AU599588B2 - Layout of identification security card - Google Patents

Description

bignature oy applicant or Australian at'ornaV lu I. (Sig(yure) THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS TINS form must be accompanied by either a provisional specification (Form 9 and true copy) or by a complete speci flcation (Form '10 and true copy).

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FAUSTALIAN

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2 1 APR 1986 !TATENT pFRC s64.?, /s6l too* S of S .00.

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APPLICANT:

NUMBER:

FILING DATE: LILY H HUGHES PH 03064 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED: LAYOUT OF IDENTIFICATION SECURITY CARD The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:

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(Signatur of Declarant)

SAUSTRAL

ONB

2 APR 1986 01 (I ATENT OFFIcg

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a low cost, mass produced national identification card consisting of three layers, a top protective layer of optically transparent plastic, a middle layer of light activated, permanent image firing material and a third layer of tough plastic backing.

The invention holds black and white or full colour images of the cardholder, the cardholders name and identification number. The card of this invention can access a national computer network to display a S :photograph of the holder and provide the minimum amount of information required to finalise a financial 4 transaction.

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02 FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a low cost, mass produced identity card which contains the holders photograph, identification number, name and the minimum amount of personal details necessary to identify a person undertaking financial transactions, said invention consisting of a multilayered plastic card, the top layer being of optically transparent plastic, on a layer of material which changes its structure due to the action of a high intensity laser beam, but not ordinary light intensities, the bottom layer being of o opaque white or coloured plastic, the back of which has o o a space for the holders signature if required.

0004 o The invention has application as a low cost, low 15 information content identity card which provides the minimum amount of information necessary for the holder to open a bank account, draw social service payments and for obtaining a range of Government benefits. The invention can also be used as a security pass.

SUMMARY OF THE PRIOR ART A wide range of personal identity cards exist in prior art ranging in price from 50 cents to over dollars per card. However, prior art identity cards are expensive when a photograph has to be included and identity cards possessing adequate storage to digitise the holders photograph for terminal display either have i- i ^ll-L-~ 03 micro-computer chips embedded in them or are equipped with a laser video recording format making them inevitably expensive.

Members of the community generally favour the inclusion of the holders photograph on their identity card but want to restrict the amount of personal data that can be stored with the aid of such a card to the minimum required for government related financial transactions.

Prior art, personal identity card systems have been defective in that the public cannot be satisfied 'it with a photograph bearing card of otherwise low information content which lends itself to rapid computer based recognition yet can be mass-produced for under 50 cents per card.

The present invention overcomes the defects of prior art personal identification cards in that it can produce both a photograph and the minimum amount of information required for the holder to proceed with government approved financial transactions in a manner which is fully c3nsistent with the most sophisticated real time computer networks, under mass production, and at relatively low cost per card. The invention achieves these desired goals of mass appeal personal identity cards by simply utilizing an intense laser beam onto which all the information required on the 400 4 4000 40 4 4 I a444 4 14 4 4 48* 441

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44 4 44 4 4 said card, including the photograph has been impressed as a real time stencil, then directing said intense laser beam onto said card where it is transmitted through the top, clear plastic layer onto the laser intensity sensitive layer where the laser beam image is either burnt onto the said sensitive layer or causes a chemical interaction which leaves a permanent image insensitive to ambient lighting conditions that the cardholder would normally expose the printed card to.

Several laser beam imaging devices are now available where the laser beam is either generated with the image format electro-optically or the image is impressed onto a laser beam after it has been generated. For example, a laser beam imaging system 15 utilizing a liquid crystal light value has been described in a recently issued US Patent No 4,586,053 to an associated applicant, Australian Electro-Optics Pty Ltd. The laser marking system described in US Patent No 4,586,053 produces a real time image by 20 utilizing a liquid crystal light value to convert a high quality, incoherent optical image generated on a high resolution cathode ray tube into a high quality laser beam image which can then be amplified to high power levels via a series of image preserving laser beam amplifier modules. When such an amplified laser beam image is directed onto the laser beam sensitive

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layer of the present invention, the said laser beam image is permanently recorded onto said sensitive layer.

