WO2006108726A1

WO2006108726A1 - Device for reading at least one chip on a smart card

Info

Publication number: WO2006108726A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/050638
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans-Jürgen Neuhaus
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2005-04-14
Filing date: 2006-02-03
Publication date: 2006-10-19
Also published as: DE102005017300A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for reading at least one chip on a first or several smart cards, comprising a serial interface with first interface lines to at least one data I/O contact, a clock signal contact, a power supply contact, an earth contact and a reset signal contact for the chip of the first smart card, whereby from each first interface line of the serial interface at least one further interface line is provided for the reading of a chip of a second smart card, whereby a switch is provided between a first reset signal interface line and the further reset signal interface line coming from said first reset signal interface line.

Description

Device for reading at least one chip of a smart card

description

The invention relates to a device for reading at least one chip of a first or several smart card (s) having a serial interface with first interface lines to at least one data input / output contact, a clock signal contact, a

Programming voltage contact, a ground contact and a reset signal contact of the chip of the first smart card.

Smart cards, also known as Integrated Circuit Cards (ICC), are standardized cards. Smart cards or the chip of the smart card have their own microprocessor with a fixed or program memory (ROM - Read OnIy Memory), with volatile memories (RAM - Random Access Memory and EEPROM - Electrical Eraseable Programmable Read OnIy Memory) and a bus system, to be able to transport data. The fixed memory houses the operating system. The RAM memory is volatile when the operating voltage is switched off. The ROM and EEPROM memories are not volatile when the operating voltage is switched off. The EEPROM is the erasable ROM on which the application data and encryption algorithms are stored. The data stored in the memory of the smart cards data can be read via appropriate readers and transmitted to other communication devices. Furthermore, a smart card or the chip of a smart card has a

Reset logic on. This is a so-called reset circuit which resets the entire system to a defined initial state. A smart card provides its own services, such as data storage or encryption. In the standard ISO7816 is the

Specification of smart cards. Communication with the smart card reader is done via electrical contact fields on the chip of the smart card. A chip of a smart card usually has 8 contact fields, which serve among other things, the supply of the supply voltage, the ground, the clock signal and the reset signal and the data transmission and the programming voltage.

Smart cards are mainly used in e-business and e-commerce. In addition, they serve for authentication and authorization and can thus provide access to vending machines, computers and communication devices. They can be used, for example, as an RSA card for creating digital signatures, as a SIM card for GSM mobile devices or as a USIM card for UMTS mobile devices.

GSM mobile devices or UMTS mobile devices require a SIM card or a USIM card for their intended function. That is, the interface of GSM mobile devices or UMTS mobile devices is usually designed for the connection of a SIM card or a USIM card. In practice, however, two or more interfaces are often required. For example, it is known from automotive devices that at least two SIM cards, a so-called telematics SIM card and a telephony SIM card are required. Communication from a GSM mobile device or UMTS mobile device to the SIM card or USIM card takes place via a serial interface with at least the following interface lines: a data input / output line to the data input / output contact (I / O ) of the chip of the smart card. This data input / output line or data input / output contact is used for serial communication between the smart card and the card reader of a device, such as a radio module. - A clock signal line to the clock signal contact (CLK) of the smart card chip. A smart card microprocessor usually does not have internal clock generation. Therefore, this must be over a clock signal line can be applied from the outside. Typical clock rates are 3.5 to 5 MHz. In ISO / IEC-7816-3, however, clock rates of up to 20MHz are specified. To save power, most smart card microprocessors allow a temporary shutdown of the clock supply.

- a supply voltage line to

Supply voltage contact (VCC) of smart card chip. The supply voltage of a smart card is usually at 5V, 3V or 1.8V. - A ground line to the ground contact (GND) of the chip of the smart card. The supply voltage line and the ground line together form the operating voltage supply of the chip of the smart card.

- A reset signal line to the reset signal contact (RST) of the smart card chip. The card reader can reset the chip of the smart card via this reset signal contact. The reset signal is low active. It is used in the boot sequence and for external reset of the smart card.

