Transaction card with discontinuous metal layer

Abstract

To provide a transaction card with inherent aesthetic appeal, maximum operability, and excellent manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a transaction card having a discontinuous metal layer with a desired degree of eddy current disruption disposed on the surface of a first layer, such as a glass or other transparent layer. A transaction module disposed on the first layer is electrically insulated from the discontinuous metal layer. The discontinuous metal layer may include a plurality of discrete metal members that form a halftone pattern, such as a pattern that appears opaque to the naked eye.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 032,911, entitled "TRANSACTION CARDS WITH DISCONTINUOUS METAL STRATA," filed June 1, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] Transaction cards comprising glass are described in numerous patents and applications, including, but not limited to, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,275,999 and 6,275,999. Similarly, transaction cards comprising metal are described in numerous patents and applications, including, but not limited to, U.S. Patent No. 6,275,999. One consideration in the design of metal cards with contactless or dual-interface transaction capabilities is that the metal in the metal layer tends to cause electromagnetic interference that can affect operability in the contactless mode. One advantage of metal cards is the overall weight, look, and feel of the card, which is desirable to consumers. While U.S. Patent No. 6,275,999 provides one design that maximizes contactless operability while maintaining the desirability of metal, there remains a need in the art for development of cards with inherent aesthetic appeal, maximized operability, and superior manufacturing costs.

[0003] Patent Document 4 and others disclose various combinations of metal and glass layers for transaction cards, and the combination of metal and glass offers unique opportunities for novel structures to meet the continuing desire for metal-containing cards with unique aesthetics and maximum operability in contactless mode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,269,032 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 8,756,680 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 9,390,366 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 8,725,589 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 154898 [Patent Document 6] US Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 291316 [Patent Document 7] US Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 236434 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Erb et al., "Uniform metal nanostructures with long-range order via three-step hierarchical self-assembly," Science Advances, Vol. 1, No. 10 (November 6, 2015) Summary of the Invention

[0006] One aspect of the present invention includes a transaction card comprising at least a first glass layer, a discontinuous metal layer disposed on a first surface of the glass layer and having a desired degree of eddy current disruption, and a contact, contactless, or dual interface transaction module disposed in the first glass layer and electrically insulated from the discontinuous metal layer.

[0007] In one embodiment, the discontinuous metal layer may comprise a metal layer having a plurality of discontinuities, and the discontinuities may be formed in a pattern, such as a halftone pattern, configured to avoid synchronization of eddy currents in adjacent metal regions in the presence of a predetermined level of energy, e.g., energy less than the maximum rated field strength of the contactless transaction card reader.

[0008] In other embodiments, the discontinuous metal layer may comprise a plurality of discrete metal features, which may form a pattern, e.g., a halftone pattern, in which each of the plurality of metal features is separated from an adjacent metal feature by at least a predetermined minimum distance, e.g., a distance calculated to avoid energy bridging between adjacent halftone dots in the presence of energy less than a predetermined level of energy, e.g., the maximum rated field strength of a contactless transaction card reader.

[0009] The halftone pattern of the discontinuous metal layer may comprise a plurality of metal members or discontinuities uniformly distributed across the first side of the card, or the halftone pattern may comprise a plurality of metal members, a plurality of discontinuities, or a combination thereof, where the uniform distribution has an uneven distribution that forms a halftone image. The halftone pattern may include a combination of metal members and non-metal members. In some embodiments, the halftone pattern forms a discontinuous layer that is perceived by the human eye as a continuous, opaque layer.

[0010] Some embodiments may include a second glass layer. In such embodiments, a discontinuous metal layer may be disposed between the first and second glass layers. The metallized booster antenna may be disposed on a surface of the second glass layer, electrically insulated from the discontinuous metal layer on the first layer of glass and coupled or configured to couple to the payment module. In some embodiments, the metallized booster antenna may be disposed on an inner surface of the second glass layer disposed between the first and second glass layers, e.g., with an electrically insulating (e.g., non-metallic) layer disposed between the discontinuous metal layer and the metallized booster antenna. In other embodiments, the metallized booster antenna may be disposed on an outer surface of the second glass layer facing outward from the first glass layer.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, the discontinuous metal layer is disposed on a first outer surface of the first glass layer and the metallized booster antenna is disposed on a second outer surface of the first glass layer.

