U.S. patent application number 14/444497 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-19 for transaction card.
The applicant listed for this patent is INTELLIGENT MATERIAL SOLUTIONS, INC.. Invention is credited to Howard Y. BELL, Joshua E. COLLINS.
Application Number | 20150076234 14/444497 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48041443 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150076234 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
COLLINS; Joshua E. ; et
al. |
March 19, 2015 |
TRANSACTION CARD
Abstract
This invention relates to a transparent or translucent
transaction card having a base comprising a core of substantially
transparent or translucent material with a plurality of coats,
including optically recognizable ink comprising one or more
infrared blocking dyes and other nanoparticles, such as rare earth
nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles, and/or optically
recognizable film comprising nanoparticles, such as rare earth
nanophosphors, and other metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes,
and methods for their preparation.
Inventors: |
COLLINS; Joshua E.;
(Philadelphia, PA) ; BELL; Howard Y.; (Princeton,
NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INTELLIGENT MATERIAL SOLUTIONS, INC. |
Princeton |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48041443 |
Appl. No.: |
14/444497 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13646191 |
Oct 5, 2012 |
8789761 |
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14444497 |
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61544882 |
Oct 7, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
235/488 ;
204/192.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B42D 25/00 20141001;
C23C 14/0015 20130101; G06K 19/022 20130101; B42D 2035/36 20130101;
Y10S 977/773 20130101; B42D 2033/20 20130101; G06K 19/02 20130101;
B82Y 30/00 20130101; B42D 25/382 20141001; C23C 14/34 20130101;
B42D 2033/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
235/488 ;
204/192.26 |
International
Class: |
G06K 19/02 20060101
G06K019/02; C23C 14/00 20060101 C23C014/00 |
Claims
1. A transaction card comprising: a card body adapted to
substantially transmit radiation in a visible light wavelength
region; said card body comprising an optically recognizable
material selected from at least one of an infrared ink and/or an
infrared film, wherein said at least one infrared ink comprises at
least one infrared blocking dye and the same or different
nanoparticles, wherein said at least one infrared film comprises
the same or different nanoparticles and other metal oxide and/or
non-oxide complexes sputtered on a substrate, wherein said at least
one infrared ink and said at least one infrared film block
transmission of incident infrared radiation.
2. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said at least one
infrared blocking dye is selected from pthalocyanine dyes,
benz[e]indol cyanines, dibutyl amino thpenyl benzenes, and hexa
antimonte dyes, and mixtures thereof.
3. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said at least one
infrared blocking dye has infrared absorption peaks ranging from
about 800-1000 nm.
4. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said same or different
nanoparticles of said at least one infrared ink are selected from
rare earth nanophosphors.
5. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein said rare earth
nanophosphors comprise a plurality of monodisperse particles
having: a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing
lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral
morphology.
6. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein said rare earth
nanophosphors are selected from LaF.sub.3, CeF.sub.3, NdF.sub.3,
PmF.sub.3, SmF.sub.3, GdF.sub.3, YbF.sub.3LuF.sub.3, NaGdF.sub.3,
Gd.sub.2OS.sub.2, CeO, GdOCl, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, Y.sub.2O.sub.2S:Sm,
Y.sub.2O.sub.2S:Yb, YVO.sub.4, Y,Gd.sub.2:O.sub.3:Mg,
Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Nd,Ho, Sr.sub.2S:Sm,Er, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb, and
NaYF.sub.4:NdTm, and mixtures thereof.
7. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said at least one
infrared blocking dye further comprises other metal oxide and/or
non-oxide complexes.
8. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said same or different
nanoparticles of said at least one infrared film is selected from
rare earth nanophosphors.
9. The transaction card of claim 8, wherein said rare earth
nanophosphors comprise a plurality of monodisperse particles
having: a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing
lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral
morphology.
10. The transaction card of claim 8, wherein said rare earth
nanophosphors are selected from LaF.sub.3, CeF.sub.3, NdF.sub.3,
PmF.sub.3, SmF.sub.3, GdF.sub.3, YbF.sub.3LuF.sub.3, NaGdF.sub.3,
Gd.sub.2OS.sub.2, CeO, GdOCl, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, Y.sub.2O.sub.2S:Sm,
Y.sub.2O.sub.2S:Yb, YVO.sub.4, Y,Gd.sub.2:O.sub.3:Mg,
Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Nd,Ho, Sr.sub.2S:Sm,Er, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb, and
NaYF.sub.4:NdTm, and mixtures thereof.
11. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said metal oxide and
non-oxide complexes are selected from silicon dioxide, strontium
titanate, yttrium oxide, magnesium oxide, copper oxide, CaS,
LiNbO.sub.3, SrS, SrTiO.sub.3, gadolinium oxide, lithium niobate,
sodium yttrium fluoride, neodymium oxide, ytterbium oxide,
vanadates, fluorides, chlorides, and garnets, and mixtures
thereof.
12. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said at least one
infrared film further comprises at least one dopant.
13. The transaction card of claim 12, wherein said at least one
dopant is selected from niobium pentoxide, silicon dioxide, and
gadolinium/yttrium/strontium oxide particles activated with either
neodymium, magnesium, holmium, erbium, and samarium, and mixtures
thereof.
14. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said card has an
optical density less than 0.5 between about 450-750 nm, an optical
density greater than 1.3 between about 775-950 nm, and an optical
density greater than 1.1 between about 950-1000 nm.
15. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said card has a
chromaticity distance of less than 0.005 from the color of a
while-light source.
16. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said at least one
infrared ink, said at least one infrared film, or mixtures thereof
further comprises at least one binder.
17. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said infrared blocking
dye and nanoparticle is present in said at least one infrared ink
in an amount ranging from about 0.25%-25.0% by weight.
18. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein said substrate is a
polyethylene substrate.
19. A method for making a transaction card, comprising: forming a
core of transparent plastic; applying a plurality of coats of at
least one infrared ink, at least one infrared blocking film, or
mixtures thereof to at least one surface of the core; wherein said
at least one infrared ink comprises at least one infrared blocking
dye and the same or different nanoparticles, wherein said at least
one infrared film comprises the same or different nanoparticles and
other metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes, wherein said at least
one infrared ink and said at least one infrared film block
transmission of incident infrared radiation.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said plurality of coats is
applied by sputtering on a substrate.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates generally to transaction cards, and
more particularly, to the fabrication and use of optically
recognizable transparent or translucent transaction cards that may
contain a hologram, magnetic stripe, or integrated circuit as well
as other transaction card constituents, which may be detected by
currently available card printing machines, automatic teller
machines, and other card readers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The proliferation of transaction cards, which allow the
cardholder to pay with credit rather than cash, started in the
United States in the early 1950s. Initial transaction cards were
typically restricted to select restaurants and hotels and were
often limited to an exclusive class of individuals. Since the
introduction of plastic credit cards, the use of transaction cards
have rapidly proliferated from the United States, to Europe, and
then to the rest of the world. Transaction cards are not only
information carriers, but also typically allow a consumer to pay
for goods and services without the need to constantly possess cash,
or if a consumer needs cash, transaction cards allow access to
funds through an automatic teller machine (ATM). Transaction cards
also reduce the exposure to the risk of cash loss through theft and
reduce the need for currency exchanges when traveling to foreign
countries. Due to the advantages of transaction cards, hundreds of
millions of cards are now produced and issued annually, thereby
resulting in need for companies to differentiate their cards from
competitor's cards.
[0003] Initially, the transaction cards often included the issuer's
name, the cardholder's name, the card number, and the expiration
date embossed onto the card for, among other things, creating an
imprint on credit card transaction forms. The cards also usually
included a signature field on the back of the card for the
cardholder to provide a signature to protect against forgery and
tempering. Thus, the initial cards merely served as devices to
provide data to merchants and the only security associated with the
card was the comparison of the cardholder's signature on the card
to the cardholder's signature on a receipt along with the embossed
cardholder name on the card. However, many merchants often forget
to verify the signature on the receipt with the signature on the
card.
