IC chip and information processing terminal

0001This application is a reissue application of application Ser. No. 10/433,785, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,846, issued Jul. 10, 2007, which is a 371 of PCT/JP02/10542 filed on Oct. 10, 2002. The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2001-334965 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Oct. 31, 2001.

00021. Technical Field

0003The present invention relates to a non-contact IC card or IC chip which has a memory function for storing data and which is configured such that data can be read from and written to the memory in a non-contact manner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a non-contact IC card or IC chip including a wireless interface for wireless data access to the memory function from an external reader/writer and a wired interface for connection with an external device, and relates to an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, or a personal computer connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or incorporating such an IC chip when used.

00042. Background Art

0005Hitherto, a variety of apparatuses using a secret personal number or a password for personal identity verification or authentication has been devised and put into practice. In banks or other financial institutions, for example, for using cash cards or credit cards, cash dispensers or other banking terminals prompt users to enter a secret personal number or a password for personal identity authentication, and cash cannot be deposited or withdrawn until it has been confirmed that the correct secret personal number or password was entered by the user.

0006A storage medium such as a magnetic stripe placed on one cash card has only a single storage area for only the corresponding bank. The above-noted secret personal number or password entry merely allows access to the single storage area, and may be insufficient for protection against forgery or theft.

0007For anti-forgery purposes, the cash card or credit card is often implemented as a contact IC card having an electric contact or a non-contact IC card for reading and writing data in a non-contact manner via wireless data communication. IC card readers/writers installed in, for example, cash dispensers, at the entrances of concert halls, on station ticket gates, and so on are able to access IC cards passed thereover by users in a non-contact manner.

0008A user enters a secret personal number to the reader of an IC card reader/writer to verify the entered secret personal number against a secret personal number stored in the IC card, thus realizing personal identity verification or authentication between the IC card and the IC card reader/writer. When personal identity verification or authentication is successfully performed, for example, an application stored in the IC card can be used. The applications stored in an IC card may include, for example, that for amount information such as electronic money and electronic ticketing. (A secret personal number for use in accessing an IC card is referred to as PIN (Personal Identification Number).)

0009Recently, with the development of nanotechnology, IC cards having a relatively large capacity of storage space have become commercially available and have become increasingly widespread. Since a traditional cash card has only a single storage area, i.e., a single application, carried therein, it is necessary to carry a plurality of cards for various uses or applications. On the other hand, the above-noted IC card having a large capacity memory can concurrently store a plurality of applications, and, therefore, a single IC card can be used for a plurality of applications. For example, more than one application used for electronic money for electronic payment, electronic tickets for admission to designated concert halls, and so on can be stored on a single IC card so as to use the single IC card in various applications.

0010An IC card includes not only a non-contact interface with a card reader/writer (card reading and writing apparatus) but also a wired interface for connecting to an external device, and the IC card can be connected to or installed in an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a personal computer when used. (In many cases where the IC card is installed in the terminal, the IC card is formed into one chip. The IC card and IC chip are hereinafter collectively referred to simply as an “IC card”.)

0011In such a case, a variety of application services using the IC card can be performed on the information processing terminal. For example, a user interface such as a keyboard or a display on the information processing terminal can be used for user interaction with the IC card on the information processing terminal. If the IC card is connected to a cellular telephone, the content stored in the IC card can be exchanged over a telephone line.

0012It is to be understood that, in the case where amount information such as electronic money and electronic tickets is stored in the IC card, the information processing terminal can realize amount information processing such as electronic payment and other various services. The information processing terminal can also provide processing according to a data transfer phase between the IC card and a card reading and writing apparatus, or processing according to the internal state of the IC card.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

0013Generally, non-contact IC cards can be driven by power extracted from wireless communication with a card reading and writing apparatus. Therefore, once the IC card is passed over the card reading and writing apparatus, it can be activated.

0014On the other hand, an information processing terminal which is driven by a battery (or a commercial power supply) must be powered on beforehand and must further start an application to perform desired processing.

0015An information processing terminal connected to or incorporating an IC card does not include a mechanism for determining the communication state between the IC card and a card reading and writing apparatus. Thus, the information processing terminal integrated with the IC card cannot execute applications for the IC card only by passing the IC card over the card reading and writing apparatus, and a predetermined application must be started on the information processing terminal beforehand for preparation. An application is started on the information processing terminal by a manual user operation, which is bothersome when the IC card is used.

0016The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned technical problems, and, primarily, it is an object of the present invention to provide a better non-contact IC card or IC chip including a wireless interface for wireless data access to a memory function from an external reader/writer and a wired interface for connection with an external device, and to provide a better information processing terminal connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or incorporating such an IC chip when used.

0017It is another object of the present invention to provide an IC card including both a wireless interface and a wired interface, in which processing related to the IC card can be smoothly initiated without heavy burden on the user, and to provide an information processing terminal connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or having the IC card installed therein.

0018It is another object of the present invention to provide an IC card having both a wireless interface and a wired interface, in which processing according to the communication state between the IC card and a card reading and writing apparatus or the internal state of the IC card can be smoothly initiated, and to provide an information processing terminal connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or having the IC card installed therein.

0019The present invention has been made in order to overcome the aforementioned problems, and, in a first aspect of the present invention, an IC chip includes a memory for storing predetermined information; a control unit for controlling access to the memory; a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with a reading and writing apparatus which accesses the memory; and an external interface for connecting to an information processing terminal external to the chip, wherein an internal state, which changes according to the wireless communication with the reading and writing apparatus via the wireless communication unit, is reported to the information processing terminal connected to the external interface. The wireless communication unit can vary the load across an antenna thereof according to a response signal to a query signal from the reading and writing apparatus, so that a signal that appears in a receiving circuit of the reading and writing apparatus is amplitude-modulated for non-contact data communication.

0020The IC chip according to the first aspect of the present invention may cause the internal state, which changes according to the wireless communication with the reading and writing apparatus via the wireless communication unit, to be reported to the information processing terminal via the external interface. Alternatively, the internal state may be reported to the information processing terminal via a dedicated communication path other than the external interface.

0021In a second aspect of the present invention, an IC chip includes a memory for storing predetermined information; a control unit for controlling access to the memory; a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with a reading and writing apparatus which accesses the memory; an external interface for connecting to an information processing terminal external to the chip; and a carrier wave detection unit for detecting a carrier wave from the reading and writing apparatus, wherein a report indicating whether or not the carrier wave has been detected, which is obtained from the carrier wave detection unit, is sent to the information processing terminal connected to the external interface. The wireless communication unit can vary the load across an antenna thereof according to a response signal to a query signal from the reading and writing apparatus, so that a signal that appears in a receiving circuit of the reading and writing apparatus is amplitude-modulated for non-contact data communication.

