ES2421947T5 - Secure identification document and method to secure said document - Google Patents

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Secure identification document and method to secure said document.

This invention relates to the security of information or data carriers. More particularly, the invention relates to the securing of information media so that the identification data, in particular, is not altered or modified and that the media cannot therefore be reused fraudulently.

The invention relates to the field of identification documents with or without chip, such as driver's licenses, identification cards, membership cards, access control cards, passports, bank cards, electronic wallets, multi-application cards and others Security documents Due to the value and importance of all these documents, they are often copied, altered, modified and falsified without permission.

Thus, for example, printing with a laser does not prevent the addition of information. Such addition of information could, for example, make it possible to completely change a photograph, by adding more hair, or a mustache or glasses, etc .: An example of falsifying a photograph by adding is illustrated in Figure 1 of areas obscured with a laser beam On the original card 10, the data about the identity of the holder is entered in a text area 11 and a photograph 12 of the holder is reproduced, for example by laser engraving on the surface of the card . The photograph is printed on the thickness of the card by laser engraving and therefore it is indelible and the dark areas cannot be deleted. On the other hand, it is possible to add darkened areas, for example in the text area 11, to modify the identity of the holder, but also in photograph 12 to alter the characteristics of the holder. In the example of Figure 1, the original photograph 12 of the card 10 has been modified. Hair has been added with a laser beam and dark areas have been added to raise the cheekbones and change the skin color, so that there is a new fake 12A photograph on the 10A card.

To avoid this type of falsification of identity documents, different means of assurance are used. One solution consists of superimposing lines or guilloches on an identification image such as a photograph. That way, if any material is printed later, the guilloches appear in white on an added black background. Other solutions consist of the addition of security elements, such as holograms, information printed with ink that reacts to ultraviolet radiation, micro-letters hidden in an image or text, etc.

These solutions make it possible to secure the information media adequately, but require additional equipment and / or material, resulting in higher production costs. WO 03/02081 shows the state of the art.

That is why the technical issue related to this invention is aimed at offering a secure identification document with a first set of identification information, which provides an alternative solution to existing solutions that is simple to implement and makes it possible to reduce production costs.

The solution to the technical problem posed is obtained according to the present invention by means of a secure identification document according to claim 1.

As a result, having the information in the form of a positive image and also in the form of an inverse image, that is, in the form of a negative image in the same identification document, makes it possible to compare both and see very quickly if there has been a fake. That is because while it is very easy to add darkened areas to a positively printed image to modify that image, it is, on the other hand, much more difficult to do it with the reverse image, since this would require the addition of areas in a color complementary. To take the example of laser engraving illustrated in Figure 1, which is a destructive technique, while the positive can be engraved to add dark hair, those same parts cannot be added in the negative, since this would mean the addition of white , the complementary color, Add white to negative is impossible because, as the negative has been printed by laser engraving, it would require deleting the already recorded areas that appear black.

In another embodiment in which the printing is achieved by transferring, to the body of the document, a metallic medium obtained by engraving a metal plate or sprayed with metallic ink, it is also very difficult to add information to the First image and delete that same information to the second image.

The invention also relates to a method of protecting a secure identification document. The method according to the invention is claimed in claim 9.

Thus, the two sets of identification data are printed simultaneously in the form of inverse images of each other. To make the document secure, only a single printing stage is required, which is

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Easy to perform, it is not necessary to use additional special machines and do not increase the cost.

Other particularities and advantages of the invention will be clarified in the following description provided as an illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the following attached figures:

- Figure 1, already described, shows an identification card with an original photograph and a counterfeit card with a modified photograph,

- Figure 2 shows a schematic top view of an identification document secured in accordance with the Invention,

- Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of another identification document secured according to the Invention,

- Figure 4 shows a schematic sectional view of an identification document according to an embodiment variant.

The examples described below refer to identification cards that are more or less rigid, such as identity cards, for example. However, the invention is not limited to cards but extends to all types of identification objects with or without chips, such as passports or other flexible security documents.

Figures t to 3 contain representations of cards 10, 20, 30 incorporating personalization data 11. Personalization data 11 are marked on the card or on the thickness of the card. The data identifies the holder and are therefore personal to the individual who is the regular cardholder. A photograph 12 of the cardholder can be printed on the surface of the card.

The card 20, 30 thus personalized and comprising a text area 11 and / or a photo zone 12 can thus be made from the body of a relatively rigid card, on the two opposite sides of which a top film has been placed and protective bottom. Typically, these three elements are joined by hot rolling. The two pieces of protective film mainly offer protection to the card body from external mechanical attacks. It is typically transparent, flexible and made of plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polycarbonate (PC). The body of the card is opaque.

Before that, custom marking 11 and 12 is applied on at least one of the sides of the card body, for example, by engraving with a laser beam. Marking can also be applied to the material that makes up the body of the card. In that case, the layer that constitutes it can be for example polycarbonate comprising carbon particles that allow the creation of a black and white image with a laser beam.

Typically, the body of the card can be made of PVC, polycarbonate (PC) or polylethene terephthalate (PET).

To secure the identification document and avoid any modification and / or alteration of the personalization data, at least one of the personalization data sets, for example photograph 12 in Figure 2, is duplicated in a reverse image 12 ’. Thus, the card has not only the positive photograph 12 of the cardholder, but also the negative photograph 12 'of the cardholder. The two images 12, 12 'are inverted and placed side by side, so that they can be easily compared to the naked eye or with a reading device, comprising, for example, optical reading means for scanning images, media to process the read images and means to compare the two read and processed images.

