Smart card with multiple applications

• US 7,232,073 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: de Jong, Eduard
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/019,833
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382, 235/487, 235/494, 711/115, 717/163
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides a smart card having multiple applications installed thereon. One of the multiple applications is designated as a default application which is activated whenever the card is reset. The default application is required to implement a first operation to provide a canonically ordered listing of the multiple applications on the card. The default application may further implement a second operation to allow one of the multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into the listing.

Claims

1. A smart card having multiple applications installed thereon, wherein one of said multiple applications is designated as a default application which is activated whenever the card is reset, and wherein said default application is required to implement a first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

2. The smart card of claim 1, wherein said default application is further required to implement a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

3. The smart card of claim 1, wherein said default application has a programming interface to enable said first operation.

4. The smart card of claim 3, wherein said programming interface comprises a predetermined set of one or more method calls.

5. The smart card of claim 4, wherein said programming interface comprises at least a first method call for enabling the first operation and a second method call for enabling a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

6. The smart card of claim 4, wherein said interface further comprises a method for notifying an application that it has been designated as the default application.

7. The smart card of claim 4, wherein said interface further comprises a method for notifying an application that it has ceased to be the default application.

8. The smart card of claim 1, wherein a handler is installed into said default application to implement the first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

9. The smart card of claim 1, wherein said list is provided by the default application in response to a request from a terminal.

10. The smart card of claim 1, wherein said list is provided by a handler installed into said default application to implement the first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

11. The smart card of claim 1, wherein said list is provided automatically to a terminal by the default application in response to activation of the card.

12. The smart card of claim 1, wherein said default application is configurable as to whether said list is provided by the default application to a terminal in response to a request from the terminal or automatically in response to activation of the card.

13. The smart card of claim 1, wherein an application is selected for activation by providing an index into said list in a command header of an application protocol data unit received by the card from a terminal.

14. The smart card of claim 1, further comprising a card executive layer, wherein the default application interacts with the card executive layer in order to implement the first operation.

15. The smart card of claim 14, wherein the default application obtains said list from the card executive layer.

16. The smart card of claim 1, further comprising a card executive layer, and wherein the default application interacts with the card executive layer in order to implement a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

17. The smart card of claim 1, further comprising a card management application, said card management application being responsive to implement a request to make an application the default application.

18. The smart card of claim 17, wherein said request is made when the application to be made the default application is being installed onto the smart card.

19. The smart card of claim 18, wherein the card management application verifies that the application to be made the default application implements a predetermined interface.

20. The smart card of claim 19, wherein said predetermined interface is defined to support at least said first operation.

21. The smart card of claim 17, wherein said request to make an application the default application is in respect of one or more selected modes of communication.

22. The smart card of claim 17, wherein the card management application implements the request to make an application the default application by updating a pointer or marker associated with the canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

23. A method of operating a smart card having multiple applications installed thereon, comprising:

designating one of said multiple applications as a default application, wherein said default application is required to implement a first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card; and

activating the default application whenever the card is reset.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said default application is further required to implement a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said default application has a programming interface to enable said first operation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said programming interface comprises a predetermined set of one or more method calls.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said programming interface comprises at least a first method call for enabling the first operation and a second method call for enabling a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said interface further comprises a method for notifying an application that it has been designated as the default application.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said interface further comprises a method for notifying an application that it has ceased to be the default application.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising installing a handler into said default application to implement the first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising the default application providing said list in response to a request from a terminal.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein said list is provided by a handler installed into said default application to implement the first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising the default application providing said list automatically to a terminal in response to activation of the card.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein said default application is configurable as to whether said list is provided by the default application to a terminal in response to a request from the terminal or automatically in response to activation of the card.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising selecting an application for activation by providing an index into said list in a command header of an application protocol data unit received by the card from a terminal.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising the default application interacting with a card executive layer in order to implement the first operation.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the default application obtains said list from the card executive layer.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising the default application interacting with a card executive layer in order to implement a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising a card management application responding to a request to make an application the default application.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said request is made when the application to be made the default application is being installed onto the smart card.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the card management application verifying that the application to be made the default application implements a predetermined interface.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said predetermined interface is defined to support at least said first operation.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein said request to make an application the default application is in respect of one or more selected modes of communication.

44. The method of claim 39, further comprising the card management application implementing the request to make an application the default application by updating a pointer or marker associated with the canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

45. Means for operating a smart card having multiple applications installed thereon, comprising:

means for designating one of said multiple applications as a default application, wherein said default application is required to implement a first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card; and

means for activating the default application whenever the card is reset.

46. A method of designating an application on a smart card as a default application, comprising:

receiving a request to designate an application as a default application on the smart card;

confirming that said default application implements a first operation to provide a canonically ordered listing of multiple applications on the card; and

designating the requested application as the default application, subject to a positive outcome from the confirming.

47. Means for designating an application on a smart card as a default application, comprising:

means for receiving a request to designate an application as a default application on the smart card;

means for confirming that said default application implements a first operation to provide a canonically ordered listing of multiple applications on the card; and

means for designating the requested application as the default application, subject to a positive outcome from the confirming means.

48. A computer program product comprising an application having program instructions on a medium, said application being operable on a smart card having multiple applications installed thereon to:

function as a default application, wherein said default application is activated whenever the card is reset; and

implement a first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of multiple applications on the card.

49. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein said default application is further operable to implement a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

50. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein said default application has a programming interface to enable said first operation.

51. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein said programming interface comprises a predetermined set of one or more method calls.

52. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein said programming interface comprises at least a first method call for enabling the first operation and a second method call for enabling a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

53. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein said interface further comprises a method for notifying an application that it has been designated as the default application.

54. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein said interface further comprises a method for notifying an application that it has ceased to be the default application.

55. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein a handler is installed into said default application to implement the first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

56. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein said list is provided by the default application in response to a request from a terminal.

57. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein said list is provided by a handler installed into said default application to implement the first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.

58. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein said list is provided automatically to a terminal by the default application in response to activation of the card.

59. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein said default application is configurable as to whether said list is provided by the default application to a terminal in response to a request from the terminal or automatically in response to activation of the card.

60. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein an application is selected for activation by providing an index into said list in a command header of an application protocol data unit received by the card from a terminal.

61. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein the default application is further operable to interact with a card executive layer in order to implement the first operation.

62. The computer program product of claim 61, wherein the default application is operable to obtain said list from the card executive layer.

63. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein the default application is further operable to interact with the card executive layer in order to implement a second operation to allow one of said multiple applications to be selected for activation via an index into said list.

64. The computer program product of claim 48, further comprising a card management application, said card management application being responsive to implement a request to make an application the default application.

65. A computer program product comprising a card management application having program instructions on a medium, said application being operable on a smart card to:

receive a request for an application to become the default application; and

verify that the application supports a first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of multiple applications on the card, wherein the application is allowed to become the default application only if it supports said first operation.

66. The computer program product of claim 65, wherein said request is made when the application to be made the default application is being installed onto the smart card.

67. The computer program product of claim 66, wherein said request to make an application the default application is in respect of one or more selected modes of communication.

68. The computer program product of claim 65, wherein the card management application is further operable to implement the request to make an application the default application by updating a pointer or marker associated with said canonically ordered list.

69. A data structure for smart card having multiple applications installed thereon, wherein one of said multiple applications is designated as a default application which is activated whenever the card is reset, said data structure comprising a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card, and further comprising an indication of which of said multiple applications is designated as the default application, wherein said default application is required to implement a first operation to provide a canonically ordered list of said multiple applications on the card.