Universal integrated circuit card apparatus and related methods

• US 8,649,820 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Schwandt, Sheldon Terry, Dehmoubed, Farzin, Infanti, James Carl, Lepp, James Randolph Winter, Los, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/290,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455557-558, 235/380, 235/441, 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02

Abstract

UICCs are disclosed herein. An example UICC includes a body a body having a height between approximately 10.9 millimeters and 11.1 millimeters and a width between approximately 8.9 millimeters and 9.1 millimeters.

Claims

1. A UICC comprising:

a body having a height between approximately 10.9 millimeters and 11.1 millimeters and a width between approximately 8.9 millimeters and 9.1 millimeters, the body having a first side defined by a plurality of peripheral edges, the plurality of peripheral edges having a first peripheral edge, a second peripheral edge, a third peripheral edge and a fourth peripheral edge, wherein the first peripheral edge is opposite the third peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge is opposite the fourth peripheral edge; and

a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the first side of the body adjacent the second peripheral edge and between the first peripheral edge and the third peripheral edge, the plurality of electronic contacts comprise a supply voltage contact, a reset contact, a clock contact, a ground contact, a input/output contact, a single protocol contact, a first auxiliary contact, and a second auxiliary contact, wherein the ground contact is adjacent the first peripheral edge, the clock contact is adjacent the ground contact, the second auxiliary contact is adjacent the clock contact, the input/output contact is adjacent the second auxiliary contact, the single protocol contact is adjacent the second auxiliary contact, the first auxiliary contact is adjacent the single protocol contact, the reset contact is adjacent the first auxiliary contact, and the supply voltage contact is adjacent the reset contact and the third peripheral edge.

2. The UICC of claim 1, wherein the height is approximately 11 millimeters and the width is approximately 9 millimeters.

3. The UICC of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a substantially rectangular shape having rounded corners, wherein each of the rounded corners comprises a first radius that is less than or equal to 0.8 millimeters.

4. The UICC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are substantially aligned along the second peripheral edge between the first peripheral edge and the third peripheral edge.

5. The UICC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are offset relative to the second peripheral edge by an offset distance of between approximately 0.1 millimeters and 0.50 millimeters.

6. The UICC of claim 1, wherein the ground contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 0.3 millimeters from the first peripheral edge, the clock contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 1.4 millimeters from first peripheral edge, the second auxiliary contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 2.5 millimeters from the first peripheral edge, the input/output contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 3.6 millimeters from the first peripheral edge, the single protocol contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 4.7 millimeters from the first peripheral edge, the first auxiliary contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 5.8 millimeters from the first peripheral edge, the reset contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 6.9 millimeters from the first peripheral edge, and the supply voltage contact is positioned at a distance of approximately 8.0 millimeters from the first peripheral edge.

7. The UICC of claim 1, wherein each of the electrical contacts has a size of approximately 3.0 millimeters by 0.7 millimeters.

8. The UICC of claim 1, further comprising a pick-out feature disposed adjacent the fourth peripheral edge of the body.

9. The UICC of claim 8, wherein the pick-out feature comprises a slot.

10. The UICC of claim 9, wherein the slot comprises a rectangular portion disposed between a first arcuate end and a second arcuate end.

11. The UICC of claim 10, wherein a first center of the first arcuate end is between approximately 1.9 and 2.1 millimeters from the first peripheral edge and a second center of the second arcuate end is between approximately 6.9 and 7.1 millimeters from the first peripheral edge.

12. The UICC of claim 1, further comprising a notch formed in the third peripheral edge.

13. The UICC of claim 12, wherein the notch forms a recessed edge spaced away from the third peripheral edge and toward the first peripheral edge.

14. The UICC of claim 13, wherein the recessed edge is between approximately 8.29 and 8.31 millimeters from the first peripheral edge.