[0004] Due to the popularity of transaction cards, numerous
companies, banks, airlines, trade groups, sporting teams, clubs,
and other organizations have developed their own transaction cards.
As such, many companies continually attempt to differentiate their
transaction cards and increase market share not only by offering
more attractive financing rates and low initiation fees, but also
by offering unique, aesthetically pleasing features on the
transaction cards. As such, many transaction cards included not
only demographic and account information, but the transaction cards
also include graphic images, designs, photographs and security
features.
[0005] Administrative and security issues, such as charges,
credits, merchant settlement, fraud, reimbursements, etc., have
increased due to the increasing use of transaction cards. Thus, the
transaction card industry started to develop more sophisticated
transaction cards which allowed the electronic reading,
transmission, and authorization of transaction card data for a
variety of industries. For example, magnetic stripe cards, optical
cards, smart cards, calling cards, and supersmart cards have been
developed to meet the market demand for expanded features,
functionality, and security. In addition to the visual data, the
incorporation of a magnetic stripe on the back of a transaction
card allows digitized data to be stored in machine readable form.
As such, magnetic stripe reader are used in conjunction with
magnetic stripe cards to communicate purchase data received from a
cash register device on-line to a host computer along with the
transmission of data stored in the magnetic stripe, such as account
information (e.g., entity issuing the card and/or the person to
whom the card is issued) and expiration date.
[0006] Due to the susceptibility of the magnetic stripe to
tampering, the lack of confidentiality of the information within
the magnetic stripe and the problems associated with the
transmission of data to a host computer, integrated circuits were
developed which could be incorporated into transaction cards. These
integrated circuit (IC) cards, known as smart cards, proved to be
very reliable in a variety of industries due to their advanced
security and flexibility for future applications.
[0007] 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 disclosures of which are incorporated
herein by reference.
[0008] The incorporation of machine-readable components onto
transactions cards encouraged the proliferation of devices to
simplify transactions by automatically reading from and/or writing
onto transaction cards. Such devices include, for example, bar code
scanners, magnetic stripe readers, point of sale terminals (POS),
automated teller machines (ATM) and card-key devices. With respect
to ATMs, the total number of ATM devices shipped in 1999 is 179,274
(based on Nilson Reports data) including the ATMs shipped by the
top ATM manufacturers, namely NCR (138-18 231st Street, Laurelton,
N.Y. 11413), Diebold (5995 Mayfair, North Canton, Ohio 44720-8077),
Fujitsu (11085 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, Calif. 92037), Omron
(Japan), OKI (Japan) and Triton.
[0009] Many of the card acceptance devices require that the
transaction card be inserted into the device such that the device
can appropriately align its reading head with the relevant
component of the transaction card. Particularly, many ATMs require
that a transaction card be substantially inserted into a slot in
the ATM. After insertion of the card into the slot, the ATM may
have an additional mechanical device for further retracting the
transaction card into the ATM slot. To activate the ATM, the ATM
typically includes a sensor, such as a phototransistor and a light
emitting diode (LED), which emits light onto a card surface and the
phototransistor receives light from the LED. A card blocks the
infrared radiation from the phototransistor, therefore indicating
that a card has been detected. A typical LED in an ATM is an IRED
(infrared emitting diode) source having a wavelength in the range
of about 820-920 nm or 900-1000 nm, which is not present in ambient
light at the levels needed by a phototransistor sensor. The
spectral sensitivity curve of the typical phototransistor is in the
range of about 400-1100 nm. However, the visible spectrum is about
400-700 nm, and the spectral sensitivity of the phototransistor is
about 60% at 950 nm and 90% at 840 nm. Thus, visible light is not
part of the analog-to-digital algorithm. Moreover, ISO 7810, clause
8.10 requires that all machine readable cards have an optical
transmission density from 450-950 nm, greater than 1.3 (less than
5% transmission) and from 950-1000 nm, greater than 1.1 (less than
7.9% transmission).
[0010] For the card to be detected by the ATM, the light is
typically blocked by the card body. Moreover, the amount of light
necessary to be blocked by a card is related to the voltage data
received from the analog to digital conversion. The voltage range
of the sensor is typically in a range of about 1.5 V to 4.5 V. When
a card is inserted into a sensor, the voltage drops to less than
1.5 V indicating the presence of a card in the transport system.
After the card is detected by the phototransistor, the magnetic
stripe reader scans the magnetic stripe and acquires the
information recorded on the magnetic stripe. A manufacturer of the
LED sensor device in an ATM is, for example, Omron and Sankyo-Seiki
of Japan, 4800 Great America Parkway, Suite 201, Santa Clara,
Calif. 95054.
[0011] As previously mentioned, transaction cards and readers
typically follow various ISO standards which specifically set forth
the location of card data and compounds. However, because numerous
companies produce different versions of ATMs, the location of the
sensor within the ATM is not subject to standardization
requirements. In the past, the varying locations of the sensor
within the ATM did not affect the ability of the ATM to sense the
transaction card because the transaction card included a
substantially opaque surface, such that any portion of the opaque
transaction card could interrupt the IRED emission and activate the
insert phototransistor. However, more recently, to provide a unique
image, and to meet consumer demand, companies have attempted to
develop transparent or translucent transaction cards. The use of a
transparent card would often not activate the insert
phototransistor because the IRED emission would not sufficiently
reflect off of a transparent surface, so the radiation would simply
travel through the card and become detected by the phototransistor.
The machine, therefore, could not detect the presence of the card,
and often jammed the equipment.
[0012] In an attempt to solve this problem, companies have printed
opaque areas onto transparent cards in an effort to provide an
opaque area to activate the input sensors on ATMs. However, due to
the aforementioned variations in the location of the sensor in many
ATMs, the use of limited opaque areas on a transparent card did not
allow the card to activate the sensor in a sufficient number of
ATMs. Alternatively, companies attempted to incorporate a lens onto
a transaction card in an effort to redirect the LED light. However,
during the card manufacture process, which often involves
substantial pressure and heat, the lensing surface would be
disrupted or destroyed. As such, a need exists for a transparent or
translucent transaction card which is capable of activating an
input sensor, wherein the input sensor may interface the card in a
variety of locations.
[0013] Furthermore, during the card fabrication process, the cards
must be detected on the assembly line in order to accurately count
the number of cards produced during a predetermined time interval.
To count the cards, typical card fabrication assembly lines include
counters with LED sensors, similar to the ATM sensors, which count
the cards based upon the reflection of the LED light beam off of
the opaque card surface. The production of transparent transaction
cards suffers from similar limitations as ATM devices in that the
LED beam does not reflect or is not sufficiently absorbed from a
transparent surface. Thus, a transparent card is needed that can be
produced on existing assembly lines. Similar problems exist when
cards are punched to final dimensions.
[0014] Although existing systems may allow for the identification
and detection of articles, most contain a number of drawbacks. For
example, identification features based on UV, visible light
detection, etc. are sometimes difficult to view, often require
certain lighting requirements and typically depend on the distance
between the article and the detection device. Additionally, the use
of certain types of plastic, paper or other material which contain
the identification mark may be limited by the particular
identification device. For example, opaque materials typically
deactivate the phototransistors in ATM's by blocking light in both
the visible (near IR) and far IR light regions. Furthermore, the
incorporation of a detection or authentication feature into a card
product requires a separate material or process step during the
card fabrication process. The incorporation of a new material or
process step often requires expensive modifications to current
equipment or new equipment and often extends the time for
fabricating the card product.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention relates to a transparent (i.e.,
possessing at least 97% transparency in the visible region of the
electromagnetic spectrum) or translucent transaction card having a
base comprising a core of substantially transparent or translucent
material with a plurality of coats, and 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 (comprising one or more infrared
blocking (i.e., absorbing, refracting, diffusing, reflecting, or
otherwise blocking) dyes and other nanoparticles (e.g., rare earth
(RE) nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles) and/or film
(comprising nanoparticles, such as RE nanophosphors, and other
metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes, sputtered on a substrate,
such as a polyethylene (PET) substrate) contained within the
construction of the card, a substantially 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
visibly transparent infrared blocking ink and/or film, which is
distributed over the card's surface and/or within the body of the
card, thereby allowing the card to block infrared light and
transmit all other light (e.g., humanly visible light).
