GENERIC ELECTRONIC KEY PROVIDED WITH A CUSTOMIZED SMART CARD

• US 20090144556A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemplus (Thales SA)
• Inventors: De Groot, Max, Plet, Eric
• Application Number:
  US12/097,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144556A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• 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 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A portable electronic device has a case including: a smart chip, an application which is stored in the smart chip, at least one interface for a user, and a microcontroller which controls the smart chip and the interface. The aforementioned microcontroller is configured to execute the primitive functions of the electronic key in order for the interface to be used, while the smart chip is configured to execute the application. The application is configured to generate calls to the primitive functions in order to communicate with the user by means of the interface.

Claims

1. Portable electronic device comprising a case, said case comprising a smart chip, an application stored in the smart chip, at least one user interface and a microcontroller controlling said smart chip and said interface, said microcontroller being configured to execute the primitive functions of said electronic key by exploiting said interface and said smart chip being configured to execute said application, wherein said application is configured to generate calls to the primitive functions in order to communicate with the user by means of said interface.

2. Portable electronic device according to the claim 1, wherein a master-slave relationship exists between the smart chip and the microcontroller, said smart chip supplying the microcontroller with execution instructions comprising said calls to the primitive functions.

3. Portable electronic device according to the claim 2, wherein the microcontroller can interrogate said smart chip during its initialisation and by a standard control in order to receive said execution instructions.

4. Portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein said case of the electronic key also comprises a memory connected to said microcontroller, and wherein said microcontroller is configured to store in said memory said instructions including the calls to the primitive functions.

5. Portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said interface is a display screen and wherein said interface also comprises a user interface for “

selection”

.

6. Portable electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising an interface for communicating with a third-party electronic device, and wherein said microcontroller is configured to transfer data emitted by said third-party device to said smart chip and data emitted by the smart chip to said third-party device.

7. Portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein said communication interface comprises one of the following:

a USB interface, a USB2 interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IRDA interface, an RFID interface or an MMC interface.

8. Portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said application is a generic program for testing the primitive functions of said microcontroller.

9. Portable electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said smart chip comprises a second application configured to generate calls to the primitive functions and to perform algorithmic processes, and means designed to deactivate said generic test program.

10. Portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said application is a program for generating one-time passwords.

11. Application of the portable electronic device according to claim 1 to the generation and transmission of single-use authentication data.

14. Method of using a portable electronic device according to claim 1, including at least one exchange phase comprising of:

a step of said microcontroller sending a request to said smart chip to obtain instructions to execute,

upon receiving said request, a step of said smart chip transmitting a script containing at least one instruction calling said primitive functions directed to said microcontroller, and

a step of said microcontroller executing said script.

15. Method of use according to claim 14, further comprising a step of storing said script in a memory, the storage being carried out by the microcontroller upon receiving the script, and wherein said step of executing the script comprises of reading each instruction of the script in memory and executing the instruction after reading.

16. Method of use according to claim 14, further including a plurality of transmissions of requests from the microcontroller to said smart chip and, in response to each of said transmissions, a step of said microcontroller receiving at least one instruction emitted by the smart chip and the microcontroller executing said instruction.

17. Method of use according to claim 14, further comprising when executing a script or an instruction, a prior step of the microcontroller powering the smart chip and a subsequent step, after at least one exchange with the smart chip, of the microcontroller switching the smart chip off.

12. Method of manufacturing a personalised portable electronic device, comprising:

a step of manufacturing a generic portable electronic device comprising a case, the latter comprising a smart chip, an application stored in the smart chip, at least one user interface and a microcontroller controlling said smart chip and said interface, said microcontroller being configured to execute the primitive functions of said portable electronic device in order for said interface to be used and said smart chip being configured to execute said application, the latter being configured to generate calls to the primitive functions in order to communicate with the user by said interface,

a step of personalising said smart chip by storing a second application configured to generate calls to the primitive functions.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein said application stored in the generic portable device is a generic test program generating calls to the primitive functions and wherein the method comprises, after said manufacturing step, a step of testing said portable electronic device by executing the generic test program.