Identity card reader device

• US 5,915,016 A
• Filed: 12/18/1996
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel Mobile Phones
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Mobile Phones
• Inventors: Savalle, Patrick, Petit, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US08/768,396
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 235/441, 379/433, 379/369
• US Class Current: 379/433.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/006 the housing being a portable casing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

A portable telephone has a keypad, a screen and a plate under the keypad and including some of the electronic circuits of the telephone and contacts actuated by keys of the keypad to operate the telephone. An identity card is inserted in a cavity under the plate so as to place it in contact with an identity card connector located under the "navigator" key of the keypad on the opposite side of the plate to the identity card. The connections between the connector and the identity card are made by contacts carried by the connector through an opening in the plate. This saves space and reduces the thickness of the telephone.

Claims

1. An identity card reader device integrated into a portable device including a touch keypad, a plate under said keypad including contacts actuated by keys of said keypad to operate said device and a slot under said plate for inserting said identity card so as to place it in contact with an identity card connector, wherein said identity card connector is under a key of said keypad on the opposite side of said plate to said identity card, the connections between said connector and said identity card being made by contacts carried by said connector through an opening in said plate.

2. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said key under which said connector is located is a large "navigator" type key used to move a cursor in all directions on a screen of said portable device.

3. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said connections between said contacts of said connector and said identity card are made by contacts of a microchip carried by said identity card.

4. The device claimed in claim 1 used in a portable telephone, said identity card being an SIM card.