EP3259141B1 - Method and device for producing book-like security documents - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for producing different types of book security documents, in particular passbooks.

Book-type security documents are known from the prior art. An example of such book security documents is passport books. These are a variety of pages stapled or bound to a book or booklet. As a rule, one or more pages are labeled with particulars identifying a person to whom the passport is associated. As a rule, special features are also formed on this page or these pages, which serve to verify the authenticity of the book-type security document, for example the passport, and the authenticity of the personal data given therein.

Historically, all pages of such a paper security document have been made of pulp based paper, for example. However, in order to increase the security against counterfeiting, in modern passports a page is designed as a composite page, which is often referred to as a data card. Such composite cards are produced in particular on the basis of a plurality of plastic and / or additional paper layers, which are usually joined together in a lamination process. In such a composite page, a variety of different security features, such as provided with a security printing layers, optical security features such as holograms, Changeable Laser Images, laser engraving or electronically verified security features such as Radio Frequency Identification devices and / or microchips integrated.

As a rule, differently configured book security documents, for example different types of passports, are issued by a state. On the one hand passports are issued for the own nationals. In addition, diplomatic passports, service passports and passports for refugees, passports for stateless persons and passports for foreigners are also issued. In order to easily distinguish these different types in use, for example, they have different cover colors. However, in order to avoid counterfeiting such that, for example, a data card or composite page of an ordinary passport is inserted in a book cover of a diplomatic passport, it is desirable that Also, the data card or composite pages can be easily distinguished. Therefore, currently, the substrate layers on which a security print is printed, for example, in the form of a guilloche pattern are formed differently for the different types of passports.

In manufacturing, the problem now arises that very different numbers of items are required by the individual types of passports. Only about one-tenth of the passports issued in the Federal Republic of Germany are diplomatic passports. In production, the passports are each manufactured in batches which have a batch size of, for example, several hundred passport documents. With such a batch size, no or only a very small amount of printed or security element-provided substrate layers occurs in the production of the composite pages. If one were to try to produce also the types of passport documents, which are produced in a small number of pieces per year, in batches of the same type, only about five or six batches would be produced in one year. The resulting waiting times for obtaining a new diplomatic passport are not acceptable in practice. Therefore occur in manufacturing, for example, when using the provided with a security printing substrate layers larger waste surfaces, which significantly increase the production of such documents. Furthermore, there is an increased risk that a misallocation of a composite page or

Data page of one type of book security document, such as a data page of a diplomatic passport, to a binding and other passport pages that belong to another type, such as a normal passport. This places increased demands on quality control and also increases reject rates.

The documents EP 0 364 730 A2 . EP 1 810 841 A2 . EP 2 466 345 A1 . WO 2008/101049 A2 . US 4 600 828 A and WO 2010/040987 A1 disclose prior art book security documents.

The invention is therefore based on the technical object to avoid these problems of waste of material and misallocation and to provide an improved, material-saving and less error-prone manufacturing.

The invention is based on the basic idea of producing composite pages that are as uniform as possible with regard to most security features, and to introduce easily recognizable distinguishing features together with personalization data into the composite page, which in any case must be configured individually for each composite page. There is therefore a method for producing different book security documents as defined in claim 1. Because each personalization record belongs to a book security document, a personal security record type can also be associated with the personalization record. Based on this type, a status variable is thus set and set for each book security document to be created. Such a status variable may take on different values, at least as many as there are different types of book security documents. Nevertheless, the term often used in the art is the term "flag" which, as used herein, may assume not only a binary value but a variety of different predefined values.

In addition to the personalizing data, a security document is typically associated with at least one other identifier, such as a passport number, which is unique to all book security documents of different types. This means that the identifier, for example the passport number, can occur only once. The one-to-one identifier is preferably formed from alphanumeric characters, but may also be represented in the form of a bar code or a 2D dot pattern.

