WO2003010713A1

WO2003010713A1 - Multichip support package

Info

Publication number: WO2003010713A1
Application number: PCT/FR2002/002034
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabrice Clerc; Jacques Dudouit; Aymeric De Solages
Original assignee: France Telecom
Priority date: 2001-07-25
Filing date: 2002-06-13
Publication date: 2003-02-06
Also published as: FR2827985B1; FR2827985A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for supporting silicon chips for use by a user during transactions involving a silicon chip. Said silicon chip supporting device (1) comprises: an interface chip card including an electronic module (6) in reading position, said electronic module comprising contact zones, and an electrical extender of said contact zones up to one end of the extender, a multichip support (3), a device for selecting a specific electronic module (7) of the multichip support (3) which ensures electrical continuity between the end of the electrical extender and at least a specific group of contact points, each contact point of the specific group being in contact with a contact zone of the specific electronic module (7).

Description

Title of invention

MULTI-CHIP SUPPORT HOUSING

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for supporting electronic chips.

The invention falls within the field of the use of electronic chips, in particular for carrying out an exchange of information requiring secure communication using various types of cards such as bank cards, health cards, pre or postpaid cards. , subscription cards, loyalty cards, electronic wallet.

Description of the Prior Art

Currently, the user has different electronic cards if he wants to use different services, such as a bank transaction, such as a telephone call from a payphone, such as a purchase order associated with a loyalty program, etc. Thus, the user respectively has a first smart card which supports the banking transaction service, a second smart card to which is attached a telephone number and a third smart card which supports the service loyalty program. When the user wants to use one of the preceding services, he inserts the appropriate smart card into a chip reader associated with the service. Finally, the user must have the correct smart card to use a given service.

To solve the problem of multiplying cards, there are chips that host several different applications. However, these chips raise on the one hand the problem of the capacity of electronic chips and on the other hand, the security problem linked to the lack of sealing between the different applications present on the same chip. Application providers also raise problems as the disparity of validity periods of applications sharing the same physical medium, and the sharing of legal responsibility in the event of improper use of a card.

Summary of the invention

Also, the technical problem to be solved by the object of the present invention is to propose an electronic chip support device, intended to put in chip reading position, in a chip reader, an electronic module comprising an electronic chip, which allows multiple applications highlighting process electronic chips while ensuring a good seal between applications and a limitation of the number of cards required.

A solution to the technical problem posed consists, according to the present invention, in that said electronic chip support device, intended to be used by a user during transactions implementing an electronic chip, comprises:

an interface smart card comprising an electronic module in the reading position, this module comprising contact zones, and an electrical extension of these contact zones up to one end of the extension,

a multi-chip support comprising a determined number of electronic modules accessible independently of one another and distributed according to a determined number of lines,

- a device for selecting a specific electronic module of the support which provides electrical continuity between the end of the extender and at least one group of contact points, each contact point of a given group being in contact with a zone of electronic module contact determined.

Thus, the electronic chip support device according to the invention fictitiously moves the reading position on the multi-chip support. In fact, the electrical extension allows a smart card reader to communicate with the determined electronic module, physically located on the multi-chip support. When using the box, the user selects the determined electronic module by means of the selection device. It then inserts the interface chip card into the chip reader of the telephone or of the bank payment terminal for example.

Thus, the electronic chip support device according to the invention allows a user to select an electronic module from among several electronic modules present on the multi-chip support. Each electronic module supporting a specific application, such as the establishment of communications from a given number or such as an electronic transaction, the choice of an electronic module corresponds to the choice of an application. The electronic chip support device according to the invention solves the problem posed. Indeed, each application being installed on a different electronic module, that is to say on a different chip, there is no memory sharing. Thus, the chip support device provides total sealing.

According to a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention, the multi-chip support is equipped with slides and the selection device comprises a bridge equipped with slides and a trolley equipped with contact points electrically connected to the end of the extension. According to this embodiment, the carriage can be positioned in front of each of the electronic modules of the multi-chip support by means of the different slides. Thus, the electronic chip support device can advantageously be used with any chip reader which does not swallow the chip card when it is read and thus leaves part of the chip card free outside the reader.

