Method and device for adapting a chip card to different card terminals

• US 6,098,890 A
• Filed: 01/30/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Angewandte Digital Elektronik GmbH
• Original Assignee: Angewandte Digital Elektronik GmbH
• Inventors: Jenning, Michael, Wesenberg, Jurgen, Bade, Ingo, Kreft, Hans-Diedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/000,430
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/476, 235/493, 235/449, 235/451, 340/825.31, 340/10.3, 340/10.4, 340/69, 340/72
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

A Method and device for recognizing card terminals which include a plurality of chip cards wherein each chip card includes a plurality of function components, recognizing circuit, and electronic circuitry with contactless connection. The card terminals differ from one another by emitting electromagnetic waves having different physical properties. When a chip card recognizes a particular terminal, a specific function component is activated according to the particular terminal.

Claims

1. A process for recognizing card terminals using chip cards comprising:

emitting different electromagnetic waves from a plurality of card terminals, wherein each of the card terminals differs from another card terminal in terms of one or more physical properties of a member selected from a group consisting of frequency, phase, energy density, and amplitude;

providing chip cards for simultaneously receiving and recognizing the different electromagnetic waves from the different card terminals based on these different physical properties;

exchanging energy and data between the card terminals and the chip cards by means of the electromagnetic waves, wherein each chip card comprises an electronic circuit and contactless connection means, and wherein the electronic circuit and the contactless connection means are electrically connected to each other; and

activating different functions of the chip cards depending on the card terminals recognized by the chip cards.

2. The process for recognizing card terminals using chip cards according to claim 1, wherein the contactless connection means are provided by a member selected from a group consisting of coils, capacitors, photosensitive layers, and oscillating circuits.

3. The process for recognizing card terminals using chip cards according to claim 1, further comprising performing energy input and data exchange of the chip cards in accordance with special functions of function components activated in order to achieve different functions of the chip cards.

4. The process for recognizing card terminals using chip cards according to claim 1, further comprising evaluating different emitted electromagnetic waves separately and simultaneously by the chip cards.

5. The process for recognizing card terminals using chip cards according to claim 1, further comprising providing energy to the chip cards by additional electric energy storage devices contained in the chip cards in order to carry out activating different functions of the chip cards.

6. The process for recognizing card terminals using chip cards according to claim 5, wherein the additional electric energy devices are members from a group selected from accumulators and batteries.

7. A device comprising chip cards for simultaneously receiving different electromagnetic waves, each chip card includes an electronic circuit and contactless connection means, wherein the electronic circuit of each chip card has a circuit component that recognizes the electromagnetic waves according to differing physical properties, and wherein the electronic circuit and contactless connection means are electrically connected to each other;

and card terminals for emitting the electromagnetic waves which are different in terms of one or more physical properties of a member selected from a group consisting of frequency, phase, energy density, and amplitude, in order to adapt a predetermined chip card to different card terminals, wherein the circuit component activates different functions of a predetermined chip card depending on a card terminal recognized by the predetermined chip card, wherein the card terminals exchange energy and data with the chip cards by means of electromagnetic waves.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the contactless connection means is provided by a member of a group selected from coils, capacitors, photosensitive layers, and oscillating circuits.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein different function components of the electronic circuit of each chip card is activated in order to achieve different functions of a chip card based on a recognition signal, and energy input and data exchange of the chip card takes place in accordance with a special function of a function component activated in a particular case.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein components of each chip card are provided in the card terminal in order to analogously receive electromagnetic waves emitted by each chip card, thereby furnishing a bidirectional data transmission.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein two identical connection means are disposed at a prescribed first distance on a chip card, and wherein a card terminal and/or the chip card transmits two separate electromagnetic waves over a second distance, and wherein the chip card and/or the terminal receives simultaneously the two separate electromagnetic waves.

12. The device according to claim 7, wherein said device additionally contains an electric energy storage device.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said electric energy devices is a member of a group selected from accumulator and battery.

14. A process for adapting chip cards (7) to card terminals (9) that exchange energy and data with the chip cards (7) by means of electromagnetic waves (8, 19), wherein the chip cards (7) comprise electronic circuits (11) including recognizing circuits, contactless connection means (6) of a member selected from a group consisting of coils (12, 14), capacitors (13), photosensitive layers (15), and oscillating circuits (17), which are electrically connected to each other, characterized in that the electromagnetic waves (8, 19) emitted by different card terminals (9) differ in terms of one or more physical properties consisting of frequency, phase, energy density, and amplitude;

each chip card simultaneously receiving different electromagnetic waves and recognizing the different electromagnetic waves (8,

     19) received from the card terminals (9) based on the different physical properties;

activating different functions of a chip card (7) depending on a particular card terminal (9) recognized by a chip card.

15. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that, activating different functions of the chip card (7) based on a recognition signal, wherein energy input and data exchange of the chip card (7) take place in accordance with a special function of a function component (CCII, CCI2, CCIx) being activated.

16. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that different electromagnetic waves are simultaneously emitted by the card terminals (9) and received and evaluated separately and simultaneously by the chip cards (7).

17. The process according to claim 14, characterized in that, in order to carry out said process, the chip card (7) additionally contains an electronic energy storage device (18).

18. A device consisting of chip cards (7), for simultaneously receiving different electromagnetic waves, and card terminals (9) for emitting the different electromagnetic waves, wherein energy and data are exchanged between the chip cards (7) and the card terminals by means of electromagnetic waves (8, 19), the chip cards (7) comprise electronic circuits (11), contactless connection means (6) of a member selected from a group consisting of coils (12, 14), capacitors (13), photosensitive layers(15), and oscillating circuits (17), which are electrically connected to each other, characterized in that, in order to adapt one chip card (7) to different card terminals (9), the electromagnetic waves (8,19) emitted by said terminals (9) differ in terms of one or more physical properties consisting of frequency, phase, energy density, and amplitude, wherein the electronic circuits (11) of the chip cards (7) have circuit components (10) that recognize the received electromagnetic waves (8, 19) according to their differing physical properties;

and the chip cards include function components for activating different functions of the chip cards depending on a card terminal (9) recognized by a chip card (7).

19. The device according to claim 18 characterized in that, energy input and data exchange of the chip cards (7) take place in accordance with special functions of the function components (CCII, CCI2x) being activated.

20. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that, a bidirectional data transmission, components (3, 4, 6, 10, 11) of the chip cards (7) are provided in the card terminals (9) in order to analogously receive electromagnetic waves (8, 19) emitted by the chip cards (7).

21. The device according to claim 18, characterized in that, two identical connection means (6) are provided at a first prescribed distance (A) in the chip cards and/or in that the card terminal (9) which transmit simultaneously two separate electromagnetic waves (8, 19) over a second prescribed distance (B), wherein the chip card (7) and/or the terminal (9) simultaneously receives the two separate electromagnetic waves (8, 19).