Methods and systems for user media interoperability

• US 6,986,458 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
• Original Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
• Inventors: Flügge, Wolfgang, Eichhoff, Heiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US10/732,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/382, 235/492, 702/189, 713/172, 380/25
• US Class Current: 235/375
• 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 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for multi-application user media such as smart cards that can be used by users to obtain related benefits. Multiple applications of one type such as transportation may be implemented on user media from a standard or reference of that application type. Hierarchical networks and data structures may be provided in implementing user media. User media may include application identifiers, associated data groups, and data structures that are associated with the data groups. An application may be configured by different originators differently based on sets of defined data groups and/or data structures from which the originator may select in implementing the application. Multiple applications of different types such as financial, health, transportation, etc. may be configured on user media to provide related services.

Claims

1. A system for implementing smart cards, comprising:

a network of card readers and processing equipment that are configured to execute different card access operating applications implemented by different originators to benefit cardholders in response to interaction with smart cards;

a plurality of memory smart cards each carrying memory that contains a plurality of data elements selected for use in a card application from a standard list of data elements configured specifically for originators of one type of application to implement card applications of that type differently, wherein the memory further contains an index identifying which data elements from the standard list are included for use in that application

wherein the card access operating applications of the card readers of the different originators processing that type of application are configured to process data elements from the standard list in the same way, and are further configured to read the index, to map the index to the standard list to locate a particular data element of interest to a current card access operating application, to read a current value of that data element based on the mapping, and to perform an operation that uses the current value.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of smart cards each contains a plurality of data groups associated with the card application that are selected from a standard list of data groups that are associated with the selected data elements and each data group contains a portion of the index identifying the data elements of that group.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data elements that are contained on the cards include plural data elements from the standard list that are specific to one of the originators for implementing different processes in its card application differently.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to include a directory that includes a plurality of card applications and each card application is configured to include a directory that includes a plurality of data groups that are associated with each application.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to identify which data elements from the standard list are the selected ones.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data of the smart cards includes at least two different card applications that have common data elements and different data elements that are selected from the standard list of data elements for implementing card applications whose application type is transportation.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the smart cards additionally include a microprocessor and are configured to assign the card memory to the data groups on a file basis and the files are associated to card applications and the index of data elements and data elements are configured in records of the files.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises a central computer that communicates with computer equipment of each originator to maintain a database of card information.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein memory space specified for each application on the smart cards is differently sized based on which of the data elements in the standard list have been selected for that application.

10. A system for providing multiple card-based applications, comprising:

a plurality of user cards each containing memory that is configured to include a plurality of application identifiers that are associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of applications, a plurality of data group directories that are each associated with a corresponding application identifier, a plurality of data groups associated with each group directory, with each data group having an associated data structure containing at least one data element, wherein the data structures identify which data elements a corresponding application provider selected to include on the system in connection with their application, wherein on different cards, a memory location of a current value of same data elements in same data structures associated with different originator applications is variable from application to application as a function of data elements implemented to be used in that application; and

computer equipment including card readers that are dispersed over a geographic region that interact with the user cards to support the applications by reading and writing to the user cards based on the configuration of the memory of the user cards,

wherein card access operation application of the card readers is configured to operate to read data structures, to identify which data elements have been implemented for a particular card application based on reading a data structure associated with that card application, to locate a position of a current value of a data element in the data structure based on the identified data elements, to read the current value of that data element based on the position located for that data element, and to use the current value of that data element in the computer equipment.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the memory in the user cards and the computer equipment is configured to implement a regional transportation service comprising a plurality of different-originators.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the user cards are smart cards.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the data structures each include a header that identifies the data elements for which data representative of the value of that data element is stored.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the memory of the user cards includes information identifying a location in memory for storing each particular data element.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein one of the applications is a transportation application.

16. A method for implementing smart cards, comprising:

configuring a network of card readers and processing equipment to execute different card access operating applications implemented by different originators to benefit cardholders in response to interaction with smart cards;

interacting with the network using a plurality of memory smart cards that each carries memory that contains a plurality of data elements selected for use in a card application from a standard list of data elements configured specifically for originators of one type of application to implement card applications of that type differently, wherein the memory further contains an index identifying which data elements from the standard list are included for use in that application

wherein the card access operating applications of the card readers of the different originators processing that type of application are configured to process data elements from the standard list in the same way, and are further configured to read the index, to map the index to the standard list to locate a particular data element of interest to the card access operating application, to read a current value of that data element based on the mapping, and to perform an operation that uses the current value.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of smart cards each contain a plurality of data groups associated with the card application that are selected from a standard list of data groups that are associated with the selected data elements and each data group contains a portion of the index identifying the data elements of that group.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the data elements that are contained on the cards include plural data elements from the standard list that are specific to one of the originators for implementing different processes in its card application differently.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to include a directory that includes a plurality of card applications and each card application is configured to include a directory that includes a plurality of data groups and that are associated with each application.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory of the smart cards is configured to identify which data elements from the standard list are the selected ones.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the data of the smart cards includes two card applications that have common data elements and different data elements that are selected from the standard list of data elements for implementing card applications whose application type is transportation.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein at least some of the smart cards additionally include a microprocessor and are configured to assign the card memory to the data groups on a file basis and the files are associated to card applications and the index of data elements and data elements are configured in records of the files.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a central computer that communicates with computer equipment of each originator to maintain a database of card information.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein memory space specified for each application on the smart cards is differently sized based on which of the data elements in the standard list have been selected for that application.

25. A method for providing multiple card-based applications, comprising:

providing a plurality of user cards that each contain memory that is configured to include a plurality of application identifiers that are associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of applications, a plurality of data group directories that are each associated with a corresponding application identifier, a plurality of data groups associated with each group directory, with each data group having an associated data structure containing at least one data element, wherein the data structures identify which data elements a corresponding application provider selected to include on the system in connection with their application, wherein on different cards, a memory location of a current value of same data elements in same data structures associated with different originator applications is variable from application to application as a function of data elements implemented to be used in that application; and

dispersing computer equipment including card readers over a geographic region that are configured to interact with the user cards to support the applications by reading and writing to the user cards based on the configuration of the memory of the user cards,

wherein card access operating application of the card readers is configured to operate to read data structures, to identify which data elements have been implemented for a particular application based on reading a data structure associated with that card application, to locate a position of a data element in the data structure based on the identified data elements, to read the current value of that data element based on the position located for that data element, and to use the current value of that data element in the computer equipment.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising configuring the memory in the user cards and the computer equipment to implement a regional transportation service comprising a plurality of different originators.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the user cards are smart cards.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the data structures each include a header that identifies the data elements for which data representative of the value of that data element is stored.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the memory of the user cards includes information identifying a location in memory for storing each particular data element.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein one of the applications is a transportation application.