Abstract:
A magnetic card internally includes a magnetic field generator, which includes a flexible substrate having pads, wires and a core material member arranged thereon. The pads are arrayed to form a first and a second zone. Every wire is extended in a first direction to connect to two pads that are separately located in the first and the second zone. The core material member is extended in a second direction oblique to the first direction. The substrate is in a bent state with the pads in the first zone correspondingly connected to the pads in the second zone and the core material member located in an encircling space defined by the connected pads and the wires. By changing the current amount supplied thereto, the magnetic field generator can generate variable magnetic field magnitude, enabling the magnetic card to change the transmitted data according to actual need in use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a card that transmits data via magnetic induction, and more particularly, to a magnetic card that has variable magnetic field magnitude to enable change of data transmission. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the present human society that is driven by digital information, various types of personal information are digitalized in electronic products for transmission, transfer and recording. Through the use of cards, communication of information is more convenient. Card types that are widely used in people&#39;s daily life include cardholder&#39;s proprietary cards, such as debit cards, credit cards and the like issued by banks; prepaid cards that are equivalent to securities; and identity cards such as driver&#39;s license, health insurance card, passport and the like. 
     Most of the proprietary cards and security-equivalent cards are provided on a back side with a magnetic stripe, into which required information is written. And, information magnetically stored in the stripe can be read with an automatic card reader, such as an automatic teller&#39;s machine, or other manual card readers for performing subsequent procedures. 
     To stop easy production of counterfeit cards that cause cardholders&#39; loss in property, a design of forming a magnetic field generator inside the cards for changing the magnetic field magnitude of the magnetic cards has been developed. Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A first conventional magnetic field generator  1  provided in magnetic cards includes a substrate material  10 , on a surface thereof a plurality of bonding pads  11 , a plurality of connection pads  12 , a plurality of bonding wires  13  and a core material member  14  are arranged. The bonding pads  11  are arrayed on the surface of the substrate material  10  in rows and columns. The connection pads  12  are respectively connected at an end to a first bonding pad  11  and at another end to a second bonding pad  11  that is located at a column the same as the first bonding pad  11  but at a row different from the first bonding pad  11  and is therefore closest to the first bonding pad  11 . The bonding wires  13  are bonded at two opposite ends to two of the bonding pads  11  that are located at two different rows and columns, such that the bonding wires  13  are extended in a direction oblique to the connection pads  12  to be arc-shaped each. The core material member  14  is arranged between the connection pads  12  and the bonding wires  13 . 
     To form the first conventional magnetic field generator  1 , the bonding wires  13  must be precisely bonded to connect at respective two ends to two boding pads  11  that are located at different rows and columns. Therefore, equipment with relatively high precision for bonding wires is required in the manufacturing process. In addition, the bonding wires  13  are subject to a certain probability of breaking in subsequent fabrication procedures. That is, the first conventional magnetic field generator  1  needs improvement in terms of its manufacturing cost and yield rate. 
       FIG. 3  shows a second conventional magnetic field generator  2  provided in magnetic cards. The second conventional magnetic field generator  2  includes a first substrate material  20 , a plurality of first bonding pads  21 , a plurality of first connection pads  22 , a second substrate material  23 , a plurality of second bonding pads  24 , a plurality of second connection pads  25 , a plurality of connection material members  26 , and two core material members  27 . The first bonding pads  21  are arranged on a surface of the first substrate material  20 , and the first connection pads  22  are respectively connected at two opposite ends to between two of the first bonding pads  21 . The second boding pads  24  are arranged on a surface of the second substrate material  23 , and the second connection pads  25  are respectively connected at two opposite ends to between two of the second bonding pads  24 . And, each of the first bonding pads  21  on the first substrate material  20  is connected to one second bonding pad  24 , which is located on the second substrate material  20  at a position corresponding to the first bonding pad  21 , via a connection material member  26 . 
     The second conventional magnetic field generator  2  formed of the mutually connected first substrate material  20  and second substrate material  23  is improved compared to the first conventional magnetic field generator  1 , because electrical circuits are formed on the magnetic field generator  2  in a different manner to overcome the problem of easily breaking bonding wires. However, since the two substrate materials are independently fabricated, more manufacturing procedures are needed and material cost is largely increased. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic card, inside which a magnetic field generator is included. By changing the amount of current supplied thereto, the magnetic field generator can produce variable magnetic field magnitude, so that data in the magnetic card to be transmitted via magnetic induction can be changed according to actual need in use. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic card that internally includes a magnetic field generator having a simplified structure, so that the magnetic card can be fabricated with largely shortened and easier procedures to effectively reduce the manufacturing cost and largely increase the yield rate thereof. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, the magnetic card provided according to the present invention internally includes a magnetic field generator capable of producing variable magnetic field magnitude. The magnetic field generator includes a substrate, a plurality of pads, at least one wire, and at least one core material member. 
