Contactless IC card

• US 6,373,708 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Chemical Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Chemical Company Limited (Resonac Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohkawa, Takehiro, Kaneko, Kazuo, Ando, Kimiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US09/373,722
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 361/728, 361/736, 361/737, 361/748, 361/794, 343/742, 343/867, 343/895, 235/492
• US Class Current: 361/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor

Abstract

The pattern line width of a coil is partially widened in a predetermined dimension and wiring patterns of a coil on the surface side and a coil on the rear side are arranged so as not to be in overlapped positions. Consequently, a direct current resistance of the coil can be reduced and an adverse influence by a self resonance of the coil on a communication can be reduced.

Claims

1. A contactless IC card having an IC circuit and an antenna coil and for transferring power, the antenna coil in the contactless IC card being formed by printing,

wherein the antenna coil in the contactless IC card generally lies along a plurality of first directions and a plurality of second directions, the first and second directions being perpendicular to each other, and a line width of the antenna coil along the first directions is greater than a line width of the antenna coil along the second direction.

2. The contactless IC card according to claim 1, wherein when two antenna coils are formed on a front surface and a rear surface, which is opposite the front surface of the contactless IC card, to increase the number of turns of coils, the coil on the surface and the coil on the rear surface are arranged so as not to be in overlapped positions and a wiring pattern of the coil on the rear surface is arranged between a wiring pattern of the coil on the surface.

3. The contactless IC card according to claim 1, wherein a coil forming area is a rectangle and a line width of the coil pattern in a longitudinal direction of the coil forming area is formed so as to be wider.

4. The contactless IC card according to claim 1, wherein patterns of the coils on the surface and the rear surface of the pair of coils are formed so as to be deviated from each other at a half pitch.

5. A contactless IC card having an IC circuit and an antenna coil connected to said IC circuit, wherein said coil comprises:

a first portions positioned along a plurality of first direction and a plurality of second portions positioned along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a pitch of the coil in the first portions is larger than a pitch of the coil in the second portions and

the coil in said first portions has a larger width than the coil in said second portions.

6. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 5, wherein said coil is formed by use of a conductive paste in an insulating film.

7. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 6, further comprising a plurality of coils, similar to said coil, formed on said insulating film.

8. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 7, wherein said plurality of coils are formed on both surfaces of said insulating film.

9. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 7, wherein said first direction is along a lateral direction of said IC card, and said second direction is along a vertical direction of said IC card.

10. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 6, wherein the antenna coil further comprises a third portion positioned along the first direction and intersecting the second portion, and

wherein the width of the coil in the third portion is greater than the width of the coil in the second portion.

11. A contactless IC card having an IC circuit and an antenna coil connected to said IC circuit, wherein said coil comprises:

a first portions positioned along a plurality of first direction and a plurality of second portions positioned along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the coil in said first portions has a larger width than the coil in said second portion.

12. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 11, wherein said coil is formed by use of a conductive paste in an insulating film.

13. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 12, wherein said first direction is along a lateral direction of said IC card, and said second direction is along a vertical direction of said IC card.

14. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 11, further comprising a plurality of coils, similar to said coil, formed on said insulating film.

15. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 11, wherein said plurality of coils are formed on both surfaces of said insulating film and are arranged so as not to overlap one another.

16. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 11, wherein the antenna coil further comprises a third portion positioned along the first direction and intersecting the second portion, and

wherein the width of the coil in the third portion is greater than the width of the coil in the second portion.

17. A contactless IC card having an IC circuit and an antenna coil formed during a printing process with a single material, the antenna coil being connected to the IC circuit and comprising a first portions positioned along a plurality of first direction and a plurality of second portions intersecting the first portion and positioned along a second direction different from the first direction, the width of the coil in the first portions being greater than the width of the coil in the second portions.

18. A contactless IC card as defined in claim 17, wherein the antenna coil further comprises a third portion positioned along the first direction and intersecting the second portion, and

wherein the width of the coil in the third portion is greater than the width of the coil in the second portion.