EP0018889B1 - Process for prolonging the validity of the memory working zone of a data carrier - Google Patents

Process for prolonging the validity of the memory working zone of a data carrier Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0018889B1
EP0018889B1 EP80400547A EP80400547A EP0018889B1 EP 0018889 B1 EP0018889 B1 EP 0018889B1 EP 80400547 A EP80400547 A EP 80400547A EP 80400547 A EP80400547 A EP 80400547A EP 0018889 B1 EP0018889 B1 EP 0018889B1
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EP
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Prior art keywords
carrier
memory
key
zone
erase
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EP80400547A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0018889A1 (en
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Jean Henri Mollier
Michel Ugon
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Bull SA
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Bull SA
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    • GPHYSICS
    • G07CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07FCOIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/08Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
    • G07F7/10Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means together with a coded signal, e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
    • G07F7/1008Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for extending the validity of a working area of the memory of a recording medium where the recorded information accessible from the outside can only be modified by an authorized person, said memory further comprising a protected area where are stored identification information inaccessible from the outside as well as a device for its implementation.
  • Non-volatile memories have the property of permanently retaining the information they contain in the absence of an external power supply.
  • the magnetic tapes, the memories with magnetic cores, the memories with bubbles, the memories with semiconductors carried out in technology MNOS, abbreviation of the Anglo-Saxon term "Metal Nitride Oxide Silicon” constitute non volatile memories. These memories are also erasable by the action of electronic organs external to these memories.
  • All the memories can contain a maximum number of information which depends on the number of elementary cells which they contain and which define their capacity.
  • the capacity of a non-volatile memory therefore limits its use over time.
  • the number of stored information reaches the useful capacity of the memory, two solutions are available to the memory user.
  • the first solution is explained in particular in document DE-A 2 738 113 where the card has a memory divided into several sections which are successively opened as and when a section is full. These openings are made under the control of an authorized person. However, when all the sections of the memory are full, the card becomes unusable, that is to say that there is no erasure or reset of the memory which can allow the card to be reused.
  • the object of the invention is therefore to produce a device which allows the erasure of non-volatile memories of the aforementioned type only under certain conditions, by depriving the holders of the recording media provided with said memories of any possibility allowing them to proceed themselves. same to this erasure.
  • the erasing of the memories making up the recording media can only take place in a private or administrative service accredited to do so.
  • non-volatile and erasable monolithic memories are for the most part produced using semiconductors sensitive to certain external physical disturbances.
  • the exposure of these memories to electromagnetic radiation, in particular ultraviolet radiation, can modify the magnitude of the distributed electrical charges, thus modifying the nature of the information stored.
  • a storage device containing a witness character is described in the European patent applications published by documents EP-A-0 013 523 and EP-A-0 016 295.
  • the introduction of a witness character in non-volatile erasable memories makes the use of these memories as safe as that obtained with memories whose technology makes writing irreversible.
  • the semiconductor diode memories are irreversible memories, because the memorization of an information element is carried out by snapping the junction separating the N & P semiconductor zones constituting a diode.
  • the method and the device according to the invention must be able to operate with recording media provided with the aforementioned security devices and must make fraudulent manipulation ineffective in the memory of the recording medium.
  • the erasure of the recording medium by the device of the invention will not take place only by the action of a person authorized to introduce into the erasure device the information necessary to be put into service. This information is compared inside the device to corresponding information stored inside the memory of the recording medium to reveal to the device the true identity of the recording media.
  • the identity of said support will be established either using a serial number which will be assigned to it during its manufacture, or using an identification key which it will have received when it was delivered to its holder and by a validation character that will recognize that all the data located inside the recording medium is credible or by all of these two possibilities.
  • the device for implementing the method as defined for erasing the information written in a working area of a memory of a recording medium said memory further comprising a protected area where an erasing key is stored inaccessible from the outside and an identification number of the support is characterized in that it comprises a memory in which several identification numbers and the associated erasure keys are recorded, processing circuits for reading the identification number of the medium to be processed, to search the memory for the associated erasure key, and to compare this key with that previously recorded in the medium.
  • the memory control and addressing means are incorporated into said medium, thus ensuring the inviolability of the information contained in the memory of the recording medium.
  • control means into said support then constitutes an insurmountable physical obstacle because in this case, the sequential control operations take place entirely inside the recording medium without the outside environment being able to know or to be able to discover it. the secret.
  • the internal test of the validity of the key to give the erasure order will cause if it is negative an alteration by the aforementioned control means of the zone of the invalidating character which can never return to its original condition and therefore will prohibit any further use of the recording medium.
  • the control means incorporated in the recording medium will prohibit, by controlling this character, any use of the recording medium.
  • the means used in the composition of the device for erasing information stored inside the recording medium are incorporated into said medium.
  • Fig. 1 is a simplified representation of the device for reusing or recycling the recording medium according to the invention.
  • Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the recycling machine shown in FIG. 1 and its connections with other elements necessary for its operation.
  • Fig. 3 is a representation of a grid of the memory space of a recording medium.
  • Fig. 4 is a detailed representation of the control means used to control the recycling operation and forming part of the composition of the recycling device according to the invention.
  • Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the various operations performed by the recycling machine and the control means for erasing a recording medium and making it suitable for another use.
  • Fig. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the recycling machine shown in FIG. 1 in which the elements for controlling the recycling operation and forming part of the composition of the recycling device are located inside the recording medium.
  • the device shown in fig. 1 consists of a recycling machine cooperating on the one hand with the recording medium 2 to be erased and validated for other uses and on the other hand with a file 3 making it possible to verify the identity of the storage medium record to be deleted and an authorization card 4 belonging to the operator accredited to carry out the recycling operation and in which an identification code is stored.
  • Each serial number corresponds to a recording medium which, when given to are holder by the accredited body receives another identification code or key. Thus, each serial number corresponds to a key. A representation of the key serial number correspondence is recorded in file 3.
  • File 3 can be stored on any recording medium, magnetic tapes or magnetic disks as shown in fig. 2.
  • the recycling operation can begin when the device has verified that the operator is properly accredited. For this, the operator must introduce into the device an authorization card containing the operator's identification code and simultaneously enter his identification code or password on a keyboard.
  • the authorization card will communicate to the machine where its use is intended the information necessary for recycling.
  • the authorization card can be made up of a simple magnetic card or a semiconductor memory of the ROM or PROM type, abbreviations of the English words "Read Only Memory” or "Programmable Read Only Memory” .
  • a particular embodiment of the recycling machine is shown at 1 in FIG. 2. It comprises a microprocessor 7 to which is added two memories, a read-only memory PROM 8 and a random access memory RAM 9. It is known that a random access memory has the property of being erasable and that it is possible to read and rewrite all or part of the information contained therein. On the other hand, a read only memory cannot be erased and only the information stored therein can be read.
  • the BUSD or the data line D conveys the data or information transmitted between the microprocessor 7, the PROM memory 8, the RAM memory 9 and the external members connected to the recycling machine.
  • the external organs are the recording medium to be recycled 2, the magnetic disk unit 3, the keyboard for entering the password 5, the card reader 6 into which the operator authorization card is inserted. 4.
  • the PROM, RAM 9 memories as well as the memory M of the recording medium to be recycled are addressed from the microprocessor 7 by the BUS A or address line A.
  • the microprocessor 7 sends the various commands from the external organs for the connection C o , itself decomposed into C ,, C 2 , C 3 and C, in fig. 2.
  • Fig. 3 represents the organization of the areas of the memory M 10 of the recording medium to be recycled 2.
  • This memory is an erasable non-volatile memory which will preferably be produced in MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology so that the stored information can be kept for a very long time (years) without being altered while being able to be erased in whole or in part at any time.
  • the memory shown contains 300 words of 4 bits each. It is recalled here that the word bit is used to designate the smallest amount of information which, expressed in a binary language, can only take two states 0 or 1.
  • the addressing of this memory is done by words and in the example represented, the memory has a matrix organization of 76 lines and 4 columns. A word is found at the intersection of a row and a column.
  • the locations of the words in the memory are identified by a number from 0 to 299. On line 0 corresponds the words 0 to 3 to line 1 the words 4 to 7, etc. .... on line 75 the words 296 to 299.
  • the addressing of a memory word is carried out by depositing a 9-bit address word on BUS A representing 512 possible addresses although 300 here are useful.
  • the 2 least significant bits are used for addressing columns 0 to 3 of the memory while the other 7 bits are used for addressing rows.
  • the 2 column addressing bits are decoded by the D POS 12 position decoder, the 7 row addressing bits are decoded by the D ADM 11 address decoder.
  • the addressing code used is the natural binary code .
  • a memory location thus addressed can be read or written.
  • a read command 2 positions the memory read circuits and the content of the addressed memory location is placed in the data register RD.
  • a write command E positions the memory write circuits and the data to be written are first placed on the BUS D to be transferred to the register RD 13 and then secondly transferred to the addressed memory location.
  • the RD register is 16 bits long, so it can contain 4 words.
  • the RD locations (0 to 3) of the RD register are intended to receive the words of column 0 of the memory, in the same way the RD locations (4, 7) receive the words of column 1, RD (8 to 11) receive the words in column 3 and RD (12 to 15) receive the words in column 3. It is recalled here that the BUSA and D are connected to the microprocessor 7 of FIG. 2.
  • Zone 1 contains all the attributes of the support of registration necessary for its identification, whether during use for the service for which the support is normally intended or during the recycling operation.
  • Zone 2 is a work area reserved for the storage of information collected during normal use of the recording medium. During the recycling operation, all the information present in zone 2 must be deleted.
  • the key character will preferably be represented with a code composed of M bits comprising a predetermined number N of bits at 1 or at 0 (code M by N).
  • Fig. 4 is a detailed representation of the control means used to control the recycling operation. These control means being constituted by the microprocessor.
  • This microprocessor comprises a data bus, an address bus and a command bus, a logic arithmetic unit 14, an accumulator register 15, an operation results storage register SR 14, an address register RA 17, an instruction register RI18, an instruction decoder 19, an ordinal counter (program counter) 20, a backup register SP21, data input / output registers 1023 and IB 24.
  • An operand placed on the bus D is transmitted to input 1 of the logical arithmetic unit ALU14 by the link d4, the second operand is taken from the accumulator register ACCU15 and is transmitted to input 2 of unit 2 of the logical arithmetic unit ALU15, the result of the calculation carried out between these two operands can be transmitted to the register SR 16 or to the accumulator register 15 by the connections d7, d9, BUS D and d5.
  • the register SR 16 stores the status bits C, S, F which are calculation results and which allow branching operations towards other subroutines.
  • the register RI essentially contains two locations, one reserved for storing the instruction operation code (COP), the other at its address.
  • the operation code is transmitted to the instruction decoder 19 for the line d3, which transmits on the line C4 then on the bus C the commands necessary for the execution of the instruction.
  • the address part of the instruction is transmitted for line d2 on BUS D.
  • the register RA contains the address of the data or information sought in the recycling device, this address can be in one of the two PROM 8 and RAM 9 memories or in the recording medium 2, it is transmitted on the BUS A by the link a ,.
  • the PC computer 20 is loaded from BUS D via line d10, output 2 is connected to the input of register SP21, output 2 of which is connected by line d12 to the data bus BUS D.
  • the output 2 of the counter 20 is also connected by line a 2 to the address bus BUS A.
  • the content of the ordinal counter 20 can be increased by one unit from a clock not shown.
  • the registers 10 22 and IB 23 have their inputs / outputs both connected to BUS D and serve as a buffer register.
  • the programs and microprograms contained in the memories 8, 9 or 10 could therefore be addressed indifferently by the ordinal counter PC 20 or by the register RA 17.
  • the information read at the addressed locations of these memories will be transferred to BUS D in the instruction register Rt18, if it is an instruction, or transferred to input 1 of the logical arithmetic unit or in the register accumulator 15 or in register 10 22 in the case of data. These transfers will take place according to the type of instruction used.
  • the information to be written in the memory locations addressed by the address information presented on BUS A will be transferred to BUS D via the buffer register IB 23.
  • BUS D will also be used to transfer data or information between registers.
  • the address part of the instruction contained in the RI register may be transferred from a subroutine or microprogram whose progress is necessary to execute the instruction.
  • the result of an operation obtained on two operands can be stored in the accumulator register 15, in the random access memory RAM 9 in the register RD of the recording medium 2 or in the register IB with a view to its transfer for example to the disk drive 3.
  • the device which has just been described therefore makes it possible to execute sequentially the operations necessary for recycling the recording media. These operations require the execution by the control means of an input / output program to execute the transfer of information from the disk memory 3 to the RAM memory 9 of FIG. 2.
  • the disk 3 contains, as mentioned above, the key correspondence file and the serial number of the recording media in circulation.
  • This input / output operation for transferring data from a disk into the RAM 9 is a very conventional operation which is similar to that encountered in all data processing systems.
  • step 51 the invalidation character stored on the recording medium is tested; if this test is positive, the recording medium is rendered unusable. If the test is negative, the validation character of the recording medium is deleted (step 53).
  • the character of invalidation of the recording medium having been tested in step 51, step 54 consists in reading the serial number of the recording medium in order to obtain the associated key via the file of the recycling machine. By the control means a comparison is made between the key thus sought and the key contained in the recording medium (step 54 and 55). If the rest is correct, a validation character is written to the recording medium (step 56). The device verifies in step 57 that this character has been correctly written, if this is the case, the operation of erasing the other areas of the memory of the recording medium is carried out (step 58).
  • step 59 If the tests carried out in steps 51 and 55 prove to be incorrect, the information medium is definitively put out of use by writing an invalidation character (step 59). All other recycling attempts will subsequently be unsuccessful because the control means by reading the key of the recording medium in step 51 will detect a false key which will prevent the continuation of operations 52 to 58. If the validation character test of step 57 proves to be incorrect, the device will not start erasing the other areas of the memory and will repeat steps 51 to 57 until the writing of the character 'validation proves successful. To avoid a repeated number of unsuccessful writes of the validation character, we can limit the number of unsuccessful attempts, for example to 10.
  • step 56 we will observe the symmetry of the operations associated with the normal process (step 56 to 57) with the process of operations associated with error (step 59 to 60) where step 60 consists in testing the invalidation character so as to achieve operating symmetry of the microprocessor and in testing that the character has indeed been written.
  • step 60 consists in testing the invalidation character so as to achieve operating symmetry of the microprocessor and in testing that the character has indeed been written.
  • This symmetry makes ineffective any attempts to observe the signals on the transmission or supply lines in order to prevent the positioning of the invalidation character.
  • the sequence of operations which has just been indicated may be carried out using a firmware stored in the PROM 8 memory.
  • the instruction register RI 18 contains the address for starting the firmware in the PROM memory 8. This address is transferred to the computer PC 20.
  • the progress of computer PC 20 from a unit from the start address of the firmware will allow the necessary execution of the microinstructions corresponding to this firmware.
  • the list of microinstructions identified by the state of the ordinal counter PC 20 is as follows:
  • Fig. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the recycling machine shown in FIG. 1 in which the control elements of the recycling operation are located inside the recording medium.
  • the microprocessor 7, the PROM memory 8 and the data memory M 10 are found incorporated on the same support.
  • the memory control means M are integrated into the information medium.
  • a monolithic structure will be given to all of the electronic elements incorporated in said support in order to make it impossible to test the signals passing between the memory 10, the microprocessor 7 and the PROM memory 8.
  • the recycling machine 1 mainly consists of the RAM memory 9 and of the elements necessary (not shown) for establishing the connections between the recording medium 2, the keyboard 5, the disc 3 and the reader. the authorization card 3.

