On card display of data from secured chip

• US 9,798,965 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brightvolt, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Powered Card Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Yisraelian, Shimon, Shaul, Ronen, Lin, Ronen, Terliuc, Gad
• Primary Examiner(s): STANFORD, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US14/190,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20140175178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07701 the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07707 the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink
• 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 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A retrofitted credit card including a certified smart card chip, a display and retrofitted emulation circuitry operative to enable the certified smart card chip to communicate information to the display notwithstanding that the certified smart card chip is configured for communication only with an external read/write device.

Claims

1. A retrofitted smart card comprising:

a certified smart card chip;

a display;

retrofitted emulation circuitry operative to enable said certified smart card chip to communicate information to said display notwithstanding that said certified smart card chip is configured for communication only with an external read/write device; and

retrofit firmware for operating said certified smart card chip at least in the absence of an external read/write device, said retrofit firmware including mode of operation identification functionality, which enables the certified smart card chip to distinguish between operation in communication with the external read/write device and operation in a stand alone mode;

wherein said retrofitted emulation circuitry includes hardware external to said certified smart card chip and said display;

wherein said retrofitted emulation circuitry comprises control logic circuitry which receives electrical power from power management circuitry;

wherein said card further comprises a manually operable display control switch and wherein said power management circuitry include a switch actuation sensor which is coupled to said display control switch;

wherein said switch actuation sensor provides a switch actuation output to first and second relay control circuits; and

wherein said first relay control circuit is operative in response to said switch actuation output to provide electrical power to said control logic circuitry, to a display driver and to an interval timer.

2. A retrofitted card according to claim 1 and also comprising a substrate supporting said certified smart card chip, said display and said retrofitted circuitry.

3. A retrofitted card according to claim 2 and wherein said substrate has a thickness which does not exceed 0.8 mm.

4. A retrofitted card according to claim 2 and also comprising at least one of a contact interface and a contactless interface mounted on said substrate.

5. A retrofitted card according to claim 4 and also comprising:

a bus which interconnects said certified smart card chip with said contact interface; and

/or

a bidirectional connection which interconnects said certified smart card chip with said contactless interface.

6. A retrofitted card according to claim 1 and also comprising:

an electrical power element operative for powering said certified smart card chip, said retrofitted circuitry and said display; and

/or

real time clock circuitry providing real time security code generation.

7. A retrofitted card according to claim 1 and wherein said certified smart card chip is a smart card chip which is operable to communicate data only with an external read/write device and with said display.

8. A retrofitted card according to claim 1 and wherein said certified smart card chip is employed in a retrofitted context to operate in a manner other than its intended manner of use.

9. A retrofitted card according to claim 1 and wherein said second relay control circuit is operative in response to said switch actuation output to provide electrical power to said certified smart card chip.

10. The retrofitted smart card of claim 1, wherein the retrofit firmware resides on the certified smart card chip.

11. A retrofitted smart card comprising:

a certified smart card chip including secure access circuitry permitting communication with a certified smart card chip reader;

a display;

retrofitted emulation circuitry operative to enable said certified smart card chip to communicate information to said display and also to communicate with said certified smart card chip reader; and

retrofit firmware for operating said certified smart card chip at least in the absence of an external read/write device, said retrofit firmware including mode of operation identification functionality, which enables the certified smart card chip to distinguish between operation in communication with the external read/write device and operation in a stand alone mode;

wherein said retrofitted emulation circuitry includes hardware external to said certified smart card chip and said display;

wherein said retrofitted emulation circuitry comprises control logic circuitry which receives electrical power from power management circuitry;

wherein said card further comprises a manually operable display control switch and wherein said power management circuitry include a switch actuation sensor which is coupled to said display control switch;

wherein said switch actuation sensor provides a switch actuation output to first and second relay control circuits; and

wherein said first relay control circuit is operative in response to said switch actuation output to provide electrical power to said control logic circuitry, to a display driver and to an interval timer.

12. A retrofitted card according to claim 11 and also comprising a substrate supporting said certified smart card chip, said display and said retrofitted circuitry.

13. A retrofitted card according to claim 12 and also comprising at least one of a contact interface and a contactless interface mounted on said substrate.

14. A retrofitted card according to claim 13 and also comprising:

a bus which interconnects said certified smart card chip with said contact interface; and

/or

a bidirectional connection which interconnects said certified smart card chip with said contactless interface.

15. A retrofitted card according to claim 11 and also comprising:

an electrical power element operative for powering said certified smart card chip, said retrofitted circuitry and said display; and

/or real time clock circuitry providing real time security code generation.

