Clear contactless card

• US 7,306,158 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Saunders, Peter D., Bliman, Michal, Norcross, Zarita, Berardi, Michael J., Mueller, Sue, Mayers, Alexandra, Malnati, Leigh, Isenberg, Susan E., Williamson, John R., Hood, Matthew C., Skilling-Belmond, Lisa, Eyk, Becky Vander, Shah, Sejal Ajit, Elwood, Jennifer Anne, Scheding, Kathryn D., Bonalle, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US10/611,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20040118930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/468, 235/380, 235/445, 235/482, 235/492, 235/488, 235/491, 902/25, 902/26
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• 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 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• 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 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing an transparent or translucent transaction card having multiple features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, RFID circuitry, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an invisible optically recognizable compound, a translucent signature field such that the RFID circuitry and 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, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material, said machine recognizable compound substantially uniformly covering an outer surface of said portion of said card that is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

a first transponder associated with said card, said first transponder responsive to a first RF interrogation signal.

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

3. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound is extrusion coated to said portion of said card.

4. The card of claim 1, wherein said first transponder is operable to receive said first RE interrogation signal, authenticate said first RF interrogation signal, and transmit a transponder account data, said card further comprising:

a transponder authentication circuit in communication with said first transponder for authentication of a first verification data; and

a transponder database for storing said transponder account data, said transponder database in communication with said first transponder.

5. The card of claim 4, further comprising:

a second transponder associated with said card, said second transponder responsive to a second RE interrogation signal, said second transponder operable to receive a second RF interrogation signal, authenticate said second RF interrogation signal, and transmit said transponder account data; and

receive a second RF interrogation signal, authenticate said second RF interrogation signal, and transmit said transponder account data; and

an authentication circuit configured for authenticating a second verification data, said authentication circuit in communication with said second transponder.

6. The card of claim 5, wherein at least one of said first transponder antenna and said second transponder antenna is disposed between one of said machine recognizable compound and a card layer, a portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light.

7. The card of claim 1, wherein said portion of said card comprises at least two card layers comprising at least one of a translucent and transparent polymer.

8. 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.

9. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of an invisible, visible and colored compound.

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

11. 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.

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

13. 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.

14. 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.

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

16. The card of claim 1, further comprising a second transponder responsive to a second RF interrogation signal, said first RF interrogation signal different from said second RF interrogation signal.

17. The card of claim 16, further including a transponder protocol/sequence controller configured to control the order of operation of said first transponder, said second transponder, said transponder authentication circuit, and said transponder database, said protocol/sequence controller in communication with at least one of said first transponder, said second transponder, said transponder authentication circuit, and said transponder database.

18. The card of claim 17, further comprising at least one of a first transponder antenna and a second transponder antenna, said first transponder antenna configured to receive said first RF interrogation signal, and said second transponder antenna configured to receive said second RF interrogation signal.

19. The card of claim 17, wherein said transponder protocol/sequence controller is responsive to at least one of said first RF interrogation signal and said second RF interrogation signal, said transponder protocol/sequence controller controlling the sequence of operation at least one of said transponder authentication circuit, and said transponder database, in response to at least one of said first RF interrogation signal and said second RF interrogation signal.

20. The card of claim 17, wherein said transponder protocol/sequence controller is configured to activate said transponder authentication circuit in response to said first RF interrogation signal, said transponder authentication circuit configured to provide an encrypted RF interrogation signal, said transponder authentication circuit configured to provide said encrypted RF interrogation signal to said first transponder for providing to a RFID reader.

21. The card of claim 17, wherein said transponder database is operable to store at least one of a transponder identification data, a RFID reader decryption security key, and a transponder account data.

22. The card of claim 21, wherein said transponder database is configured to provide said RFID reader decryption security key to said transponder authentication circuit in response to an encrypted authentication code.

23. The card of claim 1, wherein said transponder includes an internal power source.

24. The card of claim 23, wherein said transponder includes a biometric circuit, said biometric circuit in communication with said internal power source.