To generate such an image on the cathode ray tube input of the liquid crystal light valve, one utilises a CCD camera (charge couple device camera) as known in the art to a video recorder to photograph the would be cardholder electro-optically. The digitized video recorded photograph and personal details are then fed into the liquid crystal light valve from the cathode ray tube where they are displayed at the rate of 25 per 'second. The card image, including the photograph is then placed on the laser beam and amplified to a level where it can be imprinted onto the invention at the rate of one twenty-fifth of a second. At the same time the information on the card, including the photograph is passed in digital format into the appropriate computer network for storage and reference purposes only. In this way it is a relatively simple process to display the image of the cardholder on a visual display unit when the card is presented for verification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A need has arisen in Australia and other countries for a national personal identity card which can be used to verify the personal financial transactions of the cardholder with the minimum amount of infoi:mation, far 06 less than would be required to set up a comprehensive data bank on every individual in the country, hence avoiding the possibility of infringing individual liberties. It has been estimated that such personalised identification cards would cost over a billion dollars per annum to service in a country the size of Australia but would save the taxpayer over three billion dollars per annum from fraudulent transactions, especially in the fields of social security benefits and taxation.

The present invention will significantly reduce the cost of personal identification cards yet provide a card which although having a photograph of the cardholder on it, has very limited information which can easily be checked by the said holder of the said card.

In operation, low cost CCD cameras would be installed all over the country in places frequented by its inhabitants who would simply stop a second or so, look into the CCD camera and move on again. The individual would then fill in a standard form providing the minimum amount of information necessary to complete a standard financial transaction, and would simply tear off a copy and deposit the original, together with a receipt from the CCD camera booth. Two techniques are then available to produce the identity card of this invention, namely, on site with relatively low cost ii I I L -i ;ii ii1 i

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equipment or at a centralised site using a high throughput, high cost facility. On site, the card production unit would be an array of semiconductor light sources which are switched to reproduce the image recorded by the CCD camera facility and are also switched to produce the cardholders name and identification nurber. The unexposed card is then simply passed under the semiconductor light source array and the cardholders photograph, name and identification number is transferred to the card and permanently fixed onto the light sensitive layer.

Alternatively, all of the CCD camera photographs recorded electro-optically together with the personal details form can be sent to a card production centre where a liquid crystal light valve card production facility can be used to transfer the collected information onto the card of this invention at the rate of 2,000,000 cards per day so that the whole adult population of Australia could be covered in a matter of five days and that of the United States in a matter of 40 days. Where colour photographs are required, the liquid crystal light valve facility is likely to prove superior due to the difficulty of obtaining semiconductor light source arrays emitting in blue and green region of the electro-magnetic spectrum.

We therefore have two configurations of the I, U j 441 4, 4 -I i.- 08 invention, one based on the combination of CCD cameras and on site, compact card printers, the other a centralised card printing facility which could print the cards for the whole country in a few days. It is the CCD camera booth which provides a photograph compatible with computer networks.

The mode of operation for the first system would be the CCD camera booth where the subject was photographed in colour and the image stored in a computer. The subject would then fill in a form with his or her name, address and the minimum amount of personal details to complete financial transactions.

C4 This information would be keyed into the computer and loaded with the photographic data. When this process is S 15 complete the identity card would be printed on site with the individual's photograph, name and identification number. Several hundred of such units would be based nationwide.

The mode of operation of the second configuration 20 of the 4nvention also contains the CCD camera both which records a colour picture of the individual onto a video tape or disc. The individual then fills up the form as before but now the procedure differs in that the information is keyed into a national computer network from the regional site and is sent to a central national site where the digital optical recording and 09 the information on individual forms are matched and fed into the liquid crystal light valve card printer to be mass produced at the rate of 2,000,000 per day.

When the cardholder uses his or her identity card, it is placed in a computer terminal and the identification number is read electro-optically which allows the computer network to access the data stored which is relevant to a particular cardholder. It is then a relatively simple process to display both the stored information and the stored photograph of the cardholder on the display terminal of the computer Ott network anywhere throughout a particular nation.

f The invention provides a means of providing a national identity card with a photograph, name and identification number for all of the adult population of a country which, with accessable information stored in a nationwide computer network allows the display of the minimum amount of information necessary to complete financial transactions without the invasion of the privacy of any individual in that nation.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a low cost, mass produced, national identification card with the holders' photograph, name and identification number printed on said card in a manner that it can be used to access a national computer network to display both the L7. iA minimum amount of information necessary to complete a A standard financial transaction and display an image of the cardholder's face on a visual display unit of said computer network to compare it with the face of the person presenting the card.

Another object of the invention is to provide a large number of national identification card printing localities where individuals can go, be photographed in a CCD camera booth, the photographic data in digital form being stored in a national computer network together with the personal details of the applicant, o. said stored information can then be used to print an 44 identification card at the same location with the name, photograph and identification number of the applicant, said identification number being the means to access the remainder of the stored information about the cardholder as required by said cardholder.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide several hundred regional centres throughout a nation where the adult population can be photographed in a CCD camera booth and personal detail forms keyed into a national computer network allowing for the mass production of personal identification cards at a single site nationally.

