Integrated circuit device with multiple communication modes and operating method thereof

• US 8,157,180 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Zang-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US12/566,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/380, 235/441, 235/375, 710/110, 710/115, 710/313, 710/305, 710/8, 710/10, 710/68, 713/320, 713/322
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07733 the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling

Abstract

An integrated circuit device having multiple communication modes is provided. The integrated circuit device includes a transceiver coupled to first and second data lines. The integrated circuit device further includes a voltage control circuit. The voltage control circuit determines whether or not an external device is connected to the integrated circuit device. In the case where the external device is connected to the integrated circuit device, the voltage control circuit controls the voltage of the first data line so as to cause the external device to not recognize the integrated circuit device for a predetermined time.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit device having an International Standard Organization (ISO) communication mode and a non-ISO communication mode, the integrated circuit device comprising:

a CPU coupled to a bus for controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device;

a serial I/O line communicatively connected to the bus to input data into the device or output data from the device based on a control of the CPU in the ISO communication mode;

a plurality of data lines, separate from the serial I/O line, comprising a first data line and a second data line;

a transceiver circuit coupled to the plurality of data lines to input or output data to and from the device in the non-ISO communication mode through the plurality of data lines; and

a detector circuit coupled to at least one of the plurality of data lines and configured to determine whether the integrated circuit device is electrically connected to an external device, wherein the detector circuit is configured to select the ISO communication mode in response to a first state of an internally supplied signal to the at least one data line at a power up state, and is configured to select the non-ISO communication mode in response to a second state of the internally supplied signal to the at least one data line at the power up state;

wherein the internally supplied signal is derived from a power supply internal to the integrated circuit device, and

wherein the integrated circuit device is set to the communication mode selected by the detector circuit within a predetermined time period.

2. The integrated circuit device of claim 1, wherein the ISO communication mode comprises an ISO 7816 mode.

3. The integrated circuit device of claim 2, wherein the non-ISO communication mode comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol mode.

4. The integrated circuit device of claim 3, further comprising a switch coupled to the first data line to control a voltage level of the first data line.

5. The integrated circuit device of claim 4, wherein the detector circuit is disabled after the communication mode is set.

6. The integrated circuit device of claim 5, the integrated circuit device further comprising a flag register to store the determination result of the detector circuit.

7. The integrated circuit device of claim 6, the integrated circuit device further comprising a control register having an output of a control signal input to the switch.

8. The integrated circuit device of claim 7, wherein the control register further outputs a disabling signal to the detector circuit.

9. The integrated circuit device of claim 6, the integrated circuit device further comprises a power supply line having a power supply voltage, and a pull-up circuit coupled between the first data line and the power supply line.

10. The integrated circuit device of claim 9, wherein the pull-up circuit comprises a series connection of the switch and a pull-up resistor coupled between the power supply line and the first data line.

11. A method of operating a smart card integrated circuit comprising:

upon application of power to the smart card, providing a signal path from a voltage source internal to the smart card to a node of the smart card connected to a data terminal of the smart card;

then, selecting a communications mode of the smart card as a function of a detected magnitude of a voltage on the node resulting from the providing of the signal path from the voltage source of the smart card to the node of the smart card connected to the data terminal of the smart card; and

then, communicating with a device external to the smart card in accordance with the communications mode selected in the selecting step,

wherein the selecting step comprises selecting an ISO communications mode when a first magnitude of the voltage is detected on the node, and a USB communications mode when a second magnitude of the voltage is detected on the node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing a signal path includes providing a signal path through a pull-up resistor connected between the voltage source on the smart card and the node.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data node is directly connected to the data terminal of the smart card.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after selecting a communications mode, disabling the signal path between the voltage source and the node.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal path is provided by turning on a switch interposed in the signal path between the voltage source and the node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the switch is turned off after selecting a communications mode and prior to communicating with the device external to the smart card.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the providing a signal path pulls up the voltage on the node to substantially the voltage of the voltage source when selecting a first communications mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing a signal path leaves the voltage substantially unaffected when selecting a second communications mode.

19. A method of operating a smart card integrated circuit comprising:

after application of power to the smart card, connecting an internally regulated voltage to a node of the smart card connected to a data terminal of the smart card, the internally regulated voltage being internal to the smart card;

then, selecting a communications mode of the smart card as a function of a response of the node to the connecting of the internally regulated voltage to the node connected to the data terminal of the smart card; and

then, communicating with a device external to the smart card in accordance with the communications mode selected in the selecting step,

wherein the selecting step comprises selecting an ISO communications mode if a first response of the node to the connecting of the internally regulated voltage occurs, and selecting a USB communications mode if a second response of the node to the connecting of the internally regulated voltage occurs.

20. A smart card comprising:

a data signal terminal and a power terminal;

a detector circuit connected to the signal terminal configured to select an ISO communications mode and a USB communications mode in response to the data signal terminal upon application of an internal voltage to the signal terminal;

a register for storing data indicative of an ISO communications mode or USB communications mode; and

a controller to operate communications of the smart card in accordance with the data indicative of the ISO communications mode or USB communications mode,

wherein the internal voltage is derived from a power supply internal to the integrated circuit device,

wherein the detector circuit is configured to select the ISO communication mode in response to a first state of the data signal terminal, and is configured to select the non-ISO communication mode in response to a second state of the data signal terminal.

21. The smart card of claim 20, wherein the smart card includes a serial I/O terminal for ISO communications and first and second data terminals for USB communications, and

wherein the data signal terminal is the first data terminal.

22. A smart card comprising:

a plurality of terminals, including a data signal terminal and a power terminal;

a detector circuit connected to the data signal terminal operable to select an ISO communications mode and a USB communications mode based only upon a level of a signal of the data signal terminal;

a register for storing data indicative of an ISO communications mode or USB communications mode; and

a controller to operate communications of the smart card in accordance with the data indicative of the ISO communications mode or USB communications mode,

wherein the signal is derived from a power supply internal to the integrated circuit device.

23. The smart card of claim 22, wherein the detector circuit detects an ISO communications mode and a USB communications mode based only upon a detected voltage signal of the data signal terminal.

24. An integrated circuit device having an International Standard Organization (ISO) communication mode and a non-ISO communication mode, the integrated circuit device comprising:

a CPU coupled to a bus for controlling an operation of the integrated circuit device;

a serial I/O pad communicatively connected to the bus to input data into the device or output data from the device based on a control of the CPU in the ISO communication mode;

a plurality of data pads comprising a first data pad and a second data pad, separate from the serial I/O pad;

a transceiver circuit coupled to the plurality of data pads to input or output data in the non-ISO communication mode to and from the device through the plurality of data pads; and

a detector circuit connected to at least one of the plurality of data pads and configured to determine whether the integrated circuit device is electrically connected to an external device and to select a communication mode in response to an internally supplied signal to at least one data pad at a power-up state, wherein the detector circuit is configured to select the ISO communication mode in response to a first state of an internally supplied signal to the at least one data line at a power up state, and is configured to select the non-ISO communication mode in response to a second state of the internally supplied signal to the at least one data line at the power up state;

wherein the internally supplied signal is derived from a power supply internal to the integrated circuit device, and

wherein the integrated circuit device is set to the communication mode selected by the detector circuit within a predetermined time period.