WO1999059103A1

WO1999059103A1 - A combined smart card and hand-held terminal

Info

Publication number: WO1999059103A1
Application number: PCT/IL1999/000220
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronnie Gilboa; Oded Bashan; Nehemya Itay; Moshe Aduk
Original assignee: On Track Innovations Ltd.
Priority date: 1998-05-08
Filing date: 1999-04-23
Publication date: 1999-11-18
Also published as: IL124386A0; AU3441799A

Abstract

A smart card (10) comprising an integral keypad (13), memory (12) and display device (14) coupled to an on-board processor operating in accordance with an instruction set stored in the memory, a battery (15) for allowing energy to be supplied to the processor, memory and display device, and a contactless communications interface (21) connected to the processor for allowing contactless connection to a remote data storage device so as to transfer data stored in the data storage device to the memory of the smart card.

Description

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A COMBINED SMART CARD AND HAND-HELD TERMINAL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to contactless smart cards having display and data manipulation capability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Smart cards are so-called on account of their on-board processing and data manipulation capability which render them an ideal vehicle for storing customized data in a host of data transaction systems. Whilst most current smart cards are adapted to both read data from and write data to a remote device, either via contacts or by means of a contactless loop antenna, the principal value of the smart card itself resides in its ability to from part of an integrated communication system. Thus, in order to read data form the smart card, an external interrogation device must be employed, be it in the form of a hand held terminal device or card reader or loop antenna associated with an access barrier, parking lot and so on. Under these circumstances, it is possible for the smart card to be energized either via an external power supply coupled to a contact field to which the smart card is connected; or via an external electromagnetic field which is inductively coupled to a loop antenna within the smart card. In either case, no battery is required in the smart card for the purpose of effecting bi— directional communication with an external reader. Also known are so-called "super smart cards^"' which by definition have keypads, on-board data processing capability and display devices. However, they are intended or currently adapted for autonomous use, being instead intended for coupling to an external interrogation device. Moreover, they are application-specific there having been no suggestion as to how such a smart card could easily be customized for use with different applications without also requiring factory modification.

As distinct from smart cards, portable reading devices have been proposed for remote reading of data associated with various data storage devices. For example, hand-held terminals are well lαiown for remote reading of water meters, electricity meters and so on. By "remote in this context is meant ""non-contact", i.e. no physical connection is required between the data storage device and the reading terminal. This feature is, of course, essential since it allows many different devices, each at a respective consumer location, to be read quickly. On the other, the realization of this objective does not require that a large distance be maintained between the reader and the data storage device since the hand-held reader is typically brought into very close proximity to the data storage device.

Such hand-held readers, in addition to having a first contactless communications interface for connecting to the data storage device, must have sufficient internal memory capacity to store data from a large number of data storage devices. They must further be provided with a second communications interface for allowing the stored data to be downloaded to a central computer which is typically connected to the second communications interface via a cable.

In order to be portable they must be self-powered by means of a battery and must have a keypad for allowing operator interaction and a display device so that the operator can monitor such interaction and see results, messages and so on. All this renders such reading devices relatively bulky. Furthermore, to the extent that reading devices of this kind are intended for use with a specific application, they lack versatility in that they are not interchangeable between one application and another. If nevertheless, it be required to modify "on the fly" a given reading device for use with a different application, then suitable software must first be downloaded into the reading device. This generally militates against their portability since it is rarely practical for a user to download new software in situ, this usually being a factory procedure carried out by the manufacturer.

Many of the features of such hand-held reading devices are increasingly being provided in "super smart cards" which, as noted above, have keypads, on-board data processing capability and display devices. Such super smart cards usually have a contact field and in order to allow remote coupling to a data storage device, it is first necessary to couple the smart card to an adapter having a wireless communication interface. Such an adapter is typically in the form of a sleeve or receptacle for accommodating the smart card and having contacts for engaging with corresponding contacts in the smart card. Data is thus routed via the contacts to a processor in the adapter from where it is transferred to the wireless communications interface for remote coupling to the data storage device using a suitable wireless protocol. However, it has not been proposed to allow such super smart cards to be independently contactlessly coupled to a data storage device for remote reading thereof.

Super smart cards having the reverse capability are known. Thus, EP 813171 assigned to Bosch GmbH discloses an interface in the form of an electronic chip card with integral processor and memory unit. The interface card is suitable for making a connection in a contactless reading process with a stationary receiver/transmitter station via a coil. A keyboard on the chip card allows a user thereof to enter operating instructions for directing to the station and a display may also be provided. Such a device is particularly useful as an _ 4 _

electronic purse or emergency call device wherein data stored in the memory of the device must be transferred to the remote station. This is the very opposite of what is required in hand-held terminals wherein data in a host of autonomous storage devices must be transferred to the chip card. DE 29615893 TJ (Fehrmann et al.) discloses a smart card reader and programming device contained in a housing having a keyboard, display, processor, memory, programming interface and battery. The memory is split into a RAM an EEPROM containing a user program which is adapted and loaded in situ. It is apparent that whilst such a device has many of the features associated with conventional hand-held terminals and is, moreover, more versatile than most, it is still cumbersome and bulky compared with known smart cards. Furthermore, no suggestion appears to be made to allow contactless data communication with a data storage device in order to read data stored therein. EP 347897 assigned to Omron Tateisi Electronics Company discloses a multifunction IC card having a keyboard, display and a thin-film battery. Contacts allow for data to be both written to and read from the card via appropriate interfaces. An integrated circuit executes processing functions of the card in response to keyboard actuation. Here no suggestion is made to allow contactless data transfer with a remote data storage device; nor does there appear to be any suggestion to provide a versatile programming interface enabling the IC card to be adapted easily to different applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a smart card that can function as an autonomous device for the non-contact display and manipulation of data.