[0012] A protective coating may be placed over the metallized antenna. The metallized booster antenna may be transparent, such as an antenna comprising indium tin oxide (ITO).

[0013] An electrically insulating material may be disposed between adjacent metal members of the discontinuous metal layer. The glass may comprise flexible or conformable glass, such as aluminosilicate, borosilicate, boron-containing aluminosilicate glass, sapphire glass, or ion-exchanged tempered glass. Additional layers of the card may include a printed ink layer, a laminate layer, a laser patterned layer, a coating layer, a photolithographic layer, a printed OLED layer, an embedded electronic circuit layer, or a vacuum deposited layer.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention includes a transaction card having a first layer, a discontinuous metal layer comprising a plurality of discrete metal members disposed on a first surface of the first layer and forming a halftone pattern, and a contact, contactless, or dual-interface transaction module disposed on the first layer and electrically insulated from the discontinuous metal layer. Each of the plurality of metal members is separated from an adjacent metal member by at least a predetermined minimum distance calculated to avoid energy bridging between adjacent halftone dots in the presence of a predetermined level of energy, e.g., energy less than the maximum field strength of a contactless transaction card reader. The first layer may comprise a non-metallic layer, e.g., a transparent material. The halftone pattern may be perceptible to the human eye as a continuous, opaque layer that conceals the visibility of an underlying layer, e.g., an underlying metal layer having a plurality of discontinuities.

[0015] According to an embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the discontinuous metal layer may include one or more transparent regions that allow visibility of an underlying surface or layer of the card, the underlying surface or layer visible through the transparent region comprising another discontinuous metal layer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a preferred glass layer of a transaction card having a discontinuous metal layer. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a plan view of a preferred portion of the card portion of FIG. 1A showing separate components of the core layer. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of a transaction card having a discontinuous metal layer on one side and a metallized antenna on the opposite side. [Figure 1D] FIG. 1D is a plan view of a preferred portion of a card having a continuous metal layer interrupted by holes in the metal layer. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a preferred transaction card embodiment having two glass layers and a discontinuous metal layer. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a preferred glass layer of a transaction card having a coating disposed over a discontinuous metal layer. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a preferred transaction card embodiment having two glass layers, a discontinuous metal layer, and a metallized antenna layer. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a preferred transaction card embodiment having multiple layers of glass and multiple discontinuous metal layers.

[0017] 1A and 1B, transaction card portion 10 includes substrate 12, discontinuous metal layer 14 including a plurality of discrete members 15, and transaction module 16. As referred to herein, a transaction module may be any module configured to perform any type of transaction that allows contact-only, contactless-only, or dual-interface (contact and contactless) interaction with a card reader, and in particular, a transaction module (sometimes referred to as a "payment module") configured to perform financial transactions commonly found with credit cards, debit cards, and the like. The contactless module includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit that operates in accordance with the ISO / IEC 14443 international standard for contactless smart card communications using radio frequency (RF) communications. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular type of transaction card or transaction module.

[0018] Substrate 12 is preferably a layer of glass, such as, but not limited to, flexible or conformal glass, e.g., aluminosilicate, borosilicate, boron-containing aluminosilicate glass, sapphire glass, or ion-exchanged tempered glass. Numerous examples of such flexible or conformal glass are known in the art and are preferred for their shatter-resistant properties and strength. Such glass is also denser than traditional plastic layers found in some transaction cards and therefore adds more weight or mass to the overall appearance of the card. While preferred embodiments comprise a flexible or conformal glass composition, the term "glass" as used herein refers to any material having any non-polymeric chemical composition (i.e., non-plastic), which is typically inorganic, typically contains SiO2 as a major component, is transparent or translucent, and includes amorphous, non-crystalline compounds as well as crystalline compounds, sometimes referred to as "quartz." Additionally, acceptable glass layers may include laminated glass (usually comprising one or more layers of glass and plastic, each bonded by an interlayer), "safety glass," including toughened (tempered) glass, and a type of glass known as engraved glass. While transparent or translucent glass layers may have certain advantages, embodiments of the present invention may also include embodiments having a core comprising other non-metallic or non-plastic materials (e.g., ceramics) that are opaque or exclusively translucent. While the core layer has been described as a single layer, the core layer may comprise a composite of multiple material layers, including multiple glass layers of the same or different types of glass.