Description

La présente invention concerne un procédé pour prolonger la validité d'une zone de travail de la mémoire d'un support d'enregistrement où les informations enregistrées accessibles de l'extérieur ne peuvent être modifiées que par une personne habilitée, ladite mémoire comprenant en plus une zone protégée où sont mémorisées des informations d'identification inaccessibles de l'extérieur ainsi qu'un dispositif pour sa mise en oeuvre.The present invention relates to a method for extending the validity of a working area of the memory of a recording medium where the recorded information accessible from the outside can only be modified by an authorized person, said memory further comprising a protected area where are stored identification information inaccessible from the outside as well as a device for its implementation.

Les mémoires non volatiles ont la propriété de conserver en permanence des informations qu'elles contiennent en l'absence d'alimentation électrique extérieure. Les bandes magnétiques, les mémoires à tores magnétiques, les mémoires à bulles, les mémoires à semi-conducteurs réalisées en technologie MNOS, abréviation du terme anglo-saxon «Métal Nitride Oxyde Silicium» constituent des mémoires non volatiles. Ces mémoires sont aussi effaçables par l'action d'organes électroniques externes à ces mémoires.Non-volatile memories have the property of permanently retaining the information they contain in the absence of an external power supply. The magnetic tapes, the memories with magnetic cores, the memories with bubbles, the memories with semiconductors carried out in technology MNOS, abbreviation of the Anglo-Saxon term "Metal Nitride Oxide Silicon" constitute non volatile memories. These memories are also erasable by the action of electronic organs external to these memories.

