Chip card - Pocket-sized computer
Even as far back as the early 1960s, large financial service providers were confident that the future for plastic cards was bright. However, since neither a signature nor a magnetic strip were able to satisfy the security requirements for cashless payments, there were soon calls for a "smart" card. In the case of Jürgen Dethloff and Helmut Gröttrup, these calls did not fall on deaf ears, and in 1968 they filed a patent for a card with integrated circuit. By 1977, Dethloff had already surpassed his first invention with the microprocessor card. Unlike the memory card which has only a recordable and readable data memory, the microprocessor card can be freely programmed. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine life without the chip card: telephone cards, credit cards, cheque cards and health insurance cards all fit easily in our wallets and contain all the data we need in a neat plastic packaging.
Significance: as a means of storing biometric data, the chip card is driving forward the development of international security standards. Programmed with individual data, the card can be a life-saver.
Invented by: Jürgen Dethloff, Helmut Gröttrup
In: 1969
Chip card
