EP0683912A1

EP0683912A1 - Card frame

Info

Publication number: EP0683912A1
Application number: EP94906228A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hannu Kähönen; Martti Kellokumpu
Original assignee: Telecom Finland Oy
Current assignee: Telecom Finland Oy
Priority date: 1993-02-12
Filing date: 1994-02-11
Publication date: 1995-11-29
Also published as: FI930640A0; NO953159L; EE9400372A; WO1994018644A1; NO953159D0; FI930640A

Abstract

A card frame (1) for a small card (2) used in a digital telephone system. The opening (4) of the card frame is provided with a backing (5, 7) of an essentially plane surface supporting the intelligence card part (2) which is placed in the opening (4) keeping it essentially in the same plane as the upper surface of the card (1). Furthermore, the edges of the intelligence card part (2) and the card (1) opening are in contact with each other.

Description

CARD FRAME

The present invention relates to a card frame, especially to a frame for a small GSM-card used with a mobile tele- phone.

The GSM-system (Global System for Mobile Communications) is an example of a digital mobile telephone system. In the GSM-system the terminal equipment and the customer rela- tionship are separated from each others. The customer rela¬ tionship is based on an individual GSM-card, which is ei¬ ther a intelligence card or a module identifying the sub¬ scriber or a so called SIM-card, semiconductor chip having the subscriber identity information. Together with the ter- minal equipment (ME= Mobile Equipment) they form a mobile telephone (MS= Mobile Station) .

The GSM-card is always needed when using the mobile tele¬ phone and it is suitable for any GSM-phone equipped with a card reader of the appropriate size. The GSM-customer may change the terminal equipment but still use his own GSM- card, thus being available with his personal number pro¬ grammed in the intelligence card. When the card is inserted in the phone, the personal telephone number (telephone) of the cardowner is activated. The phone calls given to a GSM- number are directed within the service area, that is in the area where phone calls using a GSM telephone can be given, to that GSM-phone, containing the intelligence card or the like comprising the subscriber data.

GSM-cards are of two sizes. The big GSM-card (54 x 85,6 mm) is a intelligence card having the dimensions of a credit card. The small GSM-card is a intelligence card having the dimensions of a stamp (15 x 25 mm), which is inserted into the telephone in a semi-fixed position. The GSM-telephone in use determines the needed card size. In pocket tele¬ phones small GSM-cards are usually employed and the credit card sized card is employed e.g. in portable GSM-tele- phones .

The DE-appli<-:ation publication 4029576 describes a standard telephone card or a SIM-card permanently fixed to the frame, which can be inserted into a big card reader. It presents how the user can choose between the standard card and the SIM-card. The SIM-card can be firmly attached a small card frame opening containing a tape on the bottom. When the big card is to be used instead of the SIM-card, the small card and its frame is disposed of. There is no reference to the possibility of using the small card in telephones adapted only to the small card, and consequently neither about the modification of the same. The problem of having to use the small card in telephones adapted only to the small card has not been solved. No solution is present¬ ed to the problem which arises when the small card is used in telephones adapted only for small cards. The small card is not changeable in its frame. The reference describes only how two different kind of chips in the same card read- er can be read.

The problem arises how to store the separate stamp sized intelligence card, when it is not in the telephone, and how to use it upon need in the card readers of the credit card size. Furthermore, the intelligence part of the card needs to be protected from damages.

Using the card frame according to the invention gives a decisive improvement to the disadvantages described above. For embodying this the card frame according to the inven¬ tion is essentially characterized by what is presented in the characterizing part of the claim 1.

The simple solution to the storage problem brought forth may be considered to constitute a real advantage of the invention. The card may be read in the card reader for big cards and when the small card has been detached it can again be read in the terminal equipment having card reader for small cards. After detaching the small card may be re¬ inserted into the card frame. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention the small card is protected from mechani¬ cal injuries.

In the following the invention is described referring to the enclosed drawings, where

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a known card, from which the small card can be detached.

Figure 2 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the in¬ vention.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a section along A-A in fig¬ ure 2. Figure 4 is an isometric schematic view of one additional embodiment of the invention in its opened position. Figure 5 is the embodiment of figure 4 in its closed posi¬ tion. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of one additional embo- diment of the invention.

Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment schematically.

In figure 1 a known big GSM-card is shown. The card has substantially the dimensions of a credit card. According to ISO-standards a certain part of the card, that is the in¬ telligence part i.e. the small card, is programmed with subscriber data. The intelligence card part 2 is fixed with thin breakable fixings 3 to the rest of the card 1. When the card 1 is used, the intelligence card part 2 is detac¬ hed by breaking the fixings 3 and the card is inserted into the small card reader of a pocket telephone. After this the intelligence card can no longer be refastened and the rest of the card is useless.

A new card has been developed to remedy this disadvantage. In figure 2 an embodiment of the invention is disclosed. In this embodiment a one-sided adhesive tape is applied on the back- side of hole 4 in the big card 1, to the adhesive surface of which the small intelligence card may be relea- sably attached. The edges the intelligence card 2 and the card frame 1 opening are in contact when the intelligence card is inserted into the card hole 4. When the small int¬ elligence card part is detached, it can be placed into the card reader of a GSM pocket telephone. When it is removed from card reader it can be stored in the card frame attached to the adhesive tape. In the case another type of card reader is used, the intelligence part can be introdu¬ ced into the card reader, fastened to the adhesive tape and the card frame. The adhesive tape binding agent has a bet¬ ter adherence towards the tape than towards the intelli¬ gence part of the small card. Thus, the intelligence card part may be fastened repeatedly to the tape. The adhesive can be covered before use or when not in use.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the card frame dis¬ closed in figure 2. The binding surface of the adhesive tape 5 is essentially in the same plane as the backside of the card.