     The substrate is made of a flexible material. The pads are arranged on the substrate and arrayed in a first zone and a second zone, which are spaced from each other. The at least one wire is also arranged on the substrate to extend in a first direction to connect at two opposite ends to two pads that are separately located in the first and the second zone. The at least one core material member is extended in a second direction, which is oblique to the first direction. 
     The substrate is flexed to a bent state, such that the pads in the first zone and the pads in the second zone are connected to one another in one-to-one correspondence and the at least one core material member is located in an encircling space defined by the connected pads and the wires. And, a bent part of each of the wires is extended in a third direction that is different from the first direction. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pads in the first zone are in direct contact with the corresponding pads in the second zone, and the pads and the wires together form a coil structure. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic field generator further includes a conductive material member provided between each pair of correspondingly connected pads in the first and the second zone. And, the pads, the wires and the conductive material members together form a coil structure. 
     According to the present invention, the wires respectively have a solder mask layer formed on a surface thereof to avoid direct contact of the core material member with the wires. The magnetic field generator can further include at least one adhesive material provided between the solder mask layers and the core material member to adhere the core material member to the wires. Alternatively, the magnetic field generator can further include at least one adhesive material provided between the core material member and the wires to adhere the core material member to the wires while spacing them from one another. According to the present invention, the magnetic field generator can further include at least one insulating material provided between the core material member and the wires to space them from one another. 
     In conclusion, the present invention is characterized in that the pads in the first zone and the pads in the second zone are connected to one another in one-to-one correspondence and the wires are brought to locate around the core material member after the flexible substrate is bent to a U-shaped configuration, enabling the wires and the pads to together form a coil structure for current to flow therethrough. With this arrangement, the conventional wire bonding process can be omitted and the circuit pattern for forming the coil structure can be completed with only one fabrication process that requires only relatively low precision. Therefore, the magnetic card of the present invention can be produced at reduced manufacturing cost and largely increased yield rate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view showing a first conventional magnetic field generator inside a magnetic card; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the magnetic field generator of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a second conventional magnetic field generator inside a magnetic card; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing internal modules, including a magnetic field generator, of a magnetic card according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the magnetic field generator for the magnetic card of the present invention, shown in an unfolded state; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the magnetic field generator for the magnetic card of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the magnetic field generator for the magnetic card of the present invention forms a coil structure; and 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the magnetic field generator for the magnetic card of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described with some preferred embodiments thereof and by referring to the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of easy to understand, elements that are the same in the preferred embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4 . A magnetic card according to the present invention internally includes a microcontroller, a display device for showing related information and/or data, a magnetic device capable of changing the magnetic card&#39;s magnetic field magnitude, an input device for a cardholder to operate, a secure element for financial transaction access authentication, an authentication device for identifying a cardholder, and a transmission device for exchanging data messages with an external device. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the magnetic card according to the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the display device includes a displayer located on a surface of the magnetic card and a display driver electrically connected to between the displayer and the microcontroller. 
     The magnetic device includes a magnetic field generator  3  and a magnetic field generator driver electrically connected to between the magnetic field generator  3  and the microcontroller. 
     The input device includes a key module for a user to touch and press. The key module can be, for example, a keypad electrically connected to the microcontroller. It is understood, however, the keypad is only illustrative. In other operable embodiments, the input device may be associated with the displayer to provide a touch panel, or be a voice input device to enable sound-controlled operations. 
     The secure element includes a microprocessor for computing financial transaction data and a memory. The microprocessor is electrically connected to the microcontroller while the memory is electrically connected to the microprocessor. 
     The authentication device includes a fingerprint recognizer, in which a cardholder&#39;s fingerprint data is stored. When using the magnetic card of the present invention, the user must input a fingerprint data into the fingerprint recognizer for a subsequent mutual authentication of the input fingerprint and the stored cardholder&#39;s fingerprint data. In the case the two fingerprint data match each other, a message is sent from the microcontroller to the microprocessor for the microprocessor to activate the secure element, so that the user can change the information stored in the card or use the card as a medium to execute a next input instruction by inputting a corresponding card password, an amount to be transferred or the like. On the other hand, in the case the two fingerprint data do not match each other, the microprocessor will not activate the secure element to avoid any unauthorized change of information in the card or any loss of the cardholder in personal information and property. 
     However, it is understood the above-mentioned fingerprint recognizer is only illustrative. In other operable embodiments of the present invention, the authentication device can be otherwise a validator used with the input device. By inputting at the input device a data such as a number, a word, a pattern or a sound for validation, the validator will check whether the input data matches the authentication data stored in the card, so as to similarly achieve the purpose of validating the user as the cardholder. 
     The transmission device includes a magnetic head detector electrically connected to the microcontroller, a near field communication (NFC) module electrically connected to the microcontroller, and a Bluetooth low energy module also electrically connected to the microcontroller. 
