Chip card

• US 5,847,372 A
• Filed: 09/03/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Angewandte Digital Elektronik GmbH
• Original Assignee: CLM Combicard Licence Marketing GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Kreft, Hans-Diedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/702,709
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 235/387, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• 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
• 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

A connecting unit is provided for chip cards with an embedded IC and with and without contacts which makes it possible to recognize various applications of cards at a terminal and, depending on the application, to activate different microprocessors (5,7) on the card.

Claims

1. A chip card with several microcontrollers (5, 7) as well as connections (1, 2, 3) for data exchange with a read/write device, whereby the connections (1, 2, 3) are contact connections as well as contact-free connections and the read/write devices are capable of accessing the various microcontrollers (5, 7) separately, characterized in that

the connections (1, 2, 3) are each made to a connecting unit (4), which connecting unit determines which of the microcontrollers (5, 7) should enter into the data exchange with the read/write device, and in that the connecting unit (4) establishes a connection (6) for the data exchange between the connections (1, 2, 3) and the appertaining microcontroller (5, 7).

2. The chip card according to claim 1, characterized in that determining of the physical configuration of the contact connections is carried out by signal transmission by unoccupied contacts on the chip card.

3. The chip card according to claim 1, wherein the connecting unit (4) is a separate electronic component.

4. The chip card according to claim 1, wherein the connecting unit (4) is integrated into a conventional microcontroller (5, 7).

5. The chip card according to claim 1, wherein the connecting unit determines on the basis of the information available at one of the connections (1, 2, 3) which of the microcontrollers (5, 7) should enter into the data exchange with the read/write device.

6. The chip card according to claim 1, wherein the connecting unit determines on the basis of the physical configuration of the connections (1, 2, 3) which of the microcontrollers (5, 7) should enter into the data exchange with the read/write device.

7. Chip card according to claim 1, characterized in that

determining of the physical configuration of the contact-free connections (1, 2, 3) is carried out by signal transmission by unoccupied contacts on the chip card.

8. Chip card according to claim 2, characterized in that

determining of the physical configuration of the contact-free connections (1, 2, 3) is carried out by signal transmission by unoccupied contacts on the chip card.

9. A chip card with a plurality of microcontrollers (5, 7) as well as connections (1, 2, 3) for a data exchange with a read/write apparatus, and wherein the plurality of microcontrollers (5, 7) are accessible separately, wherein

the connections (1, 2, 3) are guided to a connecting unit (4), wherein the connecting unit (4) decides which of the microcontrollers (5, 7) is to enter into a data exchange with the read/write apparatus, wherein the connecting unit (4) subsequently establishes a connection (6) for the data exchange between the connections (1, 2, 3) and the respective selected microcontroller (5, 7).

10. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connections (1, 2, 3) are contact connections.

11. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connections (1, 2, 3) are contactless connections.

12. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connections (1, 2, 3) are contact connections and contactless connections.

13. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connecting unit (4) decides which of the microcontrollers (5, 7) is to enter into a data exchange with the read/write apparatus based on the information present at one of the connections (1, 2, 3).

14. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connecting unit (4) decides which of the microcontrollers (5, 7) is to enter into a data exchange with the read/write apparatus based on the physical configuration of the connections (1, 2, 3).

15. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connecting unit (4) is a separate electronic component.

16. The chip card according to claim 9, wherein the connecting unit (4) is integrated into a microcontroller (5, 7) of conventional construction.

17. The chip card according to claim 14, wherein an evaluation of the physical configuration of the connections (1, 2, 3) occur by signalling of unused contacts on the chip card.