25. The card of claim 24, wherein said biometric circuit is configured to provide a biometric data verification response, said biometric circuit configured to provide said biometric data verification response to at least one of said RFID reader and a merchant system, wherein said biometric data verification response is an identification verification data.

26. The card of claim 1, wherein said transponder comprises at least one antenna operable to receive said interrogation signal.

27. The card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion that is substantially transmissive to visible light.

28. A card according to claim 1, wherein said transponder is configured to provide information in magnetic stripe format.

29. A card of claim 1, wherein said machine recognizable compound contains an infrared blocking material substantially covering said portion.

30. A card, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a machine recognizable compound substantially uniformly covering an outside surface of said portion of said card that is substantially transmissive to visible light;

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

an RF transponder associated with said card and operable to receive a first RF interrogation signal, and to authenticate said first interrogation signal.

31. The card of claim 30, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smartcard, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.

32. The card of claim 30, wherein said machine recognizable compound includes at least one of a coating, film, thread, plastic, ink, fiber, paper, and planchette.

33. The card of claim 30, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion.

34. A card according to claim 30, wherein said transponder is configured to provide information in magnetic stripe format.

35. A card of claim 30, wherein said machine recognizable compound contains an infrared blocking material substantially covering said portion.

36. A card, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material substantially coextensive with an outside surface of said portion of said card that is substantially transmissive to visible light;

a holographic foil associated with said card;

an integrated circuit chip associated with said card;

a RFID circuit associated with said card; and

a magnetic stripe associated with said card.

37. The card of claim 36, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion.

38. A card according to claim 36, wherein said transponder is configured to provide information in magnetic stripe format.

39. A method for fabricating a card including placing a substantially continuous IR film over the outside surface of two layers of PET GS, a combined portion of said layers and said IR film being substantially transmissive to visible light, and incorporating RFID circuitry between said two layers.

40. The method of claim 39, comprising providing chemical deposition by at least one of vacuum coating, solar coating and Magnetron sputtering, providing a laminate, providing a core layer and adhering said layers of said card with adhesive.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said IR film is substantially coextensive with at least one of said two layers.

42. A card, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material substantially continuously covering an outside surface of said portion of said card that is substantially transmissive to visible light, wherein said machine recognizable compound is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

a RFID circuit associated with said card, said RFID circuit including a transponder responsive to a first interrogation signal.

43. The card of claim 42, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion.

44. A card according to claim 42, wherein said transponder is configured to provide information in magnetic stripe format.

45. A card, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

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

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material substantially continuously covering an outside surface of said portion of said card which is substantially transmissive to visible light, wherein said machine recognizable compound is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

a RFID circuitry associated with said card, said RFID circuitry including a transponder responsive to a first interrogation signal.

46. The card of claim 45, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion.

47. A card according to claim 45, wherein said transponder is configured to provide information in magnetic stripe format.

48. A method of fabricating a card at least a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

placing a substantially continuous machine recognizable compound over an outside surface of at least two layers of PET IR forming a subassembly, a portion of said subassembly being substantially transmissive to visible light; and

placing RFID circuitry between at least one layer of the PET and the machine recognizable compound.

49. The process of claim 48, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion.

50. A method of fabricating a card at least a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

placing a substantially continuous machine recognizable compound over an outside surface of at least two layers of PET IR forming a subassembly;

placing the subassembly between at least two layers of polyvinylchloride; and

placing RFID circuitry between at least one layer of the polyvinylchloride and at least one layer of the subassembly.

51. The process of claim 50, wherein said machine recognizable compound substantially blocks infrared light from being transmitted through said portion.

52. A card, a through portion of which is substantially transmissive to visible light, comprising:

an infrared blocking material associated with all machine recognizable points of an outside surface of said portion that is substantially transmissive to visible light; and

an RFID transponder associated with said card.