Data transmission system and method for operating a data transmission system

• US 20060206704A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RF-iT Solutions GmbH (Enso Holding Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: RF-iT Solutions GmbH (Enso Holding Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haberler, Berthold, Gauby, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US11/364,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206704A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1441 for a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• 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 20/3576 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 data transmission system includes a data storage medium that has a segmented memory that stores an application directory that has an attribute for identifying an application area of the data storage medium and has a logical application number which is associated with an executable application and which is determinately specified by the attribute. The logical application number is used as an index within the application directory. The data transmission system further includes a read/write unit that stores the attribute and the logical application number of the application. The read/write unit is configured to execute the application by using the logical application number in the application directory for indexing and finding a start address for a sector of the memory which stores the executable application.

Claims

1. A data transmission system, for executing applications which are independent of one another and which are reciprocally protected by secret keys, comprising:

a data storage medium that has a segmented memory that stores an application directory that has an attribute for identifying an application area of the data storage medium and has a logical application number which is associated with an executable application and which is determinately specified by the attribute, wherein the logical application number is used as an index within the application directory; and

a read/write unit that stores the attribute and the logical application number of the application, the read/write unit being configured to execute the application by using the logical application number in the application directory for indexing and finding a start address for a sector of the memory which stores the executable application.

2. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional logical application numbers are stored in the application directory, where the application numbers indicate start addresses for additional sectors.

3. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein an executable application occupies a sector of stipulated memory size.

4. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of logical application numbers stored in the application directory corresponds to the number of executable applications.

5. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the application directory is stored as an 8-byte data block in memory pages of the memory.

6. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attribute for identifying the application area of the data storage medium occupies the first bits of the application directory, with the less significant bits being used to identify the data storage medium and the more significant bits being used to identify the application area.

7. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory stores application-specific keys.

8. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the logical application number has an arbitrary associated key number specifying a stored key.

9. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 8, further including:

a table which is stored in a memory in the read/write unit, with the key number being associated with a physical memory address at which the application-specific key for executing the application is stored.

10. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the start address of the application in the sector is stored as an entry in the application directory, with the respective memory position of the entry corresponding to the logical application number.

11. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 10, wherein each entry occupies 8 bits and the key number occupies 4 bits in the application directory.

12. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory has a further application directory which can be activated by means of an entry in the application directory.

13. A method for operating a data transmission system, having a data storage medium with at least one executable application stored in a memory of the data storage medium and a stored application directory which stores an attribute for identifying an application area associated with the data storage medium and a logical application number associated with the executable application, and having a read/write unit which stores the attribute and the logical application number associated with the application, in which the read/write unit performs the following steps:

evaluating the attribute prior to execution of the application in order to establish whether the application area associated with the data storage medium has provision for execution of the application, and

if the result of the evaluation is positive, using a logical application number, corresponding to the executable application, in the application directory as an index in order to read a start address for a sector of the memory which stores the executable application.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the application directory contains a key number associated with the logical application number, and the read/write unit reads the key number for the sector protected by a key against unauthorized access.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the read/write unit is configured to perform the step of:

accessing a table which is stored in the memory and in which the key number has an associated physical memory address for the key required for accessing the sector.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein further start addresses that are stored in the application directory indicate further sectors, with the maximum number of executable applications corresponding to the maximum number of logical application numbers.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

erasing the application from a sector; and

assigning the sector to a new programmable application within the memory.

18. A data transmission system, for executing applications which are independent of one another and which are reciprocally protected by secret keys, comprising:

a data storage medium that has a segmented memory that stores an application directory that has an attribute for identifying an application area of the data storage medium and has a logical application number which is associated with an executable application and which is determinately specified by the attribute, wherein the logical application number is used as an index within the application directory; and

a read/write unit that that is configured to evaluate the attribute prior to execution of the application in order to determine whether the application area has provision for execution of the application and if the result of the evaluation is positive, the read/write unit is configured to execute the application and index and locate a start address for a sector of the memory which stores the executable application.

19. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the read/write unit executes the application by using the logical application number in the application directory.

20. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the start address of the application is encoded in a sector by a respective memory position of the logical application number within the application directory.

21. The data transmission system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the application directory includes a table of start addresses for sectors that can have an associated application, the read/write unit being configured such that in order to access one application, one table entry in the application directory is read immediately on the basis of the logical application number without reading the entire application directory.