Proximity payment card with user-actuated switch and methods of making the card

[0001] It has been proposed (e.g., in US Patent No. 6,863,220) to introduce a user-activated switch to a contactless payment card in such a way that the card can remain in an inactive state except when the user actuates the switch while displaying the reading card by POS terminal. By requiring the user to activate the switch to activate the card, it is possible to prevent some attacks from securing the card's account number. Such attacks may occur in the case of a stealth card reading from a distance when the card is in the purse or holder's wallet.

[0002] DE 19645083 discloses a card in the form of an identification card (ID) which has a card body having an antenna and a recess. A chip module is placed in the recess. Between the contacts on the chip module and the antenna contacts, a pressure-sensitive switching device is provided to selectively activate the antenna.

[0003] DE 101 40 662 discloses a chip card that has a card body having a recess.

A chip module with a pressure-sensitive switching device is located in the cavity. Activation of the switching device activates the chip module. [0004] DE 19742126 discloses a portable data medium with a trigger switch. The medium, such as a chip card, houses an antenna, a semiconductor chip and a switch connected in series. Closing the switch activates the circuit. The chip is placed in the recess in the card. The switch is placed in a separate recess.

[0005] EP 1868140, which forms part of the solution according to the current state of the art according to Art. 54 (3) EPC, discloses a chip card that has a chip and a body having an antenna and a recess. The chip module is placed in a recess. Between the contacts on the chip module and the antenna contacts, a pressure-sensitive switching device is provided to selectively activate the antenna.

[0006] EP 1544787 discloses an RFID module for receiving inside a recess in the body of an identification token as set forth in the preamble of the accompanying independent claims.

[0007] DE 195 00 925 discloses a chip card in which the chip module is placed in a recess in the card body. The module has contacts on the bottom surface to electrically connect with the connectors in the cavity, e.g. to connect the chip module to the antenna.

[0008] A possible disadvantage of the proposed contactless payment card solutions having a user-actuated switch is that the cards thus created can be excessively expensive in production.

[0009] The invention, which defines independent claims, solves this problem. Preferred embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings [0010]

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a plan view of a proximity payment card according to some embodiments.

Fig. 2 shows schematically in top view an RFID module (radio frequency identification), which may be part of a proximity pay card of Figs.

1.

Fig. 2A schematically shows in a top view another embodiment of the RFID module.

Fig. 3 shows schematically in bottom view the RFID module of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a top view of an alternative exemplary RFID module that is outside the scope of the invention.

Fig. 5A is a schematic sectional view of yet another embodiment of the RFID module.

Fig. 5B shows schematically in bottom view the RFID module of Fig. 5A.

Fig. 5C shows schematically a top view of the RFID module of Figs. 5A and 5B.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating aspects of the method provided for producing a proximity payment card according to some embodiments.

Fig. 7 illustrates schematically some aspects of the method of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic exploded view of a conventional contactless payment card.

Fig. 9 schematically depicts a plan view of the proximity portion of a card payment card made according to some embodiments.

Detailed description [0011] In general, in order to present a concept of an embodiment of the present invention, a suitable switch, such as operating as a result of user finger pressure sensing, may be incorporated into an RFID module that is used as part of a proximity payment card. The use of such an RFID module may reduce the overall cost of manufacturing a proximity payment card that is to include a user-activated switch. For example, if an RFID module containing a switch is used as a component of a contactless payment card, it may be possible to minimize or eliminate changes in the card manufacturing process, which would otherwise be required (after RFID module production) to place the switch on the card. In some aspects, the so-called

[0012] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a top view of a contactless payment card 100 according to some embodiments. The proximity payment card 100 may have a body 102 in the form of a card, which may be similar to conventional payment cards in terms of shape and size. The card body 102 may be made of plastic or other suitable material.

[0013] The proximity pay card 100 may also include the RFID module 104. The RFID module 104 can be mounted and / or installed in any suitable manner in the card body 102. The RFID module 104, which will be described in detail below, may be appropriately designed and configured to send the card's payment account information via a radio frequency signal to the POS terminal. In general, the RFID module 104 can be designed and configured to operate in accordance with the "PayPass" (RTM) standard disseminated by MasterCard (RTM) International Incorporated.

