Dual interface smart cards, and methods of manufacturing

• US 9,033,250 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Féinics AmaTech Teoranta (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David, Conneely, Patrick Gerard, Czornack, Jan Thomas, Ummenhofer, Klaus, Lotya, Mustafa
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US14/020,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 618 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• 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 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• 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: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/103 by bonding or embedding conductive wires or strips
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49162 by using wire as conductive path

Abstract

A booster antenna (BA) for a smart card comprises a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of a card body (CB), a coupler coil (CC) component at a location for an antenna module (AM), and an extension antenna (EA) contributing to the inductance of the booster antenna (BA). A method of wire embedding is also disclosed, by controlling a force and ultrasonic power applied by an embedding tool at different positions on the card body (CB).

Claims

1. Card Body (CB) for a smart card, comprising:

a surface having a surface area, an upper portion of the surface constituting approximately half of the surface area of the card body and a lower portion of the surface constituting a remaining approximately half of the surface area of the card body;

a first area extending around a peripheral portion of the card body in at least the upper portion of the card body;

a card antenna (CA) disposed in the first area;

a second area located in the upper portion of the card body and corresponding in size to and at a position corresponding to a location of an antenna module (AM) for the smart card;

a third area located in the upper portion of the card body which is separate from the first area and the second area;

a coupler coil (CC) disposed in the second area; and

an extension antenna (EA) disposed in the third area.

2. The card body of claim 1, wherein:

the coupler coil (CC) is formed as a closed loop, and has two ends.

3. The card body of claim 1, wherein:

the coupler coil (CC) is formed as an open loop, and has two ends.

4. The card body of claim 1, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) contributes to the inductance of the card antenna (CA).

5. The card body of claim 4,wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) is in the form of a coil comprising at least one cross-over.

6. The card body of claim 4, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) is connected at one end to the card antenna (CA).

7. The card body of claim 4, further comprising:

a coupler coil (CC) disposed in the second area, the coupler coil (CC) having two ends;

wherein the extension antenna (EA) has two ends, at least one of which is connected to an end of the coupler coil (CC).

8. The card body of claim 4, wherein:

the card antenna (CA) has two ends; and

the extension antenna (EA) has two ends, at least one of which is connected to an end of the card antenna (CA).

9. The card body of claim 4, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) has two ends, one of which is a free end.

10. A smart card comprising:

the card body (CB) of claim 1; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip.

11. The card body of claim 1, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) is disposed to have a portion adjacent at least one side of the coupler coil (CC).

12. The card body of claim 1, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) comprises at least two coils (EA-1, EA-2).

13. Card Body (CB) for a smart card, comprising:

a surface having a surface area, an upper portion of the surface constituting approximately half of the surface area of the card body and a lower portion of the surface constituting a remaining approximately half of the surface area of the card body;

a first area extending around a peripheral portion of the card body in at least the upper portion of the card body;

a card antenna (CA) disposed in the first area;

a second area located in the upper portion of the card body and corresponding in size to an antenna module (AM) for the smart card;

a third area located in the upper portion of the card body which is separate from the first area and the second area and

an extension antenna (EA) disposed in the third area;

wherein the card antenna (CA) comprises;

an outer winding (OW) having an outer end (b) and an inner end (a);

an inner winding (IW) having an outer end (f) and an inner end (e);

the inner end (e) of the inner winding (IW) is connected with the outer end (b) of the outer winding (OW); and

the inner end (a) of the outer winding (OW) and the outer end (f) of the inner winding (IW) are unconnected.

14. The card body of claim 13, further comprising:

a coupler coil (CC) disposed in the second area.

15. The card body of claim 14, wherein:

a portion of the extension antenna (EA) is disposed adjacent at least 90°

of the coupler coil (CC).

16. The card body of claim 13, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) has two ends, one end connected to the coupler coil (CC), the other end connected to the card antenna (CA).

17. The card body of claim 13, wherein:

the extension antenna (EA) is an extension of the inner winding (IW).

18. Card Body (CB) for a smart card, comprising:

a surface having a surface area, an upper portion of the surface constituting approximately half of the surface area of the card body and a lower portion of the surface constituting a remaining approximately half of the surface area of the card body;

a first area extending around a peripheral portion of the card body in at least the upper portion of the card body;

a card antenna (CA) disposed in the first area

a second area located in the upper portion of the card body and corresponding in size to an antenna module (AM) for the smart card;

a third area located in the upper portion of the card body which is separate from the first area and the second area and

an extension antenna (EA) disposed in the third area;

wherein;

the extension antenna (EA) comprises at least two coils (EA-1, EA-2);

wherein;

the extension antenna (EA) comprises a first coil (EA-1) and a second coil (EA-2);

a first end of the first coil is (EA-1) is connected with an end of the coupler coil (CC);

a second end of the first coil (EA-1) is connected with a first end of the second coil (EA-2),

a second end of the second coil (EA-2) is connected with the card antenna (CA).