Secure printing using sliced data
First Claim
1. A process of printing an image on a surface of a card substrate using a printer with a print head and a print ribbon, comprising:
- generating an image that is to be printed on the surface of the card substrate;
dividing the image into a plurality of separate image portions, wherein the plurality of separate image portions are generated using a plurality of mask images, and each separate image portion is associated with a respective one of the mask images;
inputting the card substrate into the printer; and
printing each image portion on the surface of the card substrate using the print head and a separate section of the print ribbon, and the image portions printed on the surface of the card substrate form the image.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An image to be printed on a surface of a substrate that forms, or will be used in, a personalized security document is generated. The image to be printed is then sliced, divided, separated, etc. into a plurality of separate image portions. Each of the separate image portions is then printed onto the substrate. Together, the separate printed image portions form the desired image on the substrate. Each image portion contains only a portion of any confidential or personal information. Each separate image portion is printed using separate sections of a single print ribbon. Since each image portion is printed using a different section of the print ribbon, each ribbon section contains only a portion of any confidential or personal information. This makes it difficult for someone to obtain the confidential or personal information from just a brief or casual glance at the used print ribbon.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A process of printing an image on a surface of a card substrate using a printer with a print head and a print ribbon, comprising:
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generating an image that is to be printed on the surface of the card substrate; dividing the image into a plurality of separate image portions, wherein the plurality of separate image portions are generated using a plurality of mask images, and each separate image portion is associated with a respective one of the mask images; inputting the card substrate into the printer; and printing each image portion on the surface of the card substrate using the print head and a separate section of the print ribbon, and the image portions printed on the surface of the card substrate form the image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method, comprising:
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generating an image that is to be printed on a surface of a security document substrate; dividing the image into a plurality of separate image portions, wherein the plurality of separate image portions are generated using a plurality of mask images, and each separate image portion is associated with a respective one of the mask images; separately printing each image portion on the surface of the security document substrate using; a) a print head and a print ribbon, and each image portion is printed using a new section of the print ribbon;
orb) a plurality of print head and print ribbon combinations, and each image portion is printed using a separate one of the print head and print ribbon combinations; and the image portions printed on the surface of the security document substrate form the image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A plastic card printer, comprising:
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a thermal print head; a print ribbon engageable by the thermal print head to transfer dye or ink from the print ribbon onto a surface of a plastic card substrate; a printer controller that controls operation of the plastic card printer; a printer driver connected to the plastic card printer, the printer driver includes; an image generator that generates an image to be printed; an image portion generator that generates a plurality of separate image portions from the generated image, the image portion generator has a plurality of mask images, and each separate image portion is associated with a respective one of the mask images; and an image portion transmitter that transmits each image portion for printing by the plastic card printer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification