Contact-free chip card for remote transmission

• US 5,376,778 A
• Filed: 02/22/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Angewandte Digital Electronik GmbH
• Original Assignee: Angewandte Digital Electronik GmbH
• Inventors: Kreft, Hans-Diedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPPERD, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US08/020,725
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 342/51, 342/50, 342/44, 340/825.54, 340/825.34
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• 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

Abstract

Chip cards that operate contact-free are supplemented by additional elements to enable remote transmission of data. Also, elements include sensors that enable the acquisition of physical, chemical or biological information from the environment of the card. Further, the card includes elements for storing electrical energy, electronic components for constructing an electronic oscillation circuit for the remote transmission and reception of data, as well as a switch accessible by a user for selectively connecting the energy storage elements to the electronic components thereby forming an electromagnetic oscillation circuit for the transmission of electromagnetic oscillations with information modulated thereon. In a preferred embodiment, one or both of the coils that are provided on the card are connected via the switch such that the coils serve as an antenna for the electromagnetic oscillation circuit for the remote transmission of data. In addition, the electronic oscillation circuit operates at a frequency which differs sufficiently from the frequency used in the short-distance transmission and also lies outside of the harmonics of the short-distance transmission so that a receiver of the information can differentiate merely on the basis of frequency, whether the remote transmission or the short-distance transmission is active.

Claims

1. In a contact-free chip card of the type having electronic component means including a microprocessor, a memory, and having at least one coil for the short distance transmission of energy and data" the improvement comprising:

an oscillator means for storing electrical energy for contact-free, remote transmission of data; and

enabling means accessible to a user for selectively connecting said energy storage means to said electronic component means to energize said oscillator and said at least one coil for said remote transmission, said enabling means being responsive to an input.

2. A chip card according to claim 1, wherein said enabling means selectively connects said energy storage means to said oscillator to form an active electromagnetic oscillation circuit in combination with said energy storage means to produce a transmission of electromagnetic oscillations with information modulated thereon.

3. A chip card according to claim 2, wherein said enabling means connects said at least one coil of said electronic component means such that said coil serves as an antenna coil of said electromagnetic oscillation circuit for said remote transmission of data.

4. A chip card according to claim 2, wherein said electromagnetic oscillation circuit provides a frequency for said remote transmission that adequately differs from a frequency for short-distance transmission and said frequency further differs from the harmonics of said short-distance transmission, so that a receiver can differentiate whether said remote transmission or said short-distance transmission is active.

5. A chip card according to claim 1, further comprising information stored in said memory to enable said remote transmission when said input correlates with said stored memory context information.

6. A chip card according to claim 5, further comprising a sensor for the registration of at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of physical, chemical, and biological information.

7. A chip card according to claim 1, further comprising means for outputting said at least one type of information stored on said card.

8. A chip card according to claim 6, wherein said sensor is connected to said memory to deposit said information received from said sensor in said memory.

9. A chip card according to claim 6 wherein said sensor is connected to said microprocessor so that the information received from said sensor is capable of enabling said remote transmission when said information received from said sensor correlates with said stored information.

10. A chip card according to claim 1, wherein said enabling means accessible to a user for selectively connecting said means for storing electrical energy to said electronic components means to energize said at least one coil for said remote transmission is an external switch mounted on the card.