0022The IC chip according to the second aspect of the present invention may cause the report indicating whether or not the carrier wave has been detected from the reading and writing apparatus to be sent to the information processing terminal via the external interface. Alternatively, the report indicating whether or not the carrier wave has been detected may be sent to the information processing terminal via a dedicated communication path other than the external interface.

0023Generally, once an IC chip or IC card is passed over a reading and writing apparatus, a carrier wave is received from the reading and writing apparatus, thereby starting communication with the reading and writing apparatus via a wireless communication unit. According to the IC chip of the first or second aspect of the present invention, a change in the internal state of the IC chip or the presence or absence of carrier waves from the card reading and writing apparatus can be reported to the information processing terminal using the external interface or a dedicated control signal line. The information processing terminal does not rely on a user operation to automatically enable a specific application for processing the IC card or to power on a controller to activate it. When no carrier wave is detected, the controller may be powered off or deactivated, thus achieving power saving.

0024In a third aspect of the present invention, an information processing terminal which is equipped with an IC chip for performing wireless communication with a reading and writing apparatus includes:

0025an external interface to which the IC chip is connected; and

0026a control unit for controlling the overall operation of the terminal,

0027wherein an internal state, which changes according to the wireless communication with the reading and writing apparatus, is reported from the IC chip.

0028The IC chip incorporated in the information processing terminal varies the load across an antenna thereof according to a response signal to a query signal from the reading and writing apparatus, so that a signal that appears in a receiving circuit of the reading and writing apparatus is amplitude-modulated for communication.

0029The information processing terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention may cause the internal state of the IC chip, which changes according to the wireless communication with the reading and writing apparatus, to be reported to the information processing terminal via the external interface. Alternatively, the internal state may be reported to the information processing terminal via a dedicated communication path other than the external interface.

0030The control unit may start processing according to the reported internal state of the IC chip. Since an application is automatically enabled or disabled on the information processing terminal according to the internal state of IC chip, the user need not perform a time-consuming operation to enable the application each time the IC chip is used.

0031The information processing terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention may further include a power supply control unit for controlling power supply to the control unit to be turned on and/or off. The power supply control unit switches power supply to the control unit to be turned on and/or off according to the reported internal state of the IC chip. Therefore, according to the internal state of the IC chip, power is not fed to the control unit unless necessary, and power supply to the control unit is automatically turned on if necessary, thus achieving power saving.

0032In a fourth aspect of the present invention, an information processing terminal which is equipped with an IC chip for performing wireless communication with a reading and writing apparatus includes:

0033an external interface to which the IC chip is connected; and

0034a control unit for controlling the overall operation of the terminal,

0035wherein a report indicating whether or not a carrier wave from the reading and writing apparatus has been detected is received from the IC chip.

0036The IC chip incorporated in the information processing terminal varies the load across an antenna thereof according to a response signal to a query signal from the reading and writing apparatus, so that a signal that appears in a receiving circuit of the reading and writing apparatus is amplitude-modulated for communication.

0037The information processing terminal according to the fourth aspect of The present invention may cause a report indicating whether or not the carrier wave has been detected from the reading and writing apparatus to be sent to the information processing terminal via the external interface. Alternatively, a report indicating whether or not the carrier wave has been detected from the reading and writing apparatus may be sent to the information processing terminal via a dedicated communication path other than the external interface.

0038The control unit may start predetermined processing when the IC chip detects a carrier wave from the reading and writing apparatus. Since an application is automatically enabled or disabled on the information processing terminal according to the communication state of the IC chip, the user need not perform a time-consuming operation to enable the application each time the IC chip is used.

0039The information processing terminal according to the fourth aspect of the present invention may further include a power supply control unit for controlling power supply to the control unit to be turned on and/or off. The power supply control unit switches power supply to the control unit to be turned on and/or off according to whether or not the IC chip has detected a carrier wave from the reading and writing apparatus. Therefore, according to the internal state of the IC chip, power is not fed to the control unit unless necessary, and power supply to the control unit is automatically turned on if necessary, thus achieving power saving.

0040Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with embodiments of the present invention or with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0041<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a ticket-checking system <b>1</b> which employs a portable terminal <b>2</b> according to an embodiment of the present invention.

0042<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a payment system realized by using a portable terminal <b>2</b> having an IC card function and a card reading and writing function.

0043<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a diagram showing the concept of wireless communication based on electromagnetic induction between the card reading and writing apparatus and the IC card.

0044<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a model diagram of the combination of the card reading and writing apparatus and the IC card, which is considered as a single transformer.

0045<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b> according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

0046<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

0047<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

0048<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

0049<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

0050<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 10</figref> is a schematic diagram of the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

0051<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 11</figref> is a diagram showing in further detail the hardware configuration of the IC card <b>100</b> which realizes the embodiments shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 5 through 10</figref>.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

0052Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

0053<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> schematically shows the structure of a ticket-checking system <b>1</b> which employs a portable terminal <b>2</b> according to an embodiment of the present invention. The portable terminal <b>2</b> is, for example, a cellular telephone with a non-contact IC card function, and is carried by a user during transportation. A ticket checker <b>4</b> is installed in a station ticket gate or the like, and uses the opening and closing operation of a walk-through door <b>8</b> to control users walking therethrough based on the billing state or other conditions. A card reading and writing apparatus <b>6</b> is installed on the ticket checker <b>4</b> to access an IC card from the portable terminal <b>2</b> of a user walking through the ticket gate to read and write data.

0054When the user carrying the portable terminal <b>2</b> is close to the ticket checker <b>4</b>, the card reading and writing apparatus <b>6</b> installed on the ticket checker <b>4</b> senses the portable terminal <b>2</b> approaching it and performs communication with the portable terminal <b>2</b>. When the user is allowed to walk therethrough after billing and authentication checks, the walk-through door <b>8</b> opens, thus allowing the user to walk through the ticket gate.

0055The portable terminal <b>2</b> according to this embodiment may have not only the IC card function but also a card reading and writing function for accessing an external IC. <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> schematically shows the configuration of a payment system realized by using the portable terminal <b>2</b> having an IC card function and a card reading and writing function.

