DE19958559A1 - Method for initializing and / or personalizing chip cards and a corresponding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for initialising and/or personalising chip cards (4) and to a corresponding device for initialising and/or personalising the same. The invention aims to increase the throughput of known initialisation and/or personalisation devices. To this end, the initialisation data (9b) is saved to a memory (9) in the initialisation and/or personalisation system (3), at least for the duration of the initialisation of identical cards in a quantity of cards (10), instead of said initialisation data being repeatedly transmitted card by card by a host computer (2) to an initialisation and/or personalisation system (3).

Description

The invention relates to a method for initialization and / or personalization of chip cards as well as a corresponding device for their initialization and / or Personalization.

Chip cards with microprocessors are especially there used where high security requirements for the chip card system in question. In such Systems are in particular mobile radio systems, Payment systems with bank cards, pay TV systems, Access control systems and the like. Smart cards for such Applications are particularly characterized in that the in the chip card existing chip data stored in it, such as Keys and algorithms, a personal one Identification number (PIN) and the future user of the Data associated with a smart card, such as a mobile phone number, has an account number or the like.

Furthermore, there is typically data in such chip cards stored, which can be used to determine whether this with access system of the chip card in question  on the data and / or programs stored in the chip card and / or routines is authorized (authentication check). Processor cards, such as those used for the operation of Cellular terminals are used in cellular networks personal chip cards with a so-called "subscriber" Identity modules "(SIM card). Such a SIM card is included a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), the operating system or the sequence control for the CPU is saved. Furthermore points the processor card a non-volatile, overwritable (Programmable) memory (EEPROM, Electrical Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a volatile one RAM, a so-called RAM memory (random Access memory).

After the implementation of a microprocessor chip in a card body, the card is generally fed to a system of an initialization and / or personalization device located at the location of the card and initialized and personalized before the delivery to the later user assigned to the card. For initialization and personalization, the system contacts the chip card by means of a contacting unit, so that data can be exchanged between the initialization and / or personalization system via the contacts 5 of the chip card and the chip of the card. As part of the initialization, each card with the same functionality, e.g. B. a chip card for a specific service provider and / or for a specific mobile network, mostly provided with the same initialization data.

The term initialization data should not only Data, but especially commands, routines, Understand test programs, application programs and the like be used to initialize the chip card concerned or for the initialization of chip cards for production of smart cards with the same functionality.

With conventional methods for initialization and Personalization is the initialization in the host computer and personalization device a record for each initialized and personalized chip card, which has initialization and personalization data. After the one to be initialized and personalized Chip card with a contact unit of the initialization and personalization system in an electrical connection stands, the card in question is intended Initialization and personalization data from the host computer over a computer network or bidirectional Data connections to the initialization and / or Personalization system transmitted, its function in With regard to the transmitted data only in the Transmission of the data received from the host computer via a Contact unit on the chip of the chip card.

The object of the present invention is in particular in a method of initialization and / or Personalization of portable data carriers, such as in particular of chip cards and in particular those with one Specify processor chip and a corresponding device, which is a quick initialization and / or personalization allowed.  

The object of the present invention is achieved by the in the Measures specified independent patent claims solved. Advantageous further developments of the method according to the invention or the device according to the invention are in the related dependent claims.

An essential aspect of the invention is a known initialization and / or personalization system to be provided with a memory in which the Initialization data for the production of several chip cards saved with the same functionality.

To increase the throughput of known initialization and / or personalization devices, it is proposed not to repeatedly transfer the initialization data card by card from a host computer to the initialization and / or personalization system, but rather the initialization data in the memory ( 9 ) of the initialization and / or to save the personalization system at least for the duration of the initialization of identical cards of a set of cards.

Another important aspect of the invention is in the host computer the initialization and / or Personalization facility not for everyone too initializing and / or personalizing portable Data carriers, such as a SIM card in particular, each one To create a data record. According to the invention for a set of cards preferably a single data record is created in the host computer, the initialization data for all to be initialized Data carriers with the same functionality in mind, and  Personalization data for all to be personalized Has disk.