Toutes les mémoires peuvent contenir un nombre maximum d'informations qui dépend du nombre des cellules élémentaires qu'elles contiennent et qui définissent leur capacité.All the memories can contain a maximum number of information which depends on the number of elementary cells which they contain and which define their capacity.

La capacité d'une mémoire non volatile limite donc dans le temps son utilisation. Lorsque le nombre d'informations mémorisées atteint la capacité utile de la mémoire, deux solutions s'offrent à l'utilisateur de la mémoire.The capacity of a non-volatile memory therefore limits its use over time. When the number of stored information reaches the useful capacity of the memory, two solutions are available to the memory user.

Il peut s'en déssaisir et en prendre une autre, vide d'informations. Il peut aussi songer à effacer (vider) le contenu de la partie utilisée lors de l'usage du support d'information de façon à rendre disponible la mémoire pour une autre utilisation.He can take it off and take another one, empty of information. He can also consider erasing (emptying) the content of the part used when using the information medium so as to make the memory available for another use.

La première solution est notamment exposée dans le document DE-A 2 738 113 où la carte possède une mémoire divisée en plusieurs sections qui sont successivement ouvertes au fur et à mesure qu'une section est pleine. Ces ouvertures se font sous le contrôle d'une personne habilitée. Cependant, lorsque toutes les sections de la mémoire sont pleines, la carte devient inutilisable, c'est-à-dire qu'il n'est procédé à aucun effacement ou remise à zéro de la mémoire qui puisse permettre une réutilisation de la carte.The first solution is explained in particular in document DE-A 2 738 113 where the card has a memory divided into several sections which are successively opened as and when a section is full. These openings are made under the control of an authorized person. However, when all the sections of the memory are full, the card becomes unusable, that is to say that there is no erasure or reset of the memory which can allow the card to be reused.

Une telle solution est chère et il est souhaitable de pouvoir effacer les informations enregistrées dans la mémoire pour réutiliser la carte. Cependant, dans certaines applications, type carte de crédit, il est impératif qu'en cours d'utilisation, les informations déjà mémorisées ne puissent être altérées, ce qui retirerait toute crédibilité aux dispositifs utilisant de tels supports d'enregistrement. Dans ces applications, les détenteurs de ces mémoires ne peuvent modifier ou même effacer les informations déjà mémorisées.Such a solution is expensive and it is desirable to be able to erase the information recorded in the memory to reuse the card. However, in certain applications, such as a credit card, it is imperative that during use, the information already stored cannot be altered, which would remove any credibility from the devices using such recording media. In these applications, the holders of these memories cannot modify or even erase the information already memorized.

Le but de l'invention est donc de réaliser un dispositif qui permette l'effacement des mémoires non volatiles du type précité seulement dans certaines conditions, en privant les titulaires des supports d'enregistrement munis desdites mémoires de toute possibilité leur permettant de procéder eux-mêmes à cet effacement.The object of the invention is therefore to produce a device which allows the erasure of non-volatile memories of the aforementioned type only under certain conditions, by depriving the holders of the recording media provided with said memories of any possibility allowing them to proceed themselves. same to this erasure.

Selon l'invention, l'effacement des mémoires composant les supports d'enregistrement ne pourra avoir lieu que dans un service privé ou administratif accrédité à le faire.According to the invention, the erasing of the memories making up the recording media can only take place in a private or administrative service accredited to do so.

Ceci suppose naturellement que des précautions soient prises au niveau des supports d'enregistrement eux-mêmes, de façon à dissuader les porteurs peu scrupuleux de ces supports d'enregistrement d'en altérer le contenu.This naturally presupposes that precautions are taken at the level of the recording media themselves, so as to dissuade the unscrupulous carriers of these recording media from altering the content thereof.

On sait en effet que les mémoires monolithiques non volatiles et effaçables sont pour la plupart réalisées à l'aide de semi-conducteurs sensibles à certaines perturbations physiques externes. L'exposition de ces mémoires à des rayonnements électromagnétiques notamment les ultraviolets, peut modifier la grandeur des charges électriques réparties, modifiant ainsi la nature des informations stockées.We know that the non-volatile and erasable monolithic memories are for the most part produced using semiconductors sensitive to certain external physical disturbances. The exposure of these memories to electromagnetic radiation, in particular ultraviolet radiation, can modify the magnitude of the distributed electrical charges, thus modifying the nature of the information stored.

Ainsi pour une information mémorisée sous la forme d'un mot à M éléments binaires et comprenant N éléments binaires dans l'état 1 et les M-N restant dans l'état 0, l'exposition à un rayonnement peut modifier l'état des éléments binaires constituant cette information, si bien qu'il peut en résulter un mot binaire modifié dans lequel N + q éléments binaires se retrouvent dans l'état 1 et les M - (N + q) restants se retrouvent dans l'état 0.Thus, for information stored in the form of a word with M binary elements and comprising N binary elements in state 1 and the MN remaining in state 0, exposure to radiation can modify the state of binary elements constituting this information, so that it may result in a modified binary word in which N + q binary elements are found in state 1 and the remaining M - (N + q) are found in state 0.

Des accès répétés diminuent progressivement les quantités d'éléctricité stockées. Des défauts des générateurs de courant ou de tension alimentant ces mémoires peuvent perturber et modifier les informations mémorisées.Repeated access progressively decreases the quantities of electricity stored. Faults in the current or voltage generators supplying these memories can disturb and modify the stored information.

Plusieurs dispositifs peuvent être mis en oeuvre pour garder l'intégrité des informations mémorisées. Il est possible de disposer des écrans d'absorption entre les mémoires et les sources de rayonnement, de créer des cycles de régénération des charges électriques stockées, de prévoir des dispositifs de sécurité au niveau des alimentations en énergie électrique ou de réserver une zone de la mémoire à l'inscription d'un caractère témoin avertissant par sont état que la mémoire ' a été exposée à des perturbations physiques extérieures. Un dispositif de mémorisation contenant un caractère témoin est décrit dans les demandes de brevet européennes publiées par les documents EP-A-0 013 523 et EP-A-0 016 295. L'introduction d'un caractère témoin dans les mémoires non volatiles effaçables rend l'utilisation de ces mémoires aussi sûre que celle obtenue avec des mémoires dont la technologie rend l'écriture irréversible. Les mémoires à diode semiconductrice sont des mémoires irréversibles, car la mémorisation d'un élément d'information s'effectue en claquant la jonction séparant les zones semiconductrices N & P constituant une diode.Several devices can be implemented to keep the integrity of the information stored. It is possible to have absorption screens between the memories and the radiation sources, to create regeneration cycles of the stored electrical charges, to provide safety devices at the level of the electrical energy supplies or to reserve a zone of the memory at the writing of a witness character warning by its state that the memory has been exposed to external physical disturbances. A storage device containing a witness character is described in the European patent applications published by documents EP-A-0 013 523 and EP-A-0 016 295. The introduction of a witness character in non-volatile erasable memories makes the use of these memories as safe as that obtained with memories whose technology makes writing irreversible. The semiconductor diode memories are irreversible memories, because the memorization of an information element is carried out by snapping the junction separating the N & P semiconductor zones constituting a diode.

Le procédé et le dispositif selon l'invention doivent être aptes à fonctionner avec des supports d'enregistrement munis des sécurités précitées et doit rendre inefficace les manipulations frauduleuses au niveau de la mémoire du support d'enregistrement. L'effacement du support d'enregistrement par le dispositif de l'invention n'aura lieu que par l'action d'une personne habilitée pour introduire dans le dispositif d'effacement les informations nécessaires à se mise en service. Ces informations sont comparées à l'intérieur du dispositif à des informations correspondantes mémorisées à l'intérieur de la mémoire du support d'enregistrement pour révéler au dispositif la véritable identité des supports d'enregistrement. L'identité dudit support sera constituée soit à l'aide d'un numéro de série qui lui sera attribué lors de sa fabrication, ou bien à l'aide d'une clé d'identification qu'il aura reçue lors de sa délivrance à son titulaire et par un carctère de validation qui permettra de reconnaître que toutes les données situées à l'intérieur du support d'enregistrement sont crédibles ou encore par l'ensemble de ces deux possibilités.The method and the device according to the invention must be able to operate with recording media provided with the aforementioned security devices and must make fraudulent manipulation ineffective in the memory of the recording medium. The erasure of the recording medium by the device of the invention will not take place only by the action of a person authorized to introduce into the erasure device the information necessary to be put into service. This information is compared inside the device to corresponding information stored inside the memory of the recording medium to reveal to the device the true identity of the recording media. The identity of said support will be established either using a serial number which will be assigned to it during its manufacture, or using an identification key which it will have received when it was delivered to its holder and by a validation character that will recognize that all the data located inside the recording medium is credible or by all of these two possibilities.

