Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF TE~E INVENTION
The present invention relate.s to a new and improved
construction of checking apparatus for documents for determining
the identity or authenticity of the document and/or the identity
of a person authorized to use the document.
Checking devices of such general type are employed to prevent
the unauthorized use of, for instance, identification papers,
contracts, currency, various types of obligations, bonds and
other documents employed in transactions between individuals
or when such documents are used in automatic installations. In
a more restricted sense there are particularly checked with such
type devices documents of a nature which exist only once i.e.
single-copy documents and such devices enable checking their
authenticity and/or the identity of the individual using the
documents in order to determine his authority to do so.
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- In order to automatically check the authenticity of documents
there have already been made numerous proposals both as concerns
the actual formation of the document itself and also as concerns
the checking devices needed to carry out the foregoing
authentication and/or identity checking operations. These
proposals enable checking a number of documents --for instance
bank notes or currency - but, however, do not allow for the
positive identification of individual documents out of a group
of similar documents.
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~ lere~o~ore known clocuments con-taining indivi.dual,
au-tomatically readable da-ta -- for instance checks provided with
a magnetic code or writing -- can be easily forged in a manner
that it is possible to fool the automatic reader. Additionally,
the forms used for the prepara-tion of such documents which, for
instance, may have come into the unlawful possession of an
individual can be easily inscribed or marked b.y equipment which
is relatively readily available in such a manner that the
resultant documents can be neither automatically distinguished
or even visually distinguished by other individuals from
authentic or real documents.
Automatic equipment, such as for instance automatic
banking devices for dispensing cash, are protected against the
unlawful use of documents -- typi.cally for instance plastic
,~ cards -- which may have become lost or stolen in that they
possess a keyboard or equivalent structure b.y means of which the
user introduces into the system a secret character or number
which is only known to the authorized owner or user of the card
and compared with in$ormation which can be read-off of the
document by means of a computer command or instructions. A
prerequisite of such,'systems of this type is that the computer
command or instructi,ons, whi.ch must be the same for all of the
; plastic cards employed and all of the automatic systems which
are in operation, be maintai,ned secret, and particularly that
. the automatic systems be constructed such that the devices
provided within the automatic systems responsible for the
:~ computer commancls be protected against improper access. A
. notable drawback of this method
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is that with modern techniques it is possible, even by using a
rela-tively small n~lmber of documents with which ~ere is associated
the secret character or number, to determine the computer
command or instructions which, for all heretofore known proposed
systems always is constituted by a loyical derivation,even if
the same has a complicated origin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVFN'l'ION
Hence, it is a primary object of the present invention to
provide a new and improved construction of checking apparatus for
documents --which term is used in its broadest sense~ and which
apparatus is not associated with the aforementioned drawbacks
and shortcomings of the prior art proposals.
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Another and more specific object of this invention aims at
avoiding the aforementioned drawbacks of the heretofore known
prior art apparatuses and to provide a particularly advantageous,
universally employable apparatus which is capable of checking
the identity or authenticity of documents and/or the identity
of an individual authorized to use the same.
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A further object of the present invention aims at the
provision of a new and improved construction of checking
apparatus for documents and the llke constructed in a manner
such that it cannot be easily if at all "fooled".
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~ow in order to implement these and still further objects
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of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the
descrip-tion proceeds, an evaluation eircuit of the checking
appara~us comprises a fixed or permanent storage in which there
are stored constant data and data processing programs, an
access circuit which evaluates parts of the automatieally readabl
data of the document ancl/or the secret character or number
introduced via a keyboard or the like as selection or seleet
addresses. There are also provided a computer whieh, while
using the selected data and the data processing programs, process
es the selec-ted eonstant data into a result, and an indicator for
indicating the result.
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Aeeording to further aspects of the invention the checking
apparatus contains at least one automatic reader for the
determination of data which is eharacterlstic of the doeument
carrier or body of the document even before such document
carrier is inscribed or marked with the individual information
eonstituting the doeument data and distinguishes the same from
other doeument earriers of the same type, typieally for instance
forms. Sueh type data will be usually referred to hereinafter as
"eharacteristic data" or "inherent data" of the doeument. There
is further provided at least one reader which deteets the so-
ealled doeument data of the doeument which is applied to the
body of the document or document earrier only during the eourse
of the individual marking thereof while making use of the
eharacteristie data of the document earrier and/or the randomly
fixed seeret number while taking into aecount the subsequently
earried out automatic evaluation.
