A dual-interface metal hybrid smartcard comprising a plastic card body (CB), a booster antenna (BA) and a metal frame (CMF, DMF) disposed in the card body, in the form of a rectangular metal frame disposed external to the booster antenna (BA). The metal frame may extend continuously around the periphery of the card body as a continuous metal frame (CMF), or may have a slit (S), thereby forming a discontinuous metal frame (DMF). A second metal slug (MS-2) may be disposed at a lower portion of the card body (CB), inside the booster antenna. A smartcard may comprise a plastic card body (CB) and a generally rectangular metal slug (MS) having a main body portion slightly smaller than the card body, and having at least one protrusion extending from corresponding at least one corner of the main body portion of the metal slug to corresponding at least one corner of the card body.

Smartcards with metal layers manufactured according to various techniques disclosed herein. One or more metal layers of a smartcard stackup may be provided with slits overlapping at least a portion of a module antenna in an associated transponder chip module disposed in the smartcard so that the metal layer functions as a coupling frame. One or more metal layers may be pre-laminated with plastic layers to form a metal core or clad subassembly for a smartcard, and outer printed and/or overlay plastic layers may be laminated to the front and/or back of the metal core. Front and back overlays may be provided. Various constructions of and manufacturing techniques (including temperature, time, and pressure regimes for laminating) for smartcards are disclosed herein.

A stretchable conductor includes a substrate with a first major surface, wherein the substrate is an elastomeric material. An elongate wire is on the first major surface of the substrate; the wire includes a first end and a second end, and further includes at least one arcuate region between the first end and the second end. At least one portion of the arcuate region of the wire in the region has a first surface area portion embedded in the surface of the substrate and a second surface area portion unembedded on the substrate and exposed in an amount sufficient to render at least an area of the substrate in the region electrically conductive. The unembedded second surface portion of the arcuate region may lie above or below a plane of the substrate. Composite articles including a stretchable conductor in durable electrical contact with a conductive fabric are also disclosed.

A booster antenna (BA) for a smart card comprises a card antenna (CA) component extending around a periphery of a card body (CB), a coupler coil (CC) component at a location for an antenna module (AM), and an extension antenna (EA) component contributing to the inductance of the booster antenna (BA). At least a portion of the coupler coil (CC) component may have a sense which is opposite to a sense of at least a portion of the card antenna (CA) component. At least a portion of one of the components may be interleaved with (i) a portion of another component, or (ii) another portion of the same component. A capacitive extension (CE) may extend from at least one of the card antenna (CA), coupler coil (CC) and extension antenna (EA) components.

A smartcard (SC) having at least a contactless interface, such as having a dual interface transponder chip module (TCM) with a chip (IC), a module antenna (MA) for the contactless interface, and contact pads (CP) for a contact interface. Metal layers (ML) may have openings (MO) for receiving the module, and slits (S) or nonconductive stripes (NCS) extending to the openings, thereby forming coupling frames (CF). A card body (CB) for the smartcard may comprise two such metal layers (front and rear coupling frames) separated by a layer of non-conductive (dielectric) material. A front face card layer and a rear face card layer may complete a multiple coupling frame stack-up for a smartcard.

A dual-interface smartcard (SC) having a booster antenna (BA) with coupler coil (CC) in its card body, and a metallized face plate having a window opening for an antenna module (AM) having contact pads (CP) and a module antenna (MA). A compensation loop (CL) may be disposed directly behind a peripheral portion of the booster antenna. The compensation loop may be formed of a conductive material, such as copper, or of ferrite, and may have two free ends or no free ends. Additionally, the window opening may be substantially larger than the antenna module, the face plate may be perforated, ferrite material may be disposed between the face plate and the booster antenna, the coupler coil may be offset from the antenna, and a ferrite element may be disposed in the antenna module between the module antenna and the contact pads.

A method for making an interposer includes forming a plurality of wire bonds bonded to one or more first surfaces of a first element. A dielectric encapsulation is formed contacting an edge surface of the wire bonds which separates adjacent wire bonds from one another. Further processing comprises removing at least portions of the first element, wherein the interposer has first and second opposite sides separated from one another by at least the encapsulation, and the interposer having first contacts and second contacts at the first and second opposite sides, respectively, for electrical connection with first and second components, respectively, the first contacts being electrically connected with the second contacts through the wire bonds.

An electrochromic mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and with a fourth surface reflector coated at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. Light incident at the first surface of the front substrate passes (i) through the front substrate, (ii) through a transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front substrate and (iii) through the electrochromic medium, whereby light passing through the electrochromic medium is partially reflected at a third surface reflector and is partially transmitted through the third surface reflector, and wherein light passing through the electrochromic medium that is partially transmitted through the third surface reflector passes through the rear substrate and is at least partially reflected off the fourth surface reflector at the fourth surface of the rear substrate to provide enhanced reflectivity of said electrochromic mirror reflective element.

Smartcards having (i) a metal card body (MCB) with a slit (S) overlapping a module antenna (MA) of a chip module (TCM) or (ii) multiple metal layers (M1, M2, M3) each having a slit (S1, S2, S3) offset from or oriented differently than each other. A front metal layer may be continuous (no slit), and may be shielded from underlying metal layers by a shielding layer (SL). Metal backing inserts (MBI) reinforcing the slit(s) may also have a slit (S2) overlapping the module antenna. Diamond like carbon coating filling the slit. Key fobs similarly fabricated. Smart cards with metal card bodies (MCB). Plastic-Metal-Plastic smartcards and methods of manufacture are disclosed. Such cards may be contactless only, contact only, or may be dual-interface (contact and contactless) cards.

A method for making electrical connection to a mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes providing a mirror reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween and in contact with a transparent conductive coating and a third surface reflector. A metallic electrical connector is provided that includes an attachment portion and a wire receiving portion. An electrical wire is inserted in the wire receiving portion such that at least one tang of the wire receiving portion engages the electrical wire to secure the electrical wire in the wire receiving portion and to make electrically-conductive connection with the electrical wire. The attachment portion is attached at the front or rear substrate to attach the electrical connector at the mirror reflective element such that the attachment portion electrically conductively connects to the transparent conductive coating or the third surface reflector.