Enrolment case for smart card

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11068766-B2
Application number	US-202016860571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2020
Priority date	May 3, 2019
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is a semi-rigid enrolment case for a smart card, formed by folding and gluing an envelope-like cardboard blank of the dimensions of the card. The case includes an electrical circuit printed directly on the cardboard of an inner surface. The circuit includes contact studs connected to a power supply interface and arranged to connect electrical contacts of the card to the power supply interface when the card is inserted into the case. A biometric sensor of the card remains accessible to the user when it is out of the case for making the enrolment. Through-openings are made in the cardboard on either side of contact stud lines and allow forming independent flexible areas, providing better contact between the studs and the electrical contacts of the card.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A case for a smart card, the case comprising:
an envelope made of cellulosic fiber material dimensioned such that the smart card is configured to be inserted through a slot defined within the envelope, the envelope comprising two adjacent and hinged panels of a folded blank forming two faces of the envelope, and an electrical circuit directly deposited on the cellulosic fiber material, the electrical circuit being configured to electrically connect electrical contacts of the smart card to a power supply interface when the smart card is inserted into a first position within the case.

2. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit is disposed on an internal face of the envelope, the power supply interface having a portion external to the envelope.

3. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit includes a plurality of contact studs arranged in one or more contact positions of a matrix pattern to make electrical contact with the inserted smart card, the envelope including at least one through-opening disposed between two of the one or more contact positions of the matrix pattern.

4. The case according to claim 3 , wherein the envelope includes a plurality of openings, each of the openings being arranged between two successive rows of the matrix pattern carrying the contact studs.

5. The case according to claim 4 , wherein the envelope further includes one or more end openings arranged externally to the entire matrix pattern carrying the contact studs.

6. The case according to claim 4 , wherein the matrix pattern is formed of two columns of four lines in accordance with the standard ISO/IEC 7816-2: 2007.

7. The case according to claim 3 , wherein the envelope further includes one or more end openings arranged externally to the entire matrix pattern carrying the contact studs.

8. The case according to claim 7 , wherein the matrix pattern is formed of two columns of four lines in accordance with the standard ISO/IEC 7816-2: 2007.

9. The case according to claim 3 , wherein the matrix pattern is formed of two columns of four lines in accordance with the standard ISO/IEC 7816-2: 2007.

10. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit consists of one or more conductive track portions deposited on the envelope, and one or more components forming a user interface.

11. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the envelope made of cellulosic fiber material is formed in one part.

12. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the envelope includes a guiding system configured to guide the smart card toward the first position, the guiding system formed by flaps fixing together a front panel and a back panel of the envelope.

13. The case according to claim 12 , wherein the flaps have a beveled edge on a side of the slot.

14. The case according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical circuit includes a plurality of contact studs arranged in one or more contact positions of a matrix pattern to make electrical contact with the inserted smart card, the envelope including at least one through-opening disposed between two of the one or more contact positions of the matrix pattern.

15. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical circuit consists of one or more conductive track portions deposited on the envelope, and one or more components forming a user interface.

16. A blank made of cellulosic fiber material for a case for a smart card, the blank comprising: two adjacent and hinged panels configured to form two faces of the case dimensioned such that the smart card is configured to be inserted through a slot defined within the case, wherein an electrical circuit is disposed directly on the cellulosic fiber material of at least a first one of said two panels, the electrical circuit including, on the first panel, contact studs configured to electrically connect electrical contacts of the smart card to a power supply interface when the card is inserted into a first position in the case.

17. The blank according to claim 16 , wherein the contact studs are disposed in one or more contact positions of a matrix pattern and configured to make electrical contact with the smart card inserted into the first position, and the first panel includes at least one opening arranged between two of the contact positions of the matrix pattern.

18. The blank according to claim 16 , wherein the first panel includes a plurality of openings, each of the openings being arranged between two successive rows of the matrix pattern carrying the contact studs, and one or more end openings are arranged externally to the entire matrix pattern carrying the contact studs.

19. A system comprising:
a smart card equipped with a biometric sensor provided on the surface of the card; and a case for a smart card, the case including: an envelope made of cellulosic fiber material dimensioned such that the smart card is configured to be inserted through a slot defined within the envelope, the envelope comprising two adjacent and hinged panels of a folded blank forming two faces of the envelope, and an electrical circuit directly deposited on the cellulosic fiber material, the electrical circuit being configured to electrically connect electrical contacts of the smart card to a power supply interface when the smart card is inserted into a first position within the case, wherein the biometric sensor is accessible from the outside of the case when the smart card is inserted into the first position.

20. A method for manufacturing a case for a smart card, the method comprising: forming a blank made of cellulosic fiber material, the blank comprising two adjacent and hinged panels configured to form two faces of the case dimensioned such that the smart card is configured to be inserted through a slot defined within the case, an electrical circuit being deposited directly on the cellulosic fiber material of at least a first one of said panels, the electrical circuit including, on the first panel, contact studs connected to a power supply interface; and obtaining the case by folding and gluing the blank so that the contact studs electrically connect electrical contacts of the smart card to the power supply interface when the card is inserted into a first position in the case.

Assignees

• Idemia Identity & Security France

Inventors

• Prawitz Nicolas
• Bauban Patrick
• Fourre Joël-Yann

Classifications

• G06K19/07354 Primary

  by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive (fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25) · CPC title

• G06K19/0707

  the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation (G06K19/0702 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06K7/0013

  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 title

• G06F21/32

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• A45C11/182

  Credit card holders · CPC title