Contactless flash memory devices are being used in an increasing number of applications. For example, contactless flash memory devices are often employed in credit card transactions, electronic cash transactions, computer security applications, incentive programs involving the tracking of customer loyalty, and government identification applications.
One prior art contactless memory device is a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The RFID memory tag is a read only device and includes a memory microchip coupled to an inductive antenna. The RFID memory tag is powered by an RF field that is established between an RFID reader and the RFID memory device. Once the RFID memory tag is powered, the RFID reader retrieves the data stored on the RFID memory tag via a contactless communication channel and passes the retrieved data to a host device, such as for example a computer. Since the RFID memory device is a read only device, once data is burned into an RFID memory tag, the data stored in the RFID memory tag cannot be modified or updated.
Another prior art contactless memory device is a contactless smart card. The contactless smart card is a near field communication device that includes a controller, a flash memory microchip, and an inductive antenna. The smart card flash memory microchip offers limited non-volatile and reprogrammable storage. The contactless smart card is also powered by the RF field that is established between a smart card reader/writer and the contactless smart card when the contactless smart card is positioned within range of the smart card reader/writer. The contactless smart card must also be maintained within range of the smart card reader/writer during read and/or write operations. Updating a data file stored on a smart card flash memory typically involves first erasing the entire old version of the data file and then writing the entire new version of the data file to the flash memory. While reading the data stored on a flash memory or writing to a flash memory for the first time is generally a relatively fast process, erasing data stored on a flash memory and then writing data to a flash memory can be relatively slow processes, especially when the erase and write operations involve relatively large amounts of data. Contactless communication may prove to be unreliable in the event the contactless smart card cannot be consistently maintained within range of the smart card reader/writer. For example, moving the contactless smart card out of range of the smart card reader/writer may result in loss of power to the smart card and potentially disrupt any erase and/or write operations that may be in progress thereby affecting the integrity of the data being transmitted for storage on the contactless smart card. As a result, accessing and updating multiple data files stored on a contactless smart card, especially when the updating of data files involves the erasing and writing of large amounts of data, may prove to be challenging.
Thus what is needed is a contactless flash memory device that seeks to overcome one or more of the challenges and/or obstacles described above.