JPS61181681A - Method for recording individual information - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to optical data information storage and, more particularly, to storing personal information on an information medium containing both a visible image and laser-recorded machine-readable data. It relates to a method for recording.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Identification cards use a magnetic data strip for a photographic print of the cardholder. United States Patent No. 4.360,72
In 8, Orexler developed a strip of magnetic recording material and a direct read after.
A bank card for automatic teller machines (ATMs) is disclosed that is both light reflective and laser recordable.

United States Patent No. 4. ．． In 236,332,
Domo discloses a medical record card that includes a microfilm portion having data that can be viewed and other data that can be viewed by magnification. Directly visible data are alphanumeric characters relating to the patient's emergency medical condition, and an expandable data section details the medical history.

3ilverman et al.
teaches an access control system with identification cards in American Congregations [El.f. Pat. No. 4,213.038. This card has machine readable marks that are used to select mask microspot patterns from the machine's memory. This mask pattern is compared to the same pattern on the card for verification. This card also has space for a photo and signature. Similarly, Eiderson et al.
l ae+son etal: United States Patent No. 4
．． No. 151,667) teaches an identification card with a photographic and phosphorescent barcode pattern used for identification. The amount of information these cards can hold is extremely limited. Random micro-spot patterns can only be used for verification, while barcodes can only display a small number of specific data.

The purpose of this invention is to: before and during exposure formation of a visible image;
Or to provide a method for recording personal information, both a visible image and data, on a card to accompany such a visible image after exposure formation.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The foregoing objects are intended to provide a method for visually recording in situ recorded photographic material and strips of laser recordable material provided on a piece of laser recordable material or on a wallet-sized card. filled by a card with information that can be read out.

The visually readable information affixed to the inner or outer surface of the card may relate to a person and consist of a facial photograph or a fingerprint. The laser beam can cause damage by either ablation, melting, physical or chemical changes
Data is recorded in situ on a strip of optical storage material, thereby forming a spot that exhibits a change in reflectance. The recording process produces a reflectance difference that can be detected by a photodetector. This recording may be done either before or after the strip is applied to the card. In this way, data relating to the person can be recorded and read directly from the strip. When the recording strip is a direct read-after-write material, no post-laser recording processing is required. Laser recording materials that require heat treatment after laser recording can also be used.

The uniform surface reflectance of this reflective strip before recording is
Typically it will be in the range of 8% to 65%. For very highly reflective strips, the average reflectance for laser recorded spots will be in the range of 5% to 25%. Thus, the reflection contrast ratio of the recorded spots will be in the range of 2:1 and 7:1.

Laser recording materials are known in the art for producing spots of low reflectivity in a reflective field or spots of high reflectance in a field of low reflectivity. An example of the latter type is U.S. Patent No. 4.34.
3.879. Field reflectance is 8
% to 20%, the reflective spot is about 4
It has a reflectance of 0%. Reflective contrast ratio is 2:1
It would be within the range of 5:1. Photo pre-formatting will create a spot with 10% reflectance in a reflective field or 40% reflectance in a low reflectance field. By in-situ laser recording,
Processing data, information, etc. related to the photographic image are later recorded. For example, an insurance claim or medical record entry may be processed at a later time without erasing the data (recording various transactions on strips of each other. Digital voice recordings or signatures may also be recorded. A photo of the person will prevent unauthorized use of the card.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to FIG.
5 and a data strip 17 . The visible image medium 11 is in sheet form. Visible image area 15 is a conventional photographic image, typically produced by conventional photographic techniques by exposing and developing the medium.

Alternatively, lasers can be used to create a visible image that can be read by the eye. Image area 15 may occupy the entire visible image medium, except for the data strips shown in FIG. 1, or discrete areas. Several images may be placed on the photographic medium. Alternatively, only one image may be on the media.

This invention is a direct read after write (DRAW) material that may have prerecorded information but must have user written information written in situ on the strip. data strip 17
use. Types of DRAW material that may be used include:
A bit of reflective surface, which tends to absorb light energy
It is a relatively highly reflective material that creates a shiny field for low reflective spots such as craters, holes or dark spots. The contrast difference between spots of low reflectance and the shiny reflective field surrounding them causes those spots to be illuminated by less intense light than the light that originally created them. Detector fluctuations occur when Alternatively, a low reflectivity material may be used that creates a highly reflective spot when recorded with a laser.

