System for producing a personal ID card

• US 5,635,012 A
• Filed: 11/18/1994
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fox Ridge LLC
• Original Assignee: Bell Data Software
• Inventors: Belluci, Barry P., Charlip, Eliot
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivard, Paul M.
• Application Number:
  US08/342,282
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 156/277, 283/72, 283/74, 283/77, 283/75, 283/78, 283/70, 235/380, 902/2, 902/3, 902/4, 902/5, 902/6, 380/23, 380/54, 380/5
• US Class Current: 156/277
• 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 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/309 Photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/313 Fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/485 by electronic processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/10 at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card

Abstract

An identification instrument such as a pocket-sized card includes both human-recognizable and machine-readable indicia. The human-recognizable material may be any combination of photographs, graphical or textual information, with the machine-readable section encoding any or all of the human-recognizable areas in their entirety. When the card is presented for verification, the machine-readable section is scanned, decompressed and/or deciphered and compared to the database used to generate the human-recognizable section or sections. Only with a substantial matching of the information may the card and its user be authenticated. Preferably, a Symbol Technologies compliant two-dimensional barcode is used as the machine-readable encoding format. Multiple levels of encryption and decryption are also described in conjunction with enhanced security.

Claims

1. A method of producing and using an identification card with protection against falsification, comprising the steps of:

providing a card in the form of a thin, pocket-sized substrate having front and back surfaces;

photographing an individual with a camera capable of generating an electronic image output;

creating a database representative of the electronic image;

imprinting a two-dimensional human-cognizable indicia from the database on a surface of the card including a graphical representation of an individual'"'"'s facial likeness;

imprinting a two-dimensional machine-readable code on a surface of the card, the machine-readable code being imprinted using the same printing medium as that used to imprint the graphical representation, the machine readable code comprising an array of polygon-shaped printed cells and non-printed blank areas arranged along two independent axes, the array encoding representative data of the facial likeness in its entirety;

reading and decoding the machine-readable code with a machine;

generating an identical image of the facial likeness from the machine-readable code without referencing an external database; and

comparing the image generated from the machine-readable code, the two-dimensional human-cognizable information imprinted on the card, and the individual to ensure that the card has not been falsified.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of laminating a red filter over the machine-readable code to prevent photocopying of the code.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of imprinting a two-dimensional code includes imprinting the code with a dimension of 0.006 or less in the x-direction which prevents reading a copied image of the code.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating a database representitive of the electronic image includes digitally compressing the image data.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

encrypting the machine-readable code derived from the database; and

providing an individual with a decryption key to enable the individual to read the code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the steps of providing an individual with a decryption key includes providing a key as part of the machine readable code.

7. A method of producing and using an identification card with protection against falsification, comprising the steps of:

providing a card in the form of a thin, pocket-sized substrate having front and back surfaces;

imprinting two-dimensional human-cognizable indicia on a surface of the card, the indicia being selected from the group consisting of a graphical representation of an individual'"'"'s facial likeness, the individual'"'"'s signature, the individual'"'"'s fingerprint, and textual information identifying the individual;

imprinting a two-dimensional machine-readable code on a surface of the card, the machine-readable code being imprinted using the same printing medium as that used to imprint said human-cognizable indicia, the machine-readable code comprising an array of polygon-shaped printed cells and non-printed blank areas arranged along two independent axes, the array encoding representative data to the human-cognizable indicia selected from the group consisting of a graphical representation of an individual'"'"'s facial likeness, the individual'"'"'s fingerprint, the individual'"'"'s signature, and textual information identifying the individual;

reading and decoding the machine-readable code imprinted on the card with a machine;

generating an identical image of the human-cognizable indicia from the machine-readable code imprinted on the card without referencing an external database; and

comparing the image generated from the machine-readable code imprinted on the card and the two-dimensional human-cognizable information imprinted on the card to ensure that the card has not been falsified.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the comparing step further includes the step of verifying the image generated from the machine-readable code imprinted on the card with the individual presenting the card.