Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
  • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers
  • G06K7/0034—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers the connector being capable of simultaneously receiving a plurality of cards in the same insertion slot
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
  • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
  • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
  • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
  • G06K19/07737—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier consisting of two or more mechanically separable parts
  • G06K19/07741—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier consisting of two or more mechanically separable parts comprising a first part operating as a regular record carrier and a second attachable part that changes the functional appearance of said record carrier, e.g. a contact-based smart card with an adapter part which, when attached to the contact card makes the contact card function as a non-contact card
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
  • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers
  • G06K7/0021—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
  • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers
  • G06K7/0056—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers housing of the card connector
  • G06K7/0073—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers housing of the card connector having multiple insertion slots, the respective slots suited for the same or different card form factors

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a connector intended to be connected to an electronic unit of a computer.
• the state of the art can be defined by the document FR-A-2,735,251 which provides cards of the PCMCIA type, pluggable into a standardized PCMCIA slot of a microcomputer.
• the plug-in card is modified so that it can receive a card smart.
• the plug - in card has an insertion slot for the smart card.
• This slot is formed between an upper plate and a lower plate, substantially the same length as the upper plate and spaced by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a card with touching contacts; one of the plates is rigid and the other is formed at least in part by a flexible or semi-rigid tab on the insertion side of the smart card.
• the insertion is easy and the retention in place of the smart card is ensured.
• This document describes the possibility of modifying a micro- 2 computer so that it can receive a PCMCIA card, which itself receives a smart card. In this embodiment, the smart card is completely inserted into the PCMCIA card, there is therefore a need to provide ejection means, since access to the smart card is not easy.
• the document EP-A-0.696.010 relates to a portable interface of one or more electronic chip card (s), the interface being pluggable into a card reader, composed of a module, intended to be housed in the card reader and comprising at one end pluggable means of electrical connection with the card reader, an end piece integral with the other end of the module comprising a slot for inserting the smart card, a housing intended to at least partially receive the smart card and at least partially passing through said tip, said housing comprising means for guiding and positioning the smart card, and means for electrical connection with the electrical contact pads of the smart card.
• the connector comprises a housing, for the insertion of an intermediate element which itself comprises a housing, for the insertion of a smart card, and an interface device between the card chip and said housing, via the intermediate element, which uses the free bus, assigned to the input / output interface and connected to a smart card interface integrated into said connector.
• the present invention proposes to solve a chronic shortage in the field of computer peripherals. This is to allow, on the one hand, the connection of a connector on a single smart card reader carried by the computer, and on the other hand, to associate with a connector a large number of readers smart card, in situ on the connector.
• the invention relates to a connector intended to be connected to an electronic box of a computer, for example of a PCMCIA or PCCARD format, characterized in that the electronic box consists of a card reader to chip comprising a housing allowing the insertion within said housing of a smart card, and that the connector comprises a connection in the form of a smart card, allowing its insertion at the housing of said housing, and at least two housings each allowing inserting another smart card.
• each slot of the connector allow only a partial insertion of each smart card, so that part of said smart card, external to said connector, remains accessible.
• the housings are located in parallel planes, each plane being parallel to the plane formed by the electronic unit.
• the housings are located in parallel planes, each plane being in an oblique position relative to the plane formed by the electronic unit.
• the dwellings are located in oblique planes one by 4 relative to the other, one of the planes being parallel to the plane formed by the electronic unit, the other plane or planes being in an oblique position relative to the plane formed by said electronic unit.
• the cards are inserted into the slots perpendicularly.
• the cards are inserted into the slots in the same directions.
• Card insertions in the slots are made in opposite directions.
• the connector has a mobile keyboard that can rotate to adapt to the position of the person using the keyboard.
• At least one of the housings includes a means for locking in position the smart card inserted in its housing.
• the part of the smart card, external to the connector includes a keyboard.
• the housings are connected together only by a hinge pin which makes it possible to vary the obliquity between said housings.
• the connector has, for each smart card, an interfacing component communicating, on the one hand with the smart card and, on the other hand with the card reader to carry out the serial chaining of smart cards.
• the interfacing component has input-output components connected to the smart card by a connector, said components integrating:
• the interfacing component comprises means of communication in connection with the card reader for adapting the data coming from the input-output components in a serial manner.
• FIG. 1 represents an overall view of a microcomputer equipped with a PCMCIA reader before its cooperation with a connector with two smart cards according to a first embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 represents an overall view of a microcomputer equipped with a PCMCIA reader after its cooperation with a connector with two smart cards according to the invention.
