Patent ID: 6098888
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
Integrated circuit card reader (1) comprising:contact pads (3-7) to make contact with the contact pads (8-12) of an integrated circuit card (2);a coupling circuit (13) to apply electrical signals to these contact pads or pick electrical signals up from these contact pads;a microprocessor (14) to receive, process, and/or transmit these signals available in the coupling circuit;said coupling circuit comprises:a first input-output circuit (20);a set (24) of buffer memories;a second input-output circuit (23);a set (27) of control registers (28);an operations sequencer (29);the first input-output circuit (20) being associated with and managing input and output of signals with the contact pads (3-7) of reader (1) and with buffer memory set (24);the second input-output circuit (23) being associated with microprocessor (14) and with buffer memory set (24) so that communication between the microprocessor (14) and the memories (24) is via the second input-output circuit;the second input-output circuit or the first input-output circuit comprising a decoding circuit connected to register set (27);sequencer (29) controlling the input-output circuits as a function of electrical states stored in the registers of the register set.