The data strip 17 is intended to provide a personal data record that accompanies the visible image on the same material, just as a movie soundtrack accompanies the individual frames of the film. Data is written in longitudinally extending individual tracks, as indicated by a single spot pattern, and these spot patterns are such that the data tracks contain a much higher density of information in reflection than in transmission. and is read normally,
Similar to the soundtrack on a film.

Since each of the spots in the spot pattern are approximately 5 microns in diameter with approximately 5-10 micron spacing between spots, the information density is high. The spots can be either digital or analog data, but in either case, as described, for example, by Boudin et al.
U.S. Patent No. 4 to Ldin, et al.
．． 278,756, by a laser in the usual manner.

FIG. 2 shows that, except when a larger visible image medium 21 is used with multiple rows of images 23, 25 and 27,
Similar to Figure 1. Compatible data strip 33.35
and 37 accompany the images in each row. These data strips are similar in configuration to the strips of FIG. Again, each row need not have an individually different image. Each row may consist of multiple images or one image. The embodiment of FIG. 2 is a microfiche type medium in which each row of images has corresponding data on a data strip. The image is such that it can be seen with the naked eye or with low magnification (magnification) optics. On the other hand, the data strips cannot be read with the naked eye, but need to be followed by microscopy or preferably by reflection of a scanning laser beam as described below.

However, lasers can record visible images such as serial numbers, personal data, or images of flat surfaces on laser recordable materials.

FIG. 3 shows a first configuration of the recording medium shown in FIG. The cross-sectional view includes a substrate 22, which is transparent and may be glass (or one of a number of polymeric substrate materials known in the photographic art).

Alternative layers not shown and emulsion Jl!
24 is applied to the substrate 22. This emulsion layer has photographic image areas 15 created by exposure and development in the conventional manner. The undulating lines 26 represent the fibrous black eye particles, which characterize the black and bright images of conventional photographs. Data strip 17 is one of many laser recording materials. For example, it is incorporated by reference in U.S. Patent No. 4.312.938.
(Drexler and Bouldin), a laser recording material made from a silver halide emulsion with fine grain sizes, less than 0.1 microns, by the silver diffusion transfer process described in (Drexler and Bouldin).

In the patented process, a silver halide emulsion is exposed to non-saturating levels of actinic radiation to activate the silver halide. The activated emulsion is then photodeveloped to red light to a gray color with an optical density of 0.05-2.0 to form an absorbing underlayer. No fixing occurs after the first development step. The surface of the emulsion strip is then fogged with a fogging agent, such as hydrogenated boron, to nucleate silver precipitation from the unexposed and undeveloped portions of the silver halide emulsion. The strip is then contacted with a bath containing a silver halide solvent and a silver reducing agent to complex and transfer the remaining unexposed and undeveloped silver and form a reflective non-fiber at the location of the nuclei on the surface. It is reduced to silver. The reflective layer contains 20% to 50% silver particles, of which 1% to 50% is fibrous silver formed in the initial development step. Beneath the reflective layer is an absorbent underlayer.

The reflective surface layer is characterized by non-fibrous particles 28 overlying a concentration of fibrous particles forming an absorbent underlayer. Untreated silver halide that generally remains transparent! ! A strike area 30 separates the data strip from the image area since it has not been exposed or developed. Although buffer region 30 is not necessary, it is desirable because the chemical processing of data strip 17 is different from that of image region 15. Buffer area 3
0 may be fixed to remove the silver halide so that the area remains clear.

This is optional. The mask is 1lIli! Image processing may be performed by spraying a chemical agent onto the surface of the film while covering one area 30. Such atomization processes are well known in photolithography. However, in the present case, it may be necessary to proceed in two steps. In a first step, conventional photographic processing of image area 26 is performed. Subsequently, the image area, together with the buffer area 30,
Masked to allow further processing of data strip 28.

After processing is complete, a transparent layer 32 is applied to the emulsion to form a protective layer. Layer 32 may be any of the well known protective coatings and includes a layer of clear gelatin. Apart from the data strip 17, the rest of the film need not have fine grain size. The data strip 17 can also be added to the photographic material in the form of an adhesive tape, which is adhered to the photographic material either before or after the film is developed, or both in the form of a wallet. It may also be adhered separately to the card.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 except that substrate 34 is coated with silver halide emulsion only to the right of line 36. Image area 15 is exposed, developed and fixed. A protective coating 38 may then be applied. A preformed strip 40 of laser recording material may be provided on the substrate. This may be a strip of Drexon material.

