Microchip card for accessing a remote application, associated communication system and terminal and method of accessing the remote application by mean of the microchip card

• US 6,658,500 B1
• Filed: 09/14/1999
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pinault, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tanh Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/395,173
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/21, 705/26, 705/27, 705/41, 705/42, 705/44, 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/207, 709/216-219, 709/227-230, 709/238, 709/240, 709/242, 709/245, 709/250, 710/3, 710/5, 710/11, 710/14, 710/20, 710/36, 710/38, 710/62, 710/63, 710/64, 710/72, 710/74, 710/105, 710/15, 710/16, 455/557, 455/558
• US Class Current: 710/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A microchip card enables a user to access at least one chosen application on a particular server by means of any communication terminal using at least one mode of communication and fitted with a reader compatible with the microchip card. The card includes memory for storing sets of parameters specific to the mode(s) of communication used by the terminal and to the chosen application(s) and a system which can recognize the mode(s) of communication the terminal in which it is inserted can use. A selector system connected to the memory and to the recognition system selects a set of parameters corresponding to a recognized mode of communication of the terminal and to the chosen application. The selected parameter set is delivered to the terminal to enable access to the chosen application from that terminal.

Claims

1. A microchip card for enabling a user to access at least one chosen application on a particular server by means of any communication terminal using at least one mode of communication and fitted with a reader compatible with the microchip card, which card includes:

memory means for storing sets of parameters specific to said at least one mode of communication used by said terminal and to said at least one chosen application,

means for recognizing said at least one mode of communication used by said terminal, in which it is inserted, to communicate with the particular server,

means, connected to said memory means and to said recognition means, for automatically selecting one of the sets of parameters, the selecting operation being based on said recognized mode of communication of said terminal and also based on said chosen application, and

means for delivering the selected parameter set to said terminal to enable access to said chosen application from said terminal;

wherein said means for recognizing recognizes said at least one mode of communication of the set of communication systems consisting of;

cable communication systems,

cellular communication systems,

cordless telephone systems, and

landline telephony systems.

2. The microchip card claimed in claim 1, wherein each set of parameters includes an address, a protocol type, protocol parameters and data relating to security and to the right of access to said chosen application, said address and said protocol type of each set of parameters being compatible with said mode of communication or one of said modes of communication used by said terminal.

3. The microchip card claimed in claim 1, wherein said terminal can use several communication modes, further comprising memory means for storing a priority criterion connected to said selector means.

4. The microchip card claimed in claim 3 wherein said priority criterion is a criterion included in the following group:

the maximum transmission speed of a mode of communication, the quantity of data to be exchanged with said server, the cost of the call between said terminal and said server for a given mode of communication.

5. The microchip card claimed in claim 1, wherein said memory means comprise at least two sets of parameters respectively corresponding to two different applications.

6. A communication terminal using at least one mode of communication and equipped with a reader compatible with a microchip card as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

means for supplying the identity of each mode of communication used by said terminal to said recognition means of said microchip card,

means for recovering said set of parameters delivered by said delivery means, and

means for processing said delivered set of parameters to establish access to said chosen application.

7. The terminal claimed in claim 6, having one of the types from the following group:

cable telephone terminal, cellular telephone terminal, cordless telephone terminal, microcomputer.

8. A communication system which comprises at least one microchip card as claimed in claim 1, at least one terminal and at least one server of at least one application.

9. A method of allowing a user to access at least one chosen application of a particular server by means of a communication terminal of any kind using at least one communication mode and equipped with a microchip card reader, which method includes the following steps:

memorizing in a microchip card sets of parameters including a set of parameters specific to said at least one communication mode used by said terminal and to said at least one chosen application, wherein said communication mode is at least one mode of communication of the set of communication systems consisting of;

cable communication systems,

cellular communication systems,

cordless telephone systems, and

landline telephony systems;

said microchip card recognizing said at least one mode of communication used by said terminal, in which it is inserted, to communicate with said particular server,

said microchip card automatically selecting a set of parameters based on said recognized communication mode of said terminal and to said at least one chosen application, and

said microchip card delivering the selected set of parameters to said terminal,

said terminal accessing said chosen application using said recognized communication mode and said selected set of parameters.

10. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein each stored set of parameters includes an address, a protocol type, protocol parameters and data relating to security and to the right of access to said chosen application, the address and the protocol type of each set of parameters being compatible with a single mode of communication used by said terminal.

11. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein said terminal can use more than one mode of communication and a priority criterion is taken into account in the step selecting one of the recognized modes of communication.

12. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein said priority criterion is a criterion included in the following group:

the maximum speed of transmission of a mode of communication, the quantity of data to be exchanged with said server, the cost of the call between said terminal and said server for a given mode of communication.

13. The method claimed in claim 9 wherein said set of parameters is downloaded to said microchip card, to be memorized, from said server of said chosen application.