US 12,722,399 B2Granted

Personalized identification document processing systems and methods

AssigneeEntrust Corporation

InventorsRoman Knipp, Pauline Ukpabi, Utpal Vaidya, Ryan Schwiderski, Matthew Stebbins

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Abstract

A personalized identification document processing system includes a print station that includes a thermal print head and a print ribbon that is engageable by the thermal print head to thermally transfer material from the print ribbon to personalize the plastic identification document. The print ribbon includes a repeating sequence of panels of thermally transferrable material, with each sequence of panels including at least one panel of thermally transferrable color material followed by at least one panel of thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material. The color material and the topcoat material are applied to the plastic identification document in a printing process, with the topcoat material applied over at least a portion of the color material. The topcoat material is then cured and once cured enhances the durability of the color material.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A personalized identification document processing system, comprising:

a document input that is configured to input a plastic identification document to be processed onto a document transport path to create a personalized plastic identification document;
a print station along the document transport path, the print station includes a thermal print head and a print ribbon that is engageable by the thermal print head to thermally transfer material from the print ribbon to the plastic identification document;
the print ribbon includes a thermally transferrable color material and a thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material disposed on a carrier film, wherein the thermally transferrable color material and the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material are disposed on adjacent panels on the carrier film, the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material is dry to the touch or substantially dry to the touch, the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material comprises one or more heat-curable monomers and one or more radiation curable monomers, the print station is configured to apply the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material over the thermally transferrable color material following printing of the thermally transferrable color material;
a radiation curing station along the document transport path that is configured to apply radiation to the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material applied to the plastic identification document from the print ribbon to cure the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material on the plastic identification document;
a document output along the document transport path that is configured to receive the plastic identification document;
and
a document transport mechanism that is configured to transport the plastic identification document along the document transport path.

4 more elements

A method of processing a plastic identification document in a personalized identification document processing system, comprising:

inputting the plastic identification document to be processed onto a document transport path;
transporting the plastic identification document into a print station located along the document transport path, the print station includes a thermal print head and a print ribbon that is engageable by the thermal print head to thermally transfer material from the print ribbon to personalize the plastic identification document, the print ribbon includes a carrier film with a thermally transferrable color material and a thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material disposed on the carrier film, wherein the thermally transferrable color material and the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material are disposed on adjacent panels on the carrier film, the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material is dry to the touch or substantially dry to the touch, the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material comprises one or more heat-curable monomers and one or more radiation curable monomers;
applying the thermally transferrable color material from the print ribbon onto the plastic identification document;
applying the thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material from the print ribbon onto the plastic identification document over the printed thermally transferrable color material;
thereafter transporting the plastic identification document into a radiation curing station along the document transport path, and applying radiation to the applied thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material to cure the applied thermally transferrable radiation curable protective topcoat material;
and
thereafter transporting the plastic identification document to a document output and outputting the plastic identification document.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/459,164Filed 31 Aug 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 Sep 2022
Published: US 2024/0075751 A17 Mar 2024
Granted: 1 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

B41J 2/325
Using thermal heads: by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
B41J 3/407
Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed: for marking on special material
B41J
Typewriters