Pour atteindre ces objectifs, le procédé cité dans le premier alinéa consiste à

  • - préenregistrer une clé de revalidation confidentielle dans la dite zone protégée avant la première mise en circulation du support, lors de la programmation initiale,
  • - à connecter le support d'enregistrement à un dispositif de revalidation mis en service par une personne dûment habilitée autre que la personne qui détient le support,
  • - à faire rentrer de l'extérieur une clé de revalidation,
  • - à comparer cette clé de revalidation avec la clé préenregistrée dans le support, et
  • - à valider l'opération de revalidation de la mémoire si les deux clés précitées sont identiques ou à invalider définitivement le support si ces deux clés sont différentes, ce qui correspond essentiellement au procédé d'après DE-A-2 738 113 et il est caractérisé en ce que la clé de revalidation est une clé d'effacement et que la revalidation consiste à effacer le contenu de la zone de travail, la rendant ainsi réutilisable.
To achieve these objectives, the process mentioned in the first paragraph consists of
  • - pre-register a confidential revalidation key in the said protected area before the first circulation of the medium, during the initial programming,
  • - to connect the recording medium to a revalidation device put into service by a duly authorized person other than the person who holds the medium,
  • - to bring in a revalidation key from outside,
  • - compare this revalidation key with the key prerecorded in the medium, and
  • - to validate the memory revalidation operation if the two aforementioned keys are identical or to definitively invalidate the medium if these two keys are different, which essentially corresponds to the process according to DE-A-2 738 113 and it is characterized in that the revalidation key is an erasure key and that the revalidation consists in erasing the content of the work area, thus making it reusable.

Le dispositif pour la mise en oeuvre du procédé tel que défini pour effacer les informations écrites dans une zone de travail d'une mémoire d'un support d'enregistrement, ladite mémoire comprenant en plus une zone protégée où sont mémorisés une clé d'effacement inaccessible de l'extérieur et un numéro d'identification du support est caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend une mémoire où sont enregistrés plusieurs numéros d'identification et les clés d'effacement associées, des circuits de traitement pour lire le numéro d'identification du support à traiter, pour rechercher dans la mémoire la clé d'effacement associée, et à comparer cette clé avec celle préalablement enregistrée dans le support.The device for implementing the method as defined for erasing the information written in a working area of a memory of a recording medium, said memory further comprising a protected area where an erasing key is stored inaccessible from the outside and an identification number of the support is characterized in that it comprises a memory in which several identification numbers and the associated erasure keys are recorded, processing circuits for reading the identification number of the medium to be processed, to search the memory for the associated erasure key, and to compare this key with that previously recorded in the medium.

Comme de cette façon on incorpore dans ledit support les moyens de commande et d'adressage de la mémoire on assure ainsi l'inviolabilité des informations contenues dans la mémoire du support d'enregistrement.As in this way, the memory control and addressing means are incorporated into said medium, thus ensuring the inviolability of the information contained in the memory of the recording medium.

Sans cette précaution, une personne peu scrupuleuse pourrait, par simple observation des signaux échangés entre la machine de recyclage et la mémoire du support d'enregistrement, connaître la nature des informations mémorisées, le scénario nécessaire pour réaliser l'effacement de ces informations et le code de validation du support pour un nouvel usage.Without this precaution, an unscrupulous person could, by simple observation of the signals exchanged between the recycling machine and the memory of the recording medium, know the nature of the information stored, the scenario necessary to erase this information and the support validation code for a new use.

L'incorporation des moyens de commande audit support constitue alors un obstacle physique infranchissable car dans ce cas, les opérations séquentielles de commande se déroulent entièrement à l'intérieur du support d'enregistrement sans que le milieu extérieur puisse en avoir connaissance ou puisse en découvrir le secret. Dans ce cas, le test interne de la validité de la clé pour donner l'ordre d'effacement, entraînera s'il est négatif une altération par les moyens de commande précités de la zone du caractère d'invalidation qui ne pourra jamais revenir à son état d'origine et par conséquent interdira tout usage ultérieur du support d'enregistrement. Les moyens de commande incorporés au support d'enregistrement interdiront par contrôle de ce caractère tout usage du support d'enregistrement. Ainsi les moyens entrant dans la composition du dispositif pour l'effacement d'informations mémorisées à l'intérieur du support d'enregistrement se retrouvent incorporés audit support.The incorporation of the control means into said support then constitutes an insurmountable physical obstacle because in this case, the sequential control operations take place entirely inside the recording medium without the outside environment being able to know or to be able to discover it. the secret. In this case, the internal test of the validity of the key to give the erasure order, will cause if it is negative an alteration by the aforementioned control means of the zone of the invalidating character which can never return to its original condition and therefore will prohibit any further use of the recording medium. The control means incorporated in the recording medium will prohibit, by controlling this character, any use of the recording medium. Thus the means used in the composition of the device for erasing information stored inside the recording medium are incorporated into said medium.

La fig. 1 est une représentation simplifiée du dispositif de réutilisation ou de recyclage de support d'enregistrement selon l'invention.Fig. 1 is a simplified representation of the device for reusing or recycling the recording medium according to the invention.

La fig. 2 montre un mode de réalisation de la machine de recyclage représentée à la fig. 1 et de ses liaisons avec d'autres éléments nécessaires à son fonctionnement.Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the recycling machine shown in FIG. 1 and its connections with other elements necessary for its operation.

La fig. 3 est une représentation d'un quadrillage de l'espace mémoire d'un support d'enregistrement.Fig. 3 is a representation of a grid of the memory space of a recording medium.

La fig. 4 est une représentation détaillée des moyens de commandes utilisés pour commander l'opération de recyclage et entrant dans la composition du dispositif de recyclage selon l'invention.Fig. 4 is a detailed representation of the control means used to control the recycling operation and forming part of the composition of the recycling device according to the invention.

La fig. 5 est un diagramme montrant les différentes opérations exécutées par la machine de recyclage et les moyens de commande pour effacer un support d'enregistrement et le rendre apte à un autre usage.Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the various operations performed by the recycling machine and the control means for erasing a recording medium and making it suitable for another use.

La fig. 6 est une variante de réalisation de la machine de recyclage représentée à la fig. 1 dans laquelle les éléments de commande de l'opération de recyclage et entrant dans la composition du dispositif de recyclage se trouvent situés à l'intérieur du support d'enregistrement.Fig. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the recycling machine shown in FIG. 1 in which the elements for controlling the recycling operation and forming part of the composition of the recycling device are located inside the recording medium.

Le dispositif représenté à la fig. 1 se compose d'une machine de recyclage coopérant d'une part avec le support d'enregistrement 2 à effacer et à valider pour d'autres usages et d'autre part avec un fichier 3 permettant de vérifier l'identité du support d'enregistrement à effacer et d'une carte d'habilitation 4 appartenant à l'opérateur accrédité pour effectuer l'opération de recyclage et dans laquelle se trouve enregistré un code d'identification.The device shown in fig. 1 consists of a recycling machine cooperating on the one hand with the recording medium 2 to be erased and validated for other uses and on the other hand with a file 3 making it possible to verify the identity of the storage medium record to be deleted and an authorization card 4 belonging to the operator accredited to carry out the recycling operation and in which an identification code is stored.

Dans le fichier 3 se trouvent consignés les numéros de série de tous les supports d'enregistrement qui ont été fabriqués par l'organisme émetteur desdits supports.In file 3 are recorded the serial numbers of all the recording media which have been manufactured by the organization issuing the said media.

A chaque numéro de série correspond un support d'enregistrement qui, lorsqu'il est remis à sont détenteur par l'organisme accrédité reçoit un autre code d'identification ou clé. Ainsi, à chaque numéro de série correspond une clé. Une représentation de la correspondance clé numéro de série est consignée dans le fichier 3.Each serial number corresponds to a recording medium which, when given to are holder by the accredited body receives another identification code or key. Thus, each serial number corresponds to a key. A representation of the key serial number correspondence is recorded in file 3.

