Electronic card comprising a fingerprint sensor and method of manufacturing such a card

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10769405-B2
Application number	US-201816038090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Jul 17, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible electronic card comprising:
a card body ( 1 ) comprising an upper surface ( 11 ) and a lower surface ( 12 ); at least one cavity ( 13, 13 ′) formed in the card body emerging from the upper surface; a fingerprint module ( 2 ) configured to acquire a fingerprint of a user, the fingerprint module being housed in the cavity ( 13 ) and flush with the upper surface of the card body; the fingerprint module ( 2 ) comprising a flexible substrate ( 22 ) comprising an active part ( 21 ), designated capture part, flush with the upper surface of the card body and a microcontroller ( 23 ) arranged below the substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Flexible electronic card comprising:
a card body ( 1 ) comprising an upper surface ( 11 ) and a lower surface ( 12 );
at least one cavity ( 13 , 13 ′) formed in the card body emerging from the upper surface;
a fingerprint module ( 2 ) configured to acquire a fingerprint of a user, the fingerprint module being housed in the cavity ( 13 ) and flush with the upper surface of the card body; the fingerprint module ( 2 ) comprising a flexible substrate ( 22 ) flushing with the upper surface and comprising an active part ( 21 ), designated capture part, flush with the upper surface of the card body and a microcontroller ( 23 ) arranged below the substrate.

2. Electronic card according to claim 1 , in which the fingerprint module ( 2 ) further comprises connection pads intended to connect said fingerprint module to an antenna ( 30 ) or to a second module ( 3 ).

3. Electronic card according to claim 1 , in which the cavity ( 13 , 13 ′) has a maximum depth such that the distance between the lower surface of the card body and the bottom of the cavity is at least 160 μm.

4. Electronic card according to claim 1 , in which the cavity ( 13 , 13 ′) has a three-dimensional inner profile so as to follow the inner contour of the fingerprint module ( 2 ), the cavity comprising at least one stop configured to limit deformations of the module housed in the cavity.

5. Electronic card according to claim 1 , comprising two cavities ( 13 , 13 ′), one cavity housing the fingerprint module, the other cavity housing a second module ( 3 ), typically bank or access.

6. Electronic card according to claim 1 , in which the card body ( 1 ) comprises an intermediate layer, designated interconnection layer, made of conductor material on which an antenna is integrated.

7. Electronic card according to claim 5 , in which the card body ( 1 ) comprises an intermediate layer, designated interconnection layer, made of semiconductor material on which a circuit, configured to connect the fingerprint module to the second module ( 3 ).

8. Electronic card according to claim 7 , comprising hollowing-outs formed from the at least one cavity to the interconnection layer.

9. Electronic card according to claim 1 , in which the card body comprises from the upper surface to the lower surface the following laminated layers:
a transparent protective upper layer ( 13 );
a first substrate ( 14 ) made of PVC;
the intermediate layer ( 15 ), designated interconnection layer;
a second substrate ( 16 ) made of PVC;
a transparent protective lower layer ( 17 ).

10. Electronic card according to claim 1 , further comprising a tactile mark ( 4 ) and/or an alignment mark ( 5 ) arranged on the upper surface of the card body near to the fingerprint module ( 2 ), said tactile mark being configured to enable correct positioning of a finger on the fingerprint module ( 2 ).

11. Method of manufacturing an electronic card according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
obtaining ( 100 ) a card body;
forming ( 300 ) at least one cavity ( 13 , 13 ′) in said card body;
placing ( 400 ) a fingerprint module ( 2 ) in the cavity, the fingerprint module ( 2 ) comprising a flexible substrate ( 22 ) comprising an active part ( 21 ), designated capture part, flush with the upper surface of the card body and a microcontroller ( 23 ) arranged below the substrate.

12. Manufacturing method according to claim 11 , in which the step of obtaining the card body comprises a sub-step ( 110 ) of integrating an antenna on the intermediate layer ( 15 ).

13. Manufacturing method according to claim 11 , comprising obtaining ( 200 ) two cavities in the card body ( 1 ), and placing ( 400 ) the fingerprint module in one of the two cavities and placing a second module ( 3 ) in the other cavity, the step of obtaining ( 100 ) the card body ( 1 ) further comprises a step of integrating ( 110 ′) a connection circuit ( 40 ) configured to connect the fingerprint module ( 2 ) to the second module ( 3 ).

14. Manufacturing method according to claim 11 , in which the step ( 100 ) of obtaining the card body ( 1 ) comprises a sub-step ( 110 ) of hot lamination of the upper layer ( 13 ), the first substrate ( 14 ), the intermediate layer ( 15 ) and the lower layer ( 17 ).

15. Manufacturing method according to claim 11 , comprising a step ( 200 ) of obtaining at least one hollowing-out in the card body from the cavity to the intermediate layer.

Assignees

• Idemia Identity & Security France

Inventors

• Pompeani Sylvie
• Germain Francois

Classifications

• G06V40/1329

  Protecting the fingerprint sensor against damage caused by the finger · CPC title

• G06K19/0718 Primary

  the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors (fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00) · CPC title

• G06V40/1306 Primary

  non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing · CPC title

• G06K19/07701

  the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction · CPC title

• G06K19/07747

  at least one of the integrated circuit chips being mounted as a module · CPC title