Modem equipped with a smartcard reader
US6181735A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 13, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 30, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 13, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M11/06
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to modems designed to allow transmission of data between a terminal (a personal computer or PC) and a network. To improve the operating versatility of a modem or its utilization by a smartcard, the modem is equipped according to the invention with a receptacle (80) for receiving a smartcard (120), with a connector (110) for this card and a card interface circuit (100), and the microcontroller (50) of the modem (the microcontroller controlling communication with the network when commanded by the PC) also controls the card interface circuit. This microcontroller thus constitutes the kernel of the modem and at the same time the kernel of a card reader. The communication with the card is effected by commands known as `AT` and the systematic prefix sequence `AT` (whereby the microcontroller recognizes that it has to carry out an operation) is followed by a second systematic prefix sequence if a communication operation between the terminal and the card is to be effected. The second prefix sequence is `+G`.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.