A particular advantage is that distinguishable composite sides are produced without requiring a special processing or processing step. The personalized data are printed in color anyway, for example, to print a full-color or colorful face image of the person on the composite page to which the personalization data belongs. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform different fine line security prints to distinguish the different types of security documents.

The advantage of the proposed solution is that based on the identification pressure in a simple manner via the different colors used for this purpose an assignment to the corresponding types is possible. If, for example, a coherent closed area, for example a rectangular area, is provided as an identification field on the composite side, then, for example, in the case of a standard passport, which is the standard type of the book security document, no printing is made in the identification field. For all special types, on the other hand, in the identification field, a monochrome or monochrome homogeneous overall impression is applied, which corresponds in terms of color impression to the color impression exhibited by the corresponding cover of the associated type of passport document. This allows a very simple final check of the correct assignment of the composite page to the corresponding cover. Also in a later verification at control points can be easily determined by the composite page, which type of book security document is or whether the composite page is inserted in the right type of cover or if there is a fake.

Furthermore, the invention provides an apparatus as defined in claim 11 for producing different types of book security documents.

In a preferred embodiment it is provided that in a final quality control of the book security document a match of the color, ie the color impression, of the at least one identification print, for example of the identification field, is present with the color of the cover of the book security document. This quality control is performed at least for all special types where such a match is expected. If a color identification print corresponding to the color of the cover for this standard type of book security document is not applied to the standard type of book security document, the final check is performed only for the special types. These are identified by the identifier or other information of the personal record.

Then, the associated status variable (flag) is evaluated and determined which type of book security document it is and whether such a check is to be performed.

A further development of the device is characterized by an optical detection device for color detection of the cover and printed with the personalizing information composite page and connected to the optical detection means evaluation to check whether at least for all special types of book security documents, a match of the color of at least there is an identification print with the color of the cover of the book security document.

An advantage of the method is that the different composite pages can be reliably and easily identified. In a preferred development of the method, it is therefore provided that the composite pages for different types of book security documents are produced in mixed order. It is not necessary to form each type-specific batches. Book security document requirements can therefore be executed in any order, regardless of type.

In a preferred embodiment, at least some process steps in the production of the composite side are carried out in multiple use. Thus, for example, large-area sheets can be printed with the fine line background security printing in the form of a guilloche pattern, which are subsequently printed with the personalization printing at different locations for different composite pages and then singulated or singulated before the personalization print. Overall, this allows accelerations of the manufacturing process as well as savings in the area of manufacturing costs. Furthermore setup times are minimized and an alignment and adjustment effort is reduced.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the book semi-finished products comprise type-independent content pages and type-dependent book covers, and when merging in each case a set of content pages and one to the type book cover associated with the composite page.

In one embodiment, the content pages, the book cover, and the composite page are linked together in a bookbinding process. In this case, a thread binding, a binding, a perfect binding or any other known in the art form of binding of a book or booklet can be used.

In another embodiment, it is contemplated that the book semi-finished products include type-dependent book blanks having content pages and a type-dependent cover, wherein the book blanks are already assembled and include a tab to which the personalized composite page is attached. The bonding of the composite side with the tab is done for example via a plastic welding process. The content pages and the type-dependent cover and tab are thus assembled into a book blank.

Thus, in one embodiment of the apparatus, it is contemplated that the assembly workstation is configured to associate the other book semi-finished product type book covers with content pages, a type dependent cover, and a tab that are already assembled with personalized composite pages by affixing the personalized composite side to the tab, respectively becomes.

Particularly preferably, the content pages are configured independently of type. The joining of the personalized composite pages with the other semi-finished booklets is performed in one embodiment of the method by means of a joining workstation, which are supplied in mixed order, the different types of composite pages, ie composite pages of different types of book security documents. The assembly work station has different magazines for the book semi-finished products of the different types of book security documents to be produced. The merging workstation identifies the composite page blanks and determines the type of book security document to be produced based on the associated status variables. The corresponding other book semi-finished products are supplied according to the type from the different magazines.

