Answer To Reset (ATR) Pushing

• US 20100187309A1
• Filed: 04/05/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Little, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• 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 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00

Abstract

A wireless-enabled smart card reader receives an Answer to Reset (ATR) from a smart card and transmits the ATR using a wireless communication link to a computing device without waiting for an ATR request from the computing device. The computing device may cache the ATR and use it for subsequent communication sessions with the smart card.

Claims

1. A method for communicating an Answer to Reset (ATR) to a computing device by a wireless-enabled smart card reader, the method comprising:

receiving the ATR at the smart card reader from a smart card; and

transmitting the ATR from the smart card reader using a wireless communication link to the computing device without waiting for an ATR request from the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

powering on the smart card when the smart card is coupled to the smart card reader and there is already an established wireless connection between the computing device and the smart card reader,

wherein receiving the ATR at the smart card reader from the smart card occurs after powering on the smart card, and

wherein transmitting the ATR from the smart card reader occurs after receiving the ATR.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the ATR from the smart card reader to the computing device occurs when a wireless connection is opened between the computing device and the smart card reader, and the smart card is coupled to the smart card reader.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

powering on the smart card when the smart card is coupled to the smart card reader and there is no established wireless connection between the computing device and the smart card reader; and

caching the ATR at the smart card reader once received from the smart card following powering on the smart card.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

powering off the smart card following caching the ATR at the smart card reader; and

caching the ATR at the smart card reader as long as the smart card remains coupled to the smart card reader.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the ATR from the smart card reader to the computing device comprises:

transmitting the ATR from the smart card reader along with an indication that the smart card is coupled to the smart card reader.

7. A method at a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving at the computing device an Answer to Reset (ATR) of a smart card via a wireless communication link from a wireless-enabled smart card reader; and

caching the ATR in a cache of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

retrieving the ATR from the cache of the computing device in order to begin a communications session with the smart card.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the ATR from the wireless-enabled smart card reader occurs without the computing device having transmitted an ATR request to the wireless-enabled smart card reader.

10. A device comprising:

a wireless communication interface through which the device is able to communicate with a computing device;

a processor coupled to the wireless communication interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory being able to store code which, when executed by the processor, receives an Answer to Reset (ATR) from a smart card and pushes the ATR to the computing device via the wireless communication interface without waiting for an ATR request from the computing device.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a cache to store the ATR.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the device comprises smart card reader functionality.

13. A system for communicating messages comprising:

a first wireless-enabled device compatible with at least one wireless communication protocol; and

a second wireless-enabled device that includes smart card reader functionality, the second wireless-enabled device comprising;

a wireless communication interface compatible with at least the wireless communication protocol;

a processor coupled to the wireless communication interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory able to store code which, when executed by the processor, receives an Answer to Reset (ATR) from a smart card and transmits the ATR to the first device via the wireless communication interface without waiting for the first device to request the ATR.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device comprises a cache to store the ATR.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second device comprises a cache to store the ATR.

16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a computing device, result in:

caching an Answer to Reset (ATR) of a smart card in a cache of the computing device upon receipt of the ATR via a wireless communication link from a wireless-enabled smart card reader.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further result in:

retrieving the ATR from the cache in order to begin a communications session with the smart card.