Contactless ic card with operating system used in contact type cards and reader for such contactless cards

Abstract

A contactless electronic IC card ( 10 ), includes a communication device ( 14 ) for communicating with a contactless electronic IC card reader ( 12 ) in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard, a contact type electronic IC card operating system ( 16 ) communicating by APDU command and APDU response in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard, and a protocol conversion interface ( 18 ) between the communication device ( 14 ) and the operating system ( 16 ).

1 . A system comprising: 
 a communication interface operable to receive commands from an external device, the commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and transmitted within a data zone (INF) of one or more information blocks (I-Blocks) formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard; and    a processing device having an operating system responsive to commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and forming responses in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard,    the communication interface operable to extract received commands from the one or more information blocks,    the processing device operable to execute the extracted commands and generates responses formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard, and    the communication interface operable to transmit the responses to the external device within a data zone (INF) of at least one information block (I-Block) formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.    
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the commands comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising software controlled by the communication interface that performs extraction of the received commands from the information blocks.  
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is operable to communicate the extracted commands to the processing device in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.  
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the responses comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising software controlled by the communication interface that performs insertion of the responses into the information blocks.  
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is operable to communicate the responses to the communication interface in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.  
   
   
       8 . A contactless integrated circuit (IC) card including the system according to  claim 1 , the card further comprising: 
 a communication device operable to transmit and receive communication signals in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.    
   
   
       9 . A system comprising: 
 a processing device having an operating system responsive to commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and forming responses in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard; and    a communication interface operable to receive, from an external device, commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and transmitted within a data zone (INF) of at least one information block (I-Block) command formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard,    the communication interface operable to extract received commands from the information block(s) and to communicate the extracted commands to the processing device in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.    
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the commands comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 9 , further comprising software controlled by the communication interface that performs extraction of the received commands from the information blocks.  
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the processing device is operable to execute the extracted commands and to generate responses formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard, and the communication interface is operable to transmit the responses to the external device within a data zone (INF) of at least one information block (I-Block) command formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.  
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the responses comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the processing device is operable to communicate the responses to the communication interface in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.  
   
   
       15 . The system according to  claim 12 , further comprising software controlled by the communication interface that performs insertion of the responses into the information blocks.  
   
   
       16 . A contactless integrated circuit (IC) card including the system according to  claim 9 , the card further comprising: 
 a communication device operable to transmit and receive communication signals in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.    
   
   
       17 . A system comprising: 
 a processing device having an operating system responsive to commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and forming responses in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard; and    a communication interface operable to receive, from an external device, commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and to transmit within a data zone (INF) of at least one information block (I-Block) command formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard,    the processing device operable to execute the commands to generate responses and to communicate the responses to the communication interface in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.    
   
   
       18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the commands comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the communication interface is operable to extract received commands from the information block(s).  
   
   
       20 . The system according to  claim 19 , further comprising software controlled by the communication interface that performs extraction of the received commands from the information blocks.  
   
   
       21 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the communication interface is operable to communicate the extracted commands to the processing device in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.  
   
   
       22 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the responses comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       23 . The system according to  claim 19 , further comprising software controlled by the communication interface that performs insertion of the responses into the information blocks.  
   
   
       24 . A contactless integrated circuit (IC) card including the system according to  claim 17 , the card further comprising: 
 a communication device operable to transmit and receive communication signals in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.    
   
   
       25 . A method of operating a contactless integrated circuit (IC) card, the method comprising: 
 receiving one or more ISO 14443-4 information blocks (I Blocks) in the contactless integrated circuit card from an external device, wherein each of the one or more information blocks contain at least a portion of a command formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard in a data zone (INF) thereof;    extracting the command from the one or more information blocks; and    communicating the extracted command in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard to a processing device within the contactless integrated circuit card, the processing device having an operating system responsive to commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and forming responses in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.    
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the command comprises an Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU).  
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein software controlled by a communication interface in the contactless integrated circuit card and coupled to the processing device extracts the command from the one or more information blocks.  
   
   
       28 . The system according to  claim 27 , wherein a communication device in the contactless integrated circuit card and coupled to the communication interface receives the one or more information blocks.  
   
   
       29 . A method of operating a contactless integrated circuit (IC) card, the method comprising: 
 executing a command formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and received from an external device within a processing device in the contactless integrated circuit card, the processing device having an operating system responsive to commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and forming responses in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard;    generating a response to the command, wherein the response is formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard; and    transmitting the response from the contactless integrated circuit card to the external device in a data zone (INF) of one or more ISO 14443-4 information blocks (I Blocks).    
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the response comprises an Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU).  
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein software controlled by a communication interface in the integrated circuit card coupled to the processing device inserts the response into the one or more information blocks.  
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein a communication device in the contactless integrated circuit card and coupled to the communication interface transmits the one or more information blocks.  
   
   
       33 . A system comprising: 
 an operating system responsive to commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and forming responses in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard;    means for receiving commands from an external device, the commands formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard and transmitted within a data zone (INF) of one or more information blocks (I-Blocks) formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard;    means for extracting received commands from the one or more information blocks;    means for executing the extracted commands and generating responses formed in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard; and    means for transmitting the responses to the external device within a data zone (INF) of at least one information block (I-Block) formed in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.    
   
   
       34 . The system according to  claim 33 , wherein the commands comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       35 . The system according to  claim 33 , further comprising software means for performing extraction of the received commands from the information blocks.  
   
   
       36 . The system according to  claim 33 , further comprising means for communicating the extracted commands to the operating system in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.  
   
   
       37 . The system according to  claim 33 , wherein the responses comprise Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs).  
   
   
       38 . The system according to  claim 33 , further comprising software means for performing insertion of the responses into the information blocks.  
   
   
       39 . The system according to  claim 33 , wherein the operating system is operable to communicate the responses to the means for communicating in accordance with the ISO 7816-4 standard.  
   
   
       40 . A contactless integrated circuit (IC) card including the system according to  claim 33 , the card further comprising: 
 means for transmitting and receiving communication signals in accordance with the ISO 14443-4 standard.