Usually, the data carriers or chip cards, which the same functionality is intended in the same magazine inserted, the initialization and / or Personalization system fed and in turn initialized and personalized. Is now the following Initialization and / or personalization system another card magazine with a second set of cards fed, the cards of the second set of cards one other functionality is intended, so with one preferred embodiment of the invention for each card the second set of cards in the second magazine Initialization data as well as the personalization data from Host computer in the memory of the initialization and / or Personalization system transferred and in the Initialization and / or personalization system saved. This is preferably done for all chip cards of the second set of cards.

In the procedure according to the invention, it is initialization and / or Personalization system and thus the initialization and / or personalization device possible, all Initialize chip cards of the number of cards or the magazine and or personalize it without having to transfer data between the host computer and the initialization and / or Personalization system between processing successive chip cards with the same functionality requirement.  

Especially when a variety of initialization and / or personalization systems in the initialization and / or personalization device is provided for initialization and / or personalization necessary data exchange with the host computer drastically reduce and wait times of the respective initialization and / or personalization system as a result of a successive Data transfers the card are avoided. Instead, it is done the transfer of data in a "packet" that is preferred all chip cards in the magazine in question initialized and / or personalized.

A preferred development of the invention consists in in addition to the initialization data, which are preferred for all chip cards of the number of cards or the chip cards in same magazine can be used repeatedly, too preferably all personalization data for the Chip cards of the number of cards or the magazine together with the Initialization data from the host computer to the relevant one Initialization and / or personalization system too transfer and save there in a memory.

A data record for is therefore preferred in the host computer each magazine or for each set of cards that generates the Initialization and / or personalization of a set of cards necessary from chip cards with the same functionality Has initialization and / or personalization data. The initialization data therefore do not have to be in a known manner always new for every chip card from the host computer in the initialization and / or Personalization system to be transferred.  

This is particularly important because the smart cards always become more complex and their storage capacity increases, which in addition leads to ever larger amounts of data for programming their Function or its functions and their testing by the host Computers must be transferred.

With toolkit-compatible chip cards in particular, it is important Procedure and initialization and / or To have personalization facilities available that high throughput initialized and / or enable personalized chip cards. Toolkit capable Smart cards with high storage capacity are in the later Operation, for example, able to transfer data To exchange or even to exchange mobile terminals bi-directionally Application programs from a service provider, one Cellular network or other data network "to download".

It is understood that the solutions of the invention are not only based on the initialization and / or personalization of Microprocessor cards are limited, but with success too for the initialization and / or personalization of others portable disk can be picked up. this applies especially if the throughput is too slow due to a Data exchange of the relevant initialization and / or Personalization system with the host computer concerned is unsatisfactory. With portable data media it can in addition to processor cards, other chip cards such as for example, memory cards and the like, or around Trade magnetic stripe cards. Examples of memory cards are calling cards and health insurance cards.  

The invention will now be described with reference to drawings explained, with the same or equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals. Show it:

Fig. 1 shows a known initialization and / or personalization equipment;

FIG. 2 shows the initialization and / or personalization system of FIG. 1 in more detail, insofar as this is useful for understanding the invention;

3 initialization according to the invention and / or personalization system, as far as useful for understanding the invention Fig..

The initialization in simplified form in Fig. 1 illustrated and / or personalization device 1 includes a host computer 2, an initialization and / or personalization system 3 as well as to be initialized and personalizing chip cards, of which in Fig. 1 only a single smart card 4 is shown.

In the conventional initialization and personalization of the chip card 4 or the specific chip card A shown in FIG. 1, the host computer 2 initially transfers initialization data to the initialization and / or personalization system 3 via a bidirectional data connection 6 . The initialization data is unchanged from the initialization and / or personalization system 3 to the chip of chip card A via a contacting unit (not shown), which establishes a data connection with the chip (not shown) of chip card 4 via the contact areas of chip card 4 Initialization of the chip or the chip card forwarded. This is indicated in FIG. 2 by the bidirectional data connection 8 .

The initialization data transmitted by the host computer 2 are therefore only passed through unchanged by the known initialization and / or personalization system 3 ; one speaks of a so-called transparent data connection. During the initialization and / or after the initialization, the chip sends data back to the host computer 2 via the bidirectional data connections 7 , 8 and 6 in order to indicate to the host computer 2 whether the initialization and / or checking of the chip and / or the programming of the chip was successful.

