Registers – Records – Conductive
Patent
1996-09-03
1998-12-08
Wong, Don
Registers
Records
Conductive
235387, G06K 1906
Patent
active
058473726
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE
The invention relates to a chip card with several microcontrollers as well as connections for data exchange with read/write devices, whereby the connections are contact connections as well as contact-free connections and the read/write devices are capable of accessing the various microcontrollers separately, according to the generic part of claim 1.
STATE OF THE ART
Plastic cards are known as chip cards which exchange energy and data with their read/write devices with or without contacts. These cards are used for numerous applications such as, for example, telephone cards, medical cards, access control cards. A chip card of this type is known from German patent no. 3935364 C1.
German patent no. 91 00 861.9 U1 discloses a data carrier exchange arrangement that has a first microprocessor with first contacts arranged according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 7816-2 (Part 2). The data carrier exchange arrangement has at least a second microprocessor with second contacts whose arrangement on the data carrier exchange arrangement does not correspond to the ISO Standard. This data carrier exchange arrangement can have contact connections as well as contact-free connections.
TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE
The invention is based on the objective of associating various card applications which are executed at a terminal (read/write device) using cards with various microcontrollers on the chip card.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION AND OF ITS ADVANTAGES
The objective is achieved according to the invention in that the connections are each made to a connecting unit which is either a separate electronic component or else is integrated into a conventional microcontroller and which, on the basis of the information available at one of the connections or on the basis of the physical configuration of the connections, decides which of the microcontrollers should enter into the data exchange with the read/write device, and in that the connecting unit establishes a connection for the data exchange between the connections and the appertaining microcontroller.
In an advantageous manner, the connecting unit is either a separate electronic component or it is integrated into a conventional microcontroller. Moreover, the connecting unit uses the physical configuration of the contact connections and/or of the contact-free connections to recognize which of the microcontrollers should enter into the data exchange with the read/write device.
The evaluation of the physical configuration of the contact connections and/or the contact-free connections can be carried out by signal transmission by unoccupied contacts on the chip card.
The connecting unit, which can be referred to as a Combi Interface Chip (CIC), is avantageously a component which, as a supplement to a microcontroller, can be used on chip cards or, with its functions according to the patent, can be integrated into a conventional card controller. In an advantageous manner, by means of the connection unit, it is possible to use a card at a terminal for an application A which requires the microcontroller A as well as at a terminal for an application B which requires the microcontroller B.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IN WHICH THE FOLLOWING IS SHOWN
FIG. 1 schematic view of the various connections 1, 2, 3 to read/write devices outside of the chip card, in which the connecting unit is installed directly on the chip of a microcontroller and
FIG. 2 another embodiment of a connecting unit in non-integrated form, whereby there are contact surfaces which allow the connection of a first microcontroller and of a second microcontroller.
WAYS TO EXECUTE THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the various connections 1, 2, 3 to read/write devices outside of the card. In their varying physical configurations, these connections are made to a connecting unit 4. The connecting unit 4 makes the various connections 1, 2, 3 in a uniform connection 6 available for the connection of additional chips. The connecting unit 4 is installed direct
REFERENCES:
patent: 4822988 (1989-04-01), Gloton
patent: 5049728 (1991-09-01), Rovin
patent: 5126568 (1992-06-01), Sekeguchi et al.
patent: 5444222 (1995-08-01), Inoue
CLM Combicard Licence Marketing GmbH & Co KG
Cyr Daniel St.
Kasper Horst M.
Wong Don
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