IC card

• US 5,157,247 A
• Filed: 11/21/1990
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahira, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Application Number:
  US07/617,009
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/472, 235/382, 235/492, 235/441, 320/13, 320/37, 320/38, 315/241 P, 315/241 S, 324/433, 324/426, 324/427, 324/428, 340/636, 340/661, 340/663
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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

Abstract

An IC card has a data transmission/receiving circuit for exchanging data with an external device, a data processing circuit connected to the data transmission/receiving circuit for processing the data, a battery for supplying the data transmission/receiving circuit and the data processing circuit with electrical power, a charge storage device such as a capacitor charged at a predetermined time constant by the battery, a charge control circuit for controlling connection of the battery to the charge storage device in accordance with a control signal from the data processing circuit, a comparator circuit for comparing the output voltage from the charge storage device with a reference value, and a time measuring counter for measuring the time from electrical connection of the battery to the charge storage device until the comparator circuit detects an output voltage from the charge storage circuit exceeding the reference value.

Claims

1. An IC card comprising:

data transmission/receiving means for exchanging data with an external device;

data processing means connected to said data transmission/receiving means for processing the data;

a battery for supplying said data transmission/receiving means and said data processing means with electrical power;

charge storage means charged at a predetermined time constant by said battery to produce an output voltage;

charging control means for controlling the connection of said battery to said charge storage means in response to a control signal generated by said data processing means;

comparator means for comparing the output voltage from said charge storage means with a reference value;

time measuring means for measuring elapsed time from a moment when an electrical connection between said battery and said charge storage means is completed by said charging control means to a moment when said comparator means detects that the output voltage from said charge storage means exceeds the reference value;

initial value setting means for setting an initial value in said time measuring means;

overflow signal generating means for generating an overflow signal when the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined value; and

alarm means for generating an alarm signal in response to the overflow signal generated by the overflow generating means.

2. An IC card according to claim 1 comprising alarm means for generating an alarm signal when the elapsed time measured by said time measuring means has exceeded a predetermined value.

3. An IC card according to claim 1 comprising mean value computing means for causing said time measuring means to measure the elapsed time for each of at least two consecutive connections of said battery and said charge storage means by said charging control means and for computing the means value of each of the elapsed times measured.

4. An IC card according to claim 1 comprising voltage reduction rate computing means for causing said time measuring means to measure the elapsed time for each of at least two consecutive connections of said battery and said charge storage means by said charging control means and for computing the rate of reduction of the voltage of said battery from the elapsed times measured.

5. An IC card according to claim 1, wherein said charge means, said charging control means, said comparator means and said time measuring means are formed in a signal semiconductor chip.

6. An IC card according to claim 1, wherein said charging control means include a transmission gate responsive to the control signal and connected between said battery and said charge storage means.

7. An IC card comprising:

data transmission/receiving means for exchanging data with an external device;

data processing means connected to said data transmission/receiving means for processing the data;

a battery for supplying said data transmission/receiving means and said data processing means with electrical power;

a plurality of charge storage means charged at different time constants by said battery to produce respective output voltages;

a transmission gate connected between said battery and said charge storage means for selectively connecting said battery to a respective charge storage means in response to a control signal from said data processing means;

comparator means for comparing the output voltage from the charge storage means connected to said battery by said charging means with a reference value; and

time measuring means for measuring elapsed time from a moment when an electrical connection between said battery and a respective charge storage means is completed by said transmission gate to a moment when said comparator means detects that the output voltage from the charge storage means connected to said battery exceeds the reference value.

8. An IC card comprising:

data transmission/receiving means for exchanging data with an external device;

data processing means connected to said data transmission/receiving means for processing the data;

a battery for supplying said data transmission/receiving means and said data processing means with electrical power;

charge storage means charged at a predetermined time constant by said battery to produce an output voltage;

charging control means for controlling the connection of said battery to said charge storage means in response to a control signal generated by said data processing means;

comparator means for comparing the output voltage from said charge storage means with a reference value;

time measuring means for measuring elapsed time from a moment when an electrical connection between said battery and said charge storage means is completed by said charging control means to a moment when said comparator means detects that the output voltage from said charge storage means exceeds the reference value; and

voltage reduction rate computing means for causing said time measuring means to measure the elapsed time for each of at least two consecutive connections of said battery and said charge storage means by said charging control means and for computing the rate of reduction of the voltage of said battery from the elapsed times measured.