Transaction card for transferring solar power

• US 10,243,088 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Inventors: Edwards, Joshua, Herrington, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/850,686
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 320101
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0806 Details of the card record carriers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02008 for solar cells or solar cell modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/30 Electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A transaction card is provided for communicating data relating to a transaction. The transaction card includes a solar layer, a transaction card layer, and a power transfer layer. The solar layer includes at least one solar panel capable of converting light into electricity, the transaction card layer supports the solar layer and includes a magnetic strip, and the power transfer layer includes circuitry capable of receiving electricity from the solar layer.

Claims

1. A transaction card for communicating data relating to a transaction, the transaction card comprising:

a first solar layer on a first external side of the transaction card;

a second solar layer on a second external side of the transaction card;

a transaction card layer; and

a power transfer layer;

where;

the first solar layer and the second solar layer each include at least one solar panel capable of converting light into electricity;

the transaction card layer;

supports the first solar layer and the second solar layer, and

includes a magnetic strip; and

the power transfer layer includes;

circuitry capable of receiving electricity from the first solar layer and the second solar layer, and

an inductive coil enabling the transaction card to charge a power storage component of an external device based on the transaction card being placed on the external device.

2. The transaction card of claim 1, where the circuitry includes:

conductive wire for receiving electricity from the at least one solar panel; and

output contacts for transferring electricity from the transaction card to input contacts of a device.

3. The transaction card of claim 2, where the power transfer layer includes an ultra-thin battery for receiving electricity from the circuitry.

4. The transaction card of claim 1, where:

the circuitry includes conductive wire for receiving electricity from the at least one solar panel.

5. The transaction card of claim 4, where the power transfer layer includes an ultra-thin battery for receiving electricity from the circuitry.

6. The transaction card of claim 1, where the circuitry includes an oscillator for producing a resonant frequency in the inductive coil.

7. The transaction card of claim 1, where dimensions of the transaction card are substantially:

85.6 millimeters long,

53.98 millimeters wide, and

0.76 millimeters thick.

8. A transaction card for communicating data relating to a transaction, the transaction card comprising:

a first solar layer on a first external side of the transaction card;

a second solar layer on a second external side of the transaction card;

a transaction card layer; and

a power transfer layer;

where;

the first solar layer and the second solar layer each include at least one solar panel capable of converting light into electricity;

the transaction card layer includes;

a housing portion for physically supporting the first solar layer and the second solar layer, and

a component including account data; and

the power transfer layer includes;

a first component for receiving electricity from the first solar layer and the second solar layer, and

a second component for inductively charging a power storage component of an external device based on the transaction card being placed on the external device.

9. The transaction card of claim 8, where the first solar layer and the second solar layer each include a conductive component for transferring electricity to the first component of the power transfer layer.

10. The transaction card of claim 8, where the at least one solar panel includes:

a solar cover;

a first encapsulation layer;

at least one solar cell; and

a second encapsulation layer.

11. The transaction card of claim 8, where at least one of the first solar layer or the second solar layer includes a backsheet for the solar panel.

12. The transaction card of claim 8, where:

a width of at least one of the first solar layer or the second solar layer is substantially similar to a width of the transaction card layer; and

a length of at least one of the first solar layer or the second solar layer is substantially similar to a length of the transaction card layer.

13. The transaction card of claim 8, where the transaction card layer is disposed between the first solar layer and the power transfer layer.

14. The transaction card of claim 8, where the power transfer layer is enclosed by the transaction card layer.

15. The transaction card of claim 8, where the first solar layer is enclosed by the transaction card layer.

16. A transaction card for communicating data relating to a transaction, the transaction card comprising:

a first solar layer on a first external side of the transaction card;

a second solar layer on a second external side of the transaction card,

the first solar layer and the second solar layer each including at least one solar panel capable of converting light into electricity;

a magnetic strip including account data;

a first electrical component capable of receiving electricity from the at least one solar panel; and

a second electrical component capable of inductively charging a power storage component of an external device based on the transaction card being placed on the external device; and

where dimensions of the transaction card are substantially;

85.6 millimeters long,

53.98 millimeters wide, and

0.76 millimeters thick.

17. The transaction card of claim 16, where the at least one solar panel includes a plurality of solar cells.

18. The transaction card of claim 16, further comprising:

a printed circuit board connected to the first electrical component and the second electrical component.

19. The transaction card of claim 18, where:

the first electrical component is a wire;

the second electrical component is an inductive coil; and

the printed circuit board includes components for transferring electricity from the first electrical component to the second electrical component.

20. The transaction card of claim 18, where:

the first electrical component is a wire;

a third electrical component is a metallic contact; and

the printed circuit board includes components for transferring electricity from the first electrical component to the third electrical component.