IC card and electronic devices

1. An electronic device having a contact-type interface and a non-contact-type interface as a communication interface for communication with an external device, said electronic device comprising:

a deciding unit operable to decide on a communication interface that follows communication conditions concerning communication with the external device, said communication conditions including conditions concerning communication data communicated with the external device, said conditions concerning communication data designating the communication interface used for communication with the external device said contact-type interface in case said communication data is data to be classified and designating a communication interface to be used for communication with the external device for every command communicated with the external device,

a judging unit operable to judge whether to switch the communication interface between the contact-type interface and the non-contact-type interface on the basis of the decision of said deciding unit, and

a switching unit operable to switch the communication interface used for communication with the external device in case said judging unit judges that the communication interface used for communication with the external device should be switched, and

wherein said conditions concerning communication data are stipulated for every command with regard to the case of receiving the command from the external device and the case of sending the response.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said data to be classified includes at least any one of an encryption key, a signature, random numbers, a certificate and encrypted data.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said communication conditions include permit conditions stipulating permission and prohibition of use of the communication interface and recommendation conditions which are used unless said recommendation conditions contradict the permit conditions, and

wherein said deciding unit judges whether the permit conditions and the recommendation conditions agree with each other, and decides on a communication interface using the recommendation conditions if said permit conditions agree with each other, and decides on a communication interface using the permit conditions if said permit conditions and said recommendation conditions do not agree with each other.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 which further comprises a communication stopping unit, in case there are a plurality of communication conditions including the conditions concerning communication data communicated with the external device, when the communication interface that said deciding unit decides on in accordance with the communication conditions other than the conditions concerning communication data is the non-contact-type interface, if the permit conditions of the conditions concerning communication data prohibit use of the non-contact-type interface, for stopping communication using the non-contact-type interface of communication data for which the use of the non-contact-type interface is prohibited.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said deciding unit changes a communication interface to decide on in a given time-series pattern.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein said deciding unit decides on different communication interfaces for data to be sent to the external device and for data to be received from the external device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 which has the switching unit on both sides to send data to the external device and to receive data from the external device, and

wherein if the switching unit on one of the side to send data to the external device and the side to receive data from the external device switches the communication interface to one of the contact-type interface and the non-contact-type interface, the switching unit on the other of the side switches the communication interface to the other of the interfaces.

8. An IC card having a contact-type interface and a non-contact-type interface as a communication interface for communication with an external device, said IC card comprising:

a deciding unit operable to decide on a communication interface that follows communication conditions concerning communication with the external device, said communication conditions including conditions concerning communication data communicated with the external device, said conditions concerning communication data designating the communication interface used for communication with the external device said contact-type interface in case said communication data is data to be classified and designating a communication interface to be used for communication with the external device for every command communicated with the external device,

a judging unit operable to judge whether to switch the communication interface between the contact-type interface and the non-contact-type interface on the basis of the decision of said deciding unit, and

a switching unit operable to switch the communication interface used for communication with the external device in case said judging unit judges that the communication interface used for communication with the external device should be switched, wherein said communication conditions include permit conditions stipulating permission and prohibition of use of the communication interface and recommendation conditions which are used unless said recommendation conditions contradict the permit conditions, and

wherein said deciding unit judges whether the permit conditions and the recommendation conditions agree with each other, and decides on a communication interface using the recommendation conditions if said permit conditions agree with each other, and decides on a communication interface using the permit conditions if said permit conditions do not agree with each other.

9. An IC card having a contact-type interface and a non-contact-type interface as a communication interface for communication with an external device, said IC card comprising:

a deciding unit operable to decide on a communication interface that follows communication conditions concerning communication with the external device, said communication conditions including conditions concerning communication data communicated with the external device, said conditions concerning communication data designating the communication interface used for communication with the external device said contact-type interface in case said communication data is data to be classified and designating a communication interface to be used for communication with the external device for every command communicated with the external device,

a judging unit operable to judge whether to switch the communication interface between the contact-type interface and the non-contact-type interface on the basis of the decision of said deciding unit, and

a switching unit operable to switch the communication interface used for communication with the external device in case said judging unit judges that the communication interface used for communication with the external device should be switched, and

a communication stopping unit, in case there are a plurality of communication conditions including the conditions concerning communication data communicated with the external device, when the communication interface that said deciding unit decides on in accordance with the communication conditions other than the conditions concerning communication data is the non-contact-type interface, if the permit conditions of the conditions concerning communication data prohibit use of the non-contact-type interface, for stopping communication using the non-contact-type interface of communication data for which the use of the non-contact-type interface is prohibited.

10. An IC card having a contact-type interface and a non-contact-type interface as a communication interface for communication with an external device, said IC card comprising:

a deciding unit operable to decide on a communication interface that follows communication conditions concerning communication with the external device, said communication conditions including conditions concerning communication data communicated with the external device, said conditions concerning communication data designating the communication interface used for communication with the external device said contact-type interface in case said communication data is data to be classified and designating a communication interface to be used for communication with the external device for every command communicated with the external device,

a judging unit operable to judge whether to switch the communication interface between the contact-type interface and the non-contact-type interface on the basis of the decision of said deciding unit, and

a switching unit operable to switch the communication interface used for communication with the external device in case said judging unit judges that the communication interface used for communication with the external device should be switched, and

wherein said conditions concerning communication data are stipulated for every command with regard to the case of receiving the command from the external device and the case of sending the response.