DUAL INTERFACE CARD WITH METALLIZED LAYER

• US 20150235122A1
• Filed: 12/09/2014
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David, Ummenhofer, Klaus
• Application Number:
  US14/564,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07754 the connection being galvanic
• 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 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/16 the magnetic material being applied in the form of particles, e.g. by serigraphy , to form thick magnetic films or precursors therefor H01F41/18 -H01F41/24 take precedence
• 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 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 1/0225 Single or multiple openings in a shielding, ground or power plane H05K1/0227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0233 Filters, inductors or a magnetic substance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/167 incorporating printed resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/183 Components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0218 Composite particles, i.e. first metal coated with second metal
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0257 Nanoparticles inks comprising nanoparticles H05K1/097
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/026 Nanotubes or nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0266 Size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0317 Thin film conductor layer; Thin film passive component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0323 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0723 : provided by an inner layer of PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/086 : for inductive purposes, e.g. printed inductor with ferrite core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09681 : Mesh conductors, e.g. as a ground plane
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0969 : Apertured conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09727 : Varying width along a single conductor; Conductors or pads having different widths
• 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 3/1275 : by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing

Abstract

Card body (CB) for a dual interface smart card (SC) comprising a metal foil (MF) or metallized layer (ML). An opening in the metal layer may be sized so that a coupler coil (CC) of a booster antenna (BA) is exposed. Improving coupling between a contactless reader and a transponder comprising providing a patch booster antenna (PBA) on a substrate disposed on the reader. Various booster antenna designs are disclosed.

Claims

1. A dual interface smart card, comprising:

a card body (CB);

a booster antenna (BA) having a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of the card body (CB) and a coupler coil (CC) disposed at an interior area of the card body (CB);

a dual interface antenna module (AM) having a module antenna (MA) and disposed so that the module antenna (MA) is inductively coupled with the coupler coil (CC).

a metallized layer (ML) having an opening for accepting the antenna module (AM).

wherein;

the opening in the metallized layer (ML) is sized so that the coupler coil (CC) is exposed.

2. The dual interface smart card of claim 1, wherein:

the metallized layer (ML) does not overlap the card antenna component.

3. Card body (CB) for a dual interface smart card (SC) comprising:

a metal foil (MF) layer incorporated into the card body (CB);

characterized in that;

the metal foil (MF) comprises a material selected from the group consisting of pure metals, alloys, aluminum, copper, metal nanoparticles, metal nanowires, carbon-based conductors, graphite, and exfoliated graphite;

further characterized by one of more of;

the metal foil comprises a very thin continuous layer deposited on the card body (CB);

the metal foil has a size matching an area of the card body (CB), or only a portion thereof;

the metal foil overlaps only the booster antenna (BA) or portions or components of the booster antenna;

the metal foil comprises multiple areas of foils which are deposited on or in the card body (CB);

the metal foil is perforated, segmented or discontinuous;

the metal foil is continuous, and has a thickness less than 15 nm;

the metal foil is discontinuous, and has a thickness greater than 15 nm;

the metal foil comprises a mesh;

the metal foil comprises metal particles of various sizes and shapes;

the metal foil partially covers the smartcard area, leaving exposed metal-free region at a coupling coil (CC) of the booster antenna (BA);

the metal foil reduces the quality (Q) of the booster antenna without having destructive effects on the coupling between the booster antenna (BA) and the antenna module (AM);

the metal foil, together with a booster antenna (BA) generates capacitance in the resonant circuit resulting in a broadening of a resonance curve;

the metal foil comprises a continuous loop;

the metal foil comprises) a discontinuous loop;

the metal foil comprises a resistor formed by narrowing a section of a metal loop; and

the metal foil comprises a conductive material having a sheet resistance on the order of only a few Ohms.

4. The card body (CB) of claim 3, wherein the metal foil is characterized by at least one of:

the metal foil is continuous, and has a thickness of less than 10 μ

m;

the metal foil is perforated;

the metal foil comprises a mesh; and

the metal foil comprises metal particles.

5. A method of improving coupling between a contactless reader and a transponder comprising:

providing a patch booster antenna (PBA) on a separate substrate disposed on the reader.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the patch booster antenna (PBA) has a patch coupler coil (CC).