Personalized Usb-Key Type Electronic Device and Method for Making Same

• US 20080156871A1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemplus (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Valette, Laurent, Garnier, Remi, Fidalgo, Jean-Christophe, Dossetto, Lucile, Biremont, Jean-Charles, Karlisch, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07733 the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

The invention concerns a USB-key type electronic device (73) comprising an electronic circuit mounted on a support (60), a gripping element showing a graphic print and/or customization (p), a protective case (70) arranged at the element so as to cause the graphic print and/or customization to be visible through the case. The invention is characterized in that the graphic print and/or customization is produced on the support (60) bearing the electronic circuit, and in that the case covers directly said support (60). The invention also concerns a method including the following steps: producing an electronic circuit support in the form of a printed smart card with contacts in conformity with the USB standard, producing a graphic customization on a support surface, protecting said graphic customization with a transparent protective shell.

Claims

1. An electronic device of the USB key-type, comprising an electronic circuit mounted on a support, a grasping body having graphic printing and/or personalization, and a protection envelope arranged on the body in order to render the printing and/or graphic personalization visible through the envelope,

wherein the graphic printing and/or personalization is disposed on the support bearing the electronic circuit and the envelope directly covers said support.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the envelope is a shell made of transparent material.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the envelope comprises a window centred on the graphic printing and/or personalization.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises a chip card body containing an electronic module comprising USB-format contacts.

5. A device according to, claim 1, wherein the envelope is a shell enveloping at least one part of the support.

6. A device according to, claim 5, wherein the envelope comprises a lower half-shell and an upper half-shell which engage one another and enclose at least said part of the support.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the lower shell comprises a plane directly under the contacts in order to adapt the thickness of the support to the standard thickness of a USB port.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein it comprises a metallic ring of the USB type surrounding the contacts and encircling together the two lower and upper half-shells by means of a shoulder of the upper half-shell and a plane of the lower half-shell.

9. A device according to claim 4, wherein it furthermore comprises additional ISO-type contacts (I/O, CLK, RST) set back from the USB contacts and an electronic circuit supporting the two communication protocols ISO and USB.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the support is made of a transparent material and comprises graphic printing and/or personalization visible on the back and/or front of the envelope.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the printing and/or personalization is a photograph of the user and wherein the device comprises an antenna in order to perform a radiofrequency communication function.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the printing and/or personalization comprises a photograph of the user and wherein the device comprises an LED diode in order to illuminate the photograph and/or printing.

21. Use of the device according to claim 12 as a personal identification and access swipe card of the contact-free type.

13. A method for manufacturing an electronic device of the USB-key type, comprising a grasping body and graphic printing and/or personalization on the body, wherein the method comprises the following stages of:

providing an electronic circuit support in the form of a chip card body with contacts complying with the USB standard,

providing graphic printing and/or personalization on a of said support surface,

direct protection of the support by a protection shell capable of rending said graphic printing and/or personalization on the support visible through the shell.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the shell is transparent.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a stage of adaptation of the thickness of the support in the area of the contacts to the thickness of a USB port by means of a plane extending a lower portion of the shell under the contacts.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the adaptation comprises a stage of fixing a metallic ring around the contacts and the plane.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the metallic ring encircles both the plane of the lower portion of the shell and a shoulder of an upper portion of the shell.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the following stages in which,

ISO-type contacts are additionally provided on the module and an electronic circuit also capable of supporting an ISO protocol,

and personalization and/or an electrical test is performed according to an ISO communication protocol.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein the support is extracted from a card body of ISO standard dimensions following a graphic and/or electric personalization stage.

20. A method according to claim 13, wherein single printing and/or graphic personalization is performed on one of the faces of the support, the support being made of transparent material.