Smartcard power management

• US 20060226243A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Dariel, Dani
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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

Abstract

Portable smartcard devices, methods of operating smartcard devices, systems including a smartcard device and a terminal, and computer readable storage media including instructions for smartcard devices are provided. According to some embodiments, the smartcard includes a controller for executing commands received from a terminal, where execution of at least one command affects a power consumption of the smartcard device during subsequent execution of at least one other command. Optionally, the command which modifies smartcard power consumption is issued by the terminal in accordance with a power consumption decision. According to some embodiments, as an allowed power consumption of the smartcard device increases, the performance of the smartcard increases, and vice versa. According to some embodiments, the execution of the at least one command sets an operating parameter of the smartcard device, such as a clock frequency or a time of a non-volatile memory operation, thereby affecting the power consumption of the smartcard device during the subsequent executing. Alternatively or additionally, the execution of the at least one command enables or disables a functional unit of the smartcard device. Exemplary functional units include but are not limited to floating-point units and cryptographic units. Alternatively or additionally, the execution of the at least one command enables or disables memory such as non-volatile memory of the smartcard device. According to some embodiments, the execution of the at least one command sets an operating parameter of internal circuitry of the smartcard.

Claims

1. ) A power aware smartcard system comprising:

a) a terminal for issuing commands;

b) a smartcard having an interface for presenting smart card functionality to said terminal and a controller for executing said issued commands; and

c) a power consumption decision handling mechanism for handling a power consumption decision for said smartcard,

wherein at least one said command affects a power consumption of the smartcard device during subsequent execution of at least one other said command, and said terminal is operative to issue said at least one command in accordance with said power consumption decision.

2. ) The system of claim 1 wherein said power consumption decision is selected from the group consisting of a decision to increase a power consumption of said smartcard device, a decision to decrease a power consumption of said smartcard device, and a decision to constrain a maximum power consumption of said smartcard below a given value.

3. ) The system of claim 1 wherein said power consumption decision mechanism resides at least in part in a device selected from the group consisting of said terminal and said smartcard.

4. ) The system of claim 1 wherein said power consumption decision mechanism resides at least in part outside of said terminal and said smartcard.

5. ) The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one command sets an operating parameter of said smartcard.

6. ) The system of claim 5 wherein said operating parameter is a clock frequency.

7. ) The system of claim 5 wherein said operating parameter is a time of a non-volatile memory operation.

8. ) The system of claim 5 wherein said operating parameter is set for a limited time for said executing of said at least one other command.

9. ) The system of claim 5 wherein said operating parameter is set on an ongoing basis as a new operating configuration.

10. ) The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one command enables or disables a functional unit of the smartcard device.

11. ) The system of claim 9 wherein said functional unit is a floating point unit.

12. ) The system of claim 9 wherein said functional unit is a cryptographic unit.

13. ) The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one command enables or disables at least some memory of the smartcard device.

14. ) The system of claim 12 wherein said memory includes non-volatile memory.

15. ) The system of claim 14 wherein said non-volatile memory includes flash memory.

16. ) A portable smartcard device comprising:

a) an interface for receiving commands from a terminal and for presenting smart card functionality to said terminal; and

b) a controller for executing said commands,

wherein at least one said command is operative to enable or disable a functional unit of the smartcard device.

17. ) The smartcard device of claim 16 wherein said functional unit remains enabled or disabled during subsequent execution of at least one other said command.

18. ) The smartcard device of claim 16 wherein said functional unit is a floating point unit.

19. ) The smartcard device of claim 16 wherein said functional unit is a cryptographic unit.

20. ) A portable smartcard device comprising:

a) an interface for receiving commands from a terminal and for presenting smart card functionality to said terminal; and

b) a controller for executing said commands,

wherein at least one said command is operative to enable or disable at least some memory of the smartcard device.

21. ) The smartcard device of claim 20 wherein said memory includes non-volatile memory.

22. ) The smartcard device of claim 21 wherein said non-volatile memory includes flash memory.

23. ) A portable smartcard device comprising:

a) an interface for receiving commands from a terminal and for presenting smart card functionality to said terminal; and

b) a controller for executing said commands,

wherein execution of at least one said command affects a power consumption of the smartcard device during subsequent execution of at least one other said command, and said at least one command sets an operating parameter of internal functionality circuitry of the smartcard.

