Wireless communication device providing a contactless interface for a smart card reader

• US 20060049258A1
• Filed: 09/17/2003
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Piikivi, Lauri
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• 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: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A wireless terminal (30) including a smart card application host (34), such as a contact smart card or the terminal or a terminal security component, and including a terminal interface (32), and also including a smart card router (33) that enables RF communication with a contactless card reader (35) in for example a ticketing system (31), even though the smart card application host (34) does not contain a contactless interface. The smart card router (33) includes an RF antenna (33c), separate from and external to the smart card application host (34), and also a modulator/demodulator (33b), and also includes a card access module and router (33a) for routing communication traffic (R_in) arriving via the RF antenna (33c) to either the smart card application host (34) or to the terminal interface (32), based on information included in the arriving communication traffic (R_in).

Claims

1. A mobile cellular terminal including a cellular telephone functionality for communication via a cellular communication network and having a terminal interface (32), characterized in that the mobile cellular terminal includes a smart card application host (34) and also a smart card router (33), the smart card router (33) responsive to a radiofrequency (RF) communication signal (RF in air) issuing from a contactless smart card reader (35), for demodulating the RF communication signal (RF in air) and providing either a demodulated communication traffic signal (S_in) routed to the smart card application host (34) or a demodulated communication traffic signal (U_in) routed to the terminal interface (32), the smart card router (33) determining the routing based on information conveyed by the RF communication signal (RF in air).

2. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 1, wherein the smart card application host (34) is selected from the group consisting of a contact smart card, a microcontroller residing in the mobile cellular terminal (30), and a security component of the mobile cellular terminal (30).

3. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 1, further characterized in that the smart card router (33) is also responsive to unmodulated communication traffic (S_out) provided by the smart card application host (34) and is responsive to unmodulated communication traffic (U_out) provided by the terminal interface (32), and in response to either provides a modulated communication traffic signal (RF in air) for transmission to the contactless smart card reader (35).

4. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 3, wherein the smart card router (33) comprises a card access module and router (33a), a modulator/demodulator (33b), an RF antenna (33c), and a card reader chip (33d), wherein the card access module and router (33a) is coupled to the smart card application host (34) via the card reader chip (33d) and is coupled to the terminal interface (32) and is also coupled to the RF antenna (33c) via the modulator/demodulator (33b), the RF antenna (33c) in turn being radiatively coupled to the contactless smart card reader (35).

5. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 1, further characterized in that the smart card router (33) provides logical channels (Ch1 Ch2) for communication with different applications (34-134-2) hosted by the smart card application host (34).

6. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 1, further characterized in that in starting communications with the contactless smart card reader (35), the mobile cellular terminal reports RF parameter messages in a format understandable to the contactless smart card reader (35) so as to enable the communications.

7. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 6, wherein the RF parameters so reported indicate proprietary capabilities of the smart card application host (34).

8. A mobile cellular terminal as in claim 6, wherein the RF parameters are derived from data provided by an answer-to-reset message issued by the smart card application host (34).

9. A method for use by a mobile cellular terminal including cellular telephone functionality in communicating with a contactless smart card reader (35), the mobile cellular terminal configured for communication via a cellular communication network and including a smart card application host hosting at least one smart card application (34-134-2), the method characterized by:

a step (61) of receiving from the contactless smart card reader (35) a radiofrequency (RF) communication signal pertinent to the at least one smart card application;

a step (62) of examining so as to determine where to route the received communication signal including possibly routing the communication signal to the at least one smart card application (34-1 34-2) or to a terminal interface of the mobile cellular terminal or to an RF antenna (33c) for radiative transmission to a system (31a 31b) related to the at least one smart card application; and

a step (63) of routing the communication signal to the destination so determined.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the smart card application host (34) is selected from the group consisting of a contact smart card, a microcontroller residing in the mobile cellular terminal, and a security component of the mobile cellular terminal.

11. A method as in claim 9, further characterized in that in routing the communication signal, logical channels (Ch1 Ch2) are used for communication with different applications (34-134-2) hosted by the smart card application host (34).

12. A method as in claim 9, further characterized in that in starting communications with the contactless smart card reader (35), the mobile cellular terminal reports RF parameter messages in a format understandable to the contactless smart card reader (35) so as to enable the communications.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the RF parameters so reported indicate proprietary capabilities of the smart card application host (34).

14. A method as in claim 12, wherein the RF parameters are derived from data provided by an answer-to-reset message issued by the smart card application host (34).

15. A smart card router module (33), for use as a component of a mobile cellular terminal including a cellular telephone functionality for communication via a cellular communication network and having a terminal interface (32), characterized in that the smart card router module (33) is responsive to a radiofrequency (RF) communication signal (RF in air) issuing from a contactless smart card reader (35), for demodulating the RF communication signal (RF in air) and providing either a demodulated communication traffic signal (S_in) routed to the smart card application host (34) or a demodulated communication traffic signal (U_in) routed to the terminal interface (32), the smart card router module (33) determining the routing based on information conveyed by the RF communication signal (RF in air).

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor hosted by a mobile cellular terminal, wherein said computer program code comprises instructions for performing a method including:

a step (61) of receiving from a contactless smart card reader (35) a radiofrequency (RF) communication signal pertinent to at least one smart card application hosted by the mobile cellular terminal;

a step (62) of examining the received communication signal so as to determine where to route the received communication signal, including possibly routing the communication signal to the at least one smart card application or to a terminal interface of the mobile cellular terminal or to an RF antenna (33c) of the mobile cellular terminal for radiative transmission to a system (31a 31b) related to the at least one smart card application; and

a step (63) of routing the communication signal to the destination so determined.