An embodiment of the device provides that the joining work station is coupled to a feeder so that the personalized composite pages of different types of book security documents are fed in mixed order to a joining station and these have different magazines for different types of book semi-finished, are supplied via the book semi-finished products , which are required for the different types of book security documents to be produced, and the assembly work station is adapted to identify the composite pages and to determine the type of book security document to be produced from the associated status variables and the corresponding other book semi-finished products from the different types To feed magazines.

In another embodiment, the composite side tubes are sorted according to type after manufacture, which is type-mixed, and fed to the assembly workstation, respectively, to composite pages and book semi-finished products belonging to the same type of book security document.

An embodiment of the apparatus comprises a sorting means for sorting the composite pages according to the type of book security document to which they are associated so as to supply to the assembling workstation only only composite pages and remaining book semi-finished products belonging to the same type of book security document.

When in the context of this invention it is said that an identification print is made with a color, printed with a color, or has a color, etc., it is always meant that the identification print in the finished composite page causes a certain uniform color impression. On the other hand, should not be expressed with such an embodiment that the identification print must be carried out with a printing ink, which causes this color impression. The color impression can thus be caused by the interaction of a plurality of color pixels, which are each formed in a primary color of a color system. This results in the color impression due to the laws of color subtraction or color addition.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Darstellung eines Ablaufdiagramms eines Verfahrens zur Herstellung eines Buch-Sicherheitsdokuments; und

Fig. 2

ein schematischer Verfahrensablauf einer alternativen Ausführungsform eines Verfahrens zum Herstellen eines Buch-Sicherheitsdokuments.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. Hereby show:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a flowchart of a method for producing a book security document; and

Fig. 2

a schematic process flow of an alternative embodiment of a method for producing a book security document.

In Fig. 1 FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a method 100 for producing book security documents with which different types of book security documents can be produced. By way of example, the production is explained in passbooks, but should not be limited thereto. Different types of passbooks (book security documents) are produced. These include, on the one hand, standard passports, which are a standard type of passport documents. Special types include diplomatic passports, service passports, passports for stateless persons and passports for foreigners. These different types of passports are differentiated by the color of the cover. This means that every type of passport document is assigned a cover color.

A passport document each includes a linked page in which personalized data is stored, other content pages, and a cover that are joined together to form a book security document. The production of the composite page 110, which is also referred to as a data card, is carried out separately from the production of the remaining book semi-finished products 400.

For the production of the composite page 110, first of all a personalization data record is received or recorded 120. This personalization data set is assigned further identifiers and the like 130, from which results, for example, a passport number, but also information about the type of book security document to be produced. The assignment of these identifiers and other information can already be done when entering the personalization data, for example, by filling out a particular paper-based or electronic form, which is already book-specific security documents differently.

Further, the personalization record is assigned a status variable 140 which signals the type of book security document. Such a status variable, even if it can assume more than two values, is sometimes referred to as a flag.

Physical fabrication of composite side 200 includes providing and / or fabricating substrate layers 210, including forming security features on or in the substrate layers. It is also checked 220 whether the personalization record for a book security document belongs to one of the special types. The status variable is queried 230. Depending on the result of the query, colored print information is generated 240 which, at least if it is a special type, includes print information for an identification print in addition to the personalizing information. The identification print is carried out monochromatically in such a manner that the identification printing is carried out in the color corresponding to the cover color of the corresponding type of book security document.