Particularly, when the transaction card is inserted into an ATM
device, the light beam from the IRED is blocked by the infrared
blocking ink, film, or combination of both, 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.
[0016] The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing
such transparent or translucent transaction cards. The method
includes the steps of forming a core of transparent plastic and
applying a plurality of coats of infrared blocking inks and/or
films to at least one surface of the core, which infrared blocking
inks and/or films are transparent to non-IRED light (e.g., humanly
visible light) and which is opaque to IRED light.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing
executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application
publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office
upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
[0018] The following figures, which are described below and which
are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification,
illustrate exemplary embodiments according to the invention and are
not to be considered limiting of the scope of the invention, for
the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The
figures are not necessarily to scale, and certain features and
certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or
in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows the NIR absorption spectra of RE-doped
nanophosphors.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows exemplary RE dopants and their NIR
transitions.
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of a transaction card of
the invention.
[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of a transaction card of
the invention.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a histogram depicting the acceptable ISO
defined cut-off limits for IR transmissivity of various ink/film
compositions.
[0024] FIG. 6 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 1.
[0025] FIG. 7 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 2.
[0026] FIG. 8 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 3.
[0027] FIG. 9 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 4.
[0028] FIG. 10 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 5.
[0029] FIG. 11 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 6.
[0030] FIG. 12 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 7.
[0031] FIG. 13 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 8.
[0032] FIG. 14 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 9.
[0033] FIG. 15 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 10.
[0034] FIG. 16 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 11.
[0035] FIG. 17 shows the visible and IR transmission spectra for
Example 17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] In general, the present invention allows for the
identification and detection of various articles, wherein the
articles include materials having optically recognizable (i.e.,
infrared) inks and/or films. The articles include, for example,
transaction cards, documents, papers and/or the like. The materials
include, for example, coatings, films, threads, plastics, inks,
fibers, paper, planchettes, and/or the like.
[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, the optically recognizable inks
contain near-infrared blocking (i.e., absorbing, refracting,
diffusing, reflecting, or otherwise blocking) ingredients,
including infrared dyes and absorbers, and nanoparticles (e.g., RE
nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles). In another exemplary
embodiment, the optically recognizable films contain infrared
blocking (i.e., absorbing, refracting, diffusing, reflecting, or
otherwise blocking) ingredients, including nanoparticles, such as
RE nanophosphors and other metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes,
which are, for example, sputtered on a substrate, such as a PET
substrate. The optically recognizable inks and films may be
invisible, visible, or colored to produce a desired effect and/or
they may contain other detectable compounds, such as, for example,
UV-Fluorescent or IR-Fluorescent and/or phosphorescent features.
The optically recognizable inks and films preferably have good
stability, resistance properties, durability, and other physical
properties, such as good appearance, flexibility, hardness, solvent
resistance, water resistance, corrosion resistance, and exterior
stability. Moreover, the use of such inks and films typically does
not interfere with UV compounds that may be present in many
substrates. The optically recognizable ink comprises any dye,
absorber, and/or the like, and RE nanophosphors, the combination of
which is recognizable by a sensor. In an exemplary embodiment, the
optically recognizable ink is an infrared dye and/or absorber, and
RE nanophosphor, which blocks, absorbs, diffuses, refracts, or
reflects most infrared light, but transmits most other wavelengths
of light. The optically recognizable film comprises nanoparticles,
such as the same or different RE nanophosphors and one or more
metal oxide and non-oxide complexes, the combination of which is
recognizable by a sensor. In an exemplary embodiment, the optically
recognizable film is an RE nanophosphor and other metal oxide or
non-oxide complex, which blocks, absorbs, or reflects most infrared
light, but transmits most other wavelengths of light.
[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, the optically recognizable ink
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 a
transaction card by, for example, a screen printing process or any
other printing or coating means such as lithography, gravure,
flexo, calendar 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 optically recognizable ink is printed across any portion of the
card surface of plastic using a silk screen press, as described
below. The ink may be diluted to any desired amount, for example,
10-150 fold dilution.
[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the clear card stack (i.e., the
subassembly layers that comprise the completed transaction card)
will include (1) a single- or double-sided, vapor-deposited thin
film of nanoparticles (e.g., RE metals and other metals and oxide
and non-oxide metals) on a PET substrate and (2) a single- or
double-pass of commercially-available NIR blocking ink modified
with synthesized RE nanophosphor colloidal suspensions (e.g.,
Sunstone Upconverting Nanocrystals UCP 475.RTM., Sunstone
Upconverting Nanocrystals UCP 545.RTM., Sunstone Upconverting
Nanocrystals UCP 538.RTM.), silk-screened on an inner layer,
polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film in the card stack. In other
embodiments, one or more layers of the films and/or one or more
layers of the inks of the invention may be included in the clear
card stack. The invention developed is a flexible thin film optical
filter that can be tuned to absorb, reflect, or transmit various
wavelengths of light within the visible and infrared spectrum.
[0040] IR blocking physical vapor deposition (PVD) film comprises
various ratios and combinations of RE and transition metal
activators doped into the crystals for the sputtered PET thin films
in order to shift the absorption/transmission up or down the
electromagnetic spectrum. For some embodiments of the transparent
transaction card, dopants with high absorption cross-sections in
the NIR region (800-1000 nm) may be utilized. See, e.g.,
PCT/US11/054593, filed Oct. 3, 2011, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein. Alternating layers of niobium pentoxide
(Nb.sub.2O.sub.5), silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2), and
gadolinium/yttrium/strontium oxide particles activated with either
neodymium (Nd--1%), magnesium (Mg--2%), holmium (Ho--2%), erbium
(Er--0.2%), and samarium (Sm--0.4%) may be sputtered onto the PET
substrates. The resultant thin film yields a visibly transparent
filter capable of reflecting and absorbing 70-80% of NIR light at
860 nm and 950 nm while still retaining near complete transparency
in the visible regions of the electromagnetic spectrum
(>98%).
[0041] Because the relative eye sensitivity of an ordinary observer
for a specified level of illumination is between around 400-770 nm,
infrared ink and film at over 770 nm is preferable because it is
invisible to the human eye in normal white light. As such, the
infrared inks and films will not substantially obscure the
transparent surface of the transaction card. For example, in one
embodiment, the transparent transaction card should have an optical
density of <0.5 between about 450-750 nm. Additionally, the
exemplary ink and film withstands card production temperatures of
about 200.degree. F. to 450.degree. F. and includes a "light
fastness period" (which is the resistance of the ink and film 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 and film 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. In one
embodiment, the transparent transaction card should have an optical
density of >1.3 between about 775-950 nm, and an optical density
of >1.1 between about 950-1000 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. Furthermore, in
another embodiment, the exemplary ink and film should result in a
transparent transaction card having an acceptably low color tint,
e.g., a chromaticity distance of less than 0.005 from the color of
a white-light source. Chromaticity is measured on the CIE
chromaticity diagram. The target coordinates for the chromaticity
values are centered at 0.522, 0.4169 (halogen white light source)
with acceptable deviations in any direction of 0.005.
[0042] An approximate quantitative measure of the degree of
coloration is the distance of a particular sample's chromaticity
coordinates from the lamp source alone. For this reason, it is
suitable to define the coloration specification in terms of
chromaticity distance. The resulting card should have an acceptably
low color tint. Targets for the overall appearance of the card may
be based on the final transparency in the visible wavelengths and
any apparent color or tinting of the cards was set according to
specified chromaticity diagram coordinates, as discussed above.
