Data carrier with a chip and a plurality of sensors

[0001] The invention relates to a data carrier with an integrated circuit that is adapted to store energy and information for tactile communication or inductive contactless communication, and with a plurality of excited sensors integrated in an integrated circuit which, after excitation, are adapted to transmit a signal to the central unit. (CPU) integrated circuit in which the signal is adapted for processing.

[0002] The invention also relates to a method of communication by means of integrated circuits integrated in data carriers in which energy and information is stored for the needs of touch communication or inductive contactless communication and in which a plurality of sensors integrated in an integrated circuit are excited, and then these sensors transmit a signal to processor for processing.

[0003] Integrated circuit data carriers are commonly known in the art and are part of, for example, Machine-Readable Travel Document (MRTD) and are usually equipped with a semiconductor-based integrated circuit that provides both storage and storage capabilities. and processing complex (biometric) information.

[0004] Integrated data carriers are also used in valuable documents and secured documents, such as processor cards, smart cards, personal documents, passports, driving licenses, checks and banknotes. In particular, processor cards are used in newer and newer areas of life and have become a natural part of modern life, thanks to the integrated circuit module integrated in the body of the processor card. The card body can be made of various materials. Suitable materials are, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, acrylic butadiene styrol, polyethylene terephthalate, (thermoplastic) polyurethane (T) PU or paper and cardboard, which however also contains composite materials / laminates made of synthetic material with paper, photo paper or materials special, such as Tyvek from Dupont. Card components are referred to as card components. Important card elements include, for example, transparencies and printing colors or inks. Card elements, such as MLI (Multiple Laser Image), OVI (Optical Variable Ink), UV or fluorescent colors are also important. There are various methods for making data carriers, such as in particular laminating and injection molding techniques. A comprehensive description of the materials and methods of making data carriers can be found, for example, in the book by Y. Haghiri / Th. Tarantino, 'Vom Plastik zur Chipkarte' ('From plastic to chip card'), Carl Hanser Publishers, Munich, Vienna, 1999; chapter (2): "Kartenkórper" ("Card bodies") and chapter (3): "Herstellungsformen fur Kartenkórper" ("Methods of manufacturing card bodies").

[0005] Standard integrated circuit modules embedded in the card body are essentially independent of the type of material surrounding them. It doesn't matter if the integrated circuit is embedded in the injection molded PVC card, polycarbonate or PET adhesive label. Communication or exchange of data with the integrated circuit is carried out either by touch or non-contact (RFID technology), which are examples of standard solutions. In RFID technology, communication is established using a magnetic or electromagnetic field.

[0006] An integrated circuit module with integrated MRTD is activated / deactivated in a traditional way by exchanging data between the integrated circuit module and the control station, which can also be implemented in RFID technology. In this case, the control station "shows" to the integrated circuit that it has some confidential information. In turn, this information proves to the integrated circuit that the control station is, for example, authorized to read the contents of the integrated circuit. This process is also referred to as traditional authentication.

[0007] Modern integrated circuits are also equipped with many built-in sensors. These built-in sensors ensure that the integrated circuit can function properly by monitoring external environment parameters such as temperature, energy supply, and light intensity.

[0008] Many sensors embedded in the integrated circuit are known, for example, from US 2002 / 0.186, 145 A1. Known sensors are additional components of an integrated circuit in a smart card (page 2, column 1, lines 2 to 8) and are used to detect changes in a product or its environment (page 1, column 2, [0013]).

[0009] In addition, it is known in the art that many sensors built into an integrated circuit may include, for example, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a frequency sensor and another sensor that, in the event of excitation, sends a signal to the CPU of the integrated circuit in which the signal is processed. . Usually, the sensors communicate with the CPU in one of two possible ways. One way is to raise an exception that is properly processed by the operating system (and, for example, repeating calculations, stopping calculations, or checking the results of calculations in detail). The second way is to trigger a hot restart with a sensor, i.e. the CPU is forced to completely abort the processed program and repeat it again from the beginning. This is a more radical reaction and is usually used for sensors whose importance is critical.

