System for accessing an object using a “web” browser co-operating with a smart card

• US 6,944,650 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CP8 Technologies (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: CP8 Technologies (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Urien, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/700,428
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/200, 709/229, 709/202, 709/225, 709/223, 713/200, 705/41, 705/65, 705/76, 710/11, 455/426.1, 455/558, 235/380, 379/93.1
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an architecture for securely accessing virtual objects (Obv_i) distributed in systems connected to the internet network (RI), and for obtaining an instance of same. This access is performed via a smart card (2a), through a “web” browser (10). The terminal (1) and the smart card (2a) each comprise a specific protocol layer (13, 23a). The latter comprises intelligent agents (132, 232a₁) for establishing two-way data exchange sessions, thereby allowing the smart card (2a) to have a “web” server functionality. The smart card (2a) also comprises intelligent agents, called script translators, and a virtual file management system (8) cooperating with a specialized script-translating intelligent agent (7). Each virtual object (Obv_i) is associated with a virtual file of the virtual file management system (8). The specialized intelligent agent (7) presents the browser (10) with a list of the accessible virtual objects (Obv_i) and generates methods for accessing these objects.

Claims

1. An embedded system adapted to cooperate with a network through a terminal and comprising a chip having a processor configured to process information and a memory for information storage,

said memory storing at least one object file containing information associated with an object located in the network and making it possible to create an instance of said object;

and

said processor including a network interface adapted to cooperate with a matching network interface located in the terminal through an object file interface, comprising at least one intelligent agent for establishing correspondence, including one or more of protocol conversion and script translation, between information exchanged with said object file and information passing through the network interface means, and assigned to at least said object file, so that the embedded system constitutes an information server in the network.

2. An embedded system according to claim 1, wherein the object file comprises a piece of autonomous software executable in browser software.

3. An embedded system according to claim 1, wherein said network interface means is adapted to cooperate with the matching network interface located in the terminal, such that the embedded system behaves like a client capable of connecting to at least one server of the network.

4. A method for instantiating an object located in a network, comprising using an embedded system adapted to cooperate with a network through a terminal and comprising a chip having a processor configured to process information and a memory for information storage, the embedded system storing at least one object file containing information associated with an object located in the network for creating an instance of said object, and further comprising a network interface designed to cooperate with a matching network interface located in the terminal through an object file interface, comprising at least one intelligent agent for establishing correspondence, including one or more of protocol conversion and script translation, between information exchanged with said object file information passing through the network interface means and assigned to at least said object file so that the embedded system constitutes an information server in the network the method comprising:

establishing a list of the at least one agent implemented; and

for each agent, defining call arguments necessary to the agent so as to describe a set of sessions between agents using an object file.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising describing the opening of a session with another agent by a call argument.

6. A method according to claim 4 further comprising modifying the list of arguments used by a first agent by another agent.

7. A method for instantiating an object located in a network comprising using an embedded system designed to cooperate with a network through a terminal and comprising a chip having a processor configured to process information and a memory for information storage, the embedded system storing at least one object file containing information associated with an object located in the network and for creating an instance of said object, and further comprising a network interface designed to cooperate with a matching network interface located in the terminal through an object file interface, comprising at least one intelligent agent for establishing correspondence, including one or more of protocol conversion and script translation, between information exchanged with said object file and information passing through the network interface and assigned to at least said object file, so that the embedded system constitutes an information server in the network, the method comprising the steps of:

identification of an object file; and

execution of this object file from the information server of the embedded system so as to implement sessions between the one or more agents described by the object file.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the object file is executed by instantiating the first agent associated with the object file.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the object file is executed by instantiating one or more agents referenced by the object file.

10. A method for instantiating an object located in a network comprising using an embedded system adapted to cooperate with a network through a terminal, and comprising a chip having a processor configured to process information and a memory for information storage, the embedded system storing at least one object file containing information associated with an object located in a network and for creating an instance of said object, and further comprising a network interface designed to cooperate with a matching network interface located in the terminal through an object file interface, comprising at least one intelligent agent, for establishing correspondence, including one or more of protocol conversion and script translation, between information exchanged with said object file and information passing through the network interface, and assigned to at least said object file, so that the embedded system constitutes an information server in the network, the method comprising the steps of:

loading an object file and a specific software capable of implementing the object file by browser software; and

execution of the specific software by the browser software so as to implement sessions between the one or more agents described by the object file executed from the browser software.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the specific software is embodied in an interpreted language executable by the browser software.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein an object file interpreter is embodied in the browser software.

13. A method for instantiating an object located in a network comprising using an embedded system adapted to cooperate with a network through a terminal, and comprising a chip having a processor configured to process information and a memory for information storage, the embedded system storing at least one object file containing information associated with an object located in the network for creating an instance of said object, and further comprising a network interface adapted to cooperate with a send matching network interface located in the terminal, such that the embedded system constitutes an information server in the through an object file interface, comprising at least one intelligent agent adapted to establish a correspondence, including one or more of protocol conversion and script translation between information exchanged with said object file, and information passing through the network interface means, and assigned to at least said object file so that the embedded system constitutes an information server in the network, the method comprising the step of identifying, by a universal resource identifier, a specific software implementing the browser software so as to enable the embedded system to implement sessions between the one or more agents described by the object file executed from the browser software.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the universal resource identifier is integrated into a hypertext document.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said specific software is loaded by a method available in the browser software and deduced from the universal resource identifier.