[0019] The discontinuous metal layer 14 preferably comprises a plurality of discrete metal members 15. The term "layer" is used herein consistent with the Latin meaning of something "splayed out or laid down" to reflect that, at least in some embodiments, the discrete metal members do not form a continuous layer as in a bulk metal layer or foil layer. However, in other embodiments disclosed later herein, the discontinuous metal layer may form a continuous layer, although it may comprise a layer with a significant amount of eddy current decoupling between adjacent metal regions. In some embodiments, the discrete metal members are separate from the moment of formation, but in other embodiments, the metal layer may be processed to create eddy current decoupling between the members, or the members may have a spatial distance that provides the decoupling.

[0020] Suitable metals for the metal layer may include aluminum, silver, copper, gold, rhodium, tungsten, titanium, and alloys of the above metals, including alloys containing non-metallic elements (e.g., titanium nitride) to produce desired color effects, although the present invention is not limited to any particular metal or alloy. For example, numerous colored surface coatings of different colors can be obtained, for example, by PVD, such as gold (TiN), rose gold (ZrN), bronze (TiAlN), blue (TiAlN), black (TiAlCN), and dark red (ZrN). The metal member may also or alternatively be heat treated to achieve the desired color. While described as having a round cross-section, it should be understood that the member may have any cross-section. Similarly, although described as having a frustoconical shape in longitudinal cross-section, the member may have any shape in longitudinal cross-section, including hemispherical and rounded or flat tops. The term "separated" is intended to mean that each metal feature is separated from an adjacent metal feature by at least a predetermined minimum distance "d," as shown in FIG. 1B. Preferably, the predetermined minimum distance between adjacent features is calculated to avoid energy bridging between adjacent halftone dots in the presence of energy less than a predetermined level. In embodiments in which the metal features are not separated, the features otherwise have sufficient eddy current decoupling relative to one another to prevent eddy currents in adjacent metal regions from synchronizing at a predetermined level of energy to disrupt communication for processing a transaction at a desired distance between the card and the card reader. The predetermined energy level may correspond to a typical maximum rated field strength of a contactless transaction card reader. For example, typical energy density limits found at point-of-service (POS) terminals for contactless processing of transaction cards are 0.5-12.5 A / m 2 It may also include a range of values ​​(amperes per square meter).

[0021] The plurality of discrete metal members in the discontinuous metal layer preferably form a halftone pattern. The halftone pattern may be defined by a plurality of metal members uniformly distributed across the face of the card, or the plurality of metal members may be unevenly distributed to form a halftone image. As known in the art, halftoning is a technique that uses dots that are very small and spaced very closely together so that the human eye interprets the dots as a continuous tone. The size and / or spacing of the halftone dots may be varied to create effects such as a gradient between light and dark tones. Halftoning is commonly used, for example, in printing as a reprographic technique, where a gradient between light and dark tones may be used to create a grayscale image. Similarly, a combination of grayscale images printed in a halftone pattern using different color inks (e.g., cyan, yellow, magenta, and black in the CYMK color scheme) may be combined to form full-color printed content. In conventional printing, light-dark gradations may range from lighter tones, where each printed "dot" is separated from each neighboring dot, to darker tones, where the printed dots are very close together and adjacent dots of ink are connected to each other by separate ink-free holes. In embodiments of the present invention where it is important to minimize the effect of separation between metal elements on RF communication caused by the metal layer, the majority, or at least a substantial portion, of the metal elements preferably follow a metallization pattern in which each "dot" of the halftone pattern is separated from its neighbors. However, in embodiments where tone gradations are combined to create a visual image, at least some portion of the halftone image may include portions of the metallization pattern in which some halftone dots connect to each other. However, in general, the metallization pattern is positioned to avoid creating a continuous path of metal in at least selected areas of the card, and preferably between the edge of the card and the periphery of the payment module. A combination of a halftone pattern of separated metal elements in one area and discontinuities in bulk or foil metal in other areas may be provided.

