VIDEO IMAGE SYSTEM FOR PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

A video image system for rapidly (in a few seconds) recording a person and his identification (ID) card makes video images of the person's hand palm and face along with the ID card presented by the person that may be a badge, card, drivers license, passport, or other item issued by some authority, and combines those images and presents the combined image on a video monitor for immediate inspection by a guard, store clerk or attendant, and, in addition, stores the combined image along with time and date superimposed thereon so that it can be reviewed later. The system includes at a designated place entered by the person to be recorded, a viewing table in easy reach of the person on which there are viewing areas for the person's palm and the ID card that he presents and video cameras arranged for scanning his palm, ID card and his face producing video images that are combined electronically producing a combined video image of the palm. ID card and face that is viewed on a video monitor and recorded on a video cassette recorder (VCR) along with the time and date. The combined image that is recorded can be reviewed later as a review of the identification event.