Smartcard constructions and methods

• US 10,599,972 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Féinics AmaTech Teoranta (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David, Lotya, Mustafa, Molloy, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Application Number:
  US16/199,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20190114526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/103 by bonding or embedding conductive wires or strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49162 by using wire as conductive path

Abstract

Smartcards having (i) a metal card body (MCB) with a slit (S) overlapping a module antenna (MA) of a chip module (TCM) or (ii) multiple metal layers (M1, M2, M3) each having a slit (S1, S2, S3) offset from or oriented differently than each other. A front metal layer may be continuous (no slit), and may be shielded from underlying metal layers by a shielding layer (SL). Metal backing inserts (MBI) reinforcing the slit(s) may also have a slit (S2) overlapping the module antenna. Diamond like carbon coating filling the slit. Key fobs similarly fabricated. Smart cards with metal card bodies (MCB). Plastic-Metal-Plastic smartcards and methods of manufacture are disclosed. Such cards may be contactless only, contact only, or may be dual-interface (contact and contactless) cards.

Claims

1. Smartcard, comprising:

a card body (CB) comprising a stackup of at least two metal layers, each of the metal layers (ML) having a discontinuity in the form of a slit (S) or nonconductive stripe (NCS) extending through the layer from an outer edge of the layer to an interior position thereof;

wherein the slit of a given metal layer is positioned or oriented differently than the slit(s) of the other metal layer(s) so that the slits of the at least two metal layers are not aligned with one another;

further comprising;

a transponder chip module (TCM) disposed in the card body, said transponder chip module comprising an RFID chip (IC) and a module antenna (MA);

wherein the slit in at least one of the metal layers overlaps the module antenna.

2. The smartcard of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the metal layers extends from edge-to-edge on the card body.

3. The smartcard of claim 1, wherein:

the interior position of at least one of the metal layers is a module opening (MO) for receiving a transponder chip module (TCM).

4. The smartcard of claim 1, further comprising:

a front metal layer which is continuous, not having a slit or discontinuity, shielded from the other at least two metal layers by a shielding layer (SL).

5. The smartcard of claim 1, wherein:

the transponder chip module further comprises contact pads (CP); and

the smartcard is dual interface, operable in both contact and contactless modes.

6. A metal smartcard capable of operating in at least a contactless mode comprising:

a metal card body (MCB) having an opening (MO) for receiving a transponder chip module; and

a slit (S) extending through the card body from an edge of the card body to the opening;

wherein;

when a transponder chip module (TCM) is disposed in the opening, the slit overlaps at least a portion of a module antenna (MA) in the transponder chip module.

7. The metal smartcard of claim 6, wherein:

the opening is stepped so that a portion of the transponder chip module having the module antenna extends beyond a smaller portion of the opening and overlaps the slit.

8. The metal smartcard of claim 6, further comprising:

a thinned area forming a recess on a back side of the card body in an area including the slit; and

a metal backing insert disposed in the recess, spanning the slit and reinforcing the card body at the slit area.

9. The metal smartcard of claim 6, wherein;

the metal backing insert comprises a slit (S2) extending from an edge of the backing insert to the opening.

10. The metal smartcard of claim 9, wherein:

the metal backing insert is oriented so that the slit (S2) does not extend to an edge of the card body, but rather is located in a central area of the card body.

11. The metal smartcard of claim 6, wherein:

the opening extends through the card body; and

further comprising a module cover (MC) disposed in the opening at the back of the card body.

12. A method of manufacturing a shrouded metal inlay for a smartcard, comprising:

providing a metal core layer having a plurality of sites, each site corresponding to an individual smartcard;

disposing PVC layers on the front and back of the metal core layer; and

digitally printing at least one of the PVC layers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the sites are arranged in an array having rows and columns.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the metal core layer has a thickness of approximately 350 μ

m.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the PVC layers each has a thickness of approximately 125 μ

m.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

laminating protective overlay layers to both sides of the pre-printed laminate.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

milling openings for accepting transponder chip modules.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

cutting the sheets into a plurality of individual ID-1 size smartcards.