Drexson was granted the above-mentioned United States Patent No. 4,312.
．． Drexler Technology for Reflective Silver-Paced Laser Recording Materials as described in 938-
Corporation trademark.

The preformed strip of laser recording material has its own thin substrate 39 carrying the emulsion layer. Alternatively, the recording material may be other direct read-after-write laser recording materials, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,230.938 issued to De Bont, et al. Any of Bi, Te,
Ind, Sn, Cu.

A11. Pt, Au, Rh, As, Sb, Ge, Se,
A thin metallic recording layer of a reflective metal such as Qa is taught. Preferred materials are those with high reflectivity and low melting points, especially Cd, Sn, TQ.

In d, Bi F3 and amalgam. These materials may be formed directly onto the substrate 34, such as by sputtering, or may be prefabricated onto a very thin substrate and attached to the substrate by alternative layers. . After depositing the laser recording material on the substrate, a transparent protective coating 44 is applied. This coating material may be the same as the protective material 38.

Referring to FIG. 5, a substrate 52 has a notch or groove 54 that allows for placement of a laser recording material 56 therein.

This laser recording material, as in the case of FIG.
It may be processed in-situ from silver halide material pre-existing in the grooves or from pre-existing laser recording material placed in the grooves, such as the pre-existing laser recording material in FIG. In either case, photographic image areas 15 are exposed and developed as usual, while unexposed and undeveloped areas 58 protect data strips 56. Since emulsion area 58 is unexposed and undeveloped, it remains transparent and forms a protective layer over the data strip. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, there are no grooves in the substrate 60. Rather, photographic image areas 15 are exposed and developed in the conventional manner, and the remainder of the substrate is covered with an emulsion that is masked and protected from exposure and development, leaving protected areas 62 exposed and developed. Form. At the top of the protected area 62 a strip of laser recording material F164 is positioned. This laser recording material may be formed in situ by applying a silver halide emulsion strip to be processed when the data strip 17 of FIG. 3 is processed, or by applying it as in FIG. It may also be a pre-formed strip. This strip is then covered with a protective coating 66.

Referring to FIG. 7, a substrate 70 is shown which carries a photographic image in a portion of the substrate not shown. This image may be on the surface of the substrate or in a groove in the substrate, as described above.

The substrate carries a secondary substrate 72 which is a thin flexible material and only a few mils thick of solder carries the laser recording material 74.

Secondary substrate 72 is adhered to primary substrate 70 by an adhesive or sticky substance similar to the transfer adhesive found on tape. The laser recording material is a DREX material, except that a secondary substrate 72 is used in place of the previously described substrate.
It may be any of the materials discussed above, such as ON materials. A protective coating 76 is applied over the laser recording material. Using this embodiment, prior art photographs may be converted to optical data and image media of the present invention. In this situation, although not shown in the drawing of FIG. 7, a portion of the image area is converted into a non-image area by applying an adhesive laser recording material.

Laser recording materials are made of emulsions with secondary bursts.
overlying the developed silver halide emulsion, similar to FIG. 6, except that the areas underlying the emulsion are exposed and developed.

In all of these embodiments, the strip of laser recording material is positioned adjacent one or more visible images to provide a similar quality of archival data storage for data as for photographic images. Ru. A comment in alphanumeric or audio form may be recorded adjacent to the photographic image. By this measure, these two forms of communication are not separated. The information about the person is complementary to the photographic image on the card. For example, transaction information related to an individual may be recorded on the card. Such transaction information may be banking information, such as deposit and withdrawal records. Previously, such transactions were recorded in a passbook, but due to the amount of time it takes to fill in a passbook sequentially and due to automation, bankbook banking is It was abandoned even though it was more preferable to him. Now, sequential transactions require a card reader but can be automatically recorded so that the consumer can once again have a complete record of previous transactions. The portable image on the card provides security and protection against fraudulent transactions. Insurance transactions, migration matters, etc. all involve sequential transactions involving personal data. While it is important to record transactions, it is also important to associate them with readable personal data so that human judgment can be formed. To this end, a visible image of a face or fingerprint helps form a human judgment regarding the validity of a transaction.

