Dual interface IC card, card case, and card affixing mount

Abstract

To provide a dual interface IC card that allows a user to select whether or not contactless communication is enabled according to intention of a user, is easy to design and manufacture, and prevents deterioration of design and operational reliability.SOLUTION: An IC card 1 includes a card base 2 containing an antenna 80 therein, and an IC module 70 disposed in a recess thereof and having an external connection terminal 71 and an IC chip 74a. The external connection terminal 71 is arranged so as to be exposed on a surface of the card base 2, and is divided into a first terminal and a second terminal (for example, any two terminals C4, C8, C6) which are insulated from each other, and the IC chip 74a includes a first pad and a second pad which are pads 74p as electrical contacts. One end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to the first terminal and the first pad, the other end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to the second terminal and the second pad, and the IC card 1 is capable of contactless communication when the first terminal and the second terminal are not short-circuited.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, a card case, and a card mounting sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the most widely used IC cards are contact IC cards that input and output electrical signals through an external connection terminal on the surface of the card, and contactless IC cards that input and output electrical signals by electromagnetic induction via an antenna. In addition to these, dual interface IC cards that combine the functions of a contact IC card and a contactless IC card with a single IC chip are also in use. Dual interface IC cards can be used as contact IC cards that are effective in preventing external leakage of input and output data during financial settlements, and as highly convenient contactless IC cards that exchange data in close proximity when entering and leaving the workplace or at ticket gates at stations.

[0003] In a dual interface IC card, both ends of the antenna housed inside the card are electrically connected to the IC chip to form a communication circuit. Therefore, regardless of the intention of the user who owns the card, when the antenna receives a specific radio wave or magnetic field from the outside, an induced electromotive force is generated in the antenna, and the powered IC chip operates. As a result, personal information on the card may be transmitted from the IC chip to the outside via the antenna in response to a specific read command from an external device by a malicious third party.

[0004] In order to prevent such skimming, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a contactless IC card equipped with a pressure-sensitive switch whose contacts are in an off state under normal circumstances when no external pressure is applied, and whose contacts are switched to an on state when pressure is applied from the outside. When no external pressure is applied to the pressure-sensitive switch, the contacts of the pressure-sensitive switch remain in an off state, so that the IC chip remains in a state in which it is unable to communicate with the outside. On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the pressure-sensitive switch from the outside, the contacts of the pressure-sensitive switch are switched to an on state, so that the IC chip is set in a state in which it is able to communicate with the outside via the antenna.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a contactless IC card having an instruction acquisition means for acquiring an instruction as to whether or not to permit data transmission, and a blocking means for blocking the data from reaching an external device when an instruction not to permit data transmission is received. In this contactless IC card, the instruction acquisition means has a switch for opening and closing a current path, detects a change in the state of the switch, and acquires the detection result as an instruction as to whether or not to permit data transmission. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-131092 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2001 / 024108 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] By providing such a mechanical on / off switch to a dual interface IC card, it is possible to prevent unintended contactless communication by the user, but adding a new switch mechanism to the card increases the design and manufacturing burden and reduces the design quality. In addition, the configuration becomes complicated, which leads to a decrease in operational reliability when the card is repeatedly bent or twisted.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its objective the provision of a dual interface IC card, card case, and card attachment sheet that allow the user to select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to their wishes, are easy to design and manufacture, and suppress deterioration of design and operational reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A first configuration of a dual interface IC card according to this embodiment, capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, comprises a card base including an antenna therein, and an IC module arranged in a recess of the card base and having an external connection terminal and an IC chip, the external connection terminal is arranged so as to be exposed on the surface of the card base, and is partitioned into first and second terminals which are insulated from each other, the IC chip has first and second pads as electrical contacts, one end of the antenna is electrically connected to the first terminal and the first pad, and the other end of the antenna is electrically connected to the second terminal and the second pad, and contactless communication is possible when the first terminal and the second terminal are not short-circuited.

[0010] In addition, in a dual interface IC card according to a second configuration of another embodiment of the present invention, in the first configuration, the first terminal and the second terminal may be terminals that are considered unused terminals in the contact IC card standard, or terminals that are not assigned as VCC, RST, CLK, GND, or I / O.

[0011] In addition, a dual interface IC card according to a third configuration of another embodiment of the present invention may further include, in the first or second configuration, a conductive member that can be arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal, short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal, and be arranged to be insulated from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, a card case capable of storing a dual interface IC card of a fourth configuration according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first cover portion and a second cover portion arranged with a gap between them, and capable of storing a dual interface IC card of the first or second configuration along the gap, and a conductive member formed on a surface of one of the first cover portion and the second cover portion facing the other, and the conductive member is formed to span from the first terminal to the second terminal of the external connection terminal when the dual interface IC card is stored, and is formed to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal and to be insulated from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0013] Furthermore, a card mounting base capable of storing a dual interface IC card of a fifth configuration according to another embodiment of the present invention is a card mounting base on which a dual interface IC card of the first or second configuration is removably attached, and includes a conductive member arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal so as to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal of the dual interface IC card attached to the base and to insulate the first terminal from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a dual interface IC card, card case, and card attachment sheet that allow the user to select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to their intention, are easy to design and manufacture, and suppress deterioration of design and operational reliability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a plan view and an enlarged view of an IC module, illustrating the structure of a dual interface IC card according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] This is a view of the IC module as seen from the opposite side to that of FIG. 1(b). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the card base when the IC module is removed. [Diagram 5] 10A and 10B are explanatory views relating to a conductive member according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a card case according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a card case. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a card case envelope according to the fourth and fifth embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating details of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 1(b) showing a conventional IC module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An example of a dual interface IC card according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the dual interface IC card according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or example described below.

[0017] The figures shown below are schematic. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are appropriately exaggerated to facilitate understanding. In addition, hatching showing the cross section of a member is appropriately omitted in each figure. The numerical values ​​such as dimensions of each member and the material names described in this specification are examples of embodiments, and are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms that specify shapes and geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and vertical, are intended to include substantially the same state in addition to their strict meanings.

[0018] 1. First embodiment An example of a first embodiment of a dual interface IC card of the present disclosure will be described. The IC card 1 is a dual interface IC card. For convenience of description, an XYZ coordinate system is set for the IC card 1. First, as shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 3, the Z axis is taken as the normal direction of the main surface of the IC card 1. Then, the direction from the main surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 is not arranged to the main surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 is arranged is defined as the +Z direction or the upward direction in the thickness direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction or the downward direction in the thickness direction.

[0019] When IC card 1 is viewed from the +Z direction, the straight line perpendicular to both short sides of IC card 1 and the Z axis is defined as the X axis. The direction from one short side closer to external connection terminal 71 toward the other short side is defined as the +X direction or rightward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction or leftward direction. The axis perpendicular to the X and Z axes is defined as the Y axis, the direction from one long side farther from external connection terminal 71 toward the other long side is defined as the +Y direction or upward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction or downward direction.