Brief description of the drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows and which is given with reference to the appended figures given by way of nonlimiting examples.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a top view of a first particular embodiment of a device for supporting electronic chips according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a view by transparency of a particular embodiment of an interface chip card of an electronic chip support device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a top view of a second embodiment of a device for supporting electronic chips according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a view by transparency of a particular embodiment of an interface chip card of an electronic chip support device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a top view of a third particular embodiment of a device for supporting electronic chips according to the invention.

Description of an embodiment A first particular embodiment of a device for supporting electronic chips according to the invention is illustrated by FIG. 1.

The electronic chip support device 1 comprises an interface chip card 2, a multi-chip support 3 and a selection device 4 visible in FIG. 2 which is a view by transparency of an interface chip card 2. The interface chip card 2 typically has the dimensions of an electronic card normahsed according to ISO 7816, that is to say that it has the dimensions (in mm):

- length: [85,47-85,72]

- width: [53.92-54.03] - thickness: 0.76 +/- 0.08 However, according to the mode described, the interface chip card 2 comprises projections 5 which participate in maintaining the interface chip card 2 in the multi-chip support 3 in a given position.

The interface chip card 2 includes an electronic module 6 which occupies the so-called reading position. When inserting an electronic smart card in a smart card reader, the latter is able to read the integrated chip in the electronic module located on the smart card, if and only if this module occupies the position of reading. The ISO 7816 standard determines the location of the contacts between the reader and the card during a read or write operation. The contacts which are eight in number are positioned in two columns of four equidistant contacts. Each contact must be inside an area limited by a small rectangle of 2x1.7 mm, called the contact area. These eight contacts fit into a rectangle of not more than 9.3 x 9.7 mm ² . This rectangle, positioned at the top right of the map, is closest to 10.25 mm from the short side of the map and 19.23 mm from the long side of the map.

The multi-chip support 3 comprises a table of electronic modules 7 arranged on a bottom 8 which may be of the same nature as the plastic support of electronic chip cards. The table presents a certain number of rows and columns determined by the size of the modules and the size of the support. The multi-chip support 3 also comprises a structure 9 superimposed on the bottom but which does not cover the array of electronic modules. This structure comprises slides 10 in which the interface smart card slides. The slides 10 are equipped with notches 11 which cooperate with the projections 5 of the interface chip card 2 to maintain the latter in a given position. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a view by transparency of the interface chip card 2 of the electronic chip support device of FIG. 1. The interface chip card 2 comprises an electronic module 6 in the reading position , with contact zones 12, an electrical extension 13 of these contact zones 12, projections 5, a selection device 4 and three groups 14 of contact points. The electrical extension 13 can be in the form of an electric bus which electrically connects each contact zone 12 to an input of the selection device 4.

The selection device 4 has as many inputs and outputs as there are contacts, ie eight according to ISO 7816. The outputs of the device 4 are linked to the group 14 of selected contact points. The number of groups 14 of contact points is identical to the number of rows of electronic modules 7 contained in the table of the multi-chip support 3. The distances between the groups 14 of contact points are the same as the distances between the lines. Thus, during the sliding of the interface chip card 2 in the slides of the multi-chip support, each contact point of a group 14 comes into contact with a contact zone of an electronic module of the switchboard. Thus, when reading the interface chip card 2, the reader comes to read the electronic module of the switchboard positioned under the group 14 of contact points selected by the selection device 4. A second particular embodiment of a device for supporting electronic chips according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3.

The elements of this device which are identical to the elements of the first embodiment of a device are not described again.

Unlike the table of electronic modules 7 of the device of FIG. 1, the table of electronic modules 7 of the device of FIG. 3 is not composed of columns in which the modules are aligned, but oblique Ugnes of electronic modules 7.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a view by transparency of the interface chip card 2 of the electronic chip support device of FIG. 3. This interface chip card 2 is distinguished from the chip card 2 d 'interface described with reference to Figure 2 in that the three groups 14 of contact points are arranged along an oblique line parallel to the oblique lines along which are arranged the electronic modules 7 of the table.

Thus, during the sliding of the interface chip card 2 in the slides of the multi-chip support, each contact point of a group 14 comes into contact with a contact zone of an electronic module of the switchboard. And when reading the interface chip card 2, the reader comes to read the electronic module of the switchboard positioned under the group 14 of contact points selected by the selection device 4.