[0010] Integrated circuits with a plurality of sensors embedded in an integrated circuit known in the art thus show that integrated circuits in integrated circuits are mainly used to detect normal changes in external parameters to communicate with the CPU by means of exceptions and hot reboots. As a result, the capabilities of integrated circuits implementing data and specific processes and operations in the CPU that go beyond the standard capabilities based on, for example, RFID technology and require, for example, specific, complex optical signals, are obviously limited. According to the state of the art, the processing of standard RFID signals together with complex signals resulting from specific, complex sensor excitations and leading to new and complex processes cannot be carried out in an integrated circuit.

[0011] In general, integrated circuits with multiple embedded sensors known in the art, e.g. from US 2004/012496 A1 or US 2004/052203 A1, as a result show that such sensors integrated in data carriers cannot accept complex signals that are used by the CPU to run specific operations that go beyond simply switching a fixed function of turning the CPU on or off.

[0012] Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a data carrier with an integrated circuit and a plurality of integrated sensors, in which the CPU not only processes standard signals resulting from touch or non-contact communication, but is also activated for the needs of specific, more complex processes requiring excitation of integrated sensors.

[0013] This object is achieved by the characteristics defined in claim 1.

[0014] The invention is based on the assumption that the integrated circuit CPU is not only suitable for receiving / receiving and activating by standard signals that occur in touch and non-contact inductive communication, but also signals delivered in a physically independent way through integrated sensors, which are integrated in the integrated circuit. In this way, standard communication capabilities occur alongside further communication capabilities using an integrated circuit, which is particularly suitable for transmitting the complex signals required for a particular excitation to the CPU. The integrated circuit CPU processing complex signals can then activate the integrated circuit for subsequent processes that go beyond, for example, standard authentication. For example, signals transmitted using standard communication modes and signals transmitted by integrated sensors using separate physical connections can also be processed in a combined manner in the CPU to trigger subsequent processes in the integrated circuit.

[0015] In addition, the invention is based on the assumption that certain chemical / physical phenomena depending on the material can be used for specific excitation. Thanks to the use of filtering material that communicates with integrated sensors, chemical-physical "filtering" takes place to a certain extent, which allows only specific excitations of integrated sensors and thus also guarantees that the integrated circuit functions only in the "correct" material environment. In this way, the material properties are combined with the integrated circuit in one functional unit. The integrated circuit functions only in the "correct" material environment. Conversely, in such a controlled material environment, the properties of the integrated circuit equipment can be verified using a defined hardware signature. Different optical excitation profiles are created because the optical sensor detects pulse laser beam excitation. The excitation profiles created in this way are suitable for sending complex information to the integrated circuit.

[0016] Data carriers with integrated circuits are often used, for example, in processor cards, personal documents and checks, whose materials can thus be used as filtering material. Claim 2 thus specifies that the filter material comprises card material, claim 3 specifies that the filter material comprises document material. [0017] It is preferred that the document material is formed as a print of a material that is printed by a standard printing method or as an admixture, as an admixture of film.

[0018] Preferably, the CPU performs the operation of combined processing of the signal of touch communication or inductive contactless communication and the signal provided by a plurality of integrated sensors. In this combined communication, the binary code can be divided into two information paths and composed with real code in the CPU. In this way, for example, a logical "0" can be sent using a standard information path and a hot restart. Logical "1" is sent by calling the optical sensor and thus a hot restart, where the origin of the optical sensor is determined in the status variable. By checking the CPU status variables many times, it finally compiles the information to be sent from individual pieces of information.

