EP1851688A2 - A security card apparatus - Google Patents

A security card apparatus

Info

Publication number
EP1851688A2
EP1851688A2 EP06701670A EP06701670A EP1851688A2 EP 1851688 A2 EP1851688 A2 EP 1851688A2 EP 06701670 A EP06701670 A EP 06701670A EP 06701670 A EP06701670 A EP 06701670A EP 1851688 A2 EP1851688 A2 EP 1851688A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
portable device
substrate
sca
card
communication interface
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06701670A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Yanki Margalit
Dany Margalit
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SafeNet Data Security Israel Ltd
Original Assignee
Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US11/125,183 external-priority patent/US20060255158A1/en
Application filed by Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd filed Critical Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd
Publication of EP1851688A2 publication Critical patent/EP1851688A2/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
    • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
    • G06K19/08—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
    • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
    • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
    • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
    • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
    • G06K19/0772—Physical layout of the record carrier
    • G06K19/07732—Physical layout of the record carrier the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
    • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
    • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
    • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
    • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
    • G06K19/0772—Physical layout of the record carrier
    • G06K19/07733—Physical layout of the record carrier the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the fields of business / credit cards and portable devices.
  • Portable Device refers herein as to a small device, which connects to a computerized system via a common computer interface such as USB and FireWire, and typically used for carrying out functionalities of personal nature in conjunction with the computer it connects to. Due to its small size, a portable device is easy to be carried by a user. Because of its portability it is usually used with relevance to activities of personal nature such as authentication and electronic wallet.
  • Security tokens like Aladdin's eTokenTM, RSA's SecurlDTM and SafeNet's iKeyTM, are portable devices. Generally, they provide security related functionalities such as encryption, decryption, secure storage, identification, etc.
  • Portable Flash memory such as Disk-On-KeyTM is also a portable device.
  • SCA Security card apparatus
  • communicating between a SCA and a host is by incorporating a display in the SCA, and enabling the user to type the content of the display on a keyboard of the host. This method is common in one-time-password applications. Due to the limited ways of communicating between a SCA and a host, SCAs are not common in authentication and security related activities.
  • a significant drawback of a smart card is that it can be connected to a host only via a smart card reader, whilst the personal computers distributed currently on the market usually do not comprise smart card readers. As a result, the use of smart cards doesn't maximize its potential.
  • IL 166860 One drawback of IL 166860 is that the components of the circuitry embedded in the security card apparatus may be thicker than the common or standard thickness of a smart card, which results in difficulty to store the SCA into a common wallet designed to store standard size and thickness credit cards.
  • Another drawback of smart cards is that impressing a picture of a user on a card cannot be carried out in parallel with setting the data thereof, e.g. user's identification data. Therefore smart cards usually do not comprise a picture of the user thereof.
  • the present invention is directed to a security card apparatus, comprising: a portable device coupled with a wired communication interface (e.g. USB, FireWire, RS232, parallel communication interface, serial communication interface); a substrate of a typical credit card or typical smart card format; and a shaft for connecting the portable device to the substrate such that the portable device can be rotated around the shaft for creating a state where the portable device can be connected to a host, and a state where the security card apparatus can be stored within a typical case for storing credit cards in a wallet.
  • the substrate may comprise a picture of a user thereof.
  • the portable device corresponds only to a certain substrate.