FIG. 5 illustrates a third particular embodiment of a multi-chip support housing according to the invention.

The electronic chip support device 1 comprises an interface chip card 2, a multi-chip support 3 and a selection device 4.

The interface chip card 2 preferably complies with the ISO 7816 standard and includes an electronic module 6 in the reading position, the contact zones of which are are extended by an electric extension 13 to one end 15 of the extension.

The multi-chip support 3 is similar to the support described with reference to FIG. 1. The selection device 4 consists of a carriage 16, a bridge 17 and an electrical cord 18.

The carriage 16 is equipped with a group 14 of contact points electrically connected to the end 15 of the electrical extension 13 by the cord 18. The cord 18 preferably has a flexible structure which allows it to bend on itself. The bridge 17 is fitted with slides 19 on which the carriage 16 slides. The bridge 17 can itself slide in the slides 10 of the multi-chip support 3.

The slides 19 of the bridge can, in the same way as the slides 10 of the multi-chip support 3, include notches 20 which cooperate with projections 21 of the carriage 16 to maintain the carriage in a given position.

The bridge 17 can be equipped with projections 22 which cooperate with the notches 11 of the slides 10 of the support 3 to maintain the bridge 17 in a given position.

When using the device 1 for supporting electronic chips, the user selects a determined electromechanical module 7 by positioning the bridge on the column to which the module 7 belongs and by positioning the carriage 16 above the module 7. The zones 12 of contact of the module 6 in reading position being electrically connected to the contact zones of the determined module 7, by means of the electrical extension 13 and of the selection device 4, the smart card reader in which the smart card 2 is inserted interface comes to read the determined module 7.

The previously described embodiments can be supplemented by a display screen disposed either on the interface chip card or on the multi-chip support, for displaying references of the selected electronic module selected.

These references can be the name of an application linked to the module, for example

Bank Card or Telephone Credit, or the supplier of the module.

Claims

1. Device (1) for supporting electronic chips intended for use by a user during transactions using an electronic chip, characterized in that it comprises: - a card (2) with an interface chip comprising a module ( 6) electronic in reading position, this module (6) comprising contact zones (12), and an electric extension (13) of these contact zones (12) up to one end of the extension (13),

a multi-chip support (3) comprising a determined number of electronic modules (7) accessible independently of one another and distributed along a determined number of lines,

- a device (4) for selecting a specific electronic module (7) of the multi-chip support (3) which ensures electrical continuity between the end (15) of the electric extension (13) and at least one group (14) determined of contact points, each contact point of the group (14) determined being in contact with a contact zone of the module (7) determined electric.

2. Device (1) for supporting electronic chips according to claim 1 in which the selection device (4) is composed: - as many groups (14) of contact points as lines of modules

(7) electronic on the support (3) multi-chip, of a switch which can be actuated by the user, which electrically connects the end of the electric extender (13) with one of the groups (14) of contact points.

3. Device (1) for supporting electronic chips according to one of claims 1 and 2 wherein the support (3) multi-chip is equipped with slides (10), cut by notches (11), to slide the card ( 2) with an interface chip, and in which the interface chip card (2) has projections (5) which cooperate with the notches (11) to hold the interface chip card (2) in a position given with respect to the multi-chip support (3).

4. Device (1) for supporting electronic chips according to claim 1, in which: - the multi-chip support (3) is equipped with slides (10) and

- the selection device (4) comprises a bridge (17) equipped with slides (19) and a carriage (16) equipped with a group (14) of contact points electrically connected to the end (15) of the extension ( 13) electric, the carriage (16) being able to be positioned in front of each of the electromechanical modules (7) of the multi-chip support (3) by means of the different slides (10, 19).

5. Device (1) for supporting electronic chips according to claim 4 in which the slides (10) of the support (3) multi-chip comprise first means (11) of blocking and in which the bridge (17) comprises second means ( 22) of blocking which cooperate with the first blocking means (11) to maintain the bridge (17) in a given position and in which the slides (19) of the bridge (17) comprise third blocking means (20) and in which the carriage (16) comprises fourth blocking means (21) which cooperate with the third blocking means (20) to maintain the carriage (16) in a given position.

6. Device (1) for supporting electronic chips according to one of the preceding claims, in which the multi-chip support (3) comprises a display screen for displaying the selected electronic module (7).