Dual-interface IC card and card case

Abstract

To provide a dual interface IC card for which whether to enable non-contact communication can be selected in accordance with the intention of a user, which can be designed or manufactured easily, and which can suppress reduction in design property or operation reliability, and a card case for storing the IC card.SOLUTION: An IC card 1 includes a card substrate 2 including an antenna 80 therein, and an IC module 70 arranged in a recess and equipped with an external connection terminal 71 and an IC chip 74a. The external connection terminal 71 is arranged so as to be exposed to a surface of the card substrate 2, wherein a first terminal and a second terminal insulated from each other are sectioned, one of which is electrically connected to a first pad of the IC chip 74a and the other one is electrically connected to one end of the antenna 80. The other end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to a second pad which is different from the first pad of the IC chip 74a. Only when the first terminal and the second terminal are short circuited, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 form a closed circuit to enable non-contact communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , ,

[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, and a card case for housing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as IC cards, contact IC cards that input and output electrical signals through external connection terminals on the card surface, and non-contact IC cards that input and output electrical signals by electromagnetic induction or the like through an antenna have become widespread. In addition to these, dual interface IC cards that combine the functions of a contact IC card and a non-contact IC card with a single IC chip provided in the card are also used. Dual interface IC cards can be used as contact IC cards that are effective in suppressing external leakage of input / output data during financial settlement, and as highly convenient non-contact IC cards that exchange data in a proximity state for entering and leaving the workplace or for ticket gates at stations.

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

[0004] To deter such skimming, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a contactless IC card equipped with a pressure-sensitive switch whose contacts are in the off state under normal circumstances when no external pressure is applied, and which switch to the on state when external pressure is applied. When no external pressure is applied to the pressure-sensitive switch, the contacts of the pressure-sensitive switch remain in the off state, and the IC chip remains in a state where it cannot communicate with the outside. On the other hand, when external pressure is applied to the pressure-sensitive switch, the contacts of the pressure-sensitive switch switch to the on state, thereby setting the IC chip to a state where it can communicate with the outside via the antenna.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a contactless IC card having an instruction acquisition means for acquiring an instruction on whether or not to allow data transmission, and a blocking means for preventing the data from reaching an external device when it is instructed not to allow data transmission. In this contactless IC card, the instruction acquisition means has a switch that opens and closes an electric current path, detects changes in the state of the switch, and acquires the detection result as an instruction on whether or not to allow data transmission. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-131092 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2001 / 024108 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] While adding a mechanical on / off switch to a dual-interface IC card can prevent unintended contactless communication, attaching a new switch mechanism to the card increases the design and manufacturing burden and reduces aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, the increased complexity of the configuration leads to reduced operational reliability against repeated bending and twisting of the card.

[0008] This disclosure is made in light of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a dual-interface IC card and a card case for housing it, which allows the user to select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to their intentions, is easy to design and manufacture, and suppresses a decline in design and operational reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The first configuration of the dual-interface IC card according to this embodiment, which enables contact and contactless communication with external devices, comprises a card base including an antenna inside, and an IC module disposed in a recess of the card base and having an external connection terminal and an IC chip. The external connection terminal is disposed so as to be exposed on the surface of the card base and is divided into a first terminal and a second terminal which are insulated from each other. Either the first terminal or the second terminal is electrically connected to a first pad of the IC chip, and the other is electrically connected to one end of the antenna. The other end of the antenna is electrically connected to a second pad different from the first pad of the IC chip. Contactless communication is possible only when the first terminal and the second terminal are short-circuited, as the IC chip and the antenna form a closed circuit.

[0010] Furthermore, in a dual-interface IC card relating to a second configuration according to another form of this implementation, the first terminal and the second terminal in the first configuration may be terminals that are designated as unused terminals in the contact-type IC card standard, or terminals that are not assigned as VCC, RST, CLK, GND, or I / O.

[0011] Furthermore, a dual-interface IC card relating to a third configuration in another form of this embodiment may further include a conductive member that can be arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal in the first or second configuration, short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal, and insulate from other terminals located between the first terminal and the second terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, a card case capable of housing a dual-interface IC card according to a fourth configuration in another form of this embodiment comprises a first cover portion and a second cover portion arranged with a gap between them, capable of housing a dual-interface IC card of the first configuration or the second configuration along the gap, and a conductive member formed on the surface of either the first cover portion or the second cover portion facing the other, wherein 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 housed therein, short-circuits the first terminal and the second terminal, and is insulated from other terminals arranged between the first terminal and the second terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a dual-interface IC card and a card case for housing it, which allows the user to select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to their intentions, is easy to design and manufacture, and suppresses a decline in design and operational reliability. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a plan view and an enlarged view of the IC module illustrating the structure of a dual-interface IC card according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a view of the IC module from the opposite side compared to Figure 1(b). [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the section cut along line AA in Figure 1(a). [Figure 4]It is an enlarged view of the card substrate when the IC module is removed. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram of the conductive member according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram of the card case according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram of the card case. [Figure 8] It is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 1(b) showing a conventional IC module.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, an example of the dual interface IC card of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the dual interface IC card of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples described below.

[0016] In addition, each of the figures shown below is schematically shown. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are exaggerated as appropriate for easy understanding. Also, in each figure, the hatching indicating the cross-section of the member is appropriately omitted. The numerical values and material names of the dimensions and the like of each member described in this specification are examples as embodiments, and are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms specifying shapes and geometric conditions, such as terms like parallel, orthogonal, perpendicular, etc., shall include not only the strictly meant state but also a substantially same state.

[0017] 1. First Embodiment An example of the first embodiment of the dual interface IC card of the present disclosure will be described. The IC card 1 is a dual interface IC card. Here, for convenience of explanation, an XYZ coordinate system is set for the IC card 1. First, as shown in FIG. 1(a), FIG. 3, etc., the Z axis is taken in the normal direction of the main surface of the IC card 1. Then, from the main surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 is not arranged, the direction from the main surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 is arranged is defined as the +Z direction or the upper direction in the thickness direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction or the lower direction in the thickness direction.

