METAL CARD WITH BIOMETRIC FEATURES

Abstract

Metallic transaction cards and methods for manufacturing metallic transaction cards are disclosed. A metallic transaction card includes at least a metallic layer and an inlay layer comprising a biometric sensor and one or more payment interface components configured to interact with a card reader, a secure element configured to exchange information with the card reader in accordance with the processing of a financial transaction, and at least one logic component connected to the biometric sensor. The logic component is configured to compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with stored information and to allow the processing of the financial transaction only if a match is detected between the detected and stored information.

Description

METALLIC CARD WITH BIOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority over U.S. provisional application No. 62 / 925,926, filed on October 25, 2019, entitled METAL CARD WITH BIOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS, and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Biometric sensors, such as fingerprint detection devices, are becoming ubiquitous in the security field, including in relation to payment devices such as mobile phones and transaction cards. For example, standard plastic credit cards with biometric sensors have been documented in several patent applications, including, but not limited to, U.S. published patent applications n.sUS20090145972A1 and US20180357457A1, both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Consumers are increasingly interested in using high-quality transaction cards, such as those made of metal, ceramic, or a combination thereof, which raises additional considerations for providing biometric features. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION One aspect of the invention comprises a metallic transaction card. The metallic transaction card comprises at least one metallic layer and an inlay layer comprising a biometric sensor and one or more payment interface components configured to interact with a card reader, a secure element configured to exchange information with the card reader in accordance with the processing of a financial transaction, and at least one logic component connected to the biometric sensor. The logic component is configured to compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with stored information and to allow the processing of the financial transaction only if a match is detected between the detected and stored information.The card may further comprise at least one non-metallic layer positioned between a first surface of the inlay layer and the metallic layer and / or at least one other layer assembled onto a second surface of the inlay layer. One or more payment interface components may comprise a set of physical contacts configured to interact with a card reader and accessible from a surface of the card. One or more payment interface components may comprise one or more antennas configured for contactless communication with a card reader, for example, via a short-range wireless interconnection, for example, using Bluetooth® or NFC technology. The one or more components of the payment interface may comprise a dual-interface chip that includes a set of physical contacts configured to interact with a card reader and accessible from a card surface, one or more antennas configured for contactless communication with a card reader, and the secure element in a single integrated payment module. The logic component may QfrRfrnn / zznz / E / YiAi further comprises the secure element connected to the set of physical contacts. The logical component may comprise the secure element, a microprocessor configured to compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with the stored information, a computer memory to store the stored information, and one or more antennas configured for contactless communication with a card reader in a single integrated secure processing module. The transaction card may further comprise at least one opening in the metallic layer, in which case the payment interface component(s) configured to interact with a card reader may comprise contacts accessible through the opening and / or the biometric sensor may be accessible through the opening. The biometric sensor may be a fingerprint sensor, an image capture device, and / or be configured to detect a change in reflected radiation corresponding to the user's biometric information, such as an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. In some modalities, the biometric sensor may not be visible from an outer surface of the card, in which case the visible markings on an outer surface of the card may be aligned with the biometric sensor to indicate a lateral location of the sensor relative to a periphery of the card. Another aspect of the invention is a method for manufacturing a transaction card as described herein. The method comprises the steps of providing the metallic layer, providing an inlay layer, and assembling the card with the biometric sensor and one or more payment interface components communicating with the inlay layer and configured to obtain transaction and biometric information originating from a location on or above the metallic layer. The method may comprise providing at least one non-metallic layer, at least one other layer, and placing the non-metallic layer between a first surface of the inlay layer and the metallic layer, and placing the other layer on a second surface of the inlay layer. The card assembly step may comprise a hot lamination step or a cold lamination step. The method may further comprise creating one or more openings in the metallic layer. In an embodiment where one or more payment interface components comprise a set of physical contacts configured to interact with a card reader and accessible from a surface of a finished card, the opening in the metallic layer may be aligned with the set of physical contacts. In such embodiments, at least one non-conductive adhesive layer may be in contact with a portion of the underside of the metallic layer, and the non-conductive adhesive may fill a peripheral gap between the opening in the metallic