Abstract:
An adapter for a portable integrated circuit device of the chip card variety has a reduced format in comparison with the standard mini-card format. The device with a reduced format includes a body on which a microcircuit defining contact pads is disposed. A support which has a standard mini-card format is provided with a cavity having the dimensions of the device with a reduced format. The device is detachably fixed in the cavity. The cavity is located in the support in such a way that the location of the contact pads of the microcircuit of the device with a reduced format coincides with the standardization location of the contact pads of a microcircuit having a standard format mini-card.

Description:
This disclosure is based upon French Application No. 99/06729, filed on May 27, 1999 and International Application No. PCT/FR00/01272, filed May 11, 2000, which was published on Dec. 7, 2000 in a language other than English, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns an adaptor for a portable electronic device, of the smart card type, with a format smaller than the current standard format and more particularly smaller than the current standard minicard format. 
     The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing the adaptor according to the present invention. 
     There exist principally two standard formats of smart card on the market. Firstly the smart cards complying with the ISO standard, essentially intended for communication, identification or electronic cash operations for example, and on the other hand smart cards complying with the so-called mini SIM card standard, essentially intended to be inserted in a mobile telephone to the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) standard for example. 
     The present invention concerns more particularly the field of minicards for a mobile telephony application. 
     A minicard to the current standard format is illustrated schematically, seen from above, in  FIG. 1 . 
     Such a minicard constitutes a smart card with contact having a support  100 , produced by plastic moulding or injection, and a microcircuit  10 ′ attached to the said support  100  with metallisation areas  11 ′ flush with the surface of the support  100  so as to allow an electrical connection of the chip of the microcircuit  10 ′ with an operating circuit, for example the electronic circuit of the mobile telephone. 
     These current minicards comply with an established international standard which fixes their dimensions in order to allow their use with any mobile telephone complying with the same standard. In particular, the minicards have a rectangular-shaped card body  100 , 15 mm by 25 mm, with a thickness of 760 μm, and has a locating cut  105 , 3 mm by 3 mm, on the bottom right hand corner of the card support  100 . 
     The microcircuit  10 ′ is situated at a precise location on the support  100  of the minicard to allow standard electrical connection with the connectors of the telephones to the standard. 
     Preferentially, the microcircuit  10 ′ has been placed in a cavity previously provided in the minicard support  100 . The cavity can be produced by machining or at the time of plastic injection in the card mould, for example, or by any other well-known technique. 
     Likewise, the insetting, or attaching, of the microcircuit  10 ′ in this cavity is produced by hot pressing or by gluing for example, or by any other means, according to techniques also well known to experts. 
     Thus the microcircuit  10 ′ is situated at a precise location on the support  100  defined by the mini SIM standard, which fixes this location on the corner opposite to the locating cut, that is to say the top left-hand corner, at 1.5 mm from the top edge and 4 mm from the left-hand edge. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an adaptor for adapting a portable electronic device, of the smart card, to a new format, to a card to a standard format, ISO or mini SIM, the format of this device being smaller than the standard mini SIM format. 
     This is because, in the context of a standardisation of third-generation mobile telephones to the GSM standard, a new minicard format is proposed. These new minicards to a new format are referred to hereinafter as PLUG 3G. 
     Nevertheless it is advantageous to enable the old mobile telephones still on the market to function with cards from the new generation. 
     Thus the present invention proposes an adaptor which allows the use of a PLUG 3G card with an appliance whose reader is intended to receive an ISO or mini SIM card from the previous generation. 
     To this end, the present invention proposes to produce a support to the standard format of a mini SIM card provided with a cavity able to receive the device to the smaller format. 
     According to a preferential embodiment, the present invention proposes to produce a universal adaptor by producing a support to the standard format of an ISO card having a precut which delimits a portion of the support to the standard format of a minicard, this portion being provided with the cavity able to receive the device to the smaller format. 
