Dual-interface metal hybrid smartcard

• US 10,783,426 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2019
• Issued: 09/22/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Féinics AmaTech Teoranta (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David, Lotya, Mustafa, Molloy, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US16/260,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20200005114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 235492, 235487, 235488
• 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: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/165 incorporating printed inductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/183 Components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09036 Recesses or grooves in insulating substrate recess in metallic substrate H05K2201/09745
• 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 2201/10287 Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0285 Using ultrasound, e.g. for cleaning, soldering or wet treatment
• 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 dual-interface metal hybrid smartcard comprising a plastic card body (CB), a booster antenna (BA) and a metal frame (CMF, DMF) disposed in the card body, in the form of a rectangular metal frame disposed external to the booster antenna (BA). The metal frame may extend continuously around the periphery of the card body as a continuous metal frame (CMF), or may have a slit (S), thereby forming a discontinuous metal frame (DMF). A second metal slug (MS-2) may be disposed at a lower portion of the card body (CB), inside the booster antenna. A smartcard may comprise a plastic card body (CB) and a generally rectangular metal slug (MS) having a main body portion slightly smaller than the card body, and having at least one protrusion extending from corresponding at least one corner of the main body portion of the metal slug to corresponding at least one corner of the card body.

Claims

1. A dual-interface metal hybrid smartcard comprising:

a plastic card body (CB);

a booster antenna (BA) disposed in the card body and comprising a card antenna (CA) component disposed around a peripheral area of the card body, a coupler coil (CC) component disposed at an interior area of the card body around an opening (OP) for receiving an antenna module (AM) or transponder chip module (TCM); and

a metal frame (CMF, DMF) disposed in the card body, in the form of a rectangular metal frame disposed external to the card antenna (CA) component of the booster antenna (BA);

wherein;

the metal frame comprises a first metal slug component (MS-1) which extends substantially all the way around the periphery of the card body (CB) in a continuous manner, forming a continuous metal frame (CMF) around the booster antenna (BA); and

further comprising;

a second metal slug component (MS-2) disposed at a lower portion of the card body (CB), inside of the lower portion of the card antenna (CA) component.

2. The smartcard of claim 1, wherein:

the booster antenna further comprises an extension antenna (EA) component extending across another interior area of the card body; and

the second metal slug component extends up to the bottom edge of the extension antenna (EA) component.

3. The smartcard of claim 1, wherein:

the metal frame comprises a first metal slug component (MS-1) which extends substantially all the way around the periphery of the card body (CB) in a discontinuous manner, having a gap (G) or slit (S) extending from an inner edge of the frame to an outer edge thereof, so it is not a “

closed loop”

, thereby forming a discontinuous metal frame (DMF) around the booster antenna (BA).

4. The smartcard of claim 3, further comprising:

a second metal slug component (MS-2) disposed at a lower portion of the card body (CB), inside of the lower portion of the card antenna (CA) component.

5. The smartcard of claim 3, wherein:

the booster antenna further comprises an extension antenna (EA) component extending across another interior area of the card body; and

the second metal slug component extends up to the bottom edge of the extension antenna (EA) component.

6. The smartcard of claim 3, wherein:

the slit (S) is located at a corner of the metal frame (MS-1).

7. The smartcard of claim 3, wherein:

the slit (s) is located at any suitable position along the extent of the frame, extending from an inner edge of the frame to the outer edge thereof.

8. The smartcard of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna module disposed in the card body.

9. The smartcard of claim 8, wherein:

the antenna module is a dual-interface module.

10. Smartcard, comprising:

a plastic card body (CB) having four corners; and

a generally rectangular metal slug (MS) having a main body portion slightly smaller than the card body, and having at least one protrusion extending from corresponding at least one corner of the main body portion of the metal slug to corresponding at least one corner of the card body;

wherein;

the metal slug has two protrusions extending from two corners of the main body portion of the metal slug to corresponding two corners of the card body.

11. The smartcard of claim 10, wherein:

the metal slug has four protrusions extending from four corners of the main body portion of the metal slug to corresponding four corners of the card body.

12. The smartcard of claim 10, wherein:

the metal slug has an opening (WO) for accepting insertion of an antenna module (AM).

13. The smartcard of claim 12, further comprising:

a slit or slot (S) extending from the opening (WO) to an outer edge of the metal slug.

14. The smartcard of claim 13, wherein:

the slit is filled or covered with a dielectric or oxide layer or with a layer of plastic on at least one side thereof.

15. The smartcard of claim 10, wherein:

the main body of the metal slug extends extend substantially to the periphery of the card body.

16. The smartcard of claim 10, further comprising:

an antenna module disposed in the card body.

17. The smartcard of claim 10, wherein:

the antenna module is a dual-interface module.