15. The UICC of claim 14, wherein the notch forms a first recessed opening having a shoulder between a first portion of the third peripheral edge and a first end of the recessed edge and a substantially tapered edge between a second portion of the third peripheral edge and a second end of the recessed edge.

16. The UICC of claim 15, wherein the shoulder is positioned between approximately 4.49 and 4.51 millimeters from the second peripheral edge.

17. The UICC of claim 16, further comprising a second radius between the shoulder and the recessed edge, the second radius is less than or equal to 0.3 millimeters.

18. The UICC of claim 15, wherein the tapered edge intersects the second portion of the third peripheral edge at a position between approximately 6.68 and 6.7 millimeters from the second peripheral edge.

19. The UICC of claim 18, further comprising a third radius between the tapered edge and the recessed edge, wherein the third radius is less than or equal to 0.7 millimeters.

20. A UICC comprising;

a body defining a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a first plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the first surface, the plurality of electrical contacts including a ground electrical contact, a voltage supply electrical contact and a clock electrical contact, the ground electrical contact positioned adjacent a first edge of the body, the voltage supply electrical contact positioned adjacent a second edge of the body opposite the first edge, and the clock electrical contact positioned adjacent the ground electrical contact, wherein the positioning of the voltage supply electrical contact or the clock electrical contact relative to the ground electrical contact significantly reduces electromagnetic interference.

21. The UICC of claim 20, wherein the first plurality of electrical contacts is substantially aligned relative to a third edge of the body, the third edge being disposed between the first and second edges and is substantially perpendicular to the first and second edges.

22. The UICC of claim 21, wherein the clock electrical contact is positioned between the ground electrical contact and an input/output electrical contact.

23. The UICC of claim 21, further comprising a second plurality of contacts disposed on the second surface of the body adjacent the third edge.

24. The UICC of claim 23, wherein the second plurality of contacts comprises a first auxiliary electrical contact and a second auxiliary electrical contact.

25. The UICC of claim 21, further comprising a pick-out feature adjacent a fourth edge of the body opposite the third edge, the fourth edge being positioned between the first and second edges.

26. The UICC of claim 25, wherein the pick-out feature comprises a slot disposed adjacent the fourth edge and between the first and second edges.

27. The UICC of claim 25, wherein the pick-out feature comprises an opening adjacent a corner formed by the first edge and the fourth edge.

28. The UICC of claim 25, wherein the pick-out feature comprises a raised lip extending away from the first surface and disposed adjacent the fourth edge.

29. The UICC of claim 20, further comprising a notch formed in the second edge.

30. The UICC of claim 29, wherein the notch includes a shoulder to engage a lock mechanism of a card reader to maintain a position of the UICC relative the card reader.

31. The UICC of claim 30, wherein the notch includes a tapered surface to release the lock mechanism of the card reader when the UICC is to be removed from the card reader.

32. The UICC of claim 20, wherein the first surface has a surface area of approximately 99 millimeters squared.

33. The UICC of claim 20, wherein the first surface comprises a cavity to receive an integrated circuit.

34. A UICC comprising:

a body defining a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the first surface, a ground electrical contact of the electrical contacts being disposed adjacent a first edge of the body and a voltage supply electrical contact of the electrical contacts being disposed adjacent a second edge of the body opposite the first edge, the electrical contacts being substantially aligned relative to a third edge of the body, the third edge being disposed between the first and second edges and substantially perpendicular to the first and second edges, a clock electrical contact of the electrical contacts being disposed between the ground electrical contact and an input/output electrical contact, and a reset electrical contact of the electrical contacts being disposed adjacent the voltage supply electrical contact and a single wire protocol electrical contact of the electrical contacts being disposed between the input/output electrical contact and the reset electrical contact.

35. The UICC of claim 34, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts further comprises a first auxiliary electrical contact disposed between the single wire protocol electrical contact and the reset electrical contact, and a second auxiliary input disposed between the clock electrical contact and the input/output electrical contact.