System and method for preventing unauthorized operation of identification and financial document production equipment

• US 20030182587A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entrust Corp.
• Original Assignee: Datacard Corp. (Entrust Corp.)
• Inventors: Freise, Jon E., Jordan, James A., Morrison, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors

Abstract

Improvements in security relating to the use of personalized document production equipment. The invention has particular use with respect to printers that are used to produce plastic cards, such as financial cards and identification cards. The invention prevents the unauthorized production of personalized documents through the use of stolen or fraudulently obtained production equipment or software. The equipment is locked until a user enters authorization data that matches authorization data stored in memory of the equipment. The equipment is able to power-up in the locked state, at which point the user is prompted to enter the authorization data. As a result, if the equipment is stolen, the thief is unable to operate the equipment without the necessary authorization data.

Claims

1. A method of preventing unauthorized operation of personalized document production equipment, the equipment having a locked state in which the equipment cannot produce personalized documents and an unlocked state in which the equipment is able to produce personalized documents, comprising:

at a location separate from the intended use location of the equipment, storing authorization data in memory of the equipment;

at the use location and while the equipment is in a locked state, prompting entry of the authorization data;

after the authorization data has been entered, comparing the stored authorization data to the entered authorization data, and if the stored authorization data matches the entered authorization data, unlocking the equipment to allow production of personalized documents.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said stored authorization data comprises a password.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said password is produced through a random generation process.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said stored authorization data is biometric data from an authorized user of the equipment.

5. A method of preventing unauthorized operation of personalized document production equipment, comprising:

at a first location, storing authorization data that is necessary to enable equipment operation in memory of the equipment;

delivering the equipment from the first location to an equipment user at a second location; and

delivering information concerning the authorization data to an authorized agent of the equipment user at the second location,

whereby, upon entry of the authorization data into the equipment and comparison of the entered authorization data with the stored authorization data, operation of the equipment is enabled if the entered authorization data matches the stored authorization data.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first location is the place of manufacture of the equipment.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the equipment comprises a printer.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising delivering the authorization data information by mail.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising delivering the authorization data information by certified letter.

10. The method according to claim 5, further comprising prompting entry of the authorization data each time the equipment is powered-up.

11. The method according to claim 5, further comprising preventing equipment operation upon a predetermined number of mismatches between the entered authorization data and the stored authorization data.

12. The method according to claim 5, further comprising changing the stored authorization data.

13. The method according to claim 5, wherein the stored authorization data is a password that is produced through a random generation process.

14. The method according to claim 5, wherein the stored authorization data is biometric data from an authorized user of the equipment.

15. A method of preventing unauthorized operation of personalized document production equipment, the equipment having a locked state in which the equipment cannot produce personalized documents and an unlocked state in which the equipment is able to produce personalized documents, comprising:

storing a password that is produced through a random generation process in memory of the equipment;

while the equipment is in a locked state, prompting entry of the password;

after the password has been entered, comparing the stored password to the entered password, and if the stored password matches the entered password, unlocking the equipment to allow production of personalized documents.