IC card module

• US 7,669,773 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Osawa, Kenji, Osako, Junichiro, Sugiyama, Michiaki, Nishizawa, Hirotaka, Totsuka, Takashi, Wada, Tamaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai; Thien T
• Application Number:
  US11/907,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20080257967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/441, 361/679.32, 361/686, 361/684, 361/737, 361/637, 711/115, 711/163, 711/103, 257/777, 257/686, 257/678, 365/63, 365/185.01, 365/195, 365/185.11, 455/558, 455/557
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/072 the record carrier comprising a plurality of integrated circuit chips
• 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 19/07739 comprising a first part capable of functioning as a record carrier on its own and a second part being only functional as a form factor changing part, e.g. SIM cards type ID 0001, removably attached to a regular smart card form factor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06562 at least one device in the stack being rotated or offset
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 : for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence

Abstract

To realize compatibility with an SIM card and adaptation to a high-speed memory access in an IC card module having a microcomputer and a memory card controller. An IC card module includes a plurality of first external connecting terminals and a plurality of second external connecting terminals both exposed to one surface of a card substrate, a microcomputer connected to the first external connecting terminals, a memory controller connected to the second external connecting terminals, and a volatile memory connected to the memory controller. The shape of the card substrate and the layout of the first external connecting terminals are based on a standard of plug-in UICC of ETSI TS 102 221 V4.4.0 (2001-10) or have compatibility. The second external connecting terminals are disposed outside the minimum range of the terminal layout based on the standard for the first external connecting terminals. The first and second external connecting terminals respectively include signal terminals electrically separated from one another.

Claims

1. An IC card module comprising:

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a plurality of first external connecting terminals and a plurality of second external connecting terminals both exposed to the first surface of the substrate;

a flash memory chip disposed on the second surface of the substrate and having a plurality of first pads;

a controller chip for controlling the flash memory chip disposed on a surface of the flash memory chip and having a plurality of second pads, the second pads electrically connected to the second external connecting terminals and the first pads; and

a microcomputer chip disposed on said surface of the flash memory chip and having a plurality of third pads, the third pads electrically connected to the first external connecting terminals;

wherein the flash memory is a rectangular shape and has a pair of first and second sides,

wherein the controller chip is disposed along the first side of the flash memory, and

wherein the microcomputer chip is disposed along the second side of the flash memory.

2. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the first pads are disposed along the first side of the flash memory.

3. An IC card module according to claim 2, wherein the third pads are disposed along the second side of the flash memory.

4. An IC card module according to claim 3, wherein a shape of the IC card module and a layout of the first external connecting terminals are based on a standard of plug-in UTCC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) at ETSI TS (European Telecommunications Standardization Institute Technical Specification)102 221 V4.4.0 (2001-10),

wherein the second external connecting terminals are disposed outside a minimum range of the terminal layout based on the standard for the first external connecting terminals,

wherein the first external connecting terminals and the second external connecting terminals respectively include signal terminals electrically separated from one another.

5. An IC card module according to claim 4, wherein the microcomputer chip, first flash memory chip and controller chip are molded by a resin.

6. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the IC card module is based on an outer shape of an ID-1 type card standard of ISO/IEC 7816-1 or separately formed within a card having compatibility.

7. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer chip has a program which realizes a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) function.

8. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer chip has a program which realizes a USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) function.

9. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer chip has a program which realizes a plug-in UICC function.

10. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer chip is authenticated by an evaluation/authentication agency of ISO/IEC 15408.

11. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the controller chip has a memory card interface function based on a predetermined memory card standard.

12. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the first external connecting terminals include a power supply terminal, a ground terminal, a reset terminal, a clock terminal, and an input/output terminal,

wherein the second external connecting terminals include a power supply terminal, a clock terminal, a command terminal, and a data terminal of 1 bit or data terminals of plural bits, and

wherein the second external connecting terminals are respectively set smaller than the first external connecting terminals.

13. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer chip has non-contact interface portions, and the non-contact interface portions are connected to terminals defined as reserve terminals of the first external connecting terminals and are configured as antenna terminals.

14. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer chip has noncontact interface portions, and the noncontact interface portions are connected to predetermined terminals of the second external connecting terminals and configured as antenna terminals.

15. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein a semiconductor chip constituting a non-volatile memory has a layout in which the semiconductor chip is superimposed over the first external connecting terminals.

16. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the controller chip has a microcomputer interface circuit which issues an operation command to the microcomputer chip in response to a predetermined memory card command and receives a response corresponding to the operation command, and

wherein the card substrate further includes third external connecting terminals connected to the microcomputer interface circuit.

17. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the IC card module is detachably mounted to a portable terminal device,

wherein the portable terminal device comprises:

first interface terminals which contact the first external connecting terminals respectively;

second interface terminals which contact the second external connecting terminals respectively; and

a data processor connected to the first and second interface terminals.

18. An IC card module according to claim 17, wherein the portable terminal device further comprises a high frequency section connected to the data processor.

19. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the number of the terminals used in the input/output of data, of the second external connecting terminals is larger than the number of the terminals used in the input/output of data, of the first external connecting terminals.

20. An IC card module according to claim 19, wherein the terminals used in the input/output of data, of the second external connecting terminals are smaller than the terminals used in the input/output of data, of the first external connecting terminals respectively.

21. An IC card module according to claim 1, wherein the microcomputer stores a Java (registered trademark) virtual machine therein.