[0018] Also, when the IC card 1 is viewed from the +Z direction, a straight line perpendicular to both short sides of the IC card 1 and the Z axis is taken as the X axis. Also, the direction from one short side closer to the external connection terminal 71 to the other short side is defined as the +X direction or the right direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction or the left direction. Further, an axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Z axis is taken as the Y axis, and the direction from one long side farther from the external connection terminal 71 to the other long side is defined as the +Y direction or the upper direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction or the lower direction.

[0019] FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the IC card 1 viewed from the +Z direction. FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged view for explaining the internal configuration of the IC module 70 in the IC card 1 of FIG. 1(a), and the IC chip 74a, the mold part 74b, the wire 75, etc. arranged on the -Z direction side of the external connection terminal 71, that is, the back side of the paper surface, are shown by broken lines. FIG. 2(a) is a view of the IC module 70 in FIG. 1(b) viewed from the -Z direction side which is the back side excluding the card substrate 2. FIG. 2(b) is a view for explaining the chip 74a in FIG. 2(a). FIG. 3 is a view of the cross section of the IC card 1 in FIG. 1(a) cut along the A-A line parallel to the X axis viewed from the -Y direction. Also, FIG. 4 is a view showing the configuration of the card substrate 2 with the IC module 70 removed in FIG. 1(b).

[0020] As shown in Figure 1(a), the IC card 1 has the form of a thin, roughly rectangular plate with rounded corners when viewed from the +Z direction in a plan view. Furthermore, on the +Z-side surface of the dual-interface IC card, an IC module 70 including an external connection terminal 71 is positioned slightly to the upper left of the center, i.e., closer to the -X direction and closer to the +Y direction than the center. As shown in Figures 1(b) and 3, the IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and is positioned so that the +Z-side surface of the external connection terminal 71 is substantially flush with the +Z-side surface of the card base 2. This form of the IC card 1 conforms to the international IC card standard ISO / IEC 7816-1. Additionally, as shown in Figure 1(b), the external connection terminal 71 has defined sections as defined by the ISO / IEC 7816-2 and ISO / IEC 7816-3 standards.

[0021] This standard specifies the following external terminals: C1 (supply voltage input terminal), C2 (reset signal input terminal), C3 (clock signal input terminal), C5 (signal ground terminal), and C7 (series data input or output terminal). C6 is a standard or individually-use terminal and is not normally used. C4 and C8 are unused terminals reserved for future use. C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 can be abbreviated as VCC, RST, CLK, GND, and I / O, respectively.

[0022] The detailed configuration will be described later, but as shown in Figure 2(b), the IC chip 74a has multiple pads 74p formed on it, and each of the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a is electrically connected to terminals C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 of the external connection terminal 71 via conductive wires 75. It is also electrically connected to the unused terminal C8. In addition, one of the pads 74p of the IC chip 74a other than those mentioned above is electrically connected via conductive wires 75 to only one of the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b formed on the side of the substrate 72 opposite to the external connection terminal 71, namely terminal 73b. Furthermore, the antenna connection terminal 73a and the unused terminal C4 are electrically connected via conductive wires 75.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 3, the antenna connection terminal 73a is electrically connected to the conductive first plate 110 via the conductive adhesive layer 11. The first plate 110 is welded to one end of the antenna wire 83. Furthermore, the antenna connection terminal 73b is also electrically connected to the conductive second plate 120 via the conductive adhesive layer 11, and the second plate 120 is welded to the other end of the antenna wire 83. Thus, the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to both ends of the antenna wire 83.

[0024] On the other hand, since the pad 74p of the IC chip 74a and the antenna connection terminal 73b are electrically connected via the wire 75, the IC chip 74a and one end of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected via the antenna connection terminal 73b. However, since there is no connection of the wire 75 between the pad 74p of the IC chip 74a and the antenna connection terminal 73a, the IC chip 74a and the other end of the antenna wire 83 are not electrically connected, resulting in a broken communication circuit formed by the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80.

[0025] Here, if terminals C4 and C8 can be made electrically conductive, then the pad 74p of the IC chip 74a and the antenna connection terminal 73a will also be electrically conductive, allowing the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 to form a closed communication circuit. Conversely, if terminals C4 and C8 are open, i.e., insulated, then a part of the communication circuit formed by the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 will be disconnected. As a result, the IC card 1 cannot perform contactless communication unless terminals C4 and C8 are short-circuited, and contactless communication can only be intentionally enabled for the IC card 1 when terminals C4 and C8 are short-circuited. Short-circuiting terminals C4 and C8 can be easily achieved by methods such as attaching a seal-like conductive material across both terminals.

[0026] Thus, the IC card 1, which is a dual-interface IC card of the first embodiment, comprises a card base 2 including an antenna 80 inside, and an IC module 70 disposed in a recess 9 of the card base 2 and equipped with 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 is divided into C4 terminal and C8 terminal, which are insulated from each other. Either C4 terminal or C8 terminal is electrically connected to a first pad, which is one of the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip, and the other is electrically connected to one end of the antenna.

[0027] In this embodiment, terminals C4 and C8 act as switches to open and close the communication circuit formed by the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80, and such distinct terminals can be referred to as the first terminal and the second terminal. The other end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to a second pad of the IC chip 74a that is different from the first pad, and only when the first and second terminals are short-circuited does the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 form a closed circuit, enabling contactless communication.

[0028] Because the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment has the above configuration, the user can select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to their intentions by simply short-circuiting terminals C4 and C8 at the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70. Furthermore, since the IC card 1 does not have a configuration that adds any special mechanical switches, its design and manufacturing are easier compared to ordinary IC cards, and a decrease in design quality and operational reliability can be suppressed.

[0029] The configuration of the IC card 1 of this embodiment and the details of its manufacturing method are described below.

