Registers – Coded record sensors – Holding devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-01
2002-10-08
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Holding devices
C235S482000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460772
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a smart card reader in general. More particularly, the present invention relates to a smart card reader built into a PCMCIA card (also called a PC Card).
Consumer use of credit cards, identification cards for giving access to certain premises, and bank cards, also referred to as “cash cards”, etc., has steadily increased in recent years. This increased consumer activity, combined with advances in the portable computer market, has resulted in a significant increase in the use of a new type of information device, commonly referred to as “smart cards”. Despite being the same size as a conventional credit card, which stores information on a magnetic strip, the smart card stores significantly more information than the credit card by using an integrated microprocessor chip located within the body of the smart card. The microprocessor chip enables the smart card to store and secure a wide variety of information, including monetary value for retail and vending machine use, personal information such as medical and healthcare records, and so forth. Depending on the microprocessor chip capabilities, new information and/or applications may also be added in the field.
In addition to storing more information, smart cards are more reliable, perform multiple functions, and utilize high security mechanisms such as advanced encryption to increase security. This ability for increased security is expected to be a significant factor in making the smart card an integral part of retail trade via the Internet. All of the storage and security advantages of the smart card have contributed to an increased growth in smart card applications.
Smart cards are often used in applications requiring communication via a telephone line modem.
Smart card readers are used to communicate with the smart card. When the smart card is inserted in the smart card reader, the smart card reader reads and writes information from and to the smart card through smart card contacts that connect to terminal points on the smart card surface. The terminal points are connected to the microprocessor chip inside the smart card. The smart card has to be accurately aligned with the smart card reader in order to assure a reliable electrical connection with the terminal points. In addition to the smart card contacts, the smart card reader also includes electronic components and often a microprocessor that interfaces with the smart card. Smart card readers can be separate devices connected to the serial port of a personal computer or can be built into other equipment such as bank terminals, personal computer keyboards, or modems, etc.
Portable computers often have one or two expansion slots standardized by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (“PCMCIA”). PCMCIA cards (also called PC Cards) can be inserted into these slots to expand the functionality of the computer. Extra memory, modems, GSM adapters, ethernet adapters and smart cards readers are examples of PCMCIA cards. A PCMCIA card also has the same width and length as a credit card, but is thicker, usually 5 mm. Several functions can also be combined into the same PCMCIA card.
Smart card functionality can be added to a portable computer by inserting a PCMCIA smart card reader into a free expansion slot. Since smart cards are often used in applications requiring communication by a modem, a LAN, or an ISDN adapter, the limited number of available expansion slots makes it highly desirable to combine the PCMCIA smart card reader with a modem or other function.
However, since the length and width of a smart card is the same as the length and width of a PCMCIA card, the mechanical realization of a PCMCIA smart card reader is difficult. When a slot is formed in the PCMCIA card for inserting the smart card, it separates the PCMCIA card into an upper section and a lower section. Because the width of the smart card is equal to the width of the PCMCIA card, there is no room for a mechanical support between the upper and lower sections within the specified dimensions of a PCMCIA card.
This lack of available space for a mechanical support between the upper portion and lower portion can be seen in the prior art PCMCIA smart card readers illustrated in
FIGS. 1A-1D
.
As illustrated in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
, a prior art smart card reader
100
has a length and width that is equal to a length and width of a smart card
102
. A slot
104
for receiving the smart card
102
is formed by an upper section
106
and a lower section
108
of smart card reader
100
. As illustrated in
FIG. 1B
, upper section
106
is thinner than lower section
108
. A smart card contact (not shown) is located along lower section
108
, at an innermost end
112
of slot
104
. When the smart card
102
is fully inserted into slot
104
of smart card reader
100
, the terminal points on the smart card surface come in contact with the smart card contact of smart card reader
100
.
The type of smart card reader illustrated in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
has no mechanical support between the front end of upper section
106
and lower section
108
, making the long unsupported upper section
106
of the smart card reader weak. The function of the upper section
106
is to push the smart card against the smart card contact to assure electrical contact. However, when the smart card is to be inserted, it is not guided or aligned laterally by the smart card reader itself. Only the guides inside the PCMCIA slot, which are meant to guide the PCMCIA card, will guide the smart card. Since the guides are located at some distance from the slot opening within the PCMCIA card slot, the smart card must be inserted a significant distance within the PCMCIA card slot before receiving sufficient support by the guides. The long smart card slot
104
occupies a large amount of space within the PCMCIA card, limiting the room for additional functions.
The type of smart card reader illustrated in
FIGS. 1C and 1D
adds mechanical support between the upper and lower sections
106
and
108
including guiding for the smart card insertion. However, since the PCMCIA and smart card standards stipulate the same width of
1
F both cards, the support cannot be placed within the standardized dimensions of the PCMCIA card without intruding within the space required for inserting the smart card within the PCMCIA card. Instead, a support
114
is placed such that the length of the PCMCIA card is increased, which causes smart card reader
100
to extend outside of the PCMCIA card slot of the computer device, making smart card reader
100
prone to physical damage during transport of the computer device. As a result, smart card reader
100
must be removed when transporting the computer device, which tends to be annoying given the portable nature of a lap top computer device.
In both types of prior art smart card readers illustrated in
FIGS. 1A-1D
, a printed circuit board, (“PCB”), (not shown) is positioned along lower thicker section
108
of smart card reader
100
. The PCB houses both electronic components for the smart card reader as well as the smart card contact. The electronic components and the smart card contact are soldered to the bottom side of the circuit board with the smart card contact arising from a hole in the PCB. When inserting the smart card
102
, it rides along the top surface of the PCB. Therefore, only the bottom side of the PCB can be used for mounting components and the available space is further limited by the smart card contact. Thus, room for additional functions within the PCMCIA card is very limited. The hole in the PCB for the smart card contact is a further obstacle when adding modem functionality, which requires a high voltage insulation barrier to the telephone line connection.
Another problem in PCMCIA smart card readers is that the PCMCIA card slot is normally located at the side of the computer. It is therefore difficult for a user to see the slot in which the smart card is to be inserted, making insertion of the smart card difficult.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE
Frech Karl D.
Intertex Data AB
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