Smartcard and computer quick connect and release system

• US 9,135,478 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iall-Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Iall-Tech LLC
• Inventors: Burns, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stanford, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habib, Asifa
• Application Number:
  US13/787,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20130233924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 235/441
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• 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 19/07741 comprising a first part operating as a regular record carrier and a second attachable part that changes the functional appearance of said record carrier, e.g. a contact-based smart card with an adapter part which, when attached to the contact card makes the contact card function as a non-contact card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0056 housing of the card connector
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/015 Aligning or centering of the sensing device with respect to the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

A smartcard unit includes at least a smartcard and an attachment enabling the smartcard unit to be worn by a user. The smartcard is accessible to an external reader. A reader unit interfaces with the smartcard to enable an external computer to communicate with the smartcard. The smartcard unit or the reader unit has structure to align the reader unit relative to the smartcard unit in an alignment for communicative interfacing while the smartcard unit is being worn. The smartcard unit or the reader unit has a retainer to secure the reader unit in alignment relative to the smartcard so that the smartcard unit is reversibly separable from the reader unit without damage, in response to a force less than is necessary to detach or damage another part of said system, other than along a longitudinal axis of the smartcard or of a pair of components being separated.

Claims

1. An identification system comprising:

a smartcard unit comprising at least a smartcard, a holder receiving the smartcard, and an attachment on the holder operative to secure the smartcard unit to a user'"'"'s person to enable enabling the smartcard unit to be worn by the user, wherein the smartcard is accessible for reading by an external reader; and

a reader unit operative to interface communicatively with the smartcard in the smartcard unit and with a computer to enable the computer to communicate with the smartcard;

wherein at least one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit has structure to align the reader unit relative to the smartcard in an alignment for communicative interfacing while the smartcard unit is being worn by the user; and

wherein at least one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit has a retainer operative to secure the reader unit relative to the smartcard unit in said alignment so that the smartcard unit is reversibly separable from the reader unit without damage so as to leave the smartcard unit attached to the user and the reader unit attached to the computer, in response to a separation force less than the minimum force necessary to separate the smartcard from the holder, wherein the separation force has a direction other than along a longitudinal axis of the smartcard, and

wherein, the retainer comprises a magnetically attractive member on said one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit that in said alignment attracts a magnetically attractable member on the other of the smartcard unit and the reader unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the smartcard unit does not contain processing circuitry external to the smartcard necessary for the computer to communicate with the smartcard, and the reader unit contains active circuitry necessary for the computer to communicate with the smartcard.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said smartcard has card electrical contacts;

said reader has reader electrical contacts; and

said holder comprises first holder electrical contacts aligned to connect with said card electrical contacts when said smart card is received in said holder, second holder electrical contacts aligned to connect with said reader electrical contacts when said reader is retained on said holder, and circuitry connecting said first and second holder electrical contacts so as to transparently electrically connect said reader with said card.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the first holder electrical contacts, the second holder electrical contacts, and the reader electrical contacts are all arranged in a pattern matching the card electrical contacts.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said smartcard has card electrical contacts;

said reader has reader electrical contacts; and

wherein when said card is received in said holder said card electrical contacts are exposed by said holder; and

wherein said reader is so configured that said reader electrical contacts connect directly to said card electrical contacts.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the card holder further comprises an alignment guide to facilitate alignment of the card reader.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein one of the alignment guide and the reader unit comprises a recess, and the other of the alignment guide and the reader unit comprises a projection to seat in the recess.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the reader unit comprises external contacts on the projection or in the recess, and the holder or the card has corresponding contacts in the recess or on the projection.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the smartcard is in the form of a contactless card, the card reader has a wireless transceiver, and communication between the smartcard and the reader is established when the smartcard is located in sufficient proximity and correct alignment with the reader transceiver.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the smartcard is an ISO standard smartcard, and the reader when retained on the holder emulates at the external device a standard reader for ISO standard smartcards.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a card-in-position switch that when the card is removed from the holder indicates that the card has been removed, and a sensor that when the reader unit is separated from the smartcard unit returns to the computer a signal that emulates the card-in-position switch indicating that the card has been removed.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reader unit has external contacts on a surface that mate with corresponding contacts on the card unit.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reader unit comprises a rigid head that in use is attached to the holder unit by the retainer and is connected to the computer through a flexible cable, and wherein the head of the reader unit contains processing circuitry necessary for the computer to communicate with the smartcard.

