Non-contact IC card system and attaching body for non-contact IC card

• US 7,503,505 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aruze Corp., SETA Corporation (Universal Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonaka, Nobuyuki, Koyama, Toshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US11/403,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/451, 235/486
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• 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 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole

Abstract

A non-contact IC card can accept a frequency band different from the main receive frequency band of the non-contact IC card. The non-contact IC card has a main antenna supporting a first frequency band and an IC device connected to the main antenna for data transmission and reception. An attaching body, detachably attached to the non-contact IC card has a sub-antenna supporting a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. When the attaching body is attached to the non-contact IC card, the sub-antenna is capacitively coupled to the main antenna.

Claims

1. A non-contact IC card system comprising:

a non-IC card including

an electrically insulating body,

a first antenna comprising a first plate shape conductor, the first antenna supporting a first frequency band, and

an IC device connected to the first antenna for data transmission and reception; and

an electrically insulating attaching body including a second antenna comprising a second plate shape conductor, the second antenna supporting a second frequency band, different from the first frequency band, and detachably attached to the IC card, wherein

the first antenna and the second antenna are opposed to each other and spaced apart from each other when the attaching body is attached to the IC card so that the first and second antennas are capacitively coupled to each other through parts of at least one of the insulating body of the IC card and the insulating attaching body that are interposed between the first and second plate shape conductors, and

when the attaching body is attached to the IC card and the second antenna receives electromagnetic waves, the IC device is driven by the electromagnetic waves through the capacitive coupling of the second antenna to the first antenna.

2. The non-contact IC card system according to claim 1, wherein the attaching body includes an internal volume for accommodating the IC card and an opening through which the IC card may be inserted into the internal volume so that the first and second antennas are opposed to each other and capacitively coupled to each other through parts of at least one of the insulating body and the insulating attaching body.

3. The non-contact IC card according to claim 1, wherein the attaching body has a plate shape that is substantially the same shape and area as the IC card, and that contains the second antenna, for attachment to a surface of the IC card.