16. A retrofitted card according to claim 11, wherein said certified smart card chip is a smart card chip which is operable to communicate data only with an external read/write device and with said display.

17. A retrofitted card according to claim 11 and wherein said second relay control circuit is operative in response to said switch actuation output to provide electrical power to said certified smart card chip.

18. A method of providing a smart card with a card-mounted display function comprising:

providing a certified smart card chip;

associating a display with said certified smart card chip;

emulating an external read/write device to enable said certified smart card chip to communicate with said display notwithstanding that said certified smart card chip had originally been configured for secure communication only with an external read/write device, wherein emulating an external read/write device comprises associating retrofitted emulation circuitry external to said certified smart card chip and said display with said certified smart card chip and display, wherein the retrofitted emulation circuitry comprises control logic circuitry which receives electrical power from power management circuitry, wherein the power management circuitry comprises a switch actuation sensor coupled to a display control switch, wherein the switch actuation sensor provides a switch actuation output to first and second relay control circuits, wherein the first relay control circuit is operative in response to the switch actuation output to provide electrical power to the certified smart card chip and wherein the second relay control circuit is operative in response to the switch actuation output to provide electrical power to the control logic circuitry, to a display driver and to an interval timer;

providing a switch actuation signal when a user actuates the display control switch; and

responsive to the switch actuation signal, supplying a voltage to said certified smart card chip enabling the certified smart card chip to run retrofit firmware installed thereon including mode of operation identification functionality, which enables the certified smart card chip to distinguish between operation in communication with the external read/write device and operation in a stand alone mode.

19. A method of providing a smart card with a card-mounted display function according to claim 18, wherein:

said certified smart card chip includes secure access circuitry permitting communication exclusively with a certified smart card chip reader; and

said method also comprises causing said certified smart card chip to communicate data to said display and also to communicate with said certified smart card chip reader.

20. A method for providing a smart card with card-mounted display function according to claim 18 and comprising:

responsive to said switch actuation signal, actuating a clock oscillator which begins to provide a clock signal to a clock terminal of said certified smart card chip simultaneously with supplying a voltage to said certified smart card chip.

21. A method for providing a card-mounted display function according to claim 18 and wherein;

said stand-alone mode of operation employs at least some of the same data terminals which are used for non-stand-alone operation; and

/or

said mode of operation identification functionality senses whether the serial data terminal of said certified smart card chip is in a positive or zero logic state, wherein a positive logic state indicates that a conventional contact smart card reader is galvanically connected to said certified smart card chip and zero logic state indicates that said certified smart card chip is connected for operation in a stand-alone mode.

22. A method for providing a smart card with a card-mounted display function comprising:

providing a certified smart card chip;

associating a display with said certified smart card chip;

emulating an external read/write device to enable said certified smart card chip to communicate with said display notwithstanding that said certified smart card chip had originally been configured for secure communication only with an external read/write device; and

supplying a voltage to said certified smart card chip enabling the certified smart card chip to run retrofit firmware installed thereon including mode of operation identification functionality, which enables the certified smart card chip to distinguish between operation in communication with the external read/write device and operation in a stand alone mode;

wherein said stand-alone mode of operation employs at least some of the same data terminals which are used for non-stand-alone operation; and

/or

said mode of operation identification functionality senses whether the serial data terminal of said certified smart card chip is in a positive or zero logic state, wherein a positive logic state indicates that a conventional contact smart card reader is galvanically connected to said certified smart card chip and zero logic state indicates that said certified smart card chip is connected for operation in a stand-alone mode;

and wherein when said certified smart card chip operates in a stand-alone mode of operation, at least one of the following steps occurs;

I. retrofit firmware controls communications to and from said certified smart card chip;

II. said retrofit firmware employs the clock signals received from a clock oscillator;

III. said retrofit firmware operates said certified smart card chip for processing and displaying secure data on said display;

IV. said retrofit firmware configures a display driver to display said secure data;

V. said retrofit firmware sets a predetermined time duration on an interval timer;

VI. the retrofit firmware issues a single instruction which results in the sequence indicated below;

the supply of electrical power to said certified smart card chip is terminated, thus disabling the retrofit firmware; and

once the supply of electrical power to said certified smart card chip has been terminated and the retrofit firmware has been disabled, said display driver causes said display to display the secure data for a predetermined time duration; and

at the end of the predetermined time duration, the supply of electrical power to said display is terminated.