PORTABLE DATA CARRIER AND METHOD FOR MAKING A PORTABLE DATA CARRIER

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a portable data carrier and a method for producing a portable data carrier. background

[0002] In connection with RFID transponders (RFID, Radio Frequency Identification), two types can generally be distinguished: active transponders and passive transponders. Active transponders have their own power supply, for example, via a battery. Passive transponders obtain the energy required for operation from a field generated by an external device, especially a reader. Energy and data are transmitted contactlessly. Depending on the RFID technology, this can be a magnetic field (RFID systems up to 13.56 MHz) or an electromagnetic field (RFID systems from 433 MHz). Passive RFID transponders are therefore inoperable without the external field provided by the external device. A wide selection of transponder chip types is available for the following RFID technologies: low-frequency energy / data transmission - LF, 125-135 kHz; high-frequency energy / data transmission - HF, 13.56 MHz and ultra-high frequency (UHF) power / data transmission - UHF, 850 - 950 MHz.

[0003] RFID transponders have an antenna device with an antenna loop, which can have one or more windings and through which both the power supply to the transponder and the data exchange between the transponder and the external device takes place using a magnetic or electromagnetic field. For this purpose, the antenna loop couples to an external field, be it a magnetic field or an electromagnetic field, which is provided by an external device for transmitting data and / or power, for example, a read / write device.

[0004] For simple and fast contactless communication between two devices, an inductive transmission technology known as near-field communication (NFC) has been developed. The two devices, one of which is an RFID transponder, are coupled via coils, with the carrier frequency being 13.56 MHz, as in RFID systems.

[0005] The Wikipedia article "RFID," published on March 1, 2019, primarily deals with RFID technology itself and its applications. It describes the history of development, technology, deployment, distribution, and costs, as well as study options, concerns, and criticism.

[0006] Document US 2015 / 0186768A1 describes a transponder on which a transparent conductive material is applied. Specifically, the transparent conductive material forms an antenna or antenna section. The composition of the transparent conductive material is described. Various methods of applying the transparent conductive antenna to the transponder are shown.

[0007] An RFID transponder comprising an RFID chip, a loop electrically connected to the RFID chip, and a substantially transparent antenna coupled to the loop is disclosed in document US 2016 / 0203395A1. The RFID transponder can be placed above a light source without affecting its brightness. Alternatively, this RFID transponder can be fixed to a surface without obscuring any markings, designs, motifs, and / or text on the surface.

[0008] Document DE 10 2008 058 398 A1 describes a data storage device comprising a body, a circuit arrangement, and a printed antenna. The antenna is arranged in or on the body. The antenna is printed at least partially from a printing ink containing at least one type of electrically conductive fullerene.

[0009] Another concept, disclosed in document DE 10 2006 031 968, relates to an RFID transponder, an optical element with an RFID transponder, and an antenna for an RFID transponder. The antenna of the article is optically transparent. Furthermore, a method for producing an antenna for an RFID transponder is disclosed.

[0010] The document US 2018 / 0 102 588 A1 discloses an electronic device comprising a display unit operable to electronically display information, an antenna formed from at least one transparent conductor extending across a top surface of the display unit, and a wireless communication circuit operatively coupled to the antenna and positioned below the display unit.

[0011] Document US 2004 / 0 118 930 A1 describes a method for producing a transparent or translucent transaction card with multiple features, such as a holographic foil, an integrated circuit chip, an RFID circuit, a silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, an invisible, optically detectable connection and a translucent signature field such that the RFID circuit and the signature on the back of the card are visible from the front of the card.

[0012] A security element for RF identification and a security document provided with such a security element are disclosed in document DE 10 2004 031 879 A1. The security element comprises a flexible film body in which an electronic circuit configured to store security-relevant information and an RF antenna are integrated. The RF antenna is connected to the electronic circuit and serves for contactless communication between the electronic circuit and a testing device. A first optically variable element is permanently affixed to a surface of the flexible film body, at least partially covering the area of ​​the flexible film body in which the electronic circuit is arranged.

[0013] Document US 2017 / 0344766A1 relates to a communication device with a device-side antenna for wireless communication with an IC card. The card-side antenna is wound in a rectangular shape and is formed in one or more loops. During wireless communication with the IC card, which has an inner circumference with a long dimension of 69 mm and a short dimension of 38 mm spaced 25 mm apart, the inner circumference of the device-side antenna is positioned such that the intensity H of a magnetic field generated by the card-side antenna in a direction perpendicular to a surface on which the device-side antenna is located lies within a range given by the inequality 0.037 I / 4π < H < 0.063 I / 4π, where I is a current of the card-side antenna.

