Laser texturing of identity document surfaces

Abstract

Security features used on identity documents, such as plastic cards and passport pages, are described. The security features include a textured portion formed using a laser on a portion of a surface of the identity document. The security features can also include a printed portion and / or a laser-engraved portion. The printed portion, if present, can be formed above or below the textured portion. The laser-engraved portion, if present, is formed within a thickness of the identity document below the textured portion. The textured portion and the printed portion and / or laser-engraved portion can be in unison with one another to form the security feature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This technical disclosure relates to security features on identity verification documents (such as plastic cards and passport pages) and the creation of those security features. Background Technology

[0002] Identity documents such as ID cards, credit and debit cards, driver's licenses, and passports are personalized with information about the intended holder of the identity document before being issued to that holder. Personalization and issuance are typically handled by government agencies, credit card companies, or other entities authorized to process the personalization and issuance. As part of the personalization and issuance process, identity documents may undergo numerous processing steps, including printing, portrait printing, magnetic stripe encoding, integrated circuit chip programming, embossing, lamination of protective laminates, and other known processes.

[0003] Many security measures have been implemented to combat the impersonation, forgery, or alteration of identity documents. Further improvements are needed to prevent the impersonation, forgery, or alteration of identity documents, and to prevent their fraudulent use once issued. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This article describes many security features used on identity verification documents, such as plastic cards and passport pages. These security features include textured surfaces created using a laser on a portion of the identity verification document.

[0005] In one embodiment of the security feature described herein, a laser is used to create a texture on a portion of the outermost surface of a plastic card or passport page. The texture is created in a visually perceptible and tactile manner. In one embodiment, the textured portion of the surface may be overlaid with another security feature formed within the card or passport page, located below the textured portion. In another embodiment, the textured portion of the surface may be directly integrated with another security feature, such as a printed security feature. In yet another embodiment, the textured portion may either cover a first security feature or be directly integrated into a second security feature. The textured portion may be generated before or after the generation of the other security feature.

[0006] In an embodiment, a textured portion may be created to be consistent, aligned, and / or coordinated with security features located below and / or overlaid with and / or directly integrated with the textured portion. For example, the textured portion may be an image of the intended holder of an identity document, and may be consistent or aligned with another image of the intended holder of an identity document created below or above the textured portion.

[0007] The plastic cards described herein include, but are not limited to, debit cards (e.g., credit cards, debit cards, etc.), access cards, driver's licenses, national ID cards, business ID cards, gift cards, and other plastic cards that may benefit from one or more security features added to plastic cards as described herein. Passport pages may be the front or back cover of the passport, or internal pages of the passport (e.g., plastic or paper pages). Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This depicts a portion of an identity document in the form of a plastic identity card with a laser-textured surface, printed images, and laser-marked images.

[0009] Figure 2 Depicting Figure 1 Laser-textured surfaces.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a plastic ID card obtained through one embodiment of the security features described herein.

[0011] Figure 4 This is another cross-sectional view of a plastic ID card obtained through another embodiment of the security features described herein.

[0012] Figure 5 This is another cross-sectional view of a plastic ID card obtained through another embodiment of the security features described herein.

[0013] Figure 6 This is another cross-sectional view of a plastic ID card obtained through another embodiment of the security features described herein.

[0014] Figure 7 This is another cross-sectional view of a plastic ID card obtained through another embodiment of the security features described herein.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an identity verification document processing system configured to create the security features described herein.

[0016] Figure 9 This is a schematic description of another embodiment of an identity verification document processing system configured to create the security features described herein. Detailed Implementation

[0017] An identity verification document is described, comprising security features formed by a textured surface created on a portion of the identity verification document using a laser. The textured surface is visible to the naked eye and, in some embodiments, may be tactile. In some embodiments, the textured surface may form the outermost surface of the identity verification document. In other embodiments, some or all of the textured surface may be covered by a subsequently applied layer (e.g., an optional transparent or translucent coating material), or even by a layer of printing ink. Numerous embodiments of security features on identity verification documents are described herein, each of which utilizes a textured surface created by a laser, for example, during the personalization of the identity verification document.