[0030] (a) Card base The card base 2 refers to the card body of the IC card 1, excluding the IC module 70. As shown in Figure 3, the card base 2 typically has a structure in which an oversheet layer 8, an inner layer 7, antenna holding layers 6 and 5, an inner layer 4, and an oversheet layer 3 are stacked in this order from one end on the -Z direction side in the thickness direction. An antenna 80 is also arranged between the antenna holding layers 6 and 5, including an antenna wire 83 wound in a loop shape and formed from a covered conductor or the like, and a plate-shaped end 100.

[0031] The card base 2 may refer to both the form before the recess 9 is formed and the form after the recess 9 is formed, and may refer to both the form without the antenna 80 and the form with 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 side and the second plate 120 on the +X side, which are arranged toward each other along the X axis.

[0032] In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 80 is described as a single conductor wound in a loop without any branches, but the disclosure is not limited to this, and also includes cases where the antenna wire 83 is appropriately branched and has three or more ends. In addition, three or more plate-shaped end pieces 100 can be arranged depending on the number of ends of the antenna wire 83.

[0033] Furthermore, the layer configuration of the card substrate 2 is not limited to those described above; it may also be a three-layer configuration of an oversheet layer, an antenna retaining layer, and another oversheet layer, or a two-layer configuration of an antenna retaining layer and another antenna retaining layer. Alternatively, the layer configuration of the card substrate 2 may be a multilayer configuration of eight or more layers, such as an oversheet layer, a second inner layer, a first inner layer, an antenna retaining layer, an antenna retaining layer, a first inner layer, a second inner layer, and an oversheet layer. In addition, printing or embedding of a magnetic stripe may be applied to the surface of the oversheet layer 3 or 8 of the card substrate 2 that is opposite to the inner layer 4 or 7, and printing may be applied to the surface of the inner layer 4 or 7 adjacent to the oversheet layer 3 or 8.

[0034] From the standpoint of conforming to standards such as ISO / IEC 7816-1, the thickness of the card base 2 is preferably 0.76 mm or more and 0.84 mm or less, but it may be outside this range.

[0035] (i) Inner layer The inner layer is also called the core layer. A wide variety of white or colored plastic sheets can be used for inner layers 4 and 7, and the following single films or composite films thereof can be used. 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-based materials, ABS, polyacrylic acid ester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. The thickness of inner layers 4 and 7 can be appropriately selected considering the overall thickness of the card, but for example, it can be between 0.10 mm and 0.38 mm.

[0036] (ii) Antenna holding layer The antenna retaining layer is also called the core layer, similar to the inner layer. The antenna retaining layers 5 and 6 have the function of sandwiching and holding the antenna 80, and a wide range of plastic sheets similar to those used for the inner layers 4 and 7 can be used. The antenna retaining layers 5 and 6 may be made of the same material as the inner layers 4 and 7, or they may be made of different materials. The thickness of the antenna retaining layers 5 and 6 can be appropriately selected considering the overall thickness of the card, but for example, it can be between 0.10 mm and 0.38 mm.

[0037] (iii) Oversheet layer For the oversheet layers 3 and 8, the same material as the inner layer and antenna retaining layer is usually used, but transparent materials with a thickness of approximately 0.05 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less are often used. From the viewpoint of preventing curling when the laminate of the inner layer, antenna retaining layer and oversheet layer is integrated by heat pressing or the like, it is preferable that the thicknesses of the oversheet layers 3 and 8 are the same, but they do not necessarily have to be the same. This point also applies to the inner layers 4 and 7 and the antenna retaining layers 5 and 6 mentioned above.

[0038] The material of the oversheet layer can be any material that becomes adhesive when heated. However, even if the oversheet layer itself does not become adhesive when heated, the two can be integrated by adding a layer of a known adhesive that generates adhesive force when heated between the inner layer and the oversheet layer. Furthermore, when the IC card 1 is used as a magnetic card, a magnetic stripe may be pre-embedded in either or both of the oversheet layers 3 and 8 on the main surface side opposite to either or both of the inner layers 4 and 7 by thermal transfer or the like.

[0039] (iv) Antenna sheet In this embodiment, as will be described later, an antenna 80 is formed on one surface of the antenna holding layer 5 or 6, and both ends of the 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 end portions 100. The formation of the antenna 80 on the antenna holding layer 5 or 6 is carried out, 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 by applying heat and pressure or the like before lamination. At this time, adhesive may be applied to the surface of the antenna holding layer 6 before placing the first plate 110 and the second plate 120. The first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction at the planned mounting position of the IC module 70, and a portion of them is positioned to overlap with the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 when mounted.

[0040] Subsequently, 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 insulated conductor, the antenna wire 83, which is covered with an insulating material, is embedded into the surface of the antenna holding layer 6 by a winding machine. That is, while applying a predetermined heat pressure to the antenna wire 83, the antenna supply head is drawn in a loop shape as shown in Figure 1(a), and the antenna wire 83 supplied from the antenna supply head is sequentially embedded into the antenna holding layer 6. The embedded antenna wire 83 is cut, and the tip of the cut antenna wire 83 is welded to the other of the first plate 110 or the second plate 120, using the cut tip as the endpoint.

[0041] The starting and ending ends of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected to either the first plate 110 or the second plate 120 by welding. In this way, an 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 is sometimes referred to as the antenna sheet 12. The antenna sheet 12 can be distributed to the market as a component for manufacturing the IC card 1 on its own. Alternatively, a business model may exist in which sheet material such as the antenna holding layer is supplied to a processing company, which processes it into an antenna sheet 12 and delivers it to the supplier.

[0042] (v) antenna In the antenna 80 formed on the antenna holding layer 5 or 6, the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 are electrically connected to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are a pair of ends 100 to which multiple ends of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected. As a result, the IC chip 74a and antenna 80 of the IC module 70 constitute a contactless communication circuit. This communication circuit may, for example, perform proximity communication using the 13.56 MHz HF frequency band specified in ISO / IEC 18092 or ISO / IEC 144443. Alternatively, it may perform communication using other frequencies, such as the 920 MHz UHF frequency band, the 125 kHz LF frequency band, or the 2.45 GHz microwave frequency band.

