SMART CARD SET PROTOCOL OPTIMIZATION

• US 20110302342A1
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Singh, Ravi, Adams, Neil, Davis, Dinah
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/105
• 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: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device

Abstract

A method of facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card resource manager and the smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving from the smart card resource manager a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card; and responding, prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, to the smart card resource manager with a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card reader resource manager and the smart card reader, the method comprising:

receiving, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

transmitting, to the smart card reader through a wireless communication link, the first command;

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

receiving, from the smart card reader, an indication that the first command failed;

receiving, from the smart card resource manager, a second command; and

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager, a response indicating that the second command failed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising caching the indication that the first command failed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second command comprises an application protocol data unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the first command subsequent to receiving a smart card insertion message from the smart card reader while the computer device is locked awaiting a user login.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communications between the smart card resource manager and the smart card reader service are passed therebetween through a smart card reader driver.

6. A computer device for communicating over a wireless communications link with a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device comprising:

a smart card resource manager for generating commands for the smart card reader;

a smart card reader service for relaying commands received from the smart card resource manager for the smart card reader, the smart card reader service being configured to;

receive, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

transmit, to the smart card reader through a wireless communication link, the first command;

transmit, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

receive, from the smart card reader, an indication that the first command failed;

receive, from the smart card resource manager, a second command;

transmit, to the smart card resource manager, a response indicating that the second command failed.

7. A smart card reader comprising:

a smart card interface for receiving a smart card;

a communications system for exchanging signals over a wireless link with an associated computer; and

a controller connected to the smart card interface and the communications system for exchanging signals therewith, the controller being configured to;

transmit, to the associated computer, a smart card insertion message;

receive, from the associated computer, a first command and a second command, wherein the first command comprises a command to set a protocol for communications with the smart card;

provide, to the smart card, the first command;

receive, from the smart card, an indication that the first command failed;

transmit, to the associated computer, a response indicating that the second command failed.

8. A system comprising:

a computer device for communicating over a wireless link with a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device comprising;

a smart card resource manager for generating commands for the smart card reader;

a smart card reader service for relaying commands received from the smart card resource manager for the smart card reader, the smart card reader service being configured to;

receive, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

transmit, to the smart card reader through a wireless communication link, the first command;

transmit, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

receive, from the smart card reader, an indication that the first command failed;

receive, from the smart card resource manager, a second command;

transmit, to the smart card resource manager, a response indicating that the second command failed; and

the smart card reader comprising;

a smart card interface for receiving the smart card;

a communications system for exchanging signals over the wireless link with the computer device; and

a controller connected to the smart card interface and the communications system for exchanging signals therewith, the controller being configured to;

receive, from the computer device, the first command;

provide, to the smart card, the first command;

receive, from the smart card, a smart-card-based indication that the first command failed;

transmit, to the computer device, the indication that the first command failed.

9. A computer program product for facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card resource manager and the smart card reader, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having recorded thereon computer code means for:

receiving, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

relaying, to the smart card reader through a wireless communication link, the first command;

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

receiving, from the smart card reader, an indication that the first command failed;

receiving, from the smart card resource manager, a second command; and

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager, a response indicating that the second command failed.

10. A method of facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card reader resource manager and the smart card reader, the method comprising:

receiving, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

caching the first command;

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

monitoring for receipt, from the smart card resource manager, of a second command;

responsive to receiving the second command, transmitting, to the smart card reader through a wireless communication link, both the first command and the second command;

receiving, from the smart card reader through the wireless communication link, a response to the second command; and

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager, the response to the second command.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second command comprises an application protocol data unit.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the first command subsequent to receiving a smart card insertion message from the smart card reader while the computer device is locked awaiting a user login.

13. A computer device for communicating over a wireless communications link with a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device comprising:

a smart card resource manager for generating commands for the smart card reader;

a smart card reader service for relaying commands received from the smart card resource manager for the smart card reader, the smart card reader service being configured to;

receive, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

transmit, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

cache the first command;

monitor for a second command to be received from the smart card resource manager;

responsive to receiving the second command, transmit, to the smart card reader through the wireless communication link, both the first command and the second command;

receive from the smart card reader through the wireless communication link a response to the second command; and

transmit, to the smart card resource manager, the response to the second command.

14. A computer program product for facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card for use in login authentication, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card resource manager and the smart card reader, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having recorded thereon computer code means for:

receiving, from the smart card resource manager, a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card;

caching the first command;

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager and prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command;

monitoring for receipt, from the smart card resource manager, of a second command;

responsive to receiving the second command, transmitting, to the smart card reader through a wireless communication link, both the first command and the second command;

receiving, from the smart card reader through the wireless communication link, a response to the second command; and

transmitting, to the smart card resource manager, the response to the second command.