0056In the payment system shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, an information terminal <b>12</b>, such as a cellular telephone, can perform non-contact communication with a non-contact IC card <b>2</b> external to the terminal, and can be connected to a host terminal on a network via a cellular telephone network <b>14</b>. As an example, when a small transportation charge (transportation points) balance or other amount information remains on the non-contact IC card <b>2</b>, the portable terminal <b>12</b> reads the amount information recorded on the IC card <b>2</b>. If the amount is insufficient, the portable terminal <b>12</b> accesses a control computer <b>15</b> via a base station antenna <b>13</b> over the cellular telephone network <b>14</b> to acquire new points therefrom and writes the points to the non-contact IC card.

0057The manner by which an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone is equipped with an IC card is not uniquely defined. For example, an IC chip formed into one chip and a wireless antenna may be installed in an information processing terminal, or a IC chip formed into a card, i.e., an IC card, may be connected to a card slot or any other wired interface of a portable terminal. In the following description, the IC chip and IC card are collectively referred to as an IC card. The IC card has a function relating to amount information, such as prepaid electronic money or electronic ticketing.

0058Wireless communication between a card reading and writing apparatus and an IC card is realized based on, for example, the principle of electromagnetic induction. <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates the concept of wireless communication based on electromagnetic induction between the card reading and writing apparatus and the IC card.

0059The card reading and writing apparatus includes an antenna L_RWformed of a loop coil for generating a magnetic field therearound by causing a current I_RWto flow in the antenna L_RW. The IC card has a loop coil L_Celectrically formed around the IC card. An induced voltage caused by the magnetic field generated by the loop antenna L_Cof the card reading and writing apparatus is generated at ends of the loop coil L_Cof the IC card, and is input to terminals of the IC card that are connected to the ends of the loop coil L_C.

0060Although the degree of coupling of the antenna L_RWof the card reading and writing apparatus and the loop coil L_Cof the IC card varies depending upon the positional relationship therebetween, the combination of the antenna L_RWand the loop coil L_Ccan be considered as a single transformer. The reading and writing operation for the IC card can be therefore represented as the model shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>.

0061In the card reading and writing apparatus, the current I_RWwhich flows to the antenna L_RWis modulated to modulate a voltage V_Oinduced in the loop coil L_Con the IC chip. The card reading and writing apparatus can then use this mechanism to transmit data to the IC card. The data to be transmitted includes a secret personal number or password entered by a user on an external device connected to the card reading and writing apparatus, a secret personal code for acquiring an access right to an application or a directory, and amount information, such as electronic money and electronic tickets, which is offered by an application.

0062The IC card has a function (load switching) for varying the load between the terminals of the loop coil L_Caccording to data to be returned to the card reading and writing apparatus. When the load between the terminals of the loop coil L_Cvaries, the impedance between the antenna terminals of the card reading and writing apparatus changes, thus causing a change in the flowing current I_RWor voltage V_RWof the antenna L_RW. The card reading and writing apparatus demodulates this change so as to receive the data returned from the IC card. The data received by an external device from the IC card includes amount information, such as electronic money and electronic tickets, which is offered by an application.

0063That is, the IC card varies the load across the antenna thereof according to a response signal to a query signal from the card reading and writing apparatus, so that the signal that appears in a receiving circuit of the card reading and writing apparatus is amplitude-modulated for communication.

0064<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> schematically shows the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b> according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b> includes an antenna unit <b>101</b>, an analog unit <b>102</b>, a digital control unit <b>103</b>, a memory <b>104</b>, and an external interface <b>105</b>.

0065The antenna unit <b>101</b> performs non-contact data transmission and reception to and from a card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The analog unit <b>102</b> performs processing on an analog signal which is transmitted or received from the antenna unit <b>101</b>, such as detection, modulation/demodulation, and clock extraction.

0066The digital control unit <b>103</b> totally controls processing on received data or data to be transmitted or other operations of the IC card. The digital control unit <b>103</b> is locally connected with the addressable memory <b>104</b>, which can be used to store electronic money or electronic ticketing applications, load a program code executed by the digital control unit <b>103</b>, or to save the working data in progress.

0067The external interface <b>105</b> is a function module for connecting the digital control unit <b>103</b> to an external device, such as the portable terminal <b>110</b>, according to an interface protocol different from that of a non-contact interface for connecting to the card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The data written in the memory <b>104</b> can be transferred to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0068The interface specification of the external interface <b>105</b> is not limited in particular, and either a wired interface or a wireless interface such as a Bluetooth or IEEE.802.11b interface may be used.

0069In this embodiment, it is assumed that the IC card <b>100</b> is installed in the portable terminal <b>110</b> when used, and the external interface <b>105</b> is implemented as a wired interface such as a UART or I²C interface (described below). However, the present invention is not limited to the above-noted interface specification.

0070The IC card <b>100</b> can be driven by, for example, a reception wave received from the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b>. It is to be understood that a part or all components of the IC card <b>100</b> may be driven by power supplied from the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0071The portable terminal <b>110</b> corresponds to, for example, an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a personal computer (PC). The portable terminal <b>110</b> includes a program control unit <b>111</b>, a display unit <b>112</b>, and a user input unit <b>113</b>.

0072The program control unit <b>111</b> includes, for example, a microprocessor, a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory)(these components are not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>), and the microprocessor uses the RAM for a work area to execute various processing services according to a program code stored in the ROM. The processing services include the original functions of the portable terminal <b>110</b>, such as a cellular telephone function, and processing for the IC card <b>100</b>. It is to be understood that the program control unit <b>111</b> includes an external storage device such as a hard disk, and other peripheral devices.

0073The program control unit <b>111</b> can access the memory <b>104</b> of the IC card <b>100</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0074The display unit <b>112</b> is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and can present the processing result of the program control unit <b>111</b> on a screen for notifying the user.

0075The user input unit <b>113</b> is formed of a keyboard, a jog dial, or a touch panel laid on the display screen of the display unit <b>112</b>, and is used for a user to input commands or data to the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0076The program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> is driven by power fed from a main power supply (not shown), such as a battery.

0077When a user of the portable terminal <b>110</b> with the IC card <b>100</b> installed therein passes the portable terminal <b>110</b> over a predetermined card reading and writing apparatus, wireless communication is initiated between the IC card <b>100</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, so that data is exchanged between the digital control unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b> and the analog unit <b>102</b>, which serve as a wireless interface.

0078Each time data is exchanged, the internal state, such as a communication phase between the digital control unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, changes. In this embodiment, a specific address of the memory <b>104</b> locally connected to the digital control unit <b>103</b> is assigned to a status flag indicating the internal state.