[0014] The proximity pay card 100 may further comprise an antenna 106 mounted or otherwise mounted in the card body 102. As shown, antenna 106 may be in the form of several loops arranged along the periphery of the body in the form of a card. Alternatively, the antenna 106 may be of a different type and / or configuration. The antenna can operate substantially in accordance with the above PayPass (RTM) standard to receive query and power signals (which can be the same signal) from the proximity contact device of the POS terminal and send information about the payment card number and / or other information to the proximity contact device .

[0015] Returning to the RFID module 104, it should be noted that it has electrically conductive contact pads 108, 110 by means of which the RFID module 104 is electrically connected in a manner conduit with the antenna 106.

[0016] In some embodiments, letters (not shown) or other symbols (not shown) may be on the front face 112 of the body 102 in the form of a card and / or on the back face (not shown) of the card body 102. The contactless payment card 100 may have one or more magnetic stripes (not shown) on the card body 102 to allow the proximity card reader 100 to be read by a magnetic card reader. In addition, or alternatively, a number and / or letters may be embossed on the card body to indicate one or more account numbers and / or the name of the proximity card holder 100. In addition, or alternatively the unprinted print on the front face 112 may indicate numbers accounts and / or surname of the holder. In addition, the front face 112 of the card body 102 in the form of a card may be provided with one or more graphic signs (so-called logos) and / or brands, including eg a national card association brand / logo, such as eg MasterCard (RTM). International Incorporated. The exhibitor's brand / logo may also appear, as well as, for example, a specific brand of a card product. Other conventional features that may be present on a contactless payment card 100 (although such features are not shown) are a self-adhesive strip of paper for the signature of the cardholder and a security or similar code printed on the adhesive strip. such as, for example, MasterCard (RTM) International Incorporated. The exhibitor's brand / logo may also appear, as well as, for example, a specific brand of a card product. Other conventional features that may be present on a contactless payment card 100 (although such features are not shown) are a self-adhesive strip of paper for the signature of the cardholder and a security or similar code printed on the adhesive strip. such as, for example, MasterCard (RTM) International Incorporated. The exhibitor's brand / logo may also appear, as well as, for example, a specific brand of a card product. Other conventional features that may be present on a contactless payment card 100 (although such features are not shown) are a self-adhesive strip of paper for the signature of the cardholder and a security or similar code printed on the adhesive strip.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of an exemplary embodiment of an RFID module 104; Fig. 3 is a schematic bottom view of an embodiment of the RFID module 104 shown in Fig. 2. In Figures 2 and 3, the RFID module 104 is shown in separation from the whole of the proximity payment card 100. For example, the views in Fig. 2 and

3 may be considered to have been prepared prior to installing the RFID module 104 in the card body 102.

[0018] The RFID module 104 has a module body 202 on which the previously described electrically conductive contact pads 108, 110 have been formed on the upper surface 204 of the module body 202. The module body 202 can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic. The module body 202 may be much smaller, say less than one tenth (perhaps about one fifteenth) in size, i.e. volume and / or surface area, than the card body 102 (Figure 1, not shown in Figure 2). ).

[0019] The RFID module 104 also includes an RFID IC integrated circuit 206 that is mounted on the upper surface 204 of the module body 202. The RFID IC circuit 206 may be mounted or embedded differently in the module body 202, but such examples are outside the scope of the claims. For example, the RFID IC integrated circuit 206 may be mounted on the top surface 204 in space 208 between the contact fields 108, 110.

The RFID IC integrated circuit 206 may be constructed substantially in accordance with conventional rules and may fulfill all processing and / or storage functions of the RFID module 104 data. For example, the RFID IC integrated circuit 206 may memorize the payment card account number to be transmitted by the antenna 106 when the payment card 100 is displayed and receives the request from the POS terminal. Integrated circuit 206

The RFID IC may be electrically coupled in conjunction with contact fields 108 and 110 to suitably electrically conductive conduits 210, 212.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 3, the RFID module 104 also includes a switching device 214 mounted and / or formed on the bottom face 216 of the module body 202. (The representation of the switching device 214 in figure 3 should be regarded as a schematic and may not accurately reproduce the actual physical appearance of the switching device 214.) The switching device 214 may be located centrally on the lower surface 216 of the module body 202, and thus may lie directly opposite the location of IC chip 206 RFID IC on upper surface 204. In the light of the illustration and the present description, it will be understood that the switching device

214 and the RFID IC integrated circuit 206 are on opposite sides of the module body 202. The switching device 214 can be electrically conductive connected to the RFID IC integrated circuit 218, 220, which pass through through holes 222, 224, respectively, which are formed as passing through the module body 202.