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In accordance ~ith a still further concept of the invention
the characteristic or inherent data which is the property of the
document carrier may be constituted hy the coincidental or
random number and position of fibers, particles, continuous
thread.s incorporated into the material of the document carrier
during the course of its fabrication, ox by pore~, fissures or
fringes or equivalent means of one or a number of inserts
possessing special physical properties.
According to a further facet of the invention the device
for determining the characteristic data of the document carrier
or the body of the document, and which device constitutes a part
of the checXing apparatus, contains a linear or areal mask
possessing a multiplicity of measurement zones or regions. These
individual measurement zones or regions are separated from one
another by insensitive partition webs, strips or equivalent
structure possessing a width of one of the particles or pores
to be detected, and a circuit for the logical coupling of two
successively performed measurement operations while displacing
the mask through the width of one web.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the
continuous threads or inserts applied to the document carrler
are constructed as light conductors by placing in layer
configuration on top of one another light pervious material
possessin~ different refrac~ive indice-.
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Thus, in accordance with a broad aspect of the
invent.ion, there is provided an apparatus for the selective
determination of at least any one of the identity of a document
formed from a data carrier, the identity of the proper user of
the document, or both, comprising reading devices for auto-
matically reading automatically readable data applied to the
documer.t, keyboard means for the infeed of a secret nurnber, an
evaluation circuit, said evaluation circuit possessing fixed
storage means in which there are stored constant data and data
processing programs, access circuit means for selectively
evaluating two separate parts of the automatically readable data
of the document, one part of which is comprised of prior data
which has been applied to the data carrier prior to individually
.inscribing data on it in order to form the document and the
other part being inscribed when forming the document, the prior
data being machine readable only and defining characteristics
;~ information which distinguishes data carriers of the same type
from one another, -the access means providing addresses to the
fixed storage means in dependence on the two separate parts of
. the automatically readable data and the secret mernber whereby
data and processing programs are provided to computer means
which utilize the data and processing programs to produce a
result, said apparatus including means for providing an indi-
: catlon of said result.
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~:I;~E DESCB,IPTION OF THE D~A_INGS
The invention will be better understood and objects other
than those set forth above, will become apparent when
consideration is yiven to the following dekailed description
thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed
drawings wherein:
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Figure 1 is a block circuit diagram o~ a preferred exemplary
embodiment of checking apparatus for documenks or the like as
contemplated by the invention;
Figure 2 schematically illustrates a document equipped with
security or protection threads or e~ulvalent structure;
Figure 3 illustrates a mask for the determination of the
characteristic or inherent data of the document carrier or body
of the document; and
` Figure 4 illustrates a document provided with security or
protection particles.
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. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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: Describing now the drawings, in.Figure 1 there is schematical
illustrated a block circult diagram of an exemplary embodiment
of checking device as contomplated by the invention. All of the
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coml~onen-ts of this block circuit diagram can be readily construct-
ed witl~out ~he exercise of invention by utilization of the
knowledge presently available in the electronics art. The same
is e~ually true as concerns the mechanical devices needed for
t]-le insertion and Eixation of a document, and, thus further
details thereof are not believecl to be necessary. Moreover, it
is to be understood that the term "number" whenever used in this
description is employed in its broadest sense and is intended
to emconpass the grouping together of a number of distinguishable
characters which need not of necessity be numerals in the normal
sense of the usage of such word, but, for instance, could be
also letters, or other characters or symbols or appropriate
markings. Hence, as a general generic term there will be usually
employed the expression "code" or secret "number" or sometime
simply "number".
Continuing, a prerequisite of the checking apparatus
illu~ctrated by way of example ln ~igure 1 is that the documents
to be checked must carry certain information or data, the
particulars of which will be described more fully hereinafter.
