IC card having a display for displaying a response state

• US 6,454,172 B1
• Filed: 07/07/1999
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Maeda, Hiroyuki, Fujisawa, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US09/341,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/487, 235/451, 710/1, 710/5
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual

Abstract

An IC card may externally display a response state in a data communication performed in response to externally applied data. IC card (100) is provided with a data protecting memory (3) for data holding memory (2). An abnormality determination circuit (1) determines how data in data holding memory (2) has been processed. If abnormality determination circuit (1) determines that the externally applied data has been normally written in data holding memory (2), a response state display (7) gives a normal communication completion indication in response to an instruction from a main control circuit (11). Meanwhile, if the presence of an abnormality is determined in the state of writing data, and the data in data holding memory (2) has been recovered using data in data protecting memory (3), response state display (7) gives a data recovery indication. If the recovery of the data is not successful, a communication abnormality indication is made.

Claims

1. An IC card responsive to externally applied data for performing a data communication, comprising:

first storing means into which said externally applied data is written;

second storing means for saving said data written in said first storing means;

control means for making a control for a response using said data in said first storing means, or said second storing means, and

display means for displaying a response state in response to an instruction from said control means;

wherein said control means includes,

determination means for determining whether a state of writing said data in said first storing means is normal; and

recovery means for recovering a content in said first storing means using said data in said second storing means, in response to an abnormality determination by said determination means,

said display means for displaying that said response state is normal if said determination means makes a normality determination, that said data is recovered if said determination means makes an abnormality determination and a recovery processing is performed in said recovery means, and that said response state is abnormal if said determination means makes an abnormality determination and a recovery processing is not successful in said recovery means.

3. The IC card as recited in claim 1 or 2, further comprising power supply means for supplying power to said display means for a prescribed time period so that an indication in said display means is continued for a prescribed time period.

4. The IC card as recited in claim 3, wherein said display means includes any of an LCD and an LED.

5. The IC card as recited in claim 3, wherein said power supply means includes a capacitor.

6. The IC card as recited in claim 3, wherein said power supply means includes a battery.

7. The IC card as recited in claim 3, wherein said power supply means includes a solar cell.

8. The IC card as recited in claim 1, wherein said display means includes any of an LCD and an LED.

2. An IC card responsive to externally applied data for performing a data communication, comprising:

first storing means into which said externally applied data is written;

second storing means for saving said data written in said first storing means;

control means for making a control for a response using said data in said first storing means, or said second storing means, and display means for displaying a response state in response to an instruction from said control means;

wherein said control means includes,

first determination means for determining whether a state of writing said data into said first storing means is normal or abnormal;

second determination means for determining whether a state of writing said data into said second storing means is normal or abnormal;

first recovery means for recovering a content in said first storing means in response to an abnormality determination by said first determination means; and

second recovery means for recovering a content in said second storing means in response to an abnormality determination by said second determination means,

said display means for displaying the state of said data communication in response to a result of determination by said first determination means, a result of determination by said second determination means, a result of recovery by said first recovery means and a result of recovery by said second recovery means.

9. The IC card as recited in claim 2, wherein said display means includes any of an LCD and an LED.