[0043] When the IC card 1 is held over an external device such as a reader / writer, the communication circuit generates an electromotive force and current due to the magnetic field and radio waves formed by the reader / writer, supplying power to the IC chip 74a. This enables the IC chip 74a to be driven, allowing for contactless transmission and reception of information with the reader / writer, and enabling reading and rewriting of information in the memory.

[0044] The antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 is typically formed from a coated conductor, in which a copper wire is covered with an insulating material. In addition, copper alloy wires such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, and Cu-Be, or various metal wires and metal alloy wires such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum can also be selected. By using coated conductors, the IC card 1 can be manufactured at a lower cost compared to methods such as copper foil etching. However, the IC card 1 of this disclosure may also use antenna wires formed by copper foil etching or metal foil punching.

[0045] The diameter of the antenna wire 83 is not particularly limited as long as it ensures the characteristics of a non-contact communication circuit, but for example it can be 0.03 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, preferably 0.05 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less. By using the latter range, durability against heat and pressure from embedding and external forces from cutting can be improved, and good communication characteristics can be ensured.

[0046] (vi) Ends (first plate and second plate) Next, the details of the configuration of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are the conductive end portion 100, will be described. Both the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are substantially rectangular plate-shaped 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 Figure 4, in this plan view, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 have a region that overlaps with the first recess 91, that is, a region exposed from the card base 2, and a region that is located outside the first recess 91 and embedded inside the card base 2.

[0047] In other words, as shown in Figure 4, in the plan view, the lines that overlap the -X-direction side 93a and the +X-direction side 93b of the outer circumference 93 of the recess 9 are denoted as lines m1 and m2, respectively. In this case, the area of ​​the first plate 110 on the +X-direction side of line m1 is exposed from the card base 2 in the first recess 91, and the area on the -X-direction side of line m1 is covered by the card base 2. Similarly, the area of ​​the second plate 120 on the -X-direction side of line m2 is exposed from the card base 2 in the first recess 91, and the area on the +X-direction side of line m2 is covered by the card base 2.

[0048] 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, the same as the width of the first recess 91, and is narrower than the width W11 including the covering portion by the card base 2. Also, the height 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 mounted is included within the area of ​​the first plate 110 with a height of W2 and a width of W12. This is because a stable contact area for electrical connection between the antenna connection terminal 73a and the first plate 110 can be obtained. The same applies to the second plate 120.

[0049] Furthermore, because a portion of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are covered by the card base 2 in this manner, the holding effect of 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 enhanced. Therefore, the plates are less likely to detach from the card base 2 and become misaligned.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 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 side of the first member 111. In this case, it is preferable that the second member 112 is a material that is less susceptible to oxidation than the first member 111. A material that is less susceptible to oxidation can be rephrased as, for example, if both the first member 111 and the second member 112 are metals, then the second member 112 is a metal with a lower ionization tendency than the first member 111. As an example of such metals, the first member 111 can be aluminum, iron, nickel, or copper, and the second member 112 can be silver, palladium, platinum, or gold.

[0051] Considering the ease of material procurement, cost, processability, and electrical properties, it is preferable to use highly conductive copper as the first component 111 and silver plating as the second component 112 among those listed above. This is because by using copper, which can ensure sufficient conductivity, as the first component 111, and using silver, which is resistant to oxidation and easily exposes the metal interface when cutting the resin layer with an end mill, as the plating for the second component 112, it is possible to obtain good electrical properties and processability while suppressing cost increases.

[0052] On the other hand, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 do not have the laminated structure of two or three or more layers described above, and may be made of only a single material. In this case, the single material is limited to a conductive material, and for example, the materials described above as the first material 111 and the second material 112, or their alloys, can be used. Preferably, highly conductive materials such as copper, aluminum, or stainless steel can be selected. Using a single material makes material procurement and processing easier and leads to cost reduction.

[0053] In this embodiment, as described above, a configuration is described in which multiple ends of the antenna wire 83 are welded to a pair of end plates 100, namely the first plate 110 and the second plate 120. However, it is not necessarily required that the ends of the antenna wire 83 be connected to such plates. For example, the multiple ends of the antenna wire 83 can be folded back multiple times in a zigzag, meander, or bellows shape, thereby performing the same function as the plates described above.

[0054] (b) IC module Next, the main components of the IC module 70 will be described, primarily based on Figures 1(b), 2(a), 2(b), and 3. The IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and the 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 via the conductive adhesive layer 11, thereby forming a contactless communication circuit. At this time, contact communication with a contact-type reader / writer, etc., can be performed through the external connection terminal 71 provided by the IC module 70.

[0055] The substrate 72 is formed by bonding copper foil to both sides of a flexible insulating resin film, such as glass epoxy resin or polyimide resin, via adhesive, and leaving some of the copper foil bonded to the resin film to form a predetermined pattern. Specifically, the process involves sequentially applying a photosensitive material, placing a film plate with the predetermined pattern formed on it, exposure, and etching away the non-photosensitive areas, so that an external connection terminal 71 is formed on one copper foil surface of the resin film and antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are formed on the other copper foil surface. This forms a substrate 72 in which some of the copper foil with the predetermined pattern remains on both sides of the resin film. In addition, the substrate 72 is pre-provided with multiple bonding holes 76, which are through holes for wire bonding to the external connection terminal 71.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1(b), the external connection terminal 71 has defined sections for each external terminal as defined by the ISO / IEC 7816-2 standard. Specifically, as mentioned above, the external connection terminal 71 is defined as having terminal C1 (supply voltage input terminal), terminal C2 (reset signal input terminal), terminal C3 (clock signal input terminal), terminal C5 (signal ground terminal), and terminal C7 (series data input or output terminal). Terminal C6 is a standard or individually used terminal and is not normally used, while terminals C4 and C8 are reserved as unused terminals for future use. Each of these terminal areas is demarcated by an insulating groove 71a. Specifically, the external connection terminal 71 has terminal areas of a predetermined pattern formed on one surface of an insulating substrate 72 using copper foil or the like, and the insulating groove 71a is the area where the copper foil is interrupted and the substrate 72 is exposed.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1(b), terminals C1 to C4 are partitioned from top to bottom in the area to the left of the external connection terminal 71 when viewed from the +Z direction, and terminals C5 to C8 are partitioned from top to bottom in the area to the right. Terminal C5 extends downwards from the center of the external connection terminal 71, but this arrangement is not necessarily required, and areas insulated from any of terminals C1 to C8 may be partitioned. Note that in Figures 1(b) and 8, the lead wires to the IC chip 74a, molded part 74b, bonding hole 76, pad 74p, and antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b, which are located further back on the page than the external connection terminal 71 and are shown with dashed lines, should ideally be dashed. However, in order to clearly distinguish between wire 75 and lead wires, all lead wires are deliberately shown as solid lines.