In the example illustrated in Figure 2, only photograph 12 has been duplicated in an inverse image, but the invention, of course, allows duplication of any area of information in an inverse image, whether it is in an image area 12 or in a text area 11.

Therefore, the presence of the negative image 12 'makes it possible to see immediately, by a simple comparison, if the positive image 12 has been modified by adding elements thereto. This is because, although it is possible to add hair, for example, by laser engraving on the surface of the card in the image 12, on the other hand it is not possible to add the complementary white color in the reverse image 12 'as it would require erase the black previously obtained by engraving the surface of the card.

In a variant embodiment, it is also possible that the inverse image 12 "is smaller in size than the positive. It is also possible to embed it in a predefined corner of the positive image 12, as shown in Figure 3.

In this case, it is preferable to have a reading device to compare the two images, because if the changes are minor, they will not necessarily be visible to the naked eye in the smaller 12 "negative. The optical reading media, such as a scanner, they read the two images, the processing means process them

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digitally and the comparison means compare them. If the comparison means find a difference between the two images analyzed, they can, for example, send a visual and / or auditory alert signal.

The method to secure the identification document is carried out in a single printing sequence with the same printing equipment. Said printing equipment comprises, for example, a device for entering information such as, for example, a device for recording a photograph or a keyboard for entering text, etc. The image processing means then create an additional inverse image, as a complement to the first information entered, and control means make it possible to control at least one Printing medium to print the positive image 12 and the reverse image 12 ', 12 "on the surface of the card and / or on a layer that makes up the card. Such printing means can be a laser beam, for example. When printing is carried out on the surface of the card, it is recorded with a laser beam When printing is carried out on a layer that composes the body of the card with a laser beam, the layer that makes up the body of the card can be, for example, polycarbonate comprising carbon particles that react when they are illuminated by a laser beam, so that a black and white image is created.

In a variant embodiment, at least one of the identification data sets 12, 12 "or 12" is placed on the card by transferring a recorded or sprayed metal medium. In that case, another type of printing means consists of a means for transferring a metallic medium obtained by engraving or spraying the metal or metallic ink.

In this case, the reading device must also comprise reading means of the capacitive or inductive type.

When the two sets of reverse identification data are made according to this variant, both can be printed either on the surface of the card or on the surface of one of the layers that make up the card, or on the surface of two different layers, as shown in figure 4. Thus, for example, when printed on the surface of the card, the eye of the controller can perform a first visual check before inserting the document into a reader with capacitive reading media or inductive for a more detailed check.

When they are printed on the surface of a layer that makes up the card and are covered by an opaque layer, they are no longer visible to the naked eye and only capacitive or inductive reading media can scan them before processing and comparing them.

In the other case, as illustrated in Figure 4, the first set of information data 48 is printed on the surface of the card 40 and the second set of data information 49 is printed on the surface of a 43 of the layers 41, 42, 43, 44. 45 that make up card 40. In this case, the first data set of 48 remains visible, while the second one is invisible so that a counterfeiter trying to modify the first one is not able of modifying the second. Capacitive or inductive reading media are used to read each data set before processing them both and comparing them.

In another variant embodiment, the first set of information data 48 can be printed with a laser beam on the surface of the card 40, while the second set of data 49 is introduced by transferring or spraying metal on the surface of a layer of 43 that makes up the card. In this case, the printing equipment includes laser printing means and means for transferring a metal medium etched or sprayed with metal or metallic ink. Likewise, the reading device comprises optical reading means of the scanner type, and capacitive or inductive reading means. Once each of the information data has been read with the appropriate reading media, they are digitally processed and then compared with comparison means. When the comparison means detect differences between the two data sets, it sends a visual and / or acoustic alert message so that the control agent is alerted to the forgery.

Claims (12)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five 1. Secure identification document comprising a first set of identification data (12; 48), characterized in that it comprises a second set of identification data (12 ', 12 ", 49), obtained by duplication of the first series of identification data, which takes the form of an inverse image of the first series of identification data and in which the first set of identification data and the second set of identification data are printed with the same equipment during A single print sequence. 2. Secure identification document according to claim 1, wherein the first (12) and second (12 ’) sets of identification data are printed side by side on the surface of the secure identification document (20). 3. Secure identification document according to claim 1, wherein the first (12) and second (12 ') sets of identification data are printed side by side on a layer that forms the document and is sensitive to laser radiation. 4. Document according to claim 3, wherein the layer constituting the document is made of polycarbonate comprising carbon particles. 5. Document according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second (12 ") set of identification data is embedded in a predetermined area of the first set (12) of identification data. 6. Identification document according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein first (12) and second (12 ', 12 ") sets of identification data are made with a laser beam. 7. Identification document according to claim 1, wherein at least one (49) of the identification data sets is made by transferring a recorded or sprayed metal medium. 8. Identification document according to claim 7, wherein the first (48) and the second (49) set of identification data are made on the inner surface of a layer that forms the document, so that said data Identification are invisible to the eye. 9. Method for securing an identification document comprising a printing stage of a first set of identification data (12, 48), characterized in that during the printing stage, the first set of identification data is duplicated in a second set of identification data (12 ', 12 ", 49), which takes the form of an inverse image of the first set of identification data and in which the first set of identification data and the second set of identification data They are printed with the same equipment during a single printing sequence. 10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the identification data (12, 48; 12 ', 12 ", 49) are printed on the surface of the document and / or a layer of which the document is composed. 11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the printing is carried out by means of a laser beam. 12. Method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the printing is achieved by transferring a recorded or sprayed metal medium. image 1 10- Name Last name Date Birth 12 10A 12A image2 OR Fig. 1 Name Last name Date Birth image3 image4 image5 Fig. image6