[0020] FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the IC card 1 seen from the +Z direction. FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged view for explaining the internal configuration of the IC module 70 of the IC card 1 of FIG. 1(a), and shows the IC chip 74a, the molded part 74b, the wires 75, etc., arranged on the -Z direction side of the external connection terminal 71, i.e., on the back side of the paper, with broken lines. FIG. 2 is a view of the IC module 70 of FIG. 1(b) seen from the -Z direction side, which is the back side, excluding the card base 2. FIG. 3 is a view of the cross section of the IC card 1 of FIG. 1(a) cut along the plane along the line AA parallel to the X-axis, seen from the -Y direction. FIG. 4 is a view showing the configuration of the card base 2 from which the IC module 70 is removed in FIG. 1(b).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the IC card 1 has a shape of a substantially rectangular thin plate with rounded corners in a plan view from the +Z direction side. An IC module 70 including an external connection terminal 71 is disposed on the surface of the dual interface IC card on the +Z direction side, slightly to the upper left of the center, that is, closer to the -X direction and closer to the +Y direction than the center. As shown in FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 3, the IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and disposed so that the surface of the external connection terminal 71 on the +Z direction side is substantially flush with the surface of the card base 2 on the +Z direction side. Such a shape of the IC card 1 complies with ISO / IEC7816-1, which is an international standard for IC cards. As shown in FIG. 1(b), the external connection terminal 71 has each section of the external terminal defined by the ISO / IEC7816-2 standard and the ISO / IEC7816-3 standard.

[0022] This standard specifies the following external terminals: C1 terminal (supply voltage input terminal), C2 terminal (reset signal input terminal), C3 terminal (clock signal input terminal), C5 terminal (signal ground terminal), and C7 terminal (serial data input or output terminal). Note that the C6 terminal is a standard or individual use terminal that is not normally used, and the C4 and C8 terminals are reserved as unused terminals for future use. Note that the C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 terminals may be abbreviated as VCC, RST, CLK, GND, and I / O, respectively.

[0023] Although the detailed configuration will be described later, as shown in Fig. 1(b) and Fig. 2, a plurality of pads 74p are formed on the IC chip 74a. Each of the plurality of pads 74p on the IC chip 74a is electrically connected to each of the C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 terminals of the external connection terminal 71 via a conductive wire 75. Two of the pads 74p on the IC chip 74a other than the above are electrically connected to antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b formed on the surface of the substrate 72 opposite to the external connection terminal 71 via the conductive wire 75. Furthermore, the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to the unused terminals C4 and C8 via the conductive wire 75, respectively.

[0024] 1(a) and 3, the antenna connecting terminal 73a is electrically connected to a conductive first plate 110 via a conductive adhesive layer 11. The first plate 110 is welded to one end of the antenna wire 83. The antenna connecting terminal 73b is also electrically connected to a conductive second plate 120 via a conductive adhesive layer 11, and the second plate 120 is welded to the other end of the antenna wire 83. As a result, the antenna connecting terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to both ends of the antenna wire 83.

[0025] On the other hand, two pads 74p of IC chip 74a and antenna connecting terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to each other via wires 75. Therefore, IC chip 74a and one end of antenna wire 83 are electrically connected to each other via antenna connecting terminal 73a, and IC chip 74a and antenna 80 form a communication circuit that is a closed circuit via antenna connecting terminal 73b. Furthermore, antenna connecting terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to unused terminals C4 and C8, respectively.

[0026] Now, suppose that the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal are shorted. In other words, suppose that the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal are made conductive to each other. At this time, the pad 74p of the IC chip 74a electrically connected to the antenna connection terminal 73a and the pad 74p of the IC chip 74a electrically connected to the antenna connection terminal 73b are shorted, so that no potential difference occurs in the antenna 80 and no current flows. In other words, the IC card 1 cannot perform non-contact communication.

[0027] Conversely, only when the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal are open, i.e., insulated, can the communication circuit formed by the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 operate normally and the IC card 1 be able to perform contactless communication. In other words, by selecting whether to insulate or short-circuit the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal, it is possible to easily switch between allowing or not allowing the IC card 1 to perform contactless communication. The C4 terminal and the C8 terminal can be easily short-circuited by, for example, attaching a sticker-like conductive member across both terminals.

[0028] Thus, the IC card 1, which is a dual interface IC card of the first embodiment, includes a card base 2 including an antenna 80 therein, and an IC module 70 arranged in a recess 9 of the card base 2 and including an external connection terminal 71 and an IC chip 74a. The external connection terminal 71 is arranged so as to be exposed on the surface of the card base 2, and a C4 terminal and a C8 terminal insulated from each other are partitioned. The IC chip 74a includes a first pad and a second pad, which are pads 74p, as electrical contacts. One end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to the first terminal and the first pad, and the other end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to the second terminal and the second pad, and non-contact communication is possible when the first terminal and the second terminal are not short-circuited. The first terminal and the second terminal are either C4 or C8 or the other, and one end and the other end of the antenna 80 are either antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b or the other.

[0029] Here, the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal exemplified in this embodiment serve as switches that select whether to leave both ends of the antenna 80 of the communication circuit formed by the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 open or to short-circuit them. Such different terminals can be called the first terminal and the second terminal. Only when the first terminal and the second terminal are not short-circuited, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 form a closed circuit and non-contact communication is possible, and conversely, when the first terminal and the second terminal are short-circuited, non-contact communication is not possible.

[0030] Since the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, the user can select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to his or her intention by the simple method of whether or not to short-circuit the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal in the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70. Moreover, since the IC card 1 does not have a configuration in which a special mechanical switch is added, it is easier to design and manufacture than a normal IC card, and deterioration of the design and operational reliability can be suppressed.

[0031] The configuration of the IC card 1 of this embodiment and the manufacturing method thereof will be described in detail below.

[0032] (a) Card base The card base 2 refers to the card body excluding the IC module 70 that constitutes the IC card 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the card base 2 typically has a configuration in which an over-sheet layer 8, an inner layer 7, antenna holding layers 6 and 5, an inner layer 4, and an over-sheet layer 3 are laminated in this order from one end on the -Z direction side in the thickness direction. In addition, an antenna 80 is disposed between the antenna holding layers 6 and 5, the antenna 80 being wound in a loop shape and including an antenna wire 83 made of a coated conductor wire or the like and a plate-shaped end portion 100.

[0033] The card base 2 may refer to both the card before the recess 9 is formed and the card after the recess 9 is formed, and may refer to both the card without the antenna 80 and the card including the antenna 80. In addition, both ends of the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 80 are electrically connected to the first plate 110 on the −X direction side and the second plate 120 on the +X direction side, which are arranged along the X-axis direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 80 is described as a single conductor wire wound in a loop shape without branches, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and includes an antenna wire 83 that is appropriately branched and has three or more ends. In addition, three or more plate-shaped end portions 100 can be arranged depending on the number of ends of the antenna wire 83.

[0035] The layer structure of the card base 2 is not limited to the above, and may be a three-layer structure of an oversheet layer, an antenna holding layer, and an oversheet layer, or a two-layer structure of an antenna holding layer and an antenna holding layer. Alternatively, the layer structure of the card base 2 may be a multi-layer structure of eight or more layers, such as an oversheet layer, a second inner layer, a first inner layer, an antenna holding layer, an antenna holding layer, a first inner layer, a second inner layer, and an oversheet layer. Furthermore, printing or embedding of a magnetic stripe may be performed on the surface of the oversheet layer 3 or 8 of the card base 2 opposite to the inner layer 4 or 7, or printing may be performed on the surface of the inner layer 4 or 7 adjacent to the oversheet layer 3 or 8.

[0036] From the standpoint of conforming to standards such as ISO / IEC7816-1, the thickness of the card base 2 is preferably 0.76 mm or more and 0.84 mm or less, but may be outside this range.

[0037] (i) Inner layer The inner layer is also called a core layer. A wide variety of white or colored plastic sheets can be used as the inner layers 4 and 7, including the following single films or composite films thereof. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PET-G (terephthalic acid-cyclohexanedimethanol-ethylene glycol copolymer), polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyimide, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, polystyrene, ABS, polyacrylic acid ester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. The thickness of the inner layers 4 and 7 can be appropriately selected taking into account the overall thickness of the card, and can be, for example, about 0.10 mm or more and 0.38 mm or less.

