Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20030141373A1/en
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 10:37:02+00:00

Document:
The present invention relates to a process for producing an opaque, transparent or translucent transaction card having multiple features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an invisible optically recognizable compound, a translucent signature field such that the signature on back of the card is visible from the front of the card and an active thru date on the front of the card. The invisible optically recognizable compound is an infrared ink and/or film, which can be detected by a sensor found in an ATM or card assembly line.
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/092,681, filed Mar. 7, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/062,106, filed Jan. 31, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/653,837, filed Sep. 1, 2000 and further claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/153,112, filed Sep. 7, 1999; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/160,519, filed Oct. 20, 1999; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/167,405, filed Nov. 24, 1999; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/171,689, filed Dec. 21, 1999 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/652,899, entitled “Methods And Apparatus For Conducting Electronic Transactions” filed Aug. 31, 2000.
As magnetic stripe cards and smart cards developed, the market demanded international standards for the cards. The card's physical dimensions, features and embossing area were standardized under the International Standards Organization (“ISO”), ISO 7810 and ISO 7811. The issuer's identification, the location of particular compounds, coding requirements, and recording techniques were standardized in ISO 7812 and ISO 7813, while chip card standards were established in ISO 7813. For example, ISO 7811 defines the standards for the magnetic stripe which is a 0.5 inch stripe located either in the front or rear surface of the card which is divided into three longitudinal parallel tracks. The first and second tracks hold read-only information with room for 79 alpha numeric characters and 40 numeric characters, respectively. The third track is reserved for financial transactions and includes enciphered versions of the user's personal identification number, country code, currency units, amount authorized per cycle, subsidiary accounts, and restrictions. More information regarding the features and specifications of transaction cards can be found in, for example,  Smart Cards by Jose Luis Zoreda and Jose Manuel Oton, 1994; Smart Card Handbook by W. Rankl and W. Effing, 1997, and the various ISO standards for transaction cards available from ANSI (American National Standards Institute), 11 West 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036, the entire contents of all of these publications are herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a process for producing a transparent or translucent transaction card having any one or more features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an optically recognizable ink or film contained within the construction of the card, a translucent signature field such that the signature on back of the card is visible from the front of the card and an “active thru” date on the front of the card. The card is optically recognizable due to an invisible or transparent infrared ink or film which is distributed over the card's surface, thereby allowing the card to block (absorb, refract, diffuse and/or reflect) infrared light and transmit all other light. Particularly, when the transaction card is inserted into an ATM device, the light beam from the IRED is blocked by the infrared ink or film, thereby deactivating the phototransistor. Moreover, during the manufacturer of transaction cards, the optically recognizable card allows an IRED light beam from a personalization device, inspection unit or counter device to count the number of transaction cards produced in an assembly line.
FIGS.  17A-17I show exemplary test results for various card embodiments in a graph of percent transmission v. wavelength (nm) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
In an exemplary embodiment, the optically recognizable compound is incorporated into a material in the form of a film, plastic, fiber, ink, concentrate, thermoplastic or thermoset matrix, thread, planchette, and/or other medium which contains in the range of about 0.001 to 40.0 wt. (%) of a compound derived from organic or inorganic materials. The infrared ink may be applied to card  5 (see FIG. 1) by, for example, a screen printing process or any other printing or coating means such as lithography, gravure, flexo, calender coating, curtain coating, roller coating and/or the like. An exemplary screen printing process utilizes a screen press equipped with drying equipment (UV curable or convection heat) and a screen with a specific mesh size of about 80 lines/cm. The IR ink is printed across any portion of the entire card surface of plastic using a silk screen press, as described below.
Because the relative eye sensitivity of an ordinary observer for a specified level of illumination is between around 400-770 nm, infrared ink at over 770 nm is preferable because it is invisible to the human eye in normal white light. As such, the invisible infrared material will not substantially obscure the transparent surface of card  5. Additionally, the exemplary ink withstands card production temperatures of about 200 F. to 400 F. degrees and includes a “light fastness period” (which is the resistance of the ink to fade or degrade in the presence of any light, and specifically, UV light) of about at least three years under normal credit card usage conditions. Moreover, the exemplary ink blocks, absorbs or reflects the spectral output of IRED's, such as, for example, the Sankyo Seiki LED's, which is about 800-1000 nm. The exemplary ink also limits the light reaching the phototransistors, so the presence of a clear card having the ink is detected in a transaction machine, such as, for example, a card grabbing-type ATM machine.
