DELEGATED MANAGEMENT OF SMART CARD APPLICATIONS

• US 20020040936A1
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalPlatform, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: GUNGL, KLAUS P., WENTKER, DAVID C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,481,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A smart card architecture includes a run-time environment, a card manager, one or more security domains, a provider application and an issuer application. One or more APIs provide communication. The life cycle of the card and card manager includes states: Pre-production, Ready, Initialized, Secured, Locked and Terminated. The life cycle of an application includes states: Installed, Selectable, Personalized, Blocked, Locked and Deleted. A card registry keeps track of card manager and application data elements. The functionality of a security domain on a smart card is extended to allow it to perform delegated management of smart card applications: delegated loading, installation and/or deletion of an application. A provider of an application is assured of more direct control and management of their application, yet an issuer still maintains some control over the management of the card. The card issuer empowers application providers to initiate changes to the issuer'"'"'s smart cards that are pre-approved by the card issuer. A method of delegated loading of an application onto a smart card first receives a load command from an application provider via a card acceptance device. The load command includes an indication of an application to be loaded and an appended command authentication pattern. Next, the load command is verified using the command authentication pattern. Then, an application is received from an application provider via the card acceptance device; the application also includes an appended application authentication pattern which is used to verify the application. Finally, the application is loaded into memory of the smart card.

Claims

1. A method of delegated loading of an application onto a smart card, said method comprising:

receiving a load command from an application provider via a card acceptance device, said load command including an indication of an application to be loaded and an appended command authentication pattern;

verifying said load command using said command authentication pattern;

receiving said application from an application provider via said card acceptance device, said application including an appended application authentication pattern;

verifying said application using said application authentication pattern; and

loading said application into memory of said smart card, whereby said application provider is allowed to load said application onto said smart card.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said command authentication pattern is generated by an issuer of said smart card using a cryptographic technique, and wherein verifying of said load command includes:

recalculating said command authentication pattern from said load command using said cryptographic technique, whereby said command authentication pattern and said recalculated command authentication pattern may be compared to provide verification of said load command.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said load command includes said application authentication pattern.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

approving of said application by an issuer of said smart card;

creating said application authentication pattern; and

appending said application authentication pattern to said application, whereby said smart card is reliably assured that said application loaded has been approved by said issuer.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said delegated loading is performed after issuance of said smart card to a consumer.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an install command from an application provider via a card acceptance device, said install command including an indication of an application to be installed and an appended install authentication pattern;

verifying said install command using said install authentication pattern; and

installing said application on said smart card, whereby said application provider is allowed to install said application onto said smart card.

7. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said cryptographic technique provides authentication and integrity for said load command.

8. A system for delegated loading of an application onto a smart card, said system comprising:

a host computer under control of an application provider;

a software application included in said host computer to be loaded onto a smart card, said application including an appended application authentication pattern produced by an issuer of said smart card that verifies said application to said smart card;

a smart card acceptance device linked to said host computer; and

a smart card included in said card acceptance device, said smart card including code arranged to verify said application using said application authentication pattern, whereby said application provider is allowed to load said application onto said smart card.

9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein said application authentication pattern is generated by said issuer using a cryptographic technique, and wherein said code of said smart card to verify said application includes:

code for recalculating said application authentication pattern from said application using said cryptographic technique, whereby said application authentication pattern and said recalculated application authentication pattern may be compared to provide verification of said application.

10. A system as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

a load command included in said host computer that has an appended command authentication pattern; and

code within said smart card arranged to verify said load command using said command authentication pattern, whereby said application provider is provide said load command to said smart card.

11. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein said smart card is a smart card issued to a consumer.

12. A system as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

an install command included in said host computer that has an appended install authentication pattern; and

code within said smart card arranged to verify said install command using said install authentication pattern, whereby said application provider is provide said install command to said smart card.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said cryptographic technique provides authentication and integrity for said application.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said install authentication pattern is generated by an issuer of said smart card using a cryptographic technique, and wherein verifying of said install command includes:

recalculating said install authentication pattern from said install command using said cryptographic technique, whereby said install authentication pattern and said recalculated install authentication pattern may be compared to provide verification of said install command.

16. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising:

approving of said install command by an issuer of said smart card;

creating said install authentication pattern; and

appending said install authentication pattern to said install command, whereby said smart card is reliably assured that said install command has been approved by said issuer.

17. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said delegated install is performed after issuance of said smart card to a consumer.

18. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said cryptographic technique provides authentication and integrity for said install command.

14. A method of delegated installation of an application on a smart card, said method comprising:

loading an application onto a smart card;

receiving an install command from an application provider via a card acceptance device, said install command including an indication of said application to be installed, install parameters and an appended install authentication pattern;

verifying said install command using said install authentication pattern; and

installing said application on said smart card using said install parameters, whereby said application provider is allowed to install said application on said smart card.