     The present invention relates more particularly to an adaptor for a portable integrated-circuit electronic device, of the smart card type, to a smaller format compared with the standard format of a minicard, the device to the smaller format comprising a body on which a microcircuit is disposed, defining contact areas, characterised in that it comprises a support to the standard format of a minicard, provided with a cavity to the dimensions of the device to the smaller format, and means for the removable fixing of the said device in the cavity, and in that the cavity is situated in the support so that the location of the contact areas of the microcircuit of the device to the smaller format coincides with the standard location of the contact areas of a microcircuit of a minicard to the standard format. 
     According to an essential characteristic of the invention, the support to the standard format of a minicard defines an internal portion of a support to the standard format of an ISO card, the said internal portion being delimited in the ISO support by a precut. 
     According to one embodiment, the cavity has a bottom. 
     According to a variant, the cavity has at least one concave wall. 
     According to another variant, the support has semi-perforated cuts produced on each side of the cavity. 
     According to another embodiment, the body of the device to the smaller format has an asymmetric shape, the cavity being pierced throughout the thickness of the support, and having an asymmetric shape complementary to the shape of the body of the device to the smaller format. 
     The present invention also concerns a method of manufacturing an adaptor for a portable integrated-circuit electronic device, of the smart card type, to a smaller format compared with the standard format of a minicard, the device to the smaller format comprising a body on which there is disposed a microcircuit defining contact areas, the said device being intended to be inserted in a mobile telephone, characterised in that it comprises the following steps:
         producing a support to the standard format of a smart card;   producing a cavity to the dimensions of the card to the smaller format, the said cavity being situated in the support so that the location of the contact areas of the microcircuit of the device to the smaller format coincides with the standard location of the contact areas of a microcircuit of a card to the standard format;   fixing the device to the smaller format in the cavity of the support.       

     According to a first embodiment, the support is produced to the standard format of a minicard. 
     According to a second embodiment, the support is produced to the standard format of an ISO card. 
     According to one characteristic of this second embodiment, a precut is effected in the support to the standard format of an ISO card, the precut delimiting an internal portion to the standard format of a minicard. 
     According to a preferential embodiment, the support is obtained by moulding, the precut being effected at the time of moulding. 
     According to one characteristic, the precut is effected in the form of a discontinuous slot interrupted by tabs. 
     According to a first embodiment, the fixing of the device to the smaller format in the cavity of the support is effected by gluing, the cavity having a bottom on which the said device is glued. 
     According to a second embodiment, the cavity of the support has a bottom and at least one concave wall so as to provide the fixing of the device to the smaller format by gripping between the bottom and the concave wall of the cavity. 
     According to a third embodiment, the device to the smaller format has an asymmetric shape, the cavity having an asymmetric shape complementary to that of the device, the latter being fixed in the cavity by gripping of the complementary asymmetric shapes. 
     According to a fourth embodiment, the support has semi-perforated cuts in wave form on each side of the cavity each exerting a pressure force on the walls of the cavity directed towards the inside of the latter, the device to the smaller format being held in the cavity by gripping between the walls and the bottom of the cavity. 
     The present invention makes it possible to obtain, with a simple method, a universal adaptor allowing the direct use of a PLUG 3G card on appliances intended to receive current mini SIM or ISO cards. 
     Thus the change in the standard will not close the market of new cards to old appliances, such as mobile telephones for example. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other particularities and advantages of the invention will emerge from a reading of the following description given by way of illustrative and non-limitative example made with reference to the accompanying figures, for which: 
         FIG. 1 , already described, is a schematic plan view of a mini SIM card to the current standard format of minicards; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view of a portable electronic device to a smaller format compared with the standard format; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the adaptor according to the invention to the format of a minicard; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of  FIG. 3  with fitting of the device to the smaller format; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the principle of the universal adaptor according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a plan view of the principle of the universal adaptor with fitting of the device to the smaller format; 
         FIG. 7  is a view in section of a second embodiment of the adaptor according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a view in section of a first variant of a third embodiment of the adaptor according to the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a view in section of a second variant of the third embodiment of the adaptor according to the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of the adaptor according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the device to the smaller format compared with the standard format of a minicard has a rectangular-shaped card body  60  whose dimensions are smaller than the dimensions of the known formats. This device is referred to below as PLUG 3G. 
