Registers – Records – Conductive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-10
2001-04-10
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Records
Conductive
C235S486000, C235S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213403
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A user of an electronic device such as a computer connected to the Internet, often must verify his identify. Physical devices such as encryption cards may be lost, while memorized codes such as passwords and PIN numbers may be forgotten. Devices that can read fingerprints enable authentication despite loss or unavailability of encoded cards and despite forgetting of passwords and the like.
A large number of electronic devices have slots constructed for receiving PCMCIA cards (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). The PCMCIA cards have a front connector with 68 contact positions, a width of 54 mm, and a specified height. The height is 3.3 mm, 5 mm and 10.5 mm for Type I, Type II and Type III cards, with Type II cards being the most common. It would be convenient if authentication of a person's identity through his fingerprint could be communicated to the electronic device through the IC card slot. Since the entire length of an IC card may be received in the slot, a fingerprint sensor has to lie outside the slot. One way is to provide an IC card with a rearward extension that contains a fingerprint sensor. However, the extension and the sensor would be subject to damage as when a piece of equipment hit the extension or if dirt fell onto the sensor. A separate fingerprint sensor could be connected through the I/O connector at the rear end of many IC cards, but this would result in the need to separately store and reconnect the fingerprint sensor. An IC card that facilitated use of a fingerprint sensor while protecting it, would be of value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an IC card is provided for substantially full insertion into an IC card slot of an electronic device, where the IC card holds a fingerprint sensor that can be operated while the IC card lies in the slot and which protects the fingerprint sensor when not in use. A tray is moveably mounted in the IC card to move rearward out of the rear of the card to a deployed position, and which can be moved back into the card to a stowed position, with the fingerprint sensor mounted on the tray.
The IC card includes a mother board with at least one pad connector thereon. The tray includes a daughter board, with the fingerprint sensor mounted on the daughter board and with the daughter board having a row of contact pads. The pads on the daughter board engage contacts on the pad connector when the tray is slid to its deployed position. Such sliding to the deployed position, also closes a switch that supplies electrical power to energize circuitry that processes signals from the fingerprint sensor.
The tray has laterally opposite sides forming guides with upper surfaces that can slide against the top sheet metal cover part and have lower guide surfaces that can slide against an upper surface of the mother board. The guides can be in the form of legs that lie astride the connector(s) on the mother board.
One of the sheet metal cover parts of the IC card housing has a cut forming a flap that allows insertion of a chip card into the IC card. Another connector engages pads on the chip card.
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ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Le Uyen-Chau N.
Lee Michael G.
Turner Roger C.
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