Card case, IC card, and IC card unit

• US 20060144953A1
• Filed: 01/03/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takao, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier

Abstract

A card case, which encases an IC card having a functional section that contains a biometric information-acquiring portion for acquiring biometric information and carries out communication with an outer part of the card when the biometric information acquired at the biometric information-acquiring portion is authenticated and having a power section that supplies power to the functional section, the card case including: a case body that can encase the IC card and has an opening at a position two-dimensionally overlapping with the biometric information-acquiring portion so that the biometric information-acquiring portion of the encased IC card is exposed outside the case; a lid that covers the opening and is capable of opening and closing; a functional section electrode that is provided on the case body and is electrically connected to the functional section of the IC card encased in the case body; a power section electrode that is provided on the case body and is electrically connected to the power section of the IC card encased in the case body; and a connection section that electrically connects the functional section electrode with the power section electrode in a state that the lid is open.

Claims

1. A card case, which encases an IC card having a functional section that contains a biometric information-acquiring portion for acquiring biometric information and carries out communication with an outer part of the card when the biometric information acquired at the biometric information-acquiring portion is authenticated and having a power section that supplies power to the functional section, the card case comprising:

a case body that can encase the IC card and has an opening at a position two-dimensionally overlapping with the biometric information-acquiring portion so that the biometric information-acquiring portion of the encased IC card is exposed outside the case;

a lid that covers the opening and is capable of opening and closing;

a functional section electrode that is provided on the case body and is electrically connected to the functional section of the IC card encased in the case body;

a power section electrode that is provided on the case body and is electrically connected to the power section of the IC card encased in the case body; and

a connection section that electrically connects the functional section electrode with the power section electrode in a state that the lid is open.

2. The card case according to claim 1, wherein the connection section electrically interrupts the functional section electrode from the power section electrode in a state that the lid is closed.

3. The card case according to claim 1, wherein the connection section comprises:

a first wire connected to the functional section electrode and having an end part near the opening;

a second wire connected to the power section electrode and having an end part near the opening in a manner that the second wire is not connected to the first wire; and

an electrode provided so as to abut on the end part of the first wire and on the end part of the second wire in a state that the lid is open.

4. The card case according to claim 3, wherein the electrode is provided on the lid.

5. An IC card, comprising:

a substrate;

a functional section that is provided on the substrate, includes a biometric information-acquiring portion for acquiring biometric information, and communicates with an outer part of the card when the biometric information acquired at the biometric information-acquiring portion is authenticated;

a power section that is provided on the substrate and supplies power to the functional section;

a functional section terminal that is provided on the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the functional section and is electrically connected to the functional section electrode inside the card case according to claim 1;

and

a power section terminal that is provided on the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the power section and is electrically connected to the power section electrode inside the card case according to claim 1.

6. An IC card unit comprising:

an IC card including;

a substrate;

a functional section that is provided on the substrate and includes a biometric information-acquiring portion for acquiring biometric information and communicates with an outer part of the card when the biometric information acquired at the biometric information-acquiring portion is authenticated;

a power section that is provided on the substrate and supplies power to the functional section;

a functional section terminal that is provided on the substrate and is electrically connected to the functional section; and

a power section terminal that is provided on the substrate and is electrically connected to the power section; and

a card case including;

a case body that can encase the IC card and has an opening at a position two-dimensionally overlapping with the biometric information-acquiring portion so that the biometric information-acquiring portion of the encased IC card is exposed outside the case;

a lid that covers the opening and is capable of opening and closing;

a functional section electrode that is provided on the case body and is electrically connected to the functional section of the IC card encased in the case body;

a power section electrode that is provided on the case body and is electrically connected to the power section of the IC card encased in the case body; and

a connection section that electrically connects the functional section electrode with the power section electrode in a state that the lid is open.