FIGS.  17A-17I show exemplary test results for various card embodiments in a graph of percent transmission v. wavelength (nm). For example, with respect to FIG. 17A, the quality assurance of IR ink on PVC with no text is tested wherein a curve represents one of four corners of an exemplary card. Subsequent curves represent another card sample which was selected after an interval of card production, such as, for example, after about 50 cards. FIG. 17B shows the percent transmission of different wavelengths of light through cards having different ink formulations, wherein each curve represents a card with a different ink formulation.
FIGS.  17C-17I represent various spectra of films, coatings, cards, etc. which demonstrate the ability of the materials used in the card constructions to block sufficient quantaties of infrared radiation and transmit visible light in order to produce cards described in the embodiement. The mechanism of blocking may be absorption, reflection, diffusion, dispersion or other methods of blocking radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum.
In addition to the IR inks, the optically recognizable compound may alternatively be a film or hot mirror which also blocks (absorbs or reflects) infrared light, but transmits all other wavelengths of light. In an exemplary embodiment, the film is set between the front sheet  10 and back sheet 12. FIG. 4 is a graph of energy v. wavelength for the reflection and transmission of an exemplary IR film in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows that, while the visible light is transmitted through the film, the infrared light is blocked at higher wavelengths and a substantial amount of infrared light is reflected.
The optically recognizable compounds may be incorporated into plastic products, films, products, documents or other articles which may inhibit detection via phototransistors, CCD's, and/or the like. The material can be incorporated into a transaction card via a film, plastic, printing ink, coating or other application medium by grinding or the use of dispersed or deposited material into a liquid, paste or other type of medium. To minimize environmental damage to the ink, such as the ink being scratched, the ink is preferably applied directly onto the plastic sheets under the laminate (described below in step  170). Moreover, the infrared ink may be applied on the inside or outside surface of the plastic sheets.
In addition to triggering the sensors in ATM machines, translucent card  5 can be used with any magnetic stripe or smart card reader. The reader system can include a card reader/writer, a point-of-sale terminal, ATM or any other acceptance device. In an exemplary embodiment, card 5 is used in conjunction with a reader which, not only detects the existence of the card, but also illuminates the transparent portion of card 5 when the card is inserted into the reader. The illumination source can be either an incandescent or solid state source (infrared emitting diode or laser). In operation, when the card is inserted into the acceptance device, the edge of the card presses against the illumination assembly (or activates a switch, interrupts a beam, etc.). Depending upon the application of the card, the illumination source can be under the control of the acceptance device or external software. Thus, the illumination source can flash or display a particular color if directed by the external software program. Additionally, depending on the structure of the card, the illumination source could be used to excite an embedded design useful for security or product enhancement.
As discussed above, the optically recognizable compounds may be incorporated into any type of article. An exemplary article is a transaction card which may itself include any number of numerous features. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention includes, generally, a transaction card  5 comprised of base containing opaque, transparent or translucent plastic layers 10, 12 and multiple features affixed to the card 5 such as text 30, 32, 34, logos 50, embossed characters 35, magnetic stripe 42, signature field 45, holographic foil 15, IC chip 20 and opacity gradient 25 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
Card  5 also includes an optically recognizable compound, described above, for allowing the transparent or translucent transaction card 5 to be recognized by card reading devices, such as ATMs, and/or for allowing the transparent transaction card 5 to be recognized and counted during card fabrication. The optically recognizable compound on transparent card 5 is a substantially invisible or translucent infrared ink, mirror or film which blocks (absorbs or reflects) infrared light but transmits all other wavelengths of light (see FIG. 4). Card 5 can be used for credit, charge, debit, access, identification, information storage, electronic commerce and/or other functions.
