Data carrier having a chip including means for the controllable voltage supply to a further component of the data carrier

• US 6,669,098 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quotainne Enterprises LLC
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Thueringer, Peter, Ully, Klaus, Meindl, Wolfgang, Muehlberger, Andreas, Kompan, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US09/825,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/492, 235/451, 235/476, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/486, 708/100, 708/250
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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 7/0091 the circuit comprising an arrangement for avoiding intrusions and unwanted access to data inside of the connector

Abstract

A data carrier (1) includes a chip (10) having a supply voltage circuit point (12), from which a supply voltage (V) can be taken, and having at least one supply voltage output (21, 22) for supplying a supply voltage (V1, V2), and having potential control means (35, 49) to which a control signal (S) can be applied and with the aid of which the supply voltage output (21, 22) can be set to different potential values in accordance with the control signal (S), and also includes at least one component (24, 29) which is spatially separated from the chip (10), which component (24, 29) has a supply voltage input (25, 30) is connected to the supply voltage output (21, 22) of the chip (10) via a connection lead (27, 32).

Claims

1. A data carrier (1) including a chip (10) having a supply voltage generating means (5) for energizing the chip (10) through circuit point (12), from which a supply voltage (V) can be taken, and including at least one integral circuit component (24, 29) which is designed for communicating with a component communication means (17) which is spatially separated from the chip (10) and which has a supply voltage input (25, 30), to which a supply voltage (V1, V2) can be applied, characterized in that the chip (10) has a supply voltage output (21, 22), and the supply voltage input (25, 30) of the component (24, 29) is connected to the supply voltage output (21, 22) of the chip (10) via a connection lead (27, 32), and the chip (10) includes controllable potential control means (35, 49) to which a control signal (S) can be applied and with the aid of which the supply voltage output (21, 22) can be set to different potential values in accordance with the control signal (S) and in response to attempted data access by an unauthentic user such that said user cannot access data.

2. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chip (10) has potential control means (35, 49) in the form of isolation means (36, 50) between the supply voltage circuit point (12) and the supply voltage output (21, 22), which isolation means are designed to receive an isolation signal (T) which forms the control signal (S) and to isolate the supply voltage output (21, 22) from the supply voltage circuit point (12) in accordance with the isolation signal (T).

3. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the isolation means (36, 50) include isolation switching means (40, 54), with the aid of which the supply voltage output (21, 22) can be isolated from the supply voltage circuit point (12), and the isolation means (36, 50) include isolation control means (39, 53), which are designed to control the isolation switching means (40, 54) in accordance with the isolation signal (T).

4. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the isolation switching means (40, 54) include a first transistor (41, 55) and a second transistor (42, 56).

5. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chip (10) includes data processing means (11), and a part (18) of the data processing means (11) is designed to generate the control signal (S).

6. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the data processing means (11) include processing detection means (19), which are designed to detect a processing of data (VD) and which upon detection of the processing of data (VD) are designed to generate the control signal (S).

7. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the chip (10) includes memory means (14), and the chip (10) includes access detection means (20), which are designed to detect an access to the memory means (14) and, upon detection of an access to the memory means (14), to generate the control signal (S).

8. A chip for a data carrier (1) including at least one integral circuit component (24, 29) which is designed for communicating with a component communications means (17) and which is spatially separated from the chip (10) and which has a supply voltage input (25, 30), to which a supply voltage (V1, V2) can be applied, which chip (10) has a supply voltage circuit point (12) from which a supply voltage (V) can be taken, characterized in that the chip (10) has a supply voltage output (21, 22), end the supply voltage output (21, 22) is to be connected to the supply voltage input (25, 30) of the component (24, 29) via a connection lead (27, 32), and the chip (10) includes controllable potential control means (35, 49) to which a control signal (S) can be applied and with the aid of which the supply voltage output (21, 22) can be set to different potential values in accordance with the control signal (S) and in response to attempted data access by an unauthentic user such that said user cannot access data.

9. A chip (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the chip (10) has potential control means (35, 49) in the form of isolation means (36, 50) between the supply voltage circuit point (12) and the supply voltage output (21, 22), which isolation means are designed to receive an isolation signal (T) which forms the control signal (S) and to isolate the supply voltage output (21, 22) from the supply voltage circuit point (12) in accordance with the isolation signal (T).

10. A chip (10) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the isolation means (36, 50) include isolation switching means (40, 54), with the aid of which the supply voltage output (21, 22) can be isolated from the supply voltage circuit point (12), and the isolation means (36, 50) include isolation control means (39, 53), which are designed to control the isolation switching means (40, 54) in accordance with the isolation signal (T).

11. A chip (10) as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the isolation switching means (40, 54) include a flint transistor (41, 55) and a second transistor (42, 56).

12. A chip (10) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the chip (10) includes data processing means (11), and a part (18) of the data processing means (11) is designed to generate the control signal (S).

13. A chip (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the data processing means (11) include processing detection means (19), which are adapted to detect a processing of data (VD) and which upon detection of the processing of data (VD) are designed to generate the control signal (S).

14. A chip (10) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the chip (10) includes memory means (14), and the chip (10) includes access detection means (20), which are designed to detect an access to the memory means (14) and, upon detection of an access to the memory means (14), to generate the control signal (S).

15. A method for preventing data access by an unauthentic user during the interaction between data carrier (1) and a component communication means (17), wherein:

(a) access detection means (20) detects access to security-related memory data (SD) from said communication device;

(b) upon detection, access detection means (20) generates an isolation signal (T) and supplies it to a first isolation means (36) and a second isolation means (50);

(c) a first supply voltage output (21) and a second supply voltage output (22) are isolated from supply voltage circuit point (12) by first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50), such that no interceptable supply voltage appears on two connection leads (27, 32);

(d) upon termination of access to security-related memory data (SD) from said communication device, access detection means (20) detects said termination; and

(e) upon detection, access detection means (20) terminates generating isolation signal (T) and supplying it to first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50), such that first supply voltage output (21) and second supply voltage output (22) are no longer isolated from, supply voltage circuit point (12).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

(a) processing detection means (19) detects processing of security-related processing data (VD) generates an isolation signal (T) and supplies it to first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50);

(b) first supply voltage output (21) and second supply voltage output (22) are isolated from supply voltage circuit point (12) by first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50), such that no interceptable supply voltage appears on two connection leads (27, 32);

(c) upon termination of access to security-related processing data (VD) from said communication device, processing detection means (19) detects said termination; and

(d) upon detection, processing detection means (19) terminates generating isolation signal (T) and supplying it to first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50), such that first supply voltage output (21) and second supply voltage output (22) are no longer isolated from supply voltage circuit point (12).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

(a) access detection means (20) detects access to personal user data from said communication device;

(b) upon detection, a command isolation means (18) generates an isolation signal (T) and supplies it to a first isolation means (36) and a second isolation means (50);

(c) a first supply voltage output (21) and a second supply voltage output (22) are isolated from supply voltage circuit point (12) by first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50), such that no interceptable supply voltage appears on two connection leads (27, 32);

(d) upon termination of access to personal user data from said communication device, access detection means (20) detects said termination; and

(e) upon detection, command execution means (18) terminates generating isolation signal (T) and supplying it to first isolation means (36) and second isolation means (50), such that first supply voltage output (21) and second supply voltage output (22) are no longer isolated from supply voltage circuit point (12).