[0018] The identity documents described herein include plastic cards and passport pages. Plastic cards described herein include, but are not limited to, debit cards (e.g., credit cards, debit cards, etc.), access cards, driver's licenses, national ID cards, business ID cards, gift cards, and other plastic cards that can benefit from one or more security features added to plastic cards as described herein. Plastic cards may also be referred to as plastic ID cards. Passport pages can be the front or back cover of a passport, or internal pages of a passport (e.g., plastic or paper pages). The techniques described herein can also be used on paper documents.

[0019] Many variations of security features with textured surfaces are possible. In one embodiment, the textured portion of the surface may be overlaid with another security feature formed within a card or passport page and located below the textured portion. In another embodiment, the textured portion of the surface may be directly integrated with another security feature, such as a printed security feature. In yet another embodiment, the textured portion may either cover a first security feature or be directly integrated into a second security feature. The textured portion may be generated before or after the generation of the other security feature.

[0020] For ease of description of the concepts herein, the following description and figures disclose identity documents as plastic cards. However, as stated above, the techniques described herein are applicable to pages of passports on which security features can be formed.

[0021] Throughout the specification and claims, the term "plastic card," unless otherwise stated, refers to a card substrate that can be formed entirely of plastic, a combination of plastic and non-plastic materials, or primarily or entirely of non-plastic materials. In one embodiment, the size of these cards may be designed to conform to ISO / IEC 7810, and the dimensions of these cards are approximately 85.60 mm by 53.98 mm (approximately 3...). 3 / 8 inches x approx. 2 1 / 8 inches) and has a thickness of approximately 2.88mm to 3.48mm (approximately1 The cards feature rounded corners (approximately 8 inches). As understood by those skilled in the art of plastic ID cards, these cards are typically formed from multiple separate layers that make up the majority of the card body or card substrate. Examples of plastic materials that can form the cards or the separate layers of the cards include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PETG). Their combination, as well as other plastics.

[0022] As used herein, the term "processing" (etc.) throughout the specification and claims, unless otherwise stated, is intended to cover a variety of operations performed on a card, including operations that result in card personalization and operations that do not. Examples of processing operations that personalize a card are creating a cardholder image or name on the card. Examples of processing operations that do not personalize a card are applying lamination to the card or printing a non-cardholder image on the card. The term "personalization," as commonly used in the card industry, refers to a card that has undergone both personalization and non-personalization processing operations.

[0023] The terms “consistent,” “aligned,” “coordinated,” and “combined to form a security feature,” unless otherwise stated, are intended to refer to consistency between two or more features described herein, such as consistency between two or more textured portions, printed portions, and laser-marked portions described below. These terms are distinct from and differentiated from two security features, such as two images of a cardholder, that may only partially overlap each other, or where one security feature is significantly smaller than the other, thus making the two security features inconsistent.

[0024] Figure 1 A portion of a plastic card 50 is illustrated, which includes an example of the security feature 52 described herein. The plastic card 50 is typically of a standard construction (in addition to security feature 52). The plastic card 50 may be formed from multiple separate layers layered on top of each other to form a card body or card substrate 54. The card 50 may include other features known in the art, including but not limited to integrated circuit chips, magnetic stripes, and personalized data such as the intended cardholder's name, address, account number, or other unique identification number or identifier assigned to the cardholder, card verification value number, etc. The card 50 may also include non-personal data or features, including but not limited to printed graphics, the card issuer's logo, bank name, etc.

[0025] exist Figure 1 In the example, security feature 52 includes a textured portion 56 (in...) Figures 2 to 7(best visible in the middle), optional printable section 58 (in Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 7 (best visible in the middle), and / or optional lower portion 60 (in Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 7 (Best visible). In some embodiments, the textured portion is formed on the outermost surface 62 of the card 50 by a suitable laser that creates a texture 62 on the surface 62, thereby creating a physical modification of the surface 62 to form the textured portion 56 by ablation / displacement / melting the card material. The textured portion 56 may be visible to the naked eye and, in some embodiments, tactile. The textured portion 56 may be consistent with an optional printed image 58 (i.e., registered, aligned, or coordinated). Furthermore, the textured portion 56 may be consistent with an optional underlying portion 60 (i.e., registered, aligned, or coordinated). The underlying portion 60 may be a laser-marked portion or a pre-printed portion, such as a photolithographic printed portion, which may be located in a similar position to the laser-marked portion. In some embodiments, both laser-marked portions and pre-printed portions may be used. For ease of description below, the underlying portion 60 will be described as a laser-marked portion. However, the underlying portion may be formed by techniques other than laser marking or by a combination of laser marking and printing techniques.

[0026] Each of the texturing portion 56, the printing portion 58, and the laser marking portion 60 can involve the personalized data of the intended cardholder. For example, as... Figures 1 to 2 As shown, each of the textured portion 56, the printed portion 58, and the laser-marked portion 60 is a complete or partial image of the intended cardholder. However, the textured portion 56, the printed portion 58, and the laser-marked portion 60 can form other personalized data, including alphanumeric text associated with the intended cardholder. The textured portion 56, the printed portion 58, and the laser-marked portion 60 are formed to overlap each other as precisely as possible so that they are consistent with one another.

[0027] The texturing portion 56 does not need to form an exact copy of the personalized data. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, the texturing portion 56 forms the outline of the cardholder image, wherein the cardholder's facial features are not visible in the texturing portion 56. In other embodiments, the texturing portion 56 may form a redundant copy of the cardholder image or alphanumeric text, a negative copy of the cardholder image, a subset of pixels from the cardholder image, the outline of the cardholder image, text in a pattern throughout the cardholder image and / or around the cardholder image, a pattern throughout the cardholder image and / or around the cardholder image, and other textures.

[0028] In other embodiments, the texturing portion 56, the printing portion 58, and the laser marking portion 60 relate to data associated with the plastic card 50, such as the card number or data associated with the issuer of the card 50, such as the issuing government (country, state, region, etc.), country code, logo, symbol, issuer name or logo (e.g., VISA, MASTERCARD, etc.), or bank name or logo.

[0029] The texturing portion 56 can be formed on the surface 62 using a CO2 laser or another suitable laser that produces a personalized textured image or other data on the surface 62 that is normally optically transparent. The surface 62 is modified by ablation / displacement / melting or otherwise modified by laser energy absorbed by the surface material. In some embodiments, the texturing portion 56 can be applied independently as an auxiliary security feature separate from other security features. However, in other embodiments, the texturing portion 56 forms an additional visible security feature integrated with the document holder's main personalized printed image portion 58. The texturing portion 56 can be applied before or after the main image portion 58. The texturing portion 56 can be registered with and / or coordinated with the main personalized printed image portion 58 and / or the laser marking portion 60.

[0030] The textured portion 56 can be generated using standard digital methods, such as rendering personalized image data and / or text into a bitmap image and then applying the textured portion 56 to the surface 62 using a raster scanning method or a line vector scanning method via laser. The textured portion is achieved through small recesses formed in the outermost surface of the card 50. If an underlying laser-marked portion 60 is present, the texture should ensure that the underlying laser-marked portion is not visually obscured by the textured portion 56. By changing the pulse energy and / or timing of the laser pulse for each point / pixel of the applied textured portion 56, the depth and size of each point / pixel are altered, resulting in point / pixel leveling effects 56 in the textured portion. In a non-limiting example, the texture in the textured portion can be applied at approximately 200 dpi, with a maximum depth into the surface of approximately 100 μm. In some embodiments, some or all of the textured portion 56 is visible to the naked eye along all viewing directions of the card 50. In another embodiment, some or all of the textured portions 56 may be hidden, i.e., invisible to the naked eye when the card 50 is directly viewed, but become visible when the card 50 is rotated so that an external light source is reflected from the surface 62 of the card 50. Depending on the size and depth of the applied texture, the reflected light varies, giving the printed portion 58 a visible and variable size. The textured portions 56 may also be tactile. In other embodiments, some or all of the textured portions may remain hidden, i.e., invisible to the naked eye, to enhance surface adhesion of the print.

