FR2663443A1 - Process for reading chip cards and reader for implementation thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

a) Process for reading chip cards and reader for implementation thereof; b) reader characterised in that: - a card input (20) with means (21) for positioning the card; - a set of contact brushes (22) capable of touching any possible contact (2, 12) of any electronic card; - a detection and reading circuit (23, 24, 25) which firstly sends detection signals without applying power, to each of the brushes of the means (22) in order to gather, on the other brushes, the response to the detection signals; - a means (24) of comparing the return signals with the detection signals, and the signals for identifying various known cards; - a brush positioning means (25) associating the read/write functions with the various brushes according to the identifying of the card; and - a display means (26) for displaying messages intended for the user of the apparatus.

Description

"Method for reading smart cards and reader for its implementation"
The present invention relates to a method for reading smart card (s) capable of reading and / or writing information on different electronic cards (smart cards) with or without a magnetic strip.

 The invention also relates to a chip card reader capable of receiving different electronic cards with or without a magnetic strip to read and / or write therein information, this reader comprising read / write contact brushes for cooperating with the contacts of the card inserted in the reader.

 There are currently many magnetic and / or electronic cards with or without a microprocessor (chip) and the use of these cards is tending to multiply and diversify very quickly.

 Nowadays, there are different types of bank cards, in particular smart cards. Electronic cards are also used in public telephones; this type of card is different because it has a certain amount of telephone communication units in memory and this total is decremented during a telephone conversation. However, these cards, which are much simpler than microprocessor cards, simply have fuses destroyed for downcounting.

 The difficulty of the current situation lies in the fact that card readers are designed to read only one type of card. In some cases, inserting a type of card into a reader that cannot read it may destroy the card. This destruction can be intentional to avoid fraud or accidental.

 In addition, current card readers are not protected against acts of vandalism and it suffices to insert a metallic card or a piece of metal into a reader to short-circuit the reader and destroy it.

 The destruction of cards or readers comes from the fact that the contact brushes of the reader come from the very principle of use of these readers, a principle which assumes that a user only inserts into a reader the card that this reader can read. However practice shows that very often the multiplication of types of helping cards, that a distracted user uses a bad reader or a bad card.

 Another difficulty of the current situation, in particular in the case of bank cards, is that it is difficult to achieve the interconnection between the various bank card systems, at the user level: a reader is required per distributor or automatic teller machine, and this reader can only accept one type of card. The corollary is the necessary multiplication of ATMs or automatic distributors or the installation of several readers at the same counter; but here again the existence of several readers increases the risk of intro duction of the cards in the bad reader.

 The object of the present invention is to create a method and an apparatus for reading electronic cards, in particular smart cards, which are protected against acts of vandalism and also protect the user against any handling error by introducing a " bad "electronic card in the reader.

To this end, the invention relates to a method for reading an electronic card of the above type, characterized in that
A) we detect the type of card
- by probing the card contacts for
collect output signals without app
a la carte power supply
- we compare the output signals to
pre-established identification signals for
known cards
B) the read / write contacts are positioned by
card contact report, following
detection results and only if the
detection identified the card
C) and finally we feed the card and execute the algorithm
rithm of the electronic circuit.

The invention also relates to a device for reading or more simply an electronic card reader, of the type above characterized in that it comprises - a card entry with positioning means
card - a set of contact brushes likely to touch
expensive any contact with an electronic card
any - a detection and reading circuit that sends
first detection signals without applying a
feed, to each of the brooms to collect on
the other brushes, the response to the detection signals
tion - a means of comparing response signals to
detection signals, and identification signals
tion of the various known cards - a means of positioning the contact brushes
associating read / write functions with dif
contact brushes according to the identifi
card cation - a display means for displaying messages from
for the user of the device.

 The card reading process according to the invention is based on the fundamental characteristic consisting, after having positioned the card with respect to the reading means, to carry out before any electrical supply of the card, the reading of the latter for identification by comparison of the electronic parameters (position and meaning of the contacts) with the predetermined parameters of or of a known card. It is only when this identification is carried out that the card can be read, that is to say that it makes it possible to receive the reading and supply signals (supply, clock, reset, trigger , grounding, etc.).

