SECURITY ASPECTS OF A SELF-AUTHENTICATING CREDIT CARD

• US 20140195441A1
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ClevX LLC
• Original Assignee: ClevX LLC
• Inventors: Johnson, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 10,614,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0813 Specific details related to card security
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0846 On-card display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0853 On-card keyboard means

Abstract

A self-authenticating credit card includes an input device for entering a PIN. The PIN is accepted by a micro-controller that uses the entered PIN as an encryption key for decrypting stored account information. A portion of the account information includes data, that when decrypted, contains an image that is rendered on an integral display, with account information sent to a transaction terminal. A timer is used to limit access to account data while in the unlocked state.

Claims

1. A self-authenticating credit card having a locked state in which stored account data remains in an encrypted form and an unlocked state in which stored account data is decrypted into a clear form, comprising:

an input device for entering a PIN;

a micro-controller having a timer for terminating an unlocked state, a non-volatile memory for storing encrypted account data and for storing a known reference string, and an encryption/decryption engine for encrypting/decrypting account information;

said micro-controller being responsive to entry of a correct PIN to create an unlocked state by comparing said known reference string with an identical string in the decrypted stored data;

an RF transponder for transmitting decrypted account information in clear form to a transaction terminal;

a graphic display for showing an account holder image from decrypted data when the unlocked state exists;

said micro-controller providing the entered PIN to said encryption/decryption engine as an encryption key for decrypting the encrypted account data so that the unlocked state exists, said micro-controller using the decrypted data to write the account holder image to the display; and

said micro-controller controlling transmission of the decrypted account data to a transaction terminal when the unlocked state exists; and

said micro-controller using said timer at the beginning of the unlocked state to determine when a predetermined expiration time has occurred and, at said predetermined expiration time, said micro-controller clearing all decrypted account data and clearing said graphic display; and

at said predetermined expiration time, said micro-controller terminates the unlocked state and enters the locked state.

2. A self-authenticating credit card as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the unlocked state the PIN is used as an encryption key to encrypt account data containing a known reference string, such that a user can change an initial preset PIN to a new PIN.

3. A self-authenticating credit card as claimed in claim 1, wherein an entered PIN is used to decrypt account data containing a known reference string and said micro-controller compares the decrypted reference string with a known reference string for validating entry of a correct PIN.

4. A self-authenticating credit card as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an indicator for providing a visual indication when the unlocked state exists.

5. A self-authenticating credit card as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a means of changing and creating PINS of variable length and content.

6. A self-authenticating credit card as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reset state in which account information is absent from non-volatile memory in either encrypted or decrypted form.

7. A self-authenticating credit card as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving account information from a banking institution via the RF transponder, encrypting said account information by the encryption/decryption engine with a default PIN, and storing encrypted account information in non-volatile memory.