Memory card

• US 4,672,182 A
• Filed: 10/16/1984
• Issued: 06/09/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirokawa, Katsuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lacasse, Randy
• Application Number:
  US06/661,311
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 364/900, 235/441, 235/492, 235/487, 235/61, 235/380, 235/375, 360/2
• US Class Current: 235/436
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0086 the connector comprising a circuit for steering the operations of the card connector
• 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 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• 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

Abstract

A memory card has a card medium and a laser memory for storing data. A data processing section for storing encryption and/or decryption key data, an encryption and/or decryption program and a password is arranged in the card medium. When the same password as prestored in the data processing section is input, the input data is encrypted and/or decrypted in accordance with the encryption and/or decryption key data and the encryption and/or decryption program. The encrypted and/or decrypted data is stored in the laser memory.

Claims

1. A memory card for use in a system including an external read/writing selection, said memory card comprising:

data processing means, provided in said card medium, for encrypting/decrypting input data; and

memory means, provided on the surface of said card medium and not connected to said data processing means, for storing the input data encrypted by said data processing means;

wherein

the external card read/writing section writes encrypted data output from said data processing means in said memory means, and reads written data from said memory means, said read data being sent to said data processing means and decrypted.

2. A memory card according to claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a laser memory.

3. A memory card according to claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a magnetic memory of vertical magnetization.

4. A memory card according to claim 1, wherein said data processing means stores a password and starts encryption and/or decryption when the correct password is externally entered.

5. A memory card according to claim 1, wherein said data processing means stores encryption and/or decryption key data and an encryption and/or decryption program and processes the input data and the encryption and/or decryption key data in accordance with the encryption and/or decryption program.

6. A memory card system comprising:

a card medium including data processing means provided in said card medium, for encrypting/decrypting input data, and memory means, provided on the surface of said card medium and not connected to said data-processing means, for storing the encrypted data; and

an external card reading/writing section or writing the encrypted data output from said data processing means in said memory means, and for reading the written data from said memory means, said read-out data being sent to said data-processing means and decoded.

7. A memory card according to claim 6, wherein said memory means comprises a laser memory.

8. A memory card according to claim 6, wherein said memory means comprises a magnetic memory of vertical magnetization.

9. A memory card according to claim 6, wherein said data processing means stores a password and starts encryption and/or decryption when the correct password is externally entered.

10. A memory card according to claim 6, wherein said data processing means stores encryption and/or decryption key data and an encryption and/or decryption program and processes the input data and the encryption and/or decryption key data in accordance with the encryption and/or decryption program.