IC card and IC chip module

• US 6,802,008 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikefuji, Yoshihiro, Okada, Hiroharu
• Primary Examiner(s): MOISE, EMMANUEL LIONEL
• Application Number:
  US09/423,293
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/193, 713/194, 380/52, 380/3, 380/4, 711/164, 711/163, 235/382, 235/375, 235/380, 235/487, 235/492, 327/603, 902/2, 902/26, 902/27, 902/28, 902/29, 705/64, 340/825, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.74
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• 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 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• 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 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/082 Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01055 Cesium [Cs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01322 Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding

Abstract

In an IC card 30 is sealed an IC chip 70 provided with an exposure sensor 84. When exposure sensor 84 detects that IC card 30 has been opened, exposure sensor 84 outputs an exposure detection signal to a CPU 76. In response to the exposure detection signal, CPU 76 provides a predetermined operation, such as erasure of data in a non-volatile memory 78. As such, the data in non-volatile memory 78 cannot be obtained if IC card 30 is improperly opened to check the data in non-volatile memory 78. Thus the IC card can obtain an enhanced data security.

Claims

1. An IC card comprising:

an IC chip having a CPU;

a housing body housing said IC chip; and

exposure detection means formed at said IC chip, detecting opened condition of said housing body;

characterized in that

said CPU controls said IC chip to at least partially fail to normally function in response to a signal indicative of the opened condition having been output from said exposure detection means when the CPU receives a power supply voltage to start to operate.

2. The IC card of claim 1, said IC chip including a data storage unit disposed to store data, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data storage unit has the data at least partially rendered non-extractable.

3. The IC card of claim 2, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data storage unit has the data at least partially prohibited from being read.

4. The IC card of claim 2, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data storage unit has the data at least partially erased.

5. The IC card of claim 1, said IC chip including a data processing unit disposed to process data, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data processing unit has a function at least partially stopped.

6. The IC card of claim 1, characterized in that said exposure detection means detects the opened condition by detecting external light entering when said housing body is opened.

7. The IC card of claim 6, characterized in that said exposure detection means is a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in parallel.

8. An IC chip module with at least two members integrally formed, at least one of said members being provided with an IC chip having a CPU, comprising exposure detection means formed at said IC chip, detecting opened condition of said IC chip module, characterized in that said CPU controls said IC chip to at least partially fail to normally function in response to a signal indicative of the opened condition having been output from said exposure detection means when the CPU receives a power supply voltage to start to operate.

9. The IC chip module of claim 8, said IC chip including a data storage unit disposed to store data, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data storage unit has the data at least partially rendered non-extractable.

10. The IC chip module of claim 9, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data storage unit has the data at least prohibited from being read.

11. The IC chip module of claim 9 characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data storage unit has the data at least partially erased.

12. The IC chip module of claim 8, said IC chip including a data processing unit disposed to process data, characterized in that once the opened condition has been detected via said signal output said data processing unit has a function at least partially stopped.

13. The IC chip module of claim 8, characterized in that said exposure detection means detects the opened condition by detecting external light entering when said IC chip module is opened.

14. The IC chip module of claim 13, characterized in that said exposure detection means is a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in parallel.