Identification card having an IC module

Claim 1

A standardized data card providing accessible electrically encoded data, said card comprising: a rectangular card member of standardized length and width, said card member comprising a stratum of generally predetermined thickness, said card having at least first and second elongated zones lying generally parallel to the length of said rectangular card member, said zones extending along the entire length of said card member and occupying portions of the width of said card member, said first one of said zones being reserved for embossed indicia protruding above one side of said card to increase the overall thickness of the data card in excess of the thickness of said stratum, said second one of said zones being of the predetermined thickness of said stratum and having magnetic recording media on the other side of said card from said embossed indicia; and a carrier element applied to said card member, said carrier element being elongated and having first and second sections displaced in the direction of elongation of said element, said first section comprising an IC module containing the electrically encoded data, said second section being flexible and thin with respect to said predetermined thickness of said card, said second section containing contact areas connected to said IC module by which the data in said module may be accessed, said first section of said carrier element being completely located in said first zone of said card member, said second section being so arranged in said card member that said contact areas are located completely outside said first zone, said contact areas lying on the same side of said card member as the embossed indicia.