DE102009004291A1 - Chip card e.g. payment card, operating method, involves delivering information about necessary exchange of chip card to card issuer using data connection with transaction receiver by chip software, which is embedded in terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves embedding chip software (14) in a terminal (16), a monitor (17), and a keyboard (18). The chip software detects defective storage cells (12) i.e. electrically EPROM cells, and produces information about necessary exchange of a chip card during exceeding a preset threshold and during reaching an end of a service life of the card. The threshold is calculated based on a number of defective storage cells. The software delivers information about the necessary exchange of the chip card to a card issuer (27) e.g. bank, using a data connection (26) with a transaction receiver.

Description

The biggest limitation of the lifetime of a Chip card follows from the maximum number of write / erase cycles of the EEPROM. Usually used by most semiconductor manufacturers guaranteed number of write / erase cycles for each memory page of the EEPROM is a minimum of 100,000. In practice, the EEPROM falls at room temperature and small Deviations of the supply voltage, however, only from 2 million up to 5 million cycles out. The failure of an EEPROM page is included not abrupt, but gradually. An indication of that Starting failure is that the EEPROM at the first Do not set write attempt to the desired value leaves and the written data after a few hours are no longer in memory.

Used If you continue such a memory page, you can look for a few more a thousand cycles no longer store any data in the EEPROM because it loses the content immediately. But it is affected only one memory page at a time (usual size: 4 bytes or 32 bytes) of the EEPROM.

Other pages are unaffected or unaffected by a page outage. This can be used as part of the memory organization for fault-bridging strategies. Such error bridging strategies are for example with the DE 102006001873A1 or the EP015665821 B1 known. However, these take no account of an indication for the complete replacement of the chip card.

The Data storage in EEPROM works on the basis of storage electric charges in tiny capacitors. Like all capacitors these too have a leakage current. This leads to the charge contained in the capacitor will drain off over time and the stored information is no longer available.

Of the The invention is therefore based on the object, a reliable Information about the necessary exchange of a chip card due to a defective EEPROM.

Used according to the invention this information about memory cells becoming corrupted, to derive an indication that the smart card is the end their lifespan and therefore exchanged should.

The The invention therefore relates to a smart card, consisting u. a. from chip hardware and software into a data processing Embedded system to which they are breaking the information about Memory cells transmitted and then a reorder generated a follow-up card.

Of the Benefits for the cardholder is that he deals with high probability of getting a new card before the card now used by him reaches the end of its life. This is also a benefit for the card issuer.

Especially if the card is a payment card according to EMC specification This information can be about the existing data processing System of EMC transactions sent to the card issuer become.

The The invention is not based on the determination of faulty memory cells limited in an EEPROM, but also applies as well the determination of faulty memory cells in a ROM or a R.A.M.

The Invention assumes that the user without his own intervention so to speak automatically receives a card from the card issuer, if in a transaction with the faulty chip card the stored on the smart card software application after a memory check notifies that so many memory cells are defective that a secure Further use of the chip card is no longer guaranteed is.

It will automatically be a message at the next Transaction of the user generated with the smart card, and about the data connection available during the transaction to a banking system will be a message about the necessary Replacement of the chip card generated. This is very easy and sure, because with this exchange anyway such data of the Send chip card to the card issuer and the banking system, which a conclusion on the identity of the User (name, address, etc.). Without the user even noticed something of his faulty chip card, he will then after a certain time get a new chip card delivered, in the faulty memory cells are no longer available. In order to is always faulty for an automatic replacement Chip cards taken care of, so with the transmission of transaction data also information about the memory state and the Presence of faulty memory cells with transmitted become.

The The invention is not limited to being included the decision as to whether the card should be replaced, not just have to stick to a given threshold. this is a Possibility of several.

Depending on what information the Hardware provides, other decision-making paths are provided. The hardware can also communicate other parameters instead of the number of defective memory cells, eg. For example, calculate itself a probability that will result in a memory error not covered by the error correction mechanism.

Of the Subject of the present invention does not arise only from the subject matter of the individual claims, but also from the combination of the individual claims among themselves.

All in the documents, including the abstract Information and features, in particular the spatial shown in the drawings Training, are claimed as essential to the invention, as far as individually or in combination with the state of the art Technology is new.

in the Below, the invention will be described with reference to only one embodiment illustrative drawings explained in more detail. in this connection go from the drawings and their description further essential to the invention Features and advantages of the invention.

It demonstrate:

1 : Schematically a block diagram of a conventional chip card

2 : the procedure in the determination of defective memory cells of the smart card after 1

In 1 is a standard chip card 1 represented, in a conventional manner from an interface 2 exists, which with an address and security logic 3 on a memory 4 accesses, for example, from the 3 memory areas EEPROM 5 , ROME 6 and RAM 7 consists.