With respect to FIG. 3, to fabricate card  5 having a front and back surface in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a front sheet 10 and back sheet 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2) consisting of a plastic substrate such as, for example, clear core PVC, are produced (step 100). One skilled in the art will appreciate that sheets 10 and 12 of card 5 may be any suitable transparent, translucent and/or opaque material such as, for example, plastic, glass, acrylic and/or any combination thereof. Each sheet 10, 12 is substantially identical and is preferably about 3′×4′ (622 mm×548 mm) and about 0.005-0.350 inches, or more preferably 0.01-0.15 inches or 13.5 mil thick.
With respect to FIG. 7A, the fabrication of the individual card sheets includes either direct layout (9 layers) of film or the use of a sub-assembly (5 layers). An exemplary sub-assembly consists of 5 layers of film with room temperature tack adhesive applied over thermoset and thermoplastic adhesives. The resulting cards comprise (from the card front towards the card back) 2.0 mil outer laminate (PVC, polyvinylchloride) having the holographic foil, embossed surface, chip and other indicia on its surface, 9.0 mil printed PVC core with print side out (card front), 2.0 mil PVC adhesive, 1.7 mil PET GS (extrusion coated polyethyleneterephthalate-gluable/stampable) manufactured by D&K (525 Crossen, Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007), 2.0 mil PET IR blocking film, 1.7 mil PET GS, 2.0 mil PET adhesive, 9.0 mil printed PVC core with the print side out (card back), and 2.0 mil outer back laminate with a signature panel, applied magnetic stripe and other indicia. Optimally, the PET IR blocking film is fabricated in the middle of the layers to balance the card and minimize warping of the resulting card product. Other exemplary embodiments of the layers are shown in FIGS.  7B-7H.
After eventually combining the sheets (step  160), by preferably adhering the front sheet 10 on top of the back sheet 12, the total thickness of the transaction card 5 is about 0.032 in. (32 mil.), which is within the ISO thickness standard for smart cards. Because the IC chip 20 is eventually embedded into the surface of the substrate (step 195), and the surface of chip 20 is co-extensive with the outer surface of the front sheet 10, the IC chip 20 does not affect the thickness of the overall card 5. Moreover, the about 3′×4′ sheets include markings which define the boundaries of the individual cards 5 which will be cut from the sheet. Each exemplary sheet yields over 50 transaction cards (typically 56 cards), wherein each card 5 is within the ISO card size standard, namely about 2″×3.5″.
In general, an exemplary process for construction of card  5 having an IR film includes chemical vapor deposition of PET film which has optimal visible and infrared properties (step 105). The chemical deposition is preformed by a Magnetron Machine manufactured by the Magnetron Company. With respect to FIG. 10, the process incorporates a roll chemical vapor deposition sputtering system with three coating zones. The Magnetron roll vapor deposition machine deposits evaporation batches containing Ag, Au and Indium oxide onto optical grade polyethyleneterephthalate using chemical vapor deposition. The Ag/Au/Indium layers are about 100 angstroms each and, depending on the lower wavelength reflections, about three to five layers exist. More details related to vacuum coating, solar coating and Magnetron sputtering can be found in, for example, “Handbook of Optical Properties, Volume I, Thin Films for Optical Coatings” edited by Rolf Hummel and Karl H. Guenther, 1995, CRC Press, Inc, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Next, plasma or flame treatment is applied to the PET film for surface tension reduction of the film (step  110). During the deposition and assembly of the layers, the IR film is monitored to optimize the IR blocking spectrum. Thus, the film is then tested against a standard by using a spectrophotometer to test the visible and infrared properties of the PET film (step 115). With respect to FIG. 9, a reflection and transmission monitor with various optical components for vacuum evaporation in-line roll coating operations is utilized to monitor the IR film. In-line spectrophotometric monitoring is part of the vapor deposition process. Transmission at various wavelengths is monitored during the entire run. A tack adhesive is applied to PET GS (polyethyleneterephthalate-gluable/stampable) (step 120) and a pressure laminate is applied to the Indium Oxide metal surface of the PET IR blocking film (step 125). Next, a tack adhesive is applied to the PET side of the IR blocking film (step 130) and a pressure laminate is applied to the PET GS (step 135). Exemplary lamination conditions include 280 F. degrees and 600 psi for 22 minutes, then cooled under pressure for about 18 minutes. A heat seal adhesive is applied to both outer sides of the PET GS, or alternatively, a PVC adhesive is applied to both outer sides of the PET GS (step 140).
