Method and System for Controlled Production of Security Documents, Especially Banknotes

Abstract

There is described a method for controlled production of security documents, especially banknotes, wherein said security documents are subjected to a plurality of successive printing and processing operations (20.1, 20.2,) on a plurality of processing stations. The method comprises the steps 5 of: (i) providing a computer network comprising a central server station (10) coupled via a data network (15) to a plurality of local computer stations (25.1, 25.2, 26.1, 26.2,), one local computer station (25.1, 25.2,) being operatively coupled to each processing station (20.1, 20.2,); 10 (ii) defining at least one production order, which production order involves the production of a desired volume of security documents according to a defined production workflow, this production order being subdivided into a plurality of production loads (30, 30*, 30**,) each being assigned a machine-readable load identifier (35); 15 (iii) assigning selected processing stations among available processing stations (20.1, 20.2,) to carry out processing of the production order according to the production workflow; and (iv) selectively processing each production load (30, 30*, 30**,) through the processing stations (20.1, 20.2,) depending on the determined production 20 workflow of the corresponding production order defined for each production load, whereby each production load (30, 30*, 30**,) is first subjected to a load acceptance procedure based on its machine-readable load identifier (35) before being authorized to be processed on a selected processing station among said available processing stations (20.1, 20.2,). 25 Also described is a system for carrying out said method.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.