Embedded EMV Transaction Card With Hidden Chip Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
EMV chip cards have an unattractive electrical connector on the front, leaving a space where card art cannot be included, and existing solutions do not effectively hide the chip or magnetic strip from view.
Innovation Solution
Transaction cards with a substrate containing a hidden EMV chip and magnetic strip, connected by conductive materials, and an optional antenna, which are embedded and not visible from the surface, allowing for secure and aesthetic design options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the electrical connector is placed on the front of the card for chip reading, then the chip can be read by the card reader, but the connector is unattractive and prevents card art from being included in that space
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connector is extracted from the front surface of the card and relocated to the back surface. This allows the front surface to be fully dedicated to aesthetic card art while the connector remains functional on the back, resolving the conflict between design flexibility and connector visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector position is moved from the front surface (2D plane) to the back surface (another dimension/surface), effectively removing it from the visible design area while maintaining its electrical functionality for chip reading.
2Ease of manufacture
If the chip is embedded in the substrate, then the card design is more aesthetic, but the electrical connection between the chip and reading device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connector is extracted from the front surface and placed on the back, simplifying the front surface embedding while the connector handles the electrical connection complexity on the opposite side.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate acts as an intermediary that houses the chip internally while providing pathways for electrical connections to reach the connector on the back surface, enabling both aesthetic embedding and functional connectivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the magnetic strip is hidden below the substrate surface, then the design is more attractive, but the reading device must access the strip from below
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic strip is extracted from the front surface and relocated to the back surface of the substrate, allowing it to be hidden from the front view for aesthetic purposes while remaining accessible to reading devices that can approach from the back.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic strip is positioned on the back surface (another dimension), hiding it from the front view while maintaining accessibility for reading devices that can read from the back side of the card.
Data Source
AI summary
Transaction cards are disclosed. In one embodiment, a transaction card may include: a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface; a chip comprising a plurality of electrical contacts and positioned in the substrate below the top surface of the substrate; and a first conductive material provided between the plurality of electrical contacts and the top surface of the substrate, wherein the first conductive material provides an electrical connection to the chip such that the chip is readable by a chip reading device. The chip may not be visible from the top surface of the substrate.