DATA STORAGE MEDIUM AND METHOD FOR CONTACTLESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DATA STORAGE MEDIUM AND A READER

• US 20140043145A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nera Innovations Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: FINKENZELLER, Klaus, HARTEL, Karl Eglof, BRANDL, Denny
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• 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 7/00 Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns methods or arrangements for marking the record carrier in digital fashion G06K1/00; pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10118 the sensing being preceded by at least one preliminary step
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A method and a data carrier for contactless communication of a reading device with at least two communication-ready applications located on a portable data carrier. A first communication-readiness signal is generated for a first application and sent to the reading device, the signal having a first identification number that is assigned to the first application and indicates to the reading device the communication readiness of said first application, and a second communication-readiness signal is generated and sent for a second application, the second signal having a second identification number different from the first identification number, which is assigned to said second application and indicates to the reading device the communication readiness of the second application. The identification numbers simulate for the reading device the communication readiness of a data carrier in each case. The reading device thus has the impression of communicating with applications of two separate data carriers.

Claims

1. A method for contactless communication of a reading device with at least two communication-ready applications located on a portable data carrier, comprising the steps:

generating a first communication-readiness signal to the reading device for a first of the at least two applications, the communication-readiness signal comprising a first identification number which is assigned to the first of the at least two applications and indicates to the reading device the communication readiness of said first application, and

generating a second communication-readiness signal to the reading device for a second of the at least two applications, the second communication-readiness signal comprising a second identification number different from the first identification number, which is assigned to said second application and indicates to the reading device the communication readiness of said second application,

wherein the first communication-readiness signal is generated for a first group of applications comprising the first application, and the first identification number is assigned to each of the applications in the first group, and the second communication-readiness signal is generated for a second group of applications comprising the second application, and the second identification number is assigned to each of the applications in the second group, the first communication-readiness signal indicating to the reading device the communication readiness of each of the applications of the first group, and the second communication-readiness signal indicating to the reading device the communication readiness of each of the applications of the second group.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the applications of the first group and/or each of the applications of the second group is assigned additional selection information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading device emits search signals, the signals generated for the applications comprising response signals to the search signals.

4. The method according to claim 1, including the further step of toggling between the applications for communication of a selected application with the reading device.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein toggling is effected by branching or by context switching

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading device selects for further communication one or more of the at least two applications via the identification numbers assigned to the applications.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each of the applications of the first group and/or each of the applications of the second group is assigned additional selection information;

and wherein the reading device selects for further communication one or more of the at least two applications via the identification numbers assigned to the applications and via the additional selection information assigned to the applications.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein for one or more of the at least two applications that have not yet been selected for further communication by the reading device, the communication-readiness signal is generated while the communication with one or more others of the at least two applications that have been selected for further communication by the reading device is not yet completed.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein for one or more of the at least two applications that have not yet been selected for further communication by the reading device, the communication-readiness signal is generated after one or more others of the at least two applications have been suspended after completion of communication with the reading device.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the data carrier -informs the reading device by means of collision signals that one or more of the at least two applications that have not yet been selected for further communication by the reading device are present by signals being sent that simulate a collision between a plurality of applications.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the data carrier informs the reading device by means of an allocation of one or more time slots that one or more of the at least two applications that have not yet been selected for further communication by the reading device are present.

12. The method according to claim 6, including the further step of storing information in a nonvolatile memory of the data carrier about which of the at least two applications has already completed active communication with the reading device.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein, upon new communication of the reading device with the data carrier, a communication-readiness signal is emitted first for the application with which active communication was effected last.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the reading device addresses an application selected for further communication via a dynamically allocated session number.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein upon addressing, the session number is linked on the data carrier with the identification number assigned to the selected application.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the applications of the first group and/or each of the applications of the second group is assigned additional selection information;

and wherein upon addressing, the session number is linked on the data carrier additionally with the additional selection information assigned to the selected application.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data carrier -recognizes by a response of the reading device to communication-readiness signals emitted by the data carrier whether the reading device is set up to resolve a collision between a plurality of applications.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading device communicates with a plurality of the at least two applications in parallel.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading device interprets the identification numbers as identification numbers of different data carriers.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein each of the applications of the first group and/or each of the applications of the second group is assigned additional selection information;

and wherein the data carrier generates the additional selection information as a virtual sector assignment and the reading device interprets the additional selection information as a sector assignment of a memory area of one of the different data carriers, whereas the different data carriers may be emulated data carriers.

21. A contactlessly communicating portable data carrier, comprising at least a first and second application stored thereon and a communication device for controlling communication between a reading device and the at least first and second applications, wherein the communication device is configured to generate a first communication-readiness signal to the reading device which indicates to the reading device a communication readiness for the first application and a second communication-readiness signal to the reading device which indicates the reading device a communication readiness for the second application and comprise an identification number assigned to the corresponding communication-readiness application,

wherein the first communication-readiness signal is generated for a first group of applications comprising the first application, and the first identification number is assigned to each of the applications in the first group, and the second communication-readiness signal is generated for a second group of applications comprising the second application, and the second identification number is assigned to each of the applications in the second group, the first communication-readiness signal indicating to the reading device the communication readiness of each of the applications of the first group, and the second communication-readiness signal indicating to the reading device the communication readiness of each of the applications of the second group.

22. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is set up to assign additional selection information to each of the applications of the group.

23. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is set up to generate the communication-readiness signals as response signals to search signals received from a reading device.

24. The data carrier according to claim 21, including a toggling device which is set up to toggle between the applications of the data carrier for communication of the applications with a reading device.

25. The data carrier according to claim 24, wherein the toggling device is set up to toggle between the applications of the data carrier by means of branching or context switching

26. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is set up to establish the communication between a reading device and an application addressed by the reading device via a session number.

27. The data carrier according to claim 26, wherein the communication device is set up to link, upon addressing of the application, the session number with the identification number assigned to the application.

28. The data carrier according to claim 27, wherein the communication device is set up to assign additional selection information to each of the applications of the group of applications;

and wherein the communication device is set up to link, upon addressing of the application, the session number additionally with the additional selection information assigned to the addressed application.

29. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is set up to determine those applications among the at least two applications that are ready for communication with a reading device.

30. The data carrier according to claim 29, wherein the communication device is set up to emit communication-readiness signals for one or more of the at least two applications that are ready for communication with a reading device and not yet communicating with a reading device while the communication with one or more others of the at least two applications is not yet completed.

31. The data carrier according to claim 29, wherein the communication device is set up to emit communication-readiness signals for one or more of the at least two applications that are ready for communication with a reading device and not yet communicating with a reading device after one or more others of the at least two applications have been suspended after completion of communication with a reading device.

32. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is set up to inform the reading device via collision signals simulating a collision between a plurality of applications that one or more of the at least two applications located on the data carrier that have not yet been selected for further communication by the reading device are present.

33. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the communication device is set up to recognize by a response of a reading device to communication-readiness signals emitted by the communication device whether the reading device is set up to resolve collisions between a plurality of applications.

34. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the data carrier is configured as a contactlessly communicating chip card, contactlessly communicating label, contactlessly communicating identification document or as a (U)SIM mobile communication card.

35. The data carrier according to claim 21, wherein the data carrier has a dual interface and can be operated both contactlessly and with contact.

36. The data carrier according to claim 21, including a memory which is divided into sectors, each of the sectors having no more than one of the at least two applications stored therein.

37. The data carrier according to claim 36, wherein each of the sectors is access-protected separately for access by a reading device to applications stored in said sectors.