In one implementation, the standard book security documents, that is, the standard passports, are executed without the identification print. In this embodiment, only the special types are executed with an identification print, for example, by printing an identification field in one color with the color corresponding to the cover color. In other embodiments, an identification print may also be performed for the standard book security documents, wherein the identification print is executed in the color that matches the cover color of the respective book security document type. It is essential that the identification print is applied in the same working and printing step as the other color personalized information. It is essential here that the identification print must produce a color impression that matches the color impression of the cover. However, it is not necessary that this is a pressure preparation is used, which causes just this color impression. Rather, it is possible and generally advantageous if the corresponding color impression is produced on the basis of a plurality of print image dots printed in primary colors of a subtractive color system. A widely used color system is, for example, the cyan-magenta-yellow color system, which is also referred to as the CMY color system. This can be a very large variety of colors represent. Frequently, in addition to presenting black shades as well still the color black (K) added. Some color systems use cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow, light yellow, and preferably black, in addition to the cyan, magenta, and yellow colors.

On the basis of the created printing information, a substrate layer is printed in color 250. Preferably, an inkjet printing process is used. Other digital printing methods such as transfer printing methods, etc. can also be implemented. It is important that the personalizing information is executed together with the identification print in a printing process.

After the individual substrate layers have been prepared, in particular a substrate layer with the personalizing information, and at least for the special types of book security document composite pages additionally provided with the identification print, the individual substrate layers are collected 260 to a substrate layer stack, preferably so that the printed substrate layer surface on which the personalizing information and, if applicable, the identification print are applied, are covered by another substrate layer so that the information is finally stored in an internal level in the composite page and is thus well protected against tampering and counterfeiting.

The assembly 270 of the various substrate layers is preferably carried out in a lamination process. In particular, a high-temperature lamination method is used for this purpose. Most preferably, all substrate layers that are bonded are made based on the same plastic material. Suitable substrates are all substrate layers known to the person skilled in the art, for example polycarbonate, PVC, ABS, polyethylene terephthalate and other plastics. However, embodiments are also possible in which individual layers consist of different plastics or even cellulose layers or the like. In addition, it is customary to integrate hologram films, patches or electronic components, in particular RFID chips and antennas, in composite pages.

Separated from the composite pages, the remaining book semi-finished products are manufactured 400. This includes the production of differently colored covers 410 and the Making content pages 420. In the embodiment shown here, respective content pages and an associated cover are stitched together to form a book blank 430. Thus, different types of book blanks are made for the different types of book security documents.

The individual fabricated composite pages, regardless of type, are collected 280 in a magazine and fed to a joining station 610, which joins the composite page together with an associated book blank. For this purpose, the respective composite card is identified 620, for example on the basis of read personalization data. These are preferably stored electronically in a chip. Alternatively, the printed information including the personalization data and / or the identifier may be read out. In this way, the associated status variable can be determined 630 and thus the required book blank for the corresponding type on the composite page. From different magazines in which the different types of book blanks are provided 640, the workstation selects the corresponding required book blank 650 and joins it 660, for example, with a plastic welding process with the composite side. This means that the tab contained in the book blank is on the composite side is welded so that the composite page is not separably connected to the content pages and the cover over the tab.

Finally, a check 700 is performed, in which it is checked whether the identification pressure or the color of the identification pressure matches the color of the cover. If no identification print is applied for the standard types of book security documents, these are correct, provided that no identification print is found. For the other special grades, these are only considered correctly made if the color of the identification print matches the color of the cover.

The quality-tested book security documents are then finished.

In Fig. 2 FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment 100 'of the method for producing different types of book security documents. Same features are provided with the same reference numerals and not explained again here. The method differs in that the composite pages at the end of The composite pages are sorted sorted 290 by the associated type of book security document. The composite pages are then sorted into the merging station 611, which at the same time is fed the correct type of book blanks 641. In the blending station, the composite page is assembled with a book blank 660 as above explained.

At the conclusion of the fabrication, another check is made 700 as to whether a color of the identification color print matches the color of the cover. For standard book security documents, these are marked as produced correctly if no color identification print can be detected and the cover color matches the color of a standard book security document.

