Patent · US Expired

System and method for preventing unauthorized operation of identification and financial document production equipment

US7284279B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
14References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 7, 2003
Grant dateOct 16, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 5, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F21/84
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Improvements in security relating to the use of personalized document production equipment. The invention has particular use with respect to printers that are used to produce plastic cards, such as financial cards and identification cards. The invention prevents the unauthorized production of personalized documents through the use of stolen or fraudulently obtained production equipment or software. The equipment is locked until a user enters authorization data that matches authorization data stored in memory of the equipment. The equipment is able to power-up in the locked state, at which point the user is prompted to enter the authorization data. As a result, if the equipment is stolen, the thief is unable to operate the equipment without the necessary authorization data.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.