IC Card Suspend/Resume Controller for Command Throughput

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional IC cards experience significant throughput impairment due to the need to recreate assets from scratch after being interrupted by higher-priority commands, as they flush and reinitialize data structures and intermediate results.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a suspend/resume controller in IC cards that halts the execution of a first command, stores current state information, and resumes execution from the saved state upon receiving a resume command, allowing for efficient prioritization of command processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the IC card processes higher-priority commands by interrupting lower-priority commands, then command priority handling is improved, but the assets (data structures, intermediate results, register values) of the interrupted command are flushed and must be recreated from scratch, significantly impairing command throughput

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommand priority handlingVSAvoidcommand throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The suspend/resume controller performs preliminary actions by saving and storing the current state information (assets) of the interrupted command before the interrupt occurs. This includes storing data structure information, intermediate results, and register values in a dedicated memory area, so that when the command is resumed, these assets are already prepared and do not need to be recreated from scratch

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The suspend/resume controller acts as an intermediary component between the processor and the interrupt mechanism. It intercepts the interrupt signal, manages the saving and restoration of command state, and coordinates the resumption process, thereby preventing the direct flushing of assets that would otherwise occur with conventional interrupt handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the IC card flushes assets when receiving an interrupt, then the system can handle higher-priority commands, but the total execution time increases due to complete reinitialization of assets after the interrupt

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterrupt handling capabilityVSAvoidtotal execution time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary saving of asset information before the interrupt occurs. The suspend/resume controller captures and stores data structure information, intermediate results, and register values in advance, so that when the command is resumed, these assets are immediately available without requiring time-consuming reinitialization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding (flushing) the assets when an interrupt occurs, the system recovers them by storing the current state information in the suspend/resume controller. The assets are preserved and can be restored to their pre-interrupt state, eliminating the need for complete reinitialization and reducing the time loss associated with asset recreation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS8616437B2IC card and IC card system having suspend/resume functions

Publication Date: 2013.12.31 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An IC card and an IC card system are disclosed in which command processing performance is improved by storing current state data related to a first command upon interruption of an execution cycle for the first command by a second command. Upon completion of the second command, the current state information is reloaded and execution of the first command is resumed.