[0031] The optional printed portion 58 can be formed by any suitable printing technology, including those known in the field of card personalization, including but not limited to drop-on-demand (DOD), dye diffusion thermal transfer, retransfer printing, etc. The printed portion 58 can be color (YMCK) or monochrome. In the case of DOD printing to form the printed portion 58, the texture formed in the surface 62 after the formation of the textured portion 56 allows ink to adhere below the level of the top surface 62, making it more difficult to tamper with the printed portion 58. Additionally, ink flow into the texture can minimize or eliminate the amount of ink appearing on the surface 62 of the card 50. Furthermore, the textured portion 56 can reduce or eliminate the need for surface treatment prior to DOD printing. Creating the textured portion 56 alters the surface tension of the surface 62, similar to pretreatment such as plasma treatment. Furthermore, due to the texture of the textured portion 56, ink flow is less efficient during DOD printing, and the applied DOD ink may adhere better to the textured surface due to the increased surface area.

[0032] The optional laser-marked portion 60 can be formed using an infrared laser or other suitable lasers known in the art for laser marking of plastic cards. One or more lasers create the image by interacting with the material forming the card and causing the material to change color (e.g., darken the material). The laser-marked portion 60 is formed within the thickness of the card 50 (i.e., below surface 62) and is located below or beneath the textured portion 56 and the printed portion 58. Examples of suitable lasers for forming the laser-marked portion 60 can be found in the MX6100 Card Personalization System, commercially available from the Entrust Corporation of Shakopee, Minnesota. When the lower layer is not formed by laser marking, it can be formed by printing, for example, a pre-printed substrate photolithographically printed portion.

[0033] Go to Figures 3 to 7 The illustration shows partial cross-sectional views of different embodiments of the plastic card 50 obtained through security feature 52. Figures 3 to 7 In this work, the dimensions of various features (such as card layers, the texture of the texturing portion 56, the printing ink 58, and the optional laser marking portion 60) are greatly exaggerated to help explain these concepts. Figures 3 to 7 In the figures, the same reference numerals are used to refer to similar features.

[0034] exist Figure 3 In the illustration, card 50 is shown as two layers 70, 72 comprising card body 54, but a larger number of layers may be present. Layer 70 includes surface 62. The texture of the textured portion 56 is formed in surface 62. In this example, the texture is described as recesses 64 formed in and extending below surface 62. Recesses 64 may be arranged, evenly spaced from each other, and extending in the same direction (if they have a longitudinal extent), and each recess may have a substantially equal, uniform size (e.g., depth and width) and shape, as shown. In other embodiments, recesses 64 may be random and / or unequally spaced and / or extend in different directions and / or may vary in size and / or shape. Recesses 64 may take many forms and shapes for creating texture on a surface, including, but limited to, grooves, channels, dots, divots, and combinations thereof.

[0035] In creation Figure 3When the security feature 52 is applied, a textured portion 56 is created in the surface 62. Subsequently, a printed portion 58 is applied, for example, by DOD printing, re-transfer printing, or thermal sublimation transfer. The print is depicted extending into the recess 64 so that some of the print is located below the surface 62. As a result, the texture is also present in the printed portion 58. Because a portion of the printed image is located below the surface 62 in the recess 64, tampering with the printed portion 58 is much more difficult compared to when the printed image 58 is entirely on the surface 62. Furthermore, the ink in the recess 64 does not wear away like ink on the surface. As a result, the printed portion 58 located in the recess 64 will be visible for a longer period because the ink is not exposed to surface wear. Optionally, a transparent or translucent coating can be applied to the printed portion 58 and the textured portion 56. Figure 4 (Depicted in Chinese).

[0036] Alternatively, the laser-marked portion 60 can also be used and located below the textured portion 56, for example, in or above layer 72. The laser-marked portion 60 can be used solely with the textured portion 56 (i.e., without the printed portion 58), or it can be used with the printed portion 58. The laser-marked portion 60 can be formed before or after the textured portion 56 is generated, and if used with the printed portion 58, the textured portion 56 can be formed before or after the printed portion 58 is generated. When the textured portion 56, the printed portion 58, and the laser-marked portion 60 are present and consistent with each other, the security feature 52 is more difficult to tamper with or manipulate.

[0037] Figure 3 It also depicts the texturing portion 56, the printed portion 58, and the laser-marked portion 60 (if present) as having substantially the same lateral extent, so that they are substantially identically superimposed on each other, or substantially identically consistent.

