Patent ID: 8474710

Claim:
An access control proximity card, comprising: an actuation sensor; an access electronics system; and a circuit connecting the access electronics system to the actuation sensor, wherein the circuit remains open and shorts the access electronics system until input from the actuation sensor is received, the circuit is closed and transfers energy from the actuation sensor to the access electronics system when input from the actuation sensor is received, and, when the circuit is closed, the access electronics system activates the proximity card to enable communication of access information from the proximity card, wherein the actuation sensor includes a button that causes the circuit to close or a set of exposed contacts that cause the circuit to close, each of the button or the set of exposed contacts being on an external surface of the proximity card such that the button or the set of exposed contacts is exposed to direct physical contact by a user, and wherein the direct physical contact by the user depresses the button, causing the circuit to close, or the direct physical contact by the user causes a difference in capacitance across the set of exposed contacts, causing the circuit to close.