0079A change in content of the status flag is sent to the program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0080The program control unit <b>111</b> detects the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b> based on the content of the status flag to perform processing according to the internal state. For example, the internal state is expressed on the display unit <b>112</b> by an icon indicating “communication in progress”, a dialog for prompting user input is opened, an application corresponding to the internal state is enabled, telephone line connection is performed (in a case of cellular telephone), or access to a LAN or an external network such as the Internet is initiated. Furthermore, when the portable terminal <b>110</b> is connected to a telephone network or a network, data communicated between the IC card <b>100</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus can be transmitted to a host on the network, or, conversely, data downloaded from the host can be transmitted to the card reading and writing apparatus via the IC card <b>100</b>.

0081<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> schematically shows the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> includes an antenna unit <b>101</b>, an analog unit <b>102</b>, a digital control unit <b>103</b>, a memory <b>104</b>, and an external interface <b>105</b>.

0082The antenna unit <b>101</b> performs non-contact data transmission and reception to and from a card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The analog unit <b>102</b> performs processing on an analog signal which is transmitted or received from the antenna unit <b>101</b>, such as detection, modulation/demodulation, and clock extraction.

0083The digital control unit <b>103</b> totally controls processing on received data or data to be transmitted or other operations of the IC card. The digital control unit <b>103</b> is locally connected with the addressable memory <b>104</b>, which can be used to store electronic money or electronic ticketing applications, load a program code executed by the digital control unit <b>103</b>, or to save the working data in progress.

0084The external interface <b>105</b> is a function module for connecting the digital control unit <b>103</b> to an external device, such as the portable terminal <b>110</b>, according to an interface protocol different from that of a non-contact interface for connecting to the card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The data written in the memory <b>104</b> can be transferred to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0085In this embodiment, it is assumed that the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> is installed in the portable terminal <b>110</b> when used, and the external interface <b>105</b> is implemented as a wired interface such as a UART or I²C interface (described below). However, the interface specification of the external interface <b>105</b> is not limited in particular, and either a wired interface or a wireless interface such as a Bluetooth or IEEE.802.11b interface may be used.

0086In this embodiment, furthermore, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> and the portable terminal <b>110</b> are connected with each other via the external interface <b>105</b> as well as a dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. Upon detection of a change in the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b>, the digital control unit <b>103</b> can report this detection directly to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b> without intermediation of the external interface <b>105</b>.

0087The IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> can be driven by, for example, a reception wave received from the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b>. It is to be understood that a part or all components of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> may be driven by power supplied from the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0088The portable terminal <b>110</b> corresponds to, for example, an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, or a personal computer (PC). The portable terminal <b>110</b> includes a program control unit <b>111</b>, a display unit <b>112</b>, and a user input unit <b>113</b>.

0089The program control unit <b>111</b> includes, for example, a microprocessor, a RAM, and a ROM (these components are not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>), and the microprocessor uses the RAM for a work area to execute various processing services according to a program code stored in the ROM. The processing services include the original functions of the portable terminal <b>110</b>, such as a cellular telephone function, and processing for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b>. It is to be understood that the program control unit <b>111</b> may include an external storage device such as a hard disk, and other peripheral devices.

0090The program control unit <b>111</b> can access the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0091In this embodiment, the program control unit <b>111</b> is connected directly to the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. The dedicated signal line <b>121</b> is used to report a change in the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> to the program control unit <b>111</b>.

0092The display unit <b>112</b> is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD). For example, the display unit <b>112</b> can present the processing result of the program control unit <b>111</b> on a screen for notifying the user.

0093The user input unit <b>113</b> is formed of a keyboard, a jog dial, or a touch panel laid on the display screen of the display unit <b>112</b>, and is used for a user to input commands or data to the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0094The program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> is driven by power fed from a main power supply (not shown), such as a battery.

0095When a user of the portable terminal <b>110</b> with the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> installed therein passes the portable terminal <b>110</b> over a predetermined card reading and writing apparatus, wireless communication is initiated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, so that data is exchanged between the digital unit control <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b> and the analog unit <b>102</b>, which serve as a wireless interface.

0096Each time data is exchanged, the internal state, such as a communication phase between the digital control unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, changes. In this embodiment, a specific address of the memory <b>104</b> locally connected to the digital control unit <b>103</b> is assigned to a status flag indicating the internal state.

0097The digital control unit <b>103</b> directly reports the change in content of the status flag to the program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>.

0098The program control unit <b>111</b> executes processing corresponding to the internal state reported via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. For example, the internal state is expressed on the display unit <b>112</b> by an icon indicating “communication in progress”, a dialog for prompting user input is opened, an application corresponding to the internal state is enabled, telephone line connection is performed (in a case of cellular telephone), or access to a LAN or an external network such as the Internet is initiated. Furthermore, when the portable terminal <b>110</b> is connected to a telephone network or a network, data communicated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus can be transmitted to a host on the network, or, conversely, data downloaded from the host can be transmitted to the card reading and writing apparatus via the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b>.

0099<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> schematically shows the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> includes an antenna unit <b>101</b>, an analog unit <b>102</b>, a digital control unit <b>103</b>, a memory <b>104</b>, and an external interface <b>105</b>.

0100The antenna unit <b>101</b> performs non-contact data transmission and reception to and from a card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The analog unit <b>102</b> performs processing on an analog signal which is transmitted or received from the antenna unit <b>101</b>, such as detection, modulation/demodulation, and clock extraction.

0101The digital control unit <b>103</b> totally controls processing on received data or data to be transmitted or other operations of the IC card. The digital control unit <b>103</b> is locally connected with the addressable memory <b>104</b>, which can be used to store electronic money or electronic ticketing applications, load a program code executed by the digital control unit <b>103</b>, or to save the working data in progress.

0102The external interface <b>105</b> is a function module for connecting the digital control unit <b>103</b> to an external device, such as the portable terminal <b>110</b>, according to an interface protocol different from that of a non-contact interface for connecting to the card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The data written in the memory <b>104</b> can be transferred to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0103In this embodiment, it is assumed that the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> is installed in the portable terminal <b>110</b> when used, and the external interface <b>105</b> is implemented as a wired interface such as a UART or I²C interface (described below). However, the interface specification of the external interface <b>105</b> is not limited in particular, and either a wired interface or a wireless interface such as a Bluetooth or IEEE.802.11b interface may be used.

