Managed credential issuance

• US 20050257253A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: Fargo Electronics Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Klinefelter, Gary M., Ekers, John E., Fontanella, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07716 the record carrier comprising means for customization, e.g. being arranged for personalization in batch
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/41 with means for the generation of identity documents
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

In a method of issuing a credential, a request for issuance of the credential is received. Next, a unique identification for the requested credential is assigned and data elements corresponding to the credential are provided. A credential production data collection is built in accordance with a credential production template. The credential production data collection includes the unique identification and production job data. Production commands are then provided to a credential production device based on the credential production data collection and the credential is produced using the credential production device in response to the production commands.

Claims

1. A method of issuing a credential document comprising steps of:

a) receiving a request for issuance of a credential;

b) assigning a unique identification for the requested credential;

c) providing data elements corresponding to the credential;

d) building a credential production data collection in accordance with a credential production template including the unique identification and production job data;

e) providing production commands to a credential production device based on the credential production data collection; and

f) producing the credential using the credential production device in response to the production commands.

2. The method of claim 1 including generating the unique identification.

3. The method of claim 1, including conducting the receiving step a) in accordance with a secure communication protocol including performing a security check.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the security check is selected from a group consisting of a password check and a biometric data check.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the building step d) includes completing a plurality of credential application production data fields of the template.

6. The method of claim 1 including associating the request to the credential production template.

7. The method of claim 1 including processing the data elements using a credential production application to produce the production job data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the credential production data collection comprises a string of data including the unique identification, first production job data and second production job data.

9. The method of claim 8 including processing the data elements using a first credential production application to produce the first production job data and processing the data elements using a second credential production application to produce the second production job data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the credential production device includes a printer and the first production job data corresponds to instructions for printing an image of the credential.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the credential production device includes a data encoder and the second production job data corresponds to instructions for encoding data to the credential.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the production commands are selectively fed to the credential production device in the providing step e).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing step e) includes verifying that the credential production device is authorized to receive the production commands.

14. The method of claim 1, including maintaining an audit trail of the production of the credential including, the unique identification, production information selected from a group consisting of an identification of a last completed production step, an identification of an authority who authorized production of the credential, and an indication of whether the credential was processed completely.

15. The method of claim 1 including verifying that the production of the credential is authorized prior to the producing step f).

16. A method of issuing a credential comprising:

building a credential production data collection comprising a unique identification, a first production job data and a second production job data, the first and second production job data each relating to a feature of the credential;

providing production commands to a credential production device based on the credential production data collection; and

producing the credential using the credential production device in response to the production commands.

17. The method of claim 16 including processing data elements relating to the credential using a first credential production application to produce the first production job data, and processing the data elements using a second credential production application to produce the second production job data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the credential production device includes a printer and a data encoder, the first production job data corresponds to instructions for printing an image of the credential with the printer, and the second production job data corresponds to instructions for encoding data to the credential with the encoder.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the credential production data collection is built in accordance with a credential production template.

20. The method of claim 16, including maintaining an audit trail of the production of the credential including, the unique identification, production information selected from a group consisting of an identification of a last completed production step, an identification of an authority who authorized production of the credential, and an indication of whether the credential was processed completely.