METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING INFORMATION IN MAGNETIC STRIP AND RFID CARDS FROM FRAUDULENT SCANNING

• US 20140374488A1
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garble LLC
• Original Assignee: Garble LLC
• Inventors: Biro, Andy, Bartczak, Kevin J., Caimi, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 9,165,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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: G06K 19/07327 Passive means, e.g. Faraday cages Faraday-type protection of electric circuits in general H05K9/00

Abstract

A device for preventing unwanted electromagnetic inquiry of an electronic card storing information thereon by the transmission of a rogue interrogating signal from an RFID skimmer proximate the electronic card. The device comprises a first and a second conductive material layer each operating to detune an antenna associated with the electronic card or to detune front end resonant circuits associated with the electronic card, and one or more third material layers having a greater thickness than the first and second layers and disposed between the first and second layers, the one or more third material layers providing electromagnetic shielding against radio frequency signals emitted from the electronic card.

Claims

1. A device for preventing unwanted electromagnetic inquiry of an electronic card storing information thereon by the transmission of a rogue interrogating signal from an RFID skimmer proximate the electronic card, the device comprising:

a first and a second conductive material layer each operating to detune an antenna associated with the electronic card or to detune front end resonant circuits associated with the electronic card; and

one or more third material layers having a greater thickness than the first and second layers and disposed between the first and second layers, the one or more third material layers providing electromagnetic shielding against radio frequency signals emitted from the electronic card.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the electronic card comprises an RFID card, and an RFID device, a financial card, or a radio frequency communications device.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the first, second layers are thinner than the one or more third layers.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second layers each have a thickness of between 0.2 and 1.5 mils and the one or more third layers have a thickness of 10 mils.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is disposed within the near field of radio frequency signals emitted from the electronic card.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and the one or more third layers provide both absorption and reflection of the rogue interrogating signal.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and the one or more third layers provide both absorption and reflection of a signal emitted from the electronic card.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second layers operate primarily to detune an antenna associated with the electronic card and to detune front end resonant circuits associated with the electronic card.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second layers operate primarily to detune an antenna associated with the RFID skimmer and to detune front end resonant circuits associated with the RFID skimmer.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second layers provide electromagnetic shielding and absorption properties responsive to the conductivity, permeability and thickness thereof.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second layers each have a thickness greater than 100 micrometers but less than 300 micrometers.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein a material of the one or more third material layers comprises a paramagnetic, diamagnetic, or another magnetic material.

13. The device or claim 1 wherein a material of the one or more third material layers comprises a copper mesh material.

14. A device for preventing unwanted electromagnetic inquiry of an electronic card storing information thereon by the transmission of a rogue interrogating signal from an RFID skimmer proximate the electronic card, the device comprising:

a card defining a cavity formed therein;

a slug disposed with the cavity, the slug comprising;

a first copper foil layer;

a first adhesive layer;

a copper mesh layer copper;

a second adhesive layer; and

a second copper foil layer.

15. A method for preventing reading of information stored on an electronic card by the transmission of a rogue interrogating signal from an RFID skimmer proximate the electronic card, the method comprising:

detuning one or both of an antenna and a front end resonant circuit of the electronic card by placement of a protective card proximate the electronic card; and

shielding radio frequency signals transmitted from the electronic card by placement of the protective card proximate the electronic card.