SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY MODULE CARD AND TERMINAL DEVICE HAVING THE SAME

• US 20090069048A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YANG, CHEE-HWAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0069 including means for detecting correct insertion of the card, e.g. end detection switches notifying that the card has been inserted completely and correctly
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

A subscriber identity module (SIM) card to be mounted to a terminal device that includes a SIM interface unit, the SIM card including: a first terminal to output a control signal indicating that the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device; and a second terminal to receive the control signal from the first terminal, and to transmit, to the SIM interface unit, the control signal when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device.

Claims

1. A subscriber identity module (SIM) card to be mounted to a terminal device that comprises an SIM interface unit, the SIM card comprising:

a first terminal to output a control signal indicating that the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device; and

a second terminal to receive the control signal from the first terminal, and to transmit, to the SIM interface unit, the control signal when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device.

2. The SIM card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are connected to each other.

3. The SIM card as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first terminal is short-circuited to the second terminal.

4. The SIM card as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first terminal connects to a grounding terminal when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device; and

the grounding terminal causes the control signal to be output from the first terminal.

5. The SIM card as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a grounding terminal to cause the first terminal to output the control signal to the second terminal.

6. The SIM card as claimed in claim 1, further comprising one or more third terminals, different from the first terminal and the second terminal, to receive power from the terminal device and to transmit data to the terminal device.

7. The SIM card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first terminal and/or the second terminal is a revised for future use (RFU) terminal.

8. A subscriber identity module (SIM) card to be mounted to a terminal device that comprises an SIM interface unit, the SIM card comprising:

a first terminal to connect to a grounding terminal, and to output a control signal caused by the grounding terminal; and

a second terminal that is short-circuited to the first terminal to receive the control signal, and to transmit the control signal to the SIM interface unit when the SIM card is mounted in the terminal device.

9. The SIM card as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first terminal connects to the grounding terminal when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device, and disconnects from the grounding terminal when the SIM card is dismounted from the terminal device.

10. The SIM card as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the grounding terminal.

11. The SIM card as claimed in claim 8, further comprising one or more third terminals, different from the first terminal and the second terminal, to receive power from the terminal device and to transmit data to the terminal device.

12. A terminal device, comprising:

a card connector;

a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface unit; and

an SIM card comprising;

a first terminal to output a control signal indicating that the SIM card is mounted to the card connector when the SIM card is mounted to the card connector, and

a second terminal to receive the control signal from the first terminal, and to transmit, to the SIM interface unit, the control signal when the SIM card is mounted to the card connector.

13. The terminal device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the SIM interface unit determines whether the SIM card is mounted according to the control signal that is transmitted from the second terminal.

14. The terminal device as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the first terminal connects to a grounding terminal when the SIM card is mounted to the card connector; and

the grounding terminal causes the control signal to be output from the first terminal.

15. The terminal device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the SIM card further comprises a grounding terminal to cause the first terminal to output the control signal the second terminal.

16. The terminal device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the SIM card further comprises one or more third terminals, different from the first terminal and the second terminal, to receive power from the terminal device and to transmit data to the terminal device.

17. A terminal device, comprising:

a subscriber identity module (SIM) card comprising a first pin, and a second pin connected to the first pin;

a grounding terminal to connect to the first pin of the SIM card, and to cause a control signal to be output from the first pin to the second pin; and

an SIM interface unit to connect to the second pin when the SIM card is mounted in the terminal device, and to determine that the SIM card is mounted if the control signal is transmitted from the second pin.

18. A subscriber identity module (SIM) card to be mounted to a terminal device that comprises an SIM interface unit, the SIM card comprising:

a terminal to output a control signal to the SIM interface indicating that the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device.

19. The SIM card as claimed in claim 18, wherein:

the terminal connects to a grounding terminal when the SIM card is mounted to the terminal device; and

the grounding terminal causes the control signal to be output from the first terminal.

20. The SIM card as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a grounding terminal to cause the first terminal to output the control signal.