In still other embodiments similar to those of Fig. 1 and 2 The merging workstation may also be supplied with the content pages and the various bindings separately and not yet assembled into a book blank. In such an embodiment, the composite page with the content pages and the cover are bound and / or stapled to a book without requiring an additional tab to be welded to the composite side. An attachment of a tab portion may be made in such an embodiment during the manufacture of the composite side.

Also in the assembly performed in this manner, embodiments are possible in which the joining workstation unsorted the composite pages, i. mixed, fed and the workstation different covers in different magazines are fed and an assignment of the different bindings in the assembly work station is carried out automatically as described above. In other embodiments, the composite pages are sorted again by type and the merging workstation is fed only composite pages of a book security document type and also only book covers of the associated type.

The content pages of the different book security document types may be identical or may be different for the different types of book security documents.

In the foregoing, the essential process steps for the production of book security documents are explained, which allow a production of different types of book security documents in a simple manner. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that to formulate security features, additional process steps may be added at different locations of the process to form a variety of security features. In addition, it is also possible and customary to individualize the content pages before, during or after joining with the composite page in such a way that a serial number or other identifier is printed on the individual content pages or stored via a perforation in the content pages. In addition, one or more content pages may additionally be printed with personalizing information.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the features described herein may be used in any combination for practicing the invention, as far as the combination of features falls within the scope of the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

100

method

110

Production of a composite page

120

Receive or capture a personalization record

130

Assignment of further identifiers and the like

140

Assign a status variable to the personalization record

200

Production of the composite site

210

Provision and / or production of substrate layers

220

Checking the affiliation of the personalization data record to a special type

230

Query the status variable

240

Generating a colored print information

250

Printing a substrate layer with personalizing information

260

Gathering the individual substrate layers into a substrate layer stack

270

Assembly of the different substrate layers

280

Collecting the individual finished composite pages in a magazine

290

Sort the composite pages

400

Production of the remaining book semi-finished products

410

Finishing the different colored bindings

420

Create content pages

430

Merging the content pages and the associated cover

600

Joining to a book security document

610

Feeding the composite pages to a joining work station

611

Feeding the type-sorted composite pages to a joining workstation

620

Identify the respective composite card

630

Determine the type of book security document based on its status variables

640

Providing different types of book blanks

641

Feeding the correct type of book blank

650

Select the required book blank

660

Combine the book blank with the composite page

700

Perform a quality control

Claims (15)

1. Method (100, 100') for producing different types of book-like security documents, which in each case comprise several pages grouped together to form a book, of which one binding page is provided with at least one personalised security feature, wherein the different types of book-like security documents differ at least in respect of a colour of a cover page, wherein a standard type and several special types of book-like security documents exist, comprising the steps:

   separately producing the personalised binding pages (110) and other book-like semi-finished elements (400), and

   combining (600) in each already personalised binding page with one or more book-like semi-finished elements to form a book-like security document, wherein the producing (110) of one of the binding pages comprises in each case:

   receiving (120) a personalising data record;

   printing (250) at least one substrate layer with personalising information in accordance with the personalising data record;

   grouping together (270) the at least one printed substrate layer with one or more substrate layers to form the personalised binding page,