0104In this embodiment, furthermore, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> and the portable terminal <b>110</b> are connected with each other via the external interface <b>105</b> as well as a dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. Upon detection of a change in the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b>, the digital control unit <b>103</b> can report this detection directly to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b> without intermediation of the external interface <b>105</b>.

0105The IC card <b>100</b> can <b>3</b> be driven by, for example, a reception wave received from the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b>. It is to be understood that a part or all components thereof may be driven by power supplied from the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0106The portable terminal <b>110</b> corresponds to, for example, an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, or a personal computer (PC). The portable terminal <b>110</b> includes a program control unit <b>111</b>, a display unit <b>112</b>, a user input unit <b>113</b>, and a power supply control unit <b>114</b>.

0107The program control unit <b>111</b> includes, for example, a microprocessor, a RAM, and a ROM (theses components are not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>), and the microprocessor uses the RAM for a work area to execute various processing services according to a program code stored in the ROM. The processing services includes the original functions of the portable terminal <b>110</b>, such as a cellular telephone function, and processing for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b>. It is to be understood that the program control unit <b>111</b> may include an external storage device such as a hard disk, and other peripheral devices.

0108The program control unit <b>111</b> can access the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0109The display unit <b>112</b> is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and can present the processing result of the program control unit <b>111</b> on a screen for notifying the user.

0110The user input unit <b>113</b> is formed of a keyboard, a jog dial, or a touch panel laid on the display screen of the display unit <b>112</b>, and is used for a user to input commands or data to the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0111The program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> is driven by power fed from a main power supply (not shown), such as a battery. The power supply control unit <b>114</b> can control power supply from the main power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> to be turned on or off.

0112In this embodiment, furthermore, the power supply control unit <b>114</b> is connected directly to the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. A change in the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> is reported to the power supply control unit <b>114</b> using the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>, and the power supply control unit <b>114</b> can control power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> to be turned on or off according to the internal state.

0113When a user of the portable terminal <b>110</b> with the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> installed therein passes the portable terminal <b>110</b> over a predetermined card reading and writing apparatus, wireless communication is initiated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, so that data is exchanged between the digital unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b> and the analog unit <b>102</b>, which serve as a wireless interface.

0114Each time data is exchanged, the internal state, such as a communication phase between the digital control unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, changes. In this embodiment, a specific address of the memory <b>104</b> locally connected to the digital control unit <b>103</b> is assigned to a status flag indicating the internal state.

0115The digital control unit <b>103</b> directly reports the change in content of the status flag to the power supply control unit <b>114</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>.

0116The power supply control unit <b>114</b> performs processing corresponding to the reported internal state. For example, when the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> is connected to the card reading and writing apparatus and the program control unit <b>111</b> must start processing for data transfer, power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> is turned on to execute it. Conversely, when the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus are disconnected and the program control unit <b>111</b> need not be driven for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b>, the power supply control unit <b>114</b> shuts off power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> to deactivate it.

0117<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> schematically shows the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> includes an antenna unit <b>101</b>, an analog unit <b>102</b>, a digital control unit <b>103</b>, a memory <b>104</b>, an external interface <b>105</b>, and a carrier wave detector <b>106</b>.

0118The antenna unit <b>101</b> performs non-contact data transmission and reception to and from a card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The analog unit <b>102</b> performs processing on an analog signal which is transmitted or received from the antenna unit <b>101</b>, such as detection, modulation/demodulation, and clock extraction.

0119The carrier wave detector <b>106</b> detects a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus to output a detection signal to the digital control unit <b>103</b>.

0120The digital control unit <b>103</b> totally controls processing on received data or data to be transmitted or other operations of the IC card. The digital control unit <b>103</b> is locally connected with the addressable memory <b>104</b>, which can be used to store electronic money or electronic ticketing applications, load a program code executed by the digital control unit <b>103</b>, or to save the working data in progress.

0121The external interface <b>105</b> is a function module for connecting the digital control unit <b>103</b> to an external device, such as the portable terminal <b>110</b>, according to an interface protocol different from that of a non-contact interface for connecting to the card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The data written in the memory <b>104</b> can be transferred to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0122In this embodiment, it is assumed that the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> is installed in the portable terminal <b>110</b> when used, and the external interface <b>105</b> is implemented as a wired interface such as a UART or I²C interface (described below). However, the interface specification of the external interface <b>105</b> is not limited in particular, and either a wired interface or a wireless interface such as a Bluetooth or IEEE.802.11b interface may be used.

0123In this embodiment, furthermore, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> and the portable terminal <b>110</b> are connected with each other via the external interface <b>105</b>. When a change in the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> is detected by the carrier wave detector <b>106</b>, the digital control unit <b>103</b> can report this detection to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0124The IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> can be driven by, for example, a reception wave received from the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b>. It is to be understood that a part or all components of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> may be driven by power supplied from the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0125The portable terminal <b>110</b> corresponds to, for example, an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, or a personal computer (PC). The portable terminal <b>110</b> includes a program control unit <b>111</b>, a display unit <b>112</b>, and a user input unit <b>113</b>.

0126The program control unit <b>111</b> includes, for example, a microprocessor, a RAM, and a ROM (these components are not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref>), and the microprocessor uses the RAM for a work area to execute various processing services according to a program code stored in the ROM. The processing services include the original functions of the portable terminal <b>110</b>, such as a cellular telephone function, and processing for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b>. It is to be understood that the program control unit <b>111</b> may include an external storage device such as a hard disk, and other peripheral devices.

0127The program control unit <b>111</b> can access the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0128The display unit <b>112</b> is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, and can present the processing result of the program control unit <b>111</b> on a screen for notifying the user.

0129The user input unit <b>113</b> is formed of a keyboard, a jog dial, or a touch panel laid on the display screen of the display unit <b>112</b>, and is used for a user to input commands or data to the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0130The program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> is driven by power fed from a main power supply (not shown), such as a battery.

0131When a user of the portable terminal <b>110</b> with the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> installed therein passes the portable terminal <b>110</b> over a predetermined card reading and writing apparatus, wireless communication is initiated between the IC card <b>100</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, so that data is exchanged between the digital control unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b> and the analog unit <b>102</b>, which serve as a wireless interface.

0132At this time, the carrier wave detector <b>106</b> detects a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus to output a detection signal to the digital control unit <b>103</b>.

0133In this embodiment, a specific address of the memory <b>104</b> locally connected to the digital control unit <b>103</b> is assigned to a status flag indicating the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b>. The digital control unit <b>103</b> sets this status flag in response to detection of the carrier wave by the carrier wave detector <b>106</b>, and resets the status flag when no carrier wave is detected.

