Classify
The objective of classifying a document is to identify the document type. AssureID uses the following criteria for classification:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| issuer | Government jurisdiction (country, state, or province) that issued the document |
| class | General category of the document type |
| series | Label that identifies the version of a document when the format or design changed |
| size | Physical size of a document; for example, ID1 indicates a credit card-sized document and ID3 indicates a passport document |
| type | Document subtype, such as Driver License, Driver License Under 21, Identification Card, Over 21, and Under 21 |
| Region* | Geographic region. Regional boundaries may overlap; therefore, a document may be included in more than one region |
| ICAO identifier | Document is compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) machine- readable document standards for passports and identification cards |
*** NA = North America, SA = South America, EMEA = Europe, Middle East and Africa, APAC = *Asia-*Pacific
When a document is scanned by using a reader or captured with a mobile device, the images are sent to AssureID for classification. AssureID processes the image by comparing the specific images and patterns on the document to the over 6,600 document types in the AssureID Document Library database in order to determine its classification.
GBG includes the AssureID Document Library PDF file with the Document Library. The Document type column contains the full descriptive name of the document type. The name is typically based on the name (in English) created by the issuer.
Example
Section titled “Example”The following excerpt from the AssureID Document Library PDF file shows three document types issued by the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and Hungary.
| Issuer | Document type | Series | Size | Region | ICAO | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | Guatemala (GTM) Driver’s License | 1 | ID1 | NA, SA | No | Front |
| Honduras | Honduras (HND) Driver’s License | 2 | ID1 | NA, SA | No | Front |
| Hungary | Hungary (HUN) Driver’s License | 2000 | ID1 | EMEA | No | Front & Back |
The Classification column in the PDF file Indicates whether the document can be automatically classified using either the front or back of the document. Some scanners require a manual process to flip the document to capture the reverse side. Documents that list only Front classification will not classify when only the back side is scanned, whereas those that list Front & Back have at least one variation that can classify as a back type when only the back is scanned.
Example
Section titled “Example”The following excerpt from the AssureID Document Library PDF file shows various classifications for documents from the state of Alabama:
| Issuer | Document type | Series | Size | Region | ICAO | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama (AL) Driver’s License | 1997 | ID1 | NA | No | Front |
| Alabama | Alabama (AL) Driver’s License | 2 | ID1 | NA | No | Front |
| Alabama | Alabama (AL) Driver’s License | 2000 | ID1 | NA | No | Front & Back |
After the document has been classified, the data and images are extracted. Information read by the reader (such as the MRZ and the contactless chip) may be read even if the document does not classify. Note that VIZ fields (OCR extraction) will not be read if the document does not classify. After the data is successfully extracted, AssureID performs various authentication tests.
Classification of two-sided documents
Section titled “Classification of two-sided documents”Two-sided documents (ID cards and Driver’s Licenses) are trained to either classify the front of the document for classification, or trained to be able to if only the back of the document is scanned. This distinction is shown in the Classification column of the Document Library PDF file, which indicates how the document type is trained.
Why didn’t my document classify?
Section titled “Why didn’t my document classify?”If a document could not be classified, it typically indicates a problem such as a blurred image, bad position on the reader, or other issues associated with the device used to scan the document. Try rescanning the document, making sure to position it correctly and avoid moving it during the scan. In some cases, it may be that AssureID was unable to find a supported document type to match. Check the Document Library PDF file to see whether it lists your document type.
When inserting a document with a contactless chip into the document reader, the reader must be able to read the MRZ of the document in order to open the contactless chip. If a failure occurs when reading the MRZ, then a MRZ correction required window opens, requesting the user to enter the corrected MRZ code. AssureID will then use the corrected MRZ to open the contactless chip for reading and displays the contactless information on the Fields tab.
Document classes
Section titled “Document classes”The document class is exposed both as an enumeration on the document type and as the DocumentClass name localized standard field. See the following list of document class members. The DocumentClass for a particular document type and its enumeration values may change over time, for example, if we add a document class that is a better fit for an existing type.
| Member | Description |
|---|---|
| BirthCertificate | A vital record that documents the birth of a child |
| Currency | Circulating paper money that is in general use in a particular country |
| DriversLicense | An identity document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway |
| IdentificationCard | A document which may be used to verify aspects of a person’s personal identity |
| Other | A document that is different or distinct and cannot be represented by one of the other document classes |
| Passport | A document, issued by a national government, which certifies the identity and nationality of its holder for the purpose of international travel |
| Permit | An official document giving someone authorization to do something |
| ResidenceDocument | An identity document which confirms your right of residence in a particular country |
| TravelDocument | An identity document issued by a government or international treaty organization to facilitate the movement of individuals or small groups of persons across international boundaries |
| TribalIdentification | An identity document issued by a native tribe to its members for identification or proof of membership |
| Unknown | An unknown document |
| VehicleRegistration | An official document providing proof of registration of a motor vehicle |
| Visa | A document issued by a country’s government allowing the holder to enter (or to make a formal request to enter) or to leave that country |
| VoterIdentification | A document issued by a government for identification that indicates the citizen’s voting status or eligibility |
| WeaponLicense | A permit or license issued by a government that indicates the license holder’s right to carry a weapon, such as a firearm |
Presentation and orientation
Section titled “Presentation and orientation”After AssureID has determined the document type, it can then distinguish the front side of a document from the back (the front being the side that shows the person’s photo). The presentation refers to what AssureID considers the front side of a document. It can reference the document side or described by using document characteristics such as front-first, back-first, photo side-first, or MRZ side-first. If you have the presentation correction feature enabled, AssureID will automatically correct the presentation by swapping the front-to-back and back-to-front of the document images. This is useful if a document was inserted either front-first or back-first. AssureID will report the correct side after it has been classified. Any document images that were captured before the presentation was corrected and/or the orientation was changed will also need to be corrected to be considered “upright.”
- The orientation indicates whether AssureID must reorient a document by 180 degrees to match the orientation in the AssureID database.
- The rotation indicates how many degrees a document needs to be rotated from the standard AssureID database direction to be considered upright. By default, IDs that are printed in portrait mode (such as Under 21 Driver’s License) will display in their vertical position.
For AssureID SDK users, the PresentationCorrection and OrientationCorrection properties can be used to affect the presentation and orientation of the document (such as specifying the back side of the document as the front side and vice versa). See the AssureID API documentation for more information.