Le fichier 3 pourra être conservé sur n'importe quel support d'enregistrement, bandes magnétiques ou disques magnétiques comme cela est représenté à la fig. 2. L'opération de recyclage pourra commencer lorsque le dispositif aura vérifié que l'opérateur est bien accrédité. Pour cela, l'opérateur devra introduire dans le dispositif une carte d'habilitation contenant le code d'identification de l'opérateur et simultanément frapper son code d'identification ou mot de passe sur un clavier.File 3 can be stored on any recording medium, magnetic tapes or magnetic disks as shown in fig. 2. The recycling operation can begin when the device has verified that the operator is properly accredited. For this, the operator must introduce into the device an authorization card containing the operator's identification code and simultaneously enter his identification code or password on a keyboard.

Si la relation entre le code d'identification de la carte et le mot de passe frappé sur le clavier est correcte, la carte d'habilitation communiquera à la machine où son utilisation est prévue les informations nécessaires au recyclage. Dans une version simplifiée la carte d'habilitation pourra être constituée d'une simple carte magnétique ou d'une mémoire à semi-conducteurs du type ROM ou PROM abréviations des termes anglo-saxons «Read Only Memory» ou «Programmable Read Only Memory». Dans une version plus complexe, on pourra adjoindre à la carte d'habilitation des moyens de commande programmés.If the relationship between the card identification code and the password typed on the keyboard is correct, the authorization card will communicate to the machine where its use is intended the information necessary for recycling. In a simplified version, the authorization card can be made up of a simple magnetic card or a semiconductor memory of the ROM or PROM type, abbreviations of the English words "Read Only Memory" or "Programmable Read Only Memory" . In a more complex version, it will be possible to add programmed control means to the authorization card.

La vérification des identités à la fois de l'opérateur et du code du support d'enregistrement à effacer, de même que l'opération d'effacement proprement dite et de validation du support d'enregistrement pour de nouveaux usages nécessitent l'exécution d'une suite d'opérations entre la machine de recyclage et le support d'enregistrement. Cette suite d'opérations pourra être exécutée séquentiellement à l'aide de circuits logiques électroniques séquentiels ou à l'aide d'une structure banalisée comme l'est celle des microprocesseurs actuels auxquels sera adjoint un programme d'exploitation. Dans cette deuxième solution, il sera possible d'utiliser le microprocesseur 8080 commercialisé par la Société des Etats Unis d'amérique «INTEL». Un exemple de réalisation de la machine de recyclage à l'aide d'un microprocesseur est montré à la fig. 2.The verification of the identities of both the operator and the code of the recording medium to be erased, as well as the actual erasing operation and validation of the recording medium for new uses require the execution of '' a series of operations between the recycling machine and the recording medium. This sequence of operations can be executed sequentially using sequential electronic logic circuits or using an unmarked structure like that of current microprocessors to which an operating program will be added. In this second solution, it will be possible to use the 8080 microprocessor marketed by the Company of the United States of America "INTEL". An exemplary embodiment of the recycling machine using a microprocessor is shown in FIG. 2.

Un mode particulier de réalisation de la machine de recyclage est montré en 1 sur la fig. 2. Elle comprend un microprocesseur 7 auquel est adjoint deux mémoires, une mémoire morte PROM 8 et une mémoire vive RAM 9. On sait qu'une mémoire vive a la propriété d'être effaçable et qu'il est possible de lire et de récrire tout ou partie des informations qui y sont contenues. Par contre, une mémoire morte n'est pas effaçable et seule la lecture des informations qui y sont mémorisées est possible. Le BUSD ou encore la ligne de donnée D véhicule les données ou informations transmises entre le microprocesseur 7, la mémoire PROM 8, la mémoire RAM 9 et les organes externes reliés à la machine de recyclage. Les organes externes sont le support d'enregistrement à recycler 2, l'unité de disque magnétique 3, le clavier d'introduction du mot de passe 5, le lecteur de carte 6 dans lequel est introduit la carte d'habilitation de l'opérateur 4.A particular embodiment of the recycling machine is shown at 1 in FIG. 2. It comprises a microprocessor 7 to which is added two memories, a read-only memory PROM 8 and a random access memory RAM 9. It is known that a random access memory has the property of being erasable and that it is possible to read and rewrite all or part of the information contained therein. On the other hand, a read only memory cannot be erased and only the information stored therein can be read. The BUSD or the data line D conveys the data or information transmitted between the microprocessor 7, the PROM memory 8, the RAM memory 9 and the external members connected to the recycling machine. The external organs are the recording medium to be recycled 2, the magnetic disk unit 3, the keyboard for entering the password 5, the card reader 6 into which the operator authorization card is inserted. 4.

Les mémoires PROM, RAM 9 ainsi que la mémoire M du support d'enregistrement à recycler sont adressées à partir du microprocesseur 7 par le BUS A ou ligne d'adresse A. Le microprocesseur 7 envoie les diverses commandes des organes externes pour la liaison Co, décomposée elle-même en C,, C2, C3 et C, sur la fig. 2.The PROM, RAM 9 memories as well as the memory M of the recording medium to be recycled are addressed from the microprocessor 7 by the BUS A or address line A. The microprocessor 7 sends the various commands from the external organs for the connection C o , itself decomposed into C ,, C 2 , C 3 and C, in fig. 2.

La fig. 3 représente l'organisation des zones de la mémoire M 10 du support d'enregistrement à recycler 2. Cette mémoire est une mémoire non volatile effaçable qui sera réalisée de préférence en technologie MOS (Metal Oxyde Semi Conducteur) afin que les informations mémorisées puissent être conservées très longtemps (des années) sans être altérées tout en pouvant être effacées en tout ou partie à n'importe quel instant. La mémoire représentée contient 300 mots de 4 bits chacun. On rappelle ici que le mot bit sert à désigner la plus petite quantité d'informations qui, exprimée dans un langage binaire, ne peut prendre que deux états 0 ou 1. L'adressage de cette mémoire se fait par mots et dans l'exemple représenté, la mémoire a une organisation matricielle de 76 lignes et 4 colonnes. Un mot se trouve à l'intersection d'une ligne et d'une colonne. Les emplacements des mots de la mémoire sont repérés par un numéro de 0 à 299. A la ligne 0 correspond les mots 0 à 3 à la ligne 1 les mots 4 à 7, etc.... à la ligne 75 les mots 296 à 299. L'adressage d'un mot mémoire est effectué en déposant un mot d'adresse à 9 bits sur le BUS A représentant 512 adresses possibles bien que 300 ici soient utiles.Fig. 3 represents the organization of the areas of the memory M 10 of the recording medium to be recycled 2. This memory is an erasable non-volatile memory which will preferably be produced in MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology so that the stored information can be kept for a very long time (years) without being altered while being able to be erased in whole or in part at any time. The memory shown contains 300 words of 4 bits each. It is recalled here that the word bit is used to designate the smallest amount of information which, expressed in a binary language, can only take two states 0 or 1. The addressing of this memory is done by words and in the example represented, the memory has a matrix organization of 76 lines and 4 columns. A word is found at the intersection of a row and a column. The locations of the words in the memory are identified by a number from 0 to 299. On line 0 corresponds the words 0 to 3 to line 1 the words 4 to 7, etc. .... on line 75 the words 296 to 299. The addressing of a memory word is carried out by depositing a 9-bit address word on BUS A representing 512 possible addresses although 300 here are useful.

Les 2 bits de poids les plus faibles sont utilisés pour l'adressage des colonnes 0 à 3 de la mémoire alors que les 7 autres bits sont utilisés à l'adressage des lignes. Les 2 bits d'adressage des colonnes sont décodés par le décodeur de position D POS 12, les 7 bits d'adressage des lignes sont décodés par le décodeur d'adresse D ADM 11. Le code d'adressage utilisé est le code binaire naturel. Un emplacement mémoire ainsi adressé peut être lu ou écrit. Lorsqu'il est lu, une commande de lecture 2 positionne les circuits de lecture de la mémoire et le contenu de l'emplacement adressé de la mémoire est placé dans le registre de données RD. Lorsqu'il est écrit, une commande d'écriture E positionne les circuits d'écriture de la mémoire et les données à écrire sont dans un premier temps placées sur le BUS D pour être transférées dans le registre RD 13 puis dans un deuxième temps transférées à l'emplacement adressé de la mémoire. Le registre RD a une longueur de 16 bits, il peut donc contenir 4 mots. Les emplacements RD (0 à 3) du registre RD sont destinés à recevoir les mots de la colonne 0 de la mémoire, de même les emplacements RD (4, 7) reçoivent les mots de la colonne 1, RD (8 à 11) reçoivent les mots de la colonne 3 et RD (12 à 15) reçoivent les mots de la colonne 3. Il est rappelé ici que les BUSA et D sont reliés au microprocesseur 7 de la fig. 2.The 2 least significant bits are used for addressing columns 0 to 3 of the memory while the other 7 bits are used for addressing rows. The 2 column addressing bits are decoded by the D POS 12 position decoder, the 7 row addressing bits are decoded by the D ADM 11 address decoder. The addressing code used is the natural binary code . A memory location thus addressed can be read or written. When read, a read command 2 positions the memory read circuits and the content of the addressed memory location is placed in the data register RD. When it is written, a write command E positions the memory write circuits and the data to be written are first placed on the BUS D to be transferred to the register RD 13 and then secondly transferred to the addressed memory location. The RD register is 16 bits long, so it can contain 4 words. The RD locations (0 to 3) of the RD register are intended to receive the words of column 0 of the memory, in the same way the RD locations (4, 7) receive the words of column 1, RD (8 to 11) receive the words in column 3 and RD (12 to 15) receive the words in column 3. It is recalled here that the BUSA and D are connected to the microprocessor 7 of FIG. 2.

