NFC system comprising a plurality of secure elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9312922-B2
Application number	US-201314405218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 21, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

It is provided a method implemented by an electronic device comprising a near field communication (NFC) system. The system comprises an NFC contactless front end, a plurality of secure element interfaces to which a plurality of secure elements are connected, and a processing unit adapted to control the NFC contactless front end and the plurality of secure elements through the secure element interfaces. The method comprises sending (S 10 ) an initialization command to all the secure elements through the secure element interfaces, upon exposure of the NFC contactless front end to an NFC reader. The method improves the field of near field communication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method implemented by an electronic device comprising a near field communication (NFC) system, wherein:
the system comprises:
an NFC contactless front end,
a plurality of secure element interfaces to which a plurality of secure elements are connected, and
a processing unit adapted to control the NFC contactless front end and the plurality of secure elements through the secure element interfaces,

and the method comprises:
sending an initialization command to all the secure elements through the secure element interfaces, upon exposure of the NFC contactless front end to an NFC reader.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending an initialization command to all the secure elements is performed simultaneously or in an interleaved manner.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, once all the secure elements are initialized:
receiving from the NFC reader a request to access an application, and then
determining and activating the secure element hosting the application,
sending to the NFC reader a response to the request to access an application.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises, once the secure element hosting the application is activated, receiving a command from the NFC Reader for selecting the application by the secure element hosting the application.

5. An electronic device comprising a near field communication system, wherein the system comprises:
an NFC contactless front end,
a plurality of secure element interfaces adapted to connect a plurality of secure elements, and
a processing unit adapted to control the NFC contactless front end and the plurality of secure elements through the secure element interfaces,
wherein an initialization command is sent to all the secure elements through the secure element interfaces, upon exposure of the NFC contactless front end to an NFC reader.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the secure element interfaces comprise at least one or two European Telecommunications Standards Institute interfaces.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the device further comprises a plurality of secure elements connected to the secure element interfaces.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the device is a mobile communication device.

9. A non-transitory computer program in a near field communication system, wherein the system comprises:
an NFC contactless front end,
a plurality of secure element interfaces adapted to connect a plurality of secure elements, and
a processing unit adapted to control the NFC contactless front end and the plurality of secure elements through the secure element interfaces,
wherein the non-transitory computer program comprises instructions for sending an initialization command to all the secure elements through the secure element interfaces, upon exposure of the NFC contactless front end to an NFC reader.

10. A non-transitory data storage medium having recorded thereon the program of claim 9 .

Assignees

• St Ericsson Sa

Inventors

• Gimeno Monge Pablo Ignacio
• Del Prado Pavon Javier

Classifications

• G06Q20/3226 Primary

  Use of secure elements separate from M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/3278

  RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• H04B5/20

  characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium · CPC title

• H04B5/0056

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B5/0031 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic