Device for controlling communication between electronic information cards and host computer to be kept in secret

• US 5,204,512 A
• Filed: 10/26/1990
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Data Communications Systems Corporation, Tokyo Tatsuno Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NTT Data Communications Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takafumi, Shimamura, Norio, Kobayashi, Niichi, Watanabe, Takeshi, Ieki, Toshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Application Number:
  US07/603,559
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/492, 235/493, 340/825.34, 340/825.33
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/229 Hierarchy of users of accounts
• 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 20/40975 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

System for controlling communication between electronic information cards, such as IC-cards and a host computer, to be kept in secret. In order to protect the data, various countermeasures have been proposed in which the data are enciphered to be sent and deciphered for reading out. There is a problem, however, the cyphograph is difficult to keep secret when it is used for a long time. The invention intends to provide a device having at least two connectors for an IC-card stored with an algorithm for enciphering the data and another IC-card or other IC-cards for making communication with the host computer so as to readily change the first IC-card with a new one storing another algorithm.

Claims

1. A system for controlling communication between an electronic information card including contacts and a host computer for reading and writing data to and from the electronic information card via a communication cable, said system comprising;

a first terminal connector, connected to the communication cable for receiving information including data and signals transmitted from the host computer;

a second terminal connection, connected to the communication cable for transmitting information including data and signals on the electronic information card to the host computer;

at least two card connectors, each having contacts corresponding to the contacts of the electronic information card and each having a card detector for generating signals representing a presence and absence of a card therein, wherein

one of the card connectors receives a card storing at least one fixed communication algorithm, and the other receives the electronic information card such that data stored in the electronic information card is enciphered and deciphered according to the at least one fixed communication algorithm by passing the data through the card storing the at least one fixed communication algorithm;

means for controlling the communication in response to the signals from the at least two card connectors so as to connect and disconnect circuits between the first and second terminal connectors and the at least two card connectors and between the means for controlling and the at least two card connectors; and

switching means, between the at least two card connectors, and also between each of the at least two card connectors and each of the first and second terminal connectors, and also between each of the at least two card connectors and the means for controlling, so that the means for controlling turns predetermined switches ON and OFF in response to a signal from each of the at least two card connectors and the host computer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying command signals from the host computer.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

key-board for inputting information including a password assigned to the electronic information card in response to a request command from the host computer;

wherein said display means is an indicator for displaying information including command signals from the host computer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the card storing the at least one fixed communication algorithm and the electronic information card are coupled to said at least two card connectors via electrical contacts.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the card storing the at least one fixed communication algorithm and the electronic information card are coupled to said at least two card connectors via light receptors or coils.