In an exemplary embodiment, certain compounds are printed over the surface of sheets  10 and 12. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the printing of the text 30, 32, 34, logos 50, optically recognizable ink and opacity gradient 25 may be applied to any surface of card 5 such as, for example, the front 10 face, the rear 12 face, the inside or outside surface of either face, between the two sheets of base material and/or a combination thereof. Moreover, any suitable printing, scoring, imprinting, marking or like method is within the scope of the present invention.
The opacity gradient  25 and optically recognizable ink are printed onto the sheets by a silk screen printing process (step 150). With respect to the opacity gradient 25, the exemplary gradient is comprised of a silver pearl ink gradation having an ink stippling which is more dense at the top of card 5 and gradually becomes less dense or clear as it approaches the bottom of card 5. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the opacity gradient 25 can be any density throughout the gradient 25 and the gradient 25 can traverse any direction across card 5 face. The opacity gradient 25 can be formed by any substance which can provide a similar gradient 25 on card 5. The exemplary ink gradient 25 for each card 5 is printed using known printing inks suitably configured for printing on plastic, such as Pantone colors. In an exemplary embodiment, the ink used for the stippling 25 is a silver pearl ink and is applied to the outside surface of each plastic sheet. Ink gradient 25 is printed on the surface of each of the sheets using a silk screen printing process which provides an opaque, heavier ink coverage or using offset printing process which provides halftone images in finer detail. The words “American Express” are printed in Pantone 8482 using a similar silkscreen process.
More particularly, with respect to silk screen printing, artwork containing the desired gradient  25 is duplicated many times to match the number of individual cards 5 to be produced from the sheets. The duplicated artwork is then suitably applied to a screen by any suitable known in the art photo-lithographic process and the screen is then developed. The screen is placed over the sheet and ink is suitably washed across the surface of the screen. The exposed portions of the screen allow the ink to pass through the screen and rest on the sheet in the artwork pattern. If multiple colors are desired, this process can be repeated for each color. Moreover, other security features are optionally silk printed on card 5 such as, for example, an invisible, ultraviolet charge card logo (visible in black light) is printed in a duotone of Pantone 307 and 297 using offset and silk screen presses.
The text  30, 32, 34 and logo 50 are printed on the outside surface of each sheet by a known printing process, such as an offset printing process (step 155) which provides a thinner ink coverage, but clearer text. More particularly, with respect to offset printing, the artwork is duplicated onto a metal plate and the metal plate is placed onto an offset press printing machine which can print up to four colors during a single run. The offset printed text includes, for example, a corporate name 30, a copyright notice 33, a batch code number 34, an “active thru” date 32, contact telephone numbers, legal statements (not shown) and/or the like. The exemplary offset text is printed in 4DBC in opaque white ink or a special mix of Pantone Cool Gray 11 called UV AMX Gray.
Because the resulting card  5 may be transparent, the text can be seen from both sides of card 5. As such, if the text is only printed on one sheet, the text may be obscured when viewing the text from the opposite side of card 5 (in other words, viewing the text “through” the plastic substrate). To minimize the obscuring of the text, the front sheet 10 is printed on its outside surface with standard format text and the back sheet 12 is printed on its outside surface with the same text, but the text is in “reverse” format. The back 12 text is aligned with the text on the front face 10, wherein the alignment of the text is aided by card 5 outline markings on the full sheet. Certain text or designs which may be obscured by an compound of card 5 (magnetic stripe 40, chip 20, etc.) may be printed on only one sheet. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the corporate logo 50 is printed on only one sheet and is located behind the IC chip 20, thereby being hidden from the front 10 view and hiding at least a portion of the IC chip 20 from the back 12 view. One skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the offset printing can occur on the outside or inside surface of the sheets.
