IC card comprising a main device and an additional device

• US 8,042,743 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics NV
• Original Assignee: Incard S.A.
• Inventors: Musella, Enrico, Sorbo, Umberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Andler; Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/128,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/493, 340/10.1, 340/10.4, 340/10.41, 340/10.5
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• 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

Abstract

The IC Card includes a main device having a microprocessor and a memory unit, and an I/O contact pad for a connection between the main device and a read write device, also referred to as a main interconnection. The IC card also includes additional device connectable to the main device via a secondary interconnection including the I/O contact pad, and a switch control for selectively switching between the main interconnection, for a transmission of data between the read write device and the main device, and the secondary interconnection, for a transmission of data between the main device and the additional device.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) Card for use with a read/write device, the IC card comprising:

a first processing device;

a first interconnection defined between the first processing device and the read/write device and including an input/output (I/O) contact pad;

a second processing device connectable to the first processing device to communicate with the first processing device via the I/O contact pad;

a second interconnection defined between the second processing device and the first processing device; and

a switch control to selectively switch between the first interconnection for a transmission of data between the read/write device and the first processing device, and the second interconnection for a transmission of data between the first processing device and the second processing device;

communication between the first processing device and the second processing device defining a master slave communication, the first processing device being the master and sending commands to the second processing device, and the second processing device being the slave and returning results to the first processing device.

2. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device, the switch control and the second processing device are integrated in a first System on Chip.

3. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device and the switch control are integrated in a System on Chip and the second processing device is integrated in a separate second System on Chip.

4. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device is integrated in a first System on Chip, and the switch control and the second processing device are integrated in a separate second System on Chip.

5. The IC Card according to claim 1 wherein the first processing device is integrated in a System on Chip, the second processing device is integrated in a separate second System on Chip, and the switch control is integrated in a third separate System on Chip.

6. A communication method for an IC Card including a first processing device, and a first interconnection for a connection between the first processing device and a read/write device and including an I/O contact pad, and a second processing device connectable to the first processing device to communicate with the first processing device via the I/O contact pad and defining a second interconnection therebetween, the method comprising:

providing a switch control for selectively switching between the first interconnection for a transmission of data between the read/write device and the first processing device, and the second interconnection for a transmission of data between the first processing device and the second processing device;

communication between the first processing device and the second processing device defining a master slave communication, the first processing device being the master and sending commands to the second processing device, and the second processing device being the slave and returning results to the first processing device.

7. The communication method according to claim 6 wherein the switch control switches on the first interconnection when the IC Card is powered on.

8. The communication method according to claim 6 wherein the transmission of data on the first interconnection is based on an ISO 7816-3 protocol wherein the read/write device sends a command to the first processing device and waits for a result.

9. The communication method according to claim 8 wherein the switch control switches on the second interconnection when the read/write device is waiting for data from the first processing device.

10. The communication method according to claim 6 wherein the second processing device returns a waiting message to the first processing device when a timeout has elapsed and a result is not ready to be sent to the first processing device.

11. The communication method according to claim 10 further comprising executing at least the following sequential phases when the timeout has elapsed:

after the first processing device has received the waiting message, the switch control switches on the first interconnection;

the first processing device forwards the waiting message to the read-write device; and

after the waiting message has been received by the read/write device, the switch control switches on the second interconnection.

12. The communication method according to claim 11 wherein the second processing device returns the result over the second interconnection.

13. The communication method according to claim 12 wherein a guard time is introduced before sending the result over the second interconnection.

14. The communication method according to claim 13 wherein the guard time is at least equal to an execution time of the sequential phases.

15. The communication method according to claim 14 wherein the second processing device is connectable to an external device via a wireless communication protocol.

16. The communication method according to claim 15 wherein the wireless communication protocol is a ZigBee protocol.

17. A communication method for an IC Card for use with a read/write device, the method comprising:

providing the IC card with a first processing device;

connecting the first processing device and the read/write device with a first interconnection including an IC card I/O contact pad;

providing a second processing device connectable to the first processing device to communicate with the first processing device via the I/O contact pad and defining a second interconnection therebetween; and

selectively switching between the first interconnection for a transmission of data between the read/write device and the first processing device, and the second interconnection for a transmission of data between the first processing device and the second processing device;

communication between the first processing device and the second processing device defining a master slave communication, the first processing device being the master and sending commands to the second processing device, and the second processing device being the slave and returning results to the first processing device.

18. The communication method according to claim 17 wherein the first interconnection is switched on when the IC Card is powered on.

19. The communication method according to claim 17 wherein the transmission of data on the first interconnection is based on an ISO 7816-3 protocol wherein the read/write device sends a command to the first processing device and waits for a result.

20. The communication method according to claim 19 wherein the second interconnection is switched on when the read/write device is waiting for data from the first processing device.