Patent ID: 8640966

Claim:
A method of facilitating communication with a smart card via a smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving a current command destined for a smart card; if the current command is of a state-altering type that places the smart card in a known state, relaying the current command to the smart card reader unless the smart card is known to be currently in the known state; if the current command is a POWER OFF command that disengages or turns off the smart card, relaying the current command to the smart card reader unless (i) the smart card is known to be currently in the known state and (ii) within a predetermined time from receiving the current command, a subsequent command of the state-altering type that places the smart card in the known state is subsequently received; if the current command is not a POWER OFF command and the current command is not of the state-altering type that places the smart card in the known state, relaying the current command to the smart card reader; and discarding the current command if the current command is not relayed to the smart card reader.