WO2005062244A1

WO2005062244A1 - Anti-tamper documents

Info

Publication number: WO2005062244A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/005293
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Cole; Matthew Hensman; Keith Mayhew; Andrew North
Original assignee: Security Printing and Systems Ltd
Current assignee: 3M Security Printing and Systems Ltd
Priority date: 2003-12-23
Filing date: 2004-12-17
Publication date: 2005-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 2006-06-23
Also published as: GB0330008D0

Abstract

An authentication or validation document is rendered tamper resistant in that it comprises at least one page (1), comprising a multi-layer laminar structure, with a transparent cover layer (2) a sheet (3) of an easily damaged material such as a security paper. The sheet (3) carries markings (4) and an extended image (5). Below sheet (3) is a substrate (6) of a transparent plastics material in which is embedded and encapsulated an RF microchip (7) and its antenna loop (8). Substrate (6) has a reduced thickness edge tab (7) to form a hinge for binding the page into a document booklet.

Description

ANTI-TAMPER DOCUMENTS

This invention relates to improvement in degree of protection to various forms of identity documents against tampering with and alteration to the visual bio data information and the removal and replacement of data storage devices embedded within the documents, especially documents used as authentication or validation documents such as passports, driving licences and identity cards. Identity documents may be used to authenticate the identity of persons for many purposes such as travel, driving privileges, access to premises, receipt of services and entitlement to benefits as well as for official duties (e.g. police warrants etc.). A very large number of proposals in this connection have been made, including more or less complex constructions for making printed images and handwriting tamper-proof. Now it is becoming a requirement for such documents not only to include so-called "bio data" in visual form (as words and images on a page) but also encoded in a microchip which can be read by a chip reader. This will provide additional security, confirming and possibly extending the visual data. It is inevitable that attempts will be made to alter data for fraudulent purposes, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an authentication or validation document which is "tamper-evident" so that it is readily evident from a quick visual inspection of the document that an attempt at alteration of visual data and / or removal or substitution of a chip, has been made. The invention therefore provides an authentication or validation document such as a passport, driving licence, warrant or identity card comprising at least one page, the page comprising in sequence from the obverse face:- a cover layer of a transparent material; a data carrying layer of a damageable material; a substrate made of a transparent material; a data carrier microcircuit embedded within the substrate. The damageable material may be paper, preferably a security grade of paper which will be visibly damaged by an attempt at deletion, or alteration of data on the paper. The data is preferably printed on the obverse face of the paper, for example by laser printing, and may include so-called bio data, that is including name, birth date and place and may include a facial image derived from a photograph or captured live from the individual. The data carrier microcircuit is preferably a contactless microchip and an associated antenna embedded within the substrate. The data carrier may carry bio-data appearing on the damageable material as confirmation of the printed material, and may in some cases include additional material such as digitized images not only of the facial image, but also for example of a finger print or an iris scan. If the page containing the data and/or the microcircuit is to be sewn into a book, the substrate may be formed along one edge to provide a hinge for binding purposes with a projecting tab which may extend the full length of the edge. Alternatively, the hinge may be formed by a backing sheet bonded to the reverse face of the substrate, and having the appropriate edge projecting beyond the substrate to form the tab. The backing sheet, if used, should also be of transparent material. The use of transparent materials for the cover layer and substrate, as well as the backing sheet if used, is important to enable interference or attempted tampering with the visual data on the damageable data carrying layer, or any attempt to remove or replace the microcircuit, or to damage the antenna, to be easily detected by a visual inspection. The damageable layer, of for example a security paper such as various papers used to produce security documents, containing appropriate printed security features, would be visibly damaged by any attempt to erase printed information, quite apart from the delamination of the cover layer required to gain access to the layer. As the layers added are transparent except for the paper, most of the special security features used in such documents are visible and therefore the clarity of the covering layers will allow such items as special inks, secure printing and paper features - e.g. watermarks, to be used in such a configuration. This allows the user to build on current printed paper-security features, which have proved to be successful in countering forgeries and counterfeiting, using them in this new structure. To give added protection to the antenna and the chip, a printed image can be used inside the substrate such that if an attempt were made to spilt the materials in which the antenna is embedded then damage to this image would occur indicating tampering with the document. The image can single or multi-colour, be overt or covert. A example of covert imaging would be the use of UV fluorescing inks in either short of long wave, these ink could have differential splitting characteristics and contain variable solvency to different solvents, i.e. water and/or alcohol's. Similarly the use of specialized tamper evident inks could be used at any of the interfaces within the structure to give added tamper evident protection. The antenna may also be made to have unique features of visual design which would be observable due to the transparent nature of the substrate in which it is embedded, and therefore can become a security feature to assist in the protection of the document from counterfeiting. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic cross-section of an identification data carrying page from a document such as a passport. The drawing shows part of a page 1 of an identification document such as a passport, driving license or identity card. The obverse face, that is the side of the page 1 to be viewed by a person visually inspecting the page is uppermost, the reverse face being lowermost. From the obverse (upper) face of the page 1 , the page comprises a multi-layer laminated structure, comprising a cover layer 2, of a transparent clear (pigment free) synthetic plastics material covering a sheet 3 of an easily damaged material, in this particular case a security paper. The sheet 3 carries markings 4 such as lettering and an extended image 5, which may be laser, printed for example onto the sheet. As the sheet 3 is a low quality rather porous and loosely fibred paper, there will also be some penetration of toner into the fibrous structure of the paper. Underlying the sheet 3 is a substrate 6 of a transparent (clear, unpigmented) synthetic plastics material in which is embedded and encapsulated a radio-frequency microchip 7 and its antenna loop 8. The antenna loop 8 may have a unique or unusual layout and visual appearance. The microchip module 7, may be 3 - 5 mm square, with a loop antenna for operation in the radio spectrum region. The substrate 6 is itself about 0.35 - 0.45 mm in thickness, typically 0.40 mm, which is sufficient to embed the chip and antenna when laid flat in the substrate. The substrate 6 is may be formed with a reduced thickness edge tab 7 which extends beyond the edge of the substrate 6 and superposed sheet 3 and cover layer 2 to provide a hinge should the page be required to be bound into a document booklet, such as a passport or other identification or validation document. The sheet 3 is advantageously printed on its obverse face (towards the top in the drawing) with relevant details concerning the document holder, of the kind often referred to as "bio data" and may include a digitized image derived from a photograph or a live captured image, printed on the sheet 3, name, place and date of birth, identifying serial numbers, and possibly other material. Any attempt at tampering with this page will involve delaminating the cover layer 2, and then attempting to erase and alter the data and will, because of the easily damaged paper used, cause visible damage to the paper (even if the cover can be adequately re-laminated). The microchip 7, embedded in the substrate 6, can only be accessed for removal or replacement by splitting or cutting into the substrate, again causing visible damage to the substrate. The microchip 7 will usually have encoded therein bio-data similar to that appearing on the visual data sheet 3, acting as a confirmation of the visual data for machine assisted identity confirmation. If it were possible to replace the visual sheet 3 and the chip 7 was not changed then the discrepancy in the data would signal tampering, whilst absence of the chip would also be evidenced by a failure to read the data by the receiving terminal. However, attempts to tamper with either or both of the sheet 3 and chip 7 would result in clearly visible damage to the page itself, and to the substrate, so that attempted tampering can be easily detected by a visual inspection. The plastics material used on the cover layer 2 and the substrate 6 may be a polymer material such as polyester, poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and the like. It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiments which are described by way of example only.

