Patent ID: 8161282

Claim:
A system for supporting the requesting and issuing of an authorization document to an applicant, the said system comprising at least: a server arranged to communicate with a back office which is arranged to produce said authorization document; a computer comprising a first processor and a first memory containing stored first data and instructions to allow the first processor to execute a first defined program; a clerk unit comprising a second processor and a second memory containing stored second data and instructions to allow the second processor to execute a second defined program, as well as a secure application module; a client unit comprising at least a biometric characteristic reader unit for reading a biometric characteristic of the applicant; and wherein the server, the computer and the clerk unit are connected to one another via a local area network such that they can communicate with one another, the client unit and the second processor are arranged to communicate with each other, a combination of a clerk unit and a client unit are controlled by the computer, the clerk unit is arranged to control the client unit in said combination, and the first processor in the computer and the second processor in the clerk unit are arranged to communicate with each other in the form of a secure session that makes use of a cryptographic key stored in the secure application module, the system being arranged to perform the following actions: starting said secure session between the computer and the clerk unit by the server when the server has received an authorization signal from the clerk unit and an instruction to start such a secure session from the computer, the authorization signal being generated by the clerk unit once an operator has authorized himself, allowing said operator to log-in to said secure session after inputting a personal identification number, receiving by the server of a biometric characteristic from the applicant of the authorization document from the clerk unit as obtained by means of the client unit, receiving by the server of application data of the applicant from the computer, receiving by the server a digitized signature from the applicant of the authorization document from the clerk unit as obtained by means of the client unit, transmitting by the server, said application data, biometric characteristic and digitized signature to said back office, all these data being digitally undersigned by a key stored in the secure application module and being either enciphered or sent via a secure connection.