A disadvantage of the known devices, such as a GSM mobile device or a UMTS mobile device, for reading at least two smart cards or at least two chips of multiple smart cards is the switching between the smart cards or the chips. The switching takes place in the known devices in that all

Interface lines are switched to a smart card or to a chip by means of low-impedance electronic switch. This is on the one hand very expensive, on the other costly.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which is suitable to read chips of multiple smart cards, wherein the switching between the smart cards or the chips is simple and inexpensive to carry out. That is, the device should be designed so that different chips can be read out by the device without changing the position of the chips. This object is achieved by a device for reading at least one chip of a first or several smart card (s) having the features of patent claim 1.

An apparatus for reading at least one chip of a first or more smart card (s) having a serial interface with first interface lines to at least one data input / output contact, a clock signal contact, a supply voltage contact, a ground contact and a reset Signal contact of the chip of the first smart card, in which, starting from each first interface line of the serial interface at least one additional interface line for reading a chip of a second smart card is provided, wherein between a first interface line and outgoing from this first interface line further

Interface line is provided a switch, represents a device in which the switching between the smart cards or the chips is simple and inexpensive to carry out. In such a device several interfaces for reading smart cards or from the chips of the smart cards are provided, can be controlled by simply switching the switch, which smart card or which chip to be read. From the device run first interface lines to the serial interface of the device for receiving and reading a first chip. Parallel to the first interface lines extend at least second interface lines leading to an at least second serial interface of the device for receiving and reading a further chip. The second interface lines extend from the first interface lines, ie they are branched off from the first interface lines. The branching can take place at the beginning of the first interface lines or in the course of the first interface lines. The device has Drivers that allow multiple serial ports to be controlled. Under a device according to the invention all electrical devices are understood with a Kartenieseeinrichtung. This can be, for example, mobile radio modules of any kind, such as GSM mobile devices or UMTS mobile devices.

Particularly advantageous is a device according to the invention, in which the switch between the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip of the first smart card and the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip of the at least one second smart card is arranged. The entire system is returned to a defined initial state via the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip. That is, the card reader can reset the chip via the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip. The so-called reset signal is the start signal for the communication. The reset signal is low active. It is used in the boot sequence and for external reset of the card. As a result, the are suitable

Interface lines for reset signal contact of the chip of the first smart card and the chip of the at least one second smart card particularly well for the arrangement of the switch. By pressing the switch can be controlled which smart card or which chip is to be controlled. The switch is preferably a low-resistance electronic switch.

Advantageous is a device with a control unit for controlling the switch. The control unit can be arranged in the device or external to the device. That is, the control of the switch can be done directly by the device or by an externally to the device arranged application. The control unit is preferably the microprocessor of the device. It can also be one be provided as a control unit additional microprocessor.

A device is preferred in which, starting from the control unit, a first control line is connected to a first control line

Transistor is provided, wherein the first control line is connected to the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip of the first smart card, and a second control line is provided with a second transistor, the second control line to the interface line to the reset signal contact of the Chips the at least one second smart card is connected, and that the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip of the first smart card and the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip of the at least one second

Smart card each have a decoupling resistor. By activating the first or the second transistor, it is possible to selectively control which smart card or which chip of the smart card is switched on or off. If, for example, the first transistor is activated, the interface line to the reset signal contact of the chip of the first smart card is at a so-called LOW level, ie, the chip of the first smart card is switched off, during which the chip of the at least one further smart card is switched on , The switchover between the first and another smart card or the chip of the first and another smart card takes place by alternative activation of the first or the second or further transistor.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 shows an inventive device for reading from a chip of a first and a second smart card, with an external control unit and a switch between the interface lines to the reset signal contacts of the chips of the smart cards;

Figure 2 shows an inventive device for reading from a chip of a first and a second smart card, with an external control unit, a switch between the interface lines to the reset signal contacts of the smart card chips and transistors.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention. From the mobile radio module 21 of the device 1, first interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 extend to the serial interface 9 of the device 1 for receiving and reading a first chip 8. Parallel to the first interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 run second interface lines 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, which lead to a second serial interface 19 of the device 1 for receiving and reading a second chip 18. The second interface lines 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 extend from the first interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, i. they are branched off from the first interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. The branching can take place at the beginning of the first interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or in the course of the first interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , The device 1 has software drivers, which make it possible that a plurality of serial interfaces 9, 19 can be controlled. The first interface line 2 and the second interface line 12 provide the

