Adaptable chip card

• US 20050009543A1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Huber, Adriano
• Application Number:
  US10/910,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009543A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0095 Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/40 Security arrangements using identity modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Chip card (5) capable of communicating with an external device (3) over a logical interface (4), standardized data units (20) being defined for this communication. The chip card has a ROM and an EEPROM. The functionality that is made available through the chip card when a data unit (20) is received over said logical interface (4) is determined in the EEPROM, for example through an APDU handler (512) implemented in the EEPROM.

Claims

1. A method for adapting a chip card after its manufacture to a new standardization of the API interface, comprising the steps of:

adapting a module in a memory of the chip card to determine a proper functionality when said certain data unit is received; and

receiving said certain data unit over said API interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said module is adapted via a message received over a mobile radio network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said message is an SMS message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said message is a USSD message.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said message is a GPRS packet.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said message is an IP packet.