Methods and systems for user media interoperability

• US 20040140351A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
• Original Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
• Inventors: Eichhoff, Heiner, Flugge, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 6,986,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• 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 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for multi-application user media such as smart cards that can be used by users to obtain related benefits. Multiple applications of one type such as transportation may be implemented on user media from a standard or reference of that application type. Hierarchical networks and data structures may be provided in implementing user media. User media may include application identifiers, associated data groups, and data structures that are associated with the data groups. An application may be configured by different originators differently based on sets of defined data groups and/or data structures from which the originator may select in implementing the application. Multiple applications of different types such as financial, health, transportation, etc. may be configured on user media to provide related services.

Claims

1. A system for implementing smart cards, comprising:

a network of card readers and processing equipment that are configured to execute different applications implemented by different originators to benefit cardholders in response to interaction with smart cards;

a plurality of smart cards each carrying memory that contains a plurality of data elements selected for use in an associated one of the applications from a standard list of data elements that is available to originators to implement that type of application differently, wherein the memory further contains an index identifying which data elements from the standard list are included for use in that application.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of smart cards each contain a plurality of data groups selected from a standard list of data groups that are associated with the selected data elements.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data elements that are contained on the cards include plural data elements selected for at least two of the applications, wherein a portion of the data elements are the same and a portion of the data elements are different.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to include a directory that includes a plurality of data groups and that is associated with each application.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to identify which data elements from the standard list are the selected ones.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data of the smart cards includes at least two different transportation applications that have different data elements that are selected from a standard list of data elements for implementing each transportation applications.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the smart cards each include a microprocessor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a central computer that communicates with computer equipment of each originator to maintain a database of card information.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein memory space specified for each application on the smart cards is differently sized based on which of the data elements in the standard list have been selected for that application.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the smart cards each include a microprocessor.

10. A system for providing multiple card-based applications, comprising:

a plurality of user cards each containing memory that is configured to include a plurality of application identifiers that are associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of applications, a plurality of data group directories that are each associated with a corresponding application identifier, a plurality of data groups associated with each group directory, with each data group having an associated data structure containing at least one data element, wherein the data structures and the data groups identify which data structures and data groups a corresponding application provider selected to include on the system in connection with their application; and

computer equipment including card readers that are dispersed over a geographic region that interact with the user cards to support the applications by reading and writing to the user cards based on the configuration of the memory of the user cards.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the memory in the user cards and the computer equipment is configured to implement a regional transportation service comprising a plurality of different transportation applications.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the user cards are smart cards.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the data structures each include a header that identifies the data elements for which data representative of the value of that data element is stored.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the memory of the user cards includes information identifying a location in memory for storing each particular data element.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein one of the applications is a transportation application.

16. A method for implementing smart cards, comprising:

configuring a network of card readers and processing equipment to execute different applications implemented by different originators to benefit cardholders in response to interaction with smart cards;

interacting with the network using a plurality of smart cards that each carry memory that contains a plurality of data elements selected for use in an associated one of the applications from a standard list of data elements that is available to originators to implement that type of application differently, wherein the memory further contains an index identifying which data elements from the standard list are included for use in that application.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of smart cards each contain a plurality of data groups selected from a standard list of data groups that are associated with the selected data elements.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the data elements that are contained on the cards include plural data elements selected for two of the applications, wherein a portion of the data elements are the same and a portion of the data elements are different.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to include a directory that includes a plurality of data groups and that is associated with each application.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to identify which data elements from the standard list are the selected ones.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the data of the smart cards includes two different transportation applications that have different data elements that are selected from a standard list of data elements for implementing each transportation applications.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a central computer that communicates with computer equipment of each originator to maintain a database of card information.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein memory space specified for each application on the smart cards is differently sized based on which of the data elements in the standard list have been selected for that application.

25. A method for providing multiple card-based applications, comprising:

providing a plurality of user cards that each contain memory that is configured to include a plurality of application identifiers that are associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of applications, a plurality of data group directories that are each associated with a corresponding application identifier, a plurality of data groups associated with each group directory, with each data group having an associated data structure containing at least one data element, wherein the data structures and the data groups identify which data structures and data groups a corresponding application provider selected to include on the system in connection with their application; and

dispersing computer equipment including card readers over a geographic region that are configured to interact with the user cards to support the applications by reading and writing to the user cards based on the configuration of the memory of the user cards.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising configuring the memory in the user cards and the computer equipment to implement a regional transportation service comprising a plurality of different transportation applications.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the user cards are smart cards.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the data structures each include a header that identifies the data elements for which data representative of the value of that data element is stored.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the memory of the user cards includes information identifying a location in memory for storing each particular data element.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein one of the applications is a transportation application.