[0038] Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the plastic card 50 obtained through security feature 52 is illustrated. Figure 4 In this process, a textured portion 56 is created in surface 62. Subsequently, a printed portion 58 is applied, for example, by DOD printing, re-transfer printing, or thermal sublimation transfer. The print is depicted extending into the recess 64 so that some of the print lies beneath surface 62. Because a portion of the printed image lies beneath surface 62 in the recess 64, tampering with the printed portion 58 is much more difficult than if the printed image 58 were entirely on surface 62. Furthermore, a transparent or translucent coating layer 66 is depicted being applied over the printed portion 58 and the textured portion 56. The texture formed by the textured portion 56 is not formed in the coating layer 66, so in this embodiment, the textured portion 56 is not tactile.

[0039] Alternatively, the laser-marked portion 60 can also be used and located below the textured portion 56, for example, in or above layer 72. The laser-marked portion 60 can be used only with the textured portion 56 (i.e., without the printed portion 58), or it can be used with the printed portion 58. The laser-marked portion 60 can be formed before or after the textured portion 56 is generated, and if used with the printed portion 58, the laser-marked portion 60 can be formed before or after the printed portion 58 is formed. Furthermore, Figure 4 The texturing portion 56, the printing portion 58, and the laser marking portion 60 are depicted to have different lateral sizes. For example, the lateral sizes of the texturing portion 56 and the printing portion 58 are shown to be smaller than the lateral size of the optional laser marking portion 60, such that the lateral edge 68 of the laser marking portion 60 extends beyond the lateral edges of the texturing portion 56 and the printing portion 58.

[0040] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the plastic card 50 obtained through security feature 52 is illustrated. Figure 5 In this embodiment, the textured portion 56 is created within a coating layer 66, which is disposed on top of the printed portion 58. In this embodiment, the printed portion 58 is formed on a surface 62, then the coating layer 66 is applied, and then the textured portion 56 is created. In this embodiment, the textured portion 56 is formed on top of or over the printed portion 58. Due to the presence of the coating layer 66, it can be considered that the coating layer forms the outermost surface of the card 50, thereby forming the textured portion 56 in the outermost surface of the card 50. The coating layer 66 is optional, and the textured portion 56 can be formed directly in the printed portion 58, which is first applied, and then the textured portion 56 is formed in the printed portion 58. The printed portion 58 can be created by DOD printing, re-transfer printing, or thermal sublimation transfer.

[0041] Optional laser marking section 60 Figure 5 The laser marking portion 60 is also depicted as located below the texturing portion 56 and the printing portion 58. The laser marking portion 60 can be used solely with the texturing portion 56 (i.e., without the printing portion 58), or it can be used with the printing portion 58. The laser marking portion 60 can be formed before or after the generation of the texturing portion 56, and if used with the printing portion 58, the laser marking portion 60 can be formed before or after the formation of the printing portion 58. Furthermore, Figure 5The texturing portion 56, the printing portion 58, and the laser marking portion 60 are depicted to have different lateral sizes. For example, the lateral size of the texturing portion 56 and the printing portion 58 is shown to be larger than the lateral size of the optional laser marking portion 60, such that the lateral edges of the texturing portion 56 and the printing portion 58 extend beyond the lateral edge 68 of the laser marking portion 60.

[0042] Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a plastic card 50 obtained through security feature 52 is illustrated. This embodiment depicts the textured portion 56 together with the printed portion 58. Figure 6 In this process, a textured portion 56 is created in surface 62. Subsequently, a printed portion 58 is applied, for example, by DOD printing, re-transfer printing, or thermal sublimation transfer. The print is depicted extending into the recess 64 so that some of the print lies beneath surface 62. Because a portion of the printed image lies beneath surface 62 in the recess 64, tampering with the printed portion 58 is much more difficult than if the printed image 58 were entirely on surface 62.

[0043] Figure 7 The illustration shows a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a plastic card 50 obtained through security feature 52. This embodiment depicts a textured portion 56 together with a laser-marked portion 60. In this embodiment, the textured portion 56 is used as an auxiliary feature that can be aligned and coordinated with the laser-marked portion 60 to provide evidence of image tampering and / or manipulation. Figure 7 The recesses 64 are also described as having varying shapes, sizes, widths, and spacing. These variations in the recesses 64 can be related to… Figures 3 to 6 Used in any of the embodiments.

