Bluetooth Enabled Credit Card with a Large Data Storage Volume

• US 20130065564A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BluStor PMC, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conner Investments LLC
• Inventors: Nigam, Anil, Conner, Finis, Li, An Van
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0718 the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25

Abstract

A smart card is disclosed which includes a mass storage memory for storing biometric information of a user and private data. A radio is used as an interface to the card. When the user of the card wishes to invoke an application for the private data, biometric information about the user is provided to a device in communication with the card, enabling the card to authenticate the user as an authorized user of the private data, and in response to that authentication provide the data to the application in a manner that maintains privacy and integrity of data.

Claims

1. A smart card comprising:

a mass storage memory for storing biometric information of a user and private data;

a radio;

an integrated circuit processor coupled to the mass storage memory and to the radio;

a battery connected to the integrated circuit processor, the mass storage memory and the radio;

a base layer upon which the mass storage memory, the radio, the processor, and the battery are disposed;

a top layer enclosing the mass storage memory, the radio, the processor, and the battery to thereby define a card; and

wherein;

when the user of the card wishes to invoke an application for the private data, biometric information about the user is provided to a device in communication with the card enabling the card to authenticate the user as an authorized user of the private data, and in response to that authentication provide the private data to the application.

2. A smart card as in claim 1 further comprising a power switch and a display built into the card;

and wherein engaging the power switch activates the display to inform the user the card is on,

3. A smart card as in claim 1 wherein the biometric data of the user is placed on the card by a trusted issuer and the private data is stored on the card by the user.

4. A smart card as in claim 1 wherein the private data is decrypted by the processor before being supplied to the application.

5. A smart card as in claim 1 wherein the mass storage comprises at least 10 megabytes of flash memory and the radio transmits and receives data using a Bluetooth protocol.

6. A smart card as in claim 1 wherein:

the biometric information includes a fingerprint of the user;

the card further includes a fingerprint sensor in the top layer of the card; and

a fingerprint of the user authenticates the user as an authorized user of the encrypted data.

7. A smart card as in claim 1 wherein the device in communication with the card comprises a portable electronic biometric sensing device having a radio, and radio communication between the portable electronic device and the card authenticates the user as an authorized user of the private data.

8. A smart card as in claim 7 wherein the portable electronic biometric sensing device comprises a cellular telephone.

9. A method of using a smart card for a transaction comprising:

bringing the smart card in proximity to a radio to enable the card to detect the radio signals and thereby discover devices;

compiling a list of profiles of each discovered device emitting the radio signals;

determining if the discovered device functions in a role expected by an application running on the smart card;

compiling on the discovered device a list of smart cards from which the discovered device is receiving signals;

selecting from the list of smart cards from which the discovered device is receiving signals at least one smart card with which to communicate to cause the discovered device communicate with the at least one smart card;

transmitting from the discovered device to the at least one smart card an application identification signal and authorization information;

within the smart card loading the appropriate application into a processor;

between the smart card and the discovered device performing a mutual authentication process;

if the mutual authentication process is successful then transmitting from the card to the discovered device biometric information about an authorized user of the smart card;

performing an operation in which the user authenticates himself to the smart card by providing biometric information to the smart card; and

if the user is authenticated, then having the smart card transmit data stored on the smart card to the discovered device.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the step of performing an operation in which the user authenticates himself to the smart card by providing biometric information to the smart card further comprises connecting the smart card to a sensor not on the smart card which collects the biometric information from the user.

11. A method as in claim 9 wherein the step of performing an operation in which the user authenticates himself to the smart card by providing biometric information to the smart card further comprises using a sensor on the smart card to detect biometric information from the user.

12. A method as in claim 10 wherein when connecting the smart card to a sensor prior to performing the biometric verifications, the smart card first verifies that a characteristic of the sensor is stored in the smart card to enable the smart card to authenticate the sensor.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the characteristic comprises a MAC address of the sensor and the verification includes comparing the MAC address of the sensor with a list of MAC addresses stored on the smart card.

14. A method as in claim 9 wherein the smart card includes a power switch, and the step of bringing the smart card in proximity to a radio to enable the card to detect the radio signals and thereby discover devices is not performed unless the user activates the power switch.

15. A method as in claim 9 wherein the smart card and the discovered device each . have a certificate and as a part of the step of performing a mutual authentication process, a challenge-response process is performed.