Interface lines to the data input / data output contacts of the first 8 and the second chip 18. The first interface line 3 and the second interface line 13 represent the interface lines to the clock signal contacts of the first 8 and the second chip 18. Die erste Schnittstelleleitung 4 and the second interface line 14 provide the Interface lines to the supply voltage contacts of the first 8 and the second chip 18. The first interface line 5 and the second interface line

15 illustrate the interface lines to the ground contacts of the first 8 and second chips 18. The first

Interface line 6 and the second interface line

16 represent the interface lines to the reset signal contacts of the first 8 and the second chip 18. In this embodiment of the inventive device 1, a control unit 20 for controlling the switch 10 is provided. The switch 10 is located between the first interface line 6 and the second interface line 16, which lead to the reset signal contacts of the first 8 and the second chip 18. That by switching the switch 10 can be selected between the first interface line 6 and the second interface line 16. All other interface lines 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12, 13, 14, 15 remain connected in parallel. By the switch 10, either the first interface line 6 or the second interface line 16 can be interrupted. If the first interface line 6 is interrupted, then the second chip 18 can be read out. Is the second one

Interface line 16 is interrupted, then the first chip 8 can be read out. The mobile radio module 21 of the device 1 has a smart card reader for reading out the chips 8, 18. The module 21 of the device 1 is for example a GSM or UMTS radio module. The switchover of the switch 10 may alternatively be carried out by the module 21.

2, a further embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention is shown. The switching between the interface line 6 to the reset signal contact of the first chip 8 and the interface line 16 to the reset signal contact of the second chip 18 by alternately activating the transistors 21 and 22, respectively. Starting from the control unit 20 is a Control line 30 provided, which extends to the interface line 6 to the reset signal contact of the first chip 8. Starting from the control unit 20, a second control line 31 is provided which extends to the interface line 16 to the reset signal contact of the first chip 18. The transistors 21 and 22, which are arranged in the control lines 30, 31 are in this embodiment of the device 1, the switch 10. The resistors 24 and 25 are used to decouple the two reset signal lines. The resistors 26 and 27 are in the control of

Transistors usual base resistors. When transistor 21 is active and transistor 22 is inactive, then the interface line 6 to the reset signal contact of the first chip 8 is at LOW level. Thus, the chip 8 is turned off, no matter what level the interface line 6 outputs to the reset signal contact of the mobile module. The resistor 24 allows a HIGH level at the reset signal contact of the second chip 18, which is forwarded to the second chip 18 when the transistor 22 is inactive. For the second chip 18, the process works the other way around. The transistors 21 and 22 can be switched active with a high level of the control unit 20 at the outputs 27 and 28, respectively. Of course, always only output 27 or output 28 of the control unit 20 must be switched to HIGH level, so that only one chip 8 or 18 can be active. The resistors 24 can be chosen to be relatively large. However, the rise time of the reset signal on the chip 8 or 18 of 400 μs must not be exceeded.

Claims

claims

1. Device for reading at least one chip (8, 18) of a first or several smart card (s) having a serial interface (9, 19) with first interface lines (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) to at least one data input / Data output contact, a clock signal contact, a supply voltage contact, a ground contact and a reset signal contact of the chip 8 of the first smart card, characterized in that starting from each first interface line (2, 3, 4, 5 , 6) the serial interface (9) is provided with at least one further interface line (12, 13, 14, 15, 16) for reading out a chip (18) of a second smart card, wherein between a first interface line (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and of said first interface line (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) outgoing further interface line (12, 13, 14, 15, 16) a switch (10) is provided.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the switch (10) between the interface line (6) for reset signal contact of the chip (8) of the first smart card and the interface line (16) for reset signal Contact of the chip (18) is arranged at least a second smart card.

3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a control unit (20) for controlling the switch (10) is provided.

4. Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that starting from the control unit (20) a first control line (30) is provided with a first transistor (21), wherein the collector of the first transistor (21) with the interface line ( 6) is connected to the reset signal contact of the chip (8) of the first smart card, and a second control line (31) is provided with a second transistor (22), wherein the collector of the second transistor (22) is connected to the interface line (16) for reset signal contact of the chip (18) of the at least one second smart card , and that the

Interface line (6) for reset signal contact of the chip (8) of the first smart card and the interface line (16) for reset signal contact of the chip (18) of the at least one second smart card each have a decoupling resistor (24, 25).