Identification card and a method of producing same

• US 4,523,777 A
• Filed: 12/14/1981
• Issued: 06/18/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft Fur Automation und Organisation mbH
• Original Assignee: GAO Gesellschaft Fur Automation und Organisation mbH
• Inventors: Maurer, Thomas, Holbein, Hans J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEYRANA, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US06/330,890
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 283/67, 283/75, 283/100, 283/114, 427/7, 346/76 L, 346/135.1
• US Class Current: 283/67
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/30 using chemical colour formers B41M5/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/34 Multicolour thermography
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/36 using a polymeric layer, which may be particulate and which is deformed or structurally changed with modification of its' properties, e.g. of its' optical hydrophobic-hydrophilic, solubility or permeability properties B41C1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/20 Coloured material; Pigments or inks
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/06 Picture of the user
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/08 Alphanumerical data
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/14 Dot or raster patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/24 Colours
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/41 using electromagnetic radiation B42D25/435 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/415 using chemicals B42D25/445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/43 by removal of material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/45 Associating two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/485 by electronic processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2227/325 Microcapsule copiers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card

Abstract

An identification card having information applied in the form of patterns, letters, numbers and/or images, formed by interruptions, in the homogeneity of different colored layer areas arranged superjacently on the identification card. The colored information can be produced by selectively removing the color layers by means of a controlled laser beam or by blurring or other chemical reactions induced by said beam. Thus identification cards can be produced having a high standard of security in spite of the simplicity of their production.

Claims

1. A method of producing an identification card having visually detectable information, comprising:

applying a plurality of color layers over each other on a synthetic carrier; and

forming the information by contacting the color layers with a controlled laser beam and selecting the energy of the laser beam and the color layer characteristics in such a way that a new color is formed restricted to a certain area, said new color being formed by an interaction between the color layers produced by at least partially melting the color layers with the laser beam.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the color layer characteristics are selected such that said partial melting causes a chemical reaction between color layers to form said new color.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said color layers are selected such that said melting causes an additive mixture of individual colors of said color layers to form said new color.