  • the portable device is active only when connected to the substrate.
  • a central system is notified of attempts to activate said portable device without being connected to a corresponding substrate.
  • a typical thickness of the substrate is about 0.8 mm, which is a typical thickness of a credit card.
  • a typical thickness of the portable device is about 2.04 mm, which is combined of 1.9 mm of the typical thickness of the printed circuit on which the circuitry is mounted, and 0.5 mm of the plastic cover thereof.
  • Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • Figs. 2a and 2b is a perspective illustration two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • Figs. 3a and 3b schematically illustrate two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • Fig. 4 illustrates a wallet in which an SCA 100, and credit cards 101 and
  • Smart Card refers herein to a card about the size of a credit card, typically made of plastic, on which a microchip (also referred herein as Smart Card Chip) is embedded.
  • a microchip also referred herein as Smart Card Chip
  • a smart card chip comprises non-volatile memory and a CPU.
  • the chip is designed such that an unauthorized object has to use a tremendous effort to disclose its content (including the content of the non-volatile memory) and/or structure. Therefore, a smart card chip can be considered as a secured facility.
  • Today smart cards are designed according to standards / common specifications thereof, e.g. ISO7816, and employ dedicated operating systems, such as MULTOS.
  • Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • the SCA comprises a portable device 20 connected to a substrate 10 by a shaft 30.
  • the substrate 10 is of a typical credit card or smart card typical format.
  • the portable device 20 comprises circuitry 80, and a connector 50 through which the circuitry communicates with a host (not shown).
  • the portable device 20 rotates around the shaft 30, in order to enable to connect the portable device 20 to a host (not shown) by the connector 50 (e.g. USB, FireWire, etc.).
  • the SCA may comprise a picture 40, which typically is the picture of its owner.
  • Figs. 2a and 2b is a perspective illustration of two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • the portable device 20 is folded in order to enable to store the SCA into a wallet (see also Fig. 4).
  • the portable device 20 is rotated such a way that the connector 50 can be connected to a host (not shown).
  • Figs. 3a and 3b schematically illustrate two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • the portable device 20 is folded in order to enable to store the SCA into a wallet (see also Fig. 4).
  • the portable device 20 is rotated such a way that the connector 50 can be connected to a host (not shown).
  • Fig. 4 illustrates a wallet in which an SCA 100, and credit cards 101 and
  • the SCA 100 is stored in the case 110 and credit cards 101 and 102 are stored in cases 111 and 112 of the wallet correspondingly. Since the portable device 20 is located outside the case, the thickness of the portable device 20 does not create an obstacle to inserting the SCA 100 into the wallet, nor deforms the shape of the wallet.
  • the present invention enables to manufacture an SCA for an enterprise user such that the substrate 10 is manufactured by the "local authority" (i.e. the enterprise that issues the SCAs), and the portable device 20 is manufactured by the manufacturer of portable devices. This way the local authority can issue a card on request, without pre-coordination with the manufacturer of portable devices.
  • the local authority i.e. the enterprise that issues the SCAs
  • a portable device 20 can be connected to any USB connector.
  • the portable device 20 suspends its activity when it gets disconnected from the substrate 10.
  • this is implemented by a conductive material impressed on the substrate 10, such as in a printed circuit.
  • the printed conductive part may comprise a physical property that can be sensed by the portable device 20, such as resistance of X Ohms. This way a portable device 20 can be active only if a corresponding substrate 10 is present.
  • the substrate 10 may be uniquely associated with the portable device 20. According to a further embodiment of the invention, if a user tries to activate a portable device 20 more than a predetermined number of times when the substrate 10 is not present, the portable device 20 gets suspended.
  • a central system is notified about attempts to activate a portable device 20 without being coupled to a substrate 10.
  • the host to which the portable device connects to should be connected to the central system.
  • Such a connection may be also through a network, e.g. the Internet.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Telephone Function (AREA)

