Data Storage Medium with Two-Dimensional Light Source

Abstract

A portable data carrier has a contactless interface which serves for transmitting energy and data between the data carrier and an external terminal. A first chip serves for processing the data and is supplied with energy and data by the contactless interface. The data carrier comprises a body which is at least partly light-transmissive at least on one area, wherein the data carrier has a light source which extends areally at least over a part of the area of the data carrier and emits light uniformly or non-uniformly over the areal extension.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A portable data carrier comprising a contactless interface which serves for transmitting energy and data between the data carrier and an external terminal, a first chip which serves for processing the data and is supplied with energy and data by the contactless interface, wherein the data carrier comprises a body which is at least partly light-transmissive at least on one area, wherein the data carrier has a light source which extends areally at least over a part of the area of the data carrier and emits light uniformly or non-uniformly over the areal extension.

16. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein above the light source there is disposed a cover which has at least one passage for the emitted light of the light source at at least one position.

17. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the cover is a printing ink, a hologram and/or a Kinegram.

18. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the light source is an organic light-emitting diode or an electroluminescent luminous layer.

19. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the contactless interface is an antenna coil.

20. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the antenna coil is light-transmissive.

21. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein in the body of the data carrier there is disposed at least one light guide to direct light emitted by the light source into regions of the data carrier where no light source is disposed.

22. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein at least two light guides are disposed at an angle to each other.

23. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein at least two light guides are disposed in a common plane or in different planes of the body of the data carrier.

24. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein at least one light guide is light-transmissive at least on a part of its surface.

25. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the body and/or at least one light guide include/s at least one fluorescent dye and/or an optical diffuser.

26. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the body has an at least partly structured surface on at least one outer side.

27. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein a second chip for controlling the light source is disposed on the data carrier.

28. The data carrier according to claim 15, wherein the light source is arranged to change the light color.

Description

[0035] Embodiment examples of the invention are hereinafter described with reference to the attached Figures.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a construction of a data carrier according to the invention.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a first exemplary embodiment of the data carrier according to the invention.

[0038] In FIG. 1 there is shown a structural construction in a side view of a data carrier 2 according to the invention. For reasons of clarity, no representation of the chip, the antenna coil and the electrical connections is made. The data carrier 2 comprises a carrier 4. The carrier 4 may consist of several foil layers. Further, the carrier 4 may be light-transmissive or light-non-transmissive. Depending on the case of application, the carrier 4 is personalizable. On the carrier 4 there is disposed an areal light source 6 according to the invention. The light source 6, due to the manufacturing, may have an edge 14. On the light source 6 there is optionally located a light-transmissive layer 8. An optional cover 10 according to the invention is attached to the layer 8. In the cover 10 there are disposed passages 16 through which the light can be recognized from outside. The passages 16 may have the form of e.g. pictures, figures, numbers, signs, letters, symbols, etc. The cover 10 may be e.g. a vapor-deposited metallization. The passages 16 are introduced into the metallization e.g. by means of a laser. Alternatively, the cover 10 may be printed e.g. by means of a screen printing process in such a way that the passages 16 are produced by the printing process. On the cover 10 there is disposed an optional protection layer 12 which is light-transmissive.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment example of the data carrier 2 according to the invention in a plan view of the light-transmissive protection layer 12. By the light emitted by the light source 6 the passages 16 in the form of the letters ABC are visible from outside.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0040] 2 data carrier according to the invention

[0041] 4 carrier

[0042] 6 areal light source

[0043] 8 light-transmissive layer, optional

[0044] 10 cover

[0045] 12 protection layer, optional

[0046] 14 edge outside the areal light source

[0047] 16 passage in the cover