[0022] The metal features may be applied by any method known in the art, including, but not limited to, physical or chemical vapor deposition processes in which dots are created directly on the glass substrate; depositing a solid layer or foil on the substrate and etching away the metal between the remaining features; or printing, such as by using inkjet, lithography, or additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) processes. For example, in one embodiment, photoresist may be deposited on the substrate and exposed to actinic radiation (e.g., UV) through a mask to harden the exposed portions of the photoresist and remove the unhardened portions. Metal may then be deposited using a deposition process (e.g., CVD or PVD) that creates metal features on the substrate in areas where there is no photoresist and deposits metal onto the photoresist where the photoresist remains. The photoresist is then removed, leaving behind the metal features. In this case, the mask is a negative mask that allows actinic radiation to pass through holes in the mask that correspond to the gaps between the metal features, so that hardened photoresist remains on the substrate in areas where it is not desired to deposit the metal features. In another process, a continuous metal layer is deposited on a substrate, for example by a PVD or CVD process, a photoresist is deposited over the metal layer, and the resist is exposed to actinic radiation through a positive mask with holes corresponding to the metal features. The uncured photoresist is removed, and an etching process is performed to etch away the metal in areas not protected by the photoresist. The photoresist is then removed, leaving the metal features. In yet another embodiment, the metal features may be formed from a continuous, solid metal layer, and unwanted portions of the metal are removed with focused energy, such as a laser or electron beam (focused electron beam), leaving only the metal features. In yet another embodiment, the metal features may be formed from metal particles contained in a curable or sinterable resin. In another embodiment, dot- or wire-shaped metal nanostructures may be prepared in arrays as self-assembled monolayers on diblock copolymer templates, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0023] While embodiments having discrete metal members have been primarily described, it should be understood that inverted designs may also provide sufficient eddy current decoupling between metal regions to allow sufficient RF transmission through the discontinuous metal layer. For example, as shown in FIG. 1D , the array of holes 12 in the metal layer 15 may be joined by one or more elongated discontinuities or slits, such as one or more lines 13, one or more of which preferably extend to the periphery of the card or communicate with non-metallic regions that extend to the periphery of the card. Multi-slit designs for metal layers are generally described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 971,439, filed February 7, 2020, entitled "Dual Interface Metal Transaction Devices and Processes for the Manufacturing Thereof," the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments providing spaces between metal members where at least some spaces are separate and do not communicate with adjacent spaces, a micromesh or nanomesh may be prepared and affixed to the substrate. Such metal mesh patterns can also benefit from the use of multiple slits or elongated discontinuities to break up metal areas that would otherwise interconnect and generate associated eddy currents that extend across relatively large portions of the card.

[0024] It should be understood that while in some embodiments, card portion 10 may constitute a bare, standalone card, in other embodiments, portion 10 may include one or more additional decorative or functional layers not depicted in FIG. 1A , including layers containing printed layers, protective layers, and other functional or aesthetic features common to transaction cards, including, but not limited to, security features such as holograms, codes (barcodes or QR codes), magnetic stripes, signature panels, printed layers, embossed layers, embedded electronics, etc. Methods for embedding electronic circuitry into cards are generally described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0129999, entitled “OVERMOLDED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS FOR TRANSACTION CARDS AND METHODS OF MAKING THEREOF,” filed June 14, 2019, which claims priority to or claims priority from this application, and related applications filed July 27, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The additional layers may include one or more of a printed ink layer, a laminate layer, a laser patterned layer, a coating layer, a photolithographic layer, a printed OLED layer, or a vacuum deposited layer. The relative dimensions of the various elements depicted in Figure 1 (and in any of the figures described herein) are not intended to be to scale.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 1C, a card embodiment is described that includes a card portion 10 comprising a first glass layer 12, a discontinuous metal layer 14 disposed on one side of the glass layer 12, and a metallized antenna 17 disposed on the opposite side of the glass layer. A transaction module 16 is disposed within the first glass layer 12. In other embodiments, an additional decorative or functional layer, such as a protective coating 18 (preferably transparent) over the metallized antenna 17, such as a UV- or thermally cured polymeric compound sometimes referred to as potting compound, may be present in any portion of the stack. The metallized booster antenna 17 may be transparent, such as formed from indium tin oxide (ITO). The metallized antenna 17 may be fabricated by any method known in the art, including depositing a continuous metal layer on the glass surface and etching away portions of the metal to leave the desired antenna structure. The booster antenna 17 inductively couples or physically or electrically connects to the transaction module 16 to enhance communication performance.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 2 , card embodiment 20 is described as including a first glass layer 22, a discontinuous metal layer 24 as described above, and a second glass layer 28, with a transaction module 26 disposed within the first glass layer 22. The metal layer 24 is disposed on the first glass layer 22 between the first glass layer 22 and the second glass layer 28. This location of the discontinuous metal layer 24 as an inner layer sandwiched between the outer glass layers 22, 28 protects the metal layer 24 from wear and tear. In other embodiments, additional decorative or functional layers may be present in any portion of the stack. While the transaction module 26 is described as being entirely disposed within the first glass layer 22, other embodiments may include a transaction module 26 extending through the discontinuous metal layer 24 and into the second glass layer 28. Although transaction module 26 is described as having a top surface that is flush with the exterior surface of card 20, as is common for contact or dual interface modules, contactless-only modules may be positioned completely below the top surface of card 20. Preferred cards having the designs described herein may include cards with transaction modules that are contact-only, contactless-only, or dual interface (DI).

