Foldable Data Card Assembly with Aperture Security Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data cards are vulnerable to theft due to their visible personal account numbers (PAN) and magnetic strips, which can be copied or stolen, compromising security features.
Innovation Solution
A card package design where the data card is folded into a base assembly with a special number visible through an aperture, associated with the PAN, and a security barrier prevents the PAN from being copied, with activation information provided on the package as a magnetic strip or barcode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the data card is made visible and accessible in the packaging, then the customer can easily see and identify the card, but the security against theft and copying is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The data card is nested within the packaging structure, specifically folded into a base assembly with flaps that conceal the card. The card is not fully exposed but can be accessed when the packaging is opened, creating a nested configuration that protects the card while allowing eventual access.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging structure acts as an intermediary between the data card and the external environment. The base assembly with its flaps and apertures serves as a mediating structure that partially conceals the card while allowing selective visibility of the special number through apertures, preventing direct access to the PAN.
2Ease of manufacture
If the PAN is exposed on the card surface, then the card can be easily identified and activated, but the risk of copying the raised numbers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging structure extracts or removes the PAN from direct exposure. The base assembly is designed to conceal the raised numbers while allowing the special number to be visible through apertures. This separation prevents copying of the PAN while maintaining identification capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The packaging provides different levels of exposure for different parts of the card. The special number is visible through apertures for identification purposes, while the PAN remains concealed behind the base assembly structure. This local differentiation of exposure levels addresses both identification and security needs.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the card is fully concealed in the packaging, then security against theft is improved, but the activation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is segmented into functional components: the base assembly that conceals the card, the flaps that can be opened, and the apertures that allow selective visibility. This segmentation allows the card to remain concealed during storage and transport while enabling straightforward activation when the packaging is opened and the card is removed.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a security barrier is added to prevent copying, then the security against unauthorized copying is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The security barrier function is merged into the base assembly structure itself. The base assembly serves dual purposes: it provides the structural framework for the packaging and simultaneously acts as the security barrier that prevents copying of the raised numbers. This merging eliminates the need for separate security components.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable data card assembly and method are disclosed. The foldable data card assembly comprises a base assembly with a left portion, a middle portion, and a right potion. The left portion or the middle portion contains an aperture. A data card is enclosed within the base assembly such that the aperture is aligned with a special number on the data card. A security barrier is placed adjacent to the personal account number on the data card, but the security barrier is not placed between the aperture and the special number on the card. During manufacture, the special number is read from the card through the aperture, and the special number used to generate activation information which is printed on the package. The activation information is read at the point of sale, and used to activate the account associated with the activation information.