Claims
- 1. A method of fabrication an identification card, comprising the steps of:
- recording an identification image in the form of a first set of digital data,
- processing said first set of data to produce a visible reproduction of said image,
- providing a second set of digital data representing additional identification information, and
- printing a visual pattern controlled by said sets of data on a sheet of material.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of laminating said sheet of material between first and second sheets or thermoplastic material, at least one of which is transparent to visual light, with sufficient heat and pressure to form a unitary structure which cannot be delaminated without destruction of the identifying data.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said thermoplastic material is formed from polyester.
- 4. A method that is claim in claim 2, wherein both sheets of said thermoplastic material are transparent to visible light.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of printing said information on a sheet of material includes the step of printing by means of a laser printer.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the additional step of representing both of said sets of data on a video terminal screen, rearranging the format of said data, and recording both sets of data in a permanent memory.
Summary of the Invention
This is a division, of Ser. No. 07/059,940, filed Jun. 9,1987, which in turn is a continuation of Ser. No. 06/817,242, filed Jan. 8,1986, now U.S.Pat. Ser. No. 4,687,526.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to identification cards and more particularly to an identification card having a layer of paper carrying pertinent identification information embedded between two layers of protective plastic, and to the method of producing such a card.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Identification cards provide a quick and convenient means of providing personal identification. Such cards are widely used in connection with business transactions, control of access to restricted information or areas, and for various governmental identification functions. Many such cards carry a magnetized stripe encoded with the identification information or may have one or more photographs for identification purposes. Cards that carry photographs usually require the use of photographic film with its attendant processing costs. Such cards can represent a major expense in high volume applications such as national identify cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,009 to Komiyama describes an identification card in which a protective plastic layer is provided with a recess in which a paper insert carrying identification information is secured by adhesive. The edge portion of this plastic layer is laminated around its edges to another protective plastic sheet. The plastic used forms a filter that is transparent to either ultra-violet or infrared wavelengths which prevent the photographic image from being examined with ambient light. The construction descrived by Komiyama is expensive and is not suitable for high volume applications. An additional drawback is the requirement for specialized equipment to read the identification card.
U.S. Pat. NO. 3,245,697 to Nugent describes an iden-tification card carrying a photograph and other indicia which makes use of a photographic film as one of two plastic protective layers which enclose an information layer having opaque and transparent areas in the form of an intricate scroll. The card is read by ultraviolet light that is transmitted through the card. This card has all of the disadvantages of the one described by Komiyama.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,361 to Greenaway describes an identification card in which an internal information layer carries holograms, diffraction screens or miniature Fresnel prisms. That patent also discloses the use of a cellular structure for the information layer that prevents destruction of the information when the card layers are secured by chemical adhesives.
All of these identifications cards suffer from the high cost of production and their lack of suitability for high-volume low-cost applications requiring maximum security.
The present invention is incorporated in a high volume card production system in which a photograph from a video camera is converted to digital data and processed to permit reproduction of a high-quality portrait on a video display screen. Other images, such as signatures and fingerprints, can be treated in a similar manner using either a vido camera or a CCD (charge-coupled device). After processing, the video is displayed on the screen where it is combined with variable data typed in from a keyboard, or provided from another source. The video imges can be cropped, reduced or enlarged, and moved to any desired location on the video screen. The digital data from the terminal is fed into a laser printer that prints the portrait and any desired alphanumeric information on a paper card. This card is then laminated, under heat and pressure, between two sheets of transparent thermoplastic material, at a temperature and pressure sufficient to cause the plastic material to penetrate the interstices between the fibers of the paper card and form a unitary structure that cannot be delaminated without destruction of the identifying data.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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59940 |
Jun 1987 |
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Continuations (1)
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817242 |
Jan 1986 |
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Patent Grant
4999065
