Contactless card with operator controlled structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11983594-B2
Application number	US-202217587645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2022
Priority date	Jan 28, 2022
Publication date	May 14, 2024
Grant date	May 14, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a contactless card including an actuation security structure that is actuated to provide authorization in accessing identifying information on an integrated circuit within the contactless card. In at least one embodiment, the actuation security structure includes a pair of conductive layers and a pair of electrodes. Ends of the pair of conductive layers overlap respective ones of the pair of electrodes. The ends of the pair of conductive layers are at and in a first elastically deformable region and the respective ones of the pair of electrodes are at and in a second elastically deformable region. An owner of the contactless card may provide authorization to access the identification information on the contactless card by applying force to both the first and second elastically deformable regions inward resulting in the ends of the conductive layers moving into electrical communication with the pair of electrodes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a first non-conductive layer, a second non-conductive layer on the first non-conductive layer, a third non-conductive layer on the second non-conductive layer, a fourth non-conductive layer on the third non-conductive layer, and a fifth non-conductive layer on the fourth non-conductive layer;
a loop antenna within the third non-conductive layer and on the second non-conductive layer, the loop antenna including one or more surfaces that are exposed from the third non-conductive layer and covered by the fourth non-conductive layer;
an integrated circuit device in the fifth non-conductive layer including a first and a second contact;
one or more spaces extending through the third and fourth non-conductive layers spaced apart from the integrated circuit device;
a first and a second electrode each in one of the one or more spaces and coupled to the loop antenna;
a first conductive layer coupled to the first contact including a first end in one of the one or more spaces, the first end overlapping the first electrode; and
a second conductive layer coupled to the second contact including a second end in one of the one or more spaces, the second end overlapping the second electrode,
wherein the first end, the second end, the first electrode, and the second electrode include:
a resting state in which the first end and the second end are electrically isolated from the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively; and
an actuated state in which the first end and the second end are in electrical communication with the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first non-conductive layer has a first thickness;
the second non-conductive layer has a second thickness;
the third non-conductive layer has a third thickness;
the fourth non-conductive layer has a fourth thickness;
the fifth non-conductive layer has a fifth thickness; and
the first and fifth thicknesses are greater than the second, third, and fourth thicknesses.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more spaces includes an air cavity containing the first electrode and the second electrode and the first end and the second end of the first and second conductive layers, respectively.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first end and the second end are on an inner surface of the fifth non-conductive layer facing respective surfaces of the first and second electrodes.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
in use, the first non-conductive layer moves towards the fifth non-conductive layer and the fifth non-conductive layer moves towards the first non-conductive layer when actuating the first and second ends and the first and second electrodes from the resting state to the actuated state; and
in use, the first non-conductive layer moves away from the fifth non-conductive layer and the fifth non-conductive layer moves away from the first non-conductive layer when actuating the first and second ends of the first and second electrodes from the actuated state from the resting state.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein:
the first and second ends, in use, are actuated in a first direction, which is directed from the fifth non-conductive layer towards the first non-conductive layer, towards the first and second electrodes, and away from the resting state towards the actuated state; and
the first and second electrodes, in use, are actuated in a second direction, which is directed from the first non-conductive layer towards the fifth non-conductive layer, towards the first and second ends, and away from the resting state towards the actuated state.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein, in use, when the first and second ends and the first and second electrodes are in the actuated states, each of the first and second ends are in electrical communication with a corresponding one of the first and second electrodes electrically coupling the integrated circuit die to the loop antenna.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein, in use, when the first and second ends and the first and second electrodes are in the actuated state, the first and second ends physically abut a corresponding one of the first and second electrodes, respectively.

9. A method, comprising:
applying a first force to a first side of a smart card in a first direction extending from a first side of the smart card towards a second side of the smart card opposite to the first side, and applying the first force includes:
moving a first end of a first conductive layer towards a first electrode within the smart card in the first direction from a first position to a second position of the first end; and
moving a second end of a second conductive layer towards a second electrode within the smart card in the first direction from a first position to a second position of the second end; and

applying a second force to the second side of the smart card in a second direction extending from the second side towards the first side and is opposite to the first direction, and applying the second force includes:
moving the first electrode towards the first end within the smart card in the second direction from a first position to a second position of the first electrode; and
moving the second electrode towards the second end within the smart card in the second direction from a first position to a second position of the second electrode.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying the first force to the first side and applying the second force to the second side occurs substantially simultaneously.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
moving the first end in the first direction moves the first end towards the first electrode;
moving the first end towards the first electrode in the first direction and moving the first electrode towards the first end in the second direction brings the first end and the first electrode proximate to each other electrically coupling the first end to the first electrode;
moving the second end in the first direction moves the second end towards the second electrode; and
moving the second end towards the second electrode in the first direction and moving the second electrode towards the second end in the second direction brings the second end and the second electrode proximate to each other electrically coupling the second end to the second electrode.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein moving the first end, the second end, the first electrode, and the second electrode to the second positions, respectively, results in an integrated circuit device within the smart card being in electrical communication with a loop antenna within the smart card.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein moving the first end, the second end, the first electrode, and the second electrode to the second positions, respectively, results in an integrated circuit device within the smart card being in electrical communication with a loop antenna within the smart card.

14. A device, comprising:
a stack of non-conductive layers having a first external surface and a second external surface opposite to the first external surface;
an integrated circuit device within the stack of non-conductive layers including a surface exposed from the stack of non-conductive layers at the first external surface;
a loop antenna within the stack of non-conductive layers around the integrated circuit device;
a cavity enclosed and delimited by respective layers of the stack of non-conductive layers and spaced apart from the integrated circuit device;
a first elastically deformable region overlapping the cavity is at the first external surf

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Kwak Jaehyun
• Cho Kyoung Min

Classifications

• G06K19/07749 Primary

  the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card · CPC title

• G06K19/07345

  by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches · CPC title

• H01H1/12

  characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage · CPC title

• H01H2231/05

  Card, e.g. credit card · CPC title

• G06K19/0723 Primary

  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 title