[0044] Card 50 can be processed in any type of card processing system suitable for creating the security feature 52 described herein. For example, the card processing system can be configured as a high-volume or mass-production card processing system (or a central issuance processing system) that processes cards in large quantities (e.g., on the order of hundreds or thousands per hour), using multiple processing stations or modules to process multiple cards simultaneously to reduce the overall processing time per card. Examples of such mass-production card processors include the MX and MPR families of central issuance processors commercially available from the Entrust Corporation of Shakopee, Minnesota. Other examples of central issuance processors are disclosed in U.S. Patents 4,825,054, 5,266,781, 6,783,067, and 6,902,107, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Card processing systems can be configured as desktop card processing systems, which are typically designed for relatively small-scale, relatively small-volume individual card personalization, measured in tens or hundreds per hour, and typically process a single card at any given time. These card processors are often referred to as desktop processors because they have a relatively small footprint designed to allow the processor to be located on a desktop. Many examples of desktop processors are known, such as the SD or CD family, commercially available from the Entrust Corporation of Shakopee, Minnesota. Other examples of desktop processors are disclosed in U.S. Patents 7,434,728 and 7,398,972, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0045] When the document is a passport, the passport can be processed in any type of passport processing system applicable to creating the security feature 52 described herein. An example of a passport processing system is the PB 6500 Passport Issuance System, commercially available from the Entrust Corporation of Shakopee, Minnesota.

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a mass batch production document processing system 10 that can be used to create the security feature 52 described herein on cards or passports. The document processing system 10 is configured to process multiple documents simultaneously, wherein the documents are processed sequentially, and the documents are typically transported along the document transport direction / path X. Figure 8System 10 may include a document input device 12, one or more optional document processing stations 14 downstream of the document input device 12, an optional sub-surface laser station 16, a printing station 18, a laser texture station 20, one or more optional additional document processing stations, and a document output device 24. System 10 may include additional stations as understood by those skilled in the art.

[0047] Document input device 12 can be configured to hold multiple plastic cards or passports awaiting processing and mechanically feed documents one after another into system 30 using a suitable document feeder. If a document is present in the system, it is first introduced into one or more optional document processing stations 14. Station 14 (if present) may include a chip testing device configured to perform contact or contactless testing on the integrated circuit chip on each document to test the chip's functionality. Testing the chip's functionality may include reading data from the chip and / or writing data to the chip. The construction and operation of chip testing devices in document processing systems are well known in the art. Station 14 may also include a magnetic stripe read / write testing device (when the document is a card), configured to read data from the magnetic stripe on each card (if the card includes a magnetic stripe) and / or write data to the magnetic stripe on each card. The construction and operation of magnetic stripe read / write testing devices in document processing systems are well known in the art.

[0048] An optional sub-surface laser station 16 (if present in system 10) is configured to generate laser-marked portions 60. The laser used in laser station 16 may be an infrared laser, which creates one or more images by interacting with the material forming the document and causing the material to change color (e.g., darkening the material). Laser station 16 may be located upstream or downstream of printing station 18 and / or laser texturing station 20.

[0049] Print station 18 can be any type of printing mechanism suitable for producing the printed portion 58 described herein. For example, the print station can be configured to perform DOD printing, re-transfer printing, or thermal sublimation transfer. In some embodiments, such as in the case of DOD printing using UV-curable inks, a plasma treatment station and / or a UV curing station can be provided for use with print station 18.

[0050] Laser texture station 20 is configured to generate a textured portion 56 of security feature 52. The laser used in laser texture station 20 can be any laser suitable for creating the textured portion 56. For example, the laser can be a CO2 laser. An example of a suitable CO2 laser is the laser used in the Laser Perforation Module of the PB 6500 Passport Issuance System, commercially available from the Entrust Corporation of Shakopee, Minnesota. Laser texture station 20 can be located upstream or downstream of print station 18 in system 10.

[0051] If coating layer 66 is used, the coating station can be appropriately positioned in system 10, for example, between printing station 18 and laser texture station 20, or downstream of both printing station 18 and laser texture station 20.