[0019] A preferred embodiment of the data carrier according to the invention is defined in claim 7, wherein the plurality of integrated sensors comprise an optical sensor and the filtering material comprises a card material that is opaque for wavelengths less than 800 nm and transparent for a wavelength of 800 to 1100 nm, and a UC transducer adjacent to the card material and an interference filter laminate adjacent to the UC transducer and in which the laser beam first penetrates through the card material and then through the UC transducer. According to the ISO 7810 standard, standard card materials are transparent only in the NIR range at a wavelength between 800 and 1100 nm, which means that the pulse laser beam in this wavelength range can in particular excite the optical sensor and generate different optical excitation profiles with this effect that a properly programmed CPU processes complex signals that, together with a "traditional" RFID signal, activate the integrated circuit for further processing.

[0020] A useful variant of the data carrier according to the invention is defined in claim 8, wherein the plurality of integrated sensors comprise an optical sensor and the filtering material comprises a card material and a matrix adjacent to the card material, which matrix is ​​adapted to generate modulated luminescences and in which the beam the pulse laser is adapted to penetrate the card material and is adapted to later penetrate the matrix. This specific pulse excitation first calls procedures that differ from standard exception procedures and lead to complex operations on the CPU.

[0021] Alternatively, many integrated sensors include at least optical sensors directly coupled to filters whose material is different, in which the filter material includes the card material, and in which the pulsed laser beam penetrates the filter material and excites optical sensors that separately transmit the signal to CPU. This has the advantage that the information can be divided into different optical wavelengths. This can be used, for example, to implement trivalent logic.

[0022] A practical variant of the data carrier according to the invention is defined in claim 10, wherein the plurality of integrated sensors include an optical sensor and the filtering material includes a light transducer that is adapted to shift the wavelength as well as the card material adhering to the light transducer, which card material is transparent in the wavelength range between 800 and 1100 nm and in which the beam of the imput laser is adapted only to penetrate the light transducer. Such a filtering material has the advantage that it comprises only two layers, namely a light transducer and card material, and yet can generate complex optical excitation profiles.

[0023] The data carrier according to the invention is preferably integrated in a document of value or security. This takes into account the fact that data carriers are often used in valuable and secured documents.

[0024] Furthermore, the data carrier according to the invention can be used in a method of communication with said data carrier.

[0025] These and other aspects of the invention are obvious and will be explained with reference to the embodiments described below.

[0026] In the drawings:

Fig. 1 schematically shows many standard integrated sensors;

Fig. 2 schematically shows a card according to the invention with an integrated circuit and a plurality of integrated sensors;

Fig. 3 schematically shows a plurality of sensors integrated in the invention with a filtering material provided with a matrix;

Fig. 4 schematically shows a plurality of sensors integrated in the invention with a filtering material equipped with a UC transducer and an interference filter laminate;

Fig. 5 schematically shows a plurality of sensors integrated in the invention with a filter material equipped with a light transducer;

Fig. 6 schematically shows a plurality of integrated sensors according to the invention with two optical sensors.

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a number of standard integrated sensors 11. The integrated sensors 11 ensure that the integrated circuit 10 can function properly by monitoring external environment parameters such as temperature, supply voltage, clock frequency and light intensity, for example. Many of the integrated sensors 11 include a light sensor 14, a temperature sensor 15, a frequency sensor 16 and an additional sensor 17. When 12 integrated sensors 11 are triggered, the integrated sensors 11 transmit a signal 18 to the CPU of the integrated circuit 10 in which the signal 18 is processed. There are basically two ways to process such a signal 18. In one method, the CPU 19 generates an "exception" signal, which is then processed by integrated circuit operating system 10. When introduced into the inductive electromagnetic field 30, the operating system of the integrated circuit 10 expects a clear sequence, caused by the integrated sensors 11, of different exception signals. The light sensor 14 can thus first trigger an exception signal, and then the temperature sensor 15 can trigger an exception signal. Only after the frequency sensor 16 will finally trigger an exception signal will the integrated circuit 10 allow standard communication via a touch or non-contact interface, and standard authentication will be possible.