layer and the one or more payment interface components, including the set of physical contacts, on a finished card. The non-conductive adhesive is therefore capable of electrically or magnetically isolating one or more payment interface components from the metallic layer, or a combination of both. In other embodiments, the opening in the metallic layer is aligned with the biometric sensor. In such embodiments, a non-conductive adhesive layer may be in contact with the underside of the metallic layer and may fill a peripheral gap between the opening in the metallic layer and the biometric sensor on a finished card, the non-conductive adhesive being able to electrically or magnetically isolate the biometric sensor from the metallic layer, or a combination of both. In modalities with an opening in the metallic layer for the biometric sensor and for one or more payment interface components, the non-conductive adhesive can fill a first peripheral space between a first opening in the metallic layer and the one or more payment interface components and a second peripheral space between a second opening in the metallic layer and the biometric sensor in a finished card. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 shows a portion of an example printed circuit board (PCB) containing an inlay for use with a biometric card, shown from a front side of the PCB that would face the front of a finished card. Figure 2A shows an example inlay for use on a biometric card, shown from a back face that would face the back face of a finished card. Figure 2B shows the example inlay of Figure 2A with an additional first layer covering the inlay. Figure 3 shows a finished card with a biometric sensor window visible from the front of the card. Figure 4 shows a finished card with a biometric sensor located beneath a surface layer of the card, with a graphic indicator showing the location of the sensor. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a set of sample cards. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of another example card assembly, with an inlay embedded in a recess in the metal card body. Figure 7 depicts a cross-sectional view of another example card assembly, showing the non-conductive padding surrounding the payment chip component and biometric sensor in a card manufactured using an example process. Figure 8 depicts a cross-sectional view of another example card assembly, showing the non-conductive padding surrounding the payment chip component and biometric sensor in a card manufactured using another example process. Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of another example set of cards, which has an inlay embedded in a hollow of the metal card body that interacts with another full-dimension inlay. Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of another example set of boards, without inlays, where the electrical components are embedded directly into the openings of the QfrRfrnn / zznz / E / YiAi metallic body and are connected to each other through conductive traces inserted in insulated grooves in the metallic layer. Figures 11A-D show cross-sectional views of another set of example cards at various steps of an example assembly process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in Figures 1 and 2A, an example biometric circuit (10) for use in a transaction card may comprise a biometric sensor (10), a logic circuit (20), and a payment interface component (30). The circuit is embedded in a substrate (40), which substrate may further include an antenna (50) and a plurality of traces (60) connecting the various components. The biometric sensor (10) may comprise, for example, a fingerprint sensor configured to detect a fingerprint on any finger or thumb of a human user. The example biometric fingerprint sensors and related technology are well known in the art, including, but not limited to, sensors for detecting fingerprint edges and hollows based on temperature, optical imaging, capacitance, electrical resistance, differential pressure, acoustic methods, and ultrasonic sensors.The biometric sensor is not limited to a fingerprint sensor and can use any known type of sensor to detect a cardholder's unique biological signature. As a non-limiting example, the biometric system may include a camera or other image capture device to capture retinal or facial information from a user. For example, thin-film cameras less than 1 mm thick have been described in Alexander Koppelhuber and Oliver Bimber, Thin-film camera using luminescent concentrators and an optical collimator, Opt. Express 25, 18526-18536 (2017), the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The payment interface component (30) may comprise a set of contacts configured for physical interaction with a card reader, a chip for inductive coupling with a card reader, a dual-interface chip configured for both physical and inductive coupling, or a combination of all or fewer of the above. The term card reader, as used herein, refers to any device capable of reading card information, which may include a traditional point-of-sale terminal, a mobile device, or any hardware known in the art for interacting with a transaction card, such as devices configured to dock with mobile devices.Contactless communication can be performed using any wireless communication technology known in the art, including, but not limited to, short-range wireless interconnection, such as Bluetooth® technology. The biometric sensor and the payment interface chip are connected to the logic circuit (20), which is configured to detect whether the information detected by the biometric sensor matches the corresponding information associated with an authorized card user, and only if such a match is detected, allow the card reader to perform the transaction. Power for the circuit can be obtained inductively from the card reader or through the... QfrAfrnn / zznz / E / YiAi module contacts during a contact transaction. There may also be a battery (not shown) on the card for circuit power requirements and may also be used to power an active antenna on the card. The antenna (50) may be a booster antenna to amplify the card reader signal. In one example embodiment, the payment interface component (30) can be a blank faceplate configured for physical interaction with the corresponding contacts of the card reader, and the logic circuit (20) can be a combination of a secure element (for conducting the exchange of information in accordance with the credit card processing) and a microcontroller unit comprising the corresponding circuitry as described above. In this example embodiment, the logic circuit can, for instance, comprise a secure processing module such as an SPM60 chip, available from NXP Semiconductors NV (Netherlands).In another embodiment, the payment interface component (30) may include all the circuitry and contacts and / or coupling hardware necessary to serve as a secure payment module, and the logic circuit (20) may comprise only the microcontroller unit comprising the matching circuitry to determine whether the biometric sensor has detected a match, which is a prerequisite to enable the operation of the secure payment module. As shown in Figure 5, a metallic board may comprise at least one metallic layer, for example, one or both outer layers (500) and (580). In some cases, additional protective layers may be provided over the metallic layers, for example, transparent layers. The inlays depicted in Figures 1 and 2A may be incorporated into a metallic board as an intermediate layer (540), with one or more non-metallic layers (520), (560) positioned between the inlay (540) and the metallic layer(s) (500), (580). Such non-metallic layers may be provided to offer insulation, such as electrical and / or magnetic insulation, of the inlay components from the metal. For example, on a metallic DI card, layer (520) may be a ferrite layer and antenna (50) may be a booster antenna, where the ferrite protects the antenna from the metallic layer(s) to enable contactless transactions.In another embodiment, layer (500) may be a metallic layer, layer (540) may be a ferrite layer, layer (580) may be the inlay, and layers (520) and (560) may be adhesive layers. An additional layer (not shown) may be positioned beneath layer (580), such as a layer that includes a signature panel and a magnetic stripe. One or more holes may be cut in the ferrite, such as between the chip and the metallic layer and / or between the biometric sensor and the metallic layer, and the metallic layer may have one or more non-metallic plugs therein to insulate and support the chip, as shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 9,290,366, incorporated herein by reference. In other configurations, such as the one shown in Figure 6, the inlay elements shown in Figures 1 and 2A can be concentrated in an inlay (640) that has smaller side dimensions than the side dimensions of the card, and the metallic layer (600) can QbRbnn / zznz / B / YiAi has an opening (660) configured to accommodate the inlay. The inlay (640) may be encapsulated in the opening by non-conductive materials (620). One or more additional layers may be provided on the back surface of the card, such as layer (680), which may include a signature panel (not shown) and / or a magnetic stripe (690). Example methods for encapsulating components within the body of a metal card are described, for example, in PCT Published Application No. WO2018 / 022755, U.S. Published Application No. 20190073578A1, and U.S. Patent No. 10,406,734, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.In another modality, represented in Figure 9, the various elements can be distributed between more than one inlay, such as a first inlay (960) that is coextensive with the dimensions of the card, and a second inlay (940) that is inserted in a pocket of the metallic layer (900) and surrounded by the encapsulant (920). The metallic layer can be an outer layer, as in some of the examples previously discussed in this document, or, in other configurations, the metallic layer can be an inner layer. For example, in the construction depicted in Figure 5, layer (540) can be a metallic layer, and layers (500) and (580) non-metallic layers, with layers (520) and (560) being adhesive layers. There can also be additional layers. The inlay can be included in layer (500), (580), or in a layer located between one of the outer layers (500), (580) and the intermediate layer. In one example, layer (520) or (560) can be a functional layer, with adhesive layers not depicted in Figure 5 (but present between each set of adjacent functional layers).In other configurations, such as the one shown in Figure 6, the metallic layer (600) can be an intermediate layer, with the (680) layer and another layer above the (600) layer (not shown) providing non-metallic layers on the outer surfaces of the card. The construction of the inlays referred to herein may be carried out by any method known in the art. In some embodiments, one or more of the payment interface components (30), the logic circuit (20), and / or the biometric sensor (10) may be pre-adhered to the inlay prior to card assembly / lamination. In other embodiments, a semi-finished card with an embedded inlay as one of a plurality of layers may be milled from an outer surface to the contacts in the inlay, thereby creating openings in the overlaid layer(s) that allow the component (30), the circuit (20), and / or the sensor (10) to be embedded in the inlay at the appropriate location. The embedded component(s) may be conductively attached to the corresponding assembly features in the inlay by a conductive process such as ACF tape, bending, soldering, and the like.Therefore, the manufacturing methods for a complete card can include hot lamination or cold lamination processes. In an example cold lamination process, a complete inlay with the entire payment interface component (30), logic circuit (20), and / or biometric sensor (10) is adhesively bonded to other card layers to form a finished or semi-finished card. This cold lamination process can be carried out at room temperature and may involve applying pressure and / or using adhesives that require removing a release layer before assembling the layers.In an example hot lamination process, an inlay containing less than the entire payment interface component (30), logic circuit (20) and / or biometric sensor (10) is laminated with other card layers at