Trading Card With Contactless Electronic Component

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional trading cards primarily focus on aesthetics, lacking functional value and variety, with no integration of advanced technologies to enhance their utility or interaction beyond mere collection and display.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a contactless communication electronic component with a storage area and antenna into the trading card, allowing for data storage and exchange, including identification information and application data, while also providing a shielding mechanism to prevent unauthorized reading, and enhancing the card's design with glossing treatments for premium feel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional trading cards are made ornamental with focus on pictures, then aesthetic value is improved, but functional value and variety deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic valueVSAvoidfunctional value

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the ornamental trading card with an electronic component having contactless communication functionality. The electronic component is integrated into the card body, combining the aesthetic picture card with data storage and communication capabilities, thereby achieving both aesthetic value and functional value simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The trading card is designed to serve multiple functions: it maintains its role as an ornamental collectible card while simultaneously functioning as a data storage device and communication interface. The electronic component enables data storage, contactless communication, and interaction with external devices, making the card universally applicable for both collection and functional purposes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If electronic component is integrated into trading card, then functional value is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional valueVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic component is nested within the trading card structure. The card body serves as the outer container that houses the electronic component, creating a compact integrated structure where the electronic functionality is embedded within the ornamental card form factor

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The electronic component utilizes a flexible printed circuit board as its substrate, allowing it to conform to the card's thin profile and flexible nature. This flexible circuit board enables the electronic components to be integrated into the card without adding significant thickness or rigidity, maintaining the card's portability and collectible characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Adaptability or versatility

If data storage area is made writable, then adaptability is improved, but security deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata flexibilityVSAvoiddata security

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The storage area of the electronic component is segmented into multiple regions with different access permissions. Some areas are designated as readable-only for protecting critical data, while other areas are writable for storing user-generated or variable information. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of data security and flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the storage system are assigned different quality characteristics regarding write access. Critical identification data and authentication information are stored in protected readable-only areas, while application data and user information are stored in writable areas, allowing each region to have the appropriate level of accessibility for its specific function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The integration of contactless communication technology adds functional value and variety to trading cards, enabling interactive applications and secure data exchange, while the shielding mechanism prevents unauthorized access, thereby enhancing user experience and card value.

Implementation Method 1

an antenna which transmits and receives a radio signal involved with contactless communication

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3075364B1Trading card and trading card set

Publication Date: 2021.05.26 NINTENDO CO LTD

Figure 1A~1C
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Figure 3

AI summary

A trading card (100) includes a main portion (101, 103) having any character of a plurality of characters represented on at least one surface and an electronic component (140) for contactless communication, which is contained in the main portion. The electronic component includes a storage portion (149) which stores data related to the character represented on the main portion and a circuit (148) which writes data received from an external apparatus through contactless communication into the storage portion.