[0038] (ii) Antenna support layer The antenna holding layer is also called a core layer, just like the inner layer. The antenna holding layers 5 and 6 have the function of sandwiching and holding the antenna 80, and can use a wide variety of plastic sheets similar to the inner layers 4 and 7. The antenna holding layers 5 and 6 may be made of the same material as the inner layers 4 and 7, or may be made of a material different from that of the inner layers 4 and 7. The thickness of the antenna holding layers 5 and 6 can be appropriately selected taking into account the overall thickness of the card, and can be, for example, about 0.10 mm or more and 0.38 mm or less.

[0039] (iii) Oversheet layer The over-sheet layers 3 and 8 are usually made of the same material as the inner layer and antenna holding layer, but a transparent material with a thickness of about 0.05 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less is often used. From the viewpoint of preventing curling when the laminate of the inner layer, antenna holding layer and over-sheet layer is integrated by heat pressing or the like, it is preferable that the over-sheet layers 3 and 8 have the same thickness, but they do not necessarily have to be the same. This point is also common to the above-mentioned inner layers 4 and 7 and antenna holding layers 5 and 6.

[0040] The material of the over-sheet layer may be any material that is adhesive when heated. However, even if the over-sheet layer itself does not have adhesive properties when heated, the inner layer and the over-sheet layer can be integrated by additionally forming a layer of a known adhesive that generates adhesive force when heated between them. In addition, when the IC card 1 is used as a magnetic card, a magnetic stripe may be embedded in advance by thermal transfer or the like in either or both of the over-sheet layers 3 and 8 on the main surface opposite to both or one of the inner layers 4 and 7.

[0041] (iv) Antenna sheet In this embodiment, as described later, the antenna 80 is formed on one surface of the antenna holding layer 5 or 6, and both ends of an antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 are electrically connected to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are plate-shaped conductive ends 100. The formation of the antenna 80 on the antenna holding layer 5 or 6 is performed, for example, as follows. First, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are bonded and fixed to the surface of the antenna holding layer 6 facing the antenna holding layer 5 before lamination by applying heat and pressure or the like. At this time, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 may be placed after applying an adhesive to the surface of the antenna holding layer 6. The first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are arranged in the left-right direction at the intended position for mounting the IC module 70, and are arranged so that parts of them overlap the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 when placed.

[0042] Thereafter, the tip of the antenna wire 83 is welded to either the first plate 110 or the second plate 120. Then, starting from this point, a predetermined heat pressure is applied to the antenna wire 83, and the antenna wire 83, which is a coated conductor coated with an insulating material, is embedded in the surface of the antenna holding layer 6 by a winding former. That is, while applying a predetermined heat pressure to the antenna wire 83, an antenna supply head is drawn in a loop shape as shown in FIG. 1(a), and the antenna wire 83 supplied from the antenna supply head is sequentially embedded in the antenna holding layer 6. The antenna wire 83 that has been embedded is cut, and the tip of the cut antenna wire 83 is used as an end point and welded to the other of the first plate 110 or the second plate 120.

[0043] The tip which is the starting point of the antenna wire 83 and the tip which is the end point of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected to either one of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 by welding. In this way, the antenna holding layer 6 (antenna sheet 12) on which the antenna 80 is formed is obtained. The intermediate product in which the antenna 80 is embedded in the antenna holding layer 5 or 6 may be referred to as the antenna sheet 12. The antenna sheet 12 can be distributed on the market by itself as a part for manufacturing the IC card 1. Alternatively, there may be a commercial form in which a sheet material such as the antenna holding layer is supplied to a processor, who processes it into the antenna sheet 12 and delivers it to the supplier.

[0044] (v) Antenna In the antenna 80 formed on the antenna holding layer 5 or 6, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are a pair of ends 100 to which the multiple tips of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected, are electrically connected to the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70, respectively. As a result, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 included in the IC module 70 form a communication circuit for non-contact communication. The communication circuit may be one that performs close-proximity communication using, for example, the HF frequency band of 13.56 MHz specified in ISO / IEC18092, ISO / IEC144443, etc. Alternatively, it may be one that performs communication using, for example, the UHF frequency band of 920 MHz, the LF frequency band of 125 KHz, or the microwave frequency band of 2.45 GHz.

[0045] When IC card 1 is held over an external device such as a reader / writer, an electromotive force or current is generated in the communication circuit by the magnetic field or radio waves generated by the reader / writer, and power is supplied to IC chip 74a. This enables IC chip 74a to be driven, enabling contactless transmission and reception of information with the reader / writer, and reading and rewriting of information from and to the memory.

[0046] The antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 is typically formed of a coated conductor wire in which the periphery of a copper wire is coated with an insulating material. In addition to this, it is also possible to select copper alloy wires such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, Cu-Be, or various metal wires and metal alloy wires such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum. By using a coated conductor wire, the IC card 1 can be manufactured more inexpensively than, for example, a copper foil etching method. However, the IC card 1 of the present disclosure may use an antenna wire formed by a copper foil etching method, a metal foil punching method, or the like.

[0047] The diameter of the antenna wire 83 is not particularly limited as long as the characteristics as a non-contact communication circuit can be ensured, but it can be, for example, 0.03 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, and preferably 0.05 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less. By setting the diameter in the latter range, durability against heat pressure due to embedding processing and external forces due to cutting processing can be improved, and good communication characteristics can be ensured.

[0048] (vi) Ends (first and second plates) Next, the configuration of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are the conductive end portion 100, will be described in detail. The first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are both substantially rectangular plate-like members in a plan view along the Z-axis direction, which is the normal direction to the main surface of the IC card 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 have, in the plan view, a region overlapping with the first recess 91, i.e., a region exposed from the card base 2, and a region located outside the first recess 91 and embedded inside the card base 2.

[0049] 4, in the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9 in the plan view, straight lines that overlap with a side 93a on the -X direction side and a side 93b on the +X direction side along the Y axis are defined as straight lines m1 and m2, respectively. In this case, the first plate 110 has an area on the +X direction side of the straight line m1 exposed from the card base 2 in the first recess 91, and an area on the -X direction side of the straight line m1 covered by the card base 2. Similarly, the second plate 120 has an area on the -X direction side of the straight line m2 exposed from the card base 2 in the first recess 91, and an area on the +X direction side of the straight line m2 covered by the card base 2.

[0050] Taking the first plate 110 as an example, the width of the first plate exposed from the card base 2 in the first recess 91 along the X-axis direction is W12, which is the same as the width of the first recess 91, and is narrower than the width W11 including the portion covered by the card base 2. The vertical width of the first plate exposed from the card base 2 in the first recess 91 along the Y-axis direction is W2. The sizes and ratios of W12, W11, and W2 are arbitrary, but it is preferable that the area of ​​the antenna connection terminal 73a when the IC module 70 is placed is included in the area of ​​the vertical width W2 and horizontal width W12 of the first plate 110. This is because a stable contact area for electrical connection between the antenna connection terminal 73a and the first plate 110 is obtained. The same applies to the second plate 120.

[0051] In addition, since a portion of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 is covered by the card base 2 in this manner, the effect of holding the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 against external forces such as the cutting resistance of the end mill blade when forming the recess 9 is improved. This prevents the plates from accidentally peeling off from the card base 2 and becoming misaligned.

[0052] 3, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 have a laminated structure including at least two layers, a first member 111 and a second member 112 laminated on the +Z direction side of the first member 111. In this case, it is preferable that the second member 112 is a member that is less likely to oxidize than the first member 111. In other words, a member that is less likely to oxidize means that, for example, when the first member 111 and the second member 112 are both metals, the second member 112 is a metal that has a smaller ionization tendency than the first member 111. As an example of such a metal, the first member 111 can be aluminum, iron, nickel, or copper, and the second member 112 can be silver, palladium, platinum, or gold.