The sheet of laminate which is applied to the back  12 of card 5 (step 170) preferably includes rows of magnetic stripes 40, wherein each magnetic stripe 40 corresponds to an individual card 5. The magnetic stripe 40 extends along the length of card 5 and is applied to the back 12 surface, top portion of card 5 in conformity with ISO standards for magnetic stripe 40 size and placement. However, the magnetic stripe 40 may be any width, length, shape, and placed on any location on card 5. The two track magnetic stripe 40, including the recorded information, can be obtained from, for example, Dai Nippon, 1-1, Ichigaya Kagacho 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8001, Japan, Tel: Tokyo 03-3266-2111.
In a further embodiment, there is no infrared blocking film or infrared blocking ink disposed on or associated with the card  5 in the card area covered by the magnetic stripe 40. Thus, the card 5 has associated with it infrared blocking film or ink as before except for the card area having the magnetic stripe 40 thereon. This configuration can result in card manufacturing cost savings since there is a reduced amount of infrared block film or ink required for this card 5. Advantageously, this card embodiment maintains the characteristic that infrared radiation is blocked from being transmitted through the card 5.
Although prior art magnetic stripes  40 in current use are black, in a particularly exemplary embodiment, the magnetic stripe 40 of the present invention is a silver magnetic stripe 40. Exemplary silver magnetic stripe 40 is 2750 oersted and also conforms to ISO standards. Moreover, the silver magnetic stripe 40 includes printing over the magnetic stripe 40. The printing on the magnetic stripe 40 can include any suitable text, logo 50, hologram foil 15 and/or the like; however, in an exemplary embodiment, the printing includes text indicative of an Internet web site address. Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd (more information about Dai Nippon can be found at www.dnp.co.jp) prints a hologram or text on the magnetic stripe using, for example, the Dai Nippon CPX10000 card printer which utilizes dye sublimation retransfer technology having a thermal head which does not contact the card surface. The card printer utilizes the double transfer technology to print the image with the thermal head over a clear film and then re-transferring the printed image onto the actual card media by heat roller. The printing of information on the surface of the magnetic stripe 40 is preformed by, for example, American Banknote Holographics, 399 Executive Blvd., Elmsford, N.Y. 10523, (914) 592-2355. More information regarding the printing on the surface of a magnetic stripe 40 can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,795 issued on Aug. 4, 1987 to United States Banknote Company of New York, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
After the desired printing is complete and the magnetic stripe applied, the front  10 and back 12 sheets are placed together (step 160), and the sheets are preferably adhered together by any suitable adhering process, such as a suitable adhesive. One skilled in the art will appreciate that, instead of printing on two sheets and combining the two sheets, a single plastic card 5 can be used, wherein card 5 is printed on one side, then the same card 5 is re-sent through the printer for printing on the opposite side. In the present invention, after adhering the sheets together, a sheet of lamination, approximately the same dimensions as the plastic sheets, namely 3′×4′, is applied over the front 10 and back 12 of card 5. After the laminate is applied over the front 10 and back 12 of the combined plastic sheets (step 170), card 5 layers are suitably compressed at a suitable pressure and heated at about 300 degrees, at a pressure of between 90-700 psi, with a suitable dwell time to create a single card 5 device. The aforementioned card fabrication can be completed by, for example, Oberthur Card Systems, 15 James Hance Court, Exton, Pa.
With respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, after the laminate is applied, a signature field is applied to the back surface  12 of card 5 (step 175) and the holographic foil 15 is applied to the front 10 of card 5 (step 190). With respect to signature field 45, although prior art signature fields are formed from adhering a paper-like tape to the back 12 of card 5, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the signature field 45 is a translucent box measuring about 2″ by ⅜″ and is applied to the card using a hot-stamp process. The verification of the signature in signature field 45 by the merchant is often a card 5 issuer requirement for a merchant to avoid financial liability for fraudulent use of card 5. As such, the translucent signature field 45 on the transparent card 5 not only allows the clerk to view at least a portion of the signature field 45 from the front of the card 5, but the signature view also encourages the clerk to turn over card 5 and verify the authenticity of the signature with the signed receipt.