It is not shown with which communication interface the smart card interacts with the environment. It can be a contactless or a contact-based transfer of data to an associated Terminal done.

For this purpose, a microcontroller 8th which includes the operating system and manages one or more data applications and software applications.

It is not shown that and in what form the smart card with the environment communicates. It can be a contactless or contact-based communication with the environment take place.

In 2 is generally shown that the memory 4 from a memory matrix 9 can consist of columns 10 and rows 11 consisting of a plurality of memory cells 12 in the memory matrix 9 are arranged.

For a corresponding memory check of the microcontroller 8th on the chip card 1 For example, the faulty memory cells in the coordinates A1, C3, D5 and C6 are detected.

This occurs, for example, under the influence of the operating system 13 on which an application software 14 which is the memory check of the memory matrix 9 performs.

Be in the memory matrix 9 faulty memory cells 12 is determined, an error table 21 (Arrow direction 22 ), and the contents of the error table are in the direction of the arrow 23 a query block 24 fed. This determines how many memory cells are defective and decides with an appropriate threshold detector whether an exchange of the chip card is required (arrow direction 26 ). In the local decision block 29 the decision of exchange (arrow direction 19 ) or non-exchange (arrow direction 25 ) met.

The decision of non-exchange is made by the query block 24 in the direction of the arrow 25 back to the query of the error table 21 branches back.

The memory matrix 9 querying software 14 puts a bug report 20 at the decision of the exchange of the chip card (arrow 19 ) via an interface 15 to the terminal 16 is passed on.

Such a terminal is any terminal that the user uses with his smart card and this has, for example, a screen 17 and a keyboard 18 on.

As an application, it is described here that the user with his smart card a payment transaction at the terminal 16 performs.

For this purpose, a data connection is made in a manner known per se 26 to a banking and payment system 28 built in, among other things, the card issuer 27 the chip card 1 is integrated.

About the data connection 26 so gets the card issuer 27 the message from the faulty chip card and causes the release of a new smart card using the data of the user who thus sent him immediately can be.

Thus, the present invention avoids that bad chip cards interfere or even prevent use, interfere with payment transactions and other transactions with the chip card, and of all this the user does not notice because he automatically gets a new chip card if too many memory cells 12 are damaged.

1

smart card

2

interface

3

address and security logic

4

Storage

5

EEPROM

6

ROME

7

R.A.M.

8th

microcontroller

9

Memory matrix

10

column

11

line

12

memory cell

13

operating system

14

application software

15

interface

16

terminal

17

screen

18

keyboard

19

arrow

20

Error Report

21

error table

22

arrow

23

arrow

24

query block

25

arrow

26

arrow

27

Data Connection

28

card issuer

29

banking and payment system

30

decision block

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102006001873 A1 [0003]
• EP 015665821 B1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Method for operating a chip card consisting of a chip hardware with at least one memory ( 4 - 7 ) with a plurality of memory cells ( 12 ) and a chip software ( 14 ), which are incorporated into a data processing system ( 16 . 17 . 18 ; 27 . 28 ), characterized in that the chip software ( 14 ) defective memory cells ( 12 ) and provides information to the data processing system ( 16 . 17 . 18 ; 27 . 28 ) about the necessary replacement of the chip card ( 1 ) is generated when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded and via a data connection which is already present when the chip card is used ( 26 ) with the transaction recipient the information about the necessary exchange to the card issuer ( 27 ). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the threshold value of the number of defective memory cells ( 12 ) is calculated. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized that the threshold calculates a probability with which it results in a memory error not covered by the error correction mechanism comes. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the recognition of a certain number of defective memory cells in the next transaction, the card issuer ( 27 ) is informed and thus the reordering of a follow-up or replacement card is effected. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the operating system ( 15 ) in testing the function of the memory cells ( 12 ) of a memory ( 4 - 7 ) the nature and distribution of the defective memory cells ( 12 ) into an error table ( 21 ) writes a query ( 24 ) is followed by a threshold decision maker, the output of information for the necessary replacement of the smart card ( 1 ) decides. Chip card for carrying out the method according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the chip card ( 1 ) is a payment transaction card or a public transport card or a general customer card or general eCard with insurance card function and / or citizen card function. Chip card according to claim 6, characterized that the smart card is a payment transaction card with EMC specification is. Chip card according to claim 6 or 7, characterized that the smart card is a contact or contactless or dual interface smart card is. Chip card according to one of claims 4-8, characterized in that the memory cells are EEPROM cells. Application of a chip card ( 1 ) consisting of a chip hardware with at least one memory ( 4 - 7 ) with a plurality of memory cells ( 12 ) and a chip software, which are embedded in a data processing system, the chip software detects defective memory cells and upon reaching the end of the life information to the data processing system ( 16 . 17 . 18 ; 27 . 28 ) and generates the order for a replacement or subsequent chip card.