IC card and IC card data communication method

• US 20020014529A1
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Katsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,659,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/14 by transferring data from a similar or dissimilar record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous

Abstract

Disclosed is a data communication system and method for communicating data between a first integrated circuit card having a first antenna and a first memory and a second integrated circuit card having a second antenna and a second memory, wherein the first antenna is magnetically coupled with the second antenna through a device having an antenna to transmit data from the first memory to the second memory.

Claims

1. A data communication method for communicating data, comprising the steps of:

providing a first integrated circuit card having a first antenna and a first memory;

providing a second integrated circuit card having a second antenna and a second memory;

magnetically coupling said first antenna with said second antenna through a device having an antenna; and

transmitting data from said first memory to said second memory.

2. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said magnetically coupling step comprises providing said device with a reader/writer capable of reading/writing data on said first integrated circuit card and said second integrated circuit card.

3. The data communication method according to claim 2, wherein said reader/writer transfers data stored therein to a computer.

4. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is performed with said first integrated circuit card, said second integrated circuit card, and said device having the antenna interconnected magnetically.

5. The data communication method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of ignoring an access command issued from said device by using a predetermined identification code attached to said data.

6. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is performed by sequentially sending commands for controlling communication from said device to said first integrated circuit card and said second integrated circuit card.

7. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is performed by a command necessary for data transmission stored in said first memory.

8. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is started by supplying electric power from said device to said first integrated circuit card and said second integrated circuit card.

9. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is started by issuing a communication start command from said device to said first integrated circuit card.

10. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is performed by sending a modulated signal from said first integrated circuit card to said second integrated circuit card by modulating a carrier signal by switching a resistor connected to a tuning circuit of said first integrated circuit card.

11. The data communication method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of providing said tuning circuit with a capacitor connected to said first antenna in parallel, and tuning said first antenna into a frequency of an electromagnetic wave radiated from said device.

12. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is performed by switching a terminal impedance of said antenna of said device.

13. The data communication method according to claim 2, wherein said transmitting step is performed by supplying to said first integrated circuit card and said second integrated circuit card an electric power generated by an electromagnetic wave radiated from the internal antenna of said reader/writer.

14. The data communication method according to claim 2, wherein said transmitting step comprises the steps of performing mutual-authentication between said first integrated circuit card and said reader/writer;

performing mutual-authentication between said second integrated circuit card and said reader/writer;

sending a data transfer command from said reader/writer to said first integrated circuit card; and

, by performing mutual-authentication between said first integrated circuit card and said second integrated circuit card, transferring the data from said first memory to said second memory.

15. The data communication method according to claim 1, wherein said step of providing a first integrated circuit card comprises providing said first integrated circuit card with an electric power generator, a modulation/demodulation circuit, and a sequencer, each connected to said first antenna;

and said step providing a second integrated circuit card comprises providing said second integrated circuit card with an electric power generator, a modulation/demodulation circuit, and a sequencer, each connected to said second antenna.