Memory cards including a standard security function

• US 7,305,535 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Harari, Eliyahou, Pinto, Yosi, Holtzman, Micky, Elhamias, Reuven, Cedar, Yoram, Brewer, Wesley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Kevin L.
• Application Number:
  US10/418,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 711/115, 711/163, 711/164
• US Class Current: 711/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07733 the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts

Abstract

A memory card of one published standard, such as the Multi-Media Card (MMC) or Secure Digital Card (SD), is modified to include the function of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) according to another published standard. The controller of the memory card communicates between electrical contacts on the outside of the card and both the memory and the SIM. In one specific form, the memory card has the physical configuration of the current Plug-in SIM card with a few external contacts added to accommodate the memory controller and data memory. In another specific form, the memory card has the physical configuration of the current SD card, including external contacts.

Claims

1. A memory card, comprising:

a non-volatile re-writable data memory,

a controller connected to control operation of the memory,

a plurality of electrical contacts on an outside surface of the card that are connected with the memory controller, and

a SIM function connected with the memory controller in a manner to be accessible through the outside contacts and to be able to communicate directly with the memory controller, wherein the SIM function is connected with the memory controller in a manner to permit operation of the data memory in response to a proper security code being received by the SIM function through the outside contacts.

2. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the SIM function is accessible from the outside contacts through the memory controller.

3. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the memory controller directs commands and data received through the outside contacts to either the SIM function or the data memory according to a structure of the commands.

4. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the SIM function is provided on an integrated circuit chip separate from the controller and data memory.

5. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a microprocessor.

6. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the memory card has physical dimensions according to a Plug-in SIM card standard.

7. The memory card of claim 6, wherein the memory card includes external contacts according to the Plug-in SIM card standard plus at least two additional contacts adjacent those according to the Plug-in SIM card standard.

8. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the memory card has physical dimensions and external contacts according to an SD card standard.

9. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the memory card has physical dimensions and external contacts according to a Memory Stick standard.

10. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the controller and SIM function are connected to common ones of said plurality of electrical contacts.

11. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the controller and SIM function are connected to different sets of said plurality of electrical contacts that are spatially separated on a surface of the card.

12. A memory system card, comprising one or more integrated circuit chips providing a non-volatile memory, a controller of said memory and a separate security function, said integrated circuit chips being enclosed in a card with the memory controller electrically connected with conductive contacts provided on an outside of the card, the security function being connected with the memory controller in a manner to enable access to the non-volatile memory from the outside contacts through the memory controller in response to proper security data being supplied to the security function through the outside contacts and memory controller.

13. A memory system, comprising:

a re-writable non-volatile memory encased in a card and including a first plurality of lines connected with an external set of electrical contacts according to a first published card standard,

an added function encased within the card and having a second plurality of lines, and

a switching circuit encased within the card and connected with at least some of the first and second plurality of lines to make any one of the following three connections in response to a command received through the external set of electrical contacts, (1) connect said at least some of the first plurality of lines to specified ones of the card external contacts while maintaining the second plurality of lines disconnected therefrom, or (2) connect said at least some of the second plurality of lines to said specified ones of the card external contacts while maintaining the first plurality of lines disconnected therefrom, or (3) connect said at least some of the first and second plurality of lines together without either being connected to said specified ones of the card external contacts.

14. The memory system of claim 13, wherein the added function is a SIM function provided on an additional integrated circuit chip separate from one or more integrated circuit chips forming the re-writable non-volatile memory, and the second plurality of lines are connectable with the external set of electrical contacts according to a second published card standard that is a Plug-in SIM standard.

15. The memory system of claim 14, wherein the first published card standard is selected from a group of card standards consisting of SD, MMC or Memory Stick card standards.

16. The memory system of claim 15, wherein said specified ones of the card external contacts include those designated by the SD card standard as data contacts.

17. The memory system of claim 16, wherein said specified ones of the card external contacts are exactly DAT1, DAT2 and DAT3 of the SD card standard.

18. The memory system of claim 17, wherein said at least some of the second plurality of lines includes input/output, reset and clock functions of the SIM integrated circuit chip.

19. The memory system of claim 18, wherein the first published card standard is a Plug-in card standard.

20. The memory system of claim 19, wherein said specified ones of the card external contacts are exactly C2, C3 and C7 of the Plug-in card standard.

21. The memory system of claim 13, wherein the added function is normally provided within a card having the second plurality of lines connected with an external set of electrical contacts according to a second published card standard different from the first published card standard.

22. A method of operating an electronic card including a non-volatile memory, a memory controller and a SIM feature within the electronic card that also has one set of external electrical contacts, comprising:

in response to receiving a command through said set of contacts for the electronic card to perform a specific function, the memory controller determines from the received command whether it is of a type for operating the non-volatile memory or is for use by the SIM feature,

if the received command is determined to be for operating the non-volatile memory, carrying out the command with respect to the non-volatile memory without affecting the SIM feature, and

if the received command is determined to be for the SIM feature, directing the command to the SIM feature without affecting operation of the non-volatile memory.