Reader and writer for an IC card

• US 4,767,920 A
• Filed: 05/16/1986
• Issued: 08/30/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Maxell, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shinagawa, Touru, Kitta, Kenichi, Takamori, You
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/863,790
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0086 the connector comprising a circuit for steering the operations of the card connector
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

In an IC card reader and writer there is provided a judging means for judging the type of IC card inserted in the card reader and writer so as to make the card reader and writer compatible with various kinds of IC cards by providing a suitable power supply for accessing information stored in a particular type of memory in the IC card.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) card reader and writer for transferring data between a host computer and an IC card inserted in the IC card reader and writer, said IC card containing memory means for storing data indicating a write-in voltage level to be used in the transfer of data to said IC card, comprising:

means for determining the write-in voltage level of the IC card inserted in said reader and writer from said data stored in said memory means; and

power supply means for providing a write-in voltage corresponding to the voltage level determined by said means for determining.

2. The card reader and writer defined in claim 1, wherein said means for determining comprises a microprocessor for reading data stored in said memory means of said IC card.

3. The card reader and writer defined in claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises optical means for storing said data, and said means for determining comprises optical reader means for optically detecting said data.

4. The card reader and writer defined in claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises mechanical means for storing said data, and said means for determining comprises mechanical reader means for mechanically detecting said data.

5. The card reader and writer defined in claim 1, wherein said power supply means comprises means for selecting one of a plurality of write-in voltage levels based on the determination by said means for determining.

6. The card reader and writer of claim 5, wherein said plurality of write-in voltage levels correspond to driving requirements of EPROM, EEPROM and fuse ROM memories which may be contained in said IC card.