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(11) | EP 0 601 640 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Identification document |
| (57) Known identification documents such as passports and driving licences have a photograph
for purposes of identification of the holder of the document. Due to the fact that
such a photograph can be replaced by another photograph, such known documents are
fraudproof only to a limited extent. If these identification documents already provided
with the photograph are further provided according to the invention with a copy of
the photograph printed on the identification document, they become highly fraudproof,
due to the fact that the printed copy cannot be replaced, and the photograph can be
compared at any time with said printed copy, which makes replacing the photograph
pointless. |
A. Background of the invention
[0001] The invention relates to an identification document which is adapted for the affixing of a photograph to a part of the identification document.
[0002] Such an identification document is generally known, for example a passport or an insurance document. In the case of a passport, a part of a particular page of the passport is designed for affixing thereto a photograph of a person who is thereby identified as the holder of the passport. In the case of an insurance document, a part of said insurance document is designed for affixing thereto a photograph of an article which is to be insured and is thereby identified as the article to be insured.
[0003] Such known identification documents have the disadvantage that they are fraudproof only to a limited extent, due to the fact that the photograph already affixed or yet to be affixed to them can easily be replaced by another photograph. In order to make them more fraudproof, one stamp mark is often placed partly on the identification document and partly on the already affixed photograph, but this mark can be forged without great difficulty on replacement of the photograph. Besides, this provides no better protection at all against fraud for so-called blank identification documents (in the case of which the photograph has not yet been affixed), due to the fact that in this case the stamp mark cannot yet be placed on them.
B. Summary of the invention
[0004] One object of the invention is to provide an identification document of the type mentioned in the preamble which provides better protection against fraud.
[0005] For this purpose, the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that the identification document is adapted for the printing of a copy of the photograph on another part of the identification document.
[0006] Due to the fact that the other part of the identification document is designed for the printing of the photograph thereon, it becomes possible to compare the photograph already affixed or yet to be affixed with the printed copy of said photograph, with the result that replacement of the photograph by another photograph becomes pointless, since the printed copy, which cannot be replaced, will not correspond to that other photograph. This makes such an identification document more fraudproof. So-called blank identification documents also become more fraudproof, due to the fact that it is no longer sufficient to affix the photograph and, for example, forge the stamp mark, but it is also necessary to print a copy of the photograph on the identification document, which constitutes an additional obstacle.
[0007] The invention is based on the idea that a copy of a photograph printed on the identification document cannot be replaced, and that the fact that the photograph can be compared with its copy makes replacing the photograph pointless.
[0008] A first embodiment of the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that the copy of the photograph is printed on the other part of the identification document.
[0009] An identification document on which the copy of the photograph is printed is highly fraudproof, since only the photograph of which the copy has been made is now suitable for affixing to the (part of the) identification document.
[0010] A second embodiment of the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that a transparent plastic layer is provided on the copy of the photograph.
[0012] A third embodiment of the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that the photograph is affixed to the part of the identification document.
[0013] A fourth embodiment of the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that the photograph is situated between the part of the identification document and a transparent plastic layer.
[0014] A fifth embodiment of the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that the photograph is affixed to the part of the identification document by means of a metal object.
[0015] A sixth embodiment of the identification document according to the invention is characterized in that the photograph is affixed to the part of the identification document by means of an adhesive.
[0016] The third, fourth, fifth and sixth embodiments of the identification document according to the invention relate to the affixing per se and various possibilities for affixing the photograph to the identification document.
[0017] It is pointed out that it is known from GB 2,228,445 to provide a security document with an impression which is made by a computer-controlled laser printer and constitutes a visual representation of the holder of the document. It is also known from WO 92/03804 to print an impression of the holder of the card on a credit card, and it is known from FR 2,610,748 to provide a cheque with a printed impression by means of an adhesive. However, it is not known from these documents for a document already provided with a photograph or yet to be provided with a photograph additionally to be provided with a copy of that photograph printed on the document. The copy prevents the photograph to be compared therewith from being replaced, while the identification of the holder of the document is by means of the photograph, which will generally give a sharper and clearer picture of the holder than the copy does.
C. References
D. Example of an embodiment
[0019] The invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to an example of an embodiment shown in the figures, in which:
Figure 1 shows an identification document according to the invention.
[0020] The identification document 1 shown in Figure 1 relates to a passport, with a part 2 to which passport photograph 3 still has to be affixed, and with another part on which a copy 4 of the passport photograph 3 has already been printed. The identification document 1 also contains some text 5, for example personal data.
[0021] The term identification document must be understood in a very wide sense: it relates not only to the passport shown, but also to a driving licence, an insurance document, a company pass or an admission pass, and even a bank pass or an examination result document. The invention is in fact applicable to any document which has been or has yet to be provided with a photograph for purposes of identification, and relates to printing a copy of the photograph on the document. This provides the possibility of comparing the photograph, which could be replaced by people with fraudulent intent, with the printed - and thus irreplaceable - copy of this photograph, which makes replacement of the photograph by another photograph pointless. The identification document according to the invention has therefore become considerably more fraudproof. Even so-called blank documents to which no photograph has yet been affixed are more fraudproof, due to the fact that having to print the copy on the identification document constitutes an additional obstacle.
[0022] The invention relates both to so-called blank identification documents to which no photograph has yet been affixed and on which no copy has yet been printed, but which are designed for the affixing of a photograph on one part and the printing of the copy on another part (in other words, identification documents which comprise a part designed for affixing the photograph thereto and comprise another part designed for printing the copy thereon), and to identification documents to which a photograph has already been affixed and/or on which a copy has already been printed. In one embodiment a transparent plastic layer can be stuck over the photograph and/or over the copy (so-called plastic-coating). In other embodiments the photograph is affixed by means of an adhesive, for example glue, or by means of a metal object such as a staple.
[0023] The copy is printed by means of a laser printer, a photocopier, a copy printer, a video printer etc. The term printing here must be understood in a wide sense: not only can printing be by means of ink or toner, but printing by means of laser beams or by means of perforations and so-called thermal printing are some of the possibilities. It is important that the copy is printed on the document in such a way that the copy cannot be replaced.
1. Identification document which is adapted for the affixing of a photograph to a part
of the identification document, characterized in that the identification document
is adapted for the printing of a copy of the photograph on another part of the identification
document.
2. Identification document according to Claim 1, characterized in that the copy of the
photograph is printed on the other part of the identification document.
3. Identification document according to Claim 2, characterized in that a transparent
plastic layer is provided on the copy of the photograph.
4. Identification document according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the photograph
is affixed to the part of the identification document.
5. Identification document according to Claim 4, characterized in that the photograph
is situated between the part of the identification document and a transparent plastic
layer.
6. Identification document according to Claim 4, characterized in that the photograph
is affixed to the part of the identification document by means of a metal object.
7. Identification document according to Claim 4, characterized in that the photograph
is affixed to the part of the identification document by means of an adhesive.