Abstract:
A cryptographic medium including embedded metallic particles. The particles provide a unique signature when the card is exposed to a radio frequency signal. The medium includes programming and storage capability, so that protocols for different types of transactions may be stored on the medium, along with personal information associated with the user of the token. The token may take the form of a plastic card, which includes an electronic module fabricated using a multi-chip module design and including the programming and storage capability. The design allows greater computing and storage capacity on the card. At least the electronic module is encapsulated in a plascon material, giving the overall card a more physically secure construction.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a method for managing faulty integrity of data inscribed in a re-writeable memory of an electronic component for carrying out operations capable of modifying at least one of said data and for exchanging data, either off-line directly with a terminal, or on-line with a transmitter through said terminal. The method consists in: defining so-called main data with faulty integrity representative of a malfunctioning of the memory, and so-called secondary data with faulty integrity representative, either of a malfunctioning of the memory or of a breakdown in the power supply of the component; carrying out, with each operation, integrity control for at least one datum; stopping the operation, in the event of faulty integrity of at least one main datum; attributing to at least one secondary datum a default value imposing an on-line exchange during the next operation, if integrity control of a secondary datum reveals faulty integrity. The invention is useful for making secure transactions carries out by means of electronic memory cards.
Abstract:
This invention concerns a microprocessor with a control unit and a housing surrounding the control unit, as well as a chip card with such a microprocessor. Up until now, a significant weakness of the chip card systems has been that the microprocessor in the chip card which is surrounded by a housing, can be exposed for purposes of manipulation. Therefore, this invention aims to make a microprocessor and chip card available which are protected against manipulation. The invention achieves this task by providing the area of the housing of the microprocessor with at least one sensor which is linked to the control unit and indicates its environmental state. The control unit is constructed so that it can be set at an inactive state, if the sensor sends it one and/or no test signal which indicates a preset environmental state.
Abstract:
An arrangement has a safety label (8) connected to the first chip (5) and at least partially visible from the outside which is arranged and designed in such a way that the integrity of the safety label (8) or of information displayed thereby may be recognised and/or measured by a chip card reader when a second chip is applied on the chip card, whether the first card (5) is removed or not from the chip card. The arrangement has the advantage of making it impossible or at least very difficult to replace the regular chip (5) or to add a second chip in an unnoticeable manner.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for protected transactions involving a so-called smart card (11) and a terminal (12), such as a cash register. In order to prevent the smart card from simultaneously carrying out transactions with several terminals, the invention provides an authentication value (A) which is used in the data exchange between the smart card (11) and the terminal (12) to uniquely identify subsequent steps (e.g. I, III) of the transaction.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a method of checking the authenticity of a data carrier with an integrated circuit and is characterized in that a material which is excited to provide luminescence, for example, by electromagnetic radiation or an electrical field is provided in a region of the integrated circuit. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the material is measured and evaluated in order to determine the authenticity of the data carrier.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an electronic module having at least a microprocessor and co-processor on a single integrated circuit. The electronic module can be contained in a small housing. The electronic module provides secure bidirectional data communication via a data bus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic module which includes an integrated circuit comprising a microprocessor, and a co-processor adapted to handle 1,024-bit modulo mathematics primarily aimed at RSA calculations. The electronic module is preferably contained in a small token-sized metallic container. The present invention will preferably communicate via a single wire data bus which uses a one-wire protocol.
Abstract:
For the purposes of protection before optical analysis, two semiconductor chips are arranged on a support module in such a way that they operate only when electrically interconnected.
Abstract:
An access control system for restricting access to authorised hours and renewing it using a portable storage medium. The system comprises a unit (LE) for issuing electronic keys consisting of data relating to a given time period and the signature of said data. The keys are loaded onto media such as smart cards (C). Electronic locks (L) capable of checking the signatures are installed at various physical or logical locations where access is to be restricted. The system is useful for controlling access to buildings or computer systems.
Abstract:
The title device has a simple and inexpensive structure and can reliably execute a writing process only once even when receiving write signals repeatedly in communication between an antenna unit and a response unit provided in the mobile object. Receiving a write signal from a write antenna unit, the tag unit (response unit) executes a process of writing the data in the data memory on condition that the completion flag is cleared by a control circuit. When the writing process is executed, the control circuit sets the completion flag. After this, even if write signals are repeatedly received in the same communication area of the same write antenna unit, the control circuit nullifies the writing proces because the completion flat is set, hence preventing multiple writing.