SECURE APPLICATION DIRECTORY

• US 20130334318A1
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wakerly, Michael John, Wall, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card

Abstract

This disclosure relates to storing a secure application directory within a contactless smart card. The contactless smart card include secure memory area for storing software applications and may include a default application directory for listing the software applications stored within the contactless smart card to an external card reader. A second application directory is stored with an access key and a listing of a second set of software applications within the same contactless smart card. The second application directory includes improved application directory entries, where each application directory entry includes an application identifier, a starting memory block byte value, and a size byte value for each of the second set of software applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a secure application directory in a contactless smart card, the method comprising:

storing, in a data memory block of the contactless smart card, an application directory entry for one of a plurality of software applications stored in the contactless smart card, the application directory entry comprising;

an application identifier (AID) for the software application;

a starting memory block number for a starting memory block of the memory area, wherein the starting memory block holds at least a part of the software application; and

a size for the software application, the size defining a number of data memory blocks from the starting data memory block for storing the entire software application; and

storing, in an access memory block of the contactless smart card, an access key for access to read the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contactless smart card comprises a default or existing application directory, different from the secure application directory, and stored in a different data memory block of the contactless smart card.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the starting memory block number is a single byte value comprising an absolute value for an address of the data memory block, the absolute value calculated using a zero-based numbering system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the starting memory block number is a single byte value for an absolute memory address calculated as a sum of a product of the size of the software application stored in the memory block and the reference index of the memory block, and the memory address of the first memory block within the reference index of the memory block.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the software application is in the form of a single byte having a value for the number of contiguous memory blocks assigned to store the software application.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the software application is in the form of a single byte, and wherein the single byte further comprises a lower nibble with a value for the number of contiguous memory blocks assigned to store the software application.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application directory entry comprising the AID is sorted in an ascending or descending order prior to storing within the data memory block.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second access key is stored in the access memory block for access to edit the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an external card reader using the access key for reading the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a group of log memory blocks for recording transactions performed by an external card reader and the contactless smart card.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the AID comprises a software code defining the type of software application related to the AID, the type of software application defined as one among a loyalty card software application, a coupon software application, a prepaid gift card software application, and a transit card software application.

12. A contactless smart card with a secure application directory, the contactless smart card, comprising:

a data memory block for storing an application directory entry for one of a plurality of software applications stored in the contactless smart card, the application directory entry comprising;

an application identifier (AID) for the software application;

a starting memory block number for a starting memory block of the memory area, wherein the starting memory block holds at least a part of the software application; and

a size for the software application, the size defining a number of data memory blocks from the starting data memory block for storing the entire software application; and

an access memory block for storing an access key for access to read the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

13. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the contactless smart card comprises a default or existing application directory, different from the secure application directory, and stored in a different data memory block of the contactless smart card.

14. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the starting memory block number is a single byte value comprising an absolute value for an address of the data memory block, the absolute value calculated using a zero-based numbering system.

15. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the starting memory block number is a single byte value for an absolute memory address calculated as a sum of a product of the size of the software application stored in the memory block and the reference index of the memory block, and the memory address of the first memory block within the reference index of the memory block.

16. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the size of the software application is in the form of a single byte having a value for the number of contiguous memory blocks assigned to store the software application.

17. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the size of the software application is in the form of a single byte, and wherein the single byte further comprises a lower nibble with a value for the number of contiguous memory blocks assigned to store the software application.

18. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the application directory entry comprising the AID is sorted in an ascending or descending order prior to storing within the directory memory block.

19. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein a second access key is assigned is stored in the access memory block for access to edit the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

20. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, further comprising an external card reader using the access key for reading the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

21. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, further comprising a group of log memory blocks for recording transactions performed by an external card reader and the contactless smart card.

22. The contactless smart card according to claim 12, wherein the AID comprises a software code defining the type of software application related to the AID, the type of software application defined as one among a loyalty card software application, a coupon software application, a prepaid gift card software application, and a transit card software application.

23. A computer-program product comprising computer-readable software code for a contactless smart card with a secure application directory, the computer-program product comprising:

computer-readable software code storing, in a data memory block of the contactless smart card, an application directory entry for one of a plurality of software applications stored in the contactless smart card, the application directory entry comprising;

an application identifier (AID) for the software application;

a starting memory block number for a starting memory block of the memory area, wherein the starting memory block holds at least a part of the software application; and

a size for the software application, the size defining a number of data memory blocks from the starting data memory block for storing the entire software application; and

computer-readable software code for storing, in an access memory block of the contactless smart card, an access key for access to read the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

24. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein the contactless smart card comprises a default or existing application directory, different from the secure application directory, and stored in a different data memory block of the contactless smart card.

25. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein the starting memory block number is a single byte value comprising an absolute value for an address of the data memory block, the absolute value calculated using a zero-based numbering system.

26. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein the starting memory block number is a single byte value for an absolute memory address calculated as a sum of a product of the size of the software application stored in the memory block and the reference index of the memory block, and the memory address of the first memory block within the reference index of the memory block.

27. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein the size of the software application is in the form of a single byte, and wherein the single byte further comprises a lower nibble with a value for the number of contiguous memory blocks assigned to store the software application.

28. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein the application directory entry comprising the AID is sorted in an ascending or descending order prior to storing within the directory memory block.

29. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein a second access key is assigned is stored in the access memory block for access to edit the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

30. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising an external card reader using the access key for reading the application directory entry stored within the data memory block.

31. The computer-program product according to claim 23, further comprising a group of log memory blocks for recording transactions performed by an external card reader and the contactless smart card.

32. The computer-program product according to claim 23, wherein the AID comprises a software code defining the type of software application related to the AID, the type of software application defined as one among a loyalty card software application, a coupon software application, a prepaid gift card software application, and a transit card software application.