     For example, the card body  60  has a length of 15 mm and a width of 10 mm with a thickness less than or equal to 760 μm and has a locating cut  65  of 1 mm by 1 mm on the bottom right-hand corner of the card. 
     As on the minicards to the standard mini SIM format, a microcircuit  10  is integrated into a cavity provided in the body  60  of the PLUG 3G card, this microcircuit  10  covering almost all the surface of the PLUG 3G card. More precisely, it is situated at approximately 0.5 mm from the edge of each side of the card. 
     The microcircuit  10  also has metallisation areas  11  which define the contact areas of the chip of the microcircuit  10 . These contact areas  11  are intended to establish electrical contact between the chip of the microcircuit  10  and an operating circuit. 
     The operating circuit, integrated into the mobile telephone for example, is designed to read the data carried by the card and to use them. It is provided with a connector in which the user inserts the card. This connector comprises a series of contact blades intended to come into abutment on the contact areas  11  of the microcircuit  10  of the card when the latter is correctly inserted in the connector. It is consequently essential, so that the electrical connection is properly established, for the standard to precisely define the position of the microcircuit  10 , and of its contact areas  11 , with respect to the edges of the card support. 
     In order to allow the use of this PLUG 3G minicard to the new format with a telephone whose connector is designed to read a card to the current standard format, mini SIM or ISO, it is necessary to place this PLUG 3G minicard on an adaptor which will make it possible to effect a match between the contact areas  11  of the microcircuit  10  and the contact blades of the connector. 
     A first variant of such an adaptor is illustrated schematically, seen from above, on  FIGS. 3 and 4 ,  FIG. 3  presenting the adaptor and  FIG. 4  the fitting of the PLUG 3G minicard in the adaptor. 
     The adaptor according to the invention comprises a support  100  to the dimensions of a card body to the standard format of a minicard, that is to say a support  100  of 25 mm by 15 mm, with a locating cut  105  of 3 mm by 3 mm on the bottom right-hand corner. This support  100  can be produced according to conventional techniques, by moulding for example. 
     A cavity  110  is then provided in the support  100 , this cavity  110  having dimensions corresponding to those of the electronic device to be adapted, that is to say to the dimensions of the PLUG 3G minicard, that is to say 15 mm by 10 mm, with a locating cut  115  of 1 mm by 1 mm on the bottom right-hand corner. 
     The cavity  100  can be produced by moulding or by injection during the production of the support  200 , or by machining. These techniques are well known to the manufacturers of smart cards. 
     The PLUG 3G minicard can then be transferred into this cavity  110  and held by fixing means such as gluing, or gripping for example. The different means of fixing the PLUG 3G minicard in the cavity  110  will be described subsequently with reference to the different embodiments. 
     Preferentially, the means of fixing the PLUG 3G minicard are removable to allow the direct use of the device to the smaller format without an adaptor. 
     The cavity  110  accepting the PLUG 3G minicard is situated in the support  100  so as to comply with the constraint, disclosed above, of the positioning of the contact areas  11  of the microcircuit  10  of the minicard vis-à-vis the contact blades of the connector, so that electrical contact can be established between the microcircuit  10  of the PLUG 3G minicard and the operating circuit of an appliance such as a telephone for example. 
     A second variant of the present invention consists of producing a universal adaptor which makes it possible to use the device to the smaller format on a support to the format of an ISO card, and/or on a card to the mini SIM format. 
     Such a universal adaptor is illustrated, seen from above in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     The universal adaptor according to the invention comprises a support  200  to the dimensions of a card body to the standard format of an ISO card, that is to say a support measuring 85 mm by 54 mm. This support  200  can be produced according to conventional techniques, by moulding for example. 