an elevated temperature (e.g., typically between 150 - 200 degrees C) sufficient to melt at least one card layer and may also include the application of pressure, as is well known in the art. The card may have a non-metallic outer layer, such as wood, ceramic, leather, or similar materials, or may comprise one or more metallic layers, such as anodized aluminum, with or without engraved and / or filled patterns, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. US20150339564A1, incorporated herein by reference. In other constructions, the card body may comprise monolithic ceramic or a ceramic-on-metal coating, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. US20170316300A1, incorporated herein by reference. The metallic layer may be patinated, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. US20180207903A1, incorporated herein by reference. The metallic layer may be a metal-doped epoxy layer, as described in PCT Application Serial No. PCT / US2019 / 050592, incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the card may be constructed with other features to maximize card operability, such as providing one or more of the metallic layers with a discontinuity that minimizes eddy currents and / or allows the metallic layer to act as an antenna to assist in coupling the payment chip to the card reader, as generally disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application No. US20190236434A1, entitled “Di Capacitive Embedded Metallic Card,” incorporated herein by reference. Other constructions in which at least a portion of the metallic layer acts as an antenna are described in U.S. Published Patent Application No. US20190197384A1, entitled “Card Body with Chip, Chip Card, and Method for Producing a Card Body with Chip,” which is also incorporated herein by reference.Such card constructions may be provided in addition to or instead of the antenna (500), or the antenna (500) may be part of the antenna structure that couples or otherwise cooperates with any antenna function of the metal layer itself. Fewer or more layers than those described with respect to Figure 5 may be provided. One or more adhesive layers may be interposed between the layers described and depicted herein, such as a non-conductive adhesive layer in contact with the underside of the metal layer or the vertical walls. In one embodiment, depicted in Figure 7, the openings (12), (32) of the metal layer (700) may allow the non-conductive adhesive of layer (720) to fill the peripheral gaps between the respective openings of the metal layer and the payment component and the biometric sensor, thereby isolating the payment component and the sensor from the edges of the metal opening with the non-conductive adhesive (14), (34). Figure 3 also illustrates (in an overly dramatic way) the respective peripheral pockets of the adhesive (14), (34).Similarly, a hidden pocket (22) can be formed in the underside of the metal layer (700) to receive the MCL (20), with insulating material (22) filling the pocket between any metal components (e.g., solder beads) of the MCU and the metal layer to prevent short circuits. Standard insulating components, such as UV-cured components, can be used. The cavities and openings in the metal layer can be lined with non-conductive materials. In embodiments where the payment component (30) comprises a secure payment module, which includes DI functionality, the non-conductive adhesive can also provide magnetic isolation for the entire module. Figure 7 shows an example cross-sectional structure consistent with an example cold-rolling manufacturing process, wherein components (10) and (30) are bonded to the inlay (740) (the layer (760) may comprise an additional adhesive layer for attaching one or more support layers (780) to the board). Figure 8 shows an example structure consistent with an example hot-rolling manufacturing process, wherein at least the metal layer (800), the adhesive layer (820), and the inlay (840) are first assembled to one another, and then openings (832), (812) are milled through the metal layer (800) and the adhesive layer (820) to access the contacts (816), (834) of the inlay (840) for their respective connection to the sensor (810) and the payment module (830).Non-conductive plugs (814), (834) may be placed in the openings thus created for isolation, and then the plugs are milled again with smaller openings to accommodate the respective sensor (810) and payment module (830), or each of the sensors (810) and payment module (830) may be provided with surrounding non-conductive plugs for insertion into the milled openings. Thus, the resulting board may contain peripheral non-conductive areas surrounding each of the sensors (810) and payment module (830) having a composition different from that of the adhesive layer (820) (or the composition may be the same or similar). The layer (860) may comprise an additional adhesive layer for attaching one or more support layers (880) to the board. Final board configurations with fewer or more layers may be provided for any of the configurations discussed herein.Additional layers may include, for example, a masking layer over the top layer, to hide the peripheral insulating plugs (34), (14), (834), (812) as described herein, and as described in more detail in U.S. Patent No. 9,290,366, cited above and incorporated by reference in its entirety. Figure 10 illustrates a cross-sectional structure of an embodiment in which the various electronic components, including the payment module (1010), the MCU (1020), and the biometric sensor (1030), are inserted directly into the metallic layer (1000). For example, openings filled with non-conductive materials (1014), (1024), (1034) can be created to house the components (1010), (1020), (1030), respectively, wherein the non-conductive materials may comprise an adhesive that also holds the respective components in place. One or more channels or slots 1024 can be created between the payment module (1010) and the MCU (1020) and between the MCU and the biometric sensor (1030), in which electrical traces (1022) can be formed to connect the relevant portions of each component to each other.Electrical connections can be created by any means known to the art, such