[0058] The side of the IC chip 74a facing away from the substrate 72 is the circuit side, and a circuit pattern and multiple pads 74p, which are electrodes, are provided on this surface. At 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 through bonding holes 76 formed in the substrate 72. In other words, the pads 74p of the IC chip 74a and the predetermined sections of the external connection terminal 71 can be made electrically connected by connecting them with a wire 75 such as a gold wire through the bonding holes 76. In addition, on the side of the substrate 72 opposite to the external connection terminal 71, a pair of antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b, which are conductive regions in a roughly H shape in plan view, are arranged on both the left and right sides of the IC chip 74a.

[0059] Taking Figures 1(b), 2(a), and 2(b) as examples, multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to terminals C1, C2, C3, C5, C7, and C8, respectively, by wires 75. In addition, other pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to terminal 73b by wires 75, and the antenna connection terminal 73a and terminal C4 are connected by wires 75. These bonding holes 76 and wires 75 are covered and protected by the molded portion 74b. In this embodiment, seven pads 74p are provided on the IC chip 74a, but the number and arrangement are merely examples, and any number and arrangement may be used.

[0060] Here, we will explain the difference in the wiring configuration between the IC chip and the external connection terminals 71 and antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b using wires 75 between the IC module 70 of this embodiment and a conventional IC module. Figure 8 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 1(b) showing the configuration of a conventional IC module 70a. In the conventional IC module 70a, multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to terminals C1, C2, C3, C5 and C7, respectively, by wires 75. In addition, two other pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b using wires 75. Unused terminals C4 and C8 are not connected to the pads 74p or other terminals of the IC chip 74a.

[0061] As a result, one of the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a is electrically connected to the antenna connection terminal 73b via wire 75, so that the IC chip 74a and one end of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected via the antenna connection terminal 73b. Also, the other pad 74p of the IC chip 74a and the antenna connection terminal 73a are electrically connected via wire 75, so that the IC chip 74a and the other end of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected via the antenna connection terminal 73a. In other words, the two pads 74p of the IC chip 74a and both ends of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected, and the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 form a closed communication circuit.

[0062] Therefore, in the conventional IC module 70a, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 always form a closed circuit, enabling contactless communication with external devices at any time by receiving predetermined radio waves or magnetic fields. Furthermore, since each of the C1, C2, C3, C5, and C7 terminals necessary for communication with a contact IC card is electrically connected to multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a, contact communication with external devices is also possible.

[0063] In contrast, in the IC module 70 of this embodiment, even when the two antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to both ends of the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 80, The IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 do not form a closed circuit, and the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are isolated. However, if terminals C4 and C8 are made conductive to each other, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 can form a closed communication circuit. In other words, the IC card 1 can perform contactless communication only when terminals C4 and C8, which are normally isolated from each other, are intentionally made conductive.

[0064] Note that the connections between the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a in this embodiment and each terminal are not limited to those described above. For example, the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a may be connected to terminals C1, C2, C3, C5, C7, and C4, respectively, by wires 75. In this case, the other pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to the antenna connection terminal 73a by wires 75, and terminal 73b and terminal C8 are connected to terminal C8, respectively, by wires 75.

[0065] Alternatively, the configuration may be such that either C4 or C8 is replaced with C6. For example, the multiple pads 74p of the IC chip 74a may be connected to terminals C1, C2, C3, C5, C7, and C6, respectively, by wires 75. In this case, the other pads 74p of the IC chip 74a are connected to the antenna connection terminal 73a by wires 75, and terminal 73b and terminal C8 are connected to each other by wires 75. In this case, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 can form a closed communication circuit only when terminals C6 and C8 are conductive to each other.

[0066] In either case, even when the two antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b are electrically connected to both ends of the antenna 80, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 do not form a closed circuit, and the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b remain isolated. Even in this case, if any two of the C4, C6, and C8 terminals are made conductive, the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 can form a closed communication circuit. In other words, the objective of this embodiment is achieved, which is that the IC card 1 can perform contactless communication only when predetermined terminals are intentionally made conductive.

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

[0068] The molded portion 74b is provided as a protruding part that covers the IC chip 74a and wire 75 in order to protect them from external forces and environmental loads. A UV-curable resin or a thermosetting resin is used for the molded portion 74b.

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

[0070] (c) Conductive adhesive layer The following describes the conductive adhesive layer 11 used to electrically and mechanically connect the IC module 70 to the card base 2 after forming a recess 9 in the card base 2 by cutting with an end mill or the like, and then embedding and fixing the IC module 70 in the recess 9. As shown in Figure 3, the conductive adhesive layer 11 is a liquid or tape-like material that is placed between the first plate 110, the substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and the antenna connection terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72.

[0071] The conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or attached in advance to the side of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 opposite to the external connection terminals 71, or it may be applied or attached 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 to the entire back surface of the substrate 72 or to the portion corresponding to the first recess 91 of the recesses 9, as it also serves as the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the pre-cut card substrate 2. This allows the electrical connection of the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80, and the mechanical connection of the IC module 70 and the card substrate 2, to be made with the same type of conductive adhesive layer 11, contributing to the simplification of the process.

