Transparent transaction card and method for making a transparent transaction card

• US 7,134,603 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CPI Card Group - Colorado Incorporated (CPI Card Group), CPI Card Group - Minnesota Incorporated (CPI Card Group), CPI Card Group - Tennessee, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CPI Card Group - Colorado Incorporated (CPI Card Group)
• Inventors: Batoha, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US09/949,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20030047615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/491
• US Class Current: 235/491
• 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 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier

Abstract

The invention is a transaction card having a base comprising a core of substantially transparent material with a plurality of coats, on at least one of the core'"'"'s surfaces, of a material which is substantially transparent to humanly visible light and which is opaque to light in the infrared portion of the light spectrum. The invention is also a method for manufacturing a transaction card having an area which is substantially transparent to humanly visible light and which may be detected by card readers, such as ATMs and card printers. The method includes the steps of forming a core of substantially transparent plastic and applying a plurality of coats of material to at least one surface of the core, which material is substantially transparent to humanly visible light and which is opaque to light in the infrared portion of the light spectrum.

Claims

1. A card base for a transaction card, said card base comprising a core formed of substantially transparent plastic and a plurality of infrared barrier layers disposed on a said core, each of said infrared barrier layers being substantially transparent to the human eye.

2. The card base of claim 1 wherein said plurality of infrared barrier layers in the aggregate block infrared light having wavelengths in the range from about 750 nm to about 1000 nm.

3. The card base of claim 1 wherein said plurality of infrared barrier layers in the aggregate block infrared light having wavelengths in the range from about 740 nm to about 940 nm.

4. The card base of claim 1 wherein said plurality of infrared barrier layers in the aggregate block infrared light having wavelengths in the range from about 720 nm to about 1000 nm.

5. The card base of claim 1 wherein each of said infrared barrier layers is formed from a transparent liquid vehicle mixed with an infrared blocking agent.

6. The card base of claim 5 wherein said transparent liquid vehicle is selected from the group of transparent dyes, transparent inks, transparent solvents and transparent varnishes.

7. The card base of claim 5 wherein said infrared blocking agent is an infrared absorbing dye.

8. The card base of claim 1 wherein said plurality of infrared barrier layers includes a first infrared barrier layer and a second infrared barrier layer and wherein said first and second infrared barrier layers are maintained separated apart from each other.

9. The card base of claim 8 wherein said first infrared barrier layer comprises dibutyl amino thpenyl benzene, hexa antimonate dye and said second infrared barrier layer comprises benz[e]indol cyanine dye.

10. The card base of claim 8 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is about 56 microns thick when applied wet.

11. A card base for a transaction card, said card base comprising a core formed of transparent plastic, a first infrared barrier layer disposed on a first surface of said core and a second infrared barrier layer disposed on a second surface of said core.

12. The card base of claim 11 wherein said first infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a first range of wavelengths and said second infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a second range of wavelengths.

13. The card base of claim 12 wherein said first range of wavelengths overlaps with said second range of wavelengths.

14. The card base of claim 13 wherein said first and second barrier layers together block infrared light in a range extending from about 750 nm to about 1000 nm.

15. The card base of claim 13 wherein said first and second barrier layers together block infrared light in a range extending from about 740 nm to about 940 nm.

16. The card base of claim 13, herein said plurality of infrared barrier layers together block infrared light having wavelengths in the range from about 720 nm to about 1000 nm.

17. The card base of claim 11 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is disposed on said core by silkscreening.

18. The card base of claim 11 wherein a third infrared barrier layer is disposed on said core, wherein said third infrared layer blocks infrared light in a third range of wavelengths.

19. The card base of claim 11 wherein said first infrared barrier layer is formed of a transparent liquid vehicle and an infrared blocking agent.

20. The card base of claim 11 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is formed of a transparent liquid vehicle and an infrared blocking agent.

21. The card base of claim 20 wherein said first infrared barrier layer comprises dibutyl amino thpenyl benzene, hexa antimonate dye and said second infrared barrier layer comprises benz[e]indol cyanine dye.

22. The card base of claim 11 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is about 56 microns thick when applied wet.

23. A transaction card comprising a transparent card core and first and second infrared barrier layers each of which is coextensive with substantially the entire area of the transaction card.

24. The transaction card of claim 23 wherein said first and second infrared barrier layers are maintained separated apart from each other.

25. The transaction card of claim 24 wherein said first infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a first range of wavelengths and said second infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a second range of wavelengths.

26. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein said first range of wavelengths overlaps with said second range of wavelengths.

27. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein said first and second barrier layers together block infrared light in a range extending from about 750 nm to about 1000 nm.

28. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein said first and second barrier layers together block infrared light in a range extending from about 740 nm to about 940 nm.

29. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein said first and second barrier layers together block infrared light in a range extending from about 720 nm to about 1000 nm.

30. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is formed of a transparent liquid vehicle and an infrared blocking agent.

31. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein said first infrared barrier layer comprises dibutyl amino thpenyl benzene, hexa antimonate dye and said second infrared barrier layer comprises benz[e]indol cyanine dye.

32. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is disposed on said core by silkscreening.

33. The transaction card of claim 25 wherein a third infrared barrier layer is disposed on said core, wherein said third infrared layer blocks infrared light in a third range of wavelengths.

34. A method for making a card base for a transaction card which is at least in part substantially transparent to humanly visible light and which is detectable by card readers which use infrared light in connection with detecting the presence of such a card, said method comprising the following steps:

(a) forming a card core of transparent material; and

(b) coating substantially the entirety of at least a first surface of said card core with a plurality of infrared barrier layers.

35. A method for making a card base for a transaction card which is at least in part substantially transparent to humanly visible light and which is detectable by card readers which use infrared light in connection with detecting the presence of such a card, said method comprising the following steps:

(a) forming a card core of transparent material; and

(b) coating substantially the entirety of a first surface of said card core with a first infrared barrier layer; and

(c) coating substantially the entirety of a second surface of said card core with a second infrared barrier layer.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said first infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a first range of wavelengths and said second infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a second range of wavelengths.

37. The transaction card of claim 36 wherein said first range of wavelengths overlaps with said second range of wavelengths.

38. The method of claim 36, further including the step of forming each infrared barrier layer by mixing an infrared blocking agent with a transparent liquid vehicle.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said transparent liquid vehicle is selected from the group of transparent dyes, transparent inks, transparent solvents and transparent varnishes.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein said first infrared barrier layer comprises dibutyl amino thpenyl benzene, hexa antimonate dye and said second infrared barrier layer comprises benz[e]indol cyanine dye.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein said coating steps are accomplished by silkscreening.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein each of said first and second infrared barrier layers is coated about 56 microns thick when wet on said first and second surfaces, respectively.

43. A method for making a transaction card which is at least in part substantially transparent to humanly visible light and which is detectable by card readers which use infrared light in connection with detecting the presence of such a card, said method comprising the following steps:

(a) forming a card core of transparent material; and

(b) applying a first infrared barrier layer to said core, wherein said first infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a first range of wavelengths; and

(c) applying a second infrared barrier layer to said core, wherein said second infrared barrier layer blocks infrared light in a second range of wavelengths.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said first and second infrared barrier layers are maintained separate from each other.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said first infrared barrier layer comprises dibutyl amino thpenyl benzene, hexa antimonate dye and said second infrared barrier layer comprises benz[e]indol cyanine dye.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein said first and second infrared barrier layers is applied about 56 microns thick when wet to said core.