[0014] Document US 2018 / 0 194 158 A1 discloses a security document comprising at least one antenna and a chip connected to the antenna. The security document is characterized in that it further comprises at least one transparent window arranged such that at least a portion of the antenna is visible in the window, thereby forming a visible security feature. Summary

[0015] The object of the invention is to provide a portable data carrier and a method for producing a portable data carrier which make it possible to flexibly produce portable data carriers in different designs, in particular with regard to optically transparent areas.

[0016] To solve this problem, a portable data carrier and a method for producing a portable data carrier are provided according to the independent claims. Further embodiments are the subject of dependent subclaims.

[0017] The portable data carrier is configured to receive energy and / or data contactlessly from an external device, for example, a read / write device, via the antenna device. To transmit energy and / or data, a contactless coupling is established between the antenna device of the data carrier, in particular the antenna loop, and an antenna device of the read / write device. For example, an RFID transponder can be formed on the data carrier with the antenna device and the microcontroller.

[0018] Since the loop section of the antenna loop is transparent in the wavelength range of visible light, this loop section does not hinder the formation of optically transparent regions or sections on the data carrier body, for example, in the form of an optical window. Rather, such regions can be variably provided on the data carrier body without regard to the loop section. In contrast, the conductor tracks for the antenna loop known in the prior art must run in non-transparent sections of the data carrier body. Therefore, the area in which optically transparent sections of the data carrier body can be formed is significantly limited.

[0019] The data carrier body has an optically transparent region through which the loop section extends. The optically transparent region of the data carrier body can be transparent, in particular, in the wavelength range of visible light. According to the present invention, several separate optically transparent regions are provided on the data carrier body as optically transparent windows. The loop section extends through all of these optically transparent regions.

[0020] The optically transparent area of ​​the data carrier body and the loop section can be arranged together in a spatially limited region. In a top view of the data carrier, the optically transparent area and the loop section can overlap. Since, in one possible embodiment, both the optically transparent area and the loop section are transparent in the wavelength range of visible light, the spatially limited region can be transparent, particularly in a top view, and preferably completely transparent in the wavelength range of visible light.

[0021] The optically transparent region can be formed in a peripheral edge region of the data carrier body. The peripheral edge region of the data carrier can be optically transparent intermittently or continuously. This allows the loop section and optionally additional transparent sections of the antenna loop, if these are made of material transparent in the wavelength range of visible light, to be arranged in the peripheral edge region, so that the area enclosed by the antenna loop is as large as possible.

[0022] The antenna loop can be made entirely of the electrically conductive material and be transparent in the wavelength range of visible light.

[0023] The loop section can be a printed conductor track. In this embodiment, at least the loop section is produced by printing the electrically conductive material. A transparent version of the antenna loop can also be achieved using different electrically conductive materials, each of which allows for the formation of transparent loop sections.

[0024] The electrically conductive material may be an electrically conductive polymer material, for example PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)) / Tysolate, for example producible by oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene in the presence of iron(III) tosylate.

[0025] The manufacturing method may include manufacturing the loop section as a printed circuit board. The entire antenna loop may be constructed using printed circuit boards.

[0026] The embodiments explained in connection with the portable data carrier can be provided accordingly in the method for manufacturing.

[0027] A portable data storage device is a data storage device from the following group: contactless chip card, valuable or security document such as an identity document or identification document. Chip cards with a processor are also referred to as processor cards. A contactless chip card, which can be configured for ISO 14443-compliant communication, can also have contacts that enable, in particular, the reading and input of data via contact-based transmission, for example, in compliance with ISO 7816.

[0028] A valuable or security document can be, for example, a passport, identity card, driver's license, access control badge or other identity document, a passport data page, a vehicle registration document, vehicle title, visa, check, means of payment, in particular a banknote, a check, bank, credit or cash payment card, customer card, health card, chip card, company ID, proof of entitlement, membership card, gift or shopping voucher, waybill or other proof of entitlement, tax stamp, postage stamp, ticket, token or another document. The valuable or security product can be, for example, a smart card. The valuable or security document can be in ID 1, ID 2, ID 3 or any other standardized or non-standardized format, for example in booklet form, as with a passport-like object. The valuable or security document is preferably in card form.

[0029] A valuable or security product can generally be a laminate consisting of several layers of documents that are precisely bonded together under heat and increased pressure. These products should meet standardized requirements, for example, according to ISO 10373, ISO / IEC 7810, and ISO 14443.

[0030] The document layers consist, for example, of a carrier material suitable for lamination. This carrier material can be formed from one or more polymers selected from the following group: polycarbonate (PC), in particular bisphenol A polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), their derivatives, such as glycol-modified PET (PETG), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyimide (PI), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polystyrene (PS), polyvinylphenol (PVP), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), in particular thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) and their derivatives, or paper or cardboard or glass or metal or ceramic. The valuable or security document is preferably made of polycarbonate, particularly preferably polycarbonate based on bisphenol A or PC / TPU / PC.The polymers can be either filled or unfilled. In the latter case, they are preferably transparent or translucent. If the polymers are filled, they are opaque. The product is preferably manufactured from 3 to 12 films, more preferably from 4 to 10 films.

