Registers – Records – Conductive
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-14
2003-12-09
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Records
Conductive
C235S487000, C235S486000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659356
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hybrid IC card having functions both of a contact type IC card, which is supplied with operation power and sends/receives signals via an external terminal, and of a noncontact type IC card, which is supplied with operation power electromagnetically and sends/receives signals without using any external contacts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, commercialization of hybrid IC cards has been advanced. Such a hybrid IC card is configured by mounting on a plastic card any integrated circuit elements such as microcomputers and memories, and has both functions of a contact type IC card, which sends/receives signals to/from external equipment via an external connection terminal, and a noncontact type IC card, which sends/receives signals to/from external equipment via an antenna. It is intended to use the hybrid IC card as a contact type card when emphasis is placed on security while using as a noncontact type card when emphasis is placed on a quick proceeding. Security is required, for example, when the hybrid IC card is used for payment or for recording a large volume of personal data. A quick proceeding is required, for example, when the card is used as a commutation ticket or when it is used as a prepaid card for shopping at convenience stores.
A conventional hybrid IC card having functions of a contact type card and of a noncontact type card is configured as shown in
FIGS. 17-19
.
FIG. 17
is a plan view showing a hybrid IC card
1
,
FIG. 18
is the side view, and
FIG. 19
is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing essential portions of the hybrid IC card.
A hybrid IC card shown in
FIG. 17
is configured by embedding an integrated circuit device
10
in a card member
12
, and providing an antenna
13
to be connected with the integrated circuit device
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 18
, the card member
12
is made of two layers, i.e., a first layer card member
12
a
and a second layer card member
12
b
. The antenna
13
is located and fixed between the first layer card member
12
a
and the second layer card member
12
b
. For connecting the antenna
13
with the integrated circuit device
10
, as shown in
FIGS. 17 and 19
, a crossed portion
13
b
is formed in the vicinity of an end portion
13
a
of the antenna
13
. Measures are taken for preventing insulation failure at the crossed portion
13
b
, for example, forming an insulator layer
14
, or embedding one end of the antenna
13
in the second layer card member
12
b.
As shown in
FIG. 19
, the integrated circuit device
10
is prepared by mounting on a glass epoxy laminated wiring board with double-sided copper-cladding (hereinafter, abbreviated as a wiring board)
2
an integrated circuit element
6
having functions of a contact type card and of a noncontact type card. An external connection terminal
4
is provided to one surface of the wiring board
2
, while an antenna connection land
5
is formed on the opposite surface. A through-hole
3
a
is formed through an insulator substrate
3
composing the wiring board
2
at a part corresponding to the external connection terminal
4
, and the integrated circuit element
6
is bonded and fixed with a die bond resin
7
at a predetermined position. To the integrated circuit element
6
, an I/O electrode
6
a
required for providing a function of a contact type card and an I/O electrode
6
b
required for providing a function of a noncontact type card are formed. The I/O electrode
6
a
and the external connection terminal
4
are connected electrically with each other with a gold wire
8
by a so-called wire-bonding method via the through-hole
3
a
. A bonding land
5
a
formed on an extended portion of the antenna connection land
5
and the I/O electrode
6
b
are connected electrically with each other by the wire-bonding method. The integrated circuit element
6
and the gold wire
8
are covered with a sealing resin
9
.
For embedding the integrated circuit device
10
in the card member
12
, a recess
12
c
is formed by milling so as to expose the end portion
13
a
of the antenna
13
. Next, the integrated circuit device
10
is bonded and fixed to the recess
12
c
with an adhesive
15
. Then, the end portion
13
a
of the antenna
13
is applied with a conductive adhesive
16
, and the antenna connection land
5
and the antenna
13
are connected electrically. Thus, a hybrid IC card
1
is produced.
However, such a conventional hybrid IC card will be expensive since it comprises a glass epoxy laminated wiring board with double-sided copper-cladding. Moreover, preparation of card members for sandwiching an antenna requires also a complicated and precise process, resulting in a complicated manufacturing method. In view of the reliability, a card comprising an antenna has a poor durability to physical stresses such as bending and torsion, and thus, such a card is inferior to a conventional contact type IC card.
Moreover, because an antenna should be sandwiched between card members for a conventional hybrid IC card, embossing available for a conventional contact type IC card is extremely restricted, and formation of a magnetic stripe is hindered considerably. Namely, some functions that can be available for conventional contact type IC cards will be extremely difficult to obtain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems of conventional hybrid IC cards and provide a reliable and cost-effective hybrid IC card that is suitable for mass production.
For achieving the above-mentioned purpose, a hybrid IC card of the present invention comprises an IC card made of a card member having a recess for fixing an integrated circuit device having on one surface an antenna terminal and an external connection terminal while on the opposite surface an integrated circuit element having functions of a contact type card and of a noncontact type card is provided, in which the antenna terminal and the external connection terminal are connected to the integrated circuit element, and the hybrid IC card comprises also a housing comprising an antenna and an antenna contact connected to the antenna and to which the IC card can be attached removably. In a state in which the IC card is attached to the housing, the antenna terminal of the IC card and the antenna contact of the housing are contacted electrically with each other for electrical connection, and thus the IC card functions as a noncontact type card.
This structure allows use of a glass epoxy laminated wiring board with single-sided copper-cladding. Moreover, since there is no need of interposing an antenna between the card members, the IC card can be produced in a method of producing a conventional contact type IC card. Since the IC card has no antennas, it will have excellent physical properties just like a conventional hybrid IC card with respect to bending, torsion or the like. Moreover, since there is no need of sandwiching an antenna between card members, the card can be embossed or formed with a magnetic stripe similar to a conventional contact type IC card. Furthermore, since the housing including the antenna serves as a card case, the IC card can be attached to the housing for portability in order to relieve excessive stress applied accidentally, and the thus obtained hybrid IC card will have high reliability.
An IC card according to the present invention composes the above-described hybrid IC card, and comprises a card member having a recess for fixing an integrated circuit device having on one surface an antenna terminal and an external connection terminal while on the opposite surface an integrated circuit element to provide functions of a contact type card and of a noncontact type card is located, wherein the antenna terminal and the external connection terminal are connected to the integrated circuit element.
It is preferable for the IC card that the antenna terminal is located between a group of terminals C
1
, C
2
, C
3
, C
4
and a group of terminals C
5
, C
6
, C
7
, C
8
defined in ISO-7816. Alternativel
Koyama Kumiko C.
Lee Michael G.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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