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  Semiconductor integrated circuit device and noncontact ic cardUSPTO Application #: 20080088366Title: Semiconductor integrated circuit device and noncontact ic card Abstract: The present invention is directed to shorten time required to establish a connection and enable information to be actually transmitted/received in a noncontact IC card adaptable to a plurality of communication methods. A semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention includes: a single demodulating circuit capable of demodulating an input signal; a plurality of sampling circuits each capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit synchronously with a predetermined clock signal; a plurality of detection circuits capable of detecting headers of output signals of the corresponding sampling circuits; a plurality of processing circuits capable of performing a predetermined data process on the basis of detection results of the corresponding detection circuits; and a communication method determining circuit capable of determining a match to a preset communication method from results of the header detection by the plurality of detection circuits. By performing processes adapted to a plurality of different communication methods in parallel, time required to establish a connection and enable information to be actually transmitted/received is reduced. (end of abstract) Agent: Miles & Stockbridge PC - Mclean, VA, US Inventors: Yutaka NAKADAI, Yasuyoshi Nakajima, Norihisa Yamamoto, Toshiaki Shibata USPTO Applicaton #: 20080088366 - Class: 329306000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080088366. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] The present application claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 2004-238151 filed on Aug. 18, 2004, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to an IC card technique and, more particularly, to a noncontact IC card adaptable to a plurality of different communication methods and a semiconductor integrated circuit device mounted on the noncontact IC. [0003] Cards having a conventional noncontact interface are adapted to a number of methods such as ISO14443-A and ISO14443-B set by the ISO standard and an IC card method for high-speed processing (called a "high-speed type") set by Japan IC card system application council (JICSAP). In recent years, a contact/noncontact combination card is being spread. Also in the non-contact type, a combination card adapted to a plurality of different communication methods is in demand. [0004] As an example of a noncontact IC card communication establishing method and system of searching for a communication method while switching it and establishing a connection between a noncontact IC card having a function of switching a plurality of communication interfaces and a reader-writer, a technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-233787 is known. In the technique, at the time of establishing a communication method between a noncontact IC card and a reader-writer, when a modulation signal from the outside is received, based on repeatability of the modulation signal, the signal is distinguished from noise. By obtaining a match while sequentially switching a demodulating method at the ante stage and a coding method at the post stage, a communication method adapted to the signal from the noncontact IC card or the reader-writer is detected and a communication is established between the noncontact IC card and the reader-writer. [0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-044801 discloses a portable information processing device having a plurality of information transmitting means for performing communication with the outside, identifying means of detecting information transmitting means via which information is transmitted, and control means for obtaining default application information adapted to the information transmitting means detected by the identifying means with reference to a default application management table in which correspondence between the information transmitting means and the default application is set, and selecting the default application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The inventors herein have found that the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-233787 employs a method of searching for the communication method while switching it and establishing a connection, so that it takes time to establish a connection. For example, a demodulation circuit is selected by a demodulation selector disposed on the input side of the plurality of demodulating circuits, and whether demodulation can be made or not is determined each time the demodulating circuit is selected. When it is determined that demodulation cannot be made, the next demodulating circuit is selected and whether demodulation can be made by the selected demodulating circuit or not is determined. When it is determined that demodulation can be performed, a plurality of decoding circuits are sequentially selected by a coding selector disposed on the output side of the plurality of demodulating circuits. Each time the decoding circuit is selected, whether input data can be decoded or not is determined. Consequently, it takes time to establish a connection and enable information to be actually transmitted/received between a noncontact IC card and a reader-writer. [0007] In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-044801, an OS executing unit of a CPU includes identifying means having the function of identifying transmitting means (contact/noncontact type and communication protocol) before analysis of a command transmitted from an external terminal (reader-writer) and notifying of the result. The communication protocol used is determined by a communication module in a lower layer of the OS and notified to the OS. A concrete method of determining a communication protocol is not described. [0008] An object of the invention is to provide a technique for shortening time required to establish a connection and enable information to be actually transmitted/received in a noncontact IC card adaptable to a plurality of communication methods. [0009] The above and other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the description of the specification and the appended drawings. [0010] An outline of representative ones of inventions disclosed in the specification will be briefly described as follows. [0011] A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a demodulating circuit capable of demodulating an input signal; a plurality of sampling circuits which are commonly connected to an output of the demodulating circuit and each capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit synchronously with a predetermined clock signal; a plurality of detection circuits arranged in correspondence with the sampling circuits and capable of detecting headers of output signals of the corresponding sampling circuits; a plurality of processing circuits disposed in correspondence with the plurality of detection circuits and capable of performing a predetermined data process on the basis of detection results of the corresponding detection circuits; and a communication method determining circuit capable of determining a match to a preset communication method from results of the header detection by the plurality of detection circuits. [0012] With the configuration, an output signal of the single demodulating circuit is input the plurality of sampling circuits, output signals