Cards and devices with embedded holograms

• US 9,721,201 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Inventors: Mullen, Jeffrey D., Nicklaus, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marshall, Christle I
• Application Number:
  US14/578,425
• Time in Patent Office: 955 Days
• Field of Search: 235488
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/08 PCBs, i.e. printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/08 characterised by added members at particular parts layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B3/14, B32B3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0476 Holographic printer G03H1/268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/12 by photographic printing , e.g. by laser printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/042 the record carrier having a form factor of a credit card and including a small sized disc, e.g. a CD or DVD disc shaped data carriers in general, see G11B20/00 and G11B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06112 the marking being simulated using a light source, e.g. a barcode shown on a display or a laser beam with time-varying intensity profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06206 the magnetic marking being emulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07709 the interface being a keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating

Abstract

A card, such as a payment card, or other device may include an electronics package. The electronics package may include electronic components mounted on a flexible, printed circuit board. The electronics package may be laminated (e.g., via a hot, cold, or molding lamination process) between layers of transparent polymer. A hologram may be fixed to one side of the electronics package such that the hologram may be viewed from the exterior of the laminated card having transparent polymer layers. As such, the hologram may not be removed without breaching the integrity of a transparent polymer layer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

laminating a card layer with a plurality of lamination layers to form a laminated card; and

applying a first visible graphics layer on a first area of the laminated card without applying the first layer on a second area of the laminated card.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a hologram on the second area of the laminated card, after the applying a first visible graphics layer, such that the first layer surrounds the hologram and a thickness of the first layer at the hologram is at least about a thickness of the hologram.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a signature panel on the second area of the laminated card, after the applying a first visible graphics layer, such that the first layer bounds at least a portion of the signature panel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a magnetic stripe on the second area of the laminated card, after the applying a first visible graphics layer, such that the first layer bounds a portion of the magnetic stripe.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first component on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer,

wherein the card layer includes a battery.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first component on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer,

wherein the card layer includes at least one communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying, after the applying a first visible graphics layer, a first component on the second area of the laminated card and a second component on a third area of the laminated card,

wherein the applying a first visible graphics layer includes applying the first layer on the first area of the laminated card without applying the first layer on the third area of the laminated card.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying an adhesive on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer;

applying a hologram on the adhesive; and

applying a signature panel directly on a third area of the laminated card,

wherein the applying a first visible graphics layer includes applying the first layer on the first area of the laminated card without applying the first layer on the third area of the laminated card, and

a surface of the first layer farthest from the laminated card is at least about a distance from the laminated card as a distance of a surface of the signature panel farthest from the laminated card.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a security hologram on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a signature panel on a third area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer,

wherein the applying a first visible graphics layer includes applying the first layer on the first area of the laminated card without applying the first layer on the third area of the laminated card,

a surface of the first layer farthest from the laminated card is at least a distance from the laminated card as a distance of a surface of the signature panel farthest from the laminated card and a distance of a surface of the hologram farthest from the laminated card, and

the card layer includes an electronics package.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a hologram on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a signature panel on a third area of the laminated card,

wherein the card layer includes a radio frequency identification module, an integrated circuit chip and a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a hologram on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a magnetic stripe on a third area of the laminated card.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a signature panel to the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

affixing a magnetic stripe to the first layer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a signature panel to the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

affixing a security hologram and a magnetic stripe to the laminated card.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

affixing a first component on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a second visible graphics layer on the first area of the laminated card after the affixing a first component,

wherein the first layer includes print material displaying branding information, and

the second layer includes print material displaying personalization information.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first component on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a second visible graphics layer on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first component.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first component on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a second visible graphics layer on the first area of the laminated card and the first component after the applying a first component.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a hologram on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer;

applying a signature panel on a third area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a second visible graphics layer on the first area, the second area and the third area after the applying a hologram and the applying a signature panel,

wherein the applying a first visible graphics layer includes applying the first layer on the first area of the laminated card without applying the first layer on the third area of the laminated card,

a thickness of the first visible graphics layer is at least the thickness of the hologram and at least the thickness of the signature panel, and

the card layer includes at least one communication device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a security hologram on the second area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer;

applying a signature panel on a third area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a magnetic stripe on a fourth area of the laminated card after the applying a first visible graphics layer; and

applying a second visible graphics layer on the first through fourth areas of the laminated card after the applying a security hologram, the applying a signature panel, and the applying the magnetic stripe,

wherein the applying a first visible graphics layer includes applying the first layer on the first area of the laminated card without applying the first layer on the third area of the laminated card and the fourth area of the laminated card,

a thickness of the hologram is about the thickness of the first visible graphics layer, and

the card layer includes at least one communication device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transporting the laminated card including the first visible graphics layer, without a hologram affixed to the laminated card, from a first facility to a second facility,

wherein the first visible graphics layer includes pre-printed branding information.