SMART CARD AND MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE COMPRISING THE SMART CARD

• US 20110298585A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Barry, Aguibou Mountaga
• Granted Patent: US 8,730,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.84
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• 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 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

There provided an exemplary smart card. The exemplary smart card comprises a microphone for capturing an audio signal. The exemplary smart card also comprises at least one processor for processing the audio signal.

Claims

1. A smart card, comprising:

a microphone for capturing an audio signal; and

at least one processor for processing the audio signal.

2. The smart card recited in claim 1, wherein the microphone is non-detachably connected to the smart card.

3. The smart card recited in claim 1, wherein the microphone is embedded into a body of the smartcard.

4. The smart card recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to recognize a user using a voice sample of the user captured by the microphone.

5. The smart card recited in claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to compare the captured audio signal to reference information stored therein.

6. The smart card recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine that an audio input captured by the microphone corresponds to a predetermined command and to control an activation of a function assigned to the predetermined command.

7. The smart card recited in claim 6, wherein the predetermined command is included in a set of predetermined commands stored in the smart card.

8. The smart card recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to forward the audio signal to a receiver external to the smart card.

9. The smart card recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to encrypt the audio signal before it is forwarded.

10. The smart card recited in claim 1, comprising a microprocessor for executing functions other than processing the audio signal, the processor being configured as a hardware module separate from the microprocessor.

11. The smart card recited in claim 1, comprising at least two processors for processing the audio signal, each processor being configured as a separate hardware module.

12. A mobile communication device comprising a smart card that includes a microphone for capturing an audio signal, and at least one processor for processing the audio signal.

13. The mobile communication device recited in claim 12, wherein the smart card is configured to issue a command to the mobile communication device or an entity connected to the mobile communication device in response to a processing of an acquired audio signal, the command being particularly used for unlocking a function of the mobile communication device or entity.

14. The mobile communication device recited in claim 12, wherein the smart card is configured to unlock the mobile communication device for connecting to a mobile communication network in response to the recognition of the user based on the voice sample.

15. The mobile communication device recited in claim 12, wherein the smart card is configured to transmit to a service a confirmation that the user has been recognized based on the voice sample.