Transparent transaction card

• US 20040118930A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Elwood, Jennifer Anne, Isenberg, Susan E., Mayers, Alexandra, Berardi, Michael J., Williamson, John R., Bonalle, David S., Scheding, Kathryn D., Bliman, Michal, Saunders, Peter D., Hood, Matthew C., Shah, Sejal Ajit, Malnati, Leigh, Mueller, Sue, Skilling-Belmond, Lisa, Norcross, Zarita, Eyk, Becky Vander
• Granted Patent: US 7,306,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing an transparent or translucent transaction card having multiple features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, RFID circuitry, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an invisible optically recognizable compound, a translucent signature field such that the RFID circuitry and signature on back of the card is visible from the front of the card and an active thru date on the front of the card. The invisible optically recognizable compound is an infrared ink and/or film, which can be detected by a sensor found in an ATM or card assembly line.

Claims

1. A card comprising:

a. at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface;

b. a machine recognizable compound associated with a portion of said surface; and

c. a transponder system interfacing with said card surface, said transponder system operable to receive said first RF interrogation signal, authenticate said first RF interrogation signal, and transmit said transponder system account data, said transponder system comprising;

i. a first transponder responsive to said RF interrogation signal;

ii. a transponder system authentication circuit in communication with at least one of said first transponder and a second transponder; and

iii. a transponder system database in communication with said first transponder.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, and electronic commerce card.

3. A card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound is extrusion coated to said at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface.

4. A card of claim 1, wherein at least one of said translucent and transparent layers comprises a plurality of perforations.

5. A card of claim 3, wherein said plurality of perforations forms a pattern in at least one of said translucent and transparent layers.

6. A card of claim 3 further comprising a subassembly of film layers, wherein said subassembly comprises the second layer and further wherein the subassembly comprises the plurality of perforations through said subassembly.

7. A card of claim 1 further comprising:

a. a second transponder system interfacing with said card surface, said second transponder system operable to receive said second RF interrogation signal, authenticate said second RF interrogation signal, and transmit said transponder system account data, said second transponder system comprising;

i. a second transponder responsive to said second RF interrogation signal;

ii. a second transponder system authentication circuit in communication with at least one of first transponder and second transponder; and

iii. a second transponder system database in communication with said second transponder system.

8. The card of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of layers wherein a first layer comprises a first polymer and a second layer comprises a second polymer wherein said plurality of layers is transparent or translucent.

9. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a chemical, solution, dye, layered material, pigment, encapsulated pigment, coating, film, thread, plastic, ink, concentrate, thermoplastic matrix, thermoset matrix, fiber, paper, and planchette.

10. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of invisible, visible or colored compounds.

11. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes an infrared ink.

12. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes an infrared ink comprising in the range of about 0.001 to 40.0 wt.(%) of an infrared activated material.

13. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes an optically recognizable compound.

14. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound is configured to at least one of block, diffuse, reflect, refract and absorb infrared light

15. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a binder, UV absorber, reflector, antioxidant, optical brightener, color shifter, chemical configured to improve processing, and chemical configured to adjust rhelogical properties.

16. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 2% Epolin VII-164 dye, about 98% Tech Mark Mixing Clear, about 980.0 g of Tech Mark solvent evaporative screen ink, about 20.0 g of Epolight VII-164 dye.

17. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 15.0 lbs of Epolin VI 1-164 dye, about 965 lbs of Tech Mark Mixing Clear, and about 20.0 lbs of Epolight VI-30 dye.

18. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 30.0 grams of Epolight VII-172 dye, 700.0 grams of polyvinylchloride plastic, and 99.0 lbs of PVC.

19. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes PET plastic.

20. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 0.80 grams Tech Mark mixing clear, about 0.07 grams VMCA resin, about 0.10 grams cyclohexanone, and about 0.03 grams epolight vii-164.

21. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 0.55 grams vinyl VMCA resin, about 0.35 grams EEP solvent, about 0.05 grams cyclohexanone, about 0.03 grams epolight vii-164, and 0.02 grams epolight vi-30.

22. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 0.90 grams TM mixing clear, about 0.03 grams cyclohexanone, about 0.03 grams epolight vii-164, about 0.02 grams epolight vi-30, and about 0.02 grams epolight 6084.