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The exemplary embodiment of checking apparatus illustrated
in block circuit diagram in Figure 1 will be understood to
encompass a first reading device or reader 1 by means of which
it is possible to determine the data.which has been conveniently
termed the characteristic or inherent data of the document
carrler or body of the document, i.e., the data which is placed
on each of the document carriers before the actual document data
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or information particular to any individual docurnent is applied.
Further, there is provided a second reading device or reader 2
by means of which there is automaticall~ read the automatically
readable data which is additionally applied to the document carrie
when filling out the same with the specific information to be
contained thereon. The checking apparatus furthermore contains
a keyboard 3 or equivalent structure, the term "keyboard" being
used in a broad sense to denote by way of example keys, push
buttons, or other expedients for the input of a secret number
or code which is only known to the authorized user.
operatively connected in circuit with the aforementioned
three devices are converters 4, 5 and 6 which convert the data
delivered by the readers 1 and 2 and the keyboard 3 respectively,
into non-variable computer instructions or commands. Moreover,
these converters 4, 5 and 6 have the function of making available
at their outputs 4a, 5a and 6a the converted or transformed data
in a form which can be recognized as addresses bv the following
connected storage or storage means 7.
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The storage 7 is a fixed or permanent storage for constant
data and for computer commands. It contains constant data and
computer commands in a number which is determined by the number
of possible addresses. The number of possible addresses is in
turn defined by the informational content of the data delivered
by the readers 1 and 2 and the keyboard 3 respectively. In this
regard there can be arbitrarily undertaken the division of the
storage places with respect to the data and computer commands.
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~ vi.rtue of the addresses which have been prepared by the
c~nverters 4, 5 and 6, -the storage 7 delivers by means of its
outputs 8, lO and 12 constant data and by means o~ its outputs
9, ll and 13 computer commands or instruc-tions to the computer 14.
The computer 14 processes the infed data in accordance with the
infed computer commands and fina]ly delivers a result to a suitabl
indicator device or indicator 15. The-indicator 1.5 can indicate
a multi-place or multi~position number or al.so can only deliver
a Yes/No respo~se. Both of these situations are differentiatable
from one another also with respect to the fabrication technique
of the document which can be checked by the checking apparatuses,
as the same will be demonstrated more fully by the explanations
to follo~.
A decisive di~fererlce in contrast to prior art apparatuses
resides in the fact that three numbers.which have originated :.
independently of one another can be compared with one another,
whereas with the heretofore known prior ~rt apparatuses of this
type it is always only two numbers, and furthermore, the usual
continual logical sequence of the comparison operation carried
out with the prior art apparatuses is interrupted throu~h the use
of an electronically stored, non-symmetrical, in other words also
illogically formed list or sequence. Consequently, with the
equipment of this development there is rendered impossible any
determination of the computer commands, something possible to
determine relatively easy with prior art systems once a person has
knowled~e of a-limited number of documents and the associated .
secret numbers or codes.
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A11 components or parts of the checking apparatus descrihed
in Figure 1 are identical for all clocument cheeking apparatuses
of a group. As to the checking apparatuses o~ this group it is
only possible to check a document likewise belonging to the system
In accordance with the description of the invention the
checking apparatus of Figure 1 can be easily modified for other
applications. For instance, it is therefore possible that the
addresses produced by the reaclers 1 and 2 via the converters a
and 5 only lead to constant data in the storage 7, whereas the
characteristic number introduced via the keyboard 3 after processir g
thereof in the conver-ter 6 serves in the storage 7 as an address
for the computer instructions or commands. Of course, it is
equally possible to carry out any other combination and use of
the addresses.
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In those instances of use of the equipment where it is only
; necessary to check the identity of a document, then there is
~ dispensed with the need for the keyboard 3.. or the like and the
: following circuit devices.
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. In instances where it is only of importance to determine the
authorized possession of a doeument by an individual, then there
ean be dispensed with one o-f both readers 1 and 2 and the
associated following cireuit devices.
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: By way of these illustrative examples it is intended to only
~ demonstrate by way of example the multiplicity of possible
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combinations which can be deri.ved Erom the teachings of the
invention, but in no way are these ~xamples to be considered
. as exhaustive of all of the various other possible combinations
which will readily suggest themselves from the description
of the inventi.on to those skil1.ed in the art.
