Cut here to destroy indicator

• US 7,665,668 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Phillips, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/506,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/380, 235/451, 235/441, 340/572.1, 340/4
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier

Abstract

A data card may comprise a chip and a card body having a first face and a second face. The chip may be mounted in the card body between the first face and the second face at least one of the first face and the second face has a cut indicator.

Claims

1. A data card issued to a cardholder, the data card comprising:

a chip storing sensitive information associated with said cardholder; and

a card body having a first outer face and a second outer face and the chip mounted in the card body between the first outer face and the second outer face, wherein at least one of the first outer face and the second outer face have a cut indicator providing said cardholder with visual instructions regarding where to and how to cut said card body and said chip to disable said chip and prevent access to said sensitive information.

2. The data card of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna.

3. The data card of claim 1, wherein the cut indicator comprises:

a printed region located over a portion of the chip.

4. The data card of claim 3, wherein the cut indicator further comprises:

a line running through a portion of the region.

5. The data card of claim 1, wherein the cut indicator comprises:

a line located over a portion of the chip.

6. The data card of claim 5, wherein the line is perforated.

7. The data card of claim 3, wherein the printed region comprises at least one of a square and a circle.

8. The data card of claim 1, wherein cutting the data card at the cut indicator will disable the chip.

9. The data card of claim 1, wherein the cut indicator has a contrasting color to a color of the data card.

10. The data card of claim 1, wherein the data card is about 85.6 millimeters long at its longest point and about 53.98 millimeters wide at its widest point.

11. A method of disabling a data card, the data card issued to a cardholder and including at least a first chip storing sensitive information associated with said cardholder, the method comprising:

aligning a cutting device with a cut indicator on an outer face of a data card providing visual instructions instructing the cardholder where to and how to cut the data card and at least one chip in said data card to disable the at least first chip; and

cutting said data card and said chip at the cut indicator, thereby preventing further access to said sensitive information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cutting severs the chip.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data card further comprises:

an antenna.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cutting severs the antenna.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the cut indicator comprises:

a line located over a portion of the chip.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the line is perforated.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the cut indicator comprises:

a printed square located over a portion of the chip.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the cut indicator comprises:

a line running through a portion of the square.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the cut indicator is a contrasting color to a color of the data card.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the data card is about 85.6 millimeters long at its longest point and about 53.98 millimeters wide at its widest point.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the cutting device is at least one of a scissors and a knife.