14. A card holder and reader system, comprising:

a card holder configured to receive at least a portion of a smartcard while permitting direct external communication with the smartcard, the holder having a first alignment device;

a card reader removably connectable to the card holder, the card reader configured to communicate with the smartcard and having a second alignment device configured to cooperate with the first alignment device to align the card holder and the card reader for communication between the card reader and the smartcard;

wherein the card holder does not contain processing circuitry external to the smartcard necessary for the computer to communicate with the smartcard, and the reader unit contains processing circuitry necessary for the computer to communicate with the smartcard;

a sensor operative to detect disconnection of the card reader from the card holder, and to provide to the reader unit processing circuitry a signal that emulates a card-in-position switch signaling that the card has been removed from the holder; and

a communication cable connected at one end to the card reader, the communication cable being in electrical communication with the card reader for transmitting data between the smartcard and an external device, and

wherein at least one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit has a retainer operative to secure the reader unit relative to the smartcard unit in said alignment so that the smartcard unit is reversibly separable from the reader unit without damage so as to leave the smartcard unit attached to the user and the reader unit attached to the computer, in response to a separation force less than the minimum force necessary to separate the smartcard from the holder, wherein the separation force has a direction other than along a longitudinal axis of the smartcard, and

wherein, the retainer comprises a magnetically attractive member on said one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit that in said alignment attracts a magnetically attractable member on the other of the smartcard unit and the reader unit.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the reader when retained on the holder emulates at the external device an ISO standard reader for an ISO standard smart card.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the smartcard has external electrical contacts, the card reader has first electrical contacts, and communication between the smartcard and the reader is established when the smartcard external electrical contacts directly contact the first electrical contacts on the card reader.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the smartcard is in the form of a contactless card, the card reader has a wireless transceiver, and communication between the smartcard and the reader is established when the smartcard is located in sufficient proximity and correct alignment with the reader transceiver.

18. The system according to claim 14, further comprising a card-in-position switch that when the card is removed from the holder indicates that the card has been removed, and wherein the sensor emulates the card-in-position switch indicating that the card has been removed.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the card reader is configured to communicate directly with the smartcard and the second alignment device is configured to cooperate with the first alignment. device to align the smartcard and the card reader for direct communication.

20. An identification system comprising:

a smartcard unit comprising at least a holder operative to receive a smartcard, and an attachment on the holder operative to secure the smartcard unit to a user'"'"'s person to enable the smartcard unit to be worn by the user, wherein the smartcard is accessible for reading by an external reader; and

a reader unit operative to interface communicatively with the smartcard in the smartcard unit and with a computer to enable the computer to communicate with the smartcard;

the reader unit comprising at least a card reader, an external device, and a communication cable connected at one end to the card reader, the communication cable being in electrical communication with the card reader for transmitting data between the smartcard and the external device,

wherein at least one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit has structure to align the reader unit relative to the smartcard in an alignment for communicative interfacing while the smartcard unit is being worn by the user; and

wherein at least one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit has a retainer operative to secure the reader unit relative to the smartcard unit in said alignment so that the smartcard unit is reversibly separable from the reader unit without damage so as to leave the smartcard unit attached to the user and the reader unit attached to the computer, in response to a separation force less than the minimum force necessary to separate the smartcard from the holder, wherein the separation force has a direction other than along a longitudinal axis of the smartcard, and

wherein, the retainer comprises a magnetically attractive member on said one of the smartcard unit and the reader unit that in said alignment attracts a magnetically attractable member on the other of the smartcard unit and the reader unit.

21. The identification system of claim 20, further comprising a releasable connection between the communication cable and the external device that is separable without damage only along a longitudinal axis of the releasable connection.

22. The identification system of claim 20, further comprising a releasable connection between the communication cable and the external device that is separable without damage only in response to a force greater than the maximum force necessary to separate the card reader from the smartcard unit.