[0043] The inks or films of the invention can be mixed with a
binder to form infrared compounds for use in threads, fibers,
coatings, and the like. Binders that can be incorporated in the
present invention include, but are not limited to, conventional
additives such as waxes, thermoplastic resins, thermoset resins,
rubbers, natural resins, or synthetic resins. Non-limiting examples
of such binders are, polypropylene, nylon, polyester,
ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene,
chlorinated rubber, acrylic, epoxy, butadiene-nitrile, shellac,
zein, cellulose, polyurethane, polyvinylbutyrate, vinyl chloride,
silicone, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl methyl ether,
nitrocellulose, polyamide, bismaleimide, polyimide, epoxy-polyester
hybrid, and/or the like. As discussed below, films that can be used
as a substrate for the PVD of the metal and non-metal ions include,
but are not limited to, PET, PVC, polypropylene, polyethylene,
acrylic, polycarbonate, and/or the like. As discussed below, any
film can be laminated or adhered to common card articles using
heat, adhesives, or a combination of both.
[0044] If the content of the optically recognizable ink and/or film
is too low, adequate blocking may not be achieved and the
phototransistor may not send the proper signal to the capture
device, which will mean that the card will not be detected.
Therefore, the infrared blocking dyes and nanoparticles in the inks
and/or films are usually present in the composition at a total
amount from about 1 ppm to 80.0 wt. (%), and preferably from about
0.25%-25.0% by weight. Moreover, the present invention contemplates
that other materials such as, for example, UV absorbers,
reflectors, antioxidants, and/or optical brighteners, may be added
in order to achieve better resistance properties, aesthetics, or
longevity of the materials.
[0045] Particularly, other materials may be added to allow for
color shifts from one color to another color after stimulation.
Commonly employed materials such as dyes, pigments, fluorescent
dyes, luminous pigments, and/or the like, can be used to promote
reversible color changes from one color state to another color
state. Such materials can be incorporated directly with the
infrared inks and films during initial processing or may be added
after the infrared inks and films have been processed. The use of
materials such as solvents, water, glycols, and/or the like can be
added to adjust rheological properties of the material. Also, the
use of surfactants, defoamers, release agents, adhesion promoters,
leveling agents, and/or the like may be added to the formulations
for improved processing properties. Optical brightening materials
may also be added to ensure whiteness in a colorless state and to
maintain a low level of contrast between many substrates where
infrared inks and films are located.
[0046] In an embodiment of the present invention, an infrared ink
and/or film may be printed onto one or more layers of a transaction
card. The inks of the invention comprise a combination of one or
more infrared dyes and other absorbers (i.e., blockers, refractors,
reflectors, diffusers, etc.), and the same or different
nanoparticles (e.g., RE nanophosphors). The films of the invention
comprise nanoparticles, such as RE nanophosphors and other metal
oxide and/or non-oxide complexes, which are preferably sputtered on
a substrate (e.g., PET).
[0047] The infrared dye or absorber utilized in the inks possess
high spectral coverage from 800-1000 nm, blocking at least about
97% of infrared light in that region. Exemplary infrared dyes and
absorbers include, but are not limited to, pthalocyanine dyes,
benz[e]indol cyanines, dibutyl amino thpenyl benzenes, hexa
antimonte dyes, and the like, available commercially from HW Sands,
Adams Gate Company, Epolin, Avecia. The dyes can be found
commercially under the following commercial names MSA4800.RTM.,
MSB4833.RTM., and MSD3600.RTM. from HW Sands, EPOLIGHT 4148.RTM.
from Epolin, Inc., and IR Dye 5630.RTM. from Adam Gates Company.
One of skill in the art would recognize that any infrared dye or
absorber having infrared absorption peaks from 800-1000 nm may be
utilized to provide a broad range of infrared absorption in the
invention. Preferably, one or more infrared dyes and/or absorbers
having infrared absorption peaks at 850 nm and 1000 nm are
utilized. A combination of two or more dyes and absorbers are
preferably used. Moreover, the dyes and other absorbers
(nanoparticles) of the present invention may be present in an
amount between about 0.0001 wt. % and about 20 wt. %, either alone
or in combination, depending on the desired transparency and
chromaticity in the visible region.
[0048] The infrared inks further comprise nanoparticles (e.g., RE
nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles). The RE activated
crystal absorbers that may be used in the ink include, but are not
limited to, LaF.sub.3, CeF.sub.3, NdF.sub.3, PmF.sub.3, SmF.sub.3,
GdF.sub.3, YbF.sub.3LuF.sub.3, NaGdF.sub.3, Gd.sub.2OS.sub.2, CeO,
GdOCl, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, Y.sub.2O.sub.2S:Sm, Y.sub.2O.sub.2S:Yb,
YVO.sub.4, Y,Gd.sub.2:O.sub.3:Mg, Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Nd,Ho,
Sr.sub.2S:Sm,Er, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb, and NaYF.sub.4:NdTm.
PCT/US11/054593, filed Oct. 3, 2011, the disclosure of which is
incorporated herein, discloses preferable RE nanophosphors that may
be used in inks of the invention. PCT/US11/054593 also discloses
methods for making the preferable RE nanophosphors. The RE
nanophosphors disclosed in PCT/US11/054593 have high degrees of
tunability over various parameters, such as optical signatures
(absorption/emission), morphology, and size. Preferable RE
nanophosphors include, but are not limited to, a plurality of
monodisperse particles having: a single pure crystalline phase of a
rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size,
and a uniform polyhedral morphology. Various compositions of RE
nanophosphors and other metal composite crystal absorbers may be
utilized in the present invention to enhance the optical density in
the NIR regions from 775-1000 nm. The RE nanophosphors of the
invention provide for broad absorption in the NIR (see FIG. 1).
[0049] Table 1 describes exemplary nanoparticles (e.g., RE
nanophosphors and other metal nanoparticles (e.g., MgO, CuO)) and
their chemical compositions. Besides enhancing the optical density
in the NIR regions from 775-1000 nm, the crystal absorbers may also
be incorporated as a forensic tag, for example, for identification
of manufactured materials to ensure authenticity of the product as
well as overall quality and function (see, e.g., Table 1). When the
crystal absorbers are excited under UV light, a unique spectral
peak arising at 1.5 microns can be observed utilizing NIR
spectroscopy. The RE nanophosphors may be present in the inks in an
amount between about 0.01 wt. % and about 5 wt. %, and may be used
either alone or in combination. Depending on the type of tinting
needed, various levels of transparency and chromaticity may be
obtained by adjusting the types and/or amounts of the components in
the ink composition.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Rare Earth/Other Metal crystals Combined in
various ratios for enhancement of NIR Blocking Inks Std Name
Formula Avg. Size Function Strontium Titanate SrTiO.sub.3 200 nm
NIR Blocker Lithium Niobate LiNbO.sub.3 200 nm NIR Blocker Yttrium,
Gadolinium Y, Gd.sub.2:O.sub.3:Mg 100 nm NIR Blocker Magnesium
Oxide Magnesium Oxide MgO 150 nm NIR Blocker Yttrium Oxide
Y.sub.2O.sub.3:Nd, Ho 200 nm NIR Blocker Strontium Sulfide
Sr.sub.2S:Sm, Er 200 nm Forensic Gadolinium Oxide
Gd.sub.2O.sub.3:Yb 200 nm Forensic Sodium Yttrium Fluoride
NaYF.sub.4:NdTm 250 nm NIR Blocker
[0050] In another embodiment of the present invention, in addition
to or alternatively to the infrared ink, discussed above, an
optically recognizable film may be printed onto one or more layers
of a transaction card. The optically recognizable film comprises
infrared blocking ingredients, including nanoparticles, such as the
same or different RE nanophosphors, discussed above for the ink
composition, and other metal oxide and/or non-oxide complexes
(e.g., vanadates, fluorides, chlorides, garnets, etc.), which are
preferably sputtered on a substrate (e.g., PET). Exemplary films
that can be used as a substrate for the PVD of the metal and
non-metal ions include, but are not limited to, PET, PVC,
polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylic, polycarbonate, and/or the
like.