   wherein for each personalising data record a status variable (140) is set, which indicates the type of the book-type security document concerned, and the printing (250) of the at least one substrate layer with personalising takes place by multicoloured printing and together with the personalising information, and, if the status variable relating to the personalising information indicates that the type of the book-like security document is one of the special types, then an identification print is additionally carried out in coloured format, in such a way that the colour of the identification print corresponds to the colour of the cover page of the associated type of book-like security document.
2. Method (100, 100') according to claim 1, characterised in that, during a concluding quality control (700), a check is made for at least all special types of book-like security documents as to whether there is concordance of the colour of the at least one identification print with the colour of the cover page of the book-like security document.
3. Method (100, 100') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the binding pages for the different types of book-like security documents are produced in a mixed sequence.
4. Method (100, 100') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, in at least one working sequence for producing the binding pages, constituent parts for different types of book-like security documents are produced in multiple copies.
5. Method (100, 100') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the book semi-finished elements comprise type-independent contents pages and type-dependent book covers, and, when grouping together, in each case a set of contents pages and a cover page belonging to the type of book-like security document are bound together with the binding page.
6. Method (100, 100') according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the book semi-finished elements comprise type-dependent book blanks with contents pages, a type-dependent cover page, and a flap, which are already grouped together, and the personalised binding page is secured to the flap.
7. Method (100, 100') according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the contents pages are configured as type-independent.
8. Method (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the personalised binding pages of different types of book-like security documents are conveyed (610) in a mixed sequence to a grouping workstation, and the book semi-finished elements are conveyed to the station by way of different magazines, which are required for the different types of book-like security documents which are to be completed, and the grouping workstation identifies (620) the binding pages, and, on the basis of the assigned status variables, in each case determines (630) the type of the book-like security document which is to be completed, and conveys (650) the corresponding other book semi-finished elements in the correct type out of the different magazines.
9. Method (100') according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the binding pages are sorted (290) in accordance with the type of book-like security document to which they are assigned, and in each case only binding pages (611) and other book semi-finished elements (641) are conveyed to the grouping workstation which belong to the same type of book-like security document.
10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that, when carrying out the identification print, an identification field is printed in such a way that the colour of the printed identification field corresponds to the colour of the cover page of the associated type of book-like security document.
11. Device for producing different types of book-like security documents, which in each case comprise a number of pages grouped to form a book, of which one binding page is configured with at least one personalised security feature, wherein the different types of book-like security documents differ at least in respect of a colour of a cover page, wherein a standard type and several special types of book-like security documents exist, comprising:

    a control device for receiving a personalising data record;

    a printing apparatus connected to the control device, for printing at least one substrate layer with personalised information in accordance with the personalising data record;

    and a joining device for gathering the at least one substrate layer with one or more further substrate layers to form the personalised binding page; and

    a grouping workstation for grouping together in each case an already personalised binding page with one or more other book semi-finished elements to form the book-like security document, wherein the control device is configured such as to set a status variable for each personalising data record, which indicates the type of book-like security document concerned, and controlling the printing of the at least one substrate layer with personalising information in such a way that this takes place by means of multicoloured printing and, together with the personalising information, if the status variable for the personalising information indicates that the type of book-like security document is one of the special types, an identification print is also carried out in colour, in such a way that the colour of the identification print corresponds to the colour of the cover of the type of book-like security document concerned.
12. Device according to claim 11, characterised by an optical detection device for the colour detection of the cover and of the binding page printed with the personalising information, and an assessment device connected to the optical detection device for checking whether, for all special types of book-like security documents, concordance is present of the colour of the at least one identification print with the colour of the cover of the book-like security document.
13. Device according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterised in that the gathering workstation is coupled to a conveying device, such that the personalised binding pages of different types of book-like security documents are conveyed in a mixed sequence to a grouping workstation, and this comprises different magazines for different types of book semi-finished elements, by means of which the book semi-finished elements are conveyed, which are required for the different types of book-like security documents which are to be completed, and the grouping workstation is configured in such a way as to identify the binding pages and, on the basis of the assigned status variable, to detect in each case the type of the book-like security document which is to be completed, and to convey the corresponding other book semi-finished elements in the correct type from the different magazines.
14. Device according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterised in that a sorting device is provided for the sorting of the binding pages in accordance with the type of the book-like security document to which these are assigned, in order in each case only binding pages and other book semi-finished elements to be conveyed to the gathering workstation which belong to the same type of book-like security document.
15. Device according to any one of claims 11 or 14, characterised in that the gathering workstation is configured such as to gather personalised binding pages together with the other book semi-finished elements, type-dependent book blanks with contents pages, a type-dependent cover, and a flap, in that the personalised binding page is in each case secured to the flap.

Images