[0021] In some embodiments, the switching device 214 can be made of a pressure-sensitive material, such as a quantum tunneled composite (QTC - not shown separately), as described in WIPO Publication Nos. WO 98/33193, WO 99/38173, WO 00/79546. As can be understood from these publications and their disclosures, the pressure from the user's finger applied to the switching device 214 can cause a change in the state of the conductive / non-conducting switching device in a manner and / or extent that can be detected by the integrated circuit 206

RFID IC.

[0022] Fig. 2A is a schematic plan view of another embodiment (generally designated as reference numeral 104b) of the RFID module. The RFID module 104b of FIG. 2A may differ from the RFID module 104 of FIG. 2 mainly in that the RFID module 104b may be configured such that its switch (which can be entered as in FIG.

3) may after commissioning complete the conductive connection with the antenna (106 in Fig. 1, not shown in Figs. 2, 2A) instead of simply providing an input signal to the RFID IC chip 206 as in the RFID module 104 of Fig. 2.

[0023] Thus, the RFID module 104b may have the same module body 202, contact pads 108, 110, RFID IC integrated circuit 206, through holes 220, 222, and wires 210, 220 as the RFID module 104. However, instead of wires 212, 218 of the RFID module 104, the RFID module 104b may have a single conductor 226 for the electrically conductive connection of the contact field 110 to the switching device 214 (Figure 3, not shown in Fig. 2A) via an electrical one. a conductive connection passing through the through hole 222.

[0024] Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of an alternative exemplary RFID module (generally designated reference numeral 104a) that falls outside the scope of the invention. The RFID module 104a has the same or similar module body 202 and electrically conductive contact pads 108, 110 formed on the upper surface 204 of the module body 202. The RFID module 104a also includes the same or similar integrated RFID IC 206 mounted on the upper surface 204 of the module body 202 and electrically coupled to the contact pads 108, 110, respectively, by electrically conductive wires 210, 212. The RFID module 104a may differ from the RFID module 104 in FIGS. 2 and 3 in that the RFID module 104a in FIG. 4 can have a user-actuated switching device 214a formed on the IC 206 chip IC and electrically,

[0025] Fig. 5A is a schematic sectional view of yet another embodiment (generally designated as reference numeral 104c) of the RFID module; Figs. 5B and 5C show top-down and top-view views of the RFID module 104c, respectively.

[0026] In some embodiments, the RFID module 104c may have an aspect ratio that is substantially matched to the aspect ratio of the RFID modules used to produce the so-called. cards with a "dual interface", compliant with the ISO / IEC 7816 Part 1 standard (disseminated by the International Organization for Standardization). An explanation of the term "dual interface card" is still provided. As will be seen, the RFID module 104c includes a user-activated switch. Because the aspect ratio of the 104c RFID module is the same as the aspect ratio of a conventional RFID module for dual interface cards, cards containing the 104c RFID module can be mounted using conventional processes, while adding an additional feature in the form of a user-activated switch. This approach may allow to reduce the card manufacturing costs compared to cards produced according to previous proposals for cards containing a user-activated switch.

[0027] The module 104c RFID has a module body 202a. As will be appreciated from the previous discussion, the module body 202a may have substantially the same aspect ratio as the RFID module for the dual interface card. The module body 202a has a bottom surface 4502 on which electrically conductive contact pads 108, 110 (the same or similar as the contact pads described with reference to Figs. 1-4) and the RFID IC integrated circuit 206 (same or similar to an RFID IC integrated circuit described previously with reference to Figs. 2 - 4).

[0028] A cavity was formed in the upper surface 506 of the module body 202a. The pressure-sensitive switch 508 is formed in the cavity 504 and may have a layer 510 from the QTC. The RFID module 104c may also include a protective cover 512 positioned on the upper surface 506 of the module body 202a to close the cavity 504 and cover the switch 508.