24. ) The smartcard device of claim 23 wherein said operating parameter is a clock frequency.

25. ) The smartcard device of claim 23 wherein said operating parameter is a time of a non-volatile memory operation.

26. ) The smartcard device of claim 23 wherein said operating parameter is set for a limited time for said executing of said at least one other command.

27. ) The smartcard device of claim 23 wherein said operating parameter is set on an ongoing basis as a new operating configuration.

28. ) A method for operating a smartcard device by a terminal comprising:

a) making a power consumption decision for the smartcard device;

b) in accordance with said power consumption decision, issuing by the terminal to the smartcard device at least one command which affects a power consumption of the smartcard device during subsequent execution of at least one other said command; and

c) issuing by the terminal of said at least one other command.

29. ) The method of claim 28 further comprising:

d) execution by the smartcard device of said at least one other command.

30. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said power consumption decision is selected from the group consisting of a decision to increase a power consumption of said smartcard device, a decision to decrease a power consumption of said smartcard device, and a decision to constrain a maximum power consumption of said smartcard below a given value.

31. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said at least one command sets an operating parameter of said smartcard.

32. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said operating parameter is a clock frequency.

33. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said operating parameter is a time of a non-volatile memory operation.

34. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said operating parameter is set for a limited time for said executing of said at least one other command.

35. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said operating parameter is set on an ongoing basis as a new operating configuration.

36. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said at least one command enables or disables a functional unit of the smartcard device.

37. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said functional unit is a floating point unit.

38. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said functional unit is a cryptographic unit.

39. ) The method of claim 28 wherein said at least one command enables or disables at least some memory of the smartcard device.

40. ) The method of claim 39 wherein said memory includes non-volatile memory.

41. ) The method of claim 40 wherein said non-volatile memory includes flash memory.

42. ) A method for operating a smartcard device by a terminal comprising:

a) configuring the smartcard device to receive commands from the terminal; and

b) issuing by the terminal to the smartcard device at least one said command that enables or disables a functional unit of the smartcard device.

43. ) The method of claim 42 wherein said functional unit remains enabled or disabled during subsequent execution of at least one other said command.

44. ) The method of claim 42 wherein said functional unit is a floating point unit.

45. ) The method of claim 42 wherein said functional unit is a cryptographic unit.

46. ) A method for operating a smartcard device by a terminal comprising:

a) configuring the smartcard device to receive commands from the terminal; and

b) issuing by the terminal to the smartcard device at least one said command that enables or disables at least some memory of the smartcard device.

47. ) The method of claim 46 wherein said memory includes non-volatile memory.

48. ) The method of claim 47 wherein said non-volatile memory includes flash memory.

49. ) A method for operating a smartcard device by a terminal comprising:

a) issuing by the terminal to the smartcard device at least one command that sets an operating parameter of internal functionality circuitry of the smartcard device to affect a power consumption of the smartcard device during subsequent execution of at least one other said command; and

b) issuing by the terminal of said at least one other command.

50. ) The method of claim 49 wherein said operating parameter is a clock frequency.

51. ) The method of claim 49 wherein said operating parameter is a time of a non-volatile memory operation.

52. ) The method of claim 49 wherein said operating parameter is set for a limited time for said executing of said at least one other command.

53. ) The method of claim 49 wherein said operating parameter is set on an ongoing basis as a new operating configuration.

54. ) A computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied in said computer readable storage medium, said computer readable code comprising instructions for a smartcard device to:

a) receive a plurality of commands from a terminal; and

b) execute at least one said command that enables or disables a functional unit of the smartcard device.

55. ) A computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied in said computer readable storage medium, said computer readable code comprising instructions for a smartcard device to:

a) receive a plurality of commands from a terminal; and

b) execute at least one said command that enables or disables at least some memory of the smartcard device.

56. ) A computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied in said computer readable storage medium, said computer readable code comprising instructions for a smartcard device to:

a) receive a plurality of commands from a terminal; and

b) execute at least one said command that sets an operating parameter of internal functionality circuitry of the smartcard device to affect a power consumption of the smartcard device during subsequent execution of at least one other said command.