Secure credit card which prevents unauthorized transactions

• US 5,478,994 A
• Filed: 07/13/1994
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Secure Information Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Adarsh Pun, Grant Parker, Jim Magner, John Brown, Sam Rahman
• Inventors: Magner, Jim, Brown, John, Rahman, Sam, Parker, Grant, Pun, Adarsh
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL GUNYOUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/274,252
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/46
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely

Abstract

A secure credit card 10 has a body member to which is attached a microprocessor controller 14 electrically coupled a Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) device 18 programmed with a series of random numbers in a predetermined sequence. The random numbers are identical to random numbers in a host computer and in the identical sequence as the random numbers in the host computer. This computer is accessible upon each use of the credit card 10. The Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) accesses the next random number in sequence with each use of the credit card 10 to permit verification by comparing the random number with each use of the credit card 10 with the next random number in sequence as indicated by the computer. A switch 20 actuated with each use of the credit card 10 provides a pulse signal that activates the microprocessor controller 14 to turn on the Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) to access the next random number in the sequence. A counter 26 connected to the microprocessor controller 14 counts the number of pulse signals received to count each use of the credit card 10. A display device 24 displays the next Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the sequence each time a pulse is received.

Claims

1. A secure credit card including

a body member to which is attached to a microprocessor controller which is electrically coupled to a programmable read only memory device programmed with a series of random numbers in a predetermined sequence,

said random numbers being identical to random numbers in a host control computer and in the identical sequence as the random numbers in the host computer, said host computer being accessible upon each use of the credit card,

said programmable read only memory device accessing the next random number in sequence with each use of the credit card to permit verification by comparing the number provided by said programmable read only memory device with each use of the credit card with the next random number in sequence as indicated by the host computer,

a switch actuated with each use of the credit card that provides a pulse signal that is forwarded to the microprocessor controller and activates the microprocessor controller to access the programmable read only memory device to provide the next random number in the sequence,

a counter connected to the microprocessor controller which counts the number of pulse signals received to count each use of the credit card, and

a display device in the body member connected electrically to the programmable read only memory device, said display device displaying the next random number in the sequence each time a pulse is received.