 This prior identification makes it important for readers not only to identify the card, but above all to immediately eliminate non-compatible cards, including foreign objects or bodies likely to destroy the reader, when the latter works in read / write. This makes it possible, for example, to eliminate flat metal plates or objects, introduced into the reader and which could short-circuit its power supply. This also eliminates cards such as telephone cards, avoiding the risk of determining the credit of telephone units still entered in the card.

 When the card is recognized by the reader as an electronic card capable of being read by this reader, according to the method, the contact brushes are positioned as a function of the contacts on the card. This means that the functions assigned to the brushes used for reading the card inserted in the machine, are the functions which correspond to the contacts of this card. Indeed, even if as currently the eight contacts of a smart card are positioned either according to the ISO standard, or according to the AFNOR standard, this is only a geometrical positioning of the contacts, but the meaning or the function of the different contacts of the same type (ISO or AFNOR), varies from one manufacturer or user to another.

 The identification of the different contacts is done step by step, that is to say that a signal is applied to a first contact and the other contacts of the detection means are checked. When one or more of the receiving contacts receive a trace of the signal applied to the contact examined, this information is recorded in a table. The operation is repeated for all contacts and the contact (s) responding to the requested contact are saved. This makes it possible to establish a table of contacts which is compared to the various tables produced for each card and using identified cards. The simple comparison makes it possible to identify the card examined.

 When the application of a very weak signal to one of the contacts results in the reception of a signal of practically the same intensity on a large number of other contacts, it means that there is probably a conductive path between the contact receiving the detection signal and the other contacts. Depending on the case, this is interpreted by the circuit as corresponding to the detection of a metallized or metallic object.

 Conversely, when the sending of a detection signal to all the contacts results in the reception of no return signal, this is interpreted by the circuit as corresponding to a flat object which cannot be assimilated to a smart card. .

 This detection is actually applied to detect the position of the contacts of a card. Organizational rules allow this detection to be programmed, to prevent detection from taking place in places where there can be no contact on the card, regardless of how to introduce this card into the detection location. and reading.

 When the card could not be identified, it is rejected or swallowed depending on the operating mode used. On the other hand, when the card is identified as corresponding to a card known to the reader, this identification can be displayed by the display means of the reader to draw the attention of the user of the card to the identification which has been made. . An acceptance signal may or may not be imposed on the user, so that he confirms his intention to use the card. Then the card can be read. It is only then that the power supply is applied to the card for its microprocessor. The various usual operations can then be done on the card.

The present invention will be described in more detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which
- Figure 1 is a schematic view of an ISO type card
- Figure 2 is a schematic view of an AFNOR type card
- Figure 3 is a schematic view of the smart card reader according to the invention.

 Figure 1 shows a map corresponding to the ISO standard. This card 1 of rectangular shape and of standardized dimensions carries at a location 2 an electronic circuit with microprocessor called "chip" not shown and which communicates with the outside by contacts C1, C2 ... C8. The card also includes a slot 3 with a magnetic strip and a slot 4 with an embossed inscription. Other information can be found on the map. This information is not shown.

 For example, there may be a track for the holder's signature, clear or barcode identification identifying the holder, etc.

 The location 2 of the eight contacts C1-C8 is located at a distance A from the upper edge of the card 1. This location is also at the distance B from the front edge 6 of this same card.

 The surface of the C1-C8 contacts, the dimension of each of the surfaces (width, length), the spacing of these contacts and their distribution correspond to the ISO standard; the details of these geometric arrangements will not be given here.

 The map in Figure 2 corresponds to the AFNOR standard. This card 11 also includes a location 12 for the C1-C8 contacts, as well as one or two magnetic tracks 13, and a location 14 for embossed inscriptions.

 This card corresponds to other positioning parameters MN with respect to the upper edge 15 and the front edge 16. Furthermore, the numbering of the contacts C1-C8 is done in the reverse order to the numbering of the ISO card.

 The smart card reader shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3 makes it possible to read cards of different standards or formats after having previously detected them.

 The reader is made up of a card entry 20 with a card slot 21 materialized by a broken line to geometrically position the card inserted in the reader. Above location 21 is a detection means 22 shown by a rectangle transverse to location 21 and comprising a set of contact brushes not shown in detail, capable of touching the contacts in location 2 , 12 of the card 1.11 placed in the reader.

