Remote administration of smart cards for secure access systems

• US 7,690,029 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meir, Rannen, Kipnis, Shlomo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US11/136,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 726/9, 726/21, 705/26, 705/65, 709/220
• US Class Current: 726/9
• 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: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method for remote administration of at least one smart card via a communication network is described. The method includes the steps of associating the at least one smart card with a remote administrator by storing administrator identification information of the remote administrator in the at least one smart card, inserting the at least one smart card in at least one user unit, employing the administrator identification information stored in the at least one smart card to identify the remote administrator associated with the at least one smart card, and establishing communication between the at least one smart card and the remote administrator via the communication network in accordance with the administrator identification information.

Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A method for remote administration of a first smart card of a first user and a second smart card of a second user via a communication network, the first smart card and the second smart card being employed in a secured access system, the method comprising:

associating said first smart card and said second smart card with a remote administrator the first smart card comprising authorization information which entitles the first user to access a secured information resource, and the second smart card not comprising authorization information which entitles the second user to access the secured information resource;

commanding, by the first user, transmission of the authorization information from the first smart card to the second smart card; and

transmitting the authorization information from said first smart card to said second smart card via the remote administrator and the communication network, thereby enabling the second smart card to allow the user of the second smart card to access the secured information resource.

2. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said authorization information comprises at least one of the following:

administrator identification information;

authorization to perform a transaction;

an electronic-mail message stored in said first smart card; and

billing history information.

3. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said communication network comprises at least one of the following:

a local-area-network (LAN);

a metropolitan-area-network (MAN); and

a wide-area-network (WAN).

4. A method according to claim 1 and wherein said communication network comprises at least one of the following networks:

the Internet;

CompuServe; and

America-Online.

5. A method according to claim 1 and wherein a first user unit or keypad is attached to the first smart card.

6. A method according to claim 1 and wherein the first user and the second user are the same user.

7. A remote administration system for remotely administering a first smart card and a second smart card via a communication network, the first smart card and the second smart card being employed in a secured access system, the system comprising:

a remote administrator operatively associated with said first smart card and said second smart card, the first smart card comprise authorization information which entitles the first user to access a secured information resource, and the second smart card not comprising authorization information which entitles the second user to access the secured information resource; and

a transmitter transmitting the authorization information from said first smart card to said second smart card via said remote administrator and the communication network, thereby enabling the second smart card to allow the user of the second smart card to access the secured information resource.

8. A remote administration system for remotely administering a first smart card and a second smart card via a communication network, the first smart card and the second smart card being employed in a secured access system, the system comprising:

means for operatively associating first smart card and said second smart card with remote administration means, the first smart card comprising authorization information which entitles the first user to access a secured information resource, and the second smart card not comprising authorization information which entities the second user to access the secured information resource; and

means for transmitting the authorization information from said first smart card to said second smart card via said remote administration means and the communication network, thereby enabling the second smart card to allow the user of the second smart card to access the secured information resource.