[0053] Considering the ease of material procurement, cost, processability, electrical properties, and the like, it is preferable to use highly conductive copper for the first member 111 and silver plating for the second member 112 among the above listed materials. This is because by using copper, which can ensure sufficient conductivity, for the first member 111 and silver plating, which is difficult to oxidize and easily exposes the metal interface when the resin layer is cut with an end mill, for the second member 112, it is possible to obtain good electrical properties and processability while suppressing an increase in costs.

[0054] On the other hand, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 may be configured only of a single member, without having the above-mentioned two-layer or three-layer or more laminated structure. In this case, the single member is limited to a conductive member, and for example, the above-mentioned members exemplified as the first member 111 and the second member 112 or alloys thereof can be used. Preferably, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, or the like, which have high conductivity, can be selected. A single member makes it easier to obtain and process the material, and also leads to cost reduction.

[0055] In this embodiment, as described above, a configuration in which the multiple ends of the antenna wire 83 are welded to the pair of ends 100, that is, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, is described, but the ends of the antenna wire 83 do not necessarily need to be connected to such plates. For example, the multiple ends of the antenna wire 83 can be configured to be folded back many times in a zigzag, meander, or bellows shape to achieve the same function as the above-mentioned plates.

[0056] (b) IC module Next, each part of the main components of the IC module 70 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 1(b), Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 are electrically connected to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 of the antenna 80, respectively, via a conductive adhesive layer 11. This allows the formation of a communication circuit for contactless communication. At this time, contact communication with a contact-type reader / writer or the like can be performed through an external connection terminal 71 provided on the IC module 70.

[0057] The substrate 72 is made by attaching copper foil to the front and back of a flexible insulating resin film such as glass epoxy resin or polyimide resin with an adhesive, and leaving the copper foil attached to the front and back of the resin film so as to form a predetermined pattern. Specifically, a photosensitive material is applied, a film plate with a predetermined pattern is placed, exposed, and the non-photosensitive portion is etched away in order to form an external connection terminal 71 on one copper foil surface of the resin film and antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b on the other copper foil surface. This forms the substrate 72 with a portion of the copper foil of a predetermined pattern remaining on the front and back surfaces of the resin film. In addition, the substrate 72 is provided in advance with a plurality of bonding holes 76, which are through holes for wire bonding to the external connection terminals 71.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the external connection terminal 71 is defined into the respective sections of the external terminal as defined by the ISO / IEC 7816-2 standard. That is, as described above, the external connection terminal 71 is defined as having a C1 terminal (supply voltage input terminal), a C2 terminal (reset signal input terminal), a C3 terminal (clock signal input terminal), a C5 terminal (signal ground terminal), and a C7 terminal (serial data input or output terminal). The C6 terminal is a standard or individual use terminal that is not normally used, and the C4 and C8 terminals are reserved for future use as unused terminals. These terminal areas are defined by an insulating groove 71a. Specifically, the external connection terminal 71 is formed by forming a terminal area of ​​a predetermined pattern on one surface of an insulating substrate 72 using copper foil or the like, and the insulating groove 71a is an area where the copper foil is interrupted to expose the substrate 72.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the C1 to C4 terminals are partitioned from the top to the bottom in the area on the left side of the external connection terminal 71 as viewed from the +Z direction, and the C5 to C8 terminals are partitioned from the top to the bottom in the area on the right side. The C5 terminal extends downward in the center of the external connection terminal 71, but this arrangement is not necessarily required, and an area insulated from any of the C1 to C8 terminals may be partitioned. In FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 11, the IC chip 74a, the molded part 74b, the bonding hole 76, the pad 74p, and the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are arranged on the far side of the paper from the external connection terminal 71 and are shown with dashed lines. In reality, these should be dashed lines. However, in order to clearly distinguish between the wire 75 and the lead lines, all the lead lines are shown as solid lines. On the other hand, in Fig. 2, the IC chip 74a, bonding holes 76, pads 74p, and antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are arranged closer to the front of the paper than the external connection terminals 71 and are shown with solid lines. In reality, the lead lines for these components should be solid lines. However, in order to clearly distinguish between the wires 75 and the lead lines, all of the lead lines are shown with dashed lines. In Fig. 2, in order to clearly show the parts arranged inside the molded part 74b, the IC chip 74a and the like are shown with the molded part 74p excluded. For this reason, the molded part 74b is shown with dashed lines.

[0060] The surface of the IC chip 74a facing away from the substrate 72 is a circuit surface, and a circuit pattern and a plurality of pads 74p that are electrodes are provided on the surface. At the locations corresponding to each section of the external connection terminal 71, the back surface of the external connection terminal 71 can be seen from the -Z direction side through bonding holes 76 that are holes formed in the substrate 72. That is, the pads 74p of the IC chip 74a and a predetermined section of the external connection terminal 71 can be electrically connected to each other by wires 75 such as gold wires through the bonding holes 76. In addition, a pair of antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b that are conductive regions that are approximately H-shaped in plan view are arranged on both the left and right sides of the IC chip 74a.

[0061] 1(b) and 2, the pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to the C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 terminals by wires 75. The other two pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b by wires 75, and the antenna connection terminal 73a and the C4 terminal, and the antenna connection terminal 73b and the C8 terminal are connected by wires 75. These bonding holes 76 and wires 75 are covered and protected by the molded part 74b. In this embodiment, the IC chip 74a has seven pads 74p, but the number and arrangement are merely examples and may be any number and arrangement.

[0062] Here, the difference between the IC module 70 of this embodiment and the IC module according to the conventional technology in the connection state between the IC chip and the external connection terminal 71 or the antenna connection terminals 73a, 73b by the wire 75 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the IC module 70a according to the conventional technology, corresponding to FIG. 1(b). In the IC module 70a of the conventional technology, a plurality of pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to the C1, C2, C3, C5 and C7 terminals by wires 75. In addition, the other two pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b by wires 75. Unused terminals C4 and C8 are not connected to other terminals.

[0063] As a result, one of the pads 74p of the IC chip 74a and the antenna connection terminal 73b are electrically connected through the wire 75, so that the IC chip 74a and one end of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected through the antenna connection terminal 73b. Also, the other pad 74p of the IC chip 74a and the antenna connection terminal 73a are electrically connected through the wire 75, so that the IC chip 74a and the other end of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected through the antenna connection terminal 73a. That is, the two pads 74p of the IC chip 74a and both ends of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected, so that the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 form a communication circuit that is a closed circuit. On the other hand, it is clear that the C4 and C8 terminals do not affect this communication circuit at all.

[0064] Therefore, in the conventional IC module 70a, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 always form a closed circuit, so that non-contact communication with an external device is possible by receiving a predetermined electric wave or magnetic field at any time. Also, since the C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 terminals required for communication of a contact IC card are each electrically connected to the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a, contact communication with an external device is also possible.

[0065] In contrast, in the IC module 70 of this embodiment, as in the conventional technology, two antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to both ends of the antenna line 83 of the antenna 80, respectively. However, the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b, which are both ends of the antenna 80, are electrically connected to the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal of the external connection terminal 71, respectively. Therefore, in a normal state in which the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal are insulated from each other, the IC card 1 can perform non-contact communication, but when the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal are short-circuited, it is possible to intentionally set the IC card 1 to a state in which it cannot perform non-contact communication.

