Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Patent
1986-07-28
1988-09-20
Pitts, Harold I.
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
235492, G06K 500
Patent
active
047727829
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The subject of the present invention is a method of personalizing portable media such as cards.
The state of the art in cards having magnetic tracks and, now, having electronic microcircuits (microprocessor and memory) as well, necessitates automated manufacture in order to meet the needs of a large public market.
In general, one must distinguish between at least two preliminary stages in putting a card into circulation, the manufacturing stage and the personalizing stage.
The first stage, which is performed by the manufacturer, comprises equipping the cards with electronic microcircuits, for example a microprocessor and a programmable memory, and perhaps with one or more magnetic tracks.
The second stage is generally done by an authorized issuing organization, which purchases the cards that have been so manufactured and distributes them to future users. Prior to this distribution, these organizations perform personalizing operations, which comprise writing data into the card to identify the issuing entity and the future user of the card, on the one hand, and fixing the conditions and limitations of usage of the card, on the other.
These personalizing data are written into the memory of the electronic microcircuits of the card, by stamping onto the card, and perhaps onto the magnetic tracks.
SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method by which these personalizing operations can be made automatic, to permit production of cards at a rate suitable for a large public market. More particularly, the subject of the invention relates to a method of personalizing at least one portable medium such as a standardized card equipped with electronic microcircuits, such as processing circuits and a memory. Personalizing data is written onto the card and into its memory that enable both the identification of the authorized issuing organization and of the future users of these cards, and that fix the conditions and limitations of usage of the cards. The method comprises the steps of: data attributable respectively to n users; personalized; of other data being correlated with one datum written into the memory; associated with (n-1) other cards.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics, advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing explanatory description, referring to the drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate the characteristics of a card to which the method according to the invention is applied;
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the principle of writing identifying data into the memory of the card after its manufacture; and
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the method of personalizing cards.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The card 1, shown by way of example in FIG. 1, is a card of the "mixed" type, having at least one magnetic track 2 and electronic microcircuits 3, comprising processing circuits such as a microprocessor 4 and a programmable memory 5 as shown schematically in FIG. 2. These circuits communicate with one another via a linking bus b, and they communicate with the outside via an interface I such as that described, for example, in French Pat. No. 2 483 713 assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
This memory 5 includes at least one memory zone Z1, or secret zone, where the recorded data are not accessible except internally by the microprocessor 4. The other data are recorded in a second memory zone Z2 with access to internal and/or external reading and writing, which are determined as a function of the planned applications for the card 1.
The structure of such a card, in particular at the level of the electronic microcircuits, is described in detail in French Pat. Nos. 2 337 381, 2 401 459 and 2 461 301 assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The method according to the invention comes into play after the card has been manufactured, that is, after the magnetic tape 2 has been applied to the card 1 and after the microprocessor 4 and the memory 5 have been embedded in
REFERENCES:
patent: 4467209 (1980-12-01), Maurer
Bull S.A.
Pitts Harold I.
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