Contact smart cards having a document core, contactless smart cards including multi-layered structure, PET-based identification document, and methods of making same

• US 7,823,792 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-1 Secure Credentialing, LLC (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: L-1 Secure Credentialing, LLC (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Robert, Bi, Daoshen
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai; Thien T
• Application Number:
  US10/836,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/488, 235/484, 235/382, 235/375, 428/219, 428/56, 428/169, 428/67, 428/68, 428/66.5
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2210/0442 positive
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 5/10 Shank-type cutters, i.e. with an integral shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/342 Chips
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2519/02 RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07722 the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets flat articles in general, see B32B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07728 the record carrier comprising means for protection against impact or bending, e.g. protective shells or stress-absorbing layers around the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• 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: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 407/19 Rotary cutting tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303752 Process

Abstract

The present invention relates to identification documents and smart cards. In one implementation, we provide a contactless smart identification document comprising a first contact layer, a second contact layer, and a carrier layer. The carrier layer is sandwiched in between the first and second contact layers, and the carrier layer includes least a transceiver and electronic circuitry. At least a portion of the first and second contact layers migrate into the carrier layer. This migration helps to secure at least a portion of the transceiver or electronic circuitry to the first and second contact layers.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of contactless smart cards, the method comprising:

providing a first contact layer and a second contact layer, the first contact layer comprising a front surface and a back surface, and the second contact layer comprising a front surface and a back surface;

overlaying the first contact layer with a first layer of adhesive along the front surface and with a second layer of adhesive along the back surface, such that, the first contact layer is disposed between the first layer of adhesive and the second layer of adhesive overlaid on the first contact layer, at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer overlaid on the first contact layer being adapted to have human-readable indicia provided thereon;

overlaying the second contact layer with a first layer of adhesive along the front surface and with a second layer of adhesive along the back surface, such that, the second contact layer is disposed between the first layer of adhesive and the second layer of adhesive overlaid on the second contact layer, at least one of the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer overlaid on the second contact layer being adapted to have human-readable indicia provided thereon;

providing a carrier having a top surface and a bottom surface, the carrier comprising a plurality of antennas and electronic circuitry;

wherein the carrier layer includes a permeable scrim or mesh, and wherein applying at least one of heat and pressure includes applying at least one of heat and pressure sufficient, such that, at least a portion of at least one of the first contact layer and the second contact layer migrates into or through the permeable carrier layer core;

sandwiching the carrier between the second adhesive layers of the first contact layer and the second adhesive layers of the second contact layer;

providing human-readable indicia on at least one of the front surface of at least one of the first and second contact layers, wherein the indicia comprises personalized information corresponding, respectively, to a prospective card bearer, for each of a plurality of different cards;

laminating each of the first contact layer and the second contact layer on the front surface of each respective contact layer over the respective first layer of adhesive to form two laminated surfaces;

applying at least one of pressure and heat combining the laminated surfaces, the first contact layer, the second contact layer and the carrier and forming a multi-layer structure; and

cutting the multi-layer structure to yield a plurality of contactless smart cards, wherein each of the plurality of contactless smart cards includes an antenna and electronic circuitry and human-readable indicia.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises scrim and the electronic circuitry and is configured to perform at least some smart card functionality including one or more of:

carrying data, processing information and data, storing one or more of pass codes, biometric data and passwords to facilitate access control and providing identifying information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second layer of adhesive overlaying the first contact layer, the second layer of adhesive overlaying the first contact layer, the second layer of adhesive overlaying the second contact layer and the second layer of adhesive overlaying the second contact layer comprises at least one material from a group comprising:

co-extruded polyurethane (PU), an aliphatic PU-based adhesive, KRTY, polyester, polyester urethane, polyether urethane, polyolefin, poly-composites, thermoplastic adhesives, a hot melt adhesive an ultraviolet-cured adhesive, and a thermally cured adhesive, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the two laminated surfaces comprises personalized information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic circuitry operates to process or store at least some data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first contact layer and the second contact layer includes a polymer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the laminates include a transparent or translucent polymer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the laminates include human-readable indicia along a bottom surface of the laminate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier layer includes a polymer or a conductive material.

6. A method of manufacturing a plurality of contactless smart cards, the method comprising:

providing a first contact layer and overlaying at least a first layer of adhesive along the first contact layer, the at least first layer of adhesive along the first contact layer being adapted to have human-readable indicia provided thereon;

providing a second contact layer and overlaying at least a first layer of adhesive along the second contact layer, the at least first layer of adhesive along the second contact layer being adapted to have human-readable indicia provided thereon;

providing a permeable carrier layer including a plurality of transceiver and electronic circuitry sets adjacently positioned within the carrier layer;

wherein the carrier layer includes a permeable scrim or mesh, and wherein applying at least one of heat and pressure includes applying at least one of heat and pressure sufficient, such that, at least a portion of at least one of the first contact layer and the second contact layer migrates into or through the permeable carrier layer;

applying the first layer of adhesive of the first contact layer to a first surface of the carrier layer;

applying the first layer of adhesive of the second contact layer to a second surface of the carrier layer, such that, the plurality of transceiver and electronic circuitry sets are positioned between the first and the second contact layers;

applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first contact layer, the permeable carrier layer and the second contact layer so that at least a portion of the first contact layer and the second contact layer migrates into or through the permeable carrier layer and the first contact layer, permeable carrier and second contact layer for a multi-layer structure;

providing multiple instances of human-readable indicia on or in at least one surface of the multi-layer structure;

providing two laminates having coatings of adhesive and laminating the laminates to both of the first and second contact layers with the coating of adhesive in facing relation to the contact layer; and

cutting or otherwise separating the multi-layer structure to yield multiple contactless smart cards, wherein each contactless smart card includes a personalized instance of human-readable indicia corresponding to a bearer of a smart card and a transceiver and electronic circuitry set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the two laminates comprises personalized information uniquely associated with at least one authorized bearer of a smart card.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the carrier layer comprises at least one of scrim or mesh, and the electronic circuitry operates to process or store data.