[0066] In addition, a configuration may be adopted in which either one of C4 and C8 described above is replaced with C6. For example, instead of connecting the antenna connection terminal 73a and the C4 terminal, and the antenna connection terminal 73b and the C8 terminal by the wire 75, the following configuration may be adopted. That is, the antenna connection terminal 73a and the C6 terminal, and the antenna connection terminal 73b and the C8 terminal may be connected by the wire 75. Alternatively, the antenna connection terminal 73a and the C4 terminal, and the antenna connection terminal 73b and the C6 terminal may be connected by the wire 75. In this case, when the C6 terminal and the C8 terminal are short-circuited, or when the C4 terminal and the C6 terminal are short-circuited, the object of this embodiment that the IC card 1 can be put into a state in which it cannot perform non-contact communication can be achieved.

[0067] An IC chip body 74 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 72 opposite to the surface on which the external connection terminals 71 are formed. The IC chip body 74 is composed of an IC chip 74a bonded and fixed to the substrate 72 via an adhesive, a bonding wire 75 for connection, and a molded part 74b which is a sealing resin for protecting them. The IC chip 74a includes a CPU for controlling the operation of both contact communication and non-contact communication, and a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, or a flash memory. The IC chip 74a further includes various circuits such as an interface circuit for decoding input signals and generating output signals for contact communication and non-contact communication, and a power generation circuit. The various circuits may be provided as elements separate from the IC chip 74a.

[0068] The molded portion 74b is provided as a protruding portion that covers the IC chip 74a and the wires 75 to protect them from external force loads and environmental loads. An ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like is used as the molded portion 74b.

[0069] The thickness of the IC chip body 74 depends on the thickness of the IC chip 74a provided therein and the shape of the bonded wires, but can be, for example, 0.45 mm to 0.75 mm. The total thickness of the IC module 70 can be, for example, 0.35 mm to 1.0 mm, and preferably 0.40 mm to 0.65 mm. The latter range allows the maximum depth of the recess 9 to be 0.7 mm or less, and the total thickness of the IC card 1 to be kept at 0.84 mm or less as specified by the ISO / IEC 7816-1 standard.

[0070] (c) Conductive adhesive layer A recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 in the card base 2 is formed by cutting with an end mill or the like, and then the conductive adhesive layer 11 for embedding and fixing the IC module 70 in the recess 9 and electrically and mechanically connecting the IC module 70 will be described. The conductive adhesive layer 11 is a liquid or tape-like member that is sandwiched between the first plate 110, the substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and the antenna connection terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72, as shown in Fig. 3.

[0071] The conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or affixed in advance to the surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 opposite the external connection terminal 71, or may be applied or affixed to the bottom surface of the recess 9 of the card base 2 after cutting.

[0072] A typical conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or affixed to the entire back surface of the substrate 72 or to a portion of the recess 9 corresponding to the first recess 91, in order to also mechanically connect the IC module 70 to the cut card base 2. In this way, the electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 can be achieved with the same type of conductive adhesive layer 11, which contributes to simplifying the process.

[0073] However, the conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or affixed so as to cover only the areas of the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b on the rear surface of the substrate 72, and another adhesive that does not have electrical conductivity may be applied or affixed to the rest of the rear surface of the substrate 72. This is because it is not necessary to consider the electrical conductivity of the other adhesive, making it easier to select an adhesive that is advantageous for mechanical connection.

[0074] As the conductive adhesive layer 11 that can be used for both electrical and mechanical connection, ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film), i.e., anisotropic conductive film or ACP (Anisotropic Conductive Paste) can be used. In addition, so-called conductive paste or solder paste in which silver particles are dispersed as a filler in epoxy resin may also be used. Among them, if ACF is used, the ACF can be thermally laminated on the entire back surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and the IC module 70 can be embedded in the recess 9 of the cut card base 2, and then heat pressed at a predetermined temperature and load. In this way, electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 can be easily achieved. Furthermore, since the mechanical connection of the IC module 70 to the card base 2 can be achieved at the same time, the mounting process of the IC module 70 to the card base 2 can be simplified.

[0075] The electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 when ACF is used as the conductive adhesive layer 11 can be explained as follows with reference to FIG. 3. The conductive adhesive layer 11 has a structure in which conductive particles 11a, each of which is a spherical resin or a spherical metal with a metal film formed therearound, are dispersed in an adhesive 11b, which is a binder containing an adhesive component. The conductive particles may be resin coated with nickel or gold, or solder particles. Various solder particles such as SnPb, SnAgCu, SnCu, SnZnBi, SnAgInBi, and SnZnAl, as well as alloys of these with other metals, can be used. These structures are the same when ACP is used.

[0076] Here, thermal pressure is applied to the substrate 72 from the +Z direction to the -Z direction so as to compress the conductive adhesive layer 11, which is arranged to be sandwiched between the first plate 110 electrically connected to the tip of the antenna wire 83, the substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and the antenna connection terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72.

[0077] As a result, strong heat pressure is applied to the conductive adhesive layer 11 at a particularly narrow portion between the antenna holding layer 5 and the antenna connecting terminal 73a. The conductive particles 11a of the conductive adhesive layer 11 at this portion are pressed against the first plate 110 exposed from the antenna holding layer 5 and the antenna connecting terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. When the conductive particles 11a are small, the conductive particles 11a overlap in a chain shape from the first plate 110 to the antenna connecting terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. That is, the exposed first plate 110 and the antenna connecting terminal 73a are electrically connected via the conductive particles 11a.

[0078] On the other hand, between the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72 in the region where the antenna connecting terminal 73a is not present, the conductive particles 11a are not compressed to such an extent that they are pressed by the first plate 110 and the antenna connecting terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11, or to such an extent that they overlap like beads. However, the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b generated by the thermal pressure mechanically connects the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72. One possible reason for the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b is a wedge effect caused by the adhesive 11b penetrating into minute irregularities on the surfaces of the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72.

[0079] As described above, in IC module 70, antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b facing each other and first plate 110 and second plate 120 are electrically connected to each other via, for example, ACF. The ACF is disposed in a region along outer periphery 93 of recess 9 so as to overlap with first recess 91 in a plan view along the Z-axis direction.

[0080] (d) Manufacturing method of dual interface IC card Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the IC card 1 using the above-mentioned card base 2, IC module 70, and conductive adhesive layer 11 will be described.

[0081] First, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are plate-shaped end portions 100, are adhered to the surface of either the antenna holding layer 5 or 6 on the side not adjacent to the inner layer 4 or 7. Both may be adhered and fixed to the surface of the antenna holding layer 5 or 6 via an adhesive.

[0082] Next, the coated conductor coated with an insulating member is embedded as antenna wire 83 by a winding machine into the formation surface of antenna holding layer 5 or 6 on which end portion 100 is formed, starting from either first plate 110 or second plate 120 and ending at the other. Here, the winding machine welds the tip of antenna wire 83 to first plate 110 and second plate 120 at the start and end points of antenna wire 83.

[0083] 1(a) while applying a predetermined heat and pressure to the antenna holding layer 6, an antenna supply head is drawn in a loop shape as shown in Fig. 1(a), and antenna wires 83 supplied from the antenna supply head are successively embedded in the antenna holding layer 6. At this time, the antenna holding layer 6 may be referred to as a first substrate.

[0084] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the oversheet layer 8, the inner layer 7, the antenna holding layers 6 and 5, the inner layer 4, and the oversheet layer 3 are stacked in this order from the bottom in the thickness direction. After that, the laminate of the large sheets in which the cards are arranged vertically and horizontally in a multi-faceted manner is sandwiched between stainless steel plates from above and below in the thickness direction, and heat and pressure are applied to the laminate through the stainless steel plates. At this time, for example, the antenna 80 is formed in advance on the surface of the antenna holding layer 6 so as to be sandwiched between the antenna holding layers 5 and 6. At this time, the antenna holding layer 5, which is arranged opposite the antenna holding layer 6 as the first substrate and is stacked on the first substrate so as to sandwich the antenna 80, may be referred to as the second substrate.

