Wireless communications terminal, communications protocol switching method, communications protocol switching program, and integrated circuit of wireless communications terminal

• US 20060234778A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueda, Eiji, Masaki, Tadakatsu, Matsushita, Yuka
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10

Abstract

The present invention provides a wireless communications terminal capable of preventing radio interferences from being caused by other wireless communications concurrent with a contactless communications. A wireless communications terminal (101) receives, in a contactless communications, a command from a reader/writer (105) via a second wireless communications section (209), and analyzes the received command. The wireless communications terminal (101) controls a wireless communications control section (210) to deactivate or temporarily deactivate the function of a first wireless communications section (208) depending on the analysis of the command. After the function of the first wireless communications section (208) is deactivated or temporarily deactivated, the wireless communications terminal (101) accesses a memory area of an IC card microcomputer system (300) as specified by the command to perform a contactless communications.

Claims

1. A wireless communications terminal capable of performing a contactless communications and at least one wireless communications, comprising:

a first wireless communications section operable to perform a wireless communications other than a contactless communications;

a second wireless communications section operable to perform a contactless communications; and

a wireless communications control section operable to restrict a wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section based on a status of a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section.

2. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications control section starts restricting a wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section in response to an initiation of a contactless communications by the second wireless communications section.

3. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communications control section deactivates or temporarily deactivates a wireless communications function of the first wireless communications section based on a security level of information exchanged in a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section.

4. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communications control section varies stepwise an output radio wave intensity in a wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section according to a security level of information exchanged in a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section.

5. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 3, wherein:

the second wireless communications section performs a contactless communications between a semiconductor memory card inserted in the wireless communications terminal and a predetermined reader/writer; and

the wireless communications control section determines the security level of information based on a security level of a memory management area, in the semiconductor memory card, storing the information exchanged in a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section.

6. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 5, wherein the memory management area in the semiconductor memory card includes at least one of a TRM area, a secure flash and a general area.

7. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a timer section operable to detect an elapse of a predetermined amount of time since an initiation of a contactless communications,

wherein the wireless communications control section lifts the restriction on the first wireless communications section based on the detection of an elapse of the predetermined time by the timer section.

8. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communications control section starts restricting a wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section based on an instruction from a user.

9. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 8, wherein the wireless communications control section deactivates or temporarily deactivates a wireless communications function of the first wireless communications section based on an instruction from a user.

10. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 8, further comprising a second wireless communications control section operable to restrict a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section based on an instruction from the user.

11. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 8, wherein based on an instruction from the user, the wireless communications control section also restricts a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section in such a manner that either one of the contactless communications and the wireless communications is restricted at a time.

12. The wireless communications terminal according to claim 8, further comprising a timer section operable to detect an elapse of a predetermined amount of time since an initiation of a contactless communications,

wherein the wireless communications control section lifts the restriction on the first wireless communications section based on the detection of an elapse of the predetermined time by the timer section.

13. A communications protocol switching method used by a wireless communications terminal comprising a first wireless communications section for performing at least one wireless communications other than a contactless communications, and a second wireless communications section for performing a contactless communications, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a status of the contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section; and

restricting the wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section based on the status of the contactless communications.

14. A communications protocol switching program executed by a wireless communications terminal comprising a first wireless communications section for performing at least one wireless communications other than a contactless communications, and a second wireless communications section for performing a contactless communications, the program comprising the steps of:

determining a status of the contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section; and

restricting the wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section based on the status of the contactless communications.

15. An integrated circuit used in a wireless communications terminal capable of performing a contactless communications and at least one wireless communications, wherein:

the wireless communications terminal comprising a first wireless communications section for performing a wireless communications other than a contactless communications, and a second wireless communications section for performing a contactless communications; and

the integrated circuit includes a circuit functioning as a wireless communications control section operable to restrict a wireless communications performed by the first wireless communications section based on a status of a contactless communications performed by the second wireless communications section.