Upon successful completion of initialization of the chip of the chip card 4, transmits the host computer 2 via the bidirectional data link 6, the bi-directional data connection 8 and the bidirectional data connection 7 of the chip card A added covered personalization data to the IC card A. On the basis of the host computer 2 The chip of chip card A is personalized to the personalization data transmitted to chip card A. During and / or after the personalization, the chip of the chip card A transmits data in the opposite direction via the bidirectional data connection 7 , the bidirectional data connection 8 and the bidirectional data connection 6 to the host computer 2 in order to inform the host computer 2 of whether the chip card has been personalized A was successful.

When personalizing the chip of the chip card A, there is also a transparent data exchange via the initialization and / or personalization system 3 . The data transmitted from the host computer 2 to the chip card A and vice versa from the chip card A to the host computer 2 during the initialization and personalization are thus only changed by the bidirectional data connection 8 or the initialization and / or personalization system 3 Data or passed through.

After the initialization and personalization of the chip card A, the next chip card to be initialized and personalized (see the chip card denoted by "B" in FIG. 3) is fed to the contacting unit of the known initialization and / or personalization device 1 and in the same way, but with different personalization data, initialized and personalized. That is, the host computer 2 again successively transmits the same initialization data as when the smart card A was initialized; however, it transmits other personalization data, via the initialization and / or personalization system 3 and its bidirectional data connection 8 , via the contacting unit and the bidirectional data connection 7 into the chip of the chip card B. After completion of the initialization and personalization of the chip cards A and B, chip cards are obtained that have the same functionality or the same function, but different personalization data.

In particular, if the host computer communicates with a large number of initialization and / or personalization systems (not shown) and has to transfer the data required for initialization and personalization, there are 2 waiting times during initialization and / or if the host computer is overloaded Personalization.

In order to avoid or at least reduce waiting times and thus to increase the throughput of the known initialization and / or personalization device 1 , an initialization and / or personalization system 3 is provided according to the invention as shown in FIG. 3, which has a data memory 9 or has a data buffer. The data memory 9 is preferably a volatile, programmable data memory, such as in particular a RAM memory and / or a magnetic data memory (not shown), such as a hard disk (not shown) and / or an optical data memory (not shown) and / or a magneto-optical data memory (not shown).

In contrast to the procedure with the known initialization and / or personalization device 1, it is provided to create data records in the host computer, each of which is used to initialize and / or personalize a set of cards 10 made of chip cards 4 , which are identified by A, B in FIG. . , ., X are designated. Such a data record preferably has initialization data only once, on the basis of which all chip cards 4 of the card set 10 are initialized in the same way. It is understood that then all chip cards 4 of the card set 10 have the same functionality after their initialization.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that this data record for initializing and personalizing the set of cards 10 also has all the different personalization data necessary for personalizing the smart cards 4 of the set of cards 10 .

If a magazine (not shown) with chip cards 4 is fed to a card set 10 of the contacting unit (not shown), as indicated in FIG. 3, the host computer 2 transmits the data record for the chip cards to be initialized and personalized via the bidirectional data connection 6 4 of the magazine (in whole or in part in sequence) to the initialization and / or personalization system 3 shown in FIG. 3 .

In contrast to the known method, the data to be transmitted from the host computer 2 to the initialization and / or personalization system 3 according to the invention are not transmitted card by card, but rather as a “package” magazine for magazine or card quantity for card quantity. Depending on the specific circumstances, it can also be a data packet for a subset. The transmitted data from the inventively provided in the known initialization and / or personalization system data memory 9 in storage areas 9 a, 9 b and 9 c stored. After the transmission of the "data packet" or part of the data for the initialization and personalization of all chip cards of the number of cards 10 in the relevant magazine, the host computer leaves the initialization and / or personalization system 3 according to the invention to initialize and / or personalize the chip cards Number of cards 10 .

It goes without saying that the method according to the invention advantageously drastically reduces the load on the host computer 2 or the bidirectional data connections and thus the computer network of the known initialization and / or personalization device. The solutions according to the invention can thus effectively increase the throughput of a conventional initialization and / or personalization device.

