GB2331727A

GB2331727A - Contact smart card with security device fixed to surface avoiding electrical contact areas

Info

Publication number: GB2331727A
Application number: GB9725355A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Allan Walter Sills
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-12-01
Filing date: 1997-12-01
Publication date: 1999-06-02
Also published as: GB9725355D0

Abstract

The security device 21, such as a hologram, is fixed to the surface of the smart card 12 using an insulating adhesive extending across the contact region of the chip, either in a gap 20 between the two lines 18,19 of contact pads 16, or over parts of the contact pads, providing that the contacting areas (5, Fig 1) are not covered. Alternative security devices referred to are printed labels, invisible inks and paint.

Description

1 SECURE CARD 2331727 The present invention relates to an electronic card,

that is to say a smart card, having a security device.

Standards have been drawn up to prescribe certain dimensional characteristics of smart cards and in particular the position of their contact pads, relative to datum edges. A typical standard is ISO standard No. 7816. It specifies windows within which contact pads can be present. No edge of a contact should be present within a window. The objective of the standard is to ensure that card reader contacts provided in accordance with the standard will make predictable contact with the card contact pads. The contacts may extend beyond the window, and in practice frequently do.

As a result of the contact pads being more extensive than their prescribed windows, there is a natural assumption that no part of the contact should be covered and that they must be as extensive as is conventional.

It is known to incorporate security devices such as holograms onto cards havina electromagnetic medium stripes. Suggestions have been made to me that such r) Z> devices should be incorporated onto smart cards and their chip carriers. Covering of the contact pads has appeared to preclude these su-estions.

00 In my invention, 1 provide a security device over at least a part of a chip carrier mounted onto a card, the security device avoiding encroachment onto prescribed 25 contact pad windows.

Whilst the chip carrier may be constructed with an area free of contact pads, in my preferred embodiment, 1 provide the security device over part of the contact pads.

Certain security devices, such as paints having recognisable qualities, are inherently electrically insulating. However security devices, such as holograms, having 1 1 a electrically conductive layer can be used over contact pads, with an insulating layer C) 2 interposed between the pads and the conductive layer. The insulating layer can be the adhesive with which the hologram or other security foil is secured.

W To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure I is a plan view illustrative of the dimensional specification of ISO standard No 7816 for contact pad positions in a smart card;

Figure 2 is a scrap plan view on a larger scale of a security device on a chip carrier in a smart card in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line III-III in Figure 3.

The standard illustrated in Figure 1 specifies long card side 1 and short card side 2 as datum edges. Eight lines 3 are specified with reference to and parallel to side 1, whilst four lines 4 are specified parallel to side 2. Intersection of the lines defines eight contact pad areas 5. The standard specifies that if a contact pad is to be present in a pad area, the area must be completely filled with the pad and there must be no edge of the pad within the area.

Figures 2 and 3 show a typical chip carrier 11 set in a card 12. The carrier has a substrate 13 on the underside of which a chip 14 is adhered and encapsulated in an epoxy material 15. On the top side of the carrier it is provided with six contact pads 16. In Figure 2 are shown the specified pad areas 17 for the pads. It will be noted that the areas 17 are in two lines 18,19, which are separated by an appreciable gap 20.

It is in this gap that in accordance with my invention a hologram foil 21 is applied. It extends right across the chip carrier and onto the card surface 22 on either side of the recess 23, in which the carrier is secured by adhesive. The foil comprises a top polymeric layer 24 embossed on its underside with the holographic pattern. The latter is made visible by a layer of deposited metal 25. A further adhesive layer is applied to the underside metal. The adhesive is insulating and secures the hologram in position on the contact pads 16, without electrically connecting them.

1 3 The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. In particular, the hologram foil could be more extensive, to the extent of covering the entire contact pad extent, except in the specified areas. Here 1 cut-outs would be provided in the foil. Further, other security foils or coverings could be used in place of the holographic foil, for instance paint, invisible inks and coded, Z> printed labels.

4

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. An electronic card having a chip carrier mounted onto the card,

the card including a security device, the security device extending over at least a part of the chip carrier mounted but avoiding encroachment onto prescribed contact pad windows.

An electronic card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the card is a smart card.

An electronic card as claimed in claim I or claim 2, wherein the chip carrier is constructed with an area free of contact pads on the chip carrier, over which area the security device extends. 4. An electronic card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the security device extends over part of contact pads on the chip carrier. 5. An electronic card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the security device has a electrically conductive layer, with an insulating layer interposed between the chip carrier and the conductive layer. 6. An electronic card as claimed in claim 5, wherein the insulating layer is an adhesive with which the security device is secured. 7. An electronic card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the security device is a hologram or other security foil. 8. An electronic card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein contact pads on the chip carrier are provided in two lines, which are separated by an appreciable gap and the security device is applied in the gap, 9. An electronic card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the security device covers the entire contact pad extent, except in the specified areas, whereat cutouts are provided in the security device. 10. An electronic card as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the security device extends fight across the chip carrier and onto a card surface on either side of a recess, in which the carrier is secured by adhesive. 11. An electronic card substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.