of the plurality of sampling circuits are input to the plurality of corresponding detection circuits, and detection results of the plurality of detection circuits are transmitted to the plurality of corresponding processing circuits. Consequently, processes corresponding to a plurality of communication methods different from each other are performed in parallel. Thus, time required to establish a connection and enable information to be actually transmitted/received is shortened as compared with a conventional method of sequentially selecting circuits by using a selector. [0013] In the configuration, the plurality of sampling circuits can operate in parallel with each other, the plurality of detection circuits can operate in parallel with each other, and the plurality of processing circuits can operate exclusively on the basis of a result of determination of the communication method determining circuit. [0014] As other concrete modes, the device can be constructed as follows. [0015] A semiconductor integrated circuit device may include: a demodulating circuit capable of demodulating an input signal; a first sampling circuit capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit synchronously with a predetermined clock signal; a second sampling circuit capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit, which are the same as those input to the first sampling circuit, synchronously with a predetermined clock signal in parallel with the sampling operation of the first sampling circuit; a first detection circuit capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the first sampling circuit; a second detection circuit operating in parallel with the first detection circuit and capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the second sampling circuit; a first processing circuit receiving a detection result of the first detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; a second processing circuit receiving a detection result of the second detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; and a communication method determining circuit capable of determining a match to a preset communication method from detection results of the first and second detection circuits. The first and second processing circuits operate exclusively on the basis of a determination result of the communication method determining circuit. In this case, the first detection circuit detects a preamble in an output signal of the first sampling circuit, and the second detection circuit detects an SOF (Start Of Frame) in an output signal of the second sampling circuit. [0016] A semiconductor integrated circuit device may include: a demodulating circuit capable of demodulating an input signal; a first sampling circuit capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit synchronously with a predetermined clock signal; a second sampling circuit capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit, which are the same as those input to the first sampling circuit, synchronously with a predetermined clock signal in parallel with the sampling operation of the first sampling circuit; a first detection circuit capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the first sampling circuit; a second detection circuit capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the second sampling circuit, which is the same as that input to the first sampling circuit, in parallel with the sampling operation of the first detection circuit; a first processing circuit receiving a detection result of the first detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; a second processing circuit receiving a detection result of the second detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; and a communication method determining circuit capable of determining a match to a preset communication method from output signals of the first and second sampling circuits. The first and second processing circuits operate exclusively on the basis of a determination result of the communication method determining circuit. The communication method determining circuit can determine a match to either a first communication method conformed with ISO14443-A or a second communication method conformed with ISO14443-B. [0017] A semiconductor integrated circuit device may include: a demodulating circuit capable of demodulating an input signal; a first sampling circuit capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit synchronously with a predetermined clock signal; a second sampling circuit capable of sampling output signals of the demodulating circuit, which are the same as those input to the first sampling circuit, synchronously with a predetermined clock signal in parallel with the sampling operation of the first sampling circuit; a first detection circuit capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the first sampling circuit; a second detection circuit operating in parallel with the first detection circuit and capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the first sampling circuit; a third detection circuit operating in parallel with the first and second detection circuits and capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the second sampling circuit; a fourth detection circuit operating in parallel with the first, second, and third detection circuits and capable of detecting a header in an output signal of the second sampling circuit; a first processing circuit receiving a detection result of the first detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; a second processing circuit receiving a detection result of the second detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; a third processing circuit receiving a detection result of the third detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; a fourth processing circuit receiving a detection result of the fourth detection circuit and capable of performing a predetermined data process; and a communication method determining circuit capable of determining a match to a preset communication method from detection results of the first, second, third, and fourth detection circuits. The first, second, third, and fourth processing circuits operate exclusively on the basis of a determination result of the communication method determining circuit. [0018] By mounting a semiconductor integrated circuit with any of the above-described configurations, a noncontact IC card adaptable to a plurality of reader-writers of different communication methods can be constructed. [0019] An effect obtained by the representative ones of the inventions disclosed in the specification is briefly described as follows. [0020] In short, time required to establish a connection in a noncontact IC card adaptable to a plurality of communication methods can be shortened. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for Semiconductor integrated circuit device and noncontact ic card Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Semiconductor integrated circuit device and noncontact ic card patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Semiconductor integrated circuit device and noncontact ic card or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Semiconductor device and method for decreasing noise of output driver Next Patent Application: Semiconductor device Industry Class: Demodulators ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Semiconductor integrated circuit device and noncontact ic card patent info. 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