The big card can be provided with a recess instead of a hole, which recess is e.g. grated or formed in the manufac- turing phase of the card by jet moulding, and into which the small card can be placed. A binding agent is applied on the essentially even bottom of the recess, which keeps the small card detachably in place. The bottom of the recess, which may simply be a thin film, is flexible and by a pres- sing action the small card can be more easily detached. The bottom of the recess and the card frame form advantageously one piece. The edges of the recess may be formed to keep the small card detachably in place.

In figure 4 is disclosed an additional embodiment of the card, where the upper frame 8 is arranged to pivot onto the small card or at least onto a part of it. The frame 6 is formed of a combination of two opposite parallel thin planes 7, 8. The frame is pivotably fixed to the card using known means e.g. a joggle. The fastening point of the axis of rotation 9 of the frame is advantageously situated in the midpoint of the big card. The frame is formed in such a way, that when the card frame is in its closed position, the intelligence card part may be read by the card reader, that is the card frame does not obstruct the intelligence card part to be read. The frame walls are of a thin wall material, whose thickness is about 0,1 mm, giving a total thickness of the card and frame of about 1,0 mm. When the frame is turned into the opened position the intelligence card part may be removed from the frame, whereby the frame does not cover the intelligence card surface from above but does support it from the backside.

In figure 5 is disclosed a card and a card frame, which is in its closed position and covering partly the upper side of the intelligence card part, but covering entirely the underside of the card. In this position the card with the card frame may be introduced into a card reader having the width of the card. The frame supporting the intelligence card part on its backside may be replaced by an adhesive tape, or the card may be provided with a recess the bottom of which supports the small card. Thus the lower frame 7 is not necessary. In this case only the upper frame 8 is placed on the small card.

Figure 6 discloses a cross-sectional view of the big card 1, when the card 1 and the bottom of the card recess are of one piece.

The SIM-card can be refastened on the tape, as the glue does not loose from the tape. One preferable embodiment is when as a tape is used e.g. 3M's film of Scotchcal 255-30 according to European code. The tape material is a resil¬ ient PVC and the glue material is such that it holds in the tape and it does not substantially loose to the material to be fastened, in this case to the SIM-card. The holding ca- pability is about 500 N/m and the thickness of the film about 25 μm. Usually the whole back surface is covered by this film, as it is technically easier, and no extending strips are left. To have prints on the card, the PVC film can be covered by a polyester film which can be e.g. a film known as FasCal 710 having permanent glue material on the other surface. The Figure 7 describes schematically a sectional view from this kind of solution. The PVC film has a surface of binding agent 11, from which the piece is de- tachable. A polyester film 10 having a permanent binding agent layer 12 is situated on it.

We have described the invention above relating only to one advantageous embodiment. The system can vary. The size of the cards might be different. The subject matter mentioned above and in the figures are examples that in no way are meant to restrict the invention, and all modifications that fall within the inventive idea defined by the patent claims are naturally within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A card frame for the fastening or the small card por¬ tion (2) into a big card sized card frame (1), in order to read the small card (2) either in a big card sized card reader or, when the small card (2) has been removed from the big card, in a card reader intended for a small card (2) , the big card (1) having an opening for the placing of the small card portion (2) into the same, characterized in that the small card (1) is placed refastenable into the opening (4) of the big card, so that the small card (2) is readable both separated in the small card reader and in the big card (1) reader when fastened to the big card (1) , the bottom of the opening having a backing (5, 7) parallel with the bottom surface and substantially without adding the thickness of the card in order to leave the upper surface of the small card (2) substantially on the same level with the upper surface of the big card (1) .

2. A card frame as claimed claim 1, characterized in that advantageously the edges of the intelligence card part (2) and the opening of the card (1) are in contact with each others.

3. A card frame as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bottom of the opening (4) in the direction of the card (1) bottom is provided with an adhesive tape (5), onto which the small card (2) may be refastened.

4. A card frame as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the big card (1) is provided with an recess for placing the small card (2).

5. A card frame as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the bottom of the recess is provided with an adhesive agent onto which the small card may be refastened.

6. A card frame according to any of the precedent claims, characterized in that the big card (1) on its both sides or at least on its upper side is provided with a frame (6) in the direction of the card surface level which frame is pivotable onto the intelligence card part (2) or at least onto a part of it, and that the frame (6) is pivotably fixed to the card (1) by the axis of rotation (9) of the frame.

7. A card frame as claimed in claim 6, charaterized in that the fastening point is advantageously in the midpoint of the card (1) .

8. A card frame as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the frame (6) is pivotable between two positions, wherein in a first open position the intelligence card part (2) may be detached from the card (1) and in a second closed position the frame (6) leaves the intelligence card part (2) free to be read by a card reader.

9. A card frame as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that in the opened position the lower frame (7) covers only a part of the opening (4) and the upper frame (8) is posi¬ tioned alongside or outside the edges of the opening and that in the closed position the lower frame (7) covers the bottom of the opening (4) and the upper frame (8) is formed to support only that part of or a part of that part of the intelligence card part (2) , that is not read from the small card (2) .

10. A card frame as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the walls of the frame (6) are of a thin wall materi¬ al, whose thickness is about 0,1 mm, wherein the total thickness of the card (1) and card frame (6) is about 1,0 mm suitable for insertion into a card reader.