Radio frequency identification device support and its manufacturing method

• US 7,714,724 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ask S.A. (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ask S.A. (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Halope, Christophe, Le Paih, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/790,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 438/156, 438/107, 438/108, 438761-763
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• 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 19/025 the material being flexible or adapted for folding, e.g. paper or paper-like materials used in luggage labels, identification tags, forms or identification documents carrying RFIDs methods for testing the genuineness of valuable papers, e.g. banknotes or passports G07D7/00; constructional features of booklets and the like B42D
• 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 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna

Abstract

A radio frequency identification device support (2) featuring an antenna (12) screen-printed on a support (20) and a chip (10) connected to the connection terminals (17 and 19) of the antenna. According to a main characteristic of the invention, a thermoplastic layer (22) and a top layer of synthetic paper (24) are laminated on the antenna support (20) so that the antenna and the chip are trapped in the thermoplastic and the three layers (20, 22, and 24) cannot be separated and so that the device is resistant to water and humid environments.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification device, comprising

an antenna screen printed on an antenna support, and

a chip connected to connection terminals of said antenna,

wherein a thermoplastic layer and a top layer of synthetic paper are laminated on said antenna support in such a way that said antenna and said chip are trapped in the thermoplastic layer and such that the thermoplastic layer, the antenna support, and the top layer of synthetic paper are inseparable,

wherein said synthetic paper consist of a single unoriented layer of polymer which contains 40 to 80% of a mineral.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said top layer includes a cavity located such that it overlaps said chip.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said chip is glued on said antenna support using an adhesive dielectric material such that contacts of the chip are located opposite the connection terminals of the antenna.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said adhesive material is an epoxy resin that cross-links at 150°

C.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic layer and a top layer of synthetic paper are laminated on said antenna support at values of temperature and pressure in the order of 160°

C. and 200 bar.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the synthetic paper of said top layer does not deform when the temperature increases.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 50 μ

m.

8. An identity booklet, comprising the radio frequency identification device of claim 1, in combination with a booklet comprising a cover having a cover board and fly leaf, wherein said device is integrated between a cover board of the identity booklet'"'"'s cover and a flyleaf of the identity booklet located opposite said cover board.

9. The identity booklet of claim 8, wherein a support having a size equal to that of the device is integrated between the cover board of the booklet'"'"'s cover and the flyleaf of the booklet located opposite said cover board between which the device has not been integrated.

10. An identity booklet comprising the radio frequency identification device of claim 1, wherein said device has a size equal to that of the identity booklet when open and includes two thick parts, one of which contains the device, the two thick parts overlapping cover boards of the identity booklet and a thinner part designed to overlap a joint of the identity booklet.

11. The identity booklet of claim 8, wherein said device is glued inside identity booklet using a glue which, once dry, is insoluble in water.

16. A smart card comprising the device of claim 1, and conforming to the ISO format for smart cards.

17. The smart card of claim 16, wherein at least one of the sides of the card is customized.

12. A method for manufacturing a radio frequency identification device, the device comprising an antenna and a chip connected to the antenna, said method comprising the following steps:

screen printing an antenna having contacts onto an antenna support,

placing adhesive dielectric material between said contacts of the antenna,

positioning the chip on said antenna support so that contacts of said chip are located opposite said contacts of said antenna,

connecting the chip to said contacts of said antenna by exerting pressure on the chip,

placing on said support a thermoplastic layer and a top layer of synthetic paper, the top layer being provided with a cavity at the location of the chip,

laminating said antenna support, the thermoplastic layer and the top layer together to obtain a radio frequency identification device which is resistant to water and to humid environments,

wherein said synthetic paper consists of a single unoriented layer of polymer which contains 40 to 80% of a mineral.

14. The manufacturing method of claim 12, wherein said device is integrated between a first cover board of an identity booklet'"'"'s cover and a flyleaf of a quire of inside pages, said method further comprising the following steps after the lamination step:

gluing onto said first cover board of the identity booklet'"'"'s cover the device by gluing the opposite side of the antenna support,

gluing onto the second cover board of the booklet'"'"'s cover a layer of a material that does not creep and whose thickness is equivalent to that of the device support,

installing the quire of inside pages,

gluing a front of the flyleaf against said device, thus against the antenna support.

13. A method for manufacturing a radio frequency identification device, the device comprising an antenna and a chip connected to the antenna, said method comprising the following steps:

screen printing an antenna having contacts on an antenna support,

placing adhesive dielectric material between said contacts of the antenna,

positioning the chip on said antenna support so that contacts of said chip are located opposite said contacts of said antenna,

connecting the chip to said contacts of said antenna by exerting pressure on the chip,

placing on said antenna support a first thermoplastic layer,

placing a second thermoplastic layer on a layer of synthetic paper,

placing a top layer of a material that does not melt on the first and second thermoplastic layers, the top layer being provided with a cavity at the location of the chip,

laminating together said antenna support, the thermoplastic layers, the layer of synthetic paper and the top layer to obtain a radio frequency identification device made up of two parts of identical dimension, one of these parts containing the radio frequency identification device, and a thinner part located between the two parts of identical dimension,

wherein said synthetic paper consists of a single unoriented layer of polymer which contains 40 to 80% of a mineral.

15. The manufacturing method of claim 13, said device being integrated between the cover boards of an identity booklet'"'"'s cover and flyleaves, said method further comprising the following steps after the lamination step:

gluing the device on said cover boards of the identity booklet by gluing the opposite side to the antenna support such that the thinner part of the device superimposes on a joint of the identity booklet,

installing the quire of inside pages,

gluing the flyleaf against said device;

to this end, the back of the bottom flyleaf of the quire of pages of the identity booklet is pasted then pressed against the part of the device which contains the chip and the antenna whereas the front of the flyleaf is pasted then pressed against the other part of the device.