[0052] One or more additional document processing stations 22 may be stations configured to perform any type of additional document processing. Examples of additional document processing stations 22 include, but are not limited to: embossing stations having embossing machines configured to emboss characters on a document; indentation stations having indenters configured to indent one or more characters on a document; laminating stations having laminators configured to apply one or more lamination plates to a document; topcoat stations having topcoat applicators configured to apply a topcoat to one or more surfaces of a document; security stations having security feature applicators configured to apply one or more additional security features to one or more surfaces of a document; and one or more document redirection mechanisms / flippers configured to rotate or flip a document 180 degrees to process both sides of the document.

[0053] The document outputter 24 can be configured to save the multiple documents after they have been processed. In this configuration, the document outputter 24 is commonly referred to as a document output hopper. The construction and operation of output hoppers are well known in the art.

[0054] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a desktop document processing system 30, which is typically designed for relatively small-scale, relatively small-volume personalization of individual cards or passports, for example, measured in tens or hundreds per hour, and typically processes a single document at any given time. Figure 9 In, with Figure 8 In system 10, components that are similar in construction or function are referred to using the same reference numerals. Figure 9 In the diagram, system 30 is illustrated as including a document input device 12 and a document output device 24 located at one end of system 50. Figure 3 In systems of the type described herein, the document input device 12 and / or the document output device 24 may be provided at other locations within system 30. For example, in one embodiment, the document input device 12 may be located at a higher position in the system, such as at the top of the system above the transmission path X between the ends of system 30. Figure 9 In another embodiment depicted with dashed lines, the document input device 12 and the document output device 24 may be located at opposite ends of the system 30.

[0055] One or more optional document processing stations 14, optional sub-surface laser stations 16, printing stations 18, and laser texture stations 20 can be configured to... Figure 9 The directions are arranged relative to each other.

[0056] exist Figure 8 and Figure 9 In systems 10 and 30, documents can be transferred throughout the system and moved along a document transfer path X by one or more suitable mechanical document transfer mechanisms (not shown). Mechanical document transfer mechanisms (one or more) for transferring cards and passports in document processing equipment of the type described herein are well known in the art. Examples of mechanical document transfer mechanisms that can be used are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, transfer rollers, transfer belts (with and / or without labels), vacuum transfer mechanisms, transfer carriages, and combinations thereof. Transfer mechanisms for plastic cards are well known in the art, including those disclosed in U.S. Patents 6,902,107, 5,837,991, 6,131,817, and 4,995,501 and in U.S. Publication 2007 / 0187,870, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the types of document transfer mechanisms (one or more) that can be used, as well as the construction and operation of such document transfer mechanisms.

[0057] The examples disclosed in this application are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive in all respects. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description; and all variations that occur within the meaning and equivalent scope of the claims are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An identity verification document, comprising: An identity document substrate having security features, the security features including a laser-textured surface of the identity document substrate, the laser-textured surface being formed by recesses extending into the outer surface of the identity document and printed features formed above or below the laser-textured surface; the laser-textured surface and the printed features at least partially overlap each other; and the laser-textured surface is visible to the naked eye; laser marking features are formed below the recesses, wherein the recesses and the laser marking features each form at least a portion of the security feature; the recesses and the laser marking features are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature.

2. The identity verification document according to claim 1, wherein, The identity document is a plastic card or a page from a passport.

3. The identity verification document according to claim 1, wherein, The security feature is the personalized data of the intended holder of the identity document, and the laser-textured surface and the printing feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data.

4. The identity verification document according to claim 3, wherein, The personalized data is the image of the intended holder of the identity document.

5. The identity verification document according to claim 1, wherein, The printed feature is formed above the laser-textured surface, and at least a portion of the printed feature extends into the recess, such that the portion of the printed feature extends below the outer surface of the identity document.

6. The identity verification document according to claim 1, wherein, The printed features are formed beneath the laser-textured surface.

7. The identity verification document according to claim 5, wherein, The laser-textured surface has a tactile feel.

8. The identity verification document according to claim 1, wherein, The laser-textured surface and the printed feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature.