After the card sheets are laminated, the sheets are cut into individual cards  5 (step 180) by a known stamping process, including any necessary curing, burrowing, heating, cleaning and/or sealing of the edges. The individual transaction cards 5 are about 3″×4″ and conform to ISO standards for transaction card 5 shape and size. In an exemplary embodiment, the laminated sheets of 56 cards are suitably cut in, half on a guillotine device, resulting in two half-sheets of 28 cards. The half-sheets are loaded onto a card punch machine which aligns the sheets to a die (x and y axes) using predetermined alignment marks visible to the optics of the machine. The half-sheets are then fed under the punch in seven steps. Particularly, a fixed distance feed is followed by another optic sensor search to stop the feed at the pre-printed alignment mark, then the machine punches a row of four cards out at one time. After die cutting and finishing according to standard processing, the IR reflection properties are verified in-line (step 185) before application of the holographic foil 15.
With respect to the application of an exemplary holographic foil, the holographic foil  15 is adhered to card 5 (step 190) by any suitable method. In an exemplary embodiment, a substantially square steel die, which is about 1¼″×1¼″ with rounded corners and a 0.0007″ crown across the contacting surface, stamps out the individual foils 15 from a large sheet of holographic foil 15. The die is part of a hot stamp machine such that the die is sent through a sheet of foil 15, cutting the foil 15 around a particular image and immediately applying the foil 15 with heat to the front 10 surface of card 5 after the card has been laminated. The die temperature is in the range of about 300F. °±10 F. °.The dwell time is approximately ½ seconds and the application speed is set based upon the individual hot stamp applicator; however, the foregoing temperature and dwell is identified for a speed of 100 cards per minute. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,206,965; 4,421,380; 4,589,686; and 4,717,221 by Stephen P. McGrew provide more details about hot stamping of a holographic image and are hereby incorporated by reference.
With respect to the holographic foil  15, the foil 15 can be any color, contain any hologram, can be applied to any location on card 5, and can be cut to any size, shape and thickness. In an exemplary embodiment, the holographic foil 15 sheet preferably includes a gray adhesive on the bottom side and a blue, mirrorlike, three-dimensional holographic surface on the top side containing numerous holographic images about 1¼″×1¼″ each. The exemplary hologram includes a 360 degree viewability and diffracts a rainbow of colors under white light. The full color hologram is created by, for example, American Banknote Holographics.
The corners of the individual foil  15 are preferably rounded to minimize the likelihood that the foil 15 will peal away from the surface of card 5. Moreover, when applied to the card, the blue holographic surface faces away from card 5 while the gray adhesive side is applied to card 5 surface. The top surface of the holographic foil 15 may be created by any suitable method such as reflection holographics, transmission holographics, chemical washing, the incorporation of mirror compounds and/or any combination thereof. The holographic foil 15 can be fabricated by, for example, American Banknote Holographics, Inc. located at 1448 County Line Road, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., 19006.
In an exemplary embodiment, the sheets of holographic foil  15 are transmission holograms suitably created by interfering two or more beams of converging light, namely an object beam and reference beam, from a 20 watt Argon laser at 457.9 nm, onto a positive photoemulsion (spun coat plates using shiply photoresist). The system records the interference pattern produced by the interfering beams of light using, for example, a 303A developer. The object beam is a coherent beam reflected from, or transmitted through, the object to be recorded which is preferably a three-dimensional mirror. The reference beam is preferably a coherent, collimated light beam with a spherical wave front 10.
The incorporation of the holographic foil  15 onto a transaction card 5 provides a more reliable method of determining the authenticity of the transaction card 5 in ordinary white light, namely by observing if the hologram has the illusion of depth and changing colors. Thus, to allow the hologram to be viewed with ordinary, white light, when the hologram is recorded onto the transaction card 5, the image to be recorded is placed near the surface of the substrate. Moreover, the hologram is be embossed on a metalized carrier, such as the holographic foil 15, or alternatively the hologram may be cast directly onto the transparent plastic material. When formed on the clear plastic material, the hologram is made visible by the deposit of a visible substance over the embossed hologram, such as a metal or ink. More information regarding the production of holograms on charge cards 5 or the production of holographic foil 15 can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,795 issued on Aug. 4, 1987 to United States Banknote Company of New York or from the American Banknote Holographics, Inc. web site at www.abnh.com, both of which are herein incorporated by reference.
