Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Multiple computer communication using cryptography – Particular communication authentication technique
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-11
2001-05-08
Peeso, Thomas R. (Department: 2132)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Multiple computer communication using cryptography
Particular communication authentication technique
C713S156000, C713S168000, C713S176000, C380S255000, C380S277000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230267
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to U.S. patent application No. 09/075,974 filed on May 11, 1998, entitled “Key Transformation Unit for an IC Card,” and assigned to Mondex International Limited which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Integrated circuit (“IC”) cards are becoming increasingly used for many different purposes in the world today. An IC card (also called a smart card) typically is the size of a conventional credit card which contains a computer chip including a microprocessor, read-only-memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only-memory (EEPROM), an Input/Output (I/O) mechanism and other circuitry to support the microprocessor in its operations. An IC card may contain a single application or may contain multiple independent applications in its memory. MULTOST™ is a multiple application operating system which runs on IC cards, among other platforms, and allows multiple applications to be executed on the card itself. This allows a card user to run many programs stored in the card (for example, credit/debit, electronic money/purse and/or loyalty applications) irrespective of the type of terminal (i.e., ATM, telephone and/or POS) in which the card is inserted for use.
A conventional single application IC card, such as a telephone card or an electronic cash card, is loaded with a single application when it is manufactured and before it is given to a card user. That application, however, cannot be modified or changed after the card is issued even if the modification is desired by the card user or card issuer. Moreover, if a card user wanted a variety of application functions to be performed by IC cards issued to him or her, such as both an electronic purse and a credit/debit function, the card user would be required to carry multiple physical cards on his or her person, which would be quite cumbersome and inconvenient. If an application developer or card user desired two different applications to interact or exchange data with each other, such as a purse application interacting with a frequent flyer loyalty application, the card user would be forced to swap multiple cards in and out of the card-receiving terminal, making the transaction difficult, lengthy and inconvenient.
Therefore, it is beneficial to store multiple applications on the same IC card. For example, a card user may have both a purse application and a credit/debit application on the same card so that the user could select which type of payment (by electronic cash or credit card) to use to make a purchase. Multiple applications could be provided to an IC card if sufficient memory exists and an operating system capable of supporting multiple applications is present on the card. Although multiple applications could be preselected and placed in the memory of the card during its production stage, it would also be beneficial to have the ability to load and delete applications for the card post-production as needed.
The increased flexibility and power of storing multiple applications on a single card create new challenges to be overcome concerning the integrity and security of the information (including application code and associated data) exchanged between the individual card and the application provider as well as within the entire system when loading and deleting applications. It would be beneficial to have the capability in the IC card system to exchange data among cards, card issuers, system operators and application providers securely and to load and delete applications securely at any time from a local terminal or remotely over a telephone line, Internet or intranet connection or other data conduit. Because these data transmission lines are not typically secure lines, a number of security and entity authentication techniques must be implemented to make sure that applications being sent over the transmission lines are not tampered with and are only loaded on the intended cards.
As mentioned, it is important—particularly where there is a continuing wide availability of new applications to the cardholder—that the system has the capability of adding applications onto the IC card subsequent to issuance. This is necessary to protect the longevity of the IC cards; otherwise, once an application becomes outdated, the card would be useless. It would be beneficial to allow the addition of applications from a remote location as well as from a direct connection to an application provider's terminal. For example, it would be beneficial for a card user to be able to plug his or her IC card into a home computer and download an application over the Internet. This type of remote loading of applications raises a number of security risks when transmitting the application code and related data over an unsecured communications line such as the Internet.
An entity which transmits an application or data to an IC card requires that only the intended IC card should receive the transmitted data. Third parties should not be able to intercept and view the data. Additionally, a transmitting entity will require verification that the IC card which has requested information is actually part of the overall IC card system and not simply posing as being part of the system. These concerns are raised by both remote application loading as well as local terminal application loading.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a secure transfer technique and specifically to provide a secure IC-card system that allows for the secure transfer of data including smart card applications which may be loaded onto IC cards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objectives are achieved by the present invention which provides an IC card method and apparatus for securely transporting data including an application onto an IC card including storing a secret and public key pair on the IC card, retrieving the stored public key from the IC card, encrypting at least a portion of the data to be transported using the public key, transmitting the encrypted data to the IC card and decrypting the encrypted data using the IC card's secret key.
In a preferred embodiment, a certification authority (“CA”) or the entity that manages the overall security of the IC card system, encrypts (or digitally signs) a copy of the IC card's public key and the signed copy is also stored on the IC card. The entity transmitting the data to the IC card can verify that the CA has approved the card by retrieving using the IC card's signed public key and verifying the signed public key using the public key of the CA. If verification is successful, the entity has verified that the CA approved the IC card.
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Everett David Barrington
Richards Timothy Philip
Viner John Charles
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Mondex International Limited
Peeso Thomas R.
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