as printing with conductive ink, and can be further covered with an additional non-conductive filler after creation. In other embodiments, a non-metallic, non-conductive layer (e.g., plastic) can be formed beneath the metallic layer to cover the back of the card and fill any open slots with non-conductive filler. One or more additional functional or aesthetic layers can also be provided, as is well known in the art. Figures 11A-11D illustrate another example process for manufacturing a circuit board. The process comprises, first, bonding (e.g., by hot or cold rolling) a radio frequency (RF) shielding layer (e.g., ferrite) (1100) to a metal layer (1102) with adhesive (1104) to create an assembly (1108), as shown in Figure 11A. Then, as shown in Figure 11B, openings (1110), (1112) are milled into the assembly to receive the electronic components. Next, as shown in Figure 11C, the inlay (1124) is aligned with an adhesive layer (1122), which may have holes (1126), (1127) that align with the openings (1110), (1112) and the corresponding contacts (1128), (1129) in the inlay (1124) to receive the electronic components (1130), (1132) (e.g., the payment module and the biometric sensor, respectively).A first release layer (not shown) on the adhesive layer facing the inlay can be removed from the adhesive and the adhesive bonded to the inlay before removing the second adhesive layer. The electronic components can be attached to the contacts before or after removing the second adhesive layer. In other embodiments, the adhesive layer can be a fusible layer having a melting point below a threshold temperature associated with the electronic components. Finally, as depicted in Figure 11D, the inlay (1124) is bonded to the assembly (1108), and the adhesive layer (1122) fills the gaps between the electronic components (1130), (1132) and the walls of the corresponding openings (1110), (1112). Although only the electronic components (1130), (1132) are shown, fewer or more components can be attached to the corresponding contacts in the inlay in this manner.The ferrite layer and adhesive layers can provide sufficient insulation for an embedded MCU (1124), or a blind cavity can be milled into the metal layer (as in the configuration shown in Figure 7) before or after laminating the ferrite layer to the metal layer. In the case of a blind cavity formed in the metal layer, the cavity can also be filled with adhesive from the layer (1122) during the final lamination step. Additional layers can be added to any of the outer surfaces shown in Figure 11D, or intermediate layers can be added to any of the layers shown therein. Figure 2B illustrates an example layer (200) placed on a front surface of the inlay shown in Figure 2A, with openings in layer (200) for the sensor (10) and chips (20) and (30). While the logic chip (20) is shown as visible through an opening, in other constructions, chip (20) may be hidden. In particular, chip (20) is preferably hidden from a top layer of the board, as shown in the finished boards in Figures 3 and 4. While Figures 1, 2A, 2B, and 3 depict a fingerprint sensor in the form of a strain map sensor or another type of sensor visible from a card surface (either the top or bottom), the sensor (10) may not be visible from the outer layers of the card in other configurations. For example, in Figure 4, the sensor (400) is represented with dashed lines to indicate that it is not visible from the top layer, where a graphic icon (410) may be displayed instead to inform the user where to place their finger for identification. The sensor (400) could be, for example, an ultrasonic fingerprint detector.As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the top surface of the card may include a number of other features, such as the card number, cardholder's name, expiration date, the name of the bank or other card issuer (e.g., Citi), and the card brand (e.g., Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.). The front or back of the card may also contain other features, such as a magnetic stripe, a printed code (such as a QR code or barcode), a holographic element, etc. In card formats where a metallic layer forms the top surface, this layer may have one or more openings, such as for contacts (30) and / or the biometric sensor (10). However, in a contactless card, the top metallic surface may not have any openings for the payment chip. In a card with a biometric detector capable of detecting through metal, such as sensors based on detecting reflected radiation indicative of user information (e.g., a fingerprint detector based on the reflection of ultrasonic waves from a user's finger, or a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detector based on changes in the properties of light reflected from beneath the card's metallic surface), the top metallic surface may not have openings for the biometric sensor.The use of SPR, in general, as a sensor technology is described in Steiner, G. Surface plasmon resonance imaging, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, (2004) 379: 328, incorporated herein by reference. The biometric sensor depicted in Figures 2B and 3 includes a bezel (13) and an active biometric scanning area (e.g., fingerprint) (15). It should be understood that in some modalities, a portion of the inset (e.g., (740) in Figure 7) may be grounded to the metal card body, for example, via a conductive contact or adhesive area, which may support the use of biometric sensors without a bezel. Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications to the details may be made within the scope and range of equivalences of the claims and without departing from the invention. In particular, although certain configurations comprising specific layers are illustrated, it should be understood that any of the embodiments depicted may contain additional aesthetic or functional layers, of any construction material, and additional functional or aesthetic components, including electronic components, magnetic strips, barcodes, QR codes, or QfrRfrnn / zznz / E / YiAi other types of 2D codes, personal information, card numbers, printed features, and the like, as are well known in the art, without limitation, and in any combination.

