RF Proximity Financial Transaction Card Having Metallic Foil Layer(s)

An RF contactless financial transaction card, comprising:

• a plastic inlay having first and second substantially planar surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge;
• an integrated circuit carried by said inlay storing card-specific data;
• an antenna carried by said inlay that is operatively connected to said integrated circuit;
• said antenna including one or more four-sided antenna windings arranged in proximity to said peripheral edge on least two, three or four sides thereof.
• a metallic foil layer substantially overlying at least one of said substantially planar surfaces, said foil layer providing said financial transaction card with a decorative metallic reflective appearance;
• said card being constructed to inductively couple with an RF card reader that is spaced from said card in order to support limited-range wireless communication between said card and said card reader up to a maximum coupling distance of approximately 10 cm, beyond which said card will not couple with said card reader, said card reader operating at a frequency of approximately 13-17.5 MHz and at approximately 1.5-7.5 A/m rms field strength;
• said metallic foil layer having a surface appearance/finish that is selected from the group consisting of mirror reflective, gloss, semi-gloss, matte, rainbow, tinted, anodized, embossed, chemically etched, laser etched, holographically imaged, holographically etched, or combinations of any of the foregoing;
• said metallic foil layer further having a color selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper, chrome, bronze, gun-metal, charcoal, black, grey, blue, red, green and combinations of any of the foregoing;
• said metallic foil layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, gold, silver, chromium, tin and lead;
• said metallic foil layer comprising a self-supporting metal foil sheet having a metal thickness of approximately 0.2-10 mils;
• said metallic foil layer being selectively patterned with one or more cutouts in the vicinity of said antenna;
• said one or more cutouts being selected from the group consisting of (1) a cutout that is shaped, sized and located to conform to said antenna windings, (2) cutouts that are shaped as notches that cross said antenna windings, and (3) cutouts that are shaped as slits that cross said antenna windings;
• said card having one of (1) a single one of said metallic layer that includes a plastic backing layer overlying a first one of said substantially planar surfaces, and a substitute plastic layer overlying a second one of said substantially planar surfaces, or (2) two of said metallic layers that each include a plastic backing layer respectively overlying said first and second substantially planar surfaces;
• said card having one or more additional protective plastic layers or protective press-polish coatings respectively overlying said metallic layer and said first and second substantially planar surfaces;
• and
• printed graphics or text on or overlying said metallic foil layer.

An RF contactless financial transaction card, comprising:

• a plastic inlay having first and second substantially planar surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge;
• an integrated circuit carried by said inlay storing card-specific data;
• an antenna carried by said inlay that is operatively connected to said integrated circuit;
• said antenna including one or more four-sided antenna windings arranged in proximity to said peripheral edge on least two, three or four sides thereof a metallic foil layer substantially overlying at least one of said substantially planar surfaces, said foil layer providing said financial transaction card with a decorative metallic reflective appearance;
• said card being constructed to inductively couple with an RF card reader that is spaced from said financial transaction card in order to support limited-range wireless communication between said card and said card reader up to a maximum coupling distance of approximately 10 cm, beyond which said card will not couple with said card reader, said card reader operating at a frequency of approximately 13-17.5 MHz and at approximately 1.5-7.5 A/m rms field strength;
• said metallic foil layer having a surface appearance/finish that is selected from the group consisting of mirror reflective, gloss, semi-gloss, matte, rainbow, tinted, anodized, embossed, chemically etched, laser etched, holographically imaged, holographically etched, or combinations of any of the foregoing;
• said metallic foil layer further having color selected from a group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper, chrome, bronze, gun-metal, charcoal, black, grey, blue, red, green and combinations of any of the foregoing;
• said metallic foil layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, gold, silver, chromium, tin and lead;
• said metallic foil layer comprising a plastic substrate having a metal coating vacuum deposited or sputtered thereon having a metal weight/area of approximately 0.000000868-0.000111 g/sq. in.;
• said card having one of (1) a single one of said metallic layer that includes a plastic backing layer overlying a first one of said substantially planar surfaces, and a substitute plastic layer overlying a second one of said substantially planar surfaces, or (2) two of said metallic layers that each include a plastic backing layer respectively overlying said first and second substantially planar surfaces;
• said card having one or more additional protective plastic layers or protective press-polish coatings respectively overlying said metallic layer and said first and second substantially planar surfaces;
• and
• printed graphics or text on or overlying said metallic foil layer.

An RF contactless financial transaction card, comprising:

• a plastic inlay having first and second substantially planar surfaces bounded by a continuous peripheral edge;
• an integrated circuit carried by said inlay storing card-specific data;
• an antenna carried by said inlay that is operatively connected to said integrated circuit;
• said antenna including one or more four-sided antenna windings arranged in proximity to said peripheral edge on least two, three or four sides thereof.
• a metallic foil layer substantially overlying at least one of said substantially planar surfaces, said foil layer providing said financial transaction card with a decorative metallic reflective appearance and being constructed to permit said antenna to inductively couple with said card reader within said maximum coupling distance;
• said card being constructed to inductively couple with an RF card reader that is spaced from said card in order to support limited-range wireless communication between said card and said card reader up to a maximum coupling distance of approximately 10 cm, beyond which said card will not couple with said card reader, said card reader operating at a frequency of approximately 13-17.5 MHz and at approximately 1.5-7.5 A/m rms field strength;
• said metallic foil layer having a surface appearance/finish that is selected from the group consisting of mirror reflective, gloss, semi-gloss, matte, rainbow, tinted, anodized, embossed, chemically etched, laser etched, holographically imaged, holographically etched, or combinations of any of the foregoing;
• said metallic foil layer further having color selected from a group consisting of aluminum, silver, gold, copper, chrome, bronze, gun-metal, charcoal, black, grey, blue, red, green and combinations of any of the foregoing;
• said metallic foil layer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, nickel, gold, silver, chromium, tin and lead;
• said metallic foil layer comprising a plastic substrate having a metal coating vacuum deposited thereon to a thickness of approximately 5-1000 Angstroms or sputtered thereon to a thickness of approximately 5-5000 Angstroms;
• said metallic foil layer being selectively patterned with one or more cutouts in the vicinity of said antenna;
• said one or more cutouts being selected from the group consisting of (1) a cutout that is shaped, sized and located to conform to said antenna windings, (2) cutouts that are shaped as notches that cross said antenna windings, and (3) cutouts that are shaped as slits that cross said antenna windings;
• said card having one of (1) a single one of said metallic layer that includes a plastic backing layer overlying a first one of said substantially planar surfaces, and a substitute plastic layer overlying a second one of said substantially planar surfaces, or (2) two of said metallic layers that each include a plastic backing layer respectively overlying said first and second substantially planar surfaces;
• said card having additional protective plastic layers or protective press-polish coatings respectively overlying said metallic layers and first and second substantially planar surfaces;
• and
• printed graphics or text on or overlying said metallic foil layer.