Method and apparatus for a USB and contactless smart card device

• US 20050045720A1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Fruhauf, Serge F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07733 the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816
• 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 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface

Abstract

An apparatus for a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and wireless smart card is provided. The apparatus includes a mode detection circuit, a switching block, a controller, an antenna, and a wired interface. Furthermore, an apparatus for a triple-mode smart card is also provided herein. The apparatus for the triple mode smart card includes a mode detection circuit, a switching block, a controller, an antenna, and a wired interface. The apparatus for the triple mode smart card operates in one of a wireless mode, a USB mode and an International Standards Organization 7816 mode or other wired mode. Furthermore, the apparatus for any of these smart cards could operate in both the wireless and wired mode(s) without conflict, and without switching power off and on to change configuration.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a smart card, the apparatus comprising:

an access interface including an antenna and a wired interface;

a mode detection circuit coupled to the access interface to detect a wireless communication mode and at least one wired communication mode to the smart card;

a switching block coupled to the mode detection circuit to send a set of mode operation signals based on a type of mode detected by the mode detection circuit; and

a controller coupled to the switching block and the mode detection circuit to enable operation of the smart card in a first mode based on the set of mode operation signals, and further to enable change of operation of the smart card to another mode after the first mode.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein the first mode is a wireless mode.

3. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein the first mode is a wired mode.

4. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein the wired mode is a USB mode and the wired interface includes a voltage supply pad, a D−

pad, and a D+ pad.

5. The apparatus in claim 4 wherein the mode detection circuit includes:

a wireless detection circuit coupled to the antenna to generate a wireless power supply signal and a set of wireless status signals;

a power-on detection circuit coupled to the wireless detection circuit and the voltage supply pad to generate a power-on signal and a control signal;

a USB detection circuit coupled to the power-on detection circuit, the D+ and the D−

pads to generate a set of USB status signals including a first USB status signal and a second USB status signal; and

a status register coupled to the wireless detection circuit and the USB detection circuit to store the set of wireless status signals and the set of USB status signals.

6. The apparatus in claim 5 wherein the wireless detection circuit includes:

a wireless analog high current unit coupled to the antenna to generate the wireless power supply signal;

a wireless analog low current unit coupled to the antenna and the power-on detection circuit to generate a wireless detection signal; and

a first switch responsive to the wireless detection signal to generate the set of wireless status signals.

7. The apparatus in claim 6 wherein the power-on detection circuit includes:

a power-on signal generator coupled to the wireless analog high current unit and the voltage supply pad to generate the power-on signal; and

a first logic circuit coupled to the power-on signal generator and the first switch to generate the control signal.

8. The apparatus in claim 7 wherein the USB detection circuit includes:

a USB cable detection unit coupled to the first logic circuit, the D+ and the D−

pads to generate the first USB status signal; and

a second logic circuit coupled to the USB cable detection unit and the controller to generate the second USB status signal.

9. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein the controller includes a processing unit, a wireless macrocell and a wired macrocell, and the switching block is coupled to the wireless macrocell and the wired macrocell to generate the set of mode operation signals to the processing unit.

10. The apparatus in claim 9 wherein the controller sends a wired standby signal to the mode detection circuit and the wireless macrocell sends a wireless ready signal to the switching block if the first mode is the wireless mode and is stable.

11. The apparatus in claim 9 wherein the controller sends a wireless standby signal to the mode detection circuit and the wired macrocell sends a wired ready signal to the switching block if the first mode is the wired mode and is stable.

12. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein the controller includes a processing unit, a wireless macrocell and a USB macrocell, and wherein the switching block is coupled to a CLK pad, a RST pad, an I/O pad, a wireless macrocell, and a USB macrocell to generate the set of mode operation signals to the processing unit.

13. A method for a smart card, the method comprising:

determining whether a wireless signal is detected;

operating the smart card in a wireless mode if the wireless signal is detected;

operating the smart card in a wired mode if the wireless signal is not detected and if a wired connection is detected; and

automatically allowing operation of the smart card in a different mode after operating in one of either the wireless mode or the wired mode.

14. The method in claim 13 wherein operating the smart card in the wireless mode comprises:

blocking a wired detection if the wireless signal is detected during the power-on process; and

configuring the smart card into the wireless mode and launching a vector-reset process.

15. The method in claim 14 wherein operating the smart card in the wireless mode further comprises:

enabling the wired detection if the smart card is stable in the wireless mode;

activating the wired mode if the wired connection is detected.

16. The method in claim 13 wherein operating the smart card in the wired mode comprises:

blocking a wireless detection, configuring the smart card into the wired mode and launching a vector-reset process for the smart card if the wireless signal is not detected during the power-on process; and

activating the wired mode if the wired connection is detected after the end of the power-on process.

17. The method in claim 16 wherein operating the smart card in the wired mode further comprises:

enabling the wireless detection if the smart card is stable in the wired mode;

activating a wireless interface if the wireless signal is detected and if a USB mode operation signal is not sent.

18. An apparatus for a smart card, the apparatus comprising:

a first detection circuit to detect a wireless connection to the smart card;

a second detection circuit to detect a wired connection to the smart card;

a switching block coupled to the first and second detection circuits to generate a first signal that corresponds to a type of connection detected by one of the detection circuits; and

a controller coupled to the switching block and responsive to the first signal to allow operation of the smart card in a first mode that corresponds to the type of detected connection, and to allow the smart card to support a second mode that corresponds to a second signal provided by the switching block and to automatically transition operation of the smart card to the second mode in response to the second signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the wired connection comprises at least one of a USB-compliant connection and an ISO-compliant contact connection.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the wireless or wired connections each comprise a plurality of different types of protocol connections that are supported by the smart card.

21. An apparatus for a smart card, the apparatus comprising:

a means for receiving a signal sent to the smart card;

a means for determining whether the signal corresponds to a wire or wireless connection;

a means for automatically switching operation of the smart card between modes in response to the determined connection; and

a means for operating the smart card in a first mode and for supporting simultaneous operation of the smart card in a second mode, including a means for blocking detection of the second mode if the smart card is operating in the first mode and for automatically transitioning from the first mode to the second mode if the signal to the smart card changes.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the means for operating the smart card in the first mode and for supporting simultaneous operation of the smart card in the second mode include a means for unblocking detection of the second mode after the first mode is stabilized.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a means for verifying whether data associated with the first mode is being communicated prior to transitioning to the second mode if no such data is being communicated.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a means for providing a plurality of status signals indicative of mode status of the smart card, and means for polling at least some of these status signals.