Chip card including tamper-proof security features

• US 20060226238A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Axalto S A
• Inventors: Salib, Rami, Deloche, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,374,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0739 the incapacitated circuit being part of an antenna
• 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 19/18 Constructional details

Abstract

The chip card comprises a card body (10) and a chip module (12) embedded in the card body and incorporating an integrated circuit. The card body includes at least one security feature (20, 22) incorporated in a layer, or applied on a surface, of the card body. An additional tamper-detection layer (26) is provided including a conductive pattern (28) forming an electrical loop connected between terminals of the integrated circuit, said conductive pattern having at least one region located beneath or above said security feature (20, 22). The integrated circuit is adapted to perform an integrity check of said conductive pattern for conditionally performing further operations only in case said integrity is recognized.

Claims

1. A chip card, comprising:

a card body, and

chip module embedded in said card body and incorporating an integrated circuit,

said card body including at least one security feature incorporated in a layer, or applied on a surface, of the card body,

wherein said card body comprises an additional tamper-detection layer including a conductive pattern forming an electrical loop connected between terminals of the integrated circuit, said conductive pattern having at least one region located beneath or above said security feature,

and wherein said integrated circuit is adapted to perform an integrity check of said conductive pattern for conditionally performing further operations only in case said integrity is recognized.

2. The chip card as in claim 1, wherein said conductive pattern has a given impedance or resistance and said integrated circuit is adapted to check whether said impedance or resistance matches a predetermined value stored in a memory of the integrated circuit.

3. The chip card as in claim 1, wherein said chip card includes contactless communication features and said conductive pattern is part of a tuned circuit co-operating with said integrated circuit for contactless communication.

4. The chip card as in claim 1, wherein said at least one security feature is a feature from the group including photograph, hologram, multiple laser image, laser engraving, UV/IR-readable pattern and magnetically-readable encoding.

5. The chip card as in claim 1, wherein said conductive pattern is made from a conductive ink material.

6. The chip card as in claim 1, wherein said conductive pattern is made from a transparent or near transparent material.

7. The chip card as in claim 1, wherein said conductive pattern is connected to said terminals of the integrated circuit through permanent bonds.