[0028] Another method is a hot chip restart caused by the CPU 19. After being introduced to the induction electromagnetic field 30, the operating system of the chip 10 expects a clear sequence of hot restarts. The first hot restart is triggered by the light sensor 14 and the second hot restart is triggered by the temperature sensor 15. Finally, the third hot restart is triggered by the frequency sensor 16. After each hot reboot, the IC 10 operating system updates the test variable stored in EEPROM. Standard communication via a contactless interface is activated and standard authentication can only be performed when this variable reaches a given value.

[0029] The data carrier 100 according to the invention, shown as the processor card in Fig. 2, includes an integrated circuit 10, and a plurality of integrated sensors 11 include an optical sensor 14, which detects excitation 12 of a pulsed laser beam 22 that is modulated. The data carrier 100 includes card material 23 through which the pulsed laser beam 22 can pass. Standard card materials are transparent in the NIR range of 800 to 1100 nm. Defined transparencies can usually be customized by choosing synthetic materials for card material 23 with the appropriate admixtures. The different optical excitation profiles are created in such a way that the optical sensor 14 detects the excitation 12 of the pulse laser beam 22. Such excitation profiles are suitable for transmitting complex information to the integrated circuit 10. The excitation of the optical sensor causes an exception signal and thus translates into an input command for CPU 19. The CPU 19 is programmed in such a way that it not only expects the "traditional" RFID signal, but also the exception signal from the optical sensor 14 and thus additionally activates the integrated circuit 10 for subsequent processes. Integrated circuit 10 stores energy 13 and information that is combined in an integrated circuit 10 by means of a standard antenna 20 and antenna circuit 21 to generate an RFID signal. It should be noted that this embodiment and other embodiments can also be used in connection technology, i.e. energy and information can also be transmitted via a standard connection.

[0030] Fig. 3 shows a plurality of integrated sensors 11 with an optical sensor 14. The filtering material comprises card material 23 and a matrix 24 adjacent to the material of the card 23, which matrix generates modulated luminescences, wherein the pulsed laser beam 22 penetrates through the material of the card 23 a then penetrates through the matrix 24.

[0031] The material of the card 23 is adapted in such a way that it completely absorbs light at a wavelength less than 850 nm and is transparent at a wavelength greater than 850 nm in the NIR range. In a known method, both energy 13 and information are combined and stored in integrated circuit 10 by means of antenna 20 and antenna circuit 21 to generate an RFID signal. Regardless of this, the pulsed laser beam 22 illuminates the matrix 24 using 980 nm emissions, while the UP conversion process generates luminescence at 800 nm (670, 550 or 430 nm). Such light generated on the spot (luminescence emission 31) falls on the optical sensor 14 and when excited 12 produces a signal 18 in the form of an exception signal, which translates into an input command for CPU 19. The luminescence dynamics of the UP conversion materials should be selected in such a way that the modulation of the pulsed laser beam 22 can be "passed" so that the modulated luminescence reaches the optical sensor 14, and the complex optical information can be thus combined. This means that simple continuous excitation optical sensor 14, e.g. a traditional exception procedure, deactivates the integrated circuit. The defined impulse excitation, however, triggers other procedures that lead to complex operations in the CPU 19. CPU 19 is programmed in such a way that it not only expects the "traditional" RFID signal, but also defined exception signals from the optical sensor 14 to obtain a complex result during processing operations. In addition, the matrix 24 may be formed using a special material (composition) so that, for example, other optical conversion processes such as photoluminescence or invisible Stokes luminescence can be used. The matrix 24 can also be used before laminating the composite card material using known printing techniques such as screen printing, rotogravure, offset, letterset, inkjet printing, thermal transfer printing, etc. or the UC pigment can be attached when placing the integrated circuit in an epoxy resin material so that only the pulsed laser beam 22 is correct and the intensity of the pulsed "NIR light" is not sufficient to generate the appropriate luminescence.

