The present invention generally relates to an IC chip, a card and a mobile terminal device connectable to the IC chip, and particularly relates to IC chips capable of performing both contact and contactless functions, cards and mobile terminal devices therefore.
There are two kinds of so called “IC cards” or “smart cards”, a contact IC card and a contactless IC card depending on how to communicate data with a reader/writer. As shown in
As shown in
A combination type IC card or hybrid type IC card is known, which has both functions of contact IC card and contactless IC card.
As shown in
On the other hand, it has been impossible to make the function of the contactless IC card using the IC chip 20 in the form of a single chip, because the antenna cannot be miniaturized and technical problems resulting from enlarging the slot portion cannot be solved. Accordingly, there is not known one card capable of being used as both contact and contactless IC cards.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publications 2000-113148, 2000-113148 and 2001-172814 disclose prior art IC cards having both the functions of contact and contactless communication, and other prior technologies.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an IC chip with a dual interface function for performing contactless and contact communication. Another object is to provide a card and a mobile terminal device connectable to such an IC chip for enabling the IC chip to function as a contact IC card and a contactless IC card.
Features and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings, or may be learned by practice of the invention according to the teachings provided in the description. Objects as well as other features and advantages of the present invention will be realized and attained by the IC chip, the card and the mobile terminal device particularly pointed out in the specification in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides as follows:
an IC chip, comprising a CPU; a contact interface connected to the CPU, for enabling data communications with the outside; and a contactless interface connected to the CPU for enabling data communications with the outside;
a card connectable to the contactless interface of the IC chip comprising an antenna; the antenna being connectable to the contactless interface of the IC chip to enable the IC chip to radio-communicate with the outside; and
a mobile terminal device connectable to the contact interface of the IC chip comprising another CPU; the another CPU being connectable to and able to communicate with the contact interface of the IC chip to make the IC chip function as a contact IC chip.
In the following, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In a second embodiment shown in
While the IC chip 30 remains inserted in the card 40, it can function as a contact IC card using the exposed contact interface 36. That is, by being used together with the card 40, one dual interface chip 36 can function as both contact and contactless IC cards.
In a third embodiment shown in
Users can read/write data from/to the IC chip 30 and can display data utilizing an input/output device 54.
In order to protect the IC chip 30 against miss-connection when the contactless interface side 38 is mistakenly inserted and connected to the I/O circuit 53 of the mobile terminal 50, the IC chip may have a predetermined physical asymmetric shape (not shown), and the inlet of the mobile terminal 50 also may have a physical complementary shape. In this manner, the IC chip 30 cannot be inserted by the wrong side.
In a fourth embodiment shown in
In order to protect the IC chip 30 against miss-connection when the contactless interface side 38 is mistakenly connected to an I/O circuit 53 of the mobile terminal 60, the IC chip may have a predetermined physical asymmetric shape (not shown), and the mobile terminal 60 also may have a physical complementary shape. In this manner, the IC chip 30 cannot be inserted at the wrong side.
As mentioned above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, one IC chip can perform both the contact and contactless functions. By selecting a device for connecting to the IC chip, users can easily select either of contact communication or contactless communication as a main function. By inserting such an IC chip into a mobile terminal, it becomes possible to read data in the IC chip and download data from the network via the mobile terminal communication function. On the other hand, by inserting such an IC chip into a card with antenna, it can be utilized as a contactless IC card at ticket examination machines, etc.
Further, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-169337 | Jun 2002 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP03/07277 | 6/9/2003 | WO | 7/27/2005 |