Storing data objects in a smart card memory

• US 6,296,191 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaisser, Michael, Hamann, Ernst-Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US09/386,719
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/451, 235/487, 707/1, 707/9, 707/10, 707/2, 707/6, 707/7
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

The invention refers to a procedure for storing data objects 210, 220, 230, 240 in the memory 200 of a smart card 100. To do this, general and application-specific data objects are defined using freely selectable security characteristics and access rights, which are filed in the memory of a smart card which is divided into several application-specific memory areas 110, 120 so that data objects with identical access conditions are located in one and the same memory area, irrespective of the application program 310, 320, 330 or smart card user 400 to which these data objects are allocated. All application programs and the smart card user can access the data objects irrespective of the corresponding access conditions. In this way, the re-issuing of smart cards in the case of later expansion of the file structure of the smart card for an application or the addition of extra applications is not necessary. The smart card user can allow any applications to store data on his smart card.

Claims

1. A method for storing data objects in a memory on a smart card, comprising the steps of:

a) defining at least one data memory area in the memory of the smart card, where at least one allocated access condition is allocated to each data memory area;

b) receiving data to be stored, said data being provided with at least one provided access condition;

c) defining data objects from the data to be stored; and

d) storing the data objects in one of the at least one data memory areas so that all data objects with identical provided access conditions are stored in one and the same data memory area having the corresponding allocated access condition, irrespective of the application program and smart card user to which the data object is allocated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said steps are carried out during the manufacture of the smart card.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving data, defining data objects, and storing are carried out by the smart card user over a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving data, defining data objects, and storing are carried out by an application program over an application interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said defining objects comprises defining at least one of general and application-specific data objects.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data to be stored are provided with certain security characteristics.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data objects are protected by cryptographic procedures according to the security characteristics of the data to be stored.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the access conditions and security characteristics of the data to be stored are established in a freely selectable way.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the access conditions and security characteristics of the data to be stored are established in a freely selectable way.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the access condition is the confirmation of a password.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein said defining objects comprises defining at least one of general and application-specific data objects.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein the data to be stored are provided with certain security characteristics.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data objects are protected by cryptographic procedures according to the security characteristics of the data to be stored.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the access conditions and security characteristics of the data to be stored are established in a freely selectable way.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the access conditions and security characteristics of the data to be stored are established in a freely selectable way.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein the access condition is the confirmation of a password.

17. The method of claim 4 wherein said defining objects comprises defining at least one of general and application-specific data objects.

18. The method of claim 4 wherein the data to be stored are provided with certain security characteristics.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data objects are protected by cryptographic procedures according to the security characteristics of the data to be stored.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the access conditions and security characteristics of the data to be stored are established in a freely selectable way.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the access conditions and security characteristics of the data to be stored are established in a freely selectable way.

22. The method of claim 4 wherein the access condition is the confirmation of a password.

23. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for storing data objects in a memory on a smart card, said method steps comprising:

a) defining at least one data memory area in the memory of the smart card, where at least one allocated access condition is allocated to each data memory area;

b) receiving data to be stored, said data being provided with at least one provided access condition;

c) defining data objects from the data to be stored; and

d) storing the data objects in one of the at least one data memory areas so that all data objects with identical provided access conditions are stored in one and the same data memory area having the corresponding allocated access condition, irrespective of the application program and smart card user to which the data object is allocated.

24. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for storing data objects in a memory on a smart card, said method steps comprising:

a) receiving data to be stored, said data being provided with at least one provided access condition;

b) defining data objects from the data to be stored; and

c) storing the data objects in one of the at least one data memory areas so that all data objects with identical provided access conditions are stored in one and the same data memory area having the corresponding allocated access condition, irrespective of the application program and smart card user to which the data object is allocated.

25. An application interface for communication between a smart card and one of an application program and smart card user for storing data in memory on said smart card, wherein said storing comprises the steps of receiving data to be stored, said data being provided with at least one provided access condition;

defining data objects from the data to be stored; and

storing the data objects in one of the at least one data memory areas so that all data objects with identical provided access conditions are stored in one and the same data memory area having the corresponding allocated access condition, irrespective of the application program and smart card user to which the data object is allocated;

said application interface characterised in that it is adapted for the use of cryptographic procedures and for the checking of general and application-specific data objects using freely selectable security characteristics and access conditions.

26. An improved smart card having a plurality of data memory areas, wherein the improvement comprises at least one access condition allocated to each data memory area.

27. The smart card of claim 26 wherein data objects are filed in the data memory areas independent of the application program allocated to it and independent of any smart card user.