Claims

1. A metallic transaction card comprising: at least one metallic layer; a biometric sensor; one or more payment interface components configured to interact with a card reader; a secure element configured to exchange information with the card reader by virtue of processing a financial transaction; and at least one logic component connected to the biometric sensor and configured to compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with the stored information and allow processing of the financial transaction only if a match is detected between the detected and stored information.

2. The metallic transaction card of claim 1, wherein one or more of the biometric sensors, one or more payment interface components, the secure element and at least one logic component are placed in an inlay.

3. The metallic transaction card of claim 2, further comprising at least one non-metallic layer positioned between a first surface of the inlay layer and the metallic layer.

4. The metallic transaction card of claims 2 or 3, further comprising at least one of the other layer assembled on a second surface of the inlay layer.

5. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the one or more payment interface components comprise a set of physical contacts configured to interact with a card reader and accessible from a surface of the card.

6. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the one or more payment interface components comprise one or more antennas configured for contactless communication with a card reader.

7. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein one or more antennas are configured for contactless communication with a card reader in the nature of short-range wireless interconnection.

8. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the one or more payment interface components comprise a dual-interface chip comprising a set of physical contacts configured to interact with a card reader and accessible from a card surface, one or more antennas configured for contactless communication with a card reader, and the secure element in a single integrated payment module.

9. The transaction card of claim 5, wherein the at least one logical component further comprises the secure element connected to the set of physical contacts.

10. The transaction card of claim 9, wherein the at least one logic component comprises the secure element, a microprocessor configured to compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with the stored information, a computer memory for storing the stored information, and one or more antennas configured for contactless communication with a card reader in a single integrated secure processing module.

11. The transaction card in accordance with any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one opening in the metallic layer.

12. The transaction card of claim 11, wherein one or more payment interface components are configured to interact with a card reader comprising contacts accessible through at least one opening.

