Retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality in mobile communicators

• US 8,195,236 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: On Track Innovations Limited (Nayax Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: On Track Innovations Limited (Nayax Ltd.)
• Inventors: Itay, Nehemya, Haroosh, Yaacov, Bashan, Oded
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US12/816,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20110312382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2275 associated to expansion card or bus, e.g. in PCMCIA, PC cards, Wireless USB
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/54 for revenue sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID

Abstract

A mobile communicator including a main housing portion, defining a SIM card socket, a battery located at a battery location defined by the main housing portion, a cover over the battery and a retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly, having a SIM card shaped portion which is mounted in the SIM card socket, a contactless smart card antenna portion located between the battery and the cover and an antenna tail portion which interconnects the contactless smart card antenna portion with the SIM card shaped portion, the antenna tail portion being attached and electrically connected to the SIM card shaped portion by means of an electrically conductive adhesive.

Claims

1. A mobile communicator comprising:

a main housing portion, defining a SIM card socket;

a battery located at a battery location defined by said main housing portion;

a cover over said battery; and

a retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly, having a SIM card shaped portion which is mounted in said SIM card socket, a contactless smart card antenna portion located between said battery and said cover and an antenna tail portion which interconnects said contactless smart card antenna portion with said SIM card shaped portion, said antenna tail portion being attached and electrically connected to said SIM card shaped portion by means of an electrically conductive adhesive.

2. A mobile communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said SIM card shaped portion includes a dual interface smartcard IC chip having contact and contactless data communications capabilities.

3. A mobile communicator according to claim 2 and wherein said SIM card shaped portion also includes an antenna connection region having a reduced thickness to accommodate an end of said antenna tail portion.

4. A mobile communicator according to claim 3 and also comprising antenna contact pads located in said antenna connection region and connected to said IC chip.

5. A mobile communicator according to claim 4 and wherein said antenna contact pads are coupled to at least one capacitor, which enables more efficient resonance frequency tuning of said antenna portion.

6. A mobile communicator according to claim 4 and wherein said antenna tail portion is formed on a flexible PCB substrate and includes at least two conductors which terminate at a connection end thereof in antenna connection pads.

7. A mobile communicator according to claim 6 and wherein said antenna connection pads are coupled to at least one capacitor, which enables more efficient resonance frequency tuning of said antenna portion.

8. A mobile communicator according to claim 6 and wherein said antenna tail portion is attached and electrically connected to said SIM card shaped portion at said antenna connection region by means of an electrically conductive adhesive transfer tape.

9. A mobile communicator according to claim 8 and wherein said adhesive transfer tape adheres said connection end of said antenna tail portion to said antenna connection region of said SIM card shaped portion and electrically connects individual ones of said antenna connection pads of said antenna tail portion to corresponding ones of said antenna contact pads in said antenna connection region without creating a short circuit between the individual ones of the connection pads and without creating a short circuit between the individual ones of the contact pads.

10. A mobile communicator according to claim 8 and wherein said adhesive transfer tape has anisotropic electrical conductivity and extends generally over the entire antenna connection region.

11. A mobile communicator according to claim 1 and wherein said antenna portion includes an antenna coil, which is formed on a substrate formed of a flexible PCB substrate adhered to a layer of paramagnetic material.

12. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly, having a SIM card shaped portion which is adapted to be mounted in a SIM card socket of a mobile communicator, a contactless smart card antenna portion adapted to be located between a battery and a cover of said mobile communicator and an antenna tail portion which interconnects said contactless smart card antenna portion with the SIM card shaped portion, said antenna tail portion being attached and electrically connected to said SIM card shaped portion by means of an electrically conductive adhesive.

13. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 12 and wherein said SIM card shaped portion includes a dual interface smartcard IC chip having contact and contactless data communications capabilities.

14. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 13 and wherein said SIM card shaped portion also includes an antenna connection region having a reduced thickness to accommodate an end of said antenna tail portion.

15. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 14 and also comprising antenna contact pads located in said antenna connection region and connected to said IC chip.

16. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 15 and wherein said antenna contact pads are coupled to at least one capacitor, which enables more efficient resonance frequency tuning of said antenna portion.

17. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 15 and wherein said antenna tail portion is formed on a flexible PCB substrate and includes at least two conductors which terminate at a connection end thereof in antenna connection pads.

18. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 17 and wherein said antenna connection pads are coupled to at least one capacitor, which enables more efficient resonance frequency tuning of said antenna portion.

19. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 17 and wherein said antenna tail portion is attached and electrically connected to said SIM card shaped portion at said antenna connection region by means of an electrically conductive adhesive transfer tape.

20. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 19 and wherein said adhesive transfer tape adheres said connection end of said antenna tail portion to said antenna connection region of said SIM card shaped portion and electrically connects individual ones of said antenna connection pads of said antenna tail portion to corresponding ones of said antenna contact pads in said antenna connection region without creating a short circuit between the individual ones of the connection pads and without creating a short circuit between the individual ones of the contact pads.

21. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 19 and wherein said adhesive transfer tape has anisotropic electrical conductivity and extends generally over the entire antenna connection region.

22. A retrofit contactless smart SIM functionality assembly according to claim 12 and wherein said antenna portion includes an antenna coil, which is formed on a substrate formed of a flexible PCB substrate adhered to a layer of paramagnetic material.