Of course, the photographic image may be read out by conventional means, but a low power laser or photodetector array device must be used to read out the data strip.

The laser apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 8, which shows a side view of the longitudinal dimension of the medium of FIG. 1 consisting of a data strip in combination with a photographic image. The data strip portion 41 of this medium is typically received in a movable holder 42 that brings the strip into the trajectory of the laser beam.

A laser light source 43, preferably a pulsed semiconductor laser at an infrared wavelength, emits a beam 45;
passes through optical means 47 which create and converge parallel beams. The beam is sampled by four beam splitters, and beam splitter 49 transmits a portion of the beam through a converging lens 51 to a photodetector 53. Detector 53 confirms laser writing and is not essential. next,
the beam is directed to a first servo-controlled &i55;
This mirror 55 is mounted for rotation along an axis 57 in the direction indicated by arrow B. The purpose of 155 is, in the coarse mode of operation, to find the lateral edge of the data strip, and then, in the fine mode of operation, to identify the data path that exists at a given distance from the edge. be.

From 155, a beam is directed in direction 161. This mirror is mounted for rotation on a pivot 63. Mirror 55
The purpose of this is to provide fine control of the beam motion along the length of the data strip. Coarse control of the longitudinal section of the data strip with respect to the beam is achieved by movement of the movable holder 42. Holder position may be established by a linear motor regulated by a closed loop position subsystem of the type used in magnetic disk drives. Reference position information may be pre-recorded on the card so that a position error signal may be generated and used as feedback in motor control. When reading one data path, 155 is rotated slightly. The motor moves the holder 42 in the longitudinal direction so that its path can be read out again, for example. When light is scattered and reflected from a spot of laser recording material, the reflectivity of the beam changes with respect to the surrounding material where no spot is present. The beam should distribute sufficient laser energy to the surface of the recording material to create a spot of altered reflectance in the data writing mode.
There should not be any disruption of the surface which would cause difficulties in the data succession mode. The wavelength of the laser must be compatible with the recording material to achieve this purpose. In recording mode, the output is about 5% to 10% of the recording or writing output
It is.

The difference in reflectance between the spot and the surrounding material is detected by a photodetector 65, which may be a photodiode. The light passes through a beam splitter 67 and a converging lens 6
converges onto the detector 65. A servo motor, not shown, controls the position of the mirror and drives the mirror according to instructions received not only from the feedback device but also from the control circuit. Detector 65 generates electrical signals corresponding to the bits. Other optical means, not shown, are used to observe the optical image, while data is read or written on the data strip.

Photodetector arrays such as CODs may also be used. It can be either a linear array or an area array. The number of detector elements per track will be approximately 3 elements to create readout redundancy.

The surface will be illuminated with low cost light emitting diodes that produce output primarily in the near infrared to match the sensitivity spectrum of the photodetector array.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of the recording medium of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention. 3-6 are alternate cross-sectional configurations of the media of FIG. 1 taken along line A--A of FIG. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the alternating embodiment of the media of FIG. 8 is a plan view of an optical device for reading and writing the data strip portion of the media shown in FIG. 1; FIG. In the figure, 11 is a photosensitive medium, 13 is a principal surface, 15 is a photographic image area, 17 is a data strip, one is a spot pattern, 23.25 and 27 are images, 33.35 and 37 are data strips, and 30 is a 26 is a buffer area, 26 is an image area, and 28 is a data strip. Patent Applicant: Drexler Chikunoroshii Corporation

Claims (10)

[Claims] (1) producing visually readable information on a piece of laser recordable material, said information relating to a human being, and placing said visually readable information on a wallet-sized card; arranging a laser-recordable thin optical data storage layer on the wallet-sized card, and recording an indicia of information relating to the person onto the thin optical data storage layer in situ by means of a laser; , a method for recording personal information. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visually readable information includes a fingerprint photograph. (3) The method according to claim 1, wherein the visually readable information is a facial photograph. (4) The information is warranty information, claim 1
The method described in section. (5) Claim 1, wherein the information is medical information.
The method described in section. (6) The method of claim 1, wherein the information is banking transaction information. (7) The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is security-related information. (8) The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is a digitally recorded voice of the card owner. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is a digitized signature of the cardholder. (10) The information is information that can be read with the naked eye.
A method according to claim 1.