[0073] However, the conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied and attached to cover only the area of ​​the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b on the back surface of the substrate 72, while another adhesive that does not have conductivity may be applied and attached to the rest of the back surface of the substrate 72. This is because, since conductivity does not need to be considered for the other adhesive, it is 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 connections, anisotropic conductive film (ACF) or anisotropic conductive paste (ACP) can be used. Alternatively, a conductive paste or solder paste in which silver particles are dispersed as a filler in epoxy resin may also be used. In particular, if ACF is used, the ACF can be heat-laminated over the entire back surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and after embedding the IC module 70 in the recess 9 of the cut card base 2, it can be heat-pressed at a predetermined temperature and load. This makes it easy to electrically connect the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80. Furthermore, since a mechanical connection of the IC module 70 to the card base 2 can be made at the same time, the mounting process of the IC module 70 to the card base 2 can be simplified.

[0075] When ACF is used as the conductive adhesive layer 11, 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 explained as follows based on Figure 3. The conductive adhesive layer 11 has a structure in which conductive particles 11a, in which a metal film is formed around a spherical resin or spherical metal, are dispersed in an adhesive 11b, which is a binder containing adhesive components. The conductive particles may be resin coated with nickel or gold, or solder particles. Various types of solder particles such as SnPb, SnAgCu, SnCu, SnZnBi, SnAgInBi, SnZnAl, etc., or alloys of these with other metals can be used. These configurations are the same even when ACP is used.

[0076] Here, thermal pressure is applied to the substrate 72 from the +Z direction to the -Z direction so that the conductive adhesive layer 11, which is positioned 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, is compressed.

[0077] As a result, strong heat and pressure are applied to the portion of the conductive adhesive layer 11 that is particularly close together, sandwiched between the antenna holding layer 5 and the antenna connection terminal 73a. The conductive particles 11a of the conductive adhesive layer 11 in this portion are then pressed against the first plate 110 and the antenna connection terminal 73a, which are exposed from the antenna holding layer 5, along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. Furthermore, if the conductive particles 11a are small, the conductive particles 11a overlap in a chain-like fashion from the first plate 110 to the antenna connection terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. In other words, electrical conductivity is established between the exposed first plate 110 and the antenna connection terminal 73a via the conductive particles 11a.

[0078] On the other hand, between the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72 in the area where the antenna connection terminal 73a is absent, the conductive particles 11a are not compressed to the extent that they are pressed against the first plate 110 and the antenna connection terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11, or to the extent that they overlap in a chain-like fashion. However, the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b generated by this heat and pressure mechanically connects the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72. One possible explanation for the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b is the wedge effect caused by the adhesive 11b penetrating into minute irregularities on the surface of the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72.

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

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

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

[0082] Next, the insulated conductor covered with an insulating material is used as the antenna wire 83, and is embedded by a winding machine into the forming surface of the antenna holding layer 5 or 6 where the end 100 is formed, starting from either the first plate 110 or the second plate 120 and ending at the other. At the start and end points of the antenna wire 83, the winding machine welds the ends of the antenna wire 83 to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120.

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

[0084] Next, as shown in Figure 3, the oversheet layer 8, inner layer 7, antenna holding layers 6 and 5, inner layer 4, and oversheet layer 3 are stacked in this order from the bottom in the thickness direction. Then, the laminate of large sheets in which the cards are arranged in multiple directions 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, the antenna 80 is formed in advance on the surface of, for example, 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 positioned opposite the antenna holding layer 6, which is the first base material, and is laminated to the first base material so as to sandwich the antenna 80, may be referred to as the second base material.

[0085] By going through this hot pressing process, a large-format sheet-type card base can be obtained in which each layer of the laminate, including the first and second substrates, is integrated. Furthermore, if any of the oversheet layer, inner layer, or antenna holding layer has heat resistance that prevents heat fusion at a predetermined temperature, an adhesive sheet that heats together at a predetermined temperature is sandwiched between each layer, or an adhesive is applied. Then, by subjecting these to a hot pressing process, an integrated large-format sheet-type card base can be obtained.

[0086] The large sheet of card base material obtained as described above, in which cards are arranged in multiple rows vertically and horizontally, is punched out using a die-cutting machine as card base material 2 conforming to the ISO / IEC 7816-1 card size. A recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 is then formed in the card base material 2 by cutting with an end mill. This results in cut card base material 2. The recess 9 consists of two stages: a first recess 91 with a first depth for housing the flat substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and a second recess 92 with a second depth deeper than the first recess 91 for housing the convex IC chip body 74. The surfaces of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91 of the card base material 2.

[0087] On the other hand, separate from the manufacturing of the card base 2 and the cutting process to form the recess 9, the conductive adhesive layer 11 is attached to the IC module 70. Typically, a module tape is used as the IC module 70, in which the IC modules 70 are formed continuously on a long tape in one or two rows. The tape-shaped ACF is attached to the side of this module tape opposite to the side where the external connection terminals 71 are formed, while applying a certain amount of heat and pressure. Then, the module tape with the ACF attached is punched out with a punching machine as a roughly rectangular IC module 70 with rounded corners, thereby obtaining an IC module 70 with the conductive adhesive layer 11 attached.

[0088] Subsequently, an IC module 70 with a conductive adhesive layer 11 attached is embedded in the card base 2 where the recess 9 is formed. A predetermined heat block is pressed against the external connection terminal 71, and a predetermined amount of heat and pressure is applied toward the card base 2 for a predetermined time. This melts the conductive adhesive layer 11, which is made of ACF, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the antenna connection terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 and the first plate 110 and the second plate 120. At the same time, a mechanical connection is established between the IC module 70 and the card base 2. Depending on the type and composition of the ACF, there are differences in the time and heat and pressure conditions to be applied, but as an example, the 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 external devices. The IC card 1 comprises a card base 2 including an antenna 80 inside, and an IC module 70 located in a recess 9 of the card base 2 and equipped with an external connection terminal 71 and an IC chip 74a. The external connection terminal 71 is positioned to be exposed on the surface of the card base 2 and is divided into a first terminal and a second terminal that are insulated from each other. Either the first terminal or the second terminal is electrically connected to a first pad of the IC chip 74a, and the other is electrically connected to one end of the antenna 80, and the other end of the antenna 80 is electrically connected to a second pad different from the first pad of the IC chip 74a.

