Registers – Records – Fluorescent – phosphorescent – radiation emitting
Patent
1982-09-08
1989-06-20
Trafton, David L.
Registers
Records
Fluorescent, phosphorescent, radiation emitting
235451, 235492, 357 30, 365102, 365108, G06K 1906
Patent
active
048411280
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a circuit unit comprising a circuit integrated on a substrate and using for its operation coupling elements for energy transfer, data output and, if required, data input.
Today, the majority of circuit units in the form of integrated circuits are realized on one semi-conductor chip (substrate) each. These semi-conductor chips have at their edges metallized terminals by which they can be connected by appropriate welding or soldering methods by wires with the terminals of the housing enclosing them or directly with the surrounding circuit.
There are applications in which the electrical connection between the semiconductor chip and its surroundings is not desirable. For example, it has been proposed (German Offenlegungsschrift No. 26 59 573) to equip identification cards with semiconductor chips to improve their protection against imitation, store an amount of information in the identification card at the same time and possibly change this information in a controlling device in cooperation with transmitters and receivers.
The incorporation of circuit units in identification cards causes problems because the cards are exposed to mechanical stress during use, which may destroy in particular the electrical connections between the circuit unit and the terminals located on the cards. The incorporation of circuit units in identification cards is also complicated by the terminal leads which are sensitive to mechanical stress.
It has therefore been proposed (German Offenlegungsschrift No. 19 45 777) to arrange the coupling elements in charge of data input and output directly on the semiconductor chip without any leads, disposing them in a so-called "identificant", for example in order to identify persons. The data are transferred via bundles of optical fibers which must be placed on the circuit unit congruently to the coupling elements. The energy is transferred capacitively via corresponding metal surfaces applied to the outside of the identificant. The surfaces are connected by leads to the semiconductor chip, thus causing the same difficulties as mentioned above.
The problem of the invention is thus to propose an integrated circuit for the above-mentioned or similar purposes, the coupling elements of which are designed in such a way that they are insensitive to a large extent to mechanical stress.
The problem is solved according to the invention by arranging all coupling elements on the substrate which bears the integrated circuit.
The substrate thus exhibits not only the integrated circuit but also elements of data transformation and energy supply which are directly connected to the substrate. The circuit unit is thus a compact unit which can be inserted in a simple manner, e.g. into any kind of identification element such as an identification card, coin, ring, etc., and ensures extremely troublefree operation due to the absence of leads. Finally, the compact design offers further possibilities of miniaturizing such circuit units, thus allowing for cases of application which were ruled out for the circuit units known up to now.
There are a number of possibilities for how to realize the coupling elements according to the inventive idea. For example, light converters such as photocells may be provided for energy transfer integrated on the substrate which supply the electricity necessary for the circuit when struck by light. The input as well as the output of the data may also take place optically, so that a liquid crystal read-out if used, for example, for data output, and corresponding photosensitive elements such as photodiodes are used for data input. The data can also be read in or out capacitively. The necessary transmitting and receiving electrodes are vaporized directly onto the substrate in the form of conductive coatings.
It is crucial for all embodiments that the coupling elements are in direct contact with the substrate without any leads.
Further advantages and developments of the invention are the subject-matter of sub-claims. In the following, embodiments of the invention shall
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patent: 4245164 (1981-01-01), Funahashi
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patent: 4281208 (1981-07-01), Kuwano et al.
Grottrup Helmut
Maurer Thomas
Gesellschaft fur Automation u. Organization mbH
Trafton David L.
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