[0085] By passing through such a heat pressing process, a card base in a large sheet unit in which each layer of the laminate including the first base material and the second base material is integrated can be obtained. Also, if any of the oversheet layer, the inner layer, and the antenna holding layer has heat resistance that does not heat-seal at a predetermined temperature, an adhesive sheet that heat-seals at a predetermined temperature is sandwiched between each layer, or an adhesive is applied. Then, by subjecting these to a heat pressing process, an integrated card base in a large sheet unit can be obtained.

[0086] The large-sized card base obtained as described above, in which the cards are arranged vertically and horizontally in a multi-faced manner, is punched out by a punching machine into the card base 2 having the card size of ISO / IEC7816-1. In addition, a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 is formed in the card base 2 by cutting using an end mill. In this way, the cut card base 2 is obtained. The recess 9 is composed of two stages, a first recess 91 of a first depth for accommodating the flat substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and a second recess 92 of a second depth deeper than the first recess 91 for accommodating the convex IC chip body 74. In addition, the surfaces of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are exposed at the bottom surface of the first recess 91 of the card base 2.

[0087] Meanwhile, aside from the manufacturing of the card base 2 and the cutting process for forming the recesses 9, the conductive adhesive layer 11 is attached to the IC module 70. As the IC module 70, a module tape is usually used in which the IC modules 70 are continuously formed on a long tape in one or two rows. A tape-shaped ACF is attached to the surface of this module tape opposite to the surface on which the external connection terminals 71 are formed, while applying a certain amount of heat and pressure. The module tape with the ACF attached is then punched out by a punching machine into a roughly rectangular IC module 70 with rounded corners, thereby obtaining the IC module 70 with the conductive adhesive layer 11 attached.

[0088] Thereafter, the IC module 70 with the conductive adhesive layer 11 attached thereto is embedded in the card base 2 with the recess 9 formed therein, and a predetermined heat block is pressed against the portion of the external connection terminal 71 to apply a predetermined heat pressure toward the card base 2 for a predetermined time. This melts the conductive adhesive layer 11 made of ACF, thereby electrically connecting the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120. At the same time, the IC module 70 and the card base 2 are mechanically connected. The application time and heat pressure conditions of the ACF vary depending on the type and composition of the ACF, but as an example, the application time can be 0.5 seconds or more and 10.0 seconds or less, the temperature can be 150° C. or more and 250° C. or less, and the pressure can be 20 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less.

[0089] (e) Regarding the IC card of the first embodiment In summary, the IC card 1 of the first embodiment is a dual interface IC card capable of contactless communication with an external device. The IC card 1 includes a card base 2 including an antenna 80 therein, and an IC module 70 disposed in a recess 9 of the card base 2 and including an external connection terminal 71 and an IC chip 74a. The external connection terminal 71 is disposed so as to be exposed on the surface of the card base 2, and a first terminal and a second terminal insulated from each other are partitioned. The IC chip 74a includes a first pad and a second pad, which are pads 74p, as electrical contacts. One end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to the first terminal and the first pad, and the other end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to the second terminal and the second pad, and contactless communication is possible when the first terminal and the second terminal are not short-circuited. The first terminal and the second terminal may be any two terminals of C4, C8, and C6.

[0090] Since the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, the user can select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to his / her intention by the simple method of whether or not to short-circuit the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal in the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70. Moreover, since the IC card 1 is not configured to have any special mechanical switch added, it is easier to design and manufacture than a normal IC card, and deterioration of design and operational reliability can be suppressed.

[0091] The first and second terminals may be terminals that are unused terminals or terminals that are not assigned as VCC, RST, CLK, GND, or I / O in the contact IC card standard, and are not limited to the C4 terminal or C8 terminal. For example, one of them may be the C6 terminal. This is because the C6 terminal is also a terminal that is not normally used, and can perform the same function as the C4 terminal or C8 terminal in this embodiment. In addition, new terminal areas insulated from the C1 to C8 terminals may be additionally provided in the external connection terminal 71 as the first and second terminals. This is because even if the layout of the terminal section of the external connection terminal 71 is changed, the load on the design and manufacture of the IC card does not change much, and the design and operational reliability are not affected much.

[0092] 2. Second embodiment Next, a dual interface IC card according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0093] The IC card of the second embodiment is an IC card 1 of the first embodiment, further comprising a detachable conductive member at the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70. The conductive member can be arranged so as to straddle the C4 terminal to the C8 terminal at the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70, and can be arranged so as to short-circuit the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal and to be insulated from other terminals arranged between the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal. Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing a conductive member 210 arranged at the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 so as to straddle the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal.

[0094] Fig. 5(b) is a side view of the conductive member 210 of Fig. 5(a) as viewed from the -Y direction. As shown in Fig. 5(b), the conductive member 210 is composed of a conductive layer 211 whose entire area is conductive, and an insulating layer 212 and an adhesive layer 213 that are partially disposed on one surface of the conductive layer 211. The conductive layer 211 includes a conductive member such as copper foil, aluminum foil, a stainless steel plate, or a graphite sheet, and when disposed to span from the C4 terminal to the C8 terminal, the conductive portion can be brought into direct contact with the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal. This allows the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal to be short-circuited.

[0095] Moreover, the external connection terminal 71 is partitioned so that the area between the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal is the area that is electrically connected to the C5 terminal. Therefore, if only the conductive layer 211 is arranged to span from the C4 terminal to the C8 terminal, not only the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal, but also the C4 terminal, the C8 terminal, and the C5 terminal will all be short-circuited. In this case, a part of the antenna 80 will be electrically connected to the GND terminal of the IC chip 74a, changing the current path flowing through the antenna 80, which may cause a malfunction in non-contact communication or contact communication. To avoid this, the conductive member 210 has an insulating layer 212 provided on a part of the surface of the conductive layer 211 facing the external connection terminal 71, so that terminals other than the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal are not short-circuited.

[0096] In addition, adhesive layers 213 are provided on a portion of the surface of the conductive layer 211 of the conductive member 210 facing the external connection terminal 71, for example, on both ends of the conductive layer 211, to prevent the conductive member 210 from falling off from the external connection terminal 71. The adhesive layer 213 may be made of a removable and re-adhesive adhesive so that the user can attach and remove the adhesive from the external connection terminal 71 as many times as necessary.

[0097] In addition to the IC card 1 of the first embodiment, the IC card of the second embodiment can be arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal, exemplified by either the C4 terminal or the C8 terminal, and the other. The IC card further includes a conductive member 210 that can be arranged to short the first terminal and the second terminal and insulate the first terminal and the second terminal from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal. This allows the user to stop contactless communication of the IC card 1 at an unintended timing by attaching such a conductive member 210 to a predetermined position of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1 as necessary. The conductive member 210 can be easily formed as a flexible label-like member, and can be easily selected whether or not to enable contactless communication by simply attaching it to a predetermined position of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1 when in use and reattaching it to a predetermined position when not in use without performing complicated operations.

