Method and system for storing tickets on smart cards

• US 6,119,945 A
• Filed: 08/08/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV
• Inventors: Muller, Frank, Drupsteen, Michel Marco Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL GUNYOUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/908,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/382, 235/487, 235/441, 235/449, 235/493, 235/380, 235/375, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

In a smart card (1) electronic tickets (20) are securely stored. Ticket data is written into the fields (21, 22, 23) of a ticket (20) in a protected manner using a special code. Tickets (20) may comprise several fields, such as an entitlement field (21), a validation field (22), and a verification field (23). Different keys (K1, K2, K3) are used for each type of field at issuing, validation, and verification terminals (81, 82, 83). A further protection of the integrity of the tickets (20) is obtained by using a first storage command (UPDATE) to prepare a field when issuing the ticket (20) at the issuing terminal (81), and, a different, second storage command (WRITE) when validating the ticket (20) at the validation terminal (82). Thus, the fraudulent modification of an issued ticket (20) is prevented.

Claims

1. A smart card, comprising:

an integrated circuit, including,

a processor,

wherein the processor is configured to respond to a first command for setting and resetting bits, and a second command for only setting bits, the first command being operational exclusively in response to an identification of a first type of terminal, and

a memory, including,

a ticket stored in the memory having at least one field for storing data relating to the ticket;

wherein the smart card is configured for storing data using a code containing a fixed number of set bits per group of bits.

2. The smart card according to claim 1, wherein the code comprises code words having eight bits, the number of set bits in each valid code word equaling four.

3. The smart card according to claim 1, wherein the ticket stored in the memory comprises an entitlement field for storing data relating to the entitlement of the ticket, and a validation field for storing data relating to the validity of the ticket.

4. The smart card according to claim 3, wherein the ticket further comprises at least one verification field for storing data relating to a validity check of the ticket.

5. The smart card according to claim 3, wherein the integrated circuit includes a first key for authenticating entitlement data and a second key for authenticating validation data.

6. The smart card according to claim 5, wherein a ticket further comprises at least one verification field for storing data relating to a validity check of the ticket, and the integrated circuit further comprises a third key for authenticating verification data.

7. The smart card according to claim 6, wherein the second and the third keys are the same key.

8. The smart card according to claim 5, wherein the smart card is configured to identify the first type of terminal as a function of the first key.

9. A method of registering tickets on a smart card including a memory, comprising the steps of:

creating a ticket in the memory, the ticket including at least one field;

issuing the ticket by storing in the at least one field data identifying a right to be conveyed by the ticket;

wherein the step of issuing the ticket comprises using a first command for setting and resetting bits, and a second command for only setting bits, the first command being operational exclusively in response to an identification of a first type of terminal; and

storing the data in the at least one field using a code containing a fixed number of set bits per group of bits.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step storing the data in the at least one field comprises storing a code having eight bits, the number of set bits in each valid code equaling four.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

validating the ticket by storing in a validation field a validation code relating to the validity of the ticket; and

verifying the ticket by storing in at least one verification field a verification code relating to a verification of the ticket;

wherein the step of issuing the ticket comprises storing the data identifying the right to be conveyed by the ticket in an entitlement field.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the steps of validating and verifying comprise storing validation and verification codes each having eight bits with a number of set bits in each valid validation and verification code equaling four.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of verifying the ticket comprises the checking of the number of set bits in the verification code.

14. The method according to claim 11, the step of issuing the ticket comprises storing an identification of the issuer of the ticket in the entitlement field.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of validating the ticket comprises storing at least one of the date of validity of the ticket, and a terminal identification in the validation field as the validation code.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of verifying the ticket comprises storing at least one of a date, a time, and a terminal in the at least one verification field as the verification code.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of storing the data identifying the right to be conveyed in the entitlement field is performed as a function of a first key, and the step of validating the ticket by storing in the validation field the validation code relating to the validity of the ticket is performed as a function of a second key.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of verifying the ticket by storing in at least one verification field the verification code relating to the verification of the ticket is performed as a function of a third key.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the steps of verifying and validating comprise performing verification and validation using second and third keys that are a same key.

20. A system for providing access to services, comprising:

at least one smart card, including,

a memory for storing tickets comprising at least one field; and

at least one terminal including at least one of an issuing, validating, and verification terminal;

wherein the issuing terminal of the at least one terminal is configured to store in the at least one field data representing the right to access a service, and the data in the at least one field is stored using a code containing a fixed number of set bits per group of bits; and

wherein the smart card is configured to respond to a first command for setting and resetting bits, and a second command for only setting bits, the first command being operational exclusively in response to an identification of the issuing terminal.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the code comprises code words having eight bits, the number of set bits in each valid code word equaling four.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the at least one field includes an entitlement field, and a validation field, and the validation terminal of the at least one terminal is configured to store in the validation field data validating the at least one ticket.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the at least one field includes at least one verification field, and the verification terminal of the at least one terminal is configured to store in the at least one verification field data verifying the at least one ticket.

24. The system according to claim 20, wherein the issuing terminal of the at least one terminal is configured to limit the number of issued tickets.