The charge card substrate is comprised of a vinyl base or other comparable type material which is suitably capable of accepting a hot stamping of a hologram without substantially violating the present composition of the hologram or its coatings. When adhering the hologram to the vinyl card, the coating exhibits a consistent blush and is uniform in color, viscosity and free of contamination. The adhesion of the hologram to the card is also sufficiently strong enough such that the application of Scotch  610 tape over the hologram which is removed at a 450 angle will not result in a significant amount of foil removed from the substrate.
After stamping out the individual cards  5 and applying the holographic foil, the IC chip 20 is applied to card 5 (step 195) by any suitable method, such as adhesive, heat, tape, groove and/or the like. More particularly, a small portion of the front 10 of card 5 is machined out using, for example, a milling process. The milling step removes about 0.02 mils of plastic from the front 10 surface, such that the routed hole cuts into the two core layers of plastic, but does not go through the last outer laminate layer of plastic, thereby forming a 5235HST pocket. IC chip 20 is a 5235 palladium plated with silver, rather than the standard gold plating. IC chip 20 is applied to the card using a process known as “potting”. Any suitable adhesive, such as a non-conductive adhesive, is placed into the machined hole and the IC chip 20 is placed over the adhesive such that the top surface of the IC chip 20 is substantially even with the front 10 surface of card 5. Suitable pressure and heat is applied to the IC chip 20 to ensure that the IC chip 20 is sufficiently affixed to card 5. The IC chip 20 is any suitable integrated circuit located anywhere on card 5. In an exemplary embodiment, the IC chip 20 structure, design, function and placement conforms to ISO standards for IC chips 20 and smart cards 5. The IC chip 20 may be obtained from, for example, Siemens of Germany.
In another embodiment of the card  5, after stamping out the individual cards 5 and applying the holographic foil, two IC chips 20 are applied to the card 5 by any suitable method, such as adhesive, heat, tape, groove and/or the like. More particularly, a first small portion or pocket of the front 10 of the card 5 is machined out using, for example, a milling process. The first small portion or pocket milled out is preferably located in an upper left area of the front 10 of the card 5. The milling step removes or mills out sufficient plastic from the front 10 surface of the card, such that the routed hole or pocket cuts into the two core layers of plastic and particularly into the layer that comprises the infrared (IR) blocking film or ink, but does not go through the last outer laminate layer of plastic on the back 12 of the card 5, thereby forming a first 5235HST pocket in the front 10 of the card 5. A second small portion is machined or milled out of the back 12 of the card 5. The second small portion or pocket milled out of the card 5 is preferably symmetrically located in an upper left area of the back 10 of the card 5. Also, the milling step on the back 12 of the card 5 removes or mills out sufficient plastic from the back 12 surface of the card 5, such that the routed hole cuts into the two core layers of plastic and particularly into the layer that comprises the infrared (IR) blocking film or ink, but does not go through the last outer laminate layer of plastic on the front 10 of the card 5, thereby forming a second 5235HST pocket in the back 10 of the card 5.
The card layers above the top surface of the IR blocking layer will have the first milled out portion for the first IC chip  20 while the layers below the IR blocking layer will only have the second milled out portion for the second IC chip 20. The IR blocking layer, in contrast, will have both the first and second milled out portions. The first and second milled out portions result in an IR blocking film or ink layer, including the top and bottom surfaces of the IR blocking layer, that have IR blocking film or ink distributed throughout the layer and top and bottom surfaces, except for the first and second milled out portions that have been milled out to accept IC chips.
The IC chips  20 are 5235 palladium plated with silver, rather than the standard gold plating. Both IC chips 20 are applied to the card using a process known as “potting”. Any suitable adhesive, such as a non-conductive adhesive, is placed into the machined holes and the IC chips 20 are placed over the adhesive such that the top surfaces of the IC chips 20 are substantially even with the respective front 10 and back 12 surfaces of card 5. Suitable pressure and heat is applied to the IC chips 20 to ensure that the IC chips 20 are sufficiently affixed to card 5. The IC chips 20 can be any suitable integrated circuit located anywhere on the card 5. In an exemplary embodiment, the structure, design, function and placement of the IC chips 20 conforms to ISO standards for IC chips 20 and smart cards 5.