[0051] The films of the invention comprise RE-activated crystal
absorbers, including, for example, the same nanoparticles and RE
nanophosphors described above for the ink composition (see, e.g.,
PCT/US11/054593). The RE nanophosphors and other metal
nanoparticles may be present in the films in an amount between
about 0.01 wt. % and about 5 wt. %, and may be used either alone or
in combination. FIG. 2 provides exemplary RE dopants and their NIR
transitions that may be utilized to achieve the NIR absorption
and/or reflective properties of the sputtered PVD films of the
invention. There may be a difference of surface modification in
order to suspend the nanoparticles in the ink versus using them for
the vapor deposition.
[0052] The films of the invention also comprise other metal oxide
and non-oxide complexes. The metal oxide and non-oxide complexes
include, but are not limited to, silicon dioxide, strontium
titanate, yttrium oxide, magnesium oxide, copper oxide, gadolinium
oxide, lithium niobate, sodium yttrium fluoride, neodymium oxide,
ytterbium oxide, vanadates, fluorides, chlorides, and garnets. See,
e.g., PCT/US11/054593.
[0053] In an embodiment of the invention, a multilayer sputtering
technique utilizing nanoparticles (e.g., RE nanophosphors) and
other metal oxide and non-oxide complexes on flexible substrates
(e.g., PET, PVC) may be utilized. The number of layers in the
coating may range from a single thin film layer for simple
antireflection or barrier coatings to multilayer stacks of thin
films having numerous coatings for applications such as the
blocking of infrared and transmission of visible light. As with
substrate materials, the coating materials and the physical and
optical thicknesses are selected to attain the desired optical
properties, although the chemical and physical properties of the
thin films may be a concern. Composition and
microstructure-dependent properties such as mechanical stress,
moisture content, crystallization, and surface morphology of the
thin films may affect the reliability and performance of the
material. For example, crystallization can cause stress-induced
cracking and rough morphology resulting in optical scattering and
loss of mechanical and optical integrity of the coatings.
Preferably, a thin film optical coating capable of blocking
infrared while still limiting the visible light scatter occurs
during the initial synthesis of the RE and other metal oxide and
non-oxide complexes. Preferably, nanoparticles of high uniformity
and monodispersity with narrow size distributions may be used. To
this effect, nanoparticle synthesis procedures capable of producing
highly uniform optically active metal oxides and halides for
incorporating into PVD Sputtering of thin films may be used.
[0054] Sputtering produces very high quality coatings, and can be
done over very large areas (e.g., targets can be 6-10 feet long).
It is used for architectural glass, electronics, and, more
recently, tools and decorative finishes (watchstraps, bezels,
automotive lights, pens, etc.). Sputtered coatings are generally
high quality (although they may contain trapped particles similar
to macroparticles). Sputtering can be done at low temperatures
(although close process control and good cleaning may be required),
and almost any material can be sputtered, including complex
materials (such as hydroxyapatite-bone) that can be RF (radio
frequency) sputtered. Traditionally, sputtering has always been the
slowest deposition method, but High Rate Reactive Sputtering (HRRS)
has improved deposition rates (although not to the speed of
evaporation). In order to sputter coatings reactively at high
rates, good control of the partial pressure of the active gas to
prevent its poisoning the cathode, which reduces the deposition
rate by an order of magnitude, should be kept. (Oxide coatings may
be especially difficult in this respect.) The process may be
controlled by partial pressure monitoring with closed loop feedback
control, which may be an additional complication. For high volume
production, the cost of sputter targets is the primary cost factor
in the process, and difficulties in obtaining sufficiently strong
targets of brittle materials such as chrome may be encountered.
[0055] Other methods known to those of skill in the art may be used
to sputter the nanoparticles (e.g., RE nanophosphors) and other
metal oxide and non-oxide complexes on flexible substrates,
including, for example, evaporation (e.g., ion plating, e-beam PVD,
hollow cathode), other sputtering methods (e.g., balanced
magnetron, unbalanced magnetron (UBM), DC, RF), arc (e.g.,
cathodic, anodic, random, steered, confined, ducted), and
ion-assisted (e.g., sputtering evaporation, ion sputtering,
metamode).
[0056] Sputtering of RE and Metal Thin Films on PET
[0057] The three major commercial hard coating technologies all
draw their ions from a plasma formed in the gas in the chamber
(which is usually at a pressure of a few millitorr). Most hard
coatings are compounds that are deposited reactively, by combining
the metal with active gas (N or C) at the surface of the growing
coating.
[0058] Evaporation PVD (Ion Plating)
[0059] This technique has proven to yield the greatest success and
best functioning IR blocking films. The highest quality coatings
are produced by the electron beam evaporation methods. The major
advantages of this method are its high quality and the low cost of
evaporation materials.
[0060] The inks and films described above may be combined together
with binders, resins, catalysts, and other compounds useful for
creating an ink from the materials. Preferably, solvent may be
utilized, including preferably, 2-ethoxy-ethyl propionate, ethyl
acetate, n-propyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, n-propanol, and methyl
ethyl ketone. The solvent may be present in an amount between about
5 wt. % and about 60 wt. %. Moreover, the infrared dyes and/or
absorbers may be loaded in a liquid vehicle, at approximately 1%
loading. An exemplary water-based liquid vehicle used is
Sericol.RTM. Mixing Clear. Other solvent based liquid vehicles can
be obtained commercially from Sericol as well as Apollo Colour and
HW Sands. Resins useful for the present invention include VMCH,
VMCA, polyamide, polyester, linseed alkyl resins and acrylic, and
may be present in an amount between about 8 wt. % and about 35 wt.
%. A silane-type catalyst may be used to help bond the infrared dye
and/or absorber to the resin. Specifically, the silane-type
catalyst may be used to ring-open the infrared dye and/or absorber
molecule and help the molecule bind to the resin, such as, for
example, acrylic. A preferable silane-type catalyst includes
3-amino-propyl triethoxy silane, although the present invention
should not be limited, as stated herein. The silane-type catalyst
may be present in an amount between about 0.005 wt. % and about
2.00 wt. %. Most preferably, the silane-type catalyst is present at
about 500 ppm.
[0061] The infrared inks and films of the invention may be printed
on one or more layers of a transaction card by methods known to
those of skill in the art. The printing method is typically chosen
based on the composition of the various formulations outlined
above. Various printing methods may preferably include gravure,
silkscreen, and lithographic processes, although ink-jet,
roll-coating, and flexographic methods may be utilized as well. The
infrared inks, infrared films, and/or substrates of the exemplary
embodiments and their placement and thickness can vary to
accommodate different types of core substrates and thicknesses
thereof. In addition, PVC is preferably utilized as a printable
substrate. However, other substrates such as PETG, polycarbonate,
and PET may be utilized provided there are at least slight
differences in refractive index between the infrared ink, infrared
film, and the substrate.
[0062] The present invention allows for the easy production of
IR-blocking and/or absorbing transaction cards without adhesives
and/or subassemblies. For example, FIGS. 3 and 4 below illustrate
preferred cross-sections of transaction cards according to the
invention. The transaction cards shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 include
infrared inks and/or films, described above, for allowing the
transparent or translucent transaction card to be recognized by
card reading devices, such as ATMs, and/or for allowing the
transparent transaction card to be recognized and counted during
card fabrication. The transaction cards shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can
be used for credit, charge, debit, access, identification,
information storage, electronic commerce, and/or other functions.
The thickness (mil) of each layer is shown on the left-hand side of
each figure.
[0063] The transaction card shown in FIG. 3 comprises a front and
back surface of clear PVC over laminate. One skilled in the art
will appreciate that the front and back surface may be any suitable
transparent, translucent, and/or opaque material such as, for
example, plastic, glass, acrylic, and/or any combination thereof.
