# US 8,540,163 B2 · Personalization of card-shaped data carriers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,540,163 B2 - Document ID: US8540163B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/388,570 - Filed: 2010-08-02 - Published: 2012-05-31 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-08-03 - Assignees: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH - Applicants: Thomas Gotz; Thomas Schneider; Lucas Perlitz - Inventors: Thomas Gotz; Thomas Schneider; Lucas Perlitz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540163B2 ## CPC - G06K 17/00: Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations - G06K 19/07716: {the record carrier comprising means for customization, e.g. being arranged for personalization in batch} - G06K 19/07718: {the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract In a method and an apparatus for personalizing card-shaped data carriers (10, 11, 12), for example chip cards in the formats ID000 to ID3 or other suitable formats, a card-shaped data carrier (10, 11, 12) to be personalized is transported by means of a transport device within the apparatus. During the transport motion, personalization data are transferred to an electronic storage device (13) of the card-shaped data carrier (10, 11, 12) by means of a personalization device (40). The transporting of the card-shaped data carrier (10, 11, 12) is effected by means of a band-shaped or tubular carrier (20, 21, 22, 23) on which a multiplicity of card-shaped data carriers (10, 11, 12) to be personalized are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for personalizing card-shaped data carriers, comprising the steps: transporting at least one card-shaped data carrier to be personalized, and transferring personalization data to an electronic storage device of the card-shaped data carrier by a personalization device during the transport motion, effecting the transporting of the card-shaped data carrier by a band-shaped or tubular carrier on which a multiplicity of card-shaped data carriers to be personalized are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction, wherein upon a faulty transferring of personalization data to one of the data carriers, said data carrier is separated from the band-shaped or tubular carrier and replaced by another data carrier to which the corresponding personalization data have been transferred correctly after a recognizing of the faulty transferring of the personalization data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the card-shaped data carrier communicates in contact-type or contactless fashion with an interface of the personalization device, which moves at the same speed as the card-shaped data carrier upon the transferring of the personalization data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the interface is moved in an endless loop and the band-shaped or tubular carrier is guided along the endless loop. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring of personalization data to several of the card-shaped data carriers arranged on the band-shaped or tubular carrier one behind the other in the transport direction is effected at least partly simultaneously. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, including the further step of optically personalizing the card-shaped data carriers by applying visually recognizable personalization information to the card-shaped data carriers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, including the further step of comparing for matches the personalization data transferred to the card-shaped data carriers with the personalization information applied to the card-shaped data carriers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the band-shaped or tubular carrier has a width smaller than a width of the multiplicity of card-shaped data carriers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiplicity of data carriers are fastened to the band-shaped or tubular carrier. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiplicity of data carriers are connected on sides of the data carriers to the band-shaped or tubular carrier. ### Claim 10 An apparatus for personalizing card-shaped data carriers, comprising: a transport device arranged to transport card-shaped data carriers and a personalization device for transferring personalization data to an electronic storage device of the card-shaped data carriers during the transport motion, said transport device being configured to transport the card-shaped data carriers, upon the transferring of the personalization data, on a band-shaped or tubular carrier on which a multiplicity of card-shaped data carriers to be personalized are arranged one behind the other in the transport direction, and a reproducing device arranged to reproduce faultily personalized data carriers and which is arranged to separate a faultily personalized data carrier from the band-shaped or tubular carrier and to replace it by a card-shaped data carrier correctly personalized with the corresponding personalization data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the personalization device comprises at least one interface which is arranged to communicate with the card-shaped data carriers in contact-type or contactless fashion, and which is movable at the same speed as the card-shaped data carriers upon the transferring of the personalization data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the interface is movable in an endless loop and the band-shaped or tubular carrier is guidable along the endless loop. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one interface is connected to a terminal device of the personalization device via sliding contacts, or that the at least one interface is firmly connected to the terminal device, wherein the terminal device is co-rotatable in the moving direction of the at least one interface and draws the personalization data from a data source via a contactless interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, including an optical personalization device arranged to optically personalize the card-shaped data carriers, and which is arranged to apply visually recognizable personalization information to the card-shaped data carriers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, including a comparing device arranged to compare the personalization data transferred to the card-shaped data carriers for matches with the personalization information applied to said card-shaped data carriers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the personalization device comprises more than one interface which are configured to transfer personalization data at least partly simultaneously to several of the card-shaped data carriers arranged on the band-shaped or tubular carrier one behind the other in the transport direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the band-shaped or tubular carrier has a width smaller than a width of the multiplicity of card-shaped data carriers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the multiplicity of data carriers are fastened to the band-shaped or tubular carrier. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the multiplicity of data carriers are connected on sides of the data carriers to the band-shaped or tubular carrier.