Optical smart card system, apparatus and method

• US 6,840,455 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norton, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): French, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US10/600,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 235/439, 235/441, 235/454, 235/492
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/145 at least one of the further markings being adapted for galvanic or wireless sensing, e.g. an RFID tag with both a wireless and an optical interface or memory, or a contact type smart card with ISO 7816 contacts and an optical interface or memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface

Abstract

Disclosed are an optical smart card and an optical smart card reader, each including an optical interface for communicating information therebetween by way of an optical communication link.

Claims

1. A smart card system, comprising:

an optical transceiver;

an electronic processor in communication with the optical transceiver;

a first antenna in communication with the optical transceiver;

a second antenna; and

a portable power supply coupled to the second antenna;

wherein the portable power supply is for communicating electromagnetic energy to the first antenna upon the second antenna receiving the electromagnetic signal; and

wherein the optical transceiver initiates optical transmission upon the first antenna receiving an electromagnetic signal.

2. The smart card system of claim 1, further comprising a power converter coupled to the first antenna, wherein the power converter is for providing an output voltage to the electronic processor in response to the electromagnetic signal.

3. The smart card system of claim 2, wherein the second antenna is wirelessly coupled to the power converter.

4. The smart card system of claim 3, further comprising:

a battery ohmically detached from the smart card; and

an oscillator in communication with the battery and the second antenna.

5. The smart card system of claim 3, further comprising:

a switch in communication with the portable power supply;

wherein the switch is for enabling the communication of electromagnetic energy from the portable power supply to the smart card.

6. The smart card system of claim 3, further comprising a housing with a retainer for receiving the smart card.

7. The smart card system of claim 6, further comprising:

a latch mechanically coupled to the housing;

wherein the latch is for enabling the portable power supply when the smart card is inserted in the latch.

8. The smart card system of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor further comprises a:

CPU;

a memory circuit; and

an input/output controller.

9. The smart card system of claim 8, wherein the memory circuit is selected from the group consisting of a ROM, NVM and RAM.

10. A smart card reader, comprising:

an optical transceiver;

an electronic processor in communication with the optical transceiver; and

an antenna in communication with the optical transceiver;

wherein the optical transceiver is enabled to receive optical communication from an optical smart card upon the antenna transmitting an electromagnetic signal; and

wherein the optical transceiver is located on a computer screen.

11. The smart card reader of claim 10, further comprising:

an oscillator coupled to the antenna and to a power supply;

wherein the oscillator is for generating the electromagnetic signal at a first frequency.

12. An optical smart card system, comprising:

an optical smart card including;

a first optical transceiver;

a first electronic processor in communication with the first optical transceiver; and

a first antenna in communication with the first optical transceiver; and

an optical smart card reader including;

a second optical transceiver;

a second electronic processor in communication with the second optical transceiver;

a second antenna in communication with the second optical transceiver;

a power converter counted to the first antenna;

a third antenna wirelessly coupled to the power converter; and

a portable power supply coupled to the third antenna;

wherein the power converter is for providing an output voltage to the first electronic processor in response to the electromagnetic signal;

wherein the portable power supply is for communicating electromagnetic energy to the first antenna upon the third antenna receiving the electromagnetic signal; and

wherein the first optical transceiver initiates optical transmission upon the first antenna receiving an electromagnetic signal from the second antenna.

13. The optical smart card system of claim 12, wherein the second optical transceiver is enabled to receive optical communication from the first optical transceiver upon the second antenna transmitting the electromagnetic signal.

14. The optical smart card system of claim 12, further comprising:

a battery ohmically detached from the optical smart card; and

an oscillator in communication with the battery and the third antenna.

15. The optical smart card system of claim 12, further comprising:

a switch in communication with the portable power supply;

wherein the switch is for enabling the communication of electromagnetic energy from the portable power supply to the smart card.

16. The optical smart card system of claim 12, further comprising a housing with a retainer for receiving the optical smart card.

17. The optical smart card system of claim 16, further comprising:

a latch mechanically coupled to the housing;

wherein the latch is for enabling a portable power supply when the optical smart card is inserted in the latch.

18. The optical smart card of claim 12, wherein the first and second electronic processors, each comprise:

a CPU;

a memory circuit; and

input/output controller.

19. The optical smart card of claim 18, wherein the memory circuit is selected from the group consisting of a ROM, NVM and RAM.

20. The optical smart card system of claim 12, further comprising an external power supply for transmitting electromagnetic signals to the optical smart card for energizing the optical smart card.

21. The optical smart card system of claim 12, wherein the optical smart card reader transmits the electromagnetic signal to the optical smart card for energizing the optical smart card and initiating an optical communication transmission between the optical smart card and the optical smart card reader.

22. The optical smart card system of claim 12, wherein the second optical transceiver is located on a computer screen.

23. A method of transacting information in an optical smart card system including an optical smart card reader and an optical smart card, comprising:

transmitting an electromagnetic power signal to the optical smart card;

initiating optical communication between the optical smart card and the optical smart card reader upon the optical smart card receiving the electromagnetic power signal; and

transmitting an electromagnetic signal from an external power supply other than an optical smart card reader power supply.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising further transmitting an electromagnetic signal front the optical smart card reader.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising supplying power to the optical smart card from a portable power supply, comprising:

generating a first electromagnetic signal having a first frequency; and

radiating the first electromagnetic signal to the optical smart card tuned to the first frequency from a portable power supply ohmically detached from the optical smart card.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a second electromagnetic signal; and

enabling the wireless radiation of the first electromagnetic signal upon receiving the second electromagnetic signal.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising enabling the wireless radiation of the first electromagnetic signal upon receiving a signal from a switch contact closure.