Each sheet is substantially identical and is preferably about 1.8
mil thick. The fabrication of the individual card sheets includes
either direct layout (11 layers) of film or the use of a
sub-assembly (9 layers). An exemplary sub-assembly shown in FIG. 3
consists of 9 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) 1.8 mil
outer laminate (clear PVC over laminate) having the holographic
foil, embossed surface, and other indicia on its surface (all of
which are not shown), 9.0 mil clear front PVC core with print side
out (card front), 0.25 mil infrared ink: A, 0.75 mil printed
adhesive: A, 1.5 mil inlay, 0.75 mil printed adhesive: A, 0.25 mil
infrared ink: B having an IC chip, 9.0 mil PVC, 0.25 mil infrared
ink: C, 5.0 mil clear back PVC, and 1.8 mil outer back (clear PVC
over laminate), with a signature panel, applied magnetic stripe,
and other indicia (all of which are not shown). Infrared inks A, B,
and C in the transaction card shown in FIG. 3 utilized combinations
of commercially available silkscreen inks and dyes modified with RE
crystals and were printed as multiple, separate layers on PVC films
for a total of three NIR blocking barriers. Two of the ink barriers
(labeled B and C in FIG. 3) utilize a combination of NIR blockers
sold by Adam Gates Company, Hillsborough, N.J. and H.W. Sands,
Jupiter, Fla. under the nomenclature IR Dye 5630.RTM. and
MSA4800.RTM., respectively, and are further modified with RE
activated crystal absorbers at 1% listed in Table 1 above. Both
inks are combined in a 2:1 ratio and diluted to a final
concentration of 1% in Sericol Mixing Clear Silkscreen Binder
(TM-MX) and printed double-pass on both sides of the internal PVC
film. The third barrier layer (labeled A in FIG. 3) consists of
specific ratios of three commercial inks: MSB4833.RTM. and
MSD3600.RTM. from HW Sands, and 4148.RTM. from Epolin, Newark, N.J.
(2:1:1) at a total concentration of 1.5% with the adhesive detailed
above. The ink mixture is again modified with the same RE crystals
as in barriers B and C at 1%.
[0064] As discussed above, various compositions of RE and other
metal composite crystal may be utilized to enhance the optical
density in the NIR regions from 775-1000 nm. Table 1 above
describes the various crystal and their chemical compositions.
Additionally, one crystal composition is incorporated as a forensic
tag for identification of our manufactured materials to ensure
authenticity of the product as well as overall quality and
function. When the material is excited under UV light a unique
spectral peak arising at 1.5 microns can be observed utilizing NIR
spectroscopy.
[0065] The printed adhesive layers A preferably comprise
polyester-based adhesive. Specifically, a preferable material that
may be used as the polyester-based adhesive is Bemis Associates
Inc. 5250.RTM. Adhesive Film. Alternatively, another preferably
material that may be used as the polyester-based adhesive is
Transilwrap Company, Inc. Trans-Kote.RTM. Core Stock KRTY.
[0066] After placing the layers of the transaction card shown in
FIG. 3 together in registration (or some variation thereof that is
apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art), the layers are
laminated in a stack lamination unit for approximately 11 minutes
at about 300.degree. F. to about 310.degree. F. under pressure and
then cooled for an additional 15 minutes at about 50.degree. F. to
about 60.degree. F. The resulting transparent card is approximately
30.35 mils and possesses good durability and sufficiently blocks
infrared light from between about 800-1200 nm with an optical
density of greater than 1.3.
[0067] FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative preferred embodiment of
the transaction cards of the invention. FIG. 4 comprises a front
and back surface of clear PVC over laminate. Like the transaction
card in FIG. 3, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the
front and back surface may be any suitable transparent,
translucent, and/or opaque material such as, for example, plastic,
glass, acrylic, and/or any combination thereof. Each sheet is
substantially identical and is preferably about 1.8 mil thick. The
fabrication of the individual card sheets includes either direct
layout (13 layers) of film or the use of a sub-assembly (11
layers). An exemplary sub-assembly shown in FIG. 4 consists of 11
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) 1.8 mil outer laminate
(clear PVC over laminate) having the holographic foil, embossed
surface, and other indicia on its surface (all of which are not
shown), 9.0 mil clear front PVC core with print side out (card
front), 0.75 mil printed adhesive: A, 1.5 mil inlay, 0.75 mil
printed adhesive: A, 3.0 mil PVC, 0.75 mil printed adhesive: B,
having an IC chip, 0.02 infrared blocking PVD film coating: A, 3.0
PET, 0.02 infrared blocking PVD film coating: A, 0.75 mil printed
adhesive: B, 3.0 PVC, 0.25 mil infrared ink: D, 5.0 mil clear back
PVC, and 1.8 mil outer back (clear PVC over laminate), with a
signature panel, applied magnetic stripe, and other indicia (all of
which are not shown). Infrared blocking PVD film coatings: A in the
transaction card shown in FIG. 4 have the following composition:
niobium pentoxide, ytterbium oxide, and silicon dioxide. Infrared
ink D in the transaction card shown in FIG. 4 is identical in
composition to the NIR barrier A used in the transaction card shown
in FIG. 3 above, but the ratios of the three commercial dyes and
the doping concentration of the RE crystals were adjusted. The
three commercial inks: MSB4833.RTM. and MSD3600.RTM. from HW Sands,
4148.RTM. from Epolin, Newark, N.J. were mixed in a 1:2:1 ratio and
were diluted to a final concentration of 0.5% in Sericol Mixing
Clear Silkscreen Binder (TM-MX). The ink mixture is again further
modified with RE activated crystal absorbers listed in Table 1
above, but at 2%. The printed adhesive layers A and B preferably
comprise polyester-based adhesive. Specifically, a preferable
material that may be used as the polyester-based adhesive is Bemis
Associates Inc. 5250.RTM. Adhesive Film. Alternatively, another
preferably material that may be used as the polyester-based
adhesive is Transilwrap Company, Inc. Trans-Kote.RTM. Core Stock
KRTY.
[0068] After placing the layers of the transaction card shown in
FIG. 4 together in registration (or some variation thereof that is
apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art), the layers are
laminated in a stack lamination unit for approximately 11 minutes
at about 300.degree. F. to about 310.degree. F. under pressure and
then cooled for an additional 15 minutes at about 50.degree. F. to
about 60.degree. F. The resulting transparent card is approximately
31.39 mils and possesses good durability and sufficiently blocks
infrared light from between about 800-1200 nm with an optical
density of greater than 1.3.
[0069] After the card sheets in FIGS. 3 and 4 are laminated,
according to the method described above or via any other method,
the sheets are cut into individual cards by a known stamping
process, including any necessary curing, burrowing, heating,
cleaning, and/or sealing of the edges. Each individual transaction
card is about 2.5''.times.3.0'', and, therefore, conform to ISO
standards for transaction card shape and size.
[0070] In a further embodiment of the present invention, fibers of
various materials are used either in a continuous manner or single
fibers can be incorporated into a wide variety of materials. The
present invention contemplates, for example, natural fibers,
synthetic fibers, copolymer fibers, chemical fibers, metal fibers,
and/or the like. Examples of these fibers may be nylon, polyester,
cotton, wool, silk, casein fiber, protein fiber, acetalyated
staple, ethyl cellulose, polyvinylidene chloride, polyurethane,
acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, triacetate, glass, wood, rock wool,
carbon, inorganic fibers, and/or the like. Such fibers can be
incorporated or mixed into other types of materials such as paper
pulp, plastic label stock, plastic materials, and the like. Such
materials can be used alone in a continuous manner or can be used
as mono- or di-filaments in other materials.
[0071] Moreover, the infrared inks and films that are incorporated
into plastics can be used with a wide variety of materials, such
as, for example, nylon, acrylic, epoxy, polyester, bismaleimide,
polyamide, polyimide, styrene, silicone, vinyl, ABS, polycarbonate,
nitrile, and/or the like. As such, the compounds that are
incorporated into fibers, plastics, film and/or the like, may be
processed directly to a suitable form in a single- or multi-process
application. Such infrared inks and films can be added into a
formulation in the form of a single ingredient or in the form of a
master-batch that is then processed in a similar manner to normal
processing operations of compounds. Processing of such compounds
includes the use of continuous mixers, two- or three-roll mills,
extrusion, and/or other melt-compounding methods of dispersion.