[0032] Integrated sensors 11 shown in clear enlargement in Fig. 4 they communicate with filter material that includes card material 23 that is opaque at wavelengths less than 800 nm and transparent at wavelengths between 800 and 1100 nm and a UC transducer 25 adhering to the material of the card 23, as well as an interference filter laminate 27 adhering to UC transducer, in which the pulse laser beam 22 penetrates through the material of the card 23 and penetrates the UC transducer 25. The UC 25 transducer, which is printed on the back side of the card material 23, includes, for example, gadolinium doped yerbet and holm doped sulfide in the same way as phosphorus, and is preferably formed in such a way that the UC 26 radiation is essentially directed downward towards the optical sensor 14 in silicon optical sensor form and is used as excitation. The interference filter laminate 27 has very sharp absorption edges to absorb light in the wavelength range between 800 and 1100 nm. Due to the use of phosphoric masses, the UC transducer generates 550 nm radiation. Luminescence can only spread in the direction of the silicon optical sensor, where it produces a signal 18, which is transmitted to the CPU 19. However, the laser beam required for excitation could be absorbed on the filter laminate layer and thus could not activate the silicon optical sensor.

[0033] Fig. 5 shows an optical sensor 14 in the form of a silicon optical sensor with filtering material comprising a wavelength light transducer 28 and card material 23 adjacent to a light transducer 28 that is transparent in the wavelength range between 800 and 1100 nm and in which the beam pulsed laser 22 passes through the light transducer 28. The light transducer 28 includes lanthanide doped (chromium) yttrium vanadates (yttrium phosphates, yttrium borates), absorbing red light and generating NIR emissions. The original excitation light is therefore shifted to a long wave. In the simplest case, the light transducer is printed using a standard printing method or placed on the front as an admixture of foil. Other materials, such as chromium and neodymium doped yttrium-aluminum grenades, defined by the general YAG formula: Cr, Nd, can also be used as light transducers. According to ISO 7810, card material 23 adjacent to light transducer 28 is transparent only in the NIR range between 800 and 1100 nm. The light transducer 28 absorbs the pulse laser beam 22 between 800 and 1100 nm substantially completely so that the pulse laser does not reach the optical sensor 14. However, the red laser light (630-690 nm) produces a luminescence 29 between 900 and 1000 nm depending on the design of the light transducer 28, which luminescence reaches the optical sensor 14 through the material of the card 23 and acts as excitation for the optical sensor 14, then reaching the CPU 19 as signal 18.

Depending on the light synchronization signal, for example, exceptions or defined hot restarts are implemented, which are then treated as information by the CPU 19 operating system.

[0034] Many integrated sensors depicted on the flange: 6 include at least two optical sensors 14, 14a whose filter material is different, wherein the filter material includes card material 23 in which the pulsed laser beam 22, 22a penetrates the filter material and excites the sensors optical 14, 14a, which separately transmit signal 18 to CPU 19.

[0035] Due to the different equipment / doping of the card material 23, the optical sensors 14, 14a are sensitive to different wavelengths. In this example, the material of card 23a is doped with ytterbium phosphate and formed so that it is transparent at wavelengths less than 800 nm and substantially opaque at wavelengths greater than 800 nm. The optical sensor 14a detects the excitation 12 of the pulse laser beam 22a (650 nm wavelength) and converts it into a signal 18 for the CPU 19, which signal is used to activate a second optical sensor that can now detect the excitation 12 of the pulse laser beam 12 at the wavelength on the order of 980 nm. In this way, information is shared between different optical sensors 14, 14a with the effect that trivalent logic can be realized.

LIST OF MARKINGS:

[0036]

100 data carrier integrated circuit many integrated sensors excitation energy optical sensor

14a optical sensor temperature sensor frequency sensor signal sensor

CPU antenna antenna circuit impulse laser beam 22a impulse laser beam material card

23a ytterbium phosphate card material matrix UC transducer UC radiation laminate interference filter light transducer luminescence electromagnetic field luminescence emission