Compact type electronic information card

• US 4,918,631 A
• Filed: 09/01/1987
• Issued: 04/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Hara, Kazuya, Rikuna, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H.
• Application Number:
  US07/091,959
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 364/712, 340/146.2, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 361/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• 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 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

An intelligent card has a calculation function and a card holder collation function, and is formed to have the same size as that of a credit card. With the collation function, numeral data input from a key input section of the card is collated with identification data prestored in an internal integrated memory circuit. A so-called IC card itself is relatively expensive. However, the intelligent card of this invention additionally has a calculation function, and the IC card function can be provided inexpensively.

Claims

1. A compact electric apparatus having predetermined upper and lower surfaces and a substantially uniform thickness comprising:

an electronic component assembly including a plurality of key input contacts for inputtting numeral data and collation instruction data, integrated circuit means having memory means for prestoring identification data and control means for collating said identification data with numeral data according to said collation instruction data and for generating a collation result signal, display means connected to said integrated circuit means for displaying a collation result, and battery means for supplying a drive voltage to said integrated circuit means;

said electronic component assembly having first and second surfaces;

upper cover means for covering said first surface of said electronic component assembly and including a plurality of key operation portions having means for inputting numeral data and collation instruction data through said key input contacts;

lower cover means for covering said second surface of said electronic component assembly and having a cavity for disposing said electronic component assembly; and

fixing means for fixing said electronic component assembly, said upper cover means and said lower cover means together.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixing means is adhesive.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sizes of said upper and lower surfaces of said apparatus are substantially the same as that of a credit card.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said thickness of said apparatus is substantially the same as that of a credit card.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further has a key input means for inputting arithmetic instruction data, and said integrated circuit means includes arithmetic calculation means for executing an arithmetic operation of numeral data according to said arithmetic instruction data.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sizes of said upper and lower surfaces of said apparatus are substantially the same as that of a credit card.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the thickness of said apparatus is substantially the same as that of said credit card.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said integrated circuit means is constituted by at least two solid chips, one of which includes said arithmetic calculation means and the other of which includes said memory means prestoring the identification data.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said integrated circuit means is constituted by a single solid chip.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said upper cover means includes a flexible sheet having key indicia, and a rigid sheet having openings for key operation.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said assembly has an insulating board for carrying electric conductive leads which connects said integrated circuit means, said display means and said battery means so as to comprise a predetermined circuit.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said assembly further has a number of metal contacts respectively connected to said leads, and one of said upper and lower cover means has openings through which said contacts are externally exposed.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said lower cover means includes a frame member for disposing said insulating board of said assembly, and a rigid sheet on which a cavity for disposing said integrated circuit means and said display means of said assembly is formed.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said lower cover means has an identification code on an outer surface.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said identification data is formed with an embossment.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the thickness of said apparatus is substantially the same as that of a credit card.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said lower cover means has a magnetic stripe on an outer surface of which identification data is recorded.

18. A compact electronic apparatus comprising:

an electronic component assembly including an insulating substrate having predetermined electric conductive leads, an integrated circuit chip mounted on said insulating substrate and having terminals respectively connected to said conductive leads, and a plurality of metal contacts respectively connected to said terminals of said integrated circuit chip;

case body means for disposing said electronic component assembly, and having a first cavity, a second cavity, an opening for connecting said first cavity to said second cavity, and a thick portion projecting from said first and second cavities;

said insulating substrate being disposed in said first cavity;

first cover means for covering one surface of said case body means and including a first reinforcing sheet and a first outer sheet;

said first reinforcing sheet having an opening for receiving said thick portion projecting from said first cavity;

said first outer sheet covering an outer surface of said first reinforcing sheet; and

second cover means for covering the other surface of said case body means and including a second reinforcing sheet and a second outer sheet;

said second reinforcing sheet having an opening for receiving said thick portion projecting from said second cavity;

said second outer sheet covering an outer surface of said second reinforcing sheet;

one of said first and second cover means having an opening for exposing said metal contacts to the outside of said apparatus;

wherein said first outer sheet, said thick portion of said case body, and said second outer sheet are laminated excluding said first and second reinforcing sheets from a region corresponding to said thick portion such that an embossment formed on said thick portion of said case body means is also formed on corresponding portions of said first and second outer sheets.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a plurality of key input contacts are formed on said insulating substrate and one of said first and second cover means has key operation portions corresponding to said key input contacts, respectively.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said electronic component assembly includes an insulating sheet carried on said insulating substrate, and said integrated circuit chip is mounted on said insulating sheet.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said electronic component assembly further includes a display device and a battery cell which are respectively connected to said electric conductive leads and disposed in said opening of said case body means.

22. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the size of said apparatus is substantially the same as that of a credit card.

23. A compact electronic apparatus comprising:

an electronic component assembly including a thin insulating substrate, a plurality of metal foil contacts formed on said insulating substrate, an integrated circuit chip having a plurality of terminals some of which are connected to said metal foil contacts, a plurality of key input contacts, a display device, a battery cell and electric conductive leads which connect the rest of said terminals of said integrated circuit chip, said key contacts, said display device and said battery cell so as to comprise a predetermined circuit;

upper cover means for covering an upper surface of said electronic component assembly and including an uppermost sheet with a plurality of key input portions which are depressible toward said key contacts, respectively, and key indicia each of which is printed on each of said key input portions; and

lower cover means for covering a lower surface of said electronic component assembly;

one of said upper and lower cover means having an opening for exposing said metal foil contacts to the outside of said apparatus.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said integrated circuit chip includes an identification circuit means for identifying prestored identification data with input data inputtted through said key input contacts and for generating a collation result signal, and control circuit means for instructing said display device to provide a display corresponding to the collation result signal.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said key input portions include an arithmetic key input means for inputting arithmetic instruction data, and said integrated circuit chip includes arithmetic calculation means for executing an arithmetic operation of numeral data according to said arithmetic instruction data.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said electronic component assembly includes two integrated circuit chips, one of which includes said identification circuit means and the other of which includes said arithmetic calculation means.

27. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said key input contacts and said electric conductive leads are formed on said insulating substrate.

28. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said electronic component assembly includes an insulating sheet carried by said insulating substrate, and said integrated circuit chip is mounted on said insulating sheet.

29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said electronic component assembly includes anisotropically electric conductive adhesive which electrically connects said terminals of said integrated circuit chip to said electric conductive leads.

30. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said upper cover means includes a metal sheet which is disposed between said uppermost sheet and said electronic component assembly;

said metal sheet having an opening opposed to said display device.

31. An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said opening for exposing said metal foil contacts to the outside of the apparatus is formed in said metal sheet and said uppermost sheet.

32. An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said lower cover means includes a metal sheet in which an opening exposes the metal foil contacts to the outside of said apparatus.