COORDINATING MULTIPLE CONTACTLESS DATA CARRIERS

• US 20120196531A1
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Posch, Martin, Spiess, Bernhard, Schroeder, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10059 transponder driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0893 the card reader reading the card in a contactless manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/45 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A contactless transponder device is provided with multiple ICs. A first IC includes a first contactless transponder interface circuit configured and arranged to respond to a contactless field by providing a first identifier of the first IC. A second IC includes a second contactless transponder interface circuit configured and arranged to respond to the contactless field by providing a second identifier of the second IC. A controller is configured and arranged to inhibit the first IC from responding to the contactless field.

Claims

10. A method of operating an automotive key device comprising:

receiving a control input;

inhibiting, in response to the control input, a first integrated circuit (IC) that includes a first contactless communication interface circuit, from responding to a contactless field using near-field wireless communications; and

subsequently allowing, in response to a change in the control input, both the first IC and the second IC to respond to the contactless field by providing respective identifiers.

1. A contactless transponder device comprising:

a first integrated circuit (IC) that includes a first contactless transponder interface circuit configured and arranged to respond to a contactless field by providing a first identifier of the first IC using near-field wireless communications;

a second IC that includes a second contactless transponder circuit configured and arranged to respond to the contactless field by providing a second identifier of the second IC using near-field wireless communications; and

a controller configured and arranged to

determine, in response to a first received communication request, that a previous state of the first IC allowed the first IC to respond using near-field wireless communications;

in response to the determination, inhibit, the first IC from responding to the contactless field using near-field wireless communications; and

allow, in response to and a second received communication request, the first IC to respond using near-field wireless communications.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller includes logic circuitry within the first IC and allows the second IC to respond using near-field wireless communications while the first IC is inhibited from responding.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller includes logic circuitry on a third IC and wherein each IC is located on a separate substrate and corresponding chip.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first IC further includes logic circuitry for interfacing with a contactless reader of an automobile and the second IC includes logic circuitry for interfacing with a contactless reader of a credit card device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to alternate between a first state in which the first IC is inhibited from responding and a second state in which the first IC is allowed to respond.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a user-selectable switch and the controller is configured and arranged to respond to activation of the user-selectable switch by inhibiting the first IC from responding to the contactless field.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to inhibit the first IC from responding to the contactless field in response to a randomly generated number.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first contactless transponder circuit and the second contactless transponder circuit are each configured to communicate using the ISO14443 communication standard.

9. The device of claim 1, further including

a local power supply;

a volatile memory storage device; and

a nonvolatile memory storage device;

wherein the controller is configured and arranged to

determine whether the local power supply is depleted;

select between volatile memory or the volatile memory in response to the determination;

store information about a previous inhibit state of first IC; and

determine whether to subsequently inhibit the first IC based upon the stored information.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of allowing, in response to the control input and while the first IC is inhibited, a second IC that includes a second contactless communication interface circuit to respond to the contactless field by providing an identifier of the second IC using near-field wireless communications.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the control input is responsive to one or more of a stored volatile memory value, a stored nonvolatile memory value, a user switch and a random number.

13. The method of claim 10, further including the step of storing, in the first IC, automotive preferences for a user and in the second IC, store payment information for the user.

14. The method of claim 10, further including the step of generating the control input based upon a tiered response to a stored volatile memory value, a stored nonvolatile memory value and a user switch.

15. The method of claim 10, further including the step of detecting one or more of a low battery condition and a nonvolatile memory failure.

11-1. The method of claim 10, further including the steps of storing information indicating whether or not the first IC was previously inhibited and changing the control input in response to the stored information.