Device architecture

1. A module configured to be installed within a device configured to perform contactless communication with a terminal, the device being configured to perform a first function, the module being configured to perform processes as part of a second function associated with the device, the second function being different from the first function performed by the device, the module comprising:

two or more connections for connecting the module to an antenna and an embedded chip, the embedded chip and the antenna being external to the module and comprised within the device;

a power-harvesting unit configured to harvest power from a wireless signal received from the antenna to power at least the module; and

a power management unit configured to control the use and/or consumption of power by the module.

2. The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the embedded chip is configured to communicate to the terminal to perform the first function associated with the device.

3. The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to perform contact and contactless communication with the terminal, and further comprises:

one or more contact elements coupled to the module and arranged to supply power to the module from the terminal when the device is in contact communication with the terminal.

4. The module as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a power conditioning circuit coupled to the one or more contact elements, the power-harvesting unit and at least one other internal component of the module, the power conditioning circuit comprising:

a circuit path coupled at a first end to the one or more contact elements and at a second end to the power-harvesting unit and said at least one other internal component of the module;

a switching element interconnecting a first part of the circuit path comprising the first end and a second part of the circuit path comprising the second end;

a bypass circuit providing a path that bypasses the switching element, the bypass circuit permitting current to flow in a direction from the first end to the second end of the circuit path; and

a coupling unit coupled to the first part of the circuit path and the switching element;

the power conditioning circuit being arranged so that: when the device is in contact communication with the terminal, power supplied through the contact elements drives the switching element via the coupling unit to an open configuration thereby limiting current to flow from the first end to the second end of the circuit path through the bypass circuit; and when the device is in contactless communication with the terminal, power harvested by the power-harvesting unit causes the switching element to adopt an open configuration thereby preventing current flow from the second end of the power conditioning circuit to the first end of the power conditioning circuit.

5. The module as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the bypass circuit comprises a diode that limits current flow to the direction from the first part of the circuit path to the second part of the circuit path.

6. The module as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the power conditioning circuit contains only a single switching element.

7. The module as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the switching element is a PNP-transistor, with an emitter of the transistor being electrically connected to the first part of the circuit path, and a collector being electrically connected to the second part of the circuit path.

8. The module as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the power conditioning circuit further comprises a low-pass filter, the bypass circuit forming part of the low-pass filter thereby limiting current to flow from the first end to the second end of the circuit path through the low-pass filter when the device is in contact communication with the terminal and the switching element is in an open configuration.

9. The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the module further comprises noise mitigation circuitry configured to use power harvested from the received wireless signal as the device is brought into range of the terminal to store charge, and to supply current demanded from one or more components of the module to inhibit current being drawn from the antenna during operation of those components.

10. The module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the noise mitigation circuitry is located within the power-harvesting unit.

11. The module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the noise mitigation circuitry comprises:

a first charging element and a second charging element, the first and second charging elements being configured to store charge and to discharge to supply demanded current;

a rectifier circuit coupled to the antenna and configured to output a rectified voltage to charge the first charging element; and

supply regulation circuitry configured to output a regulated voltage to charge the second charging element.

12. The module as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the noise mitigation circuitry further comprises a control block configured to control the amount of current supplied to the one or more components from the first charging element and the second charging element in dependence on deviations of demanded current from those components.

13. The module as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the supply regulation circuitry comprises a first voltage regulator coupled to the rectifier circuit and a first component of the module, and a second voltage regulator coupled to the rectifier circuit and a second component of the module, the first voltage regulator being configured to output a different regulated voltage level than the second voltage regulator.

14. The module as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first component of the module is an ASIC configured to control a sensor forming part of the module, and the second component of the module is a microcontroller unit.

15. The module as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the module further comprises a sensor, first noise mitigation circuitry located locally to the microcontroller unit and second noise mitigation circuity located locally to the sensor.

16. The module as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first voltage regulator is a low-dropout regulator, and the second voltage regulator is a switch-mode-power supply.

17. The module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the noise mitigation circuitry is located locally at a component of the module.

18. The module as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the noise mitigation circuitry further comprises a sensing block configured to detect deviations in current demanded by one or more components of the module and to control the current supplied to the supply regulation circuitry in dependence on the detected deviations of demanded current.

19. The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first function is one of: ID verification; physical access control; a financial transaction; personal information retrieval; health record retrieval.

20. The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the module is a biometric sensor module and the second function is a biometric authentication or enrolment of a user.