The use of two IC chips  20 in the card 5 can have many commercial advantages for both a card issuer and a card user. This card embodiment maintains the characteristic that infrared radiation is blocked from being transmitted through the card 5. Additionally, by using two IC chips 20, twice the amount of memory or information can be saved on the card 5. Also, the use of two card can allow for one to serve as a back-up in the case of failure of a primary IC chip 20. Alternatively, the use of two IC chips 20 on the card 5 may allow for two separate card members accounts to be on one card 5. For example, one IC chip could be used for a credit card account and the other for a charge account or other account. Further, the use of two IC chips 20 will be viewed by many as aesthetically pleasing and thus result in increased demand for these card by consumers. Also, the presence of two IC chips 20 and the afforded advantages could be used in marketing the card 5 to consumers.
After applying the holographic foil  15 and the IC chip 20 to card 5, certain information, such as account number 35 and “active thru” 32 date (not shown), are preferably embossed into card 5 (step 200) by known embossing methods. The embossing can be completed by, for example, Oberthur Card Systems. Although any information can be embossed anywhere on card 5, in a particularly exemplary embodiment, the account numbers 35 are embossed through the holographic foil 15 to reduce the possibility of the transfer of the holographic foil 15 to a counterfeit card 5 for fraudulent use. Additionally, although prior art cards 5 include a beginning and ending validity date, the present card 5 only includes an “active thru” 32 date, namely a date in which the card expires.
While the foregoing describes an exemplary embodiment for the fabrication of card  5, one skilled in the art will appreciate that any suitable method for incorporating text 30, 32, 34, logos 50, embossed numbers 35, a magnetic stripe 42, a signature field 45, holographic foil 15, an IC chip 20 and opacity gradient 25 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) onto a substrate is within the scope of the present invention. Particularly, the holographic foil 15, IC chip 20, logo 50, magnetic stripe 40, signature field 45 or any other compound may be affixed to any portion of card 5 by any suitable means such as, for example, heat, pressure, adhesive, grooved and/or any combination thereof.
whereby said card body is opaque to infrared radiation and translucent to visible light radiation.
2. The card of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a holographic foil, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo.
3. The card of claim 2, wherein said infrared blocking layer does not comprise infrared film or ink in an area that corresponds to said magnetic stripe disposed on said card body.
4. The card of claim 1, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.
5. The card of claim 1, wherein said card body transmits from about 70% to 80% of incident visible light radiation.
6. The card of claim 1, wherein said wavelength region is from about 400 nm to 750 nm.
7. The card of claim 1, wherein said visible light region is from about 550 nm to 700 nm.
9. The card of claim 8, further comprising at least one of a holographic foil, a magnetic stripe, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo.
10. The card of claim 9, wherein said infrared blocking layer does not comprise infrared film or ink in an area that corresponds to said magnetic stripe disposed on said card body.
11. The card of claim 8, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.
12. The card of claim 8, wherein said card body transmits from about 70% to 80% of incident visible light radiation.
13. The card of claim 8, wherein said wavelength region is from about 400 nm to 750 nm.
14. The card of claim 8, wherein said visible light region is from about 550 nm to 700 nm.
a magnetic stripe disposed on said back surface.
16. The card of claim 15, further comprising at least one of a holographic foil, an opacity gradient, embossed characters, signature field, text and logo.
17. The card of claim 16, wherein said infrared blocking layer does not comprise infrared film or ink in an area that corresponds to said magnetic stripe disposed on said back surface.
18. The card of claim 15, wherein said card is at least one of a transaction card, identification card, smart card, credit card, charge card, debit card, access card, information storage card, electronic commerce card, document and paper.
19. The card of claim 15, wherein said card body transmits from about 70% to 80% of incident visible light radiation.
20. The card of claim 8, wherein said visible light region is from about 550 nm to 700 nm.
ES2352865T3 (en) 2011-02-23 Direct thermal image element two-layer double sided.

References: Application No. 60
 Application No. 60
 Application No. 60
 Application No. 60
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