Transaction card

• US 7,377,443 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Lasch, Ellen, Faenza, Jr., William J., Vigiletti, Judy, Webb, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US10/394,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 235/488, 235/487, 235/494, 235/435, 235/491, 902/25
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/22 Fibres of short length
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/28 in the form of a mat
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/12 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0831 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/10 characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/145 Printing
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/04 Transparent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/06 Translucent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/351 Translucent or partly translucent parts, e.g. windows
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/369 Magnetised or magnetisable materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/382 absorbing or reflecting infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/455 using heat
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/46 using pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/47 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/475 Cutting cards
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/12 : Special arrangement of layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 : Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 : characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 : with integrated circuit chips
• 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 19/077 : Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 : using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 : the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 : General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0013 : by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers connectors in general H01R13/00; connectors for SIM cards used in mobile phones or the like H04B1/3816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 : sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 : by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 : Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• 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 7/0833 : Card having specific functional components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing an opaque, transparent or translucent transaction card having multiple features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an invisible optically recognizable compound, a translucent signature field such that the signature on back of the card is visible from the front of the card and an active thru date on the front of the card. The invisible optically recognizable compound is an infrared ink and/or film, which can be detected by a sensor found in an ATM or card assembly line.

Claims

1. A subassembly for use in a transaction card, said subassembly comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent subassembly surface incorporated into a card; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said surface, wherein said infrared blocking material comprises an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on a substrate, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices.

2. The subassembly of claim 1, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a plurality of layers selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Indium oxide and combinations thereof.

3. The subassembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises polyethyleneterethphalate.

4. The subassembly of claim 1, wherein said subassembly is incorporated into a transaction card.

5. An article, comprising:

a subassembly comprising at least one of a translucent and a transparent surface; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with, and substantially covering, said surface, wherein said infrared blocking material comprises an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on a substrate, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices, wherein said article is a card.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a plurality of layers selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Indium oxide and combinations thereof.

7. The article of claim 5 wherein said substrate comprises polyethyleneterethphalate.

8. The article of claim 5, wherein said article is a transaction card.

9. A method of making an article, comprising the steps of:

providing a subassembly comprising at least one of a transparent and a translucent surface; and

associating a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material with the subassembly, wherein said infrared blocking material is comprises an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on a substrate, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices, and incorporating said subassembly into a card.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the infrared blocking film comprises a plurality of layers selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Indium oxide and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the substrate comprises polyethyleneterethphalate.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the article is a transaction card.

13. A subassembly for use in an article, said subassembly comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent subassembly surface incorporated into a card; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said surface, wherein said infrared

blocking material comprises an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on a substrate, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices.

14. The subassembly of claim 13, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a plurality of layers selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Indium oxide and combinations thereof.

15. The subassembly of claim 13 wherein said substrate comprises polyethyleneterethphalate.

16. The subassembly of claim 13 wherein said subassembly is incorporated into a transaction card.

17. A subassembly for use in an article, said subassembly comprising:

at least one of a translucent and transparent subassembly surface incorporated into a card; and

a machine recognizable compound containing an infrared blocking material associated with and substantially covering said surface, wherein said machine recognizable compound has a thickness of less than about 50 microns and further

wherein said infrared blocking material thereof comprises an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on a substrate, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices.

18. The subassembly of claim 17, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a plurality of layers selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Indium oxide and combinations thereof.

19. The subassembly of claim 17 wherein said substrate comprises polyethyleneterethphalate.

20. The subassembly of claim 17 wherein said subassembly is incorporated into a transaction card.