[0027] Referring now to FIG. 3 , a card embodiment 30 includes a first glass layer 32, a discontinuous metal layer 34 as described above, a protective layer 37, and a transaction module 36 disposed within the first glass layer 32 and having a top surface flush with the top surface of the protective layer 37. As described, the protective layer 37 fills the gaps between the metal members 35 and is disposed over the discontinuous metal layer 34. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the protective layer 37 fills the gaps between the metal members 35 but does not extend over the discontinuous metal layer 34, and in other embodiments, the protective layer 37 may extend over the discontinuous metal layer 34 but not be present between the metal members 35. In still other embodiments, the protective layer 37 may only partially fill the gaps between the metal members 35. The protective layer 37 is preferably a non-metallic layer that acts as an electrical disconnect and insulator; the isolation and insulating effect can allow for smaller spacing between members while causing less interference to RF communications than without the isolation / insulation layer. In other embodiments, additional decorative or functional layers may be present in any portion of the stack. To the extent necessary or desired, protective layer 37 may include an infrared blocking compound in any implementation that would benefit from such a blockage, particularly to comply with card ATM standards. For example, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 may include the metallized antenna layer shown in FIG. 1C, with or without protective layer 37 covering the metallized antenna layer.

[0028] Referring now to FIG. 4 , a card embodiment 40 includes a first glass layer 42, a discontinuous metal layer 44, a payment module 46 disposed in the first glass layer 42, a second glass layer 48, and a metalized antenna layer 47 disposed over the second glass layer 48. The discontinuous metal layer 44 and the metalized antenna 47 are both disposed on the inner surfaces of the first and second glass layers 42, 48, respectively, facing each other, and may include a non-metallic layer 45 (e.g., a PVC, PET, or other polymeric and / or adhesive layer) disposed between the discontinuous metal layer 44 and the metalized antenna 47 to insulate and separate the antenna layer 47 from the discontinuous metal layer 44. A layer 49 on the outer surface of the second glass layer 48 may comprise a printed ink layer, a laminate layer, a laser patterned layer, a coating layer, a photolithographic layer, a printed OLED layer, or a vacuum deposited layer. Additional decorative or functional layers may also be present in any portion of the stack. In some embodiments, the laminate layer may be a metal layer, preferably an RF-invisible or nearly invisible metal layer, that is otherwise continuous but has one or more discontinuities, e.g., in the nature of elongated slits, as described in the above-referenced U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 971,439.

[0029] While not limited to any particular configuration, the metal features 15 are preferably disposed on the glass layer at a density of at least 32 dots per inch (DPI) (12.6 dots per centimeter (dpcm)), and may range from 32 to 6.5×10 (6.5E14) DPI (12.6 to 2.56×10 (2.56E14) dpcm) (the current technological upper limit for electron beam lithography), and more preferably from 480 to 4800 DPI (190 to 1900 dpcm) in embodiments in which the halftone pattern is intended to give the discontinuous layer an opaque appearance. Notably, the term DPI (or dpcm) generally relates to the number of dots per unit of linear vertical measure, while LPI (or lines per inch) generally relates to the number of horizontal lines per unit of linear vertical measure of the printing process. Many printing processes have different capabilities in one direction compared to another. As used herein, the DPI or DPCM metrics are intended to refer to either or both the horizontal or vertical dimensions, with horizontal referring to the relatively longer dimension of the card and vertical referring to the relatively shorter dimension of the card.

