JP2005173863A - Ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an IC card which can manage and control an application even if a period of a state where power is not supplied exists or information from outside is not required by using a batteryless timer means. <P>SOLUTION: In the IC card, the application input from outside is loaded in a non-volatile memory and the loaded application can be performed. When the batteryless timer clocks effective time of the loaded application and the IC card is started, it is decided whether a clocking content of the batteryless timer is within effective time or not. When it is within effective time, the application is set to be an operable state. When it is out of effective time, the application is set to an un-operable state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention incorporates an IC chip having a control element such as a non-volatile memory that can be written and rewritten, and a CPU, executes processing corresponding to a command input from the outside, and outputs the processing result to the outside In addition, the present invention relates to an IC card capable of loading (or installing) an application input from the outside into a nonvolatile memory and executing the loaded application.

  Recently, for example, an IC card attracting attention as electronic money in the field of electronic commerce (EC), etc. has a non-volatile memory that can be written and rewritten and a control element such as a CPU for managing and controlling the nonvolatile memory. The IC chip is embedded in a card composed of a plastic plate or the like.

  By the way, in this type of IC card, since the application (application program) in the card is usually created in the language unique to the manufacturer of the IC card (IC chip) and stored in the ROM, the IC card (IC chip) ) Providers could not create applications (in general languages) or add or delete applications.

  Therefore, in order to solve these disadvantages, an IC card called a Java card (Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.) has been developed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The Java card is an IC card in which a virtual machine (Virtual Machine) is placed on an OS (operating system) of a general IC card, and its feature is that an application (applet) can be created in the Java language. A person with authority such as a card issuer can add or delete applications in the Java card.

However, when an application is freely created, the creator needs to set an effective period (effective time) of the application. Conventional general IC cards have been “IC card valid period = application valid period”, whereas Java cards are independent of applications, so that each card has a valid period. This is because it can be set independently.
JP 2000-348146 A

  Regarding the effective period of the application, various setting methods can be considered for each application. A method to manage the expiration date by date as in the case of an existing IC card (effective date management). Conversely, by setting the length of the effective period, it becomes effective for a certain length from the time of application addition or the last activation. Method (effective period management).

  However, in both cases, current IC cards (including Java cards) do not have a clock (timer means) that operates even when power is not supplied, so information about time (for example, system or card reader) Writer time information). However, an IC card characterized by high security has a problem that information from outside must be stored.

  Therefore, the present invention uses the batteryless timer means so that the card itself manages the application even if there is a period of no power supply or no information from the outside is required. It is an object to provide an IC card that can be controlled.

  In the IC card of the present invention, a desired application is loaded into a memory, and in the IC card capable of executing the loaded application, an effective time indicating a usable period of the application is set when the application is loaded. , Which starts the time counting operation, and is battery-less timer means that operates even when power is not supplied, and whether the time measurement content of the timer means is within the set valid time after the IC card is activated A determination means for determining whether or not the time measurement content of the timer means is within the set valid time as a result of the determination by the determination means, the application is operable, and the time measurement content of the timer means is the setting Control means for setting the application to an inoperable state if it is outside the valid period That.

  According to the present invention, by using the batteryless timer means, the card itself manages the application even if there is a period of no power supply or no information from the outside is required, An IC card that can be controlled can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a hardware configuration of a Java card as an example of an IC card according to the present embodiment. The Java card includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11 for overall management and control, a ROM (read only memory) 12 in which a control program for the CPU 11 and the like are stored, and a RAM (random memory) as a working memory. Access memory 13, communication unit (UART) 14 for communicating with external devices (such as a card reader / writer), non-volatile memory (NV (EEPROM)) 15 for storing various data and applications (application programs), Coprocessor (Co-Pro) 16 for assisting computation, batteryless timer (BT) 17 as batteryless timer means that operates even when power is not supplied, bit (1 / O) linked to remaining time of timer 17 Is composed of a timer interlocking bit unit 18 in which is stored It has been.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows the software configuration of the Java card described above. The hardware (H / W) layer 21 such as the communication unit (UART) 14, the non-volatile memory (NV (EEPROM)) 15, and the batteryless timer (BT) 17 is a card of the OS (operating system) layer 22. Controlled by the OS. The OS layer 22 is a virtual machine (virtual machine) including an environment for operating a Java card and an application (applet). S. D. A module such as an API (Issor Security Domain) or an applet function is on the card OS, and the application (applet) layer 23 is positioned at the top. The application layer 23 includes, for example, a plurality of applets (Applet1, Applet2, Applet3).

  The batteryless timer 17 is a well-known timer that sets a valid time (valid period) indicating a period during which the application can be used and starts a clocking operation, and performs a clocking operation even when power is not supplied. An example is one that uses natural discharge of a capacitor. An arbitrary time can be set by setting the charge amount (discharge amount) of the capacitor as a timer value. When the time is elapsed, the timer value decreases and finally becomes “0”, and the set value of the timer interlocking bit unit 18 automatically changes. The timer interlocking bit unit 18 is set to “1” when a timer value exists and “0” when the timer value is “0”.

  Depending on the hardware configuration, the timer interlock bit unit 18 may be assigned to a memory such as the non-volatile memory 15 or the RAM 13 and the switch may be switched after the timer value becomes “0” or when the time is set. It is also possible to rewrite the bit and substitute it.

