Remote administration of smart cards for secure access systems

• US 20050216732A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kipnis, Shlomo, Meir, Rannen
• Granted Patent: US 7,690,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/155
• 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: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• 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 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method for remote administration of at least one smart card via a communication network is described. The method includes the steps of associating the at least one smart card with a remote administrator by storing administrator identification information of the remote administrator in the at least one smart card, inserting the at least one smart card in at least one user unit, employing the administrator identification information stored in the at least one smart card to identify the remote administrator associated with the at least one smart card, and establishing communication between the at least one smart card and the remote administrator via the communication network in accordance with the administrator identification information. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A method for remote administration of a first smart card and a second smart card via a communication network, the method comprising:

associating said first smart card and said second smart card with a remote administrator; and

transmitting authorization information from said first smart card to said second smart card via the remote administrator and the communication network.

27. A method according to claim 26 and wherein said authorization information comprises at least one of the following:

administrator identification information;

authorization to perform a transaction;

an electronic-mail message stored in said first smart card; and

billing history information.

28. A method according to claim 26 and wherein said communication network comprises at least one of the following:

a local-area-network (LAN);

a metropolitan-area-network (MAN); and

a wide-area-network (Wan).

29. A method according to claim 26 and wherein said communication network comprises at least one of the following networks:

the Internet;

CompuServe; and

America-On-Line.

30-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A remote administration system for remotely administering a first smart card and a second smart card via a communication network, the system comprising:

a remote administrator operatively associated with said first smart card and said second smart card; and

a transmitter transmitting authorization information from said first smart card to said second smart card via said remote administrator and the communication network.

36. A remote administration system for remotely administering a first smart card and a second smart card via a communication network, the system comprising:

means for operatively associating first smart card and said second smart card with remote administration means; and

means for transmitting authorization information from said first smart card to said second smart card via said remote administration means and the communication network.