La mémoire est organisée en deux zones. La zone 1 contient tous les attributs du support d'enregistrement nécessaires à sont identification que ce soit pendant sont utilisation pour le service auquel le support est normalement destiné ou pendant l'opération de recyclage. La zone 2 est une zone de travail réservée au stockage des informations recueillies pendant l'usage normal de support d'enregistrement. Durant l'opération de recyclage toutes les informations présentes dans la zone 2 devront être effacées. La zone 1 est partagée en quatre espaces. Le premier espace adressé par ADMO, POS = 0 et POS = 1 est réservé à la mémorisation d'un caractère témoin, le contenu de cet espace sera contrôlé pendant les usages multiples du support d'enregistrement pour vérifier que la mémoire n'a pas été perturbée par des phénomènes physiques externes comme cela est expliqué dans les demandes de brevet précédemment citées. Le deuxième espace adressé par ADM = 0, POS = 2 et 3 est réservé à la mémorisation d'un numéro de série que le support d'enregistrement reçoit au cours de sa fabrication. Le troisième espace adressé par ADM = 1 POS = 0 et 1 est réservé au caractère de validation du support d'enregistrement. Ce caractère est inscrit lorsque tous les attributs du support permettant son identification sont corrects, son inscription a lieu avant la délivrance du support d'enregistrement à son titulaire. Le quatrième espace est réservé à la mémorisation du caractère clé du support d'enregistrement, il est adressé pour ADM = 1 POS = 2 et 3. Si au cours de l'utilisation d'un support d'enregistrement le caractère clé se trouve modifié et ne correspond plus au caractère clé mis en circulation par l'organisme émetteur du support d'enregistrement, le caractère d'invalidation sera inscrit dans une autre zone de la mémoire ou à la place du caractère clé comme cela est représenté sur la fig. 3.The memory is organized into two areas. Zone 1 contains all the attributes of the support of registration necessary for its identification, whether during use for the service for which the support is normally intended or during the recycling operation. Zone 2 is a work area reserved for the storage of information collected during normal use of the recording medium. During the recycling operation, all the information present in zone 2 must be deleted. Zone 1 is divided into four spaces. The first space sent by ADMO, POS = 0 and POS = 1 is reserved for storing a witness character, the content of this space will be checked during multiple uses of the recording medium to verify that the memory has not been disturbed by external physical phenomena as explained in the previously cited patent applications. The second space addressed by ADM = 0, POS = 2 and 3 is reserved for the storage of a serial number that the recording medium receives during its manufacture. The third space sent by ADM = 1 POS = 0 and 1 is reserved for the validation character of the recording medium. This character is registered when all the attributes of the medium allowing its identification are correct, its registration takes place before the delivery of the recording medium to its holder. The fourth space is reserved for memorizing the key character of the recording medium, it is addressed for ADM = 1 POS = 2 and 3. If during the use of a recording medium the key character is changed and no longer corresponds to the key character put into circulation by the organization issuing the recording medium, the invalidation character will be written in another zone of the memory or in place of the key character as shown in FIG. 3.

Le caractère clé sera représenté de préférence avec un code composé de M bits comprenant un nombre N prédéterminé de bits à 1 ou à 0 (code M par N). Avec cette précaution supplémentaire, il sera possible au dispositif de détecter qu'une tentative d'effacement a eu lieu, puisque dans ce cas une nouvelle configuration binaire inscrite dans cet emplacement ne vérifiera plus la règle ccM parmi N» +.The key character will preferably be represented with a code composed of M bits comprising a predetermined number N of bits at 1 or at 0 (code M by N). With this additional precaution, it will be possible for the device to detect that an erasure attempt has taken place, since in this case a new binary configuration registered in this location will no longer verify the ccM rule among N »+.

La même règle pourra être adoptée pour le caractère de validation, si le caractère de validation a été écrit dans un code M parmi N et si M représente le nombre de bits il suffira d'ajouter un bit 1 supplémentaire au caractère de valisation pour le rendre invalide. Il pourra lors de l'opération de recyclage revenir à sa forme originelle. The same rule could be adopted for the validation character, if the validation character was written in an M code among N and if M represents the number of bits, it will suffice to add an additional bit 1 to the validation character to make it invalid. It can during the recycling operation return to its original form.

La fig. 4 est une représentation détaillée des moyens de commande utilisés pour commander l'opération de recyclage. Ces moyens de commande étant constitués par le microprocesseur.Fig. 4 is a detailed representation of the control means used to control the recycling operation. These control means being constituted by the microprocessor.

Ce microprocesseur comprend un bus de données, un bus d'adresses et un bus de commandes, une unité arithmétique logique 14, un registre accumulateur 15, un registre de mémorisation de résultats d'opération SR 14, un registre d'adresse RA 17, un registre d'instructions RI18, un décodeur d'instruction 19, un compteur ordinal (pro- gram compteur) 20, un registre de sauvegarde SP21, des registres d'entrée/sortie de données 1023 et IB 24. Un opérande placé sur le bus D est transmis à l'entrée 1 de l'unité arithmétique logique ALU14 par la liaison d4, le deuxième opérande est pris dans le registre accumulateur ACCU15 et est transmis sur l'entrée 2 de l'unité 2 de l'unité arithmétique logique ALU15, le résultat du calcul effectué entre ces deux opérandes peut être transmis dans le registre SR 16 ou dans le registre accumulateur 15 par les liaison d7, d9, BUS D et d5. Le registre SR 16 mémorise les bits d'état C, S, F qui sont des résultats de calcul et qui permettent des opérations de branchement vers d'autres sous programmes.This microprocessor comprises a data bus, an address bus and a command bus, a logic arithmetic unit 14, an accumulator register 15, an operation results storage register SR 14, an address register RA 17, an instruction register RI18, an instruction decoder 19, an ordinal counter (program counter) 20, a backup register SP21, data input / output registers 1023 and IB 24. An operand placed on the bus D is transmitted to input 1 of the logical arithmetic unit ALU14 by the link d4, the second operand is taken from the accumulator register ACCU15 and is transmitted to input 2 of unit 2 of the logical arithmetic unit ALU15, the result of the calculation carried out between these two operands can be transmitted to the register SR 16 or to the accumulator register 15 by the connections d7, d9, BUS D and d5. The register SR 16 stores the status bits C, S, F which are calculation results and which allow branching operations towards other subroutines.

Une instruction placée sur le bus D est transmise dans le registre Ri 18 par la liaison D1.An instruction placed on the bus D is transmitted in the register Ri 18 by the link D1.

