Electronic device with card interface
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsKosei Okamoto, Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Akihisa Fujimoto, Masao Suga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When initializing a card-shaped device inserted in a card interface, operation mode acquiring means incorporated in an electronic device acquires operation mode information, stored in a register file incorporated in the card-shaped device, by a predetermined procedure using a predetermined pin. Operation mode setting means incorporated in the electronic device executes signal assignment on a plurality of data pins peculiar to an operation mode indicated by the acquired operation mode information, thereby switching a data transfer width, and allowing the card-shaped device to operate in the operation mode.
Claims4
1-19. (canceled)
An IC card to be used by an electronic device having a card interface, the IC card including a connector section to be connected to the electronic device via the card interface, the connector section comprising:
- a ground pin assigned as a ground signal terminal for receiving a ground signal from the electronic device;
- a power pin assigned as a power signal terminal for receiving a power signal from the electronic device;
- a clock pin assigned as a clock signal terminal for receiving a clock signal from the electronic device;
- a command pin assigned as a terminal for:
- (i) receiving a specific command from the electronic device, requesting an operation mode information designating an operation mode of the IC card;
- and (ii) transmitting a response including an operation mode information requested by the specific command, the command pin being assigned as the terminal when the IC card is connected to the card interface of the electronic device via the connector section;
- a first data pin assigned only as a terminal for a bidirectional data transfer;
- and
- a second data pin assigned as a terminal for a bidirectional data transfer, when the operation mode information included in a response to the specific command designates a first operation mode, and assigned as a terminal for transferring a predetermined signal other than data, when the operation mode information designates a second operation mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.