Method and system for the transfer of information between two populations of persons, one nomadic and the other sedentary

• US 5,963,643 A
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fintel SA
• Original Assignee: Fintel SA
• Inventors: Goreta, Lucas, Duroux, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Carmen
• Application Number:
  US08/719,478
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 380/9, 380/49
• US Class Current: 713/184
• 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 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• 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: H04L 27/30 wherein each code element is represented by a combination of frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/453 in which m-out-of-n signalling frequencies are transmitted

Abstract

A method enabling two populations of persons, one being sedentary (for example a provider of long-distance services) and the other being nomadic (for example the customers of this provider of services) to exchange data in a sure and speedy manner, comprises the following steps:

portable objects are placed at the disposal of the persons belonging to the nomadic population, these objects having the credit card format and being customized by specific identifiers for each person and for each card, the card is used to transmit at least partially encrypted DTMF type brief acoustic identification signals which are received by means of the microphone of a standard telephone set and processed by means of the standard telephone set so that the resulting signal can be transmitted, through a telephone or computer network, to the data-processing service of at least one of the persons of the sedentary population,

the signals coming from the card are processed by means of a specific software program whose parameters are a function of the characteristics of the card, its conditions of use in combination with the microphone of the telephone set, characteristics of the communications network for signals of a particular type corresponding to the identification data transmitted,

the signals are decrypted and the data elements obtained after decryption are compared with the data elements, in the possession of the data-processing service, for the identification of the card and the holder of the card.

Claims

1. A method enabling two populations of persons, one being sedentary and the other being nomadic to exchange data in a sure and speedy manner, said method comprising the following steps:

portable objects are placed at the disposal of the persons belonging to the nomadic population, these objects having a credit card format and being customized by specific identifiers for each person and for each card,

said card is used to transmit at least partially encrypted DTMF type brief acoustic identification signals, the acoustic identification signals being transmitted by the card when it is activated by the person having it at his disposal,

said acoustic identification signals are received by means of the microphone of a standard telephone set and said signals are processed by means of the standard telephone set so that the resulting signal can be transmitted through a telephone or computer network,

the signal is transmitted onwards, through a telephone or computer communications network, to the data-processing service of at least one of the persons of the sedentary population,

the reduced size and the format of the card, as well as the conditions of use of the card, such as the presence of aging microphones, poor acoustic coupling between the card and the microphone, ambient noise, temperature, etc., not permitting the onward transmission, in the present state of the art, of DTMF acoustic signals having a quality of such that the signal received can always be exploited, as it is, by the vocal servers existing in the data-processing services,

the signals coming from the card through the microphone, the standard telephone set and the communications network are corrected by a software program whose parameters are transmission parameters of a transfer function of transmission between said card and said data processing service, said transmission parameters being a function of the characteristics of the card, its conditions of use in combination with the microphone of the telephone set, characteristics of the communications network for signals of a particular type corresponding to the identification data transmitted,

so that, after correction, the signals that come from the card and are received by the data-processing services contain the data that the nomadic population wishes to transfer to the sedentary population,

the signals are decrypted and the data elements obtained after decryption are compared with the data elements, in the possession of the data-processing service, for the identification of the card and the holder of the card,

so that, after the implementation of this sure and speedy process of identification, the persons of each of the two populations may exchange data in full security.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein, to determine the parameters of the specific correction software program that corrects the signals coming from the card:

the card is used to transmit an acoustic signal predetermined to correspond to a calibrated signal, especially in frequency and in power,

the received signal is analyzed by the data-processing service, in being compared with the calibrated acoustic signal,

the parameters of the specific correction software program are deduced from this comparison.

3. A system enabling two populations of persons, one sedentary the other nomadic to exchange data in a sure and speedy manner, said system comprising:

portable objects placed at the disposal of the persons belonging to the nomadic population, said portable objects being cards having a credit card format and which are customized by specific identifiers for each person and each card,

said card comprising means for the transmission of at least partly encrypted DTMF type brief acoustic identification signals, the acoustic identification signals being transmitted by the card when it is activated by the person having it at his disposal, by means of at least one element accessible from the exterior of the card,

a standard telephone set comprising;

a microphone against which the person having the card at his disposal places this card when the acoustic identification signal is transmitted,

means for the standard processing of said acoustic identification signals so that the resulting identification signal can be transmitted onwards to a distance, through a telephone communications network, by transmission means,

a data-processing service comprising data-processing means at the disposal of at least one of the persons of the sedentary population, connected to the telephone communications network and liable to receive the identification signal coming from the telephone set,

the reduced size and the format of the card as well as the conditions of use of the card, such as the presence of aging microphones, poor acoustic coupling between the card and the microphone, ambient noise, temperature, etc., not permitting the onward transmission, in the present state of the art, of DTMF acoustic signals of a quality such that the signal received can always be exploited, as it is, by the vocal servers existing in the data-processing services,

