Abstract: A method of checking the authenticity of a perforation pattern which serves as a security feature and which when viewed in daylight back-lighting shows image information in the substrate of a document in particular in card form, wherein both the front side and also the rear side of the substrate is viewed in the region of the perforation pattern under incident light with light of a defined wavelength and in that case the image which is inherent to the perforation pattern shows on the front side while on the rear side thereof an area corresponding to the region of the perforation pattern shows up only in unspecified fashion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a protective coating for documents such as a passport, an identification card, or plastic cards such as credit cards, access cards, etc., which is highly resistant to abrasion while having as little influence as possible on the structure of the substrate, i.e. which keeps flexible substrates flexible, and can be applied prior to the document being individualized. The inventive document comprises a flexible or rigid substrate made of a textile material, paper, and/or plastic, particularly film-type or card-type plastic, and a protective coating and is characterized by the fact that said protective coating is less than 0.02 mm thick and is deposited on the substrate particularly from the gas phase and/or plasma phase.

Abstract: A system for personalizing and issuing identity documents such as national ID cards, drivers licenses and the like, and booklets such as passports and the like, at a location remote from a central issuing agency. The system permits remote personalization and issuance of documents under mobile conditions while ensuring the security and integrity of the issuance process. The system operates under local control by an operator, but requires authorization from a remote agency prior to any personalization procedures or document issuance.

Abstract: In material machining by means of laser beams, in particular when engraving for example metal or when blackening and marking on plastic material, there is to be provided a process in which in spite of a high frequency of machining pulses the required minimum energy per pulse is achieved. For that purpose a plurality of laser beams are brought together by way of a beam-combining means and passed by way of a common beam-guide means on to the workpiece and in particular operated in time-displaced relationship.