Le registre RI contient essentiellement deux emplacements, un réservé à la mémorisation du code opération de l'instruction (COP), l'autre à son adresse. Le code opération est transmis au décodeur d'instruction 19 pour la ligne d3, qui transmet sur la ligne C4 puis sur le bus C les commandes nécessaires à l'exécution de l'instruction. La partie adresse de l'instruction est transmise pour la ligne d2 sur le BUS D. Le registre RA contient l'adresse de la donnée ou de l'information recherchée dans le dispositif de recyclage, cette adresse peut être dans l'une des deux mémoires PROM 8 et RAM 9 ou dans le support d'enregistrement 2, elle est transmise sur le BUS A par la liaison a,. Le compteur ordinal PC 20 est chargé à partir du BUS D par l'intermédiaire de la ligne d10, la sortie 2 est reliée à l'entrée du registre SP21 dont la sortie 2 est reliée par la ligne d12 au bus de données BUS D. La sortie 2 du compteur 20 est aussi reliée par la ligne a2 au bus d'adresse BUS A. Le contenu du compteur ordinal 20 peut être incrémenté d'une unité à partir d'une horloge non représentée. Les registres 10 22 et IB 23 ont leurs entrées/sorties toutes deux reliées au BUS D et servent de registre tampon. Les programmes et microprogrammes contenus dans les mémoires 8, 9 ou 10 pourraient donc être adressés indifféremment par le compteur ordinal PC 20 ou par le registre RA 17.The register RI essentially contains two locations, one reserved for storing the instruction operation code (COP), the other at its address. The operation code is transmitted to the instruction decoder 19 for the line d3, which transmits on the line C4 then on the bus C the commands necessary for the execution of the instruction. The address part of the instruction is transmitted for line d2 on BUS D. The register RA contains the address of the data or information sought in the recycling device, this address can be in one of the two PROM 8 and RAM 9 memories or in the recording medium 2, it is transmitted on the BUS A by the link a ,. The PC computer 20 is loaded from BUS D via line d10, output 2 is connected to the input of register SP21, output 2 of which is connected by line d12 to the data bus BUS D. The output 2 of the counter 20 is also connected by line a 2 to the address bus BUS A. The content of the ordinal counter 20 can be increased by one unit from a clock not shown. The registers 10 22 and IB 23 have their inputs / outputs both connected to BUS D and serve as a buffer register. The programs and microprograms contained in the memories 8, 9 or 10 could therefore be addressed indifferently by the ordinal counter PC 20 or by the register RA 17.

Les informations lues aux emplacements adressés de ces mémoires seront transférées sur le BUS D dans le registre d'instruction Rt18, s'il s'agit d'instruction, ou transférées à l'entrée 1 de l'unité arithmétique logique ou dans le registre accumulateur 15 ou dans le registre 10 22 s'il s'agit de données. Ces transferts auront lieu en fonction du type d'instruction utilisé. Les informations à écrire dans les emplacements des mémoires adressées par l'information d'adresse présentée sur le BUS A seront transférées sur le BUS D par l'intermédiaire du registre tampon IB 23. Le BUS D sera aussi utilisé pour transférer des données ou des informations entre registres. La partie adresse de l'instruction contenue dans le registre RI pourra être transférée d'un sous programme ou microprogramme dont le déroulement est nécessaire pour exécuter l'instruction.The information read at the addressed locations of these memories will be transferred to BUS D in the instruction register Rt18, if it is an instruction, or transferred to input 1 of the logical arithmetic unit or in the register accumulator 15 or in register 10 22 in the case of data. These transfers will take place according to the type of instruction used. The information to be written in the memory locations addressed by the address information presented on BUS A will be transferred to BUS D via the buffer register IB 23. BUS D will also be used to transfer data or information between registers. The address part of the instruction contained in the RI register may be transferred from a subroutine or microprogram whose progress is necessary to execute the instruction.

Le résultat d'une opération obtenu sur deux opérandes pourra être rangé dans le registre accumulateur 15, dans la mémoire vive RAM 9 dans le registre RD du support d'enregistrement 2 ou dans le registre IB en vue de son transfert par exemple vers l'unité de disque 3.The result of an operation obtained on two operands can be stored in the accumulator register 15, in the random access memory RAM 9 in the register RD of the recording medium 2 or in the register IB with a view to its transfer for example to the disk drive 3.

Le dispositif qui vient d'être décrit permet donc d'exécuter séquentiellement les opérations nécessaires au recyclage des supports d'enregistrement. Ces opérations nécessitent l'exécution par les moyens de commande d'un programme d'en- trée/sortie pour exécuter le transfert des informations de la mémoire à disque 3 dans la mémoire RAM 9 de la fig. 2. Le disque 3 contient comme il a été dit précédemment le fichier de correspondance des clés et numéro de série des supports d'enregistrement en circulation. Au moment de l'initialisation du dispositif, les informations mémorisées sur le disque (instruction et fichier sont transférées dans la mémoire vive RAM 9). Cette opération d'entrée/sortie de transfert de données d'un disque dans la mémoire vive RAM 9 est une opération très classique qui est similaire à celle rencontrée dans tous les systèmes de traitement de données. L'homme de l'art pourra se reporter utilisement au livre de RODNAY ZAKS et PIERRE LE BEUX, intitulé «les microprocesseurs» édité par SYBEX - 313, rue Lecourbe - 75015 PARIS, dans lequel ces types de transferts sont décrits.The device which has just been described therefore makes it possible to execute sequentially the operations necessary for recycling the recording media. These operations require the execution by the control means of an input / output program to execute the transfer of information from the disk memory 3 to the RAM memory 9 of FIG. 2. The disk 3 contains, as mentioned above, the key correspondence file and the serial number of the recording media in circulation. When the device is initialized, the information stored on the disk (instruction and file are transferred to the RAM 9). This input / output operation for transferring data from a disk into the RAM 9 is a very conventional operation which is similar to that encountered in all data processing systems. Those skilled in the art can usefully refer to the book by RODNAY ZAKS and PIERRE LE BEUX, entitled "les microprocesseurs" published by SYBEX - 313, rue Lecourbe - 75015 PARIS, in which these types of transfers are described.

Ces opérations de transfert étant terminés, l'opération de recyclage proprement dite est engagée conformément à l'organigramme représenté à la fig. 5.These transfer operations being completed, the actual recycling operation is initiated in accordance with the flowchart shown in fig. 5.

A l'étape 51, le caractère d'invalidation mémorisé sur le support d'enregistrement est testé; si ce test est positif, le support d'enregistrement est rendu inutilisable. Si le test est négatif, le caractère de validation du support d'enregistrement est effacé (étape 53). Le caractère d'invalidation du support d'enregistrement ayant été testé à l'étape 51, l'étape 54 consiste à lire le numéro de série du support d'enregistrement afin d'obtenir la clé associée par l'intermédiaire du fichier de la machine de recyclage. Par les moyens de commande une comparaison est faite entre la clé ainsi recherchée et la clé contenue dans le support d'enregistrement (étape 54 et 55). Si le rest est correct un caractère de validation est écrit dans le support d'enregistrement (étape 56). Le dispositif vérifie à l'étape 57 que ce caractère a été correctement écrit, si tel est le cas, l'opération d'effacement des autres zones de la mémoire du support d'enregistrement est effectuée (étape 58). Si les tests effectués aux étapes 51 et 55 s'avèrent incorrects, le support d'information est définitivement mis hors d'usage par écriture d'un caractère d'invalidation (étape 59). Toutes autres tentatives de recyclage seront par la suite infructueuses car les moyens de commande en lisant la clé du support d'enregistrement à l'étape 51 détecteront une clé fausse qui empêchera la poursuite des opérations 52 à 58. Si le test du caractère de validation de l'étape 57 s'avère incorrect, le dispositif n'entamera pas l'effacement des autres zones de la mémoire et reprendra les étapes 51 à 57 jusqu'à ce que l'écriture du caractère' de validation s'avère fructueuse. Pour éviter un nombre répété d'écritures infructueuses du caractère de validation on pourra limiter le nombre des essais infructueux par exemple à 10. On observera la symétrie des opérations associées au déroulement normal (étape 56 à 57) avec le déroulement des opérations associées à une erreur (étape 59 à 60) où l'étape 60 consiste à tester le caractère d'invalidation de façon à réaliser une symétrie de fonctionnement du microprocesseur et à tester que le caractère a bien été écrit. Cette symétrie rend inefficace tous essais d'observation des signaux sur les lignes de transmission ou d'alimentation en vue d'empêcher le positionnement du caractère d'invalidation. La suite des opérations qui vient d'être indiquée pourra être exécutée à l'aide d'un microprogramme inscrit dans la mémoire PROM 8.In step 51, the invalidation character stored on the recording medium is tested; if this test is positive, the recording medium is rendered unusable. If the test is negative, the validation character of the recording medium is deleted (step 53). The character of invalidation of the recording medium having been tested in step 51, step 54 consists in reading the serial number of the recording medium in order to obtain the associated key via the file of the recycling machine. By the control means a comparison is made between the key thus sought and the key contained in the recording medium (step 54 and 55). If the rest is correct, a validation character is written to the recording medium (step 56). The device verifies in step 57 that this character has been correctly written, if this is the case, the operation of erasing the other areas of the memory of the recording medium is carried out (step 58). If the tests carried out in steps 51 and 55 prove to be incorrect, the information medium is definitively put out of use by writing an invalidation character (step 59). All other recycling attempts will subsequently be unsuccessful because the control means by reading the key of the recording medium in step 51 will detect a false key which will prevent the continuation of operations 52 to 58. If the validation character test of step 57 proves to be incorrect, the device will not start erasing the other areas of the memory and will repeat steps 51 to 57 until the writing of the character 'validation proves successful. To avoid a repeated number of unsuccessful writes of the validation character, we can limit the number of unsuccessful attempts, for example to 10. We will observe the symmetry of the operations associated with the normal process (step 56 to 57) with the process of operations associated with error (step 59 to 60) where step 60 consists in testing the invalidation character so as to achieve operating symmetry of the microprocessor and in testing that the character has indeed been written. This symmetry makes ineffective any attempts to observe the signals on the transmission or supply lines in order to prevent the positioning of the invalidation character. The sequence of operations which has just been indicated may be carried out using a firmware stored in the PROM 8 memory.