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There has already been alluded to above that particular
requirements must be placed upon the documents to be checked.
Hence, for the use of the reader 1 the document must possess
certain digital or digitiz.ible properties which are already
inherent to or characteristic of the document carrier, for instanc
forms or otherwise. These propert.ies are advantageously imparted
during fabrication by randomly or also intentionally undertaken
measures. An additional protection against reproduction of the ~:
document carrier or body of the document can be realized if, for
the fabrication or manufacture thereof, there are employed rare
materials or difficult to recognize physical properties.
An exemplary embodiment of a document carrier or body 20 has
been shown in Figure 2. It is known to protect currency or bank
notes against forgery by security or protection threads or the ~.
like, which are introduced during the fabrication of the paper.
This techni~ue also can be equally applied to foils, with the
aid of which, for instance, there are produced identification
cards or papers or the like. According to the invention, a
document carrier or the body of the document is provided with a
number of security threads or the like and with suitable devices
there is insured that during fabricati~n the angular position
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and the mutual spacing o~ such security threads alternates or
alters, so tilat in this way document carriers of the same fab~
riaction series differ from one another.
The document carrier or document body 20 illus-trated in
Figure 2 contains, for instance, three security threads 21, 22
and 23. The ends of these security threads 21, 22 and 23 are
located at a defined or definite spacing or distance a, b, c, d,
¦e and f from one narrow side of the document~ these distances or
also o-thers, fol i.nstance relative distances, can be measured and
digitized.
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The mentioned measurement operatlon can be carried out
easily with conventional means. In order to avoid uncertainty
during digitization, there is advantageously employed a measure-
ment device containing a mask 24, as the same has been illustrated
in Figure 3. This mask 2~ is subdivided into a multiplicity of
measurement regions or zones 25 which are either equipped with a
respective measurement element or a measurement element moves in
succession thereover. The measurement regions or zones 25 are
limited or bounded by non-sensitive or non responsive partition
webs or web means 26 or equivalent structure, the width of which
corresponds to the width of the security threads 21, 22 and 23,
while taking into account their oblique or inclined position.
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With the aid of the measurement device which contains the
mask 24 and which itself is a component of the reader or reading
device 1 the measurement operation is carried out twice and
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between the measurement operations the mask 24 is indexed or adv-
anced through the width or one partition or separation web 26.
Both of the measurements in a measurement region ~5 are logically
coupled by means of an OR-circuit or OR-gate and thus there is
reali~ed a clear result. With this technique security threads
which are situated closer together than a distance corresponding
$o the width of a partition web are detected as if they did not
constitute any security or protection thread.
For the functlon of the measurement device it is necessary
that the security threads are physically distinguishable from
their surroundings. This difference, for instance, can exist by
virtue of their optical or magnetic properties or also in their
galvanic conductivity. A particularly advantageous construc-tional
manifestation of security thread is a light conductor by means of
which it is possible to determine, with the aid of a measurement
device which can be easily realized with presently available
technology existing in the art, the correlation or association
of both ends of a security thread, even ~e~ if the security
threads cross~over or intersect one another. Such type light
conductors previously were only known in a circular configuration.
For the use thereof ln documents there is particularly advantageou
a flat configuration of essentially rectangular cross-section,
for instance cut~out of appropriate foil combinations. If there
is imparted to the core of the light conductor p~rticular trans-
mission properties which can be checked in the checking apparatus,
then there is thus rendered more difficult the forgery or copying
of document carries.
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Another form of a document carrier or document body 20
constructed according to the presen-t invention has been illustrat-
ed in Figure ~. It is already known to the art to prepare
documents, typically currency or bank notes so as to contain
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r particles, for instance -f-~*~re~e~ fibers which are added to
the starting mass, for performing a visual authenticity check.