23. The Card of claim 1, further comprising a second transponder responsive to a second RF interrogation signal, said first RF interrogation signal different from said second RF interrogation signal.

24. A system according to claim 17, wherein said transponder system further includes a transponder system protocol/sequence controller in communication with at least one of said first transponder, said second transponder, said transponder system authentication circuit, and said transponder system database, said transponder system protocol/sequence controller configured to control the order of operation of said first transponder, said second transponder, said transponder system authentication circuit, and said transponder system database.

25. A system according to claim 17, wherein said transponder system further comprises at least one of a first transponder system antenna and a second transponder system antenna, said first transponder system antenna configured to receive said first RF interrogation signal, and said second transponder system antenna configured to receive said second RF interrogation signal.

26. A system according to claim 18, wherein said transponder system protocol/sequence controller is responsive to at least one of said first RF interrogation signal and said second RF interrogation signal, said transponder protocol/sequence controller controlling the sequence of operation at least one of said transponder system authentication circuit, and said transponder system database, in response to at least one of said first RF interrogation signal and said second RF interrogation signal.

27. A system according to claim 18, wherein said transponder system protocol/sequence controller is configured to activate said transponder system authentication circuit in response to said first RF interrogation signal, said transponder system authenticating circuit configured to provide an encrypted RF interrogation signal, said transponder system authentication circuit configured to provide said encrypted RF interrogation signal to said first transponder for providing to a RFID reader.

28. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transponder system database is operable to store at least one of a transponder system identification data, a RFID reader decryption security key, a transponder system account data.

29. A system according to claim 22, wherein said transponder system database is configured to provide said RFID reader decryption security key to said transponder system authentication circuit in response to a encrypted authentication code.

30. A system according to claim 1, wherein said transponder system further includes an internal power source.

31. A system according to claim 24, wherein said transponder system further includes a biometric circuit, said biometric circuit in communication with said internal power source.

32. A system according to claim 25, wherein said biometric circuit is configured to provide a biometric data verification response, said biometric circuit configured to provide said biometric data verification response to at least one of said RFID reader and a merchant system, wherein said biometric data verification response is an identification verification data.

34. The card of claim 27, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.

35. The card of claim 27, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a coating, film, thread, plastic, ink, fiber, paper, and planchette.

38. The process of claim 31 further comprising chemical deposition by at least one of vacuum coating, solar coating and Magnetron sputtering, providing a laminate, providing a core layer and adhering the layers of the card with adhesive.

33. A card comprising:

a. at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface;

b. a machine recognizable compound associated with a portion of said surface;

c. at least one of a holographic foil, an integrated circuit chip, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, and text and logo; and

,

d. transponder system including a RFID circuitry operable to receive a first RF interrogation signal, and to authenticate said first interrogation signal, said transponder system comprising a first transponder responsive to a first RF interrogation signal.

36. A card comprising:

a. at least one of a opaque, translucent and transparent card surface;

b. a machine recognizable compound associated with a portion of said surface;

c. a holographic foil;

d. an integrated circuit chip;

e. a RFID circuitry; and

f. a magnetic stripe.

37. A process for fabricating a card including placing IR film between two layers of PET GS and incorporating RFID circuitry.

39. A card at least a portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a. at lease one of a translucent and transparent card surface;

b. a machine recognizable compound covering at least a portion of said card surface, wherein said machine recognizable compound is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

,

c. a RFID circuitry interfacing with said surface, said RFID circuitry including a transponder responsive to a first interrogation signal.

40. A card at least a portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a. at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface;

b. at lease one of a holographic foil, an integrated circuit chip, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo;

c. a machine recognizable compound covering at least a portion of said card surface, wherein said machine recognizable compound is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

d. a RFID circuitry interfacing with said surface, said RFID circuitry including a transponder responsive to a first interrogation signal.

41. A process for fabricating a card at least a portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a. placing machine recognizable compound between at least two layers of PET IR forming a subassembly;

b. placing a RFID circuitry between at least one layer of the PET and the machine recognizable compound.

42. A process for fabricating a card at least a portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a. placing machine recognizable compound between at least two layers of PET IR forming a subassembly;

b. placing the subassembly between at least two layers of polyvinylchloride;

c. placing a RFID circuitry between at least one layer of the polyvinylchloride and at least one layer of the subassembly.