FR3071641B1 - METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A SECURE ELEMENT SUCH AS AN ELECTRONIC CARD - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for configuring a program intended to be executed by a secure element, the method comprising steps implemented in the secure element: reception by a secure element of configuration data of a program, said data comprising a version of a program; - comparing a version of the program to be configured with the version indicated in the received configuration data, and if the compared versions are different; processing the received configuration data so that it is compatible with the version of the program to be configured.

Description

GENERAL TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of secure elements such as smart cards. And the invention relates more particularly to the configuration of an application stored on a secure element.

STATE OF THE ART

A secure element (in English "Secure Element", (SE)) conventionally comprises a processor configured to run an operating system and one or more application programs (called applications) that cooperate with the operating system. The secure element includes a memory to which the processor has access.

For each application, the program itself is stored in the memory (in the form of compiled or interpreted code) and on the other hand data written and / or read into the memory by the program during its execution by the processor.

This data is, in particular personalization data or configuration associated with the use of the secure element. For example, in the case of a credit card personalization data may be a payment cap.

Usually an industrial develops the secure element with one or more applications that correspond to the end-use proposed by a service provider to its customers. These applications have specifications that are, for example, from an editor. Sometimes, specifications are directly provided by the manufacturer (we speak of proprietary application). For example, the manufacturer develops bank cards for a banking brand that customizes the applications according to the end use for its customers.

Also, to do this, the service provider has personalization tools that can customize one or more application (s) at a given time.

A problem occurs when the publisher is changing applications (both for applications and for customizing these applications). The supplier then has secure elements with the various evolutions but does not necessarily have the personalization tools in phase with the evolutions.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to have a secure element on which are stored several different programs which are configurable from configuration data and regardless of the version of the program. The invention proposes to overcome at least one of these disadvantages. For this purpose, the invention proposes a method of configuring a program intended to be executed by a secure element, the method comprising steps implemented in the secure element: reception by a secure element of configuration data; a program, said data comprising a version of a program; - comparing a version of the program to be configured with the version indicated in the received configuration data, and if the compared versions are different; processing the received configuration data so that it is compatible with the version of the program to be configured. The invention is advantageously completed by the following characteristics, taken alone or in any of their technically possible combination: the processing step (300) comprises the extraction sub-step (301), from the received configuration data which are independent of the versions; the processing step (300) comprises the sub-steps of: extraction (302), among the configuration data which are used in the two versions but in different ways functions of each of the versions; modifying (303) the configuration data so that extracted data works with the program to be configured; the processing step (300) comprises the substeps of: extraction (304), among the configuration data which are used according to several types of use in the program to be configured; duplicating (305) the extracted configuration data; the processing step (300) comprises the substeps of: extraction (306), among the configuration data which are not used by the program to be configured; deleting (307) the data thus extracted; the processing step (300) comprises the substeps of: verifying (308) that the configuration data expected by the program to be configured are present in the received data, and if expected configuration data are not present in the received configuration data; creating (309) configuration data having a default value; the method comprises a step (400) for storing the processed data within the secure element. The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention, when this program is executed by a processor (2). The invention also relates to a secure electronic card type element comprising: at least one processor (2); a memory (3) configured to store a program having a given version and configuration data of said program; the electronic card being characterized in that the processor is configured to implement a method according to the invention.

In a complementary manner, the memory of the secure element is of flash type.

The advantages of the invention are manifold. The invention allows the modification of personalization data on the fly to:

Keep the customization mechanisms from one application to another,

To make the marketing of certain products faster.

Thus, an industrialist developing security elements can offer its customers (service providers) solutions embedding several different applications, and offers its customers the ability to keep their configuration and customization files from one application to another , even when the application standards are brought to be modified. The invention makes it possible to configure the secure element containing certain applications with data from another application. The invention also allows a faster marketing of the secure element embedding applications different from those used usually. Indeed, the service provider can keep his configuration ecosystem despite new applications, and migrate his configuration system at his own pace.

PRESENTATION OF THE FIGURES Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and nonlimiting, and which should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. secure element according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of steps of a method of configuring a secure element according to one embodiment of the invention.

In the set of figures, similar elements bear identical references.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a secure element 1 comprises a memory 3 at least one processor 2 and a communication interface 4.

A secure element 1 is for example a bank card of a user, a mobile phone or any element having such a secure element.

The memory 3 is for example a memory unit of "flash" type.