said data-processing means comprising;

means for correcting the signals coming from the card, through the microphone, the standard telephone set or the communications network, comprising a specific correction software program whose parameters are transmission parameters of a transfer function of transmission between said card and said data processing service, said transmission parameters being a function of the characteristics of the card, its conditions of use in combination with the microphone of the telephone set, characteristics of the communications network for signals of a particular type corresponding to the identification data transmitted,

so that after correction, the signals that come from the card and are received by the data-processing services contain the data elements that the nomadic population wishes to transfer to the sedentary population,

means for the decryption of the signals making it possible, through these signals, to obtain the specific identifiers of the card and of the person holding the card,

a database containing the references of the cards and of the persons having these cards at their disposal and their identification data,

means for the comparison of the specific identifiers of the card and of the person holding the card with the identification data of the card and the person holding the card, contained in the database,

so that, after the implementation of this speedy and sure process of identification, the persons of each of the two populations may exchange data in full security.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein to determine the parameters of the specific correction software program that corrects the signals coming from the card:

the transmission means of the card send out a predetermined acoustic signal to correspond to a calibrated signal, especially in frequency and in power,

the data-processing means of the data-processing service comprise means for the analysis of the signal received by the data-processing service and for the comparison of this signal with the calibrated acoustic signal.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein said means for the correcting of the signals coming from the card are placed upline with respect to the other means forming the data-processing means.

6. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

said means for the correcting of the signals coming from the card are placed as resources for the other means forming the data-processing means.

7. A system according to claim 3, wherein said means for the correcting of the signals coming from the card are placed in a network with respect to the other means forming the data-processing means.

8. A system according to claim 3, wherein said means for the correcting of the signals coming from the card are integrated with the other means forming the data-processing means.

9. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

the card comprises encryption means enabling the acoustic signals to be varied from one operation to another.

10. A method enabling two populations of persons, one being stationary and the other being mobile, to exchange data in a sure and speedy manner, the method comprising:

providing a portable card having a credit card format to a user in the mobile population, the card being customized by specific identifiers identifying the user and the card,

transmitting at least partially encrypted DTMF type brief acoustic identification signals from the card upon activation by the person to whom it is provided,

receiving the acoustic identification signals by a microphone and processing the received signals so that a resulting signal is transmittable through a communications network,

transmitting the signal through a communications network to a data processing service of the stationary population,

determining transmission parameters of a transfer function of transmission between said card and said data processing service by receiving and analyzing a calibration signal transmitted by the card,

correcting the signal received by the processing service using the transmission parameters so as to permit exploitation of the DTMF signals transmitted by the card even under poor acoustic transmission conditions,

decrypting data elements received from the user and comparing the decrypted data elements with the stored data elements to determine identity of the user, so as to ensure secure communications between the stationary population and the identified user.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising transmitting a calibration signal having a predetermined frequency and power from the card, receiving the calibration signal from the card, comparing the received calibration signal with a reference calibration signal and determining the transmission parameters from the comparison.

12. A system to enable a stationary population of persons to exchange data with a mobile user over a communications network, comprising:

a card, portable for use by the user, having a credit-card format and customized by specific identifiers identifying the user and the card, the card including an acoustic transmitter to transmit an acoustic identification signal that is at least partly DTMF-type encrypted, the acoustic identification signal including a calibration signal of known power and frequency, and an activation element accessible from an exterior surface of the card to activate transmission of signals by the card, the card being acoustically connectable to the communications network, and

a data-processing service connectable to the communications network including data processor controllable by a member of the stationary population to receive the identification signal transmitted by the card, the data processor including an input processor to receive the calibration signal from the card and generate transmission parameters in response to the calibration signal, the data processor adapted to correct signals received from the card according to the transmission parameters and further including a decryptor to decrypt signals received from the card and obtain the identifiers of the card and of the user, a database containing references of a number of possible cards and users and their respective identification data, and a comparator to compare the identifiers of the card and the user respectively with the identification data of the card and user contained in the database.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the input processor includes means for comparing the calibration signal of this signal with a reference acoustic signal.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the input processor is placed upline with respect to other elements of the data-processor so as to be first to receive the signal receive the identification signal.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein the input processor is connected as a resource to other elements of the data-processor.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein the input processor is disposed in a network with respect to other elements of the data-processor.

17. A system according to claim 12, wherein the input processor is integrated with the other elements of the data-processor.

18. A system according to claim 12, wherein the card includes an encryptor to enable the acoustic identification signals to be varied from one operation to another.

19. A system according to claim 12, further comprising a telephone set having a microphone, the card being placeable against the microphone so that the microphone receives the acoustic identification signal from the card and an acoustic signal processor to process the acoustic identification signals so that a resulting identification signal is transmittable through the communications network to the data processing service.