[0098] However, the conductive member is not limited to the configuration of the conductive member 210 described above. For example, as shown in the side view of FIG. 5(c), a conductive member 220 may be used in which no insulating layer is provided in the center and only conductive protrusions 222 are provided on one side of both ends of a conductive layer 221. In this case, the conductive layer 221 and the protrusions 222 are formed into a substantially C-shape or U-shape when viewed from the side, and the flexibility of the conductive layer 221 is weakened, so that the conductive member 220 can be abutted against the external connection terminal 71 so that the conductive layer 221 does not abut against terminals other than the C4 and C8 terminals. In this case, the conductive member 220 does not have an adhesive layer, but the user may press the conductive member 220 against a predetermined position of the external connection terminal 71 by hand when not in use. In addition, by adding a clamping mechanism such as a clip to such a conductive member 220, the conductive member 220 can be fixed to and detached from the IC card 1.

[0099] In this embodiment, the conductive member 210 or 220 that can be arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal is not limited to the combination of a C4 terminal and a C8 terminal, but can also be applied to, for example, a combination of a C4 terminal and a C6 terminal, or a C6 terminal and a C8 terminal.

[0100] 3. Third embodiment Next, a card case for storing a dual interface IC card according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0101] The card case of the third embodiment is a card case 300 capable of storing the IC card 1 of the first embodiment. Fig. 6(a) is a plan view of the card case 300, and Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the card case 300 of Fig. 6(a) taken along line BB parallel to the X-axis, viewed from the -Y direction. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the IC card 1 is stored in the card case 300 of Fig. 6(a).

[0102] The card case 300 includes cover parts 310 and 320, which are two flat plates arranged with a predetermined gap between them, and an outer periphery part 330 that connects parts of the outer periphery of the cover parts 310 and 320 to each other. The outer periphery part 330 can keep the cover parts 310 and 320 apart from each other. In Fig. 6(a), the outer periphery part 330 is arranged to cover the gap between the cover parts 310 and 320, straddling three sides of the outer periphery of the cover parts 310 and 320 except for the upper long side part.

[0103] The material and color of the covers 310 and 320 can be freely selected as long as they have insulating properties. However, from the viewpoint of making it easy to visually check that no foreign matter has entered the card case 300 and that the IC card 1 is inserted in the correct position, it is preferable that either or both of the covers 310 and 320 are transparent or semi-transparent. The covers 310 and 320 can be formed of, for example, a transparent acrylic resin.

[0104] 7, IC card 1 can be stored in the card case 300 by filling the gap formed by cover parts 310 and 320 from the upper gap where outer periphery 330 does not exist. Here, conductive member 230 is disposed at a predetermined position on the surface of cover part 310 facing cover part 320 so as to short-circuit C4 terminal and C8 terminal of external connection terminal 71 of IC card 1 when IC card 1 is inserted until it hits one end of the lower long side part of outer periphery 330.

[0105] The configuration of the conductive member 230 is almost the same as that of the conductive member 220 of the second embodiment, and includes a conductive layer 231 attached to the surface of the cover part 310 facing the cover part 320, and conductive protrusions 232 provided on both left and right ends of the conductive layer 231. As a result, when the IC card 1 is inserted to the bottom end of the card case 300, the conductive member 230 provided on the cover part 310 shorts the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1. Therefore, when the IC card 1 is stored in the card case 300, it is possible to stop non-contact communication of the IC card 1 at an unintended timing. Conversely, when the IC card 1 is removed from the card case 300, non-contact communication of the IC card 1 becomes possible.

[0106] The card case 300 capable of housing a dual interface IC card of the third embodiment includes a first cover part that abuts against one of the main surfaces of the IC card 1, and a second cover part that abuts against the other of the main surfaces. The first cover part and the second cover part are exemplified as cover parts 310 and 320 in this embodiment. Furthermore, the card case 300 includes a conductive member 230 formed on the surface of one of the first cover part and the second cover part that faces the other. The conductive member 230 is formed so as to span from the first terminal to the second terminal of the external connection terminal 71 when the IC card 1 is housed. Furthermore, at this time, the conductive member 230 is formed so as to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal, and to be insulated from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal. As in the other embodiments, the combination of the first terminal and the second terminal can be a C4 terminal and a C8 terminal, a C4 terminal and a C6 terminal, or a C6 terminal and a C8 terminal.

[0107] By using such a card case 300, the user can intentionally select whether or not to enable contactless communication of the IC card 1 by simply inserting and removing the IC card 1 into the card case 300, without having to directly attach or remove a conductive member to a specified position of the external connection terminal 71. For example, if the IC card 1 has an employee ID function and uses the contactless communication function for entering and leaving the workplace, the IC card 1 can be stored in the card case 300 while present at the company, thereby always stopping inadvertent contactless communication of the IC card 1 within the company. On the other hand, by removing the IC card 1 from the card case 300 and holding it over a reader / writer when entering and leaving the company, contactless communication of the IC card 1 is possible when necessary, and the risk of skimming and the like at unintended times outside the company can be reduced.

[0108] 4. Fourth embodiment Next, a dual-interface IC card according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure and a card case containing the dual-interface IC card will be described as a mailing item enclosed in an envelope, i.e., an envelope containing a card and a card case. Fig. 8(a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining an envelope containing a card 400 according to the fourth embodiment. The envelope containing a card and a card case is omitted and is referred to as an envelope containing a card.

[0109] The card-containing envelope 400 according to the fourth embodiment includes a mount 430, an IC card 1 which is a dual interface IC card according to the first embodiment, and a card case 300 and an envelope 420 according to the third embodiment. An information printing section 422 containing the address and name of the recipient when mailing is printed on the mount 430, and a substantially rectangular window section 421 made of a transparent film or the like is formed in a predetermined area of ​​the envelope 420 so that the information printing section 422 can be seen from the outside when the mount 430 is inserted into the envelope 420.

[0110] In addition, the card case 300 containing the IC card 1 may be attached and fixed to the backing paper 430 with an adhesive or the like, and the backing paper 430 and the card case 300 containing the IC card 1 may each be enclosed separately in an envelope 420.

[0111] In the card-containing envelope 400 according to this embodiment, the conductive member 230 disposed in the card case 300 shorts the C4 terminal and the C8 terminal of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1. Therefore, when the IC card 1 is stored in the card case 300, it is possible to stop contactless communication of the IC card 1 at an unintended timing. In other words, even if a reader / writer or the like is held over the card-containing envelope 400 from the outside, contactless communication with the IC card 1 is not possible, and the risk of skimming during delivery can be reduced. On the other hand, after the user receives the card-containing envelope 400 and removes the IC card 1 from the card case 300, contactless communication between the IC card 1 and the reader / writer can be satisfactorily performed by holding the IC card 1 over the reader / writer.

[0112] 5. Fifth embodiment Next, a mailing in which a dual interface IC card is enclosed in an envelope, that is, an envelope containing a card, according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 8(b) is an explanatory diagram for explaining an envelope containing a card 410 according to the fifth embodiment.

[0113] The card-containing envelope 410 according to the fifth embodiment includes a mount 440, an IC card 1 which is the dual interface IC card according to the first embodiment, and an envelope 420. The mount 440 with the IC card 1 attached thereto may be referred to as a card-attached mount 441. Similar to the fourth embodiment, an information printing section 422 is printed on the mount 440, and a window section 421 is formed in the envelope 420.

[0114] Fig. 9 is a development view of mount 440 or card attachment mount 441, showing IC card 1 attached to a predetermined position of mount 440 via adhesive 460. Mount 440 can be folded in three along broken lines 481 and 482 so that three areas A1, A2, and A3 are equally divided along the longitudinal direction, as shown in Fig. 9. Note that the broken lines showing fold lines 481 and 482 are provided for the purpose of explaining Fig. 9, and it is not necessary for the broken lines to be actually displayed.