The document carrier 20 of Figure ~ contains such particles 27,
the positional orien-tation of which i9 defined by two coordinates
q and h. In order to measure these coordinates there is
advantageously employed a measuring or measurement device as a
component of the reader 1 which subdivides the entire surface
of the document 20 by a mask into square or rectangular measure-
ment regions or zones which again are separated from one another
by partition or separation webs or equivalent structure. With
this reader, the detailed illustration of which has been
;~ conviently omitted from the drawings, the measurement operation
proceeds exactly in the manner as above described. The webs
have a width corresponding to the maximum extent of the particles.
There are carried out two measurement operations and the mask
is shifted in both coordinates by an amount corresponding to the
web width.
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Although the described insertion of the particles is
particularly advantageous for such documents whose base material
or matrix is paper, there can be realized for the construction
of documents formed of plastic material, in other words for
instance identification cards, a particularly advantageous
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con~iguratlon which more or less i5 a reversal of the configuratio
described on the basi.s of the showing of Figure 4. To this end
there is used for the construction of the document a plastic
foil containing a random arrangement oE pores, conveniently
reEerred to hereinafter as random pores. These random pores are
capable oE being easily formed, for instance, with the aid of
punching wheels or equivalent st:ructure at a very high repetition
rate or also by means of a sprayed-on solvent or similar chemical
or physical processes. From a combination of such foils it is
possible to realize numerous evaluation possibllities. Thus,
for instance, when using two different colored foils there are re~
alized pores of the one as well as of the other color which can
be differently evaluated by virtue of the digitization.
Similar possibilities are realized for linear evaluation
techni~ues according to Figure 3 if the employed foils possess
fringes or the like which, for instance, are produced in that at
the marginal zones of the foils which are to be cut during a
subsequent time period there can be applied large pores of holes
in a dense sequence.
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Just as was the case when using light conductors, when using
foils it is advantageous in the measurement device to resort to
the use of the illumination emanating from the edges of the
document, in other words, to resort to the use of the floodlight
effect. This :Eloodlight eEfect is augmented if the foils
containing the pores are embedded between foils having a lower
refractive index.
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Apart from the data which i.s the characteristic or inherent
property of tlle documerlt carrier and whi.ch can be detected by
the reader 1, there are requi.red for the use of the checking
apparatus of Figure 1 also the readable information to be appli.ed
during the individual marking of the document and a secret number,
and which together with -the characteristi.c information o the doc-
ument carrier must produce a predetermined result in the checking
apparatus of Figure l.
If, during the subsequent evaluation, there is displayed
or indicated the result at the indicator 15 in the form of a multi-
place number, then both the informatio,n to be read at the reader 2
as well as the secret number can be freely selected. It is thus
possible, for instance, to use the information which is to be
read by the reader 2 and applied in a simple to produce code which
can be automatically read with extreme security for portraying
the surname of the proper user or authorized owner of the
document and thereby render possible an additional checking
operation as concerns the authority of the person using the
document. It is furthermore possible to accommodate the secret
number to the wishes of the authorized user or owner so that he
or she can particularly easily remember the same. The thus
prepared document, for the final fabrication thereof, is inserted
into a checking apparatus of the type illustrated in Figure 1,
there is introduced the secret number and the number displayed at
the indicator 15 is for ins.tance, manually noted upon the document
carrier. Now the fabrication of the document is completed. .
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On the other hand, if during checking in the checking .
apparatus of FicJure l, the indica-tor 15 only should display or
deliver a Yes/No answer o~ value, then, at least one of both
values lntroduced by means of the reader 2 or the keyboard 3 must
be detected by a positive or Inandatory operation. If, f*r
instance, the secret number is randomly selected, then for the
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i, calculation of the ~o~r-~i~n to be inscribed there is used for
the reader 2 a device which is realized in that f~r the checking
apparatus illustrated in Figure l the reacler 2 is replaced by a
random number generator which produces all permissible numbers
in a timewise sequence. After insertion of the document and
introduction of the secret number or code at the keyboard 3
this random number generator is placed in operation and at the
same time that the information "Yes" is displayed at the in-
dicator 15 is brought to stand~still. I'he number which is
present at that point of time in the random number generator is
then transferred to the document in a form which can be read by
the reader o~ reading device 2.
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While there is shown and described present preferred
embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood
that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise
variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the
following claims. -ACCORD~GLY,
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