The present invention provides improved methods for making a multiple layer thermoplastic security document having a window using CO.sub.2 laser cutting and engraving in combination with a vision system for precision registration of cut windows of each layer and layer to layer registration and further provides application and registration of security features between layers within the security document body including an embedded gray scale watermark.

The present invention provides improved methods for making a multiple layer thermoplastic security document having a window using CO.sub.2 laser cutting and engraving in combination with a vision system for precision registration of cut windows of each layer and layer to layer registration and further provides application and registration of security features between layers within the security document body including an embedded gray scale watermark.

A method of inserting guilloche patterns in a document, each guilloche pattern being capable of encoding variable alphanumeric data ensuring a different aspect at each guilloche pattern so as to render said document secure using an operation of determining an insertion intensity of each guilloche pattern previously generated on the basis of a mid-gray level of the document near said guilloche pattern. A device for implementing this insertion method. The method further provides for extracting guilloche patterns from a secure document likely to be degraded by determining a contrast card of at least one portion of the secure document that includes the guilloche patterns, identifying, on this contrast card an optimal percolation trajectory, and extracting the optimal percolation trajectory, said trajectory corresponding to the guilloche pattern. The method further provides for authentication of the guilloche patterns of a secure document likely to be degraded, by the extraction operations, and comparing each extracted guilloche pattern with a corresponding theoretical guilloche pattern.

A method of inserting guilloche patterns in a document, each guilloche pattern being capable of encoding variable alphanumeric data ensuring a different aspect at each guilloche pattern so as to render said document secure using an operation of determining an insertion intensity of each guilloche pattern previously generated on the basis of a mid-gray level of the document near said guilloche pattern. A device for implementing this insertion method. The method further provides for extracting guilloche patterns from a secure document likely to be degraded by determining a contrast card of at least one portion of the secure document that includes the guilloche patterns, identifying, on this contrast card an optimal percolation trajectory, and extracting the optimal percolation trajectory, said trajectory corresponding to the guilloche pattern. The method further provides for authentication of the guilloche patterns of a secure document likely to be degraded, by the extraction operations, and comparing each extracted guilloche pattern with a corresponding theoretical guilloche pattern.

Techniques are described herein that mitigate warpage during laser marking on a plastic security document. A method of laser marking a feature onto a plastic card includes electronically dividing an image of the feature into a plurality of sections. The method includes laser marking a first one of the sections on the document and laser marking a second one of the sections on the document. The first section is not contiguous with the second section.

The present invention relates generally to a data carrier comprising an opaque layer and a method for making the data carrier. During personalization phase, the ablation of the opaque layer by laser through the data carrier allows to define a see-through portion of the data carrier carrying opaque security, said see-through portion having an improved security corresponding to opaque embossing pattern overlapping at least partially the opaque security partially destroyed. Said defined see-through portion carrying opaque security partially destroyed with opaque embossing pattern on its surface is even more difficult to reproduce by forger, even more difficult to remove, replace or exchange and easy to check.

The present invention relates generally to a data carrier comprising an opaque layer and a method for making the data carrier. During personalization phase, the ablation of the opaque layer by laser through the data carrier allows to define a see-through portion of the data carrier carrying opaque security, said see-through portion having an improved security corresponding to opaque embossing pattern overlapping at least partially the opaque security partially destroyed. Said defined see-through portion carrying opaque security partially destroyed with opaque embossing pattern on its surface is even more difficult to reproduce by forger, even more difficult to remove, replace or exchange and easy to check.

Aspects described herein may provide detection of a physical characteristic of a credential, thereby allowing for authentication of the credential. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by detecting the physical characteristic with the credential in two or more orientations. A first image of a credential in a first orientation and a second image of the credential in a second orientation may be received. An optical characteristic of a secure feature of the credential may be determined based on light reflected from the secure feature in both the first image and the second image. An expected optical characteristic of the secure feature may be determined based on known properties of the secure feature. A determination as to whether the credential is authentic may be based how a comparison of the determined optical characteristic of the secure feature to the expected optical characteristic of the secure feature.

Aspects described herein may provide detection of a physical characteristic of a credential, thereby allowing for authentication of the credential. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by detecting the physical characteristic with the credential in two or more orientations. A first image of a credential in a first orientation and a second image of the credential in a second orientation may be received. An optical characteristic of a secure feature of the credential may be determined based on light reflected from the secure feature in both the first image and the second image. An expected optical characteristic of the secure feature may be determined based on known properties of the secure feature. A determination as to whether the credential is authentic may be based how a comparison of the determined optical characteristic of the secure feature to the expected optical characteristic of the secure feature.

A heated indenter is provided for indenting a personalized document to create a security impression thereon. The personalized document includes but is not limited to, identification cards, driver's licenses, credit and debit cards, and the like. The security impression can provide a visible or tactile security feature that can be recognized by one with little or no training. The security impression causes a laminate layer of the document to tear or disfigure when attempting to remove the laminate layer from a substrate of the document.