System and method for communication between smart cards

• US 8,397,058 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mondex International Ltd. (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mondex International Ltd. (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Roberts, Dave, Ezawa, Kazuo J., Foster, Michael, Kelly, John
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORTHY, ARAVIND K
• Application Number:
  US09/628,315
• Time in Patent Office: 4,610 Days
• Field of Search: 713/169, 713/170, 713/172, 713/155, 713/159, 713/161, 713/168, 713/178, 713/187, 726/9, 726/26, 380/277
• US Class Current: 713/155
• 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 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/082 Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A method and system which provides communication between a first portable device and a second portable device. The first portable device stores a first sequence number and a first key, and the second portable device stores a second sequence number and a second key. Verification is performed using the first and second keys. The first sequence number is compared to the second sequence number. If the second sequence number is newer than the first sequence number, the first sequence number is set to have a value of the second sequence number if the verification succeeds. If the first sequence number is newer than the second sequence number, the second sequence number is set to have a value of the first sequence number if verification succeeds.

Claims

1. A method for determining an approximate current time using a first portable device and a second portable device, the first portable device having a first storage device, the second portable device having a second storage device, the first storage device storing thereon a first sequence number, the second storage device storing thereon a second sequence number, wherein the first and second sequence numbers comprise information on a first and a second trusted time embedded in the respective storage devices, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing the first sequence number to the second sequence number, the first sequence number being indicative of a the first trusted time provided on the first portable device, the second sequence number being indicative of a the second trusted time provided on the second portable device; and

if the first trusted time is older than the second trusted time, setting the first sequence number to have a value of the second sequence number and conversely,

if the second trusted time is older than the first trusted time, setting the second sequence number to have a value of the first sequence number so that the older trusted time information embedded on one of two portable devices is mutually replaced with the newer trusted time information embedded on the other portable device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

if the second time is older than the first time, setting the second sequence number to have a value of the first sequence number.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

after the setting step and if the first time is not equal to the second time, executing an action which is triggered by at least one of the first sequence number and the second sequence number.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first portable device is a first card, and the second portable device is a second card, and further comprising the step of:

after the executing step and if the first time is not equal to the second time, performing a transaction between the first card and the second card.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first portable device is a first card, and the second portable device is a second card, and further comprising the step of:

if the first time is equal to the second time, performing a transaction between the first card and the second card.

6. A method for determining an approximate current time using a first portable device and a second portable device, the first portable device having a first storage device, the second portable device having a second storage device, the first storage device storing thereon a first sequence number and a first key, the second storage device storing thereon a second sequence number and a second key, wherein the first and second sequence numbers comprise information on a first and a second trusted time embedded in the respective storage devices, the method comprising the steps of:

comparing the first sequence number to the second sequence number, the first sequence number being indicative of the first trusted time provided on the first portable device, the second sequence number being indicative of the second trusted time provided on the second portable device;

if the second trusted time is newer than the first trusted time, performing a verification using at least one of the first and second keys; and

setting the first sequence number to have a value of the second sequence number if the verification succeeds; and

conversely,

if the first trusted time is newer than the second trusted time, performing a verification using at least one of the first and second keys; and

setting the second sequence number to have a value of the first sequence number if the verification succeeds so that the older trusted time information embedded on one of two portable devices is mutually replaced with the newer trusted time information embedded on the other portable device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

generating the cryptograms by one of the first portable device and the second portable device; and

verifying the cryptograms using another one of the first portable device and the second portable device.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first key is a first global signing key, and the second key is a global signing key, and wherein the verification is performed by comparing at least one first portion of the first global signing key to at least one second portion of the second global signing key.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification succeeds when the at least one first portion corresponds to the at least one second portion.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein each of the first and second global signing keys includes a private key and a public key, and wherein the verification is performed using the respective public keys.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first portable device is a first card, and the second portable device is a second card, and further comprising the step of:

after the setting step, performing a transaction between the first card and the second card.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first portable device is a first card, and the second portable device is a second card, and further comprising the step of:

if the verification fails, suspending a transaction between the first card and the second card.

13. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

if the verification fails, recording a failure of the verification in at least one of the first storage device and the second storage device.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first portable device is a first card, and the second portable device is a second card, and further comprising the step of:

if the first time and the second time are equal, performing a transaction between the first card and the second card.

15. The method according to claim 6,

wherein the first portable device is a first card and the second portable device is a second card,

wherein the setting step is performed by transmitting an authenticated system message command from the second card to the first card, and

wherein at least one of the first and second cards sets the second sequence number.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first key is a first global signing key, and the second key is a global signing key, and wherein the first global signing key relates to the first sequence number, and the second global signing key relates to the second sequence number.

17. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first key is a first global signing key, and the second key is a global signing key, and wherein the first global signing key is associated with a first value transfer protocol (“

VTP”

) key, and the second global signing key is associated with a second VTP key, the first VTP key being stored in the first storage device, the second VTP key being stored in the second storage device.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein each of the first portable device and the second portable device includes a processing device.