To this end there is provided in accordance with invention a smart card comprising: an integral keypad, memory and display device coupled to an on-board processor operating in accordance with an instruction set stored in said memory, a battery for allowing energy to be supplied to the processor, memory and display device, and a contactless communications interface connected to the processor for allowing contactless connection to a remote data storage device so as to transfer data stored in the data storage device to the memory of the smart card. Preferably, the device is provided with a programmable interface allowing data to be stored dynamically and hierarchically thus allowing data structures to be quickly and easily defined using a menu-driven state machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing functionally a smart card device according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing functionally a smart card device according to a second embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a hierarchical tree structure representing data storage in a memory of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 shows functionally a device depicted generally as 10 comprising an application processor 11 having coupled thereto a read only memory (ROM) 12 containing a basic operating system (instruction set) and responsively coupled to a keypad 13 for receiving operator input and to a display 14 for outputting data. The processor 11 is energized by means of a battery 15 connected thereto by a power switch 16 which is responsive to one of the keys in the keypad for switching the processor 11 from a dormant state to an active state. A microprocessor 17 is coupled to an EEPROM 18 containing an application program or state machine and including a non-volatile memory for data storage. Consequently, in the dormant state, no power need be fed to the EEPROM 18 in order to maintain the data intact therein. The microprocessor 17 constitutes an auxiliary processor which is coupled to the processor 11 so as to be activated thereby when the device 10 is switched on, thereby allowing data associated with the program and stored in the EEPROM 18 to be displayed by the display 14. Bi-directional contactless data transfer between the EEPROM 18 and an external device (not shown) may be effected via a loop antenna 19 coupled to the microprocessor 17 via an antenna interface 20. The microprocessor 17, the EEPROM 18, the loop antenna 19 and the antenna interface 20 constitute a conventional contactless smart card 21 which may thus be energized via an external electromagnetic field is inductively coupled to the loop antenna 19. In this case, the application processor 11 and associated components may be energized via the same field thus saving battery power. A suitable smart card which may serve as the smart card 21 is described, for example, in our U.S. Patent No. 5,241.160 which is incorporated herein by reference. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an alternative embodiment wherein the antenna interface 20 is coupled directly to the application processor 11 which itself contains the EEPROM 18. In such an embodiment, the microprocessor 17 is not required. In both embodiments, the antenna interface 20 constitutes a contactless communications interface for allowing contactless connection to a remote data storage device so as to transfer data stored in the data storage device to the memory of the smart card. The same contactless communications interface may be used for data communication between the smart card and a central computer. Alternatively, a further contact communications interface 22 (e.g. RS232) may be provided for allowing data communication between the smart card and the central computer.

With reference to Fig. 3, the manner in which data is stored in the EEPROM 18 will now be explained. The EEPROM 18 is split into two areas: one containing menu titles and the other respective instructions associated with each title. Thus, the titles may include DISPLAY DEFAULT MENU ITEM, ADD MENU ITEM each title including a link, or pointer, to an area of the EEPROM 18 having specific instructions relating to the respective title. The default menu item is stored in the ROM 12 so as to be displayed, under control of the basic operating system, when the device 10 is switched on. For example, suppose the device 10 is to be used for the dynamic storage of contact names and tasks associated therewith. The default menu item might then read NAME so that when the device 10 is first switched on the word NAME appears in the display 14. Other menu items may also be stored in the EEPROM 18 allowing forward and backward scrolling between different menu items using appropriate scroll keys. If NAME is selected, then a pointer to another part of memory allows stored data items to be cyclically extracted and displayed: each corresponding to a respective name stored in memory. When a desired name is displayed, it may be selected, thereby setting another - 8 -

pointer to another part of memory storing specific data relating to the selected name. For example, the database may contain a task associated with the selected name, such as a scheduled meeting, data and time information, start and finish times, order details and so on. Each such item may be defined using the ADD MENU ITEM option and thereafter programmed dynamically and updated when required by using appropriate scroll keys to display and select a desired item thus allowing the entry of data associated therewith.

By such means, the device 10 may be non-application specific since both the interface and the associated data may be created and updated dynamically as and when required according to a particular user^'s individual requirements. Alternatively, once the application software has been loaded, data may be downloaded into the EEPROM 18 from an external device using a conventional contactless smart card interface.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A smart card (10) comprising: an integral keypad (13), memory (12) and display device (14) coupled to an on-board processor (11) operating in accordance with an instruction set stored in said memory, a battery (15) for allowing energy to be supplied to the processor, memory and display device, and a contactless communications interface (21) connected to the processor (11) for allowing contactless connection to a remote data storage device so as to transfer data stored in the data storage device to the memory of the smart card.

2. The smart card according to Claim 1, wherein the contactless communications interface allows for data communication between the smart card and a central computer.

3. The smart card according to Claim 1. having a further contact communications interface (22) for data communication between the smart card and a central computer.

4. The smart card according to any one of the preceding claims, further including a power switch (16) connected between the battery and the processor for switching the processor from a dormant state to an active state whilst allowing power to be continuously fed to the memory.

5. The smart card according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is stored in the memory a menu comprising a dynamic database including pointers to pre-stored applications.

6. The smart card according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor (11) and the memory (12) are energized via an electromagnetic field which is inductively coupled to a loop antenna (19) within the contactless communications interface (21). - 10 -

7. The smart card according to any one of the preceding claims, further including an auxiliary processor (17) coupled to the processor (11) and having the memory (18) coupled thereto.

8. The smart card according to Claim 7, wherein the auxiliary processor in combination with the memory and the contactless communications interface is a conventional contactless smart card.