Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at same station – Radiotelephone equipment detail
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-04-10
Legree, Tracy (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at same station
Radiotelephone equipment detail
C455S411000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C235S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216014
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is that of systems communicating with terminal devices, each being a terminal cooperating with a microprocessor-driven user card.
The invention applies in particular, but not exclusively, to the case of a cellular communications system with mobile stations, each being a terminal cooperating with a user card called a Subscriber Identity Module (or SIM module).
The invention also applies, once again not exclusively, to the case of a communications system with pay stations, each being a bank terminal cooperating with a payment card.
More specifically, the invention relates to a communications system for secured, independent management of a plurality of applications by each user card. The invention also relates to a user card and a corresponding management method.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ACT
The disadvantages of known communications systems are presented below using the example of a cellular communications system. It is clear, however, that the invention is not limited to this type of system, but relates more generally to any communications system in which a user card, designed to cooperate with a terminal, supports several applications.
In the field of cellular communications, the GSM standard (“Global System for Mobile communications operating in the 900 MHz band”) is known, primarily in Europe.
The invention applies in particular, but not exclusively, to a system according to this GSM standard. More generally, it is applicable to all systems in which each user card can manage at least two separate applications.
In the case of a cellular communications system, a terminal is a piece of physical equipment used by a network user to access the telecommunication services offered. There are different types of terminals such as portables, or mobiles mounted on vehicles.
When a terminal is used by a user, the latter must connect his user card (SIM module), which is generally in the form of a smart card, to the terminal.
The user card supports a principal telephone application (for example the GSM application) which allows it, as well as the terminal to which it is connected in the cellular communications system, to operate. In particular, the user card provides the terminal with which it is connected with a unique subscriber identifier (or IMSI identifier, standing for “International Mobile Subscriber Identity”). For this purpose, the user card includes command execution means (for example a microprocessor and a program memory) and data storage means (for example a data storage).
The IMSI identifier, as well as all the individual information about the subscriber, to be used by the terminal, are stored in the data storage means of the SIM module. This enables each terminal to be used with any SIM module.
In certain known systems, particularly in a GSM system, there is a short message service (SMS) for sending short messages to mobile stations. These messages are transmitted by a short message service center (SMS-C).
When a mobile station receives a short message, it stores it in the data storage means of its SIM module. The principal telephone application of each SIM module [*] to handle each short message received.
Originally, the only function of a short message was to provide information to the subscriber, generally via a terminal display screen. The short messages, known as normal short messages, that fulfilled this single function thus contain only raw data. Subsequently, an enhanced short message system (ESMS) was designed in which two types of short messages could be sent, namely the normal short messages referred to above and enhanced short messages which could contain commands.
Thus, European patent EP 562 890, for example, proposes transmitting commands enabling this SIM module to be updated or reconfigured remotely, to an SIM module, by means of enhanced short messages. In other words, commands embedded in enhanced short messages modify the principal telephone application of the SIM module.
It has also been proposed that the SIM module serve to support applications other than the principal telephone application, such as in particular automobile leasing, payment, or customer loyalty.
Since the commands belonging to these other applications are contained in enhanced short messages, which are accordingly outside the SIM module, these other applications are known as “remote” or “remote.” On the other hand, the principal telephone application, whose commands are contained in the data storage means of the SIM module, is known as “local.” The commands are also known as “local” or “remote” depending on whether the application to which they belong is itself local or remote.
Patent PCT/GB/9401295 describes for example an SIM module supporting the following remote applications: updating telephone numbers remotely, renting (a vehicle or hotel room in particular), and payment. Each message includes a data follow-up command. For example, the following four types of remote commands (of 255 possible commands) are presented:
Write commands, for storing data contained in the messages received in the SIM module, from a specified memory location;
Read commands, for reading data into the SIM module, from a specified memory location, the data read being placed in messages going to outside callers;
Lock/unlock commands authorizing or prohibiting writing and reading of specified memory locations in the SIM module;
Run program commands, for running a program stored in the SIM module.
With these remote commands, one can thus execute remote applications (leasing, payment, reconfiguration of principal telephone application, etc.). One can also add new functionalities to the SIM module. Thus, the SIM module can become a multi-service card with, for example, the features of a credit card, a passport, a driving license, a member card, etc.
It is clear that this recent multi-application concept of the SIM module is highly advantageous for the subscriber. The latter can now very simply carry out numerous transactions such as renting an automobile and paying for a service simply with a terminal into which his SIM module is inserted.
On the other hand, this recent multi-application concept of the SIM module, as currently implemented, has the major drawback of not independently managing each of the applications, local or remote. Indeed, in all systems known to date, the data storage files of the SIM module are accessible in the same manner by all the applications.
Thus, in the aforementioned patent, PCT/GB/9401295, access to certain memory locations by a command is always authorized, while access to other memory locations by a command may be either authorized or refused. However, whatever the memory location concerned, accessibility by a command does not depend in any way whatever on the application to which this command belongs.
Likewise, in current GSM specifications (particularly specification GSM 11.11), no difference is made between applications in terms of access conditions to the files containing the SIM module data. Each file has its own standard access control policy which is unique and defined by a set of standard access conditions, and each of these standard access conditions applies to a separate command for this file. Each standard access condition can have various values such as for example “ALWAYS” (access always authorized), “CHV1” or “CHV2” (cardholder verification), and “NEVER” (access never authorized). But none of these values is designed to link access to the file to the identity of the application to which the command requesting this access belongs.
This absence of file access control as a function of application is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of security. This means that all remote applications supported by the data storage means of a given SIM module can access all the files in these data storage means. Thus there is nothing to prevent data relating to one of these remote applications from being read or even modified by another of these remote applications. It clearly emerges from the foregoing that each remote ap
Huet Cedric
Laget Anne
Proust Philippe
Gemplus
Legree Tracy
Plottel Roland
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