0134A change in content of the status flag is sent to the program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0135The program control unit <b>111</b> detects the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> with the card reading and writing apparatus based on the content of the status flag to perform processing according to the communication state. For example, the communication state is expressed on the display unit <b>112</b> by an icon indicating “communication in progress”, a dialog for prompting user input is opened, an application corresponding to the communication state is enabled, telephone line connection is performed (in a case of cellular telephone), or access to a LAN or an external network such as the Internet is initiated. Furthermore, when the portable terminal <b>110</b> is connected to a telephone network or a network, data communicated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus can be transmitted to a host on the network, or, conversely, data downloaded from the host can be transmitted to the card reading and writing apparatus via the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b>.

0136<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> schematically shows the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> includes an antenna unit <b>101</b>, an analog unit <b>102</b>, a digital control unit <b>103</b>, a memory <b>104</b>, an external interface <b>105</b>, and a carrier wave detector <b>106</b>.

0137The antenna unit <b>101</b> performs non-contact data transmission and reception to and from a card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The analog unit <b>102</b> performs processing on an analog signal which is transmitted or received from the antenna unit <b>101</b>, such as detection, modulation/demodulation, and clock extraction.

0138The carrier wave detector <b>106</b> detects a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus to output a detection signal to the digital control unit <b>103</b>.

0139The digital control unit <b>103</b> totally controls processing on received data or data to be transmitted or other operations of the IC card. The digital control unit <b>103</b> is locally connected with the addressable memory <b>104</b>, which can be used to store electronic money or electronic ticketing applications, load a program code executed by the digital control unit <b>103</b>, or to save the working data in progress.

0140The external interface <b>105</b> is a function module for connecting the digital control unit <b>103</b> to an external device, such as the portable terminal <b>110</b>, according to an interface protocol different from that of a non-contact interface for connecting to the card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The data written in the memory <b>104</b> can be transferred to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0141In this embodiment, it is assumed that the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> is installed in the portable terminal <b>110</b> when used, and the external interface <b>105</b> is implemented as a wired interface such as a UART or I²C interface (described below). However, the interface specification of the external interface <b>105</b> is not limited in particular, and either a wired interface or a wireless interface such as a Bluetooth or IEEE.802.11b interface may be used.

0142In this embodiment, furthermore, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> and the portable terminal <b>110</b> are connected with each other via the external interface <b>105</b> as well as a dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. When a change in the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> is detected by the carrier wave detector <b>106</b>, the digital control unit <b>103</b> can report this detection directly to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b> without intermediate of the external interface <b>105</b>.

0143The IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> can be driven by, for example, a reception wave received from the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b>. It is to be understood that a part or all components of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> may be driven by power supplied from the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0144The portable terminal <b>110</b> corresponds to, for example, an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, or a personal computer (PC). The portable terminal <b>110</b> includes a program control unit <b>111</b>, a display unit <b>112</b>, and a user input unit <b>113</b>.

0145The program control unit <b>111</b> includes, for example, a microprocessor, a RAM, and a ROM (these components are not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref>), and the microprocessor uses the RAM for a work area to execute various processing services according to a program code stored in the ROM. The processing services include the original functions of the portable terminal <b>110</b>, such as a cellular telephone function, and processing for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b>. It is to be understood that the program control unit <b>111</b> may include an external storage device such as a hard disk, and other peripheral devices.

0146The program control unit <b>111</b> can access the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0147In this embodiment, the program control unit <b>111</b> is connected directly to the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>2</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. The dedicated signal line <b>121</b> is used to report a change in the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> to the program control unit <b>111</b>.

0148The display unit <b>112</b> is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and can present the processing result of the program control unit <b>111</b> on a screen for notifying the user.

0149The user input unit <b>113</b> is formed of a keyboard, a jog dial, or a touch panel laid on the display screen of the display unit <b>112</b>, and is used for a user to input commands or data to the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0150The program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> is driven by power fed from a main power supply (not shown), such as a battery.

0151When a user of the portable terminal <b>110</b> with the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> installed therein passes the portable terminal <b>110</b> over a predetermined card reading and writing apparatus, wireless communication is initiated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, so that data is exchanged between the digital control unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b> and the analog unit <b>102</b>, which serve as a wireless interface.

0152At this time, the carrier wave detector <b>106</b> detects a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus to output a detection signal to the digital control unit <b>103</b>.

0153In this embodiment, a specific address of the memory <b>104</b> locally connected to the digital control unit <b>103</b> is assigned to a status flag indicating the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>4</b>. The digital control unit <b>103</b> sets this status flag in response to detection of the carrier wave by the carrier wave detector <b>106</b>, and resets the status flag when no carrier wave is detected.

0154The digital control unit <b>103</b> directly reports a change in content of the status flag to the program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>.

0155The program control unit <b>111</b> detects the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> with the card reading and writing apparatus based on the report via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b> to perform processing according to the communication state. For example, the communication state is expressed on the display unit <b>112</b> by an icon indicating “communication in progress”, a dialog for prompting user input is opened, an application corresponding to the internal state is enabled, telephone line connection is performed (in a case of cellular telephone), or access to a LAN or an external network such as the Internet is initiated. Furthermore, when the portable terminal <b>110</b> is connected to a telephone network or a network, data communicated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus can be transmitted to a host on the network, or, conversely, data downloaded from the host can be transmitted to the card reading and writing apparatus via the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>5</b>.

0156<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 10</figref> schematically shows the hardware configuration of an IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 10</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> includes an antenna unit <b>101</b>, an analog unit <b>102</b>, a digital control unit <b>103</b>, a memory <b>104</b>, an external interface <b>105</b>, and a carrier wave detector <b>106</b>.

0157The antenna unit <b>101</b> performs non-contact data transmission and reception to and from a card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The analog unit <b>102</b> performs processing on an analog signal which is transmitted or received from the antenna unit <b>101</b>, such as detection, modulation/demodulation, and clock extraction.

0158The carrier wave detector <b>106</b> detects a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus to output a detection signal to the digital control unit <b>103</b>.

0159The digital control unit <b>103</b> totally controls processing on received data or data to be transmitted or other operations of the IC card. The digital control unit <b>103</b> is locally connected with the addressable memory <b>104</b>, which can be used to store of electronic money or electronic ticketing applications, load a program code executed by the digital control unit <b>103</b>, or to save the working data in progress.

