document with the aid of the determined MRZ of the terminal unit;

    - wherein the data can be read from the RFID chip only following successful authentication of the terminal unit to the security document.
12. The terminal unit according to claim 11,

    - wherein the type identification module (604) is designed to perform the automatic identification of the document type of the security document only once the security document has been fully drawn in as far as a stop position (314), wherein the identification of the document type is performed on the basis of the first and/or second scan.
13. The terminal unit according to any one of the preceding claims,

    - wherein at least some of the infeed means (518, 522) are elastically deformable and/or elastically displaceable as the document is being drawn in, so that security documents which as a whole or in the unfolded state have a thickness (d) of from 2 mm - 10 mm can be held and moved; and/or

    - wherein at least some of the sensors (510, 512, 516, 520) are elastically deformable and/or elastically displaceable as the document is being drawn in, so that security documents which as a whole or in the unfolded state have a thickness (d) of from 2 mm - 10 mm are held by the sensors, such that a movement of the security document relative to the sensors is possible only by action of a force that exceeds a minimum magnitude.
14. The terminal unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the infeed opening is slot-shaped, wherein the terminal unit comprises:

    - a movable positioning means (210) for positioning the security document in front of or within an infeed opening (208),

    - wherein the positioning means is designed to exert a displacement force, parallel to the edge-shaped infeed opening (206), on the security document positioned against the infeed surface, which force causes the positioned security document to assume an infeed position;

    - wherein the positioning means and/or the infeed means orient the security document as it is drawn in, such that the wide top edge or rear wall edge (k1) thereof is arranged parallel to the slot-shaped infeed opening.
15. The terminal unit according to any one of preceding claims 3-14,

    - wherein the upper module (202) comprises an upper cassette (216), wherein the upper cassette and the upper module are designed such that the upper cassette can be removed repeatedly from the upper module and can be re-inserted, wherein a first part of the infeed means and at least the first excitation source (502) and the first sensor (510) are situated inside the upper cassette and are designed such that they can be removed and re-inserted as part of the upper cassette; and/or

    - wherein the lower module (204) comprises a lower cassette, wherein the lower cassette and the lower module are designed such that the lower cassette can be removed repeatedly from the lower module and re-inserted, wherein a second part of the infeed means and at least the second excitation source and the second sensor are situated inside the lower cassette and are designed such that they can be removed and re-inserted as part of the lower cassette.
16. A terminal containing a user interface and the terminal unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the terminal unit has an interface for data exchange with the user interface so as to allow the user to authenticate themself to the security document and/or to output results of the verification of the security document.
17. A method for machine verification of a security document (108) by a terminal unit (200), wherein the terminal unit comprises an infeed opening (206), infeed means (518, 522), an RFID card reader (606), a type identification module (604), a drive (518, 522), and a verification module (610), wherein the method comprises the following steps:

    - automatically drawing (802) the security document in an unfolded state into the infeed opening by the infeed means, wherein the document is drawn in such that the wide edge (k1) of the top (110) or the wide edge (k1') of the rear wall (112) of the security document is drawn in first in the direction of the infeed opening;

    - automatically identifying (804) a document type of the security document by the type identification module (604);

    - automatically determining (806) a document type-specific position of the RFID chip within the unfolded security document on the basis of the identified document type by the type identification module (604), wherein the RFID chip can be situated within or on the top (110), within or on the rear wall (112) or within or on an inner side (P3, P4, P5, P6) of the security document;

    - on the basis of the determined position of the RFID chip, automatically moving (808) the RFID card reader and the drawn-in, unfolded security document relative to one another by the drive (518, 522), until both the RFID card reader and the RFID chip of the security document are situated in respective reading positions (LP1, LP2) inside the terminal unit;

    - if both the RFID card reader and the RFID chip (608) are situated in their respective reading positions (LP1, LP2), automatically reading (810) data from the RFID chip (608) of the security document by the RFID card reader (606);

    - verifying (812) the security document on the basis of the read data by the verification module (610).

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