Abstract

A security card apparatus having a portable device (20) coupled with a wired communication interface (50); a substrate (10) of a typical credit card or typical smart card format; and a shaft (30) for connecting the portable device to the substrate such that the portabl device can be rotated around the shaft for creating a state where the portable device can be connected to a host, and a state where the security card apparatus can be stored within a typical case for storing credit cards in a wallet. The substrate may comprise a figure of a user thereof.

Description

A SECURITY CARD APPARATUS
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fields of business / credit cards and portable devices.
Background of the Invention
The term Portable Device refers herein as to a small device, which connects to a computerized system via a common computer interface such as USB and FireWire, and typically used for carrying out functionalities of personal nature in conjunction with the computer it connects to. Due to its small size, a portable device is easy to be carried by a user. Because of its portability it is usually used with relevance to activities of personal nature such as authentication and electronic wallet. Security tokens like Aladdin's eToken™, RSA's SecurlD™ and SafeNet's iKey™, are portable devices. Generally, they provide security related functionalities such as encryption, decryption, secure storage, identification, etc. Portable Flash memory such as Disk-On-Key™ is also a portable device.
The term Security card apparatus (SCA) refers herein to a device of about a credit card size or business card size, which employs circuitry for performing activities of personal nature, and communicates with a host. A smart card is an example of SCA.
Currently smart cards are designed to communicate with a host via a smart card reader. Although the use of smart cards is common, computerized systems are rarely equipped with an interface to a smart card. Another way for - -
communicating between a SCA and a host is by incorporating a display in the SCA, and enabling the user to type the content of the display on a keyboard of the host. This method is common in one-time-password applications. Due to the limited ways of communicating between a SCA and a host, SCAs are not common in authentication and security related activities.
A significant drawback of a smart card is that it can be connected to a host only via a smart card reader, whilst the personal computers distributed currently on the market usually do not comprise smart card readers. As a result, the use of smart cards doesn't maximize its potential.
Pending application for patent IL 166860, of the same applicant, presents a solution for the above detailed problems presented above by combining an SCA with a USB interface. It takes a few steps forward, and makes a connection between an SCA and any common computer interface, whether it is a wired or wireless, such as USB and Fire Wire.
One drawback of IL 166860 is that the components of the circuitry embedded in the security card apparatus may be thicker than the common or standard thickness of a smart card, which results in difficulty to store the SCA into a common wallet designed to store standard size and thickness credit cards.
Another drawback of smart cards is that impressing a picture of a user on a card cannot be carried out in parallel with setting the data thereof, e.g. user's identification data. Therefore smart cards usually do not comprise a picture of the user thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a security card apparatus which enables to combine a portable device with a form factor of a credit card / smart card, and still corresponds to a typical wallet for credit / smart cards.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a security card apparatus, which enables impressing a picture on the card in parallel with setting the data of the card.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a security card apparatus, comprising: a portable device coupled with a wired communication interface (e.g. USB, FireWire, RS232, parallel communication interface, serial communication interface); a substrate of a typical credit card or typical smart card format; and a shaft for connecting the portable device to the substrate such that the portable device can be rotated around the shaft for creating a state where the portable device can be connected to a host, and a state where the security card apparatus can be stored within a typical case for storing credit cards in a wallet. The substrate may comprise a picture of a user thereof.
According to one embodiment of the invention the portable device corresponds only to a certain substrate.
According to one embodiment of the invention the portable device is active only when connected to the substrate.
According to one embodiment of the invention a central system is notified of attempts to activate said portable device without being connected to a corresponding substrate.
A typical thickness of the substrate is about 0.8 mm, which is a typical thickness of a credit card. A typical thickness of the portable device is about 2.04 mm, which is combined of 1.9 mm of the typical thickness of the printed circuit on which the circuitry is mounted, and 0.5 mm of the plastic cover thereof. Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention may be better understood in conjunction with the following figures:
Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figs. 2a and 2b is a perspective illustration two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figs. 3a and 3b schematically illustrate two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 4 illustrates a wallet in which an SCA 100, and credit cards 101 and
102 are stored.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments
The term Smart Card refers herein to a card about the size of a credit card, typically made of plastic, on which a microchip (also referred herein as Smart Card Chip) is embedded.
Typically a smart card chip comprises non-volatile memory and a CPU.
The chip is designed such that an unauthorized object has to use a tremendous effort to disclose its content (including the content of the non-volatile memory) and/or structure. Therefore, a smart card chip can be considered as a secured facility.
Today smart cards are designed according to standards / common specifications thereof, e.g. ISO7816, and employ dedicated operating systems, such as MULTOS.
Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The SCA comprises a portable device 20 connected to a substrate 10 by a shaft 30. The substrate 10 is of a typical credit card or smart card typical format. The portable device 20 comprises circuitry 80, and a connector 50 through which the circuitry communicates with a host (not shown). The portable device 20 rotates around the shaft 30, in order to enable to connect the portable device 20 to a host (not shown) by the connector 50 (e.g. USB, FireWire, etc.). The SCA may comprise a picture 40, which typically is the picture of its owner.
Figs. 2a and 2b is a perspective illustration of two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. In Fig. 2a the portable device 20 is folded in order to enable to store the SCA into a wallet (see also Fig. 4). In the state illustrated on Fig. 2b the portable device 20 is rotated such a way that the connector 50 can be connected to a host (not shown).
Figs. 3a and 3b schematically illustrate two states of the SCA, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. In Fig. 3 a the portable device 20 is folded in order to enable to store the SCA into a wallet (see also Fig. 4). In the state illustrated on Fig. 3b the portable device 20 is rotated such a way that the connector 50 can be connected to a host (not shown).
Fig. 4 illustrates a wallet in which an SCA 100, and credit cards 101 and
102 are stored. The SCA 100 is stored in the case 110 and credit cards 101 and 102 are stored in cases 111 and 112 of the wallet correspondingly. Since the portable device 20 is located outside the case, the thickness of the portable device 20 does not create an obstacle to inserting the SCA 100 into the wallet, nor deforms the shape of the wallet.
The present invention enables to manufacture an SCA for an enterprise user such that the substrate 10 is manufactured by the "local authority" (i.e. the enterprise that issues the SCAs), and the portable device 20 is manufactured by the manufacturer of portable devices. This way the local authority can issue a card on request, without pre-coordination with the manufacturer of portable devices.
It should be noted that since the rotation of the portable device is not limited, a portable device 20 can be connected to any USB connector.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the portable device 20 suspends its activity when it gets disconnected from the substrate 10. According to one embodiment of the invention this is implemented by a conductive material impressed on the substrate 10, such as in a printed circuit. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the printed conductive part may comprise a physical property that can be sensed by the portable device 20, such as resistance of X Ohms. This way a portable device 20 can be active only if a corresponding substrate 10 is present. The substrate 10 may be uniquely associated with the portable device 20. According to a further embodiment of the invention, if a user tries to activate a portable device 20 more than a predetermined number of times when the substrate 10 is not present, the portable device 20 gets suspended. According to a further embodiment of the invention, a central system is notified about attempts to activate a portable device 20 without being coupled to a substrate 10. In this case the host to which the portable device connects to should be connected to the central system. Such a connection may be also through a network, e.g. the Internet.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can be embodied by other forms and ways, without losing the scope of the invention. The embodiments described herein should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A security card apparatus, comprising:
- a portable device operationally coupled to a wired communication interface; - a substrate having a credit card format or a smart card format; and
- an attachment mechanism whereby said portable device is attached to said substrate, said attachment mechanism providing a first state in which said portable device is deployed to be reversibly operationally connected to a host, and a second state in which said portable device is stowed so that the security card apparatus can be stored within a case.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mechanism is a shaft.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wired communication interface is selected from a group comprising: USB, FireWire, RS232, parallel communication interface, serial communication interface.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a figure of a user thereof.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said portable device is uniquely associated with said substrate.
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said portable device is operative only when being connected to said substrate.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a central system is notified of attempts to activate said portable device without being connected to a corresponding substrate.
8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said substrate has a thickness of about 0.8 mm.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said portable device has a thickness of about 2 mm.
EP06701670A 2005-02-14 2006-02-02 A security card apparatus Withdrawn EP1851688A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IL16686105 2005-02-14
US11/125,183 US20060255158A1 (en) 2005-05-10 2005-05-10 Security card apparatus
PCT/IL2006/000131 WO2006085300A2 (en) 2005-02-14 2006-02-02 A security card apparatus

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1851688A2 true EP1851688A2 (en) 2007-11-07

Family

ID=36793429

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP06701670A Withdrawn EP1851688A2 (en) 2005-02-14 2006-02-02 A security card apparatus

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1851688A2 (en)
WO (1) WO2006085300A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7344072B2 (en) * 2006-04-27 2008-03-18 Sandisk Corporation Credit card sized USB flash drive
GB0812843D0 (en) 2008-07-14 2008-08-20 Goosewire Ltd Data storage devices

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TW582618U (en) * 2002-02-06 2004-04-01 Carry Computer Eng Co Ltd Silicon disc card with USB plug
US6883718B1 (en) * 2004-02-27 2005-04-26 Imation Corp. Credit card sized memory card with host connector
US7377448B2 (en) * 2005-06-01 2008-05-27 Sandisk Il Ltd Card device for connection to a USB receptacle

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2006085300A3 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2006085300A2 (en) 2006-08-17
WO2006085300A3 (en) 2007-05-18

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