[0090] In this configuration, contactless communication is possible only when the first and second terminals are short-circuited, as the IC chip 74a and antenna 80 form a closed circuit. When the first and second terminals are in their normal insulated state, the IC chip 74a and antenna 80 cannot form a closed circuit, making contactless communication impossible. The first and second terminals are, for example, either terminal C4 and terminal C8, and the first and second pads are pads 74p, which are electrodes of different IC chips 74a.

[0091] Because the IC card 1 according to the first embodiment has the above configuration, the user can select whether or not to enable contactless communication according to their intentions by simply short-circuiting terminals C4 and C8 at the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70. Furthermore, since the IC card 1 does not have a configuration that adds any special mechanical switches, its design and manufacturing are easier compared to ordinary IC cards, and a decrease in design quality and operational reliability can be suppressed.

[0092] The first and second terminals can be any terminals designated as unused terminals in the contact-type IC card standard, or terminals not assigned as VCC, RST, CLK, GND, or I / O, and are not limited to terminals C4 or C8. For example, either one of them could be terminal C6. Terminal C6 is also a terminal that is not normally used, and therefore can perform the same function as terminals C4 and C8 in this embodiment. Furthermore, as the first and second terminals, a new terminal area may be added to the external connection terminal 71, which is insulated from terminals C1 to C8. Changing the layout of the terminal section of the external connection terminal 71 does not significantly change the design or manufacturing load of the IC card, and does not have much impact on design aesthetics or operational reliability.

[0093] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a dual-interface IC card according to the second embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0094] The IC card of the second embodiment is further provided with a detachable conductive member on the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70, in addition to the IC card 1 of the first embodiment. The conductive member can be positioned on the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 so as to span from terminal C4 to terminal C8, short-circuit terminals C4 and C8, and insulate from other terminals positioned between terminals C4 and C8. Figure 5(a) shows the conductive member 210 positioned on the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 so as to span terminals C4 and C8.

[0095] Figure 5(b) is a side view of the conductive member 210 shown in Figure 5(a) as seen from the -Y direction. As shown in Figure 5(b), the conductive member 210 consists of a conductive layer 211 whose entire surface is conductive, and an insulating layer 212 and an adhesive layer 213 that are partially arranged on one side thereof. The conductive layer 211 includes conductive materials such as copper foil, aluminum foil, stainless steel plate, and graphite sheet, and when arranged to span from terminal C4 to terminal C8, the conductive portion can be brought into direct contact with terminals C4 and C8. This allows for a short circuit between terminals C4 and C8.

[0096] Furthermore, the external connection terminal 71 is partitioned such that the area between terminals C4 and C8 is in conductivity with terminal C5. Therefore, if only the conductive layer 211 is arranged to span from terminal C4 to terminal C8, not only terminals C4 and C8, but terminals C4, C8, and C5 will all be short-circuited. In this case, a part of the antenna 80 will become conductive to the GND terminal of the IC chip 74a, changing the current path flowing through the antenna 80, which may cause malfunctions in contactless or contact communication. To avoid this, the conductive member 210 has an insulating layer 212 on a part of the surface of the conductive layer 211 facing the external connection terminal 71, so that terminals other than terminals C4 and C8 are not short-circuited.

[0097] Furthermore, an adhesive layer 213 is provided on a portion of the surface of the conductive layer 211 of the conductive member 210 that faces the external connection terminal 71, for example, on both ends of the conductive layer 211, to prevent the conductive member 210 from detaching from the external connection terminal 71. The adhesive layer 213 may be made of a re-peelable and re-adhesive so that the user can attach and detach it from the external connection terminal 71 as many times as needed.

[0098] The IC card of the second embodiment can have a conductive member 210 extending from the first terminal to the second terminal, as exemplified by either terminal C4 or terminal C8, in addition to the IC card 1 of the first embodiment. The conductive member 210 can be positioned such that the first and second terminals are short-circuited and insulated from other terminals positioned between the first and second terminals. This allows the user to perform contactless communication with the IC card 1 by attaching such a conductive member 210 to a predetermined position on the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1 as needed. The conductive member 210 can be easily formed as a flexible label-like member, and when not in use, it can be attached to any location other than the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1, and when in use, it can be easily selected whether or not to enable contactless communication by simply reattaching it to the predetermined position without performing any complex operations.

[0099] 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 Figure 5(c), the conductive member 220 may have no insulating layer in the center, and only conductive protrusions 222 on one side of both ends of the conductive layer 221. In this case, the conductive layer 221 and the protrusions 222 are arranged to form a roughly C-shape or U-shape when viewed from the side, thereby weakening the flexibility of the conductive layer 221. This allows the conductive member 220 to contact the external connection terminal 71 without the conductive layer 221 contacting terminals other than the C4 and C8 terminals. In this case, the conductive member 220 does not have an adhesive layer, but the user can press the conductive member 220 to a predetermined position on the external connection terminal 71 by hand when necessary. Furthermore, by adding a clip-like clamping mechanism to such a conductive member 220, the conductive member 220 can be fixed to and detached from the IC card 1.

[0100] In this embodiment as well, 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 terminals C4 and C8, but can also be applied to combinations such as terminals C4 and C6, or terminals C6 and C8.

[0101] 3. Third Embodiment Next, a card case for housing a dual-interface IC card according to the third embodiment of this disclosure will be described.