• FIG. 3 represents a view in longitudinal section of a connector presented in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the absence of the two smart cards.
• FIG. 4 shows a view identical to Figure 3 just before the introduction of the two smart cards.
• FIG. 5 represents a side view of a last embodiment of a connector when the two receiving housings for the smart cards, empty in this case, are parallel to each other.
• FIG. 6 represents a view identical to FIG. 5, in which one of the housings has been rotated so that the two housings form an angle.
• FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention according to a first construction variant.
• FIG. 8 represents a second construction variant of the second embodiment.
• Figure 9 is a view identical to Figure 7, the connector carrying a keyboard.
• FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams illustrating the communication between the smart cards and the electronic unit of a computer.
• the connector is always referenced 1 whatever its shape.
• This connector 1 cooperates, as is well shown in Figures 1 and 2, with an electronic unit 2 which is constituted, in all of the figures, by a PCMCIA module.
• This PCMCIA module 2 is incorporated into a microcomputer 3. It is not necessary, as shown in the figures, that there are elements which are external to the central unit of the microcomputer 3. Nevertheless, for the purpose of understanding clearly showing the connection, an element external to the central unit has been shown in enlarged form.
• connection is made by inserting the connector 1 into the microcomputer according to FI.
• the connection is made at a slot 4 of the connector 1.
• This slot 4 normally allows partial insertion of a card to chip. Therefore, the connector 1 has a connector 5 in the form of a smart card.
• the connector l is best shown in longitudinal section. We notice that there are two housings 6 and 7 which allow
• the two housings 6 and 7 are in an oblique position relative to each other, that is to say that there is an angle shown in FIG. 3, this angle ⁇ existing between the plane passing through the first housing 6 and the plane passing through the second housing 7.
• the first plane is in fact in the same plane as the electronic unit 2.
• the second plane is it, positioned obliquely.
• the two cards 8 and 9 are inserted perpendicularly to each other, one of the cards 8 being inserted in the same axis as the insertion according to FI of the connector 1 in the microphone -computer 3.
• the other card 9 is perpendicular.
• the two cards 8 and 9 are inserted in opposite directions.
• the two cards 8 and 9 are then perpendicular in their insertion to the insertion according to FI, seen previously.
• the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 are found in FIGS. 9 and 10.
• the two housings 6 and 7, intended to receive the smart cards 8 and 9, have another configuration. They constitute two physically independent elements separated one from the other 7 by a hinge pin 11. By pivoting the housing 7 according to F2, it is possible to vary endlessly 8 the position of the two housings 6 and 7, there is therefore an infinity of values for ⁇ in this embodiment.
• connection in the form of a smart card 5 has all the functionalities of a smart card.
• said connector 5 has electrical contact pads 12, identical to those carried by the smart cards, such as for example those referenced 8 and 9 in the figures.
• the connector 1 presented here allows the reading of several smart cards 8, 9 by using only a single card reader corresponding to the electronic unit 2.
• the invention may use specific means, hereinafter called interfacing components 22.
• interfacing components 22 By authorizing a serial link between the smart cards 8, 9 and the electronic unit 2, the interfacing components 22 allow the chaining of the cards.
• Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the implementation of the interfacing component 22 integrated in the connector 1 according to the invention.
• the different icons marked 22 each correspond to an interfacing component 22 connected to a smart card.
• the IPCIC 23 component may contain autolearning
• FIG. 11 finally presents the communication between the electronic unit 2 and the computer 3 established in a current manner such as a PCMCIA connector with 68 pins.
• FIG. 12 presents more precisely the characteristics of an interface component 22.
• Component 22 is first linked to the smart card 8, 9 by a connector 14 adapted to the card format.
• Component 22 has input-output members 15 in connection with the connectors 14. It is possible in particular to use a register system 16 such as FIFO (First In First Out) registers and a physical interface device of UART (Universal asynchronous receiver) type. transmitter).
• the component 22 has the particularity of integrating communication means 18 allowing a transformation into serial communication of the data coming from the input-output components 15.
• the communication means 18 consist in using communication protocol subsystems 20, 21 of the serial type. We can in particular use the communication means 18
• I2C and SPI serial pheripheral interface
• a parallel connection can be set up, in particular for modifying parameters and 10 switch to test mode.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Artificial Intelligence (AREA)
• Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
• Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9522190

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1998
  • 1998-01-27 FR FR9800827A patent/FR2774193A1/fr active Pending
• 1999
  • 1999-01-20 EP EP99900960A patent/EP1050007A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-01-20 WO PCT/FR1999/000101 patent/WO1999038105A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-01-20 JP JP2000528938A patent/JP2002501260A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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