     A precut  20  is effected around a portion  100  internal to the support  200 . This internal portion  100  has the dimensions of a card body to the standard format of a minicard, that is to say a portion  100  measuring 25 mm by 15 mm, with a locating cut  105  of 3 mm by 3 mm on the bottom right-hand corner. 
     This precut  20  is provided so as to allow easy separation of the internal portion  100  from the support  200  in order to obtain a support to the mini SIM format. It can advantageously be effected by moulding at the same time as the support  200 . 
     According to a preferential embodiment, the precut is in the form of a discontinuous slot  20  interrupted so as to create tabs  22 ,  24 ,  26  which enable the internal portion  100  to remain integral with the support  200 . A support to the mini SIM format can thus be obtained by causing the breakage of the said tabs simply by pressing on the internal portion  100 . 
     In this embodiment, the cavity  110  is provided in the internal portion  100  of the support  200  according to the conventional techniques mentioned above. 
     The PLUG 3G minicard can then be transferred into this cavity  110  and held by fixing means. 
     The cavity  110  accepting the PLUG 3G minicard is situated in the support  200  so as to comply with the constraint, disclosed previously, of the positioning of the contact areas  11  of the microcircuit  10  of the minicard vis-à-vis the contact blades of the connector. 
     In this way a universal adaptor is obtained which allows the use of the PLUG 3G card either directly in a reader able to receive a card to the ISO format or indirectly in a reader able to receive a card to the mini SIM format after breakage of the tabs  22 ,  24 ,  26  retaining the support portion  100 . 
       FIGS. 7 to 10  illustrate several embodiments of the adaptor according to the invention, and more particularly several embodiments of the cavity and of the fixing of the device to the smaller format in this cavity. 
     A first embodiment, not illustrated, consists of producing a cavity  110  by moulding or machining, with a bottom, and then fitting the PLUG 3G minicard in the cavity  110  in the support  100  by gluing with a glue or any cold adhesive which is disposed in the bottom of the cavity  110 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a second embodiment is illustrated in section. According to this embodiment, the cavity  110  is pierced throughout the thickness of the support  100  without a bottom. Such a cavity  110  can be machined and/or injected according to known techniques. 
     The cavity  110  has a given asymmetric shape which is complementary to the shape given to the body  60  of the PLUG 3G minicard. In the example illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the asymmetric shape consists of a concave wall  130  opposite a wall in the form of an asymmetric point  140 . 
     Such complementary asymmetry in the shapes of the minicard body  60  and the cavity  110  of the support  100  make it possible to obtain the holding of the minicard in the cavity  110  in the support  100  by gripping the card body  60  between the walls of the cavity  110 . 
     The asymmetric shapes are obtained by injection and/or cutting, for example, or by any other suitable technique. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate, with views in section, two variants of a third embodiment. 
     According to this embodiment, the cavity  110  of the support  100  has a bottom  120 , and at least one wall of the cavity  110  is concave. This concave wall  130  enables the minicard to be held in the cavity  110  of the support  100  by gripping the card body  60  between the bottom  120  and the concave wall  130 . 
     According to the variant embodiments, the cavity  110  is obtained by moulding and has a single concave wall  130 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 ; or by machining, and can have at least two concave walls  130 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a fourth embodiment of the adaptor according to the invention. 
     According to this embodiment, a cavity  110 , provided with a bottom  120 , is produced by any means, and semi-perforated cuts  150  are produced, in the support  100 , on each side of the cavity  110 . 
     These cuts  150  advantageously have wave shapes so as to introduce a clearance in the material of the support  100  and to constitute dampers. 
     These cuts  150  are designed each to exert a force F towards the inside of the cavity  110  and thus to enable the minicard to be held in the cavity  110  in the support  100  by pressing the card between the bottom  120  of the cavity  110  and the walls subjected to the pressure forces F.