0160The external interface <b>105</b> is a function module for connecting the digital control unit <b>103</b> to an external device, such as the portable terminal <b>110</b>, according to an interface protocol different from that of a non-contact interface for connecting to the card reading and writing apparatus (not shown). The data written in the memory <b>104</b> can be transferred to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0161In this embodiment, it is assumed that the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> is installed in the portable terminal <b>110</b> when used, and the external interface <b>105</b> is implemented as a wired interface such as a UART or I²C interface (described below). However, the interface specification of the external interface <b>105</b> is not limited in particular, and either a wired interface or a wireless interface such as a Bluetooth or IEEE.802.11b interface may be used.

0162In this embodiment, furthermore, the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> and the portable terminal <b>110</b> are connected with each other via the external interface <b>105</b> as well as a dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. When a change in the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> is detected by the carrier wave detector <b>106</b>, the digital control unit <b>103</b> can report this detection directly to the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b> without intermediation of the external interface <b>105</b>.

0163The IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> can be driven by, for example, a reception wave received from the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b>. It is to be understood that a part or all components of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> may be driven by power supplied from the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0164The portable terminal <b>110</b> corresponds to, for example, an information processing terminal such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, or a personal computer (PC). The portable terminal <b>110</b> includes a program control unit <b>111</b>, a display unit <b>112</b>, a user input unit <b>11</b>, and a power supply control unit <b>114</b>.

0165The program control unit <b>111</b> includes, for example, a microprocessor, a RAM, and a ROM (these components are not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 10</figref>), and the microprocessor uses the RAM for a work area to execute various processing services according to a program code stored in the ROM. The processing services include the original functions of the portable terminal <b>110</b>, such as a cellular telephone function, and processing for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b>. It is to be understood that the program control unit <b>111</b> may include an external storage device such as a hard disk, and other peripheral devices.

0166The program control unit <b>111</b> can access the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> via the external interface <b>105</b>.

0167The display unit <b>112</b> is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), can present the processing result of the program control unit <b>111</b> on a screen for notifying the user.

0168The user input unit <b>113</b> is formed of a keyboard, a jog dial, or a touch panel laid on the display screen of the display unit <b>112</b>, and is used for a user to input commands or data to the portable terminal <b>110</b>.

0169The program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> is driven by power fed from a main power supply (not shown), such as a battery. The power supply control unit <b>114</b> can control power supply from the main power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> to be turned on or off.

0170In this embodiment, the power supply control unit <b>114</b> is connected directly to the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>. When the carrier wave detector <b>106</b> of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> detects a change in the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b>, this detection is reported to the power supply control unit <b>114</b> using the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>, and the power supply control unit <b>114</b> can control power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> to be turned on or off according to the communication state.

0171When a user of the portable terminal <b>110</b> with the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> installed therein passes the portable terminal <b>110</b> over a predetermined card reading and writing apparatus, wireless communication is initiated between the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus, so that data is exchanged between the digital unit <b>103</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus via the antenna unit <b>101</b> and the analog unit <b>102</b>, which serve as a wireless interface.

0172At this time, the carrier wave detector <b>106</b> detects a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus to output a detection signal to the digital control unit <b>103</b>.

0173In this embodiment, a specific address of the memory <b>104</b> locally connected to the digital control unit <b>103</b> is assigned to a status flag indicating the communication state of the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>6</b>. The digital control unit <b>103</b> sets this status flag in response to detection of the carrier wave by the carrier wave detector <b>106</b>, and resets the status flag when no carrier wave is detected.

0174The digital control unit <b>103</b> directly reports the change in content of the status flag to the program control unit <b>111</b> of the portable terminal <b>110</b> via the dedicated signal line <b>121</b>.

0175The power supply control unit <b>114</b> performs processing corresponding to the reported communication state. For example, when the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> is connected to the card reading and writing apparatus and the program control unit <b>111</b> must start processing for data transfer, power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> is turned on to execute it. Conversely, when the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus are disconnected and the program control unit <b>111</b> need not be driven for the IC card <b>100</b>-<b>3</b>, the power supply control unit <b>114</b> shuts off power supply to the program control unit <b>111</b> to deactivate it.

0176<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 11</figref> is a diagram showing in further detail the hardware configuration of the IC card <b>100</b> which realizes the embodiments shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 5 through 10</figref>. In the example shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 11</figref>, the IC card further has a card reading and writing function. The card reading and writing function of the IC card can achieve the payment system shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>. However, the card reading and writing function of the IC card is not essential to the present invention.

0177As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 11</figref>, the IC card <b>100</b> includes a card function unit <b>30</b> corresponding to the analog unit <b>102</b>, a data processor <b>40</b> corresponding to the digital control unit <b>103</b>, the memory <b>104</b>, and the external interface <b>105</b>, and a card reader/writer <b>50</b>.

0178In the card function unit <b>30</b>, a carrier wave received by an antenna <b>32</b> is rectified by a rectifier <b>31</b>, and is then supplied to a signal processor <b>44</b> of the data processor <b>40</b> and to a logical circuit <b>38</b> via a serial regulator <b>33</b>.

0179The logical circuit <b>38</b> controls a voltage from the serial regulator <b>33</b> so that a desired power voltage V_DDfor use in the IC card <b>100</b> is supplied.

0180The serial regulator <b>33</b> maintains an output voltage substantially constant, regardless of an input voltage. Specifically, the serial regulator <b>33</b> increases the internal impedance when the input voltage is high, and decreases the internal impedance when the input voltage is low, thus making it possible to maintain the voltage.

0181A voltage detector <b>39</b> monitors the output terminal voltage of an external power supply (such as a battery) connected to the logical circuit <b>38</b> to output a signal for prohibiting use of the external power supply to the logical circuit <b>38</b> when the voltage of the external power supply is below a predetermined voltage.

0182In the card function unit <b>30</b>, an electric wave input from the antenna <b>32</b> is further checked by a carrier wave detector <b>34</b> to determine whether or not the received wave contains a carrier wave. If it contains, a carrier wave detection signal VR is output to the logical circuit <b>38</b>. The logical circuit <b>38</b> can also output to the data processor <b>40</b> a signal indicating that a carrier wave has been detected.

0183A clock extractor <b>35</b> extracts clock from the electric wave input from the antenna <b>32</b>, and supplies it to a clock selector <b>36</b>. A clock oscillator <b>37</b>, which is formed of, for example, a crystal oscillator external to the IC card <b>100</b>, generates clock of a driving frequency for use in the IC card <b>100</b>, and supplies it to the clock selector <b>36</b>. The clock selector <b>36</b> selects one of the clock supplied from the clock extractor <b>35</b> and the clock supplied from the clock oscillator <b>37</b>, and supplies the selected clock to the components of the IC card <b>100</b>.

