Preparation and execution of a program in an additional chip card of a terminal

• US 6,775,725 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemplus (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Niccolini, Marc, Basquin, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, RiJue
• Application Number:
  US09/586,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/3, 710/8-14, 710/15, 710/33, 710/101, 710/104, 710/21, 710/38, 710/45, 710/73, 710/74, 710/102, 710/43, 709/200, 712/225
• US Class Current: 710/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/229 Hierarchy of users of accounts
• 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: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

To execute a program in a second chip card, inserted in a terminal in addition to a first chip card, containing data relating to the owner of the first card, the second card communicates with the terminal through exchanges of commands and responses between the two cards, relayed through exchanges of commands and responses, between first card and the terminal. For example, the terminal is a mobile radio telephone terminal with a SIM card as a first card, not requiring any SIM Toolkit protocol interface between the terminal and the second card. Compatibility and adaptation of the second card to the terminal is provided in the preparation for the execution of the program.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of the execution of a program and execution of the program in a second chip card, introduced in a terminal, in addition to a first chip card containing data related to the owner of the first card, comprising the step wherein the second card communicates with the terminal through exchanges of commands and responses between the two cards relayed by exchanges of commands and responses between the first card and the terminal.

2. The process according to claim 1, further including the steps of reading characteristics for the execution of the program in the second card by the first card in response to an introduction of the second card into a reading medium that is linked to the terminal, and analysis of the characteristics in comparison to the material and software capacities of the first card and/or the terminal, to reject the second card when said characteristics are incompatible with at least the terminal.

3. The process according to claim 2, further including, during the preparation for execution, a step involving the transmission of the software and material characteristics of the terminal from the first card to the second card.

4. The process according to claim 2, further including the following steps for the preparation of the execution:

reading, by the first card, a second menu in the second card;

combining in the first card the second menu with a first menu contained in the first card, to form a general menu; and

transmitting the general menu from the first card to the terminal to replace the first menu with the general menu in the terminal.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein said combining step comprises the step of replacing a predetermined item in the first menu with the second menu to form the general menu.

6. The process according to claim 2, further including the following steps for the execution of the program:

transmitting an identifier of the program from the terminal to the first card;

reading in the first card the location of the program corresponding to the identifier;

executing the program in the first card if the program is located in the first card; and

executing the program in the second card if the program is located in the second card.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is linked to a telecommunication network.

8. The process according to claim 7, wherein said network is a radio telephone network.

9. The process according to claim 1, further including, during the preparation for execution, a step involving the transmission of the software and material characteristics of the terminal from the first card to the second card.

10. The process according to claim 1, further including the following steps for the preparation of the execution:

reading, by the first card, a second menu in the second card;

combining in the first card the second menu with a first menu contained in the first card, to form a general menu; and

transmitting the general menu from the first card to the terminal to replace the first menu with the general menu in the terminal.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein said combining step comprises the step of replacing a predetermined item in the first menu with the second menu to form the general menu.

12. The process according to claim 1, further including the following steps for the execution of the program:

transmitting an identifier of the program from the terminal to the first card;

reading in the first card the location of the program corresponding to the identifier;

executing the program in the first card if the program is located in the first card; and

executing the program in the second card if the program is located in the second card.

13. In a terminal having a first chip card containing data related to the owner of the first card, a process for the preparation of the execution of a program in a second chip card, comprising the following steps:

reading, by the first card, a second menu in the second card;

combining in the first card the second menu with a first menu contained in the first card, to form a general menu; and

transmitting the general menu from the first card to the terminal for display.

14. The process according to claim 13, wherein said combining step comprises the step of replacing a predetermined item in the first menu with the second menu to form the general menu.

15. In a terminal having a first chip card containing data related to the owner of the first card, and a second chip card containing at least one program, a process for the execution of a program, comprising the following steps:

transmitting an identifier of the program from the terminal to the first card;

reading in the first card the location of the program corresponding to the identifier;

executing the program in the first card if the program is located in the first card; and

executing the program in the second card if the program is located in the second card.