13. The transaction card of claim 11 or 12, wherein the biometric sensor is accessible through at least one opening.

14. The transaction card in accordance with any of the preceding claims, wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprint sensor.

15. The transaction card according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the biometric sensor comprises an image capture device.

16. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the biometric sensor is configured to detect a change in the reflected radiation corresponding to the user's biometric information.

17. The transaction card of claim 16, wherein the biometric sensor is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

18. The transaction card of claim 16 or 17, wherein the biometric sensor is not visible from an outer surface of the card.

19. The transaction card of claim 18, further comprising visible markings on an outer surface of the card aligned with the biometric sensor to indicate a lateral location of the sensor relative to a periphery of the card.

20. A method for manufacturing a transaction card, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one metallic layer; (b) providing an inlay layer comprising a biometric sensor, one or more payment interface components configured to interact with a card reader; a secure element configured to exchange information with the card reader in accordance with the processing of a financial transaction; and at least one logic component connected to the biometric sensor and configured to compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with stored information and permit the processing of the financial transaction only if a match is detected between the detected and stored information;(c) assembling the card with the biometric sensor and one or more payment interface components in communication with the inlay and configured to obtain transaction and biometric information from a location on or above the metallic layer.; 21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of: (d) providing at least one non-metallic layer; (e) providing at least one other layer; (f) placing the at least one non-metallic layer between a first surface of the inlay layer and the at least one metallic layer and placing the at least one other layer on a second surface of the inlay layer.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising creating one or more openings in the metal layer.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the one or more components of the payment interface comprise a set of physical contacts configured to interact with a card reader and accessible from a surface of a finished card, and create at least one opening in the metallic layer aligned with the set of physical contacts.

24. The method according to claim 23, comprising at least one non-conductive adhesive layer in contact with a lower face of at least one metallic layer, wherein the non-conductive adhesive fills a peripheral gap between the opening of the metallic layer and one or more payment interface components, including the physical contact set, on a finished card, said non-conductive adhesive operable to electrically, magnetically, or a combination of both isolate one or more payment interface components from the metallic layer.

25. The method according to claim 22, comprising creating at least one opening in the metallic layer aligned with the biometric sensor.

26. The method according to claim 25, comprising at least one non-conductive adhesive layer in contact with a lower face of the at least one metallic layer, wherein the non-conductive adhesive fills a peripheral gap between the opening of the metallic layer and the biometric sensor on a finished card, said non-conductive adhesive operable to isolate the biometric sensor from the metallic layer electrically, magnetically or a combination of both.

27. The method according to claim 23, comprising creating at least one opening in the metallic layer aligned with the biometric sensor.

28. The method according to claim 27, comprising at least one non-conductive adhesive layer in contact with a lower face of at least one metallic layer, wherein the non-conductive adhesive fills a first peripheral space between a first opening in the metallic layer, including the physical contact assembly, and a second peripheral space between a second opening in the metallic layer and the biometric sensor on a finished card, said non-conductive adhesive operable to isolate one or more components of the payment interface and the biometric sensor from the metallic layer electrically, magnetically, or a combination thereof. QfrRfrnn / zznz / E / YiAi 29. The method according to any of claims 20-28, wherein the card assembly step comprises a hot lamination step.

30. The method according to any of claims 20-29, wherein the card assembly step comprises a cold lamination step.

31. A method for making a transaction card, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one metallic layer; (b) creating a plurality of openings in the metallic layer, and a plurality of slots in the metallic layer connecting the respective openings;(c) inserting into the respective openings of the plurality of openings each of the electronic components, the plurality of electronic components comprising: a biometric sensor configured to obtain biometric information from a location on or above the metallic layer, one or more payment interface components configured to interact with a card reader and configured to obtain transaction information originating from a location on or above the metallic layer, a secure element configured to exchange information with the card reader by virtue of processing a financial transaction, and at least one logic component configured to communicate with the biometric sensor and compare the information detected by the biometric sensor with the stored information and allow processing of the financial transaction only if a match is detected between the detected and stored information;(d) creating electrical connections between predetermined inputs and outputs of electronic components, the electrical connections comprising metallic traces placed in the plurality of slots.;

Images