The processor 2 is adapted to execute program code instructions and in particular read and write access to the contents of the memory. The secure element 1 is provided with an operating system whose execution is performed by the processor 2. Such an operating system is a central program that controls the installation, configuration, execution of application programs or applications. The communication interface 4 is connected to the processor 2 which is configured to process data received by the interface. The communication interface 4 is configured to cooperate with a communication interface of a terminal 5, for example a bank transaction terminal or, in particular, a configuration terminal of the secure element 1.

In addition, the processor 2 is configured to implement a method of configuring an application program intended to be executed by the secure element and described below, with reference to FIG. 2.

In an initial state, an application program (or more simply program in the following description) is stored in the memory of the secure element. This program is identified by a program version to identify changes in the program.

The program is configurable using configuration data.

These data have some content in a certain format that depends on the version of the program. Thus, the configuration data includes, in particular, the version of the program. More generally, this configuration data includes data that allows an application to function properly once the secure element is in the hand of its end user.

In order to simplify the description below, it is considered that a program having an X version is stored in the program memory and that the configuration data corresponding to this version X is denoted DX and that the configuration data corresponding to Y version of the program are noted DY.

In a step 100, the secure element receives configuration data from a program.

Preferably, it is through a configuration terminal 5 in connection with the communication interface 4 of the secure element 1 that the secure element 1 receives the configuration data.

In a step 200, the version of the program to be configured is compared to the version indicated in the received configuration data.

If the versions are identical (received DY data, stored Y version program), then the configuration data is stored in the memory and will be used by the program during its execution. The data is stored as is and this case will not be more detailed in the description.

In a step 300, if the versions are different (received DY data, stored version X program), the received configuration data are processed so that they are compatible with the version of the program to be configured. That is, so that they are interpretable and usable.

It is then the data thus processed which, in a step 400, are stored in the memory and which will be used by the program during its execution.

It is specified that the processing step 300 is done on the fly when the configuration data is sent to the secure element. The step 300 of the configuration data processing comprises several types of operations depending on the type of data included in the configuration data.

Several variants of the treatment step 300 are described below. Each of these variants can be called on the fly and the order of presentation of the latter is in no way limiting.

Variant 1

In a sub-step 301, the configuration data that is independent of the versions of the program are extracted.

This data is used in the same way by the program to be configured and by the configuration data which may correspond to a different version from that of the program to be configured. These data will be directly stored in the memory without specific processing since there is no need to modify them.

Variant 2

In a sub-step 302, the received configuration data DY which is used both by the program to be configured version X and by the version program Y which corresponds to the received data DY are extracted.

In a step 303 these data are modified so that they can work with the program to be configured version X.

Variant 3

In a substep 304, the received configuration data DY that exists in the version Y program and that has been duplicated according to several different types of uses in the version X program are extracted and in a substep 305 are duplicated as many times as necessary.

Variant 4

In a sub-step 306, the received configuration data DY which is not used by the program to be configured version X is extracted and in a sub-step 307 are deleted configuration data.

Variant 5

In a sub-step 308, it is verified that all the data expected by the program to be configured are present in the received configuration data.

If data is expected by the program to be configured but not in the configuration data then in a sub-step 309 additional data is created within the secure element with a default value and directly stored in a substep 310 since these data will never be sent to the secure element during configuration.

Claims (10)

A method of configuring a program to be executed by a secure element, the method comprising steps implemented in the secure element: receiving (100) by a secure element of configuration data of a program, said data comprising a version of a program; - comparing (200) a version of the program to be configured with the version indicated in the received configuration data, and if the compared versions are different; processing (300) the received configuration data so that it is compatible with the version of the program to be configured. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing step (300) comprises the substep of: - extracting (301), from the received configuration data which is version independent. 3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing step (300) comprises the sub-steps of - extraction (302), among the configuration data which are used in both versions but in different ways functions each version; - modification (303) of the configuration data so that extracted data works with the program to be configured 4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing step (300) comprises the extraction sub-steps (304), among the configuration data which are used according to several types of use in the program. to configure; duplication (305) of the extracted configuration data. 5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing step (300) comprises the extraction substeps (306), among the configuration data which are not used by the program to be configured; - deleting (307) the data thus extracted. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing step (300) comprises the check substeps (308) that the configuration data expected by the program to be configured is present in the received data, and if expected configuration data is not present in the received configuration data; creating (309) configuration data having a default value. 7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a step (400) for storing the processed data within the secure element. A computer program product comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims, when this program is executed by a processor (2). 9. Electronic card type secure element comprising - at least one processor (2); a memory (3) configured to store a program having a given version and configuration data of said program; the electronic card being characterized in that the processor is configured to implement a method according to one of claims 1 to 7. 10. Secure element according to claim 9, wherein the memory is of flash type.