9. A plastic card, comprising: A substrate having a security feature formed by personalized data of the intended holder of the plastic card; The security feature includes a plurality of recesses formed in the outer surface of the plastic card, the plurality of recesses being visible to the naked eye; and The following two: A printed feature is formed above or below the recess; the recess and the printed feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; the recess and the printed feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature; A laser marking feature is formed below the recess; the recess and the laser marking feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; the recess and the laser marking feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature.

10. The plastic card according to claim 9, wherein, The personalized data is an image of the intended holder wearing the plastic card.

11. The plastic card according to claim 9, wherein, The printed feature is formed above the recess, and at least a portion of the printed feature extends into the recess, such that the portion of the printed feature extends below the outer surface of the plastic card.

12. The plastic card according to claim 9, wherein, The printed feature is formed below the recess.

13. The plastic card according to claim 11, wherein, The recessed area has a tactile feel.

14. A method for generating a security feature on a plastic card, wherein, The security feature is formed from the personalized data of the intended holder of the plastic card, and the method includes: A laser is used to form multiple recesses on the outer surface of the plastic card, wherein the recesses are formed to be visible to the naked eye; and Forming a) and b), where, a) A printed feature on the plastic card, located above or below the recess, wherein the recess and the printed feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; The recessed portion and the printed feature are formed such that the recessed portion and the printed feature are aligned with each other and joined together to form the security feature; b) A laser marking feature on the plastic card located above or below the recess, wherein the recess and the laser marking feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; The recess and the laser marking feature are formed such that the recess and the laser marking feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming the printed feature over the recess, and at least a portion of the printed feature extending into the recess such that the portion of the printed feature extends below the outer surface of the plastic card.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming the printed feature below the recess.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming the recess such that the recess is tactile.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The personalized data is an image of the intended holder wearing the plastic card.

19. An identity card, comprising: A card base plate having a security feature in the form of an image of the intended holder of the identity card; The security features include a laser texturing portion, a color printing portion, and a laser marking portion; At least the color-printed portion is superimposed on the laser-textured portion, and some ink in the color-printed portion extends into the recesses of the laser-textured portion; the laser-textured portion, the color-printed portion, and the laser-marked portion overlap each other; the color-printed portion and the laser-marked portion are aligned with each other to form the image; and the laser-textured portion is visible to the naked eye.

20. A passport page, comprising: A substrate having security features formed from the personalized data of the intended holder of the passport page; The security feature includes a plurality of recesses formed in the outer surface of the passport page, the plurality of recesses being visible to the naked eye; The following two: A printed feature is formed above or below the recess; the recess and the printed feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; the recess and the printed feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature; as well as A laser marking feature is formed below the recess; the recess and the laser marking feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; the recess and the laser marking feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature.

21. The passport page according to claim 20, wherein, The personalized data is an image of the intended holder of the passport, which includes the passport page.

22. The passport page according to claim 20, wherein, The printed feature is formed above the recess, and at least a portion of the printed feature extends into the recess, such that the portion of the printed feature extends below the outer surface of the passport page.

23. The passport page according to claim 20, wherein, The printed feature is formed below the recess.

24. The passport page according to claim 22, wherein, The recessed area has a tactile feel.

25. A method for generating security features on a passport page, wherein, The security feature is formed from the personalized data of the intended holder of the passport page, and the method includes: A laser is used to form multiple recesses on the outer surface of the passport page, wherein the recesses are formed to be visible to the naked eye; and The following two are formed: a) a printed feature on the passport page, located above or below the recess, wherein the recess and the printed feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; The recessed portion and the printed feature are formed such that the recessed portion and the printed feature are aligned with each other and joined together to form the security feature; b) A laser marking feature on the passport page located above or below the recess, wherein the recess and the laser marking feature each form at least a portion of the personalized data; The recess and the laser marking feature are formed such that the recess and the laser marking feature are aligned with each other and combined to form the security feature.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming the printed feature above the recess, and at least a portion of the printed feature extending into the recess such that the portion of the printed feature extends below the outer surface of the passport page.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming the printed feature below the recess.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming the recess such that the recess is tactile.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein, The personalized data is an image of the intended holder of the passport, which includes the passport page.

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