While in an exemplary embodiment, the thread can be woven or
non-woven, the infrared materials may be extruded directly into a
thermoplastic matrix and drawn directly into the form of a thread
that can be used in a continuous manner or sectioned in the form of
a fiber or plastic film.
[0072] The exemplary infrared inks and films are deposited onto
films of various compositions and can be used in most card
applications. Moreover, the infrared inks and films in accordance
with the present invention can be used alone or blended with other
materials at ranges from 0.001 to 50.0 parts by weight, but most
preferable from 1.0 to 15.0 parts by weight.
[0073] In a further exemplary embodiment, the optically
recognizable inks and films block light which is detectable by
machines. More particularly, the machines suitably detect the
presence of a card via infrared interference at one or several
wavelengths. In an exemplary embodiment, detection of materials may
include the production of a visual effect when the materials are
interrogated with invisible infrared radiation from the proper
instrument, and when such radiation contacts the infrared material,
a visual effect, such as a colored light, can be seen.
Alternatively, the materials may be detected by a remote detector
that will indicate the presence of the materials. Detection or
authentication of the materials occurs above and below the
stimulation wavelength of the reading device. As such, once the
optically recognizable ink or film has been detected, the detection
device may then provide the user with a positive identification
signal, which is preferably located on or near the detection
device.
[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, the detection of infrared
materials triggers the sensors in ATM machines. In particular, the
present invention allows for the passage of a greater percentage of
visible light (from about 400-700 nm), which allows the card to
appear transparent or translucent in nature, while allowing for the
blockage of certain light (from about 700 nm and above) to allow
the phototransistors in ATM's to detect that a card has been
inserted into the carriage mechanism. As discussed above, an
exemplary ATM sensing device includes an IRED, a filter, and a
phototransmitter.
[0075] In addition to triggering the sensors in ATM machines,
translucent or transparent transaction cards of the invention 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, a
transaction card of the invention is used in conjunction with a
reader which, not only detects the existence of the card, but also
illuminates the transparent portion of the transaction card 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.
[0076] The present invention will now be illustrated in greater
detail with reference to the following examples, comparative
examples, test examples, and use examples. As disclosed in the
examples, tests and graphs herein, the resulting inks sufficiently
block IR radiation from phototransistor detection. It is understood
that the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, one
skilled in the art will appreciate that, in any of the examples,
the ink may contain other materials for different optical effects
or authentication purposes.
EXAMPLES
Ink Formulation Preparation
[0077] For the examples described herein, specially designed ratios
of IR absorbing inks and RE nanophosphors were evaluated for
effectiveness and overall aesthetic appeal. The RE nanophosphors
were synthesized via thermal decomposition in a high temperature
salt bath. The RE nanophosphors were prepared using the methods
disclosed in PCT/US11/054593. 2.6 mmol of niobium acetate was
weighed and dissolved in a 1:1 ratio of 1-octadecene (ODE) and
oleic acid (OA) in a 100 ml, 3-neck flask. The mixture was heated
at 110.degree. C. under vacuum for 45-60 min until a clear solution
was obtained. The solution was then transferred to a molten salt
bath, maintained at a steady temperature of 341-343.degree. C. for
the entirety of the reaction, while purging with N.sub.2 gas. The
solution reacted for 45 min while stirred. Upon completion of the
45 min reaction, the flask was removed from the salt bath and the
solution was quenched with room temperature ODE.
[0078] The particles were precipitated with a hexane/acetone
solution (1:1) and centrifuged at 8300 rpm for 3 min. The collected
particles were washed once more with hexane/acetone and
re-suspended in water.
[0079] The examples sought to identify preferable compositions
giving sufficient blocking in the infrared regions while still
maintaining an overall transparent appearance with a slight hue
within the acceptable aesthetic limits of visible transparency and
chromaticity. The required specifications are described below:
[0080] Specifications: [0081] The optical properties of the
solution meet the ISO specifications only for wavelengths from
775-1000 nm. [0082] Visible Transparency: The resulting card has an
optical density of <0.5 in the wavelength range from 450-750 nm.
[0083] Color Tint: The resulting card has a low color tint, which
can be further optimized to reduce the tinting or adjust the hue.
[0084] NIR Opacity: The resulting card possesses optical density of
>1.3 in the wavelength range from 775-950 nm, and an optical
density of >1.1 in the wavelength grange from 950-1000 nm.
[0085] all commercial IR absorber ink ratios used are listed as
follows: H.W. Sands: Amer. Dye: Adam's Gate
[0086] Film Preparation--Synthesis of Thin Film PVD of Oxide
Precursors
[0087] Conventional PVD and Direct Current (DC) sputtering was used
for depositing SiO and other conductive layers, while
pulse-modulated DC technique was used for depositing
Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, RE.sub.2O.sub.3, and other insulating layers. PET
films (9-mil in thickness) were purchased pre-coated with acrylic
anti-abrasion layer and used as substrates. The PET film substrate
was placed on a glass plate and adhered to the plate using
polyimide tape. An RF electrode was located in the back side of the
glass plate. Before the sputter deposition, RF plasma treatment was
carried out in different gas atmospheres. Argon and nitrogen as
well as oxygen gas were introduced into the chamber through mass
flow controllers. The gas composition and treatment time were
varied and the effects on the adhesion strength were monitored.
[0088] The underlying layer was deposited on the plasma-treated
film substrate in order to improve the adhesion of the inorganic
layer (SiO) on the organic substrate. After these pre-treatments,
the metal oxide layers were sputter deposited on the PET
substrate.
[0089] Optical properties of the samples were measured by an Ocean
Optics spectrophotometer (USB6000). Additional layers of the IR
reflection coating were sputtered and re-read on the
spectrophotometer until the infrared blocking reached 90%.
[0090] RE oxides and Niobium and Silicon oxides were prepared via
thermal decomposition route (see, e.g., PCT/US11/054593).
Alternating layers of niobium pentoxide (Nb.sub.2O.sub.5) and
various RE oxides (RE.sub.2O.sub.3) are applied using the Ulvac
ULDis Meta Mode 3000. The combination of the electron Hall current
confinement and the central ion flow creates a dense plasma with
charged particle densities approaching 10.sup.12 charged particles
per cm.sup.3. Each layer was determined to be approximately 50-100
nm thick, measured using UV-Vis spectroscopy. A sputtering
temperature of 90.degree. C. was maintained throughout the entire
coating process for each layer. The flow rate of the metal oxide IR
blockers was set at .sup..about.50-sccm (Std. Cubic
Centimeters/Min). A base layer of Silicon oxide is sputtered onto
the PET surface to achieve optimum adhesion of the metal ions. The
final, multilayer thin film coating was sputtered on 5-mil PET
substrate using the Ulvac ULDis Meta Mode yielding a total
thickness of 9-mil. Additionally, a separate layer of binding
adhesive was screen printed on the opposite surface of the optical
barrier coating for future incorporation into the pre-designed card
stack and lamination.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Solution IR Blocking Example (Ink/Film)
(Oberthur)* Visible Tint 1 Ink 6.8 yellow/grey (faint) 2 Ink 5.8
yellow/grey (dark) 3 Ink 6.0 grey (faint) 4 Ink 6.8
blue/grey(faint) 5 Ink 6.3 grey 6 Ink 6.4 yellow/grey 7 Ink 5.4
grey 8 Ink 4.6 blue (dark) 9 Ink 4.6 blue 10 Ink 2.7 blue (faint)
11 Ink 4.5 clear/grey 12 Film 6.2 clear 13 Film 6.0 clear 14 Film
5.9 clear 15 Film 6.0 clear 16 Film 5.4 clear/grey 17 Film 8.0
clear 18 Film 6.0 clear *IR ISO specifications met if Oberthur
reading <6.2
FIG. 5 provides a histogram depicting the acceptable ISO defined
cut-off limits for IR transmissivity of various ink/film
compositions, both individually and in combination. Card meeting or
exceeding the ISO specifications exhibit a minimum of about 94% IR
blocking ability and about 6% IR transmission (y-axis).