Depending on the initialization and / or personalization method of the specific type of chip card to be personalized or the type of chip card to be personalized, it may be necessary and / or sensible to use some or all of the control and / or control functions that may be performed by the host computer 2 to be provided by a corresponding control and / or monitoring device in the initialization and / or personalization system according to the invention or in the initialization and / or personalization systems according to the invention. The host computer can thus be further relieved and the card throughput of an initialization and / or personalization device according to the invention can be increased again.

Reference list

1

Initialization and / or personalization device

2nd

Host computer

3rd

Initialization and / or personalization system

4th

Smart card

5

Chip card contacts

6

bidirectional data connection

7

bidirectional data connection

8th

bidirectional data connection

9

Storage device, e.g. B. semiconductor memory and / or hard disk

9

a storage area

9

b Storage area

9

c storage area

10th

Amount of cards

Claims (13)

1. Method for initializing and / or personalizing chip cards with the following method steps:

• - Transfer ( 6 ) of first initialization data and / or first personalization data for a first chip card (A) with a first functionality of a first set of cards ( 10 ) from a host computer ( 2 ) into the memory of an initialization and / or personalization system ( 3 ) characterized by
• - storing the first initialization data ( 9 b) in the memory ( 9 ) for initializing a second chip card (B) with the first functionality, and
• - An initialization of the second chip card (B) with the first initialization data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by the transmission ( 6 ) of further personalization data ( 9 a) for further chip cards (B,..., X) with the first functionality and their storage in the memory ( 9 a) of the initialization and / or personalization system ( 3 ) in addition to the first initialization and / or first personalization data ( 9 a, 9 b). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the transmission of at least one first test program ( 9 c) from the host computer ( 2 ) in the memory ( 9 ) of the initialization and / or personalization system ( 3 ) and / or the storage the first test program in the memory. 4. The method according to claim 3, characterized by checking the function of the first chip card (A) and the further chip cards (B,..., X) of the first set of cards ( 10 ) using the first test program ( 9 c) and / or one further test programs before and / or after their initialization and / or personalization. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by overwriting the first initialization and / or first personalization data and / or the further personalization data and / or the test program or the test programs stored in the memory ( 9 ) after completion of the initialization and / or personalization of the last chip card (X) of the first set of cards ( 10 ) by second initialization and / or second personalization data for initialization and / or personalization of chip cards with a second functionality. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the storage of the initialization and / or personalization data ( 9 a, 9 b) and / or the test program ( 9 c) or the test programs in a semiconductor memory ( 9 ) and / or on a hard disk of the initialization and / or personalization system ( 3 ). 7. Initialization and / or personalization device ( 1 ) with a host computer ( 2 ), in which initialization and / or personalization data are stored, and an initialization and / or personalization system ( 3 ) for initialization and / or personalization of chip cards , characterized in that in the initialization and / or personalization system ( 3 ) a memory ( 9 ) for storing first initialization data ( 9 b) for the successive initialization of at least two chip cards (A, B,..., X), which each have a first functionality or the same functionality, is provided. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that in the memory ( 9 ) the personalization data ( 9 a) of at least two chip cards (A, B,..., X) are stored with the first functionality. 9. Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that in the memory ( 9 ) at least one test program ( 9 c) for testing the function of the at least two chip cards (A, B,..., X), each a first Having functionality is saved. 10. Device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by an overwrite device for overwriting the first initialization and / or first personalization data ( 9 a, 9 b) and / or the further personalization data and / or the test program ( 9 c) or Test programs after completion of the initialization and personalization of the last chip card (X) of the first set of cards ( 10 ) by means of second initialization and / or second personalization data for the initialization and / or personalization of chip cards with a second functionality. 11. Device according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized by a semiconductor memory ( 9 ) and / or a hard disk for storing the initialization and / or personalization data ( 9 a, 9 b) and / or the test program ( 9 c) or Test programs. 12. Device according to one of claims 7 to 11, characterized, that the chip card is a processor card. 13. Device according to claim 12, characterized,  that the processor card is a SIM card, a UMTS card and / or a toolkit-capable chip card.