Claims

1 . An authentication or validation document, comprising at least one page, the page comprising in sequence from an obverse face thereof:- - a cover layer of a transparent material; - a data carrying layer of a damageable material; - a substrate made of a transparent material; and - a data carrier microcircuit embedded within the substrate.

2. A document according to claim 1 , wherein the damageable material is paper of a grade which will be visibly damaged by an attempt at deletion or alteration of data in the paper.

3. A document according to claim 2, wherein the data is printed on the obverse face of the paper, and includes bio data as hereinbefore defined.

4. A document according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the data carrier microcircuit comprises a contactless microchip and an associated antenna both embedded within the substrate.

5. A document according to claim 4 wherein the data carrier is adapted to carry bio data appearing on the damageable material as confirmation of the printed material.

6. A document according to claim 5 wherein the data carrier is adapted to carry additional material including digitized images.

7. A document according to any preceding claim, wherein the said page is formed along one edge to provide a hinge for binding purposes with a projecting tab which extends the full length of the edge.

8. A document according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the said page further comprises a backing sheet bonded to the reverse side of the substrate, on edge of the backing sheet projecting beyond the associated edge of the substrate to form a tab for binding purposes.

9. A document according to claim 2, or any preceding claim appendant to claim 2, wherein a printed image is provided inside the substrate.

10. A document according to claim 9 wherein the printed image is single or multiple-colour, overt or covert.

1 1 . A document according to claim 10 wherein the printed image is a covert image printed in inks which fluoresce under UV illumination.

1 2. A document according to any preceding claim wherein tamper- evident ink is used at any of the interfaces in within the structure of the page.

13. A document according to claim 4 or any claim appendant thereto, wherein the antenna has unique features of visual design in shape or configuration, which are observable due to the transparency of the substrate in which the antenna is embedded.