Protected contactless card

• US 7,950,585 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cocks, Christopher T., Skowronek, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/741,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20080265039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/493, 340/572.3, 340/572.7, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07327 Passive means, e.g. Faraday cages Faraday-type protection of electric circuits in general H05K9/00

Abstract

A protected contactless presentation instrument is disclosed. In one embodiment, the protected contactless presentation instrument includes an RFID chip that can be manually exposed and shielded by a user. The protected contactless presentation instrument may include a moveable tab that includes the RFID chip. The protected contactless presentation instrument may also include a moveable shield. Another embodiment of the invention provides for a contactless presentation instrument that includes an electroluminescence material.

Claims

1. A contactless device comprising:

a presentation instrument body;

a shield, wherein the shield is coupled to the presentation instrument body;

a tab, wherein the tab is moveably coupled with the presentation instrument body, and wherein the tab slides between at least a first position and a second position; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip coupled to the tab and wherein;

the RFID chip is at least partially exposed when the tab is at the first position; and

the RFID chip is at least partially covered by the shield when the tab is at the second position.

2. The contactless device according to claim 1, wherein the tab is rotatable between the first position and the second position.

3. The contactless device according to claim 1, wherein the tab further comprises grip edges.

4. The contactless device according to claim 1, wherein the presentation instrument body further comprises a magnetic stripe.

5. The contactless device according to claim 1, wherein the shield comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a metal mesh, a metal foil and a material coated with a metallic ink.

6. The contactless device according to claim 1, further comprising an electroluminescence material coupled with the presentation instrument body and electrically coupled with the RFID chip, wherein the electroluminescence material emits light when the RFID chip has been read by an RFID terminal reader.

7. The contactless device according to claim 1, further comprising a spring coupled to the tab and the presentation instrument body, wherein the springs biases the tab in the second position.

8. The contactless device according to claim 1, wherein the tab is circular in geometry.

9. A contactless device comprising:

a presentation instrument body;

an RFID chip coupled with the presentation instrument body;

a moveable shield coupled with the presentation instrument body, wherein the shield is moveable between at least a first position and a second position; and

an electroluminescence material coupled with the presentation instrument body and electrically coupled with the RFID chip, wherein the electroluminescence material emits light when the RFID chip has been read by an RFID terminal reader, and wherein;

the RFID chip is at least partially exposed when the moveable shield is at the first position; and

the RFID chip is at least partially covered by the moveable shield when the moveable shield is at the second position.

10. The contactless device according to claim 9, wherein the moveable shield slides between the first position and the second position.

11. The contactless device according to claim 9, wherein the moveable shield rotates between the first position and the second position.

12. The contactless device according to claim 9, wherein the moveable shield further comprises grip edges.

13. The contactless device according to claim 9, wherein the presentation instrument body further comprises a magnetic stripe.

14. The contactless device according to claim 9, wherein the moveable shield comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a metal mesh, a metal foil and a material coated with a metallic ink.

15. A contactless device comprising:

a presentation instrument body;

an RFID chip coupled with the presentation instrument body, wherein the RFID chip comprises a first RFID inductor; and

an electroluminescence material coupled with the presentation instrument body, wherein the electroluminescence material emits light when the RFID chip communicates with an RFID terminal reader.

16. The contactless device according to claim 15, wherein the electroluminescence material is excited by the RFID chip when the chip has been read by an RFID terminal reader.

17. The contactless device according to claim 15, wherein the electroluminescence material comprises a phosphor-based material.

18. The contactless device according to claim 15, wherein the presentation instrument body further comprises a magnetic stripe.

19. The contactless device according to claim 15, wherein the electroluminescence material is electrically coupled with the first RFID inductor.

20. The contactless device according to claim 15, further comprising a second RFID inductor coupled electrically coupled with the electroluminescence material.

21. A method of personalizing a protected contactless device that comprises an RFID chip coupled with a tab that is coupled with the body of a contactless device, the method comprising:

coupling the radio-frequency device into the tab;

recording account information on the radio-frequency chip;

coupling a shield with the body of the contactless device;

printing the body of the contactless device; and

coupling the tab with the body of the contactless device, wherein the tab is moveable between at least a first position and a second position, the first position is such that a portion of the tab including the radio-frequency chip is covered by the shield, and the second position is such that the portion of the tab including the radio-frequency chip is not covered by the shield.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the personalizing the radio frequency chip comprises:

electromagnetically reading an identifier from the radio-frequency chip with a radio-frequency transceiver while the radio-frequency device is within the tab;

electromagnetically writing personalization information onto the radio-frequency chip while the radio-frequency device is within the tab; and

recording an association between the personalization information and the identifier on a storage device.

23. A contactless device comprising:

a presentation instrument body;

an RFID chip coupled with the presentation instrument body;

a shield coupled with the presentation instrument body, wherein at least one of the shield and the RFID chip is moveable relative each other to at least partially expose the chips and

an electroluminescence material coupled with the presentation instrument body and electrically coupled with the RFID chip, wherein the electroluminescence material emits light when the RFID chip has been read by an RFID terminal reader.

24. The contactless device of claim 23, wherein the shield is moveable relative to the RFID chip.

25. The contactless device of claim 23, wherein the RFID chip is moveable relative to the shield.

26. The contactless device of claim 23, further comprising an electroluminescence material coupled with the presentation instrument body, wherein the electroluminescence material emits light when the RFID chip has been read by an RFID terminal reader.

27. The contactless device of claim 23, further comprising a tab coupled with the RFID chip and is moveable relative to the shield.

28. The contactless device of claim 23, wherein the shield is moveable relative to the RFID chip.