Smart identification document

• US 20050274794A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Supercom IP LLC
• Original Assignee: On Track Innovations Limited (Nayax Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shuman, Boaz, Bason, Eli, Kander, Ilan, Merling, Igor, Hassan, Eli
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/025 the material being flexible or adapted for folding, e.g. paper or paper-like materials used in luggage labels, identification tags, forms or identification documents carrying RFIDs methods for testing the genuineness of valuable papers, e.g. banknotes or passports G07D7/00; constructional features of booklets and the like B42D
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

A smart electronic personal identification document, including a smart identification module and an automated anti-skimming element. The smart identification module includes a contactless chip module and an antenna. The smart identification module is operative to store and exchange personal identification information contactlessly with an external reader. The automated anti-skimming element is configured for preventing unauthorized theft of the information.

Claims

1. A smart electronic personal identification document, comprising:

(a) a smart identification module including a contactless chip module and an antenna, said smart identification module being operative to store and exchange personal identification information contactlessly with an external reader; and

(b) an anti-skimming element for disposing adjacent to said smart identification module, said anti-skimming element being configured for preventing unauthorized theft of said information.

2. The document of claim 1, further comprising a booklet having a plurality of pages, said smart identification module being incorporated with one of said pages.

3. The document of claim 2, wherein said booklet is a passport booklet.

4. The document of claim 1, wherein said anti-skimming element is an electrically conductive shield disposed adjacent to said smart identification module.

5. The document of claim 1, further comprising a holder for carrying said smart identification module, wherein said anti-skimming element is disposed in said holder.

6. The document of claim 5, wherein said anti-skimming element is an electrically conductive shield disposed in said holder.

7. The document of claim 1, wherein said anti-skimming element is formed from an electrically conductive material selected from the group of metallic materials, conductive polymers and conductive composites.

8. The document of claim 1, wherein said anti-skimming element includes a switching arrangement electrically connected to said smart identification module, said switching arrangement being configured for selectively enabling and disabling transmission of said information by said smart identification module.

9. The document of claim 8, wherein said switching arrangement is disposed in said antenna.

10. The document of claim 9, wherein said switching arrangement is configured in order to be actuated by an external key.

11. The document of claim 8, wherein said switching arrangement is disposed between said chip module and said antenna.

12. The document of claim 8, wherein said switching arrangement is configured to selectively enable and disable the output of said chip module.

13. The document of claim 8, further comprising a booklet having a plurality of pages, said smart identification module being attached to one of said pages, said switching arrangement including a mechanical switch disposed in said booklet such that, when said booklet is closed, said switching arrangement disables transmission of said information by said smart identification module.

14. The document of claim 13, wherein said mechanical switch is configured such that, when said booklet is opened more than a threshold angle, said switching arrangement enables transmission of said information by said smart identification module.

15. The document of claim 8, wherein said switching arrangement includes a light sensor configured such that, when said light sensor is exposed to light above a threshold light level, said switching arrangement enables transmission of said information by said smart identification module.

16. The document of claim 15, wherein said chip module has a power supply voltage input pin and an output enable pin, said light sensor being electrically connected to said power supply voltage input pin and said output enable pin so that light incident on said light sensor selectively enables and disables the output of said chip module.

17. The document of claim 1, wherein said anti-skimming element includes an absorbing element configured for at least partially absorbing electromagnetic waves propagated between said smart identification module and any external reader.

18. The document of claim 17, wherein said absorbing element is configured for resonating at the frequency of said electromagnetic waves.

19. The document of claim 17, wherein said absorbing element is an absorbing electronic element including a circuit and an antenna electrically connected to said circuit.

20. The document of claim 17, wherein absorbing element is an absorbing magnetic element.

21. The document of claim 20, wherein said absorbing magnetic element includes ferrite dust.

22. The document of claim 1, wherein said anti-skimming element includes a phase-shifting electronic element configured for transmitting a signal which is out-of-phase with said electromagnetic waves thereby generating at least one interference with said electromagnetic waves and noise.

23. A electronic personal identification processing system for processing information of a smart electronic personal identification document, the document including a contactless chip module and an antenna, the document being operative to store and exchange personal identification information contactlessly with an external reader, the system comprising:

(a) a personal identification document reader configured for reading the information contactlessly from the smart electronic personal identification document;

(b) a processing terminal configured for sending commands to said reader and for validating the information from the document; and

(c) a communication link operationally linking said reader and said processing terminal, each of said reader and said processing terminal including an encoder and decoder arrangement so that data transmitted between said processing terminal and said reader is encoded.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said reader is a passport reader configured for contactlessly reading information from passports.

25. A personal identification document reader for reading information from a smart electronic personal identification document, the document including a contactless chip module and an antenna, the document being operative to store and exchange personal identification information contactlessly with an external reader, the reader comprising:

(a) a housing; and

(b) a contactless reading element configured for contactlessly reading the information from the document, the reading element being disposed in said housing, said housing having an opening therein for inserting the document into said housing for reading by said reading element, said housing being configured as a faraday cage thereby preventing unauthorized theft of the information stored in the document while being read by said reading element.