Another object of the invention is to record the photograph on a colour camera, store the digital data iii r 11 of said photograph in a national computer network and print the photograph either in black and white or colour.

Another object of the invention is to provide a national identity card of the simplest possible structure, all three key components, namely, the holder's photograph, name and identification number i being clearly visible below a tough, clear plastic protective upper layer and backed with a tough opaque plastic base.

i 0 :It is an object of the invention to provide a isimple, secure, national identification card for the purposes of opening a bank account, obtaining social services and for securing a drivers' licence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the cross-sectional layered structure of the national identity card of the invention with a heat sensitive layer to record the information with an intense laser beam image.

Figure 2 shows the cross-sectional layered structure of the national identity card of the invention with a light sensitive layer to record the information with a low intensity laser beam image.

Figure 3 shows a preferred layout of the national identity card of this invention with the card holder's photograph, name and identification number clearly pereohnalsed card being Identlfiable via an optical scanner into which S../2 i 12 displayed.

Figure 4 shows a decentralised card data recording/printing unit using an array of lasers or semiconductor light sources to generate the required images on the said card at low laser/light beam intensities at the recording site.

Figure 5 shows a decentralised card data recording centre connected to a centralised national card printing facility via a national computer network.

Figure 6 shows the recording of a colour card Iphotographically.

Figure 7 shows the recording of a colour card via DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In Figure 1i, numeral 1 indicates an optically j transparent, protective plastic layer, numeral 2 a heat sensitive layer which reacts to an intense laser beam image in such a manner as to reproduce a permanent image of the image on said intense laser beam, said heat sensitive material being unaffected by normal ambient light. Numeral 3 indicates a tough, white plastic layer backing which can have printed information on its rear side and a space for the cardholder's signature.

In Figure 2, numeral 4 represents a layer of photographic fixer, numeral 5 a very thin transparent -jrr 13 plastic separation layer which may be perforated and numeral 6 a photographic film. With the laser beam image focussed on thin layer 5, the film 6 is exposed and fixed by 4 in a single process, the image carrying laser beam or a separately focussed laser beam providing the conditions for the necessary interaction between layers 4 and 6 via layer In Figure 3, numeral 7 indicates the national identification card whilst numeral 8 identifies the nation to which said cardholder belongs. Numeral 9 indicates the name of the cardholder, numeral 10 the cardholder's identification number and numeral 11 either a black and white, two tone or coloured S, photograph of said cardholder.

o In Figure 4, numeral 12 indicates a CCD (charge coupled device) colour camera installed in a booth to ~photograph the face of the cardholder, said data being fed into a national computer network.

Numeral 13 indicates a computer keyboard to insert the personal details of the cardholder via the on-site computer terminal indicated by numeral 14 into the national computer network indicated by numeral On-site printing of the identification card is accomplished via the activation of a semiconductor light source array indicated by numeral 16 onto which is computer switched the image of the identity card as 14 indicated in Figure 3. A blank identity card indicated by numeral 17 is inserted into the card printer and the card image on diode array 16 which may emit incoherent or phased-locked coherent light, is then transferred onto said card as a permanent record.

In Figure 5 the recorded information at a local recording centre is transfered via the national computer network 15 into the national card printing centre where it is displayed onto a high resolution cathode ray tube indicated by numeral 18. Numeral 19 indicates an optical fibre image transfer from the face r of the cathode ray tube 18 onto the input face of the h liquid crystal light valve indicated by numeral The Polarizer indicated by numeral 21, directs the liquid crystal light valve 20 read light beam generated in the coherent or incoherent light source indicated by numeral 22 into the front end of 20 where it picks up the image of 18, passes it through polarizer 21 and focusses it via lens 23 onto the card being processed a 20 indicated by numeral 24. A base indicated by numeral holds card 24 firm relative to the light beam from 23 during the processing procedure. Liquid crystal light valves as known in the art can when read with incoherent light produce both black and white images and colour images. Used with a laser beam they can produce high intensity monotone images and multicolour

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images depending on the nature of the laser output beam.

In Figure 6, numeral 26 indicates a movable cylindrical lens which focusses a line element of the semiconductor light source array indicated by numeral 1 16 onto successive layers of the card being processed, said layers indicated by numerals 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The position of lens 26 relative to the i card being processed is adjusted to a particular primary colour layer as the semiconductor light source array is imaged to that particular primary colour be it blue, green or red as determined by 12. Each of the primary colour layers of the said card are then exposed and fixed and the combined effect as viewed through 1 against the white background of 3 is a full colour card with a permanent record.