 The set of contact brushes 22 is linked to a detection circuit 23 comprising a means 24 for comparing identification signals supplied by the brushes of the detection means 22. This comparison means 24 can store the parameters of the contacts in memory of most known cards and it can also receive information from new cards brought into service, modifications transmitted by connected systems or peripherals, etc. connected by a means of communication 27.

 The circuit 23 cooperates with a display means 26 which makes it possible to display the information as a function of the detection or of the reading of the card, or also to indicate to the user of the reader, the operations to be carried out.

 Finally, the circuit 23 includes a means 25 for positioning the brushes of the detection means 22. It may be a mechanical means acting on the brushes of the detection means 22, but also a purely electronic means which switches or chooses the connections of the brushes of the detection means.

The system described above works as follows
After introduction and installation of the card 1,11 at location 21, the circuit 22 controls the sending of detection signals to the detection means 22 which sends back the collected signals as return signals. In detail, this consists in supplying detection signals (signals with extremely low currents) to one of the contacts of the location 2.12 of the board 1.11 and to examine on the other contacts and the brushes of the detection means 22 if there appears a return signal.

 This operation is repeated on all the brushes which, very schematically receive one after the other a detection signal and the other brushes are scanned for the appearance of return signals.

 When this operation is complete, the circuit 23 can pass to the recognition phase and compare the return signals associated with the different brushes, from the means 22 to the table to identify the type of card by the comparison means 24. The table contains the parameters of the different types of card as well as the "isolation" parameter and the "short-circuit" parameter which correspond respectively to the "contactless card" and to the "metallic card", that is to say of which all the "contacts" are gathered.

 The different types of cards including the exceptions "contactless card" or "metallic card" give rise to the display of corresponding information on the display means 26. The circuit 23 is also connected to the communication means 27 with outside (for example the network includes central office or peripherals) to provide information or receive information concerning for example a new type of card, not yet present in the table of the comparison means 24. When the comparison circuit 24 has recognized and identified the 1.11 card, the circuit 23 can supply the electronic circuit of the 1.11 card to perform the operations provided, usually done on such a microprocessor card (chip card).

 The brush positioning means electrically or mechanically assigns to each of the eight retained brushes, the function corresponding to the contact (C1-C8) that it touches on the card. This will allow the supply of the circuit of the card and the exchange of signals, according to the usual procedure.

 The flow of operations can be accompanied by the display of information, instructions or questions on the display means 26 which is for example a cathode ray tube screen.

 Finally, as a remark, it should be emphasized that the reader according to the invention makes it possible to receive types of cards which are unknown to it. At this time, the reader can interrogate the central office to obtain, by remote transmission, the contact functions of this new type of card so that it can be read immediately. The reader can therefore learn the new cards.

 Although the description given above by way of example explains the structure of cards conforming to "ISO" or "AFNOR" standards, this does not constitute any limitation of the invention and cards corresponding to other standards may be supported ; this is also true if the standards summarized above are to be changed.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS gorithm of the electronic circuit. C) and finally, the card is supplied with power and the detection is carried out, has made it possible to identify the card results of the detection and only if the report to the contact of the card, according to B) the read / write contacts are positioned by known cards pre-established identification signals for - we compare the output signals to power supply quer to the card collect output signals without app - by probing the card contacts for A) we detect the card type  1 ") Method for reading smart card (s) capable of reading and / or writing information on different electronic cards (smart cards) with or without magnetic strip, method characterized in that  intended for the user of the device.  time following the identification of the card; and - display means (26) for displaying messages  read / write functions at different ba  cation of the various known cards - a means of positioning (25) of the brushes associating  detection signals, and identification signals  response to detection signals - a means of comparison (24) of return signals  (22) to collect on the other brushes, the re  plique of feed, to each of the means brooms  which first sends detection signals without ap  any electronics - a detection and reading circuit (23, 24, 25)  touch any contact (2.12) on a card  tction (21) of the card - a set of contact brushes (22) capable of  2 ") Smart card reader (s) capable of receiving different electronic cards with or without magnetic stripe for reading and / or recording information, for implementing the method according to claim 1, reader comprising contact brushes read / write to cooperate with the contacts of the card inserted in the reader, reader characterized in that it comprises - a card entry (20) with means of posi  3 ") Reader according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a means of communication (27) allowing the reader to communicate with the outside in particular in network.