  Next, a method for managing and controlling the effective period (effective time) of the application in such a configuration will be described. The following two methods are conceivable as methods for managing and controlling the effective period.

  (1) The application operates and controls the batteryless timer control API.

  (2) The OS layer 22 directly controls the batteryless timer 17 during application operation.

  Here, the method (2) will be described. Specifically, for example, an application that controls electronic money that can be used for only three hours after issuing a card at an event venue such as a festival is stored in a nonvolatile battery in a Java card equipped with a batteryless timer. A case where data is loaded into the memory will be described. Therefore, in this example, the loaded application is automatically deleted or locked in an inoperable state after 3 hours.

First, the valid period setting routine will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
A user who wants to use electronic money at the event venue issues a Java card through a predetermined procedure. In the Java card, an application for controlling electronic money is loaded into the nonvolatile memory 15 by a higher-level device (card reader / writer (R / W)) which is an external device (corresponding to the circled number “1” in FIG. 3). ). At this time, the card issuer loads (or installs) the application on the Java card after adding the valid period management information of 3 hours (corresponding to the circled number “2” in FIG. 3).

  I. of the OS layer 22 S. D. Confirms that valid period management information exists in the application while loading the application, sets valid period limitation (delete after period) in the registration information of the application (circled number “3” in FIG. 3). And a timer value (valid time) for an effective period of 3 hours is set in the batteryless timer 17 via the card OS (corresponding to the circled number “4” in FIG. 3).

  When the timer value for the valid period of 3 hours is set, the batteryless timer 17 sets “1” in the timer interlocking bit portion 18 (corresponding to the circled number “5” in FIG. 3), and decreases the timer value. Let Thereafter, the batteryless timer 17 decreases the timer value regardless of energization / non-energization, and sets “0” in the timer interlocking bit unit 18 when the timer value becomes “0” (FIG. 3). Corresponds to the circled number “6”).

Next, a processing routine after issuing until the application is actually used will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
When the Java card is set in the host device (card reader / writer (R / W)), which is an external device, is energized, and the reset is released (corresponding to the circled number “1” in FIG. 4), the CPU 11 will Execute initial processing such as operation check. At the end of the initial process, the card OS searches the registration information of all applications in the nonvolatile memory 15 (corresponding to the circled number “3” in FIG. 4).

  As a result of this search, if there is an application with a limited validity period, the timer interlocking bit unit 18 is checked (corresponding to the circled number “4” in FIG. 4). As a result of this check, if the timer interlock bit unit 18 is “1”, no special processing is performed for the application. Therefore, the application can be used.

  As a result of the above check, if the timer interlocking bit portion 18 is “0”, it is deleted after the period with the validity period limited. S. D. Using this function, a process of deleting the application is performed (corresponding to the circled number “5” in FIG. 4). In addition, when the validity period is limited and the lock is set after the period, I.I. S. D. It is also possible to lock the application life cycle using this function.

  Before and after processing for an application such as deletion (or lock), the Java card receives a command from the host device (card reader / writer (R / W)) (circled number “2” in FIG. 4). The command processing waits until processing such as application deletion is completed.

  When the processing such as application deletion is completed (corresponding to the circled number “6” in FIG. 4), if the application exists as it is, it becomes possible to process the command for the application, and control the electronic money. It becomes possible to process. However, if the application is deleted (even if it is locked), it is impossible to control the electronic money because the processing of the application command cannot be performed.

  More effective functions are added to the specific examples described above. The card OS is I.I. S. D. It is possible to delete the application using the function. In the current Java card application, the application cannot be automatically deleted. For this reason, an application whose validity period has passed will be present in the Java card as garbage unless the card issuer deletes it again. This function, which is automatically deleted by the card OS, is also effective in that no garbage is left.

  In this way, in an IC card equipped with a batteryless timer, by using the batteryless timer in the card, even if there is a period when there is no power supply, external information (for example, system The card itself can manage and control (for example, delete and lock) the expiration date (valid time) of the application (applet) without the need for the time information of the card reader / writer.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a hardware configuration of a Java card as an example of an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows typically the software structure of a Java card. The flowchart explaining an effective period setting routine. The flowchart explaining the process routine after using it until it actually uses an application.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... CPU, 12 ... ROM, 13 ... RAM, 14 ... Communication unit (UART), 15 ... Non-volatile memory (NV (EEPROM)), 16 ... Coprocessor (Co-Pro), 17 ... Batteryless timer (battery Less timer means), 18... Timer interlocking bit section.

Claims (5)

In an IC card capable of loading a desired application into a memory and executing the loaded application,
When the application is loaded, an effective time indicating the period in which the application can be used is set, and the clocking operation is started.Batteryless timer means that operates even when power is not supplied,
A determination means for determining whether or not the timed content of the timer means is within the set valid time after the IC card is activated;
As a result of the determination by the determination means, the application is operable if the time measurement content of the timer means is within the set effective time, and if the time measurement content of the timer means is outside the set effective time, the application Control means for setting the application to an inoperable state;
An IC card comprising:   2. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the time measurement content of the timer unit is within the set valid time immediately after the IC card is activated.   2. The IC according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines whether or not the time measurement content of the timer means is within the set valid time when an application is selected after the activation of the IC card. card.   2. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein setting the application performed by the control means to an inoperable state is deleting the application from the nonvolatile memory.   2. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein setting the application performed by the control means to an inoperable state means locking so that the application cannot operate.

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