In Figure 7, numeral 27 indicates a roll of clear plastic film which is fed into the photocopier over I the tray indicated by numeral 28. The first of the three primary colour images is displayed on the first of the semiconductor light source arrays 16 and processes the plastic film accordingly so that blue colour granules are deposited along the track indicated by numeral 29. The green image is then displayed on the second array with green granules deposited along the track indicated by channel 30. Finally the red V I J S.)L Llt li-dIL UL I Iay L- Z& U_ .L LIU± ii V i- i- S16 0000 000 0 o o 0 n a 0 0000 0 0 00 0 0 04 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 00 0 0 00 0 0 00 0 t

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image is activated via the third array and the red granules deposited via 31. The heater indicated by numeral 32, or the laser arrays 16 themselves provide the necessary bonding heat to give the required colour image on the clear plastic strip. When this is done, the plastic strip with the image reversed, is bonded onto the clear plastic backing as indicated by numeral 33 the white plastic backing of the card coming off the drum indicated by numeral 34. On looking through the 10 said plastic sheet, the photocopied colour images are then presented correctly.

To recapitulate, this invention provides a system for the production of personalised identification cards comprising a camera to photograph a person in a manner 15 that the photographic record can be stored in a digitised format within a computer, which also stores the related name and identification number of each person so photographed, so that they may be reproduced together, via a laser beam imaging module, on a personalised card, said personalised information being laser beam burnt onto a heat sensitive layer of the multilayer plastic card, said heat sensitive layer being covered with a layer of protective, clear plastic through which said burnt images are clearly visible and backed by opaque plastic which acts as a solid, protective base, said plastic card being identifiable via an optical scanner into which it is inserted i77 i I 17allowing the information from the scanned card to be checked and approved via comparisons with the original data relating to the said card holder stored in said computer network, of which said optical scanner is a component.

Preferably the identification card produced comprises a maximum of three, bonded plastic layers, tro the top protective plastic layer being optically 1 transparent so that the laser beam burnt images on the lit 10 second plastic layer, the middle layer of the said three-layer card, are clearly visible through the top layer, and a third, bottom plastic layer which provides the strong base of the identification card as a whole.

Modifications may be made to the invention as described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. To this extent it is pointed out that the invention is to be given a broad connotation and is not to be restricted to the embodiments specifically described.

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Claims (4)

1. 2. A sy .ste M as cilmed In Claim I where the' Identification card 20 produced cdomprises a ma'ximum bf' three, lbonded p lastic laye'rs, the top protective plastic layer being optically transparent so that the laser beam burnt Images on the second Plastic layer, the middle layer of the said three-layer card, are clearly visible through the top layer, and a thitrd, bottom pla Istic layer which provides the stro ng base of 'the' identification -bard ast a whole. AL1 I. I. I .1 0 00 08 4 ~000 08 8 00 0 04 I, 0 ki I- Q
2. 3.A system as claimed in Claim 1 whore, the* person to be Idenrtiflied is photographed wih a chargs coupled'device (CCD) camera,'Its digital: output format -being stored In a computer Into which personal details tnd all Identification number are Inserted via'a keyboard.
3. 4. A system as claimed In Claim 1 'In-which the laser bearn lrnage Is burnt onto the said heat sensitive layer of said iderntification card as the laser beam image is generated using the digital Information stored-in the said 'Computer., 009S 9,49.9 90 9 0 90 9 09 0000 *99~~ o #9 o 0
4. 99.09 o #o o a 999 9 0o~ 9 90-4 040 0 4 0t to Otto .9 0o 5. A system as claimed In Claim I where the digItised Information io burnt 'on the said card by the said' laser' beam produces blackened Image" on a background provided by the said plastic layer, for example a white baoliground. 8. A system as described' in Claim I 'where the laser. beam images are generated using a liquid crystal light valve module capable of i s generating and amplifying several different laser'beamn images per second if required. 7. A system as describod in Claim 1 'where the'laser beam Images are, ge nerated using an array of semiconductor light sources.* 8. A system as claimed In Claim I where the personailsed Identification card compries three light sensitive layers <corresponding 'to blue, green and red light which can bea activated by the appropriate colour of low power laser beam- image, so as.: to produce a full, colour Image 'olad Identification' card. I. I. *'1 ~1 .4 9. A system* as claimed In Claim 1, where the card can be produced at the same site as the photograph and related personal details are recorded. A system as claimned In Claim i where the photograph of the a person and related personal details are recorded at a different site to where the said identification card Is produced. 11. A system as claimed In Claim I substantatly as heroinbefors described and Illustrated with respect to the drawings. a a 004 f4 4 4 LILY H HUGHES DA~TED THIS TWENTY-SIXTH DAY OF APRIL 1990 JLH/og 26.4.90