Example 1
Silk Screen Ink (65% Nanophosphor Loading/Ink Absorber Ratio
5:1:1)
[0091] A single pass coating of IR absorber ink was applied to the
PVC inner layer. The sample was near infrared absorption/blocking
specification; however, there was a significant yellow tint to the
card. See FIG. 6.
[0092] Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout of Example 1 (Pass--6.0,
94% Blocking in the IR)--6.8
Example 2
Silk Screen Ink (65% Nanophosphor Loading/Ink Absorber Ratio
6:2:1)
[0093] A single pass coating of infrared absorber ink was applied
to the PVC inner layer. The sample was at infrared
absorption/blocking specification; however, there was a significant
tint to the card not meeting ISO specifications. See FIG. 7.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--5.8
Example 3
Silk Screen Ink (65% Nanophosphor Loading/Ink Absorber Ratio
5:2:1)
[0094] A single pass coating of infrared absorber ink was applied
to the PVC inner layer. The coating met the infrared
absorption/blocking specification, but there was a slight grey tint
to the card. See FIG. 8.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.0
Example 4
Silk Screen Ink (65% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 4.0:1:1)
[0095] A double pass coating of infrared absorber ink was applied
to both sides of the PVC inner layer. The visible tint to the card
was decreased, but the infrared blocking was also decreased. See
FIG. 9.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.8
Example 5
Silk Screen Ink (65% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 4.0:1:1)
[0096] A single pass coating of infrared absorber ink was applied
to both sides of the PVC inner layer. The visible tint to the card
was decreased, but the infrared blocking was borderline for meeting
the infrared specification. See FIG. 10.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.3
Example 6
Silk Screen Ink (40% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 5.5:1:1)
[0097] A single pass coating of infrared absorber ink was applied
to the PVC inner layer. The visible tint to the card was decreased
substantially but the infrared blocking fell below the acceptable
limit. See FIG. 11.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.4
Example 7
Silk Screen Ink (30% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 5.5:1:1)
[0098] A single layer of infrared absorber was applied to both
sides of the inner PVC layer. An increase in infrared blocking and
slight decrease in visible transparency was observed. See FIG.
12.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--5.4
Example 8
Silk Screen Ink (30% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 4:1:1)
[0099] Three coatings of infrared absorber ink were incorporated
into the card stack, two inner layer PVC films were utilized, one
with both sides coated and a single coating on a second PVC film.
There was an increase in infrared blocking to the required
specifications; however, the cards possessed a cloudy appearance
due to the triple coatings. See FIG. 13.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--4.6
Example 9
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 5.5:1:1)
[0100] A layer of infrared absorber was applied to both sides of
the inner PVC layer. Overall improvement in both the infrared
blocking as well as the transparency of the card was observed;
however, a blue tint was still present. See FIG. 14.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--4.6
Example 10
Silk Screen Ink (40% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 5.5:1)
[0101] Increased concentration of the Phosphor based absorber in
silkscreen ink by 10% and included 10% doping of additional RE
compounds (Ytterbium, Samarium) for total IR blocker concentration
of 40%. A layer of infrared absorber was applied to both sides of
the inner PVC layer. There was a slight improvement in infrared
blocking; however, the transparency in the visible region was
degraded. See FIG. 15.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--2.7
Example 11
Silk Screen Ink (40% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio 4.5:1:1)
[0102] Increased concentration of the RE absorber in silk screen
ink by 10% and increased Ytterbium Phosphor absorbers by 10% from
previous run. A layer of infrared absorber was applied to both
sides of the inner PVC layer. An overall improvement in both the
infrared blocking as well as the transparency of the card meeting
the ISO specifications for infrared blocking and visible
transparency was observed. See FIG. 16.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--4.5
[0103] IR Blocking Film and Ink
Example 12
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
5.5:1:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PET
Film
[0104] A second and separate thin film layer of Nb/Ta absorbers
vapor deposited on PET film was added into the card stack. A layer
of infrared absorber phosphor-based ink was applied to both sides
of the inner PVC layer. There was a slight decrease in infrared
blocking from previous run; however, the overall transparency in
the visible region clearly met specification.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.2
Example 13
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
5.5:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PET Film
[0105] Two thin films of Nb/Ta absorbers vapor deposited on PET
film were added into the card stack. A separate coating of infrared
absorber phosphor-based ink was applied to one side of the inner
PVC layer. Cards did not laminate and no bonding was observed. An
additional layer of outer laminate with adhesive was required to
utilize the two sheets of Nb/Ta PET film.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.0
Example 14
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
5.5:1:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PET
Film
[0106] Two thin films of Nb/Ta absorbers vapor deposited on PET
film were added into the card stack with adhesive on both sides of
the two films. The A layer of infrared absorber phosphor-based ink
was applied to both sides of the inner PVC layer. Bonding was
successful and cards passed required bond tests. An additional
layer of outer laminate with adhesive was incorporated into the
card stack on opposite sides of the PET layer. Infrared blocking
specifications were achieved. The transparency was of acceptable
tinting, but further optimization was performed to enhance the
transparency.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--5.9
Example 15
Silk Screen Ink (10% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
7:1:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PET Film
[0107] Two thin films of Nb/Ta absorbers vapor deposited on PET
film were added into the card stack with adhesive on both sides of
the two films. A layer of infrared absorber phosphor-based ink at
10% was applied to one side of the inner PVC layer. Bonding was
successful and cards passed required bond tests. An additional
layer of outer laminate with adhesive was incorporated into the
card stack on opposite sides of the PET layer. Infrared blocking
specifications were achieved and the transparency in the visible
regions met specifications.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.0
Example 16
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
5.5:1:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PET
Film
[0108] Two thin films of Nb/Ta absorbers vapor deposited on PET
film were added into the card stack with adhesive on both sides of
the two films. A layer of infrared absorber phosphor-based ink was
applied to both sides of the inner PVC layer. Bonding was
successful and cards passed required bond tests. An additional
layer of outer laminate with adhesive was incorporated into the
card stack on opposite sides of the PET layer. Infrared blocking
specifications were acceptable; however, the tinting still needed
to be decreased.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--5.4
Example 17
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
5.5:1:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PVC
Film
[0109] Two thin films of Nb/Ta absorbers vapor deposited on PVC
film were added into the card stack with adhesive on both sides of
the two films. A layer of infrared absorber phosphor-based ink was
applied to both sides of the inner PVC layer. Bonding was
successful and cards passed required bond tests. An additional
layer of outer laminate with adhesive was incorporated into the
card stack on opposite sides of the PVC layer. Infrared blocking
specifications were below specification. See FIG. 17.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--8.0
Example 18
Silk Screen Ink (20% Phosphor Loading/Absorber Ratio
5.5:1:1)+Niobium/Tantalum IR-Blockers Vapor Deposited on PET
Film
[0110] Two thin films of Nb/Ta absorbers vapor deposited on PET
film were added into the card stack with adhesive on both sides of
the two films. A layer of infrared absorber phosphor-based ink was
applied to both sides of the inner PVC layer. Bonding was
successful and cards passed required bond tests. An additional
layer of outer laminate with adhesive was incorporated into the
card stack on opposite sides of the PVC layer. Infrared blocking
specifications were below specification.
Oberthur IR Spectrometer Readout--6.0
[0111] The present invention has been described above with
reference to exemplary embodiments. However, those skilled in the
art having read this disclosure will recognize that changes and
modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments without
departing from the scope of the present invention. These and other
changes or modifications are intended to be included within the
scope of the present invention, as expressed in the following
claims.
* * * * *