MULTIPLE APPLICATION CHIP CARD HAVING BIOMETRIC VALIDATION

• US 20120260319A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mereal Biometrics
• Original Assignee: Mereal Biometrics
• Inventors: Blot, Philippe, Mobetie, Didier, Partouche, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/35765 Access rights to memory zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• 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 smart card includes a plurality of application circuits that are each related to at least one application service securely contained within the card, each application circuit is energizable by an outside signal; a control unit making it possible to identify the energized application circuit and the related service and moreover to activate the service in response to activation authorization; and a biometric circuit for authenticating the user so as to generate the activation authorization.

Claims

1. A secured communication device, comprising:

a plurality of application circuits which are each related to at least one application service securely contained within the device, each application circuit being excitable by an external signal;

a control unit making it possible to identify the excited application service, the related service and to activate said service in response to an activation authorization; and

a biometric circuit for authenticating the user so as to generate said activation authorisation.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the application circuits include a radiofrequency signal transceiver.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the application circuits include at least one metal connector.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the application circuits include at least one environmental detector.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the application circuits include at least one of the following elements:

an acoustic detector;

a heat detector;

an olfactory detector;

a photodetector;

a pressure detector; and

an accelerometer.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the biometric circuit includes a biometric sensor related to a calculation unit for processing biometric data.

7. The device according to claim 1, further including a human-machine interface for indicating an operating state of the device.

8. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that it is powered by a cell which is at least one of flexible and rechargeable.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that it is powered by an external source.

10. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that it is in the format of a chip card, USB key or electronic tag.

11. A method implemented in a secured communication card including a plurality of application circuits, a control unit and a biometric circuit;

the method including the following steps;

an excitation external signal is detected by means of one of the application circuits, each application circuit being related to at least one application service securely contained within the card; and

within the control unit, the excited application circuit and the application service related to this excited application circuit are identified, and an authentication process is started by biometric comparison within the biometric circuit, and then said excited application circuit is activated in response to an activation authorization from the biometric circuit.