Stackable integrated circuit cards

Abstract

Systems and methods allow for the integrated circuit cards (ICCs) to removably couple to each other and transmit information to an access device as a single device. One among the two or more ICCs coupled together may read data from the remaining ICCs and provide the data to an access device via contactless communication. The ICC may include a substrate; an integrated circuit embedded in the substrate; input ports exposed on a first surface of the substrate, and output ports exposed on a second surface of the substrate. The input ports and the output ports are electrically coupled to the integrated circuit. The output ports are configured to be removably coupled to the input ports of a second ICC.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 establishing, by a first integrated circuit card, a wireless communication channel with an access device;   transmitting, by the first integrated circuit card, a current to a second integrated circuit card physically coupled to the first integrated circuit card;   retrieving, by the first integrated circuit card, data from the second integrated circuit card;   incorporating, by the first integrated circuit card, the data received from the second integrated circuit card with data stored on the first integrated circuit card into a combined data record,   wherein the data stored on the first integrated circuit card includes a first account data identifying a first account issued by a first issuer,   wherein the data received from the second integrated circuit card includes a second account data identifying a second account issued by a second issuer; and   transmitting, by the first integrated circuit card, the combined data record to the access device via the wireless communication channel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the combined data record includes a flag identifying presence of multiple account data comprising the first account data and the second account data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an output port of the first integrated circuit card is coupled to an input port of the second integrated circuit card. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein when the current is transmitted to the second integrated circuit card from the first integrated circuit card, a wireless communication capability of the second integrated circuit card is disabled. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the first integrated circuit card, additional data from one or more integrated circuit cards in addition to the second integrated circuit card; and   incorporating, by the first integrated circuit card, the additional data into the combined data record.   
     
     
         6 . An integrated circuit card comprising:
 a substrate;   an integrated circuit embedded in the substrate;   a plurality of input ports exposed on the substrate, wherein the plurality of input ports are electrically coupled to the integrated circuit; and   a plurality of output ports exposed on the substrate, wherein the plurality of output ports are electrically coupled to the integrated circuit,   wherein a contactless communication capability of one of the integrated circuit card is configured to be disabled when a predetermined criteria is met.   
     
     
         7 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an inductive antenna connected to one or more input pins of the integrated circuit.   
     
     
         8 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 7 , wherein the integrated circuit card establishes contactless communication with an access device via the inductive antenna. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a transistor connected in series between an input pin of the integrated circuit and the inductive antenna, wherein when current is applied to a base junction of the transistor via one of the plurality of input ports, the contactless communication capability of the integrated circuit card is disabled.   
     
     
         10 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , wherein the integrated circuit card is powered up when the integrated circuit card is in an operating range of an access device. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of input ports are combined with the integrated circuit on the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , wherein one or more of the plurality of output ports are configured to be removably coupled to one or more input ports of a second integrated circuit card. 
     
     
         13 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a first magnetic connector having a first polarity provided on a first surface of the substrate; and   a second magnetic connector having a second polarity provided on a second surface of the substrate opposite from the first surface.   
     
     
         14 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , wherein the integrated circuit card retrieves data from a second integrated circuit card when the one or more of the plurality of output ports are electrically and physically coupled to the one or more of the plurality of input ports of the second integrated circuit card. 
     
     
         15 . The integrated circuit card of  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined criteria is the integrated circuit card to be coupled to a second integrated circuit card in a predetermined configuration. 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of integrated circuit cards each including an integrated circuit, an antenna, a set of input ports and a set of output ports, wherein the plurality of integrated circuit cards are removably coupled to each other when the set of output ports of one integrated circuit card are physically and electrically coupled to the set of input ports of an adjacent integrated circuit card, wherein only the antenna of a first integrated circuit card remains active.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first integrated circuit card transmits a current to remaining ones of the plurality of integrated circuit cards. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a wireless communication capability of the remaining ones of the plurality of integrated circuit cards is disabled. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first integrated circuit card is powered up when the first integrated circuit card is in an operating range of an access device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of integrated circuit cards includes a transistor connected in series between one of the set of input ports and the antenna, wherein when current is applied to a base junction of the transistor of an integrated circuit card, a wireless communication capability of the integrated circuit card is disabled.