[0030] Other embodiments may include elements 15 large enough in size to be visually recognizable to the human eye to form an intended pattern, which may include a geometric arrangement of dots creating an image or a visual pattern formed using pointillism art techniques. Elements 15 may be provided in different types of metals or combinations of metals and non-metals, with different types of elements having different color tones for graphical / artistic purposes. For example, dots may range from metals with a silver hue (e.g., aluminum) to metals with a black hue (e.g., black ruthenium or black nickel) to create a two-tone graphic.

[0031] The use of two or more different color tones may be used to create a four-color printed image or to create a visual image with different color tones, including similar tones. For example, color preferences for metallic materials such as ZrN (red), TiAlN (blue), TiN (gold), and TiAlCN (black) may be used to approximate the corresponding separations of a CMYK image. In a combination of metal and non-metal, the non-metal may, for example, include an ink having the same color tone as the metal, thereby allowing the metallic elements to remain at predetermined intervals to create a visual effect incorporating darker tones. In other embodiments, non-metallic inks may be used in combination with metallic halftone patterns that substitute for one or more colors of the four-color separations. For example, a four-color image may be formed from a combination of yellow and black elements formed from conductive (or relatively more conductive) metals (e.g., gold for yellow and black nickel for black) and magenta and cyan elements formed from non-conductive (or relatively less conductive) inks. However, in other embodiments, the darker and lighter tones may be formed entirely of metal members, with some areas of relatively darker tones including metallic halftone dots that are not completely separated from one another within the darker tones, and relatively lighter tones where multiple metallic halftone dots are all separated from one another.

[0032] The relatively lighter and darker areas may be created by FM or AM dot frequency modulation, where FM modulation involves using dots of the same size throughout the visual pattern with variations in dot spacing to create tonal variations, and AM modulation involves using dots of different sizes with the same relative spacing in the centers to create tonal variations. As is known in the art of halftone printing, a combination of AM and FM modulation may also be used, for example, with AM modulation used in one part of the tonal range and FM modulation used in another.

[0033] Although this specification has been primarily described with respect to using a plurality of electrically insulating members on a glass layer, it should be understood that the methods described herein may be practiced on any type of substrate, including non-glass transparent (or translucent) polymer substrates such as, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), including, but not limited to, high density polyester (HDPE), low density polyester (LDPE), and glycol modified polyester (PETG), polycarbonate, acrylic (polymethlamethacrylate), butyrate (cellulose acetate butyrate), glass reinforced epoxy laminate materials (e.g., FR4), polypropylene, and polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and non-transparent / non-translucent substrates including ceramics. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to use a halftone pattern as described herein to conceal an underlying layer, such as a layer having discontinuities, such as in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 971,439, filed March 22, 2018 (Status: Pending), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 623,936, filed January 30, 2018, entitled "DI CAPACITIVE EMBEDDED METAL CARD," the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0034] Embodiments may include a combination of a first transparent layer having a discontinuous metal layer with discrete metal members and a second transparent layer having a discontinuous metal layer with multiple discontinuities. A card may also include one or more transparent layers, with a discontinuous metal layer with discrete metal members in one region of the layer and a continuous metal region with multiple discontinuities in another region. Some regions of the transparent layer may be free of metal, allowing transparency to other layers of the card (including transparency of a first metal layer on a first surface of the layer, allowing visibility of a second metal layer on a second surface of the layer). Multiple transparent layers may each have corresponding discontinuous layers covering less than all of one or more surfaces of each layer, and may include transparent areas providing visibility to underlying surfaces or layers in a pattern combination that creates a three-dimensional optical effect. Thus, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a card 50 may have a first transparent layer 58 in which a transaction module 56 is embedded. Second transparent layer 52 may have metal-free regions 51 that allow visibility of first discontinuous metal layer 54 disposed on its first surface and second discontinuous metal layer 53 on the opposite surface of layer 52. Although not shown, additional transparent (non-metallic) regions may be present in layer 53 that allow visibility of additional underlying layers (not shown). In embodiments having transparent regions, the transparent regions may be sufficiently opaque (i.e., meeting ISO / IEC 10373 standards) to block infrared (IR) wavelengths used by card-sensing devices (e.g., automated teller machines (ATMs) that typically use LEDs with wavelengths of 860 or 950 nm). IR-blocking capabilities may be provided by additives, coatings, or layers with IR-filtering properties in the transparent material that forms the substrate (or another layer).

