Contact/non-contact IC card and contact/non-contact IC card reader-writer

• US 5,929,414 A
• Filed: 03/13/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Saitoh, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US08/816,521
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/436, 235/439, 235/441, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/082 using inductive or magnetic sensors

Abstract

An IC card capable of being operated with both a contact IC card reader-writer and a non-contact IC card reader-writer, and an IC card reader-writer capable of operating with both a contact IC card and a non-contact IC card. The IC card includes a contact for connecting to a contact IC card reader-writer, a transceiver for communicating with a non-contact IC card reader-writer, a modem for use with a non-contact IC card reader-writer, a CPU for controlling data communication, a detector for detecting whether the IC card is inserted in a contact IC card reader-writer or a non-contact IC card reader-writer, and a selector. The selector connects the contact with the CPU if the detector determines that the IC card is inserted in a contact IC card reader-writer, and connects the modem and the CPU if the detector determines that the contact/non-contact IC card is inserted in a non-contact IC card reader-writer. The reader-writer includes a contact for communicating with a contact IC card, a transceiver for communicating with a non-contact IC card, a modem used with a non-contact IC card, and a CPU. The CPU determines the type of inserted IC card and the reader-writer accesses the card accordingly.

Claims

1. An IC card comprising:

a contact for connecting to a contact IC card reader-writer, data communication between the IC card and the contact IC card reader-writer being transmitted through the contact;

a wireless part for performing data communication with a non-contact IC card reader-writer;

a modem for modulating data transmitted to and demodulating data received from a non-contact IC card reader-writer;

a controller for controlling the data communication;

a detector for detecting that the IC card is inserted into a contact IC card reader-writer and for detecting that the IC card is inserted into a non-contact IC card reader-writer; and

a selector for connecting the controller to the contact when the detector detects a contact IC card reader-writer and connecting the controller to the modem when the detector detects a non-contact reader-writer.

2. An IC card according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rectifier for rectifying a supply voltage received from a non-contact IC card reader-writer to produce a predetermined driving voltage for the IC card.

3. An IC card according to claim 2, wherein the selector connects the modem with the controller when the detector does not detect a supply voltage, and connects the contact with the controller when the detector detects a supply voltage.

4. An IC card according to claim 1, wherein the detector is connected with the contact and the detector detects a supply voltage supplied from a contact IC card reader-writer.

5. An IC card reader-writer comprising:

a contact for connecting to a contact IC card inserted in the reader-writer, data communication between the inserted contact IC card and the IC card reader-writer being transmitted through the contact;

a transceiver for performing data communication with a non-contact IC card inserted in the reader-writer;

a modem for modulating data transmitted to and demodulating data received from an inserted non-contact IC card; and

a controller for controlling the data communication;

wherein the controller judges if an inserted IC card is a contact IC card and if the inserted IC card is a non-contact IC card, and, based on a judged result, accesses the inserted IC card if the inserted IC card is judged to be a contact IC card or a non-contact IC card.

6. An IC card reader-writer according to claim 5, further comprising:

voltage supply means for supplying a supply voltage to the inserted IC card if the inserted IC card is a contact IC card.

7. An IC card reader-writer according to claim 5, wherein the controller judges whether the inserted IC card is a contact IC card or a non-contact IC card, based on an answer to reset data, transmitted from the inserted card.

8. An card reader-writer according to claim 5, wherein the controller transmits a carrier wave to the inserted IC card and judges whether the inserted IC card is a non-contact IC card, based on an answer to the reset data transmitted from the inserted IC card, and thereafter, the controller connects the contact of the IC card reader-writer with the inserted IC card when the inserted IC card is not a non-contact IC card and judges whether the inserted IC card is a contact IC card based on the answer to reset data transmitted from the inserted IC card.

9. An IC card comprising:

a contact for connecting to a contact IC card reader-writer, data communication between the IC card and the contact IC card reader-writer being transmitted through the contact;

a transceiver for transmitting data to and receiving data from a non-contact IC card reader-writer;

a modem for modulating data transmitted to and demodulating data received from a non-contact IC card reader-writer;

a controller for controlling data communications;

a detector for detecting that the IC card is inserted into a contact IC card reader-writer by detecting a supply voltage on the contact; and

a selector for connecting the controller to the contact when the detector detects a the supply voltage from a contact IC card reader-writer into which the IC card is inserted, and connecting the controller to the modem when the detector does not detect a supply voltage from a contact IC card reader-writer into which the IC card has been inserted.