Smartcard

• US 20170300799A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S, Johnson, Wendell C, DuVall, Wilbur E, Shostak, Oleksandr, Sokurenko, Vyacheslav
• Granted Patent: US 10,438,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0718 the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00
• 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 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0813 Specific details related to card security
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00

Abstract

Card including a substrate, at least one biometric data entry device on the substrate to receive biometric data about an individual holding the substrate, a memory component on the substrate and containing biometric data about an individual possessing the card and at least one private key, and a processor configured to compare biometric data received via the biometric data entry device to biometric data contained in the memory component to determine whether they match. When there is a biometric data match, a process requiring use of the private key(s) is initiated for authorized use of the card. A chassis intrusion detector system detects tampering with the card and upon such detection, causes deletion of the private key(s) to thereby prevent unauthorized use of the card.

Claims

1. A card, comprising:

a substrate,

at least one biometric data entry device on said substrate to receive biometric data about an individual holding said substrate;

at least one memory component on said substrate and containing biometric data about an individual possessing the card and at least one private key;

a processor configured to compare biometric data received via said at least one biometric data entry device to biometric data contained in said at least one memory component to determine whether they match and when they match, initiate a process requiring use of the at least one private key for authorized use of the card; and

a chassis intrusion detector system that detects tampering with the card and upon such detection, causes erasure or deletion of the at least one private key in said at least one memory component to thereby prevent unauthorized use of the card.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to initiate the process, when the biometric data received via said at least one biometric data entry device matches the biometric data contained in said at least one memory component, which includes transmission of an identification number associated with the card and the card is a credit or debit card such that the identification number transmitted when the biometric data received via said at least one biometric data entry device matches the biometric data contained in said at least one memory component is a credit or debit card number.

3. The card of claim 2, wherein said processor is further configured to decode data, encoded based on a public key generated from the transmitted identification number, using a private key in said at least one memory component whereby unless decoded using the at least one private key, said card is unusable.

4. The card of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to initiate the process, when the biometric data received via said at least one biometric data entry device matches the biometric data contained in said at least one memory component, which includes transmission of an identification number associated with the card and the card is an identification card such that the identification number transmitted when the biometric data received via said at least one biometric data entry device matches the biometric data contained in said at least one memory component is a unique identification associated with an owner of the card.

5. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

an energy harvesting system arranged on said substrate to obtaining energy wirelessly from an external source based on proximity of said energy harvesting system to the external source; and

a battery on said substrate that is charged by said energy harvesting system.

6. The card of claim 5, wherein said energy harvesting system is configured to interact with a Near Field Communications (NFC) reader.

7. The card of claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric data entry device comprises a fingerprint reader.

8. The card of claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric data entry device comprises a pair of fingerprint readers, one on each side of said substrate.

9. The card of claim 8, further comprising a finger resistance sensor adapted to determine contact between fingers and said fingerprint readers.

10. The card of claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric data entry device comprises a heartbeat detector.

11. The card of claim 1, wherein said chassis intrusion detector system comprises a series of conductors spaced apart from each other to cover said substrate except for said at least one biometric data entry device which remains exposed upon covering of said substrate by said conductors, said conductors being electronically connected together to form a transmission line, whereby breaking of one of said conductors causes variation of current through the transmission line, said processor being configured to erase or delete the at least one private key upon detecting a variance in current through the transmission line defined by said conductors caused by breaking of one of said conductors.

12. The card of claim 11, further comprising a protective layer over said conductors.

13. The card of claim 11, wherein said chassis intrusion detector system further comprises plastic film arranged on said substrate, said conductors being formed on said plastic film.

14. The card of claim 11, wherein said conductors are parallel to one another.

15. The card of claim 11, wherein said conductors are made of transparent material.

16. A method for validating use of a card by an authorized user, comprising:

prior to use of the card, placing biometric data of the authorized user into at least one memory component on the card along with at least one private key required for authorized use of the card, the at least one private key being contained in the at least one memory component on the card;

enclosing the card with a chassis intrusion detection system that detects tampering with the card;

periodically determining whether the chassis intrusion detection system has detected tampering with the card and if so, erasing or deleting the at least one private key to thereby prevent authorized use of the card;

receiving via at least one biometric data entry device on the card, biometric data about an individual holding the card; and

comparing, via a processor on the card, biometric data received via the at least one biometric data entry device to biometric data contained in the at least one memory component to determine whether they match and when they match, initiating a process requiring use of the at least one private key for authorized use of the card.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the chassis intrusion detection system comprises conductors arranged over the surface of the card, the step of periodically determining whether the chassis intrusion detection system has detected tampering with the card comprising periodically directing a pulse through the conductors and analyzing the pulse after passing through the conductors relative to the pulse being directed through the conductors, differences between the pulses being indicative of tampering with the card.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying information about a transaction about to be effected using the card or that has just been effected using the card on a display on the card.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of initiating the process requiring use of the at least one private key for authorized use of the card comprises:

transmitting an identification number of the card from the card to a terminal sought to be used by the card, the identification number being directed from the card to a server that retrieves a public key associated with the identification number and directs a transmission to the terminal encoded based on the public key to be directed from the terminal to the card; and

decoding the transmission, using a processor at the card and the at least one private key and directing the decoded transmission to the server, whereby receipt of the correctly decoded transmission by the server allows for use of the card.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein after receipt of the decoded transmission at the server, an additional transmission is directed from the server to the terminal encoded based on the public key to be directed from the terminal to the card, the method further comprising:

decoding the additional transmission, using the processor at the card and the at least one private key, and associating the decoded transmission with an approval key; and

requiring action by the authorized user via an input device on the card to cause transmission of the decoded transmission to the server, whereby receipt of the decoded transmission by the server indicates allowability of the transaction.