Method and system for monitoring the state of health of an electronic data carrier

• US 10,055,326 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Brink, Klaas, Agarwal, Manvi, Al-kadi, Ghiath
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Phung M
• Application Number:
  US14/027,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 340333, 340540, 3405721, 340635, 3406361, 34063615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• 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
• 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 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28

Abstract

In an embodiment, a method for monitoring the state of health of an electronic data carrier involves using a reader device to determine the state of health of the electronic data carrier by reading a parameter value indicative of a state of health from the electronic data carrier. In an embodiment, a system for monitoring a state of health of an electronic data carrier comprising a reader device operable to read data from the electronic data carrier. The reader device is arranged to determine the state of health of the electronic data carrier by reading a parameter value indicative of the state of health from the electronic data carrier.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an electronic data carrier, the method comprising:

requesting a parameter value indicative of a state of health from the electronic data carrier using a reader device, wherein the requested parameter value is indicative of a change in an amount of power required to read data from the electronic data carrier, wherein the amount of power required to read data from the electronic data carrier is derived from a performance of a power rectifier embedded in said electronic data carrier;

determining the state of health of the electronic data carrier based on the requested parameter value;

estimating a remaining lifetime of the electronic data carrier based on the state of health; and

based on the estimated remaining lifetime of the electronic data carrier, performing a security preserving action prior to a breakdown of the electronic data carrier by erasing a memory of the electronic data carrier or activating a permanent reset condition to make the electronic data carrier inoperable.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performance of said power rectifier is determined by monitoring a voltage ripple of the power rectifier.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performance of said power rectifier is determined by repeatedly comparing the power received at an input of the power rectifier with the power delivered at an output of the power rectifier.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performance of said power rectifier is determined by monitoring an operation of a shunt regulator embedded in the electronic data carrier.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reader device compares said requested parameter value with further parameter values, said further parameter values being indicative of the state of health of further electronic data carriers.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the present state of health of the electronic data carrier is determined by a dedicated interaction between the reader device and the electronic data carrier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a warning to a user or an issuer of the electronic data carrier regarding the electronic data carrier approaching end-of-life (EOL).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising based on the estimated remaining lifetime of the electronic data carrier, performing an operation to impact Quality-Of-Service (QOS) to extend the lifetime of the electronic data carrier.

8. A system for monitoring an electronic data carrier, the system comprising:

a reader device operable to request a parameter value indicative of a state of health from said electronic data carrier, wherein said reader device is arranged to determine the state of health of the electronic data carrier based on the requested parameter value indicative of said state of health from the electronic data carrier such that the requested parameter value is indicative of a change in an amount of power required to read data from the electronic data carrier, wherein the amount of power required to read data from the electronic data carrier is derived from a performance of a power rectifier embedded in said electronic data carrier, and wherein the reader device is configured to estimate a remaining lifetime of the electronic data carrier based on the state of health and to, based on the estimated remaining lifetime of the electronic data carrier, perform a security preserving action prior to a breakdown of the electronic data carrier by erasing a memory of the electronic data carrier or activating a permanent reset condition to make the electronic data carrier inoperable.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electronic data carrier is embedded in one of the group consisting of:

a contact-bound smart card, a contactless smart card, an electronic passport, an RFID tag.