The through hole 514 was made in the module body 202a to allow an electrically conductive connection between the switch 508 and the contact pad 108. The conductor 516 electrically connects the RFID IC circuit 206 to the contact area 110. The conductor 518 is electrically conductive. connects the 206 RFID IC 206 chip to a path 520 formed on the bottom surface 502 of the module body 502. In turn, the path 520 is electrically, in a conductive manner connected to the switch 508 via a through hole 522.

[0030] Fig. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates aspects of a method provided in accordance with some embodiments for producing a proximity payment card 100. In 602, Figure 6 provides a card body (e.g., like body 102, Figure 1). In 604, FIG. 6 provides an RFID module. The RFID module provided at 604 may include a user-activated switch and may be e.g. one of the RFID modules 104, 104a, 104b and 104c shown in Figs. 2-5C and discussed earlier. It may be particularly advantageous to use the 104c RFID module in this process, since the 104c RFID module has the same aspect ratio as conventional dual-mode RFID card modules, so that the processes of FIG. 6 may correspond to conventional card assembly techniques. In 606 in FIG. 6 RFID module supplied in 604 installs in the card body provided in 602. As indicated in 608, 610, RFID module installation in the card body may include placing the RFID module in the recess in the card body and using an electrically conductive adhesive to connect the antenna embedded in the card body with contact fields on the RFID module. Fig. 7 schematically shows the installation of the RFID module 104b in the card body 102. Other conventional process steps included in the process of making a proximity payment card may also occur, although not shown in FIG. 6. The process depicted in FIG. 6 may be conventional except that the RFID module installed in the card may include a user-activated switch. . Thus, a contactless payment card having a user-activated switch can be produced without any need to modify the conventional process used to manufacture a proximity payment card that has no switch, except for the RFID module itself. As a result, the costs of manufacturing a contactless payment card produced as in Figures 6 and 7 can be reduced compared to other proposed approaches for the production of a proximity payment card containing a user-activated switch.

[0031] Fig. 8 is a schematic exploded view of a conventional contactless payment card 800. A conventional contactless payment card 800 has a central member, commonly referred to as "inset" as indicated by reference numeral 802 in the drawing. Conventional insert 802 includes an 804 antenna and an 806 RFID IC chip mounted in a flexible substrate 808, and thus may include all electrical components and circuits of a conventional contactless pay card 800. According to a conventional method, the insert 802 can be pasted between the protective layers 810, 812 to create the final configuration of the 800 card.

[0032] The previous proposals for incorporating a mechanical user-activated switch into a contactless payment card may require a substantial departure from the conventional card manufacturing process highlighted in the previous paragraph, and may tend to require a card thickness increase. Both requirements may result in an increase in card manufacturing costs.

[0033] Fig. 9 shows a schematic plan view of an insert 902 that may be used in accordance with some embodiments in place of a conventional patch 802. The insert 902 has a substrate 904 made of a conventional material and an antenna 906 and a 908 RFID IC chip embedded in a substrate 908, which serves as the main body for the insert 902. In addition, a cavity 910 was formed in the substrate 904. In the cavity 910 electrical nodes 912, 914 of the user-actuated switch 916 were created and on the nodes 912, 914 a pressure sensitive material 918, such as QTC, can be printed. to create switch 916 as a pressure sensitive switch. The switch can operate in a binary manner (either on or off) or it can provide a signal indicating the level of pressure on the IC8 chip 908.

[0034] A cavity or similar structure (not shown) may be provided in the outer layer of the card to indicate the location of the switch 916 and provide a tactile feedback in connection with actuation of switch 916. Another type of switch location, such as a printed indication, may also be alternatively place on the outer layer of the card.

[0035] By introducing a pressure-sensitive switch to the insert as shown in Fig. 9, and then creating a proximity payment card with such a patch, it is possible to insert a user-activated switch into a proximity payment card while minimizing process changes. manufacturing as well as minimizing the increase in manufacturing costs. An alternative method of manufacturing the insert in accordance with some embodiments would be to install in the substrate 904 an RFID module having a switch in it, as shown e.g. in Figures 2 - 3 and 5. [0036] Exemplary embodiments have now been described with reference to a contactless card payment device , but the information disclosed herein also applies to contactless payment devices that do not have the form of a card.