Non-contact IC card

• US 6,830,193 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US10/304,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20030116634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 343/870, 343/895, 343/728, 343/729, 343/751, 343/764, 343/769, 343/804, 343/893, 343/742, 343/799, 343/866, 343/767, 343/788, 343/741, 343/867, 235/492, 235/451
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• 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 19/0724 the arrangement being a circuit for communicating at a plurality of frequencies, e.g. for managing time multiplexed communication over at least two antennas of different types
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07767 the first and second communication means being two different antennas types, e.g. dipole and coil type, or two antennas of the same kind but operating at different frequencies
• 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 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07784 the inductive antenna consisting of a plurality of coils stacked on top of one another

Abstract

A non-contact IC card includes an information storage unit for storing information, a communication controller for controlling communication with an external device, and a loop antenna for transmitting and receiving a radio wave to and from the external device. The non-contact IC card further includes a changeover switch for changing a communication distance between the external device and the card, so that the cost and size of the card can be reduced. The non-contact IC card can be used both in a long-distance mode and in a contact mode, which ensures high security.

Claims

1. A non-contact IC card comprising:

an information storage unit for storing information;

a communication controller for controlling communication with an external device;

a loop antenna including a plurality of loop coils having different loop areas for transmitting and receiving a radio wave to and from the external device; and

a changeover switch for changing a communication distance between n the external device and the card by selecting one of said plurality of loop coils,

wherein the loop coils of the loop antenna include respective fixed conductors, each of which is fixed to a body of the card and shaped to include a gap at a loop part, and a movable conductor which moves with the changeover switch and is removable from the gap of the fixed conductor, and when the changeover switch is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor of one of the loop coils, the movable conductor is coupled to the corresponding fixed conductor.

2. The non-contact IC card of claim 1, wherein the fixed conductor includes a conductor terminal at a part thereof which connects with the movable conductor, the movable conductor includes a conductor terminal at a part thereof which connects with the fixed conductor, and the conductor terminal of the movable conductor contacts the conductor terminal of the fixed conductor when the movable conductor is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

3. The non-contact IC card of claim 1, wherein the movable conductor is inductively coupled to the fixed conductor without contacting the fixed conductor when the movable conductor is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

4. A non-contact IC card according to claim 1, wherein said different loop areas provide respectively different antenna gain.

5. A non-contact IC card comprising;

an information storage unit for storing information;

a communication controller for controlling communication with an external device;

a loop antenna including a plurality of loop coils having different loop areas for transmitting and receiving a radio wave to and from the external device; and

a cut-off unit for forcibly cutting off the communication with the external device,

wherein the cut-off unit includes a changeover switch for switch the loop antenna between a state in which transmission and reception are possible and a state in which the transmission and reception are impossible, and

the loop antenna includes a loop coil, the loop coil includes a fixed conductor, which is fixed to a body of the card and shaped to include a gap at a loop part, and a movable conductor which moves with the changeover switch and is removable from the gap of the fixed conductor, and the movable conductor is coupled to the fixed conductor when the movable conductor of the changeover switch is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

6. The non-contact IC card of claim 5, wherein the changeover switch includes a push part removable from the gap of the fixed conductor, and a spring for energizing the push part in a direction that removes the push part from the gap or the fixed conductor, and the movable conductor moves with the push part.

7. The non-contact IC card of claim 5, wherein the fixed conductor includes a conductor terminal at a part thereof which connects with the movable conductor, the movable conductor includes a conductor terminal at a part thereof which connects with the fixed conductor, and the conductor terminal of the movable conductor contacts the conductor terminal, of the fixed conductor when the movable conductor is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

8. The non-contact IC card of claim 5, wherein the movable conductor is inductively coupled to the fixed conductor without contacting the fixed conductor when the movable conductor is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

9. The non-contact IC card of claim 5, wherein the cut-off unit includes a changeover chip detachable from the loop antenna, the loop antenna becomes usable when the changeover chip is mounted to the loop antenna, and the loop antenna becomes impossible to use when the changeover chip is detached from the loop antenna.

10. The non-contact IC card of claim 9, wherein the loop antenna includes a loop coil, the loop coil includes a fixed conductor, which is fixed to a body of the card and shaped to include a gap at a loop part, and a movable conductor which is fixed to the changeover chip and removable from the gap of the fixed conductor, a the movable conductor is coupled to the fixed conductor when the changeover chip is placed in the gap of the fixed conductor of the loop antenna.

11. The non-contact IC card of claim 10, wherein the fixed conductor includes a conductor terminal at a part thereof which connects with the movable conductor, the movable conductor includes a conductor terminal at a part thereof which connects with the fixed conductor, and the conductor terminal of the movable conductor contacts the conductor terminal of the fixed conductor when the movable conductor is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

12. The non-contact IC card of claim 10, wherein the movable conductor is inductively coupled to the fixed conductor without contacting the fixed conductor when the movable conductor is inserted in the gap of the fixed conductor.

13. A non-contact IC card according to claim 5, wherein said different loop areas provide respectively different antenna gain.

14. A non-contact IC card according to claim 13, wherein said cut-off unit is also for selecting one of said plurality of loop coils.