A début de l'opération du recyclage, le registre d'instruction RI 18 contient l'adresse de début du microprogramme dans la mémoire PROM 8. Cette adresse est transférée dans le compteur ordinal PC 20. La progression du compteur ordinal PC 20 d'une unité à partir de l'adresse de début du microprogramme permettra l'exécution nécessaire des microinstructions correspondant à ce microprogramme. Les microinstructions seront successivement chargées dans le registre d'instructions RI 18. Elles contiennent un code opération spécifiant le type d'opération à effectuer et une partie adresse spécifiant l'emplacement dans le dispositif où se trouve la donnée ou l'opérande sur lequel une opération spécifiée par le code opération doit s'effectuer. On suppose que l'adresse début du microprogramme de recyclage est située à l'adresse PROM = 0000. La liste des microinstructions repérée par l'état du compteur ordinal PC 20 est la suivante:

Figure imgb0001
Figure imgb0002
Figure imgb0003
At the start of the recycling operation, the instruction register RI 18 contains the address for starting the firmware in the PROM memory 8. This address is transferred to the computer PC 20. The progress of computer PC 20 from a unit from the start address of the firmware will allow the necessary execution of the microinstructions corresponding to this firmware. The microinstructions will be successively loaded into the instruction register RI 18. They contain an operation code specifying the type of operation to be performed and an address part specifying the location in the device where the data or the operand is located on which a operation specified by the operation code must be performed. It is assumed that the start address of the recycling firmware is located at the address PROM = 0000. The list of microinstructions identified by the state of the ordinal counter PC 20 is as follows:
Figure imgb0001
Figure imgb0002
Figure imgb0003

La fig. 6 est une variante de réalisation de la machine de recyclage représentée à la fig. 1 dans laquelle les éléments de commande de l'opération de recyclage se retrouvent situés à l'intérieur du support d'enregistrement. Dans ce mode de réalisation, le microprocesseur 7, la mémoire PROM 8 et la mémoire de données M 10 se retrouvent incorporés sur le même support. De cette façon, les moyens de commande de la mémoire M se trouvent intégrés au support d'informations. De préférence, il sera donné une structure monolithique à l'ensemble des éléments électroniques incorporés au dit support afin de rendre impossible des tests sur les signaux transitant entre la mémoire 10, le microprocesseur 7 et la mémoire PROM 8.Fig. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the recycling machine shown in FIG. 1 in which the control elements of the recycling operation are located inside the recording medium. In this embodiment, the microprocessor 7, the PROM memory 8 and the data memory M 10 are found incorporated on the same support. In this way, the memory control means M are integrated into the information medium. Preferably, a monolithic structure will be given to all of the electronic elements incorporated in said support in order to make it impossible to test the signals passing between the memory 10, the microprocessor 7 and the PROM memory 8.

Dans ce mode de réalisation, la machine de recyclage 1 est constitué principalement de la mémoire RAM 9 et des éléments nécessaires (non représentés) pour établir les liaisons entre le support d'enregistrement 2, le clavier 5, le disque 3 et le lecteur de la carte d'habilitation 3.In this embodiment, the recycling machine 1 mainly consists of the RAM memory 9 and of the elements necessary (not shown) for establishing the connections between the recording medium 2, the keyboard 5, the disc 3 and the reader. the authorization card 3.

L'exemple qui vient d'être donné d'une réalisation préférée de l'invention n'est nullement limitatif, il va de soi que tout homme de l'art bien au fait des techniques des systèmes de traitement de données pourra trouver d'autres modes de réalisation sans pour autant sortir du cadre même de l'invention.The example which has just been given of a preferred embodiment of the invention is in no way limiting, it goes without saying that any person skilled in the art well versed in the techniques of data processing systems will be able to find other embodiments without departing from the very scope of the invention.

Claims (12)

1. Process for prolonging the validity of a working zone of the memory of a data carrier in which. the stored data accessible from the outside can be altered only by an authorised person, the said memory furthermore comprising a protected zone wherein are stored identification data inaccessible from the outside, this process consisting in:
- prerecording a confidential revalidation key in the said protected zone before the carrier is first placed in circulation, during the initial programming operation,
- connecting the data carrier to a revalidation device put into operation by means of a duly authorised person other than the possessor of the carrier,
- causing a revalidation key to be fed in from the outside,
- comparing this revalidation key to the key prerecorded on the carrier, and
- authorising the operation for revalidation of the memory if the two aforesaid keys are identical or irrevocably invalidating the carrier if these two keys are different,

characterised in that the revalidation key is an erase key and that the revalidation consist in erasing the contents of the working zone thereby making the same reusable.
2. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that it consists in identifying each record carrier by means of an identification number prerecorded on the carrier, allocating an erase key to each identification number, establishing a register wherein are recorded each identification number and the associated erase key, reading the identification number of the record carrier, finding the corresponding erase key in the register and comparing this key within the carrier to that prerecorded on the carrier.
3. Process according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it also consists in:
- prerecording a validation code in the protected zone of the memory before the carrier is placed in circulation,
- testing prior to an erase operation, this validation character which must fulfil a preset condition,
- and finally invalidating the carrier if this condition is not satisfied or initiating the erase operation if this condition is satisfied.
4. Process according to claim 3, characterised in that it consists in modifying the aforesaid validation code to invalidate the carrier, this validation code then becoming an invalidation code.
5. Process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it consists in writing a new validation code during an authorised erase operation.
6. Process according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that it consists in writing at least the validation code in an M amongst N binary code, in which M represents the number of binary elements utilised and N the number of these binary elements in the binary state 1 or 0.
7. Device for carrying out the process as claimed in any one of claims 1 zo 6, for erasure of the data written in a working zone (zone 2) of a memory (M10) of a data carrier (2), the said memory (M10) furthermore comprising a protected zone (zone 1) wherein are stored an erase key inaccesible from the outside and a carrier identification number, characterised in that it comprises a memory (9) wherein are recorded several identification numbers and the associated erase keys, processing circuits (7) for reading the identification number of the carrier (2) which is to be processed, for seeking the erase key allocated thereto in the memory (9), and in comparing this key to that previously recorded on the carrier.
8. Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the said circuits (7) comprise a write circuit of a validation code and of a carrier invalidation code within the protected zone (ZONE) of the memory (M10), the invalidation code being written if the erase key fed in from the outside differs from the erase key prerecorded in the memory (M10) of the carrier (2).
9. Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the said circuits (7) are formed by a microprocessor.
10. Device according to claim 7, 8 or 9, characterised in that the microprocessor (7) is situated within the carrier (2).
11. Portable record carrier comprising a memory (M10) divided into at least two zones, one being a zone (ZONE 1) wherein are recorded identification data, and a working zone (ZONE 2) containing data which maybe erased, characterised in that the zone (ZONE 1) contains a validation key inaccessible from the outside which is utilised for erasure of the data of the working zone (ZONE 2) of the memory (M10) if an erase key entered from the outside is identical to this validation key.
12. Carrier according to claim 11, characterised in that it comprises a microprocessor (7) for controlling the operation for erasure of the aforesaid data.
EP80400547A 1979-04-25 1980-04-22 Process for prolonging the validity of the memory working zone of a data carrier Expired EP0018889B1 (en)

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Publication number Publication date
JPS5638650A (en) 1981-04-13
BR8002518A (en) 1980-12-09
US4442345A (en) 1984-04-10
CA1151298A (en) 1983-08-02
FR2455320B1 (en) 1986-01-24
FR2455320A1 (en) 1980-11-21
JPS6138519B2 (en) 1986-08-29
DE3071055D1 (en) 1985-10-10
EP0018889A1 (en) 1980-11-12

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