     When a user touches the key module on the magnetic card, a touch sensor module detects the touch movement and transmits a message to the microcontroller. At this point, the microcontroller correspondingly transmits the information instructed by the user to the magnetic field generator  3 , the Bluetooth low energy module, the NFC module, or the displayer. Meanwhile, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator  3  when being driven by the magnetic field generator driver can also directly send data to a magnetic stripe reader. In this way, the magnetic field generator  3  can enable digital data transmission to a magnetic stripe reader having a message reading head. 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the magnetic field generator  3  for the magnetic card of the present invention, showing the magnetic field generator  3  in an unfolded state. As shown, the magnetic field generator  3  includes four major parts, namely, a substrate  4 , a plurality of pads  5 , a plurality of wires  6 , and a core material member  7 . 
     The substrate  4  is formed of a flexible material and is first formed into a flat member in the fabrication process. The aforesaid pads  5  and wires  6  all are arranged on one of two surfaces of the substrate  4 . 
     The pads  5  are arrayed in rows and columns to form a first zone  51  and a second zone  52 , which are spaced from one another on the substrate  4 , and each of the first and second zones includes one column and multiple rows of pads  5 . However, it is understood the number of zones as well as the number of columns and rows of pads in each of the two zones shown in  FIG. 5  are only illustrative. In other operable embodiments, a third zone and a correspondingly spaced fourth zone (not shown) of the pads  5  can be further formed. Alternatively, more spaced zones of the pads  5  may be formed in pairs. 
     The wires  6  are extended in parallel with one another. Each of the wires  6  is connected at an end to one of the pads  5  in the first zone  51  and then extends in a first direction  61  to connect at another end to another pad  5  that is located in the second zone  52  at a row different from that of the aforesaid pad  5  in the first zone  51 . 
     In addition, the core material member  7  is located above the wires  6  to extend in a second direction  71 , which is oblique to the first direction  61 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the second direction  71  is in parallel with a direction, in which the pads  5  are arrayed in columns. Therefore, the wires  6  respectively obliquely intersect with the core material member  7 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . According to the present invention, when the pads  5 , wires  6  and core material member  7  have been arranged on the substrate  4  in the above-described manner, the flexible substrate  4  is bent into a U-shaped configuration, such that the pads  5  in the second zone  52  are superimposed on the pads  5  in the first zone  51  in one-to-one correspondence and the bent parts of the wires  6  are extended in a third direction  62 , which is different from the first direction  61 . In a preferred embodiment, the third direction  62  and the first direction  61  are in a mirroring relation. 
     In a first embodiment of the magnetic field generator  3  for the magnetic card of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the pads  5  are manufactured to respectively have a thickness larger than that of the wires  6 . Therefore, when the flexible substrate  4  is bent to bring the pads  5  located in the first and second zones  51 ,  52  at the same row and the same column to correspondingly connect to one another, an encircling space  41  is defined by and between the connected pads  5  and the wires  6 , and the core material member  7  is located at a middle position in the encircling space  41 . As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , the pads  5  and the wires  6  together sequentially form a helical coil structure, which cooperates with the core material member  7  to generate a magnetic field. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wires  6  of the magnetic field generator  3  can have a solder mask layer  80  formed on their surfaces. The solder mask layer  80  can be selected from a solder mask coating or a cover layer. As shown in  FIG. 6 , after the substrate  4  has been bent, a top and a bottom of the core material member  7  are located adjoining to the solder mask layers  80  of the wires  6 . For the core material member  7  to firmly attach to the solder mask layers  80 , an adhesive material  81  can be provided between the solder mask layers  80  and the core material member  7  to adhere them to one another. 
     However, it is understood the solder mask layers  80  for the wires  6  are only illustrative. In other operable embodiments, the solder mask layers  80  can be omitted and the adhesive material  81  is directly applied between the wires  6  and the core material member  7 , so that the wires  6  are not in direct contact with the core material member  7 . 
     On the other hand, in a second embodiment of the magnetic field generator  3  for the magnetic card of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 8 , while the flexible substrate  4  and the third direction  62  generated after the wires  6  are bent along with the substrate  4  are just identical to those in the first embodiment, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in two aspects. First, the pads  5  in the second embodiment respectively have a thickness smaller than that of the pads  5  in the first embodiment; and second, the wires  6  in the second embodiment are not formed with the solder mask layers  80  but are spaced from the core material member  7  by an insulating material  82 . That is, in the second embodiment, when the substrate  4  is flexed to a U-shaped configuration, the thinner pads  5  in the first and second zones  51 ,  52  are not able to directly electrically connect to one another. Therefore, a conductive material member  53  is provided between each pad  5  in the first zone  51  and its corresponding pad  5  in the second zone  52 . The pads  5 , the wires  6  and the conductive material members  53  together form a coil structure. The insulating material  82  can be applied to the top and the bottom of the core material member  7  or to enclose the whole core material member  7  to thereby isolate the core material member  7  from the wires  6  (not shown). 
     The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.