IC card, portable electronic device, and reader/writer

• US 9,542,632 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US14/031,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20140084063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/10009 sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag

Abstract

An IC card of an embodiment is provided with a receiver to receive a first command transmitted from an external device, a determining processor to determine whether or not the first command is a switching request command to request switching the IC card from a passive mode to an active mode, a switching processor to switch oneself from the passive mode to the active mode, when the first command is the switching request command, an identification information acquiring processor to acquire identification information of other IC card existing in a communicable range of the external device from the switching request command, a command generating processor to generate a second command which includes the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring processor so as to make the other IC card execute processing, and a command transmitter to transmit the second command to the other IC card.

Claims

1. An IC card which performs contactless communication with an external device, the IC card, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a first command transmitted from the external device in a passive mode;

a determining processor operable to determine whether or not the first command is a switching request command to request switching a mode of the IC card from the passive mode to an active mode;

a switching processor operable to switch the mode of the IC card from the passive mode to the active mode when the determining processor determines that the first command is the switching request command;

an identification information acquiring processor operable to acquire identification information of another IC card existing in the communicable range of the external device from the switching request command in the passive mode;

a command generating processor operable to generate a second command including the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring processor so as to make the other IC card execute processing in the active mode; and

a command transmitter operable to transmit the second command to the other IC card in the active mode.

2. The IC card according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory operable to store the identification information; and

an identification information transmitter operable to transmit the identification information stored in the memory to the external device when the mode of the IC card is switched from the passive mode to the active mode by the switching processor.

3. The IC card according to claim 2, wherein the identification information is a card identifier.

4. The IC card according to claim 2, wherein:

when the mode of the IC card is switched from the passive mode to the active mode by the switching processor, the command generating processor generates a third command including the identification information transmitted by the identification information transmitter so as to make the external device execute the processing; and

the command transmitter transmits the third command to the external device.

5. The IC card according to claim 1, comprising:

an IC module having the receiver, the determining processor, the switching processor, the identification information acquiring processor, the command generating processor, and the command transmitter; and

a main body in which the IC module is arranged.

6. A portable electronic device which performs contactless communication with an external device, the portable electronic device, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive a first command transmitted from the external device in a passive mode;

a determining processor operable to determine whether or not the first command is a switching request command to request switching a mode of the portable electronic device from the passive mode to an active mode;

a switching processor operable to switch the mode of the portable electronic device from the passive mode to the active mode when the determining processor determines that the first command is the switching request command;

an identification information acquiring processor operable to acquire identification information of another portable electronic device existing in the communicable range of the external device from the switching request command in the passive mode;

a command generating processor operable to generate a second command including the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring processor so as to make the other portable electronic device execute processing in the active mode; and

a command transmitter operable to transmit the second command to the other portable electronic device in the active mode.

7. A reader/writer of an IC card, comprising:

an initial response acquiring processor operable to transmit an initial response request command, and receive from a plurality of IC cards within a communicable range, initial responses including identification information of the respective IC cards;

a selecting processor operable to select an IC card within the communicable range using the initial responses;

a switching request command generating processor operable to generate a switching request command to request switching a mode of the IC card selected by the selecting processor from the passive mode to an active mode, wherein the IC card transmits a command and receives a response to the command transmitted in the active mode, wherein the IC card receives a command, performs a command processing corresponding to the command received and transmits a response to the command received in the active mode, and wherein the switching request command includes identification information of another IC card existing in a communicable range of the external device;

an identification information adding processor operable to add the identification information of another IC card within the communicable range to the switching request command; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the switching request command including the identification information of the other IC card within the communicable range to the IC card selected by the selecting processor.

8. A reader/writer of a portable electronic device, comprising:

an initial response acquiring processor operable to transmit an initial response request command, and receive from a plurality of portable electronic devices within a communicable range, initial responses including identification information of the respective portable electronic devices;

a selecting processor operable to select a portable electronic device within the communicable range using the initial response;

a switching request command generating processor operable to generate a switching request command to request switching a mode of the portable electronic device selected by the selecting processor from the passive mode to an active mode, wherein the portable electronic device transmits a command and receive a response to the command transmitted in the active mode, wherein the portable electronic device receives a command, performs a command processing corresponding to the command received and transmits a response to the command received in the active mode, and wherein the switching request command includes identification information of another portable electronic device existing in a communicable range of the external device;

an identification information adding processor operable to add the identification information of another portable electronic device within the communicable range to the switching request command; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the switching request command including the identification information of the other portable electronic device within the communicable range to the portable electronic device selected by the selecting processor.