[0102] The card case of the third embodiment is a card case 300 capable of storing the IC card 1 of the first embodiment. Figure 6(a) is a plan view of the card case 300, and Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the card case 300 of Figure 6(a) taken from the -Y direction by a plane along the BB line parallel to the X axis. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the state in which the IC card 1 is stored in the card case 300 as in Figure 6(a).

[0103] The card case 300 comprises two flat plates, cover portions 310 and 320, which are separated by a predetermined gap, and an outer peripheral portion 330 that connects a portion of the outer periphery of the cover portions 310 and 320 to each other. The outer peripheral portion 330 allows the cover portions 310 and 320 to remain separated from each other. In Figure 6(a), the outer peripheral portion 330 is positioned to cover the gap between the cover portions 310 and 320 by spanning three sides of the outer periphery of the cover portions 310 and 320, excluding the upper long side. Alternatively, the outer peripheral portion 330 may be positioned to cover the gap between the cover portions 310 and 320 by spanning three sides of the outer periphery of the cover portions 310 and 320, excluding either the left or right short side.

[0104] The materials and colors of the cover parts 310 and 320 can be freely selected, as long as they are insulating. However, it is preferable that both or one of the cover parts 310 and 320 be transparent or semi-transparent, in order to make it easier to see that there are no foreign objects inside the card case 300 and that the IC card 1 is inserted in the correct position. The cover parts 310 and 320 can be formed from, for example, transparent acrylic resin.

[0105] As the card case 300 has this configuration, as shown in Figure 7, the IC card 1 can be stored in a gap above where the outer peripheral portion 330 is absent, filling the gap formed by the cover portions 310 and 320. Here, when the IC card 1 is inserted until it abuts against one end of the lower long side portion of the outer peripheral portion 330, the conductive member 230 is positioned at a predetermined position on the surface of the cover portion 310 facing the cover portion 320 so as to short-circuit the C4 terminal and C8 terminal of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1.

[0106] The configuration of the conductive member 230 is substantially the same as that of the conductive member 220 in the second embodiment, and includes a conductive layer 231 attached to the surface of the cover portion 310 facing the cover portion 320, and conductive protrusions 232 provided at both ends in the left-right direction. As a result, when the IC card 1 is inserted to the lower end of the card case 300, the conductive member 230 provided on the cover portion 310 short-circuits 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, contactless communication of the IC card 1 is possible without any special operation by the user. Conversely, when the IC card 1 is removed from the card case 300, contactless communication of the IC card 1 becomes impossible unless there is a special operation by the user.

[0107] The card case 300 capable of housing a dual-interface IC card according to the third embodiment comprises a first cover portion that contacts one of the main surfaces of the IC card 1, and a second cover portion that contacts the other surface. The first and second cover portions are exemplified in this embodiment as cover portions 310 and 320. Furthermore, the card case 300 comprises a conductive member 230 formed on the surface of either the first or second cover portion that faces the other. The conductive member 230 is formed to span from the first terminal to the second terminal of the external connection terminal 71 when the IC card 1 is stored inside. In addition, the conductive member 230 is formed to short-circuit the first and second terminals and to insulate from other terminals located between the first and second terminals. As with the other embodiments, in addition to the C4 and C8 terminals, other possible combinations of the first and second terminals include the C4 and C6 terminals, or the C6 and C8 terminals.

[0108] By using such a card case 300, users can intentionally select whether or not to enable contactless communication for the IC card 1 simply by inserting and removing the IC card 1 from the card case 300, without having to directly attach or detach conductive materials to the designated positions of the external connection terminals 71. For example, if the IC card 1 has an employee ID function and uses contactless communication for entering and exiting the workplace, storing the IC card 1 in the card case 300 while at the company ensures that contactless communication for the IC card 1 is always possible within the company. On the other hand, removing the IC card 1 from the card case 300 when leaving the company ensures that contactless communication for the IC card 1 is always impossible outside the company, thereby reducing the risk of skimming and other theft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1 IC card 2 card bases 3.8 Oversheet layer 4, 7 Inner layer 5, 6 Antenna holding layer 9 recesses 11. Conductive adhesive layer 11a Conductive particles 11b Adhesive 12 Antenna Sheets 70, 70a IC Module 71 External connection terminals 71a Insulation groove 72 circuit boards 73a, 73b Antenna connection terminals 74 IC chip units 74a IC chip 74b Molding section 74p pad 75 wires 76 Bonding Holes 80, 80a antenna 83 Antenna wire 91 First recess 92 Second recess 93 Outer circumference 93a, 93b sides 100 end 110 Plate 1 111 First Member 112 Second Member 120 Second Plate 210, 220, 230 Conductive members 211, 221, 231 conductive layers 212 Insulating layer 213 Adhesive layer 222, 232 protrusion 300 Card Cases 310, 320 Cover section 330 Outer periphery 340 End

Claims

1. A dual-interface IC card capable of contact and contactless communication with external devices, Inside is a card base including an antenna, The card base comprises an IC module having external connection terminals and an IC chip, which is disposed in a recess of the card base. The external connection terminal is arranged so as to be exposed on the surface of the card base and is divided into a first terminal and a second terminal that are insulated from each other. Either the first terminal or the second terminal is electrically connected to the first pad of the IC chip, and the other is electrically connected to one end of the antenna. The other end of the antenna is electrically connected to a second pad of the IC chip that is different from the first pad. A dual-interface IC card in which the IC chip and the antenna form a closed circuit and enable contactless communication only when the first terminal and the second terminal are short-circuited.

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

3. It can be arranged to span from the first terminal to the second terminal, The dual interface IC card according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a conductive member that can be positioned to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal and to insulate from other terminals positioned between the first terminal and the second terminal.

4. A card case capable of storing a dual-interface IC card according to claim 1 or claim 2, A first cover portion and a second cover portion are arranged with a gap between them, and the dual interface IC card can be stored along the gap, A conductive member is formed on the surface of either the first cover portion or the second cover portion that faces the other, 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 housed in it, short-circuits the first terminal and the second terminal, and is insulated from other terminals located between the first terminal and the second terminal.

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