CLEAR CONTACTLESS CARD

• US 20080203172A1
• Filed: 10/13/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• 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: Isenberg, Susan E., Mayers, Alexandra, Williamson, John R., Bonalle, David S., Scheding, Kathryn D., Elwood, Jennifer Anne, Saunders, Peter D., Hood, Matthew C., Shah, Sejal Ajit, Bliman, Michael, Malnati, Leigh, Mueller, Sue, Skilling-Belmond, Lisa, Norcross, Zarita, Vander Eyk, Becky, Berardi, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,583 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, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material, said machine recognizable compound substantially uniformly covering said card that is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

a first transponder associated with said card, said first transponder responsive to a first RF interrogation signal.

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

3. The card of claim 1, wherein said first transponder is operable to receive said first RF interrogation signal, authenticate said first RF interrogation signal, and transmit a transponder account data, said card further comprising:

a transponder authentication circuit in communication with said first transponder for authentication of a first verification data; and

a transponder database for storing said transponder account data, said transponder database in communication with said first transponder.

4. 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.

5. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of an invisible, visible and colored compound.

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

7. 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.

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

9. 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.

10. 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 rheological properties.

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

12. The card of claim 1, further comprising a transponder protocol/sequence controller configured to control the order of operation of said first transponder, said second transponder, said transponder authentication circuit, and said transponder database, said protocol/sequence controller in communication with at least one of said first transponder, said second transponder, said transponder authentication circuit, and said transponder database.

13. The card of claim 1, wherein said transponder includes a biometric circuit.

14. The card of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a holographic foil, an integrated circuit chip, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo, associated with said card.

15. The card of claim 1, wherein said transponder comprises at least one antenna operable to receive said interrogation signal.

16. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion that is substantially transmissive to visible light.

17. A card according to claim 1, wherein said transponder is configured to provide information in magnetic stripe format.

18. A card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound contains an infrared blocking material substantially covering said portion.

19. A method of fabricating a card at least a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

placing a substantially continuous machine recognizable compound over at least two layers of PET IR forming a subassembly, a portion of said subassembly being substantially transmissive to visible light; and

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

20. A method for fabricating a card including placing an IR film substantially continuously over two layers of PET GS, a combined portion of said layers and said IR film being substantially transmissive to visible light, and incorporating RFID circuitry between said two layers.

21. A card, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

an infrared blocking material associated with all machine recognizable points of said portion that is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

an RFID transponder associated with said card.