U.S. Philips Corporation

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Nxp B.v.

Volker Timm

Dirk Armbrust

Gerrit Willem Den Besten

Wolfgang Eber

Ralf Malzahn

Dominik Josef Berger

Wolfgang Tobergte

Jozef Laurentius Wilhelmus Kessels

Kim Nguyen

Klaus Axer

Steffen Drews

Torsten Kramer

Jozef Lw Kessels

Holger Brechtel

Tom Holtz

To provide an identification document, particularly a passport, in which at least one contactless RFID chip () and an antenna () connected thereto are integrated on a page of the identification document, an additional layer () mechanically reinforcing the RFID chip is situated at the area of the RFID chip () on the page, thus providing an arrangement with which the RFID chip can withstand mechanical stress for years on end.

Identification document with a contactless RFID chip

Disclosed is a mobile data carrier comprising a data-processing circuit; and a supply unit () to apply electric energy to power supply terminals for operating the data-processing circuit from an external energy source and () controlling voltage and current at external access points of the data carrier, wherein the supply unit including a voltage-limiting control circuit arranged in parallel to the power supply terminals of the data-processing circuit, and a current control device which, with respect to the supply of energy to the data-processing circuit, is arranged in series with the parallel arrangement of the voltage-limiting control circuit and the data-processing circuit.

Mobile data carrier with data-independent supply current and voltage

A data carrier is disclosed. The data carrier includes a data processing unit and at least one contactless interface via which the data processing unit can be coupled to a read/write apparatus in order to exchange data signals and to take up electrical energy for the operation of the data processing unit; the data processing unit is constructed at least mainly while using at least substantially asynchronously operating logic components (asynchronous logic). The data carrier according to the invention, such as a chip card, makes optimum use of the energy applied thereto and is at the same time protected against the tapping of the signal processing steps to be executed therein.

Data carrier

Integrated circuits comprising an EEPROM require a large amount of time for testing, because the write time for a memory cell is very long. Notably the first test after manufacture, with the circuit still present on the wafer, is time consuming. The invention proposes a drastic reduction of the duration of the first test after manufacture by supplying a number of integrated circuits with a voltage in parallel and by providing each integrated circuit with an element whereby several block-wise write cycles for alternately '0' and '1' are executed in substantially autonomously and at the end of the first test step predetermined information is retained. This step is followed by a thermal treatment, after which the integrated circuits are individually contacted and first tested for information retention. For the parallel powering of the number of integrated circuits with an operation voltage during the first test step, supply terminals of the integrated circuits of this number are interconnected across the severing lanes on the wafer and one of the integrated circuits is contacted. When the individual integrated circuits are severed from one another, these conductor tracks are then automatically cut.

Integrated circuit having an EEPROM, semiconductor wafer provided with

Portable data carriers are known for different applications, for example as so-called smart cards for bank transactions or for access control or for combined applications. For the various applications different subdivisions of the write/read memory in the data carrier are required so that given zones cannot be read and other zones can only be read and not be written. This subdivision is customarily implemented during the manufacture of the card or the chip. In order to obtain a chip which can be flexibly adapted to various applications, in accordance with the invention the memory in the data carrier is subdivided into a number of blocks which are inhibited from reading or writing by read inhibit and write inhibit information stored in different locations in one or two blocks of the memory. The writing in non-inhibited blocks can additionally be made dependent on a previous transmission of a correct password, the password also being stored in one of the blocks in the memory of the data carrier. As a result, the password as well as the inhibit information can be treated as normal information and, if necessary, they can also be repeatedly overwritten. When the block storing the write inhibit information, and preferably also the password, is inhibited from overwriting, part of the memory of the data carrier becomes a read-only memory.

Datacarriers with separate storage of read and write-inhibited memory

Prepaid smart cards which serve to procure services, for example from a public telephone, comprise a memory for value units which are debited in conformity with the service procured, i.e. are marked as having been consumed. The smart card comprises a test code circuit which generates reply data from a supplied test word in conformity with a secret algorithm. Upon use of the smart card it is thus checked whether a valid smart card is concerned. Fraud could be attempted by using a valid smart card and a test code circuit present therein in combination with a separate, manipulatable memory. In order to prevent this, the algorithm of the test code circuit is modified in dependence on the contents of the memory of the valid smart card, the smart card being checked by means of the test code circuit at least after the debiting of value units. Fraudulent use of an external memory is thus no longer possible.

Method of and circuit arrangement for checking a smart card

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Pinneberg, Germany

Volker Timm