Flat carrier with an indicating device

• US 6,414,441 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schreiner Etiketten und Selbstiebetechnik GmbH & Company, Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG, Schreiner Etiketten und Selbstiebetechnik GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Friess, Wolfgang, Fries, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alemu, Ephrem
• Application Number:
  US09/636,534
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.3, 315/169.1, 313/510, 313/512, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/382.5, 340/5.4, 340/5.41, 340/5.42
• US Class Current: 315/169.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07336 Active means, e.g. jamming or scrambling of the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/16 incorporating printed electric components, e.g. printed resistor, capacitor, inductor

Abstract

A flat carrier having a power supply, for example in the form of a coil. The carrier is characterized by an electroluminescent device that contains two flat electrodes lying above one another and an electroluminescent paste located between the electrodes. The electrodes of the electroluminescent device are connected to terminals of the power supply, which can be implemented, for example, as a coil or battery.

Claims

1. A flat carrier, comprising:

a power supply having terminals;

an electroluminescent device having two electrodes lying flat on each other and connected to said terminals of said power supply, said electroluminescent device displaying an operating condition of the flat carrier only when the flat carrier is located in an active region of a read/write device, the operating condition being dependent on an event occurring externally to the flat carrier; and

an electroluminescent paste disposed between said two electrodes.

2. The flat carrier according to claim 1, wherein said power supply has at least one coil.

3. The flat carrier according to claim 1, including a module having at least one semiconductor chip and contact elements, said electrodes of said electroluminescent device connected to said semiconductor chip, and said semiconductor chip connected to said terminals of said power supply.

4. The flat carrier according to claim 3, including conductor tracks connecting said electrodes of said electroluminescent device to said contact elements of said module.

5. The flat carrier according to claim 3, including a support layer on which said electroluminescent device and said module are disposed.

6. The flat carrier according to claim 3, including:

a first layer on which said electroluminescent device is disposed; and

a second layer on which said module is disposed, said first layer and said second layer having connecting elements and conductor tracks interconnecting said module and said electroluminescent device, and said first layer and said second layer are disposed above one another.

7. The flat carrier according to claim 1, including a transparent covering layer covering said electroluminescent device.

8. The flat carrier according to claim 1, including:

a transparent covering layer having an outer side, said electroluminescent device disposed on said outer side of said transparent covering layer; and

connecting elements disposed in said transparent covering layer and connecting said electroluminescent device through said transparent covering layer to said power supply.

9. The flat carrier according to claim 1, wherein said electroluminescent device is an illuminating device for a display device.

10. The flat carrier according to claim 1, wherein said power supply has a storage device.

11. The flat carrier according to claim 1, wherein said power supply has at least one coil and a storage device.

12. The flat carrier according to claim 1, including a cardshaped body housing said power supply, said electroluminescent device, and said electroluminescent paste, and said power supply, said electroluminescent device, and said electroluminescent paste define a data carrier.

13. The flat carrier according to claim 1, wherein said electroluminescent device is a seven-segment display.