Transaction card

• US 6,581,839 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Faenza, Jr., William J., Vigiletti, Judy, Webb, Lisa, Lasch, Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,837
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/468
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/04 Transparent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/06 Translucent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/21 for multiple purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/351 Translucent or partly translucent parts, e.g. windows
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/369 Magnetised or magnetisable materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/382 absorbing or reflecting infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0013 by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers connectors in general H01R13/00; connectors for SIM cards used in mobile phones or the like H04B1/3816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing an opaque, transparent or translucent transaction card having multiple features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an invisible optically recognizable compound, a translucent signature field such that the signature on back of the card is visible from the front of the card and an active thru date on the front of the card. The invisible optically recognizable compound is an infrared ink and/or film, which can be detected by a sensor found in an ATM or card assembly line.

Claims

1. A card comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said surface,

whereby said card is capable of blocking infra red light at substantially all points on said surface when said card is inserted in a card reading machine.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.

3. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a chemical, solution, dye, layered material, pigment, encapsulated pigment, coating, film, thread, plastic, ink, concentrate, thermoplastic matrix, thermoset matrix, fiber, paper, and planchette.

4. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of invisible, visible or colored compounds.

5. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes an infrared ink.

6. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes an infrared ink comprising in the range of about 0.001 to 40.0 wt. (%) of an infrared activated material.

7. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes an optically recognizable compound.

8. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound is configured to at least one of block, diffuse, reflect, refract and absorb infrared light.

9. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a binder, UV absorber, reflector, antioxidant, optical brightener, color shifter, chemical configured to improve processing, and chemical configured to adjust rheological properties.

10. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes about 98% by weight of solvent evaporative screen ink sold under the mark TECH MARK MIXING CLEAR, and about 2% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VII-164.

11. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 1.5% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIN VII-164, about 96.5% by weight of screen ink sold under the mark TECH MARK MIXING CLEAR, and about 2.0% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VI-30.

12. The card of claim 1, wherein 100 pounds of said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 99.0 pounds of PVC and 1.0 pound of a mixture of polyvinylchloride plastic and a dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VII-172, wherein the 1.0 pound of the mixture comprises 4.1% by weight of EPOLIGHT VII-172 dye and 95.9% by weight of polyvinylchloride plastic.

13. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes PET plastic.

14. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 80% by weight of screen ink sold under the mark TECH MARK MIXING CLEAR, about 7% by weight of VMCA resin, about 10% by weight of cyclohexanone, and about 3% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VII-164.

15. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 55% by weight of vinyl VMCA resin, about 35% by weight of EEP solvent, about 5% by weight of cyclohexanone, about 3% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VII-164, and 2% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VI-30.

16. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes:

about 90% by weight of screen ink sold under the mark TECH MARK MIXING CLEAR, about 3% by weight of cyclohexanone, about 3% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VII-164, about 2% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VI-30, and about 2% by weight of dye sold under the mark EPOLIGHT VII-6084.

17. A card comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface;

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said surface; and

,

at least one of a holographic foil, an integrated circuit chip, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo

whereby said card is capable of activating a sensor in a card reading machine regardless of the position of the sensor along said surface of said card.

18. The card of claim 17, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.

19. The card of claim 17, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a coating, film, thread, plastic, ink, fiber, paper, and planchette.

20. A card comprising:

at least one of an opaque, translucent and transparent card surface;

a machine recognizable compound containing infrared blocking materials associated with and substantially covering said surface;

a holographic foil;

an integrated circuit chip; and

a magnetic stripe;

whereby said card is capable of activating a sensor in a card reading machine regardless of the location of the sensor adjacent said surface of said card.

21. A card substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said card surface, wherein said machine recognizable compound is substantially transmissive to visible light;

where said card is capable of activating a sensor in a card reading machine in a variety of locations.

22. A card substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent card surface;

at least one of a holographic foil, an integrated circuit chip, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said card surface, wherein said machine recognizable compound is substantially transmissive to visible light;

whereby said card is capable of activating a sensor in a card reading machine regardless of the location of the sensor along the card.

23. A process for fabricating a card substantially transmissive to visible light whereby said card is capable of activating a sensor in a card reading machine regardless of the location of the sensor adjacent said surface of said card, comprising placing IR film between at least two layers of PET IR.

24. A method of actuating a transaction machine, having an infrared sensor and a magnetic stripe reader, with a substantially transparent or translucent card comprising the steps of:

a) providing a card having one of a transparent and translucent surface, an infrared blocking material substantially covering said surface, and a machine readable magnetic stripe;

b) inserting said card into the transaction machine; and

c) sensing the presence of the infrared blocking material on said card to cause the magnetic stripe reader to scan the magnetic stripe.