0184The card reader/writer <b>50</b> includes a transmission amplifier <b>51</b>, a received signal detector <b>53</b>, a reception amplifier/filter <b>54</b>, and transmission and reception antennas <b>52</b> and <b>55</b>.

0185For data transmission, a transmission signal, which has been subjected to modulation and D/A conversion by the signal processor <b>44</b> of the data processor <b>40</b> so as to be up-converted into an analog baseband signal, is sent from the antenna <b>51</b> via the transmission amplifier. A signal received from the antenna <b>52</b> is detected by the received signal detector <b>53</b>, and is amplified by the reception amplifier <b>54</b> before being supplied to the signal processor <b>44</b>. The signal processor <b>44</b> down-converts the signal into an analog baseband signal, which is then subjected to D/A conversion and demodulation, thereby reproducing digital data.

0186The card reading and writing operation between the IC card and the card reading and writing apparatus has been previously described with reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 3 and 4</figref>.

0187The data processor <b>40</b> includes the above-noted signal processor <b>44</b>, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) <b>45</b>, a DES (Data Encryption Standard) engine <b>46</b>, a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) <b>47</b>, a RAM (Random Access Memory) <b>41</b>, a ROM (Read Only Memory) <b>42</b>, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) <b>43</b>, a UART interface <b>48</b>, and an I²C interface <b>49</b>. These components are connected with each other via an internal bus.

0188The CPU <b>45</b> serves as a main controller for controlling the overall operation of the IC card <b>100</b> to execute, for example, a program code stored in the ROM <b>42</b> (or the EEPROM <b>43</b>) under the control of the operating system (OS). For example, the CPU <b>45</b> executes an application regarding data which is transmitted or received via the card function unit <b>30</b> or the card reader/writer <b>40</b>.

0189The signal processor <b>44</b> performs processing on data to be transmitted via the card function unit <b>30</b> or the card reader/writer <b>40</b>, including modulation, D/A conversion, and up-conversion, and also performs processing on received data, including down-conversion, A/D conversion, and demodulation.

0190The DES engine <b>46</b> encodes and decodes data, which is transmitted or received via the card function unit <b>30</b> or the card reader/writer <b>40</b>, using open-source secret key encoding.

0191The CRC <b>47</b> performs cyclic redundancy checks on data received via the card function unit <b>30</b> or the card reader/writer <b>40</b>.

0192The UART <b>48</b> and the I²C interface form external wired interfaces for connecting the IC card <b>100</b> to external devices (not shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 11</figref>) such as a cellular telephone, a PDA, and a personal computer. The UART (Universal asynchronous receiver transmitter) <b>48</b> has functions of converting a parallel signal in a computer into a serial signal, and converting a serial signal into a parallel signal.

0193The RAM <b>41</b> is a rewritable memory device, and the CPU <b>41</b> uses the RAM <b>41</b> as a work area to execute a program. Since the memory space provided by the RAM <b>41</b> is addressable, the CPU <b>41</b> or the devices on the internal bus can access this memory space.

0194In this embodiment, the CPU <b>45</b> receives a report of carrier wave detection from the card function unit <b>30</b> (described above). The CPU <b>45</b> which processes data to be transmitted or received data via the signal processor <b>44</b> controls the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b> according to a communication phase.

0195A specific address of the memory space extended on the RAM <b>41</b> is assigned to an internal status flag indicating whether or not a carrier wave from the external card reading and writing apparatus has been detected (that is, the communication state) or indicating the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>. The CPU <b>45</b> updates setting details of the internal status flag according to a change in the communication state or the internal state.

0196An external device connected via an external wired interface, such as the UART <b>48</b> or the I²C interface <b>49</b>, can also access the internal status flag on the RAM <b>41</b> to recognize the communication state or the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b>. In this way, the external device detects the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b> to perform processing corresponding to the internal state. For example, the internal state is expressed on the display unit <b>112</b> by an icon indicating “communication in progress”, a dialog for prompting user input is opened, an application corresponding to the internal state is enabled, telephone line connection is performed (in a case of cellular telephone), or access to a LAN or an external network such as the Internet is initiated. Furthermore, when the portable terminal <b>110</b> is connected to a telephone network or a network, data communicated between the IC card <b>100</b> and the card reading and writing apparatus can be transmitted to a host on the network, or, conversely, data downloaded from the host can be transmitted to the card reading and writing apparatus via the IC card <b>100</b>.

0197The CPU <b>45</b> further includes a control signal line <b>56</b> output directly to an external device (not shown), and can therefore directly report a change in the communication state or the internal state to the external device via the control signal line <b>56</b> without intermediation of an external wired interface such as the UART <b>48</b> or the I²C interface <b>49</b>. The external device receives the report of the internal state of the IC card <b>100</b> to perform processing corresponding to the internal state (see above).

0000Appendix

0198The present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific examples. However, it is obvious that modifications or replacements may be made to the embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing the spirit and scope of the present invention. The present invention has been disclosed in an exemplary form, and this form should not be construed as the restricted one. Reference should be made to the claims for delineation of the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

0199According to the present invention, there can be provided a better non-contact IC card or IC chip including a wireless interface for wireless data access to a memory function from an external reader/writer and a wired interface for connection with an external device, and a better information processing terminal connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or incorporating such an IC chip when used.

0200According to the present invention, furthermore, there can be provided a better IC card including both a wireless interface and a wired interface, in which processing related to the IC card can be smoothly initiated without heavy burden on the user, and a better information processing terminal connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or having the IC card installed therein.

0201According to the present invention, furthermore, there can be provided a better IC card including both a wireless interface and a wired interface, in which processing according to the communication state between the IC card and a card reading and writing apparatus or the internal state of the IC card can be smoothly initiated, and a better information processing terminal connected to such an IC card via a wired interface or having the IC card installed therein.

0202When an IC card is passed over a card reading and writing apparatus, the IC card starts communication with the card reading and writing apparatus via a wireless interface. According to the present invention, a change in the internal state of the IC card can be reported to or a report indicating whether or not a carrier wave from the card reading and writing apparatus has been detected can be sent to an information processing terminal via an external wired interface or a dedicated control signal line. The information processing terminal does not rely on a user operation to automatically enable a specific application for processing the IC card or power on a controller to activate it. When no carrier wave is detected, the controller may be powered off or deactivated, thus achieving power saving.