Registers – Records – Conductive
Patent
1997-12-30
1999-08-31
Lee, Michael G.
Registers
Records
Conductive
235441, 439630, 439489, G06K 1906
Patent
active
059456620
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a connector for a microcircuit card reader apparatus.
In the context of the invention, "card" means all cards incorporating a hybrid or monolithic integrated circuit or "chip". The term "microcircuit" will be used for this hereinafter. They are, for example, cards in the "credit card" format also called "memory cards". The microcircuit of the card usually comprises a microprocessor or a microcontroller including memory circuits, for example of the "PROM" type. This type of card is designed to be inserted into special devices for reading and/or writing data. For simplicity, these devices are called "readers" hereinafter, although they can naturally write data and assure other ancillary functions (electrical power supply, testing, etc) referred to hereinafter. The data is stored in the aforementioned memory circuits, generally in encrypted form. It is therefore read from memory locations or written to memory locations.
Other logical architectures are used, especially for "electronic purse" or similar applications.
In all cases there are input-output members consisting of contact areas, also called "pads", flush with the surface of one of the main faces of the card. Various standards (ISO, AFNOR, etc) define the position of these contact areas. They are used not only for the aforementioned data inputs-outputs but also for supplying electrical power to the microcircuit and for carrying out various checks, depending on the application concerned (presence test, etc). The reader includes brush contacts that make galvanic contact with the aforementioned areas when the card is correctly inserted into a connector provided for this purpose.
Various trends are currently emerging, including: connector prices, in direct proportion to the expansion of the corresponding market.
Consequently, a number of problems have to be solved simultaneously, including: contacts are correctly positioned on the contact areas of the card. Powering up when incorrectly positioned not only prevents operation of the reader system but can damage the electronic circuits of the microcircuit. before the power supply voltage is applied to the microcircuit. "pull-out"). It is then necessary for the reader to react very quickly to cut off the power supply before the brushes reach prohibited positions (i.e. positions that are hazardous to the integrity of the circuits of the microcircuit). conductive plate or a faked card, for whatever reason, whether by accident or in the case of attempted fraud, can also cause faults.
In all these cases it is necessary to disable the reader and to cut off the electrical power supply to limit the risk of damage to the circuits and/or attempts at fraud.
There are many reader systems aimed at reducing some or all of these problems. They can be classified into three major categories.
The first category comprises electronic detector systems.
In systems of this type, an electrical test is carried out before applying an electrical voltage to the microcircuit, for example by measuring the resistance between the brush contacts. If these tests do not yield expected values within a given range the card has been inserted correctly or a foreign body has been inserted in its place.
This type of system has various drawbacks, including: commercially available cards are equipped, at least for a given application (bank cards, etc). However, the variety of microcircuits is too great to allow a single simple procedure. area. Obviously, in the event of "pull-out", the system must react very quickly. The appropriate electronics is complex and therefore costly.
The second category comprises so-called "landing" systems. One example of a system of this kind is described in French patent application FR-A-2 628 901.
In these systems, the card is positioned against an abutment before it comes into contact with the brushes. Contact is made by relative displacement of the card towards the brushes perpendicularly to the surface of the card (main faces).
Security can be assured only by correct
REFERENCES:
patent: 4004133 (1977-01-01), Hannan et al.
patent: 4017834 (1977-04-01), Cuttill et al.
patent: 4575703 (1986-03-01), Shishido
patent: 4675516 (1987-06-01), Guion
patent: 4900273 (1990-02-01), Pernet
patent: 5031599 (1991-07-01), Hirata
patent: 5463210 (1995-10-01), Imura
Framatome Connectors International
Lee Diane I.
Lee Michael G.
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