[0115] Of the areas of the mount 440 that are folded in three, the IC card 1 is attached via an adhesive 460 to a predetermined position in area A3 such that the external connection terminal 71 faces the front side and the surface opposite the external connection terminal 71 faces the mount 440, forming a card attachment mount 441. Meanwhile, in area A2 adjacent to area A3, a conductive member 240 is formed at a predetermined position. The conductive member 240 may have a configuration similar to that of the conductive member 220 of the second embodiment or the conductive member 230 of the third embodiment, or may have a different configuration.

[0116] When the distance from the folding line 482 dividing the regions A2 and A3 to the C4 and C8 terminals of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1 is D2 and the distance from the folding line 482 to the conductive member 240 of the region A2 is D1, it is preferable that D1=D2 or the difference between D1 and D2 is 2 mm or less. Furthermore, in the region A2, an adhesive material 470 is provided at a position facing the adhesive material 460 across the folding line 482. Furthermore, in the region A1 adjacent to the opposite side of the region A2 from the region A3, an information printing section 422 is printed at a predetermined position.

[0117] 9 is folded in a mountain direction along folding line 481 (so that the front side of the page becomes convex) and folded in a valley direction along folding line 482 (so that the front side of the page becomes concave). By folding in three in this manner, the C4 and C8 terminals of IC card 1 in area A3 and conductive member 240 in area A2 are fixed in contact with each other via adhesive 470. The vertical width of the C4 and C8 terminals is about 2.5 mm, so that if the difference between D1 and D2 is 2 mm or less, conductive member 240 can satisfactorily short-circuit C4 and C8 terminals.

[0118] As described above, in this embodiment, the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment is peelably attached to a mount 440 to form a card attachment mount 441. The card attachment mount 441 shorts the first terminal and the second terminal of the dual interface type IC card 1 attached to the mount 440. In addition, the card attachment mount 441 includes a conductive member 240 arranged to straddle the first terminal and the second terminal so as to be insulated from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal are, for example, C4 and C8 terminals.

[0119] In this way, IC card 1 is attached, and card attachment sheet 441 folded in three is inserted into envelope 420 to complete envelope 410 containing a card as shown in Fig. 8(b). In this envelope 410 containing a card, conductive member 240 formed on sheet 440 shorts C4 and C8 terminals of IC card 1 also attached to sheet 440. This makes it possible to stop contactless communication of IC card 1 at unintended times.

[0120] That is, even if a reader / writer or the like is held over the outside of card-containing envelope 410, contactless communication with IC card 1 is not possible, reducing the risk of skimming during delivery. On the other hand, after the user receives card-containing envelope 410 and removes IC card 1 from mount 440, contactless communication between IC card 1 and the reader / writer can be satisfactorily achieved by holding IC card 1 over the reader / writer.

[0121] The card-containing envelope of the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described one, and various modifications are possible. For example, a card-containing envelope 411 having a similar configuration to the card-containing envelope 410 shown in FIG. 8(b) will be described.

[0122] Card-containing envelope 411 according to a modification of the fifth embodiment includes mount 450, IC card 1 which is the dual interface IC card according to the first embodiment, and envelope 420. Mount 450 with IC card 1 attached thereto may be referred to as card-attached mount 451. Similar to the fourth embodiment, information printing section 422 is printed on mount 450, and envelope 420 has window 421 formed therein.

[0123] Fig. 10(a) is a development view of mount 450 or card attachment mount 451, showing the IC card 1 before it is attached to a predetermined position on mount 450 via adhesive 460. For reference, Fig. 10(b) shows a partial area of ​​IC card 1 after it has been attached to a predetermined position on mount 450. Like mount 440, mount 450 can be folded in thirds along fold lines 481 and 482 so that it is equally divided into three areas A1, A2, and A3 along the longitudinal direction.

[0124] Of the area of ​​mount 450 that is folded in three, conductive member 240 is formed at a predetermined position in area A3, and adhesive material 460 for fixing IC card 1 is formed at a position adjacent thereto. On the other hand, nothing is formed in area A2 adjacent to area A3, and information printing section 422 is printed at a predetermined position on the back side of area A1 adjacent to area A2 on the opposite side to area A3.

[0125] 10(a) and 10(b), the IC card 1 is attached to the front side of such a mount 450 with the backside facing, via an adhesive 460, so that the surface with the external connection terminals 71 faces the mount 450. At this time, the IC card 1 is aligned so that the conductive member 240 formed on the mount 450 overlaps with the C4 and C8 terminals of the IC card 1 also attached to the mount 450, and then attached to the mount 450 via the adhesive 460. As a result, the conductive member 240 formed on the mount 450 shorts the C4 and C8 terminals of the IC card 1 also attached to the mount 450.

[0126] In this way, IC card 1 is attached, and card attachment sheet 451 folded in three is inserted into envelope 420 to complete envelope 411 containing a card as shown in Fig. 8(b). In this envelope 411 containing a card, conductive member 240 formed on sheet 450 also shorts out terminals C4 and C8 of IC card 1, which is also attached to sheet 450. This makes it possible to stop contactless communication of IC card 1 at unintended times. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1 IC card 2. Card Base 3, 8 Oversheet layers 4, 7 Inner layer 5, 6 Antenna support layer 9 Recess 11 Conductive adhesive layer 11a Conductive particles 11b Adhesive 12 Antenna sheet 70, 70a IC module 71 External connection terminal 71a Insulation groove 72 Substrate 73a, 73b Antenna connection terminals 74 IC chip body 74a IC chip 74b Molded part 74p Pad 75 Wire 76 Bonding Hall 80, 80a Antenna 83 Antenna Wire 91 First recess 92 Second recess 93 Circumference Areas 93a and 93b 100 End 110 First Plate 111 First member 112 Second member 120 Second Plate 210, 220, 230, 240 Conductive member 211, 221, 231 Conductive layer 212 Insulating layer 213 Adhesive layer 222, 232 protrusion 300 Card Case 310, 320 Cover part 330 Outer periphery 340 End 400, 410, 411 Envelope with card 420 Envelope 421 Window 422 Information printing section 430, 440, 450 mount 441, 451 Card attachment sheet 460, 470 Adhesive part 481, 482 folding line

Claims

1. A dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, a card base including an antenna therein; an IC module disposed in the recess of the card base and having an external connection terminal and an IC chip; the external connection terminal is arranged so as to be exposed on a surface of the card body, and is partitioned into a first terminal and a second terminal which are insulated from each other; the IC chip has first and second pads as electrical contacts; one end of the antenna is electrically connected to the first terminal and the first pad, and the other end of the antenna is electrically connected to the second terminal and the second pad; A dual interface IC card capable of contactless communication when the first terminal and the second terminal are not short-circuited.

2. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are terminals that are unused terminals in the contact IC card standard, or terminals that are not assigned as VCC, RST, CLK, GND or I / O.

3. The terminal may be disposed so as to extend from the first terminal to the second terminal, 3. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, further comprising a conductive member that can be arranged to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal and to insulate the first terminal and the second terminal from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal.

4. A card case capable of storing the dual interface IC card according to claim 1 or 2, a first cover portion and a second cover portion arranged with a gap therebetween and capable of storing the dual interface IC card along the gap; a conductive member formed on a surface of one of the first cover portion and the second cover portion facing the other of the first cover portion and the second cover portion, a card case in which the conductive member is formed to span from the first terminal to the second terminal of the external connection terminal when the dual interface IC card is stored, and is formed to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal and to be insulated from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal.

5. A card attachment sheet on which the dual interface IC card according to claim 1 or 2 is removably attached, A card mounting sheet comprising a conductive member arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal of the dual interface IC card mounted on the mounting sheet, so as to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal of the dual interface IC card mounted on the mounting sheet and to insulate the first terminal from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal.

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