[0031] Further details are explained below with reference to figures in a drawing. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a portable data carrier which is designed as a contactless chip card; and Fig. 2 a schematic representation of another portable data carrier which is designed as a contactless chip card.

[0032] The examples in Fig. 1 and 2 They do not belong to the present invention and, insofar as only one window is shown as an example, do not fall under the wording of the claims, but they facilitate the understanding of the invention, according to which several of the features described in the claims are combined. Fig. 1 and 2windows shown as examples.

[0033] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a portable data carrier 1, which in this example is implemented as a contactless smart card. An antenna 3 and a microcontroller 4 connected to it are provided on a data carrier body 2 and integrated into the data carrier body 2. In the case of the smart card, the data carrier body 1 can be manufactured as a layered arrangement of plastic films, as is known in various embodiments. The antenna 3 and the microcontroller 4 are then arranged between layers of plastic films.

[0034] The antenna device 3 has an antenna loop 5 with a loop section 6, which in the example shown runs through an optically transparent window 7, in the region of which the data carrier body 1 is transparent in the wavelength range of visible light. For example, transparent plastic films are used there. The formation of the loop section 6 from an electrically conductive material, such that the loop section 6 is (likewise) transparent in the wavelength range of visible light, is described in the Fig. 1 shown using the dashed line.

[0035] The loop section 6 or the entire antenna loop 5 can be produced during the manufacture of the portable data carrier 1 using a printing process in which the electrically conductive material is printed onto an underlying substrate, i.e., in the case of the chip card, one or more already laminated layers of plastic film. To embed the antenna loop 5 in the data carrier body 1, at least one further layer of plastic film is then laminated onto the antenna loop 5, as is known per se for the production of chip cards from layers of plastic film.

[0036] Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of another portable data carrier 10, which is designed as a contactless smart card. The same reference symbols are used for the same features as in Figure 2. Fig. 1used. The optically transparent window 7 is formed continuously along a surrounding edge 11. In the example in Fig. 2 the further portable data carrier 10 has connection contacts 12, via which a contact-based data exchange is additionally possible, as is known as such for chip cards. List of reference symbols

[0037] 1; 10 portable data carrier 2 data carrier body 3 antenna device 4 microcontroller 5 antenna loop 6 loop section 7 optically transparent area 11 peripheral edge area 12 connection contacts

Claims

1. A portable data carrier (1; 10) that is configured to receive energy and / or data in a contactless manner, comprising: - a data carrier body (2); - an antenna device (3) which is arranged on the data carrier body (2) and has an antenna loop (5), wherein the antenna device (3) is configured to couple in a contactless manner to an external field by means of the antenna loop (5) for the transmission of energy and / or data; and - a microcontroller (4) which is arranged on the data carrier body (2) and has a processor and a storage device that is configured to store data received via the antenna device (3) and is connected to the antenna device (3) to receive an operating voltage; wherein - the antenna loop (5) has a loop section (6) made of an electrically conductive material which is transparent in the wavelength range of visible light; and - the portable data carrier (1; 10) is a data carrier selected from the following group: contactless chip card, value or security document or identification document, characterized in that the data carrier body (2) has multiple optically transparent windows that are separated from one another and the loop section (6) runs through the transparent windows.

2. The portable data carrier (1; 10) according to claim 1, characterized in that an optically transparent area (7) is formed in a surrounding frame-like edge region (11) of the data carrier body (2).

3. The portable data carrier (1; 10) according to at least any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the antenna loop (5) is made entirely of the electrically conductive material that is transparent in the wavelength range of visible light.

4. The portable data carrier (1; 10) according to at least any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loop section (6) is a printed loop section (6).

5. The portable data carrier (1; 10) according to at least any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrically conductive material is an electrically conductive polymer material.

6. A method for manufacturing a portable data carrier (1; 10) that is configured to receive energy and / or data in a contactless manner, comprising: - manufacturing an antenna device (3) with an antenna loop (5) on a data carrier body (2), wherein the antenna device (3) is configured to couple in a contactless manner to an external device for the transmission of energy and / or data; and - arranging a microcontroller (4) on a data carrier body (2), wherein the microcontroller (4) is connected to the antenna device (3) for receiving an operating voltage and includes a processor and a storage device which is configured to store data received via the antenna device (3); wherein - the antenna loop (5) is manufactured with a loop section (6) made of an electrically conductive material which is transparent in the wavelength range of visible light; and - the portable data carrier (1; 10) is a data carrier selected from the following group: contactless chip card, value or security document or identification document, characterized in that the data carrier body (2) is manufactured with multiple optically transparent windows that are separated from one another and the loop section (6) runs through the transparent windows.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the loop section (6) is printed.