[0035] Although the invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications of the details may be made within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims without departing from the invention.

Claims

1. at least a first glass layer; a discontinuous metal layer disposed on a first surface of the glass layer and having some degree of eddy current decoupling, the discontinuous metal layer including a plurality of discrete metal members, a plurality of discontinuities forming a pattern recognizable to the human eye, or a combination thereof; a contact, contactless, or dual interface transaction module disposed in the first glass layer and electrically insulated from the discontinuous metal layer, The transaction card, wherein the plurality of discrete metallic members, the plurality of discontinuities, or a combination thereof, form a halftone pattern.

2. A transaction card as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of discontinuities are configured to avoid synchronization of eddy currents in adjacent metal regions in the presence of energy less than a predetermined level.

3. A transaction card as described in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of discrete metal members is separated from an adjacent metal member by at least a predetermined minimum distance.

4. A transaction card as described in claim 3, wherein the predetermined minimum distance is a distance calculated to avoid energy bridging between adjacent halftone dots in the presence of energy less than a predetermined level of energy.

5. The transaction card of claim 2, wherein the predetermined level of energy comprises a maximum field strength of a contactless transaction card reader.

6. The transaction card of claim 1, further comprising a second glass layer and a metalized booster antenna disposed on a surface of the second glass layer, the metalized booster antenna being coupled or configured to be coupled to the transaction module and being electrically insulated from the discontinuous metal layer on the first glass layer.

7. A transaction card as described in claim 6, wherein the metallized booster antenna is transparent.

8. The transaction card of claim 7, wherein the metallized booster antenna comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

9. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous metal layer is disposed on a first outer surface of the first glass layer.

10. The transaction card of claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulating material disposed between adjacent metal members within the discontinuous metal layer.

11. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the first glass layer comprises flexible or conformal glass.

12. The transaction card of claim 6, wherein one or both of the first and second glass layers comprises flexible or conformal glass.

13. The transaction card of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional layers.

14. The transaction card of claim 13, wherein the one or more additional layers are selected from the group consisting of a printed ink layer, a laminate layer, a laser patterned layer, a coating layer, a photolithography layer, a printed OLED layer, an embedded electronic circuit layer, or a vacuum deposited layer.

15. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous metal layer includes one or more transparent areas that allow an underlying surface or layer of the card to be viewed.

16. The transaction card of claim 15, wherein the lower surface or layer visible through the one or more transparent regions includes another discontinuous metal layer.

17. A first layer; a discontinuous metal layer disposed on a first surface of the first layer, the discontinuous metal layer comprising a plurality of discrete metal members forming a halftone pattern discernible to the human eye; a contact, contactless, or dual interface transaction module disposed within the first layer and electrically isolated from the discontinuous metal layer.

18. A transaction card as described in claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of separated metal members is separated from an adjacent metal member by a predetermined minimum distance calculated to avoid energy bridging between at least adjacent separated metal members in the presence of energy less than a predetermined level of energy including the maximum field strength of a contactless transaction card reader.

19. The transaction card of claim 17, wherein the first layer comprises a non-metallic layer.

20. The transaction card of claim 19, wherein the non-metallic layer comprises a transparent material.

21. The transaction card of claim 19, further comprising a lower layer disposed below the non-metallic layer, wherein the halftone pattern is perceptible to the human eye as a continuous opaque layer that conceals the visibility of the lower layer.

22. The transaction card of claim 21, wherein the lower layer comprises a metal layer.

23. The transaction card of claim 22, wherein the lower metal layer comprises a plurality of discontinuities.

24. The transaction card of claim 17, wherein the plurality of separated metal members are configured to avoid synchronization of eddy currents in adjacent metal regions when a predetermined level of energy is present.

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