JP4162786B2 - IC card - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an IC card, and more particularly to an IC card that has a CPU and a memory and can selectively execute a plurality of application programs stored in the memory by the CPU.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Instead of magnetic cards that have been used as cash cards and credit cards, optical cards and IC cards have begun to spread. In particular, an IC card with a built-in CPU has an advantage that it can be used for expensive commercial transactions because it can ensure a high level of security.
[0003]
Currently, an IC card having a CPU that is generally used incorporates ROM, EEPROM, and RAM as memories. Usually, a basic program to be executed by the CPU is stored in the ROM, user data and various application programs are stored in the EEPROM, and the RAM is used as a work area of the CPU. Since the EEPROM is a rewritable memory, necessary data and application programs can be stored for each user.
[0004]
When data or programs are written to or read from an IC card, an external device called a so-called reader / writer device is used. Between the external device and the IC card, data and programs are transmitted to each other via a physical transmission line or a non-contact transmission path. Normally, information transmission from an external device to the IC card is given in the form of a command, and various instructions and data are transmitted to the IC card as one piece of information in the command. On the other hand, information transmission from the IC card to the external device is given in the form of a response, and the processing result and data are transmitted to the external device as one piece of information in the response.
[0005]
Since the degree of integration of memories such as EEPROM has been improved year by year, a current general IC card can store a plurality of application programs in the EEPROM. For example, if multiple application programs such as medical diagnosis programs, credit settlement programs, and gasoline price payment programs are stored in the EEPROM, they can be executed by selectively executing them. This IC card can be used as a medical card, a credit card, or a gasoline refueling card.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
IC card usage forms are expected to be increasingly diversified in the future, and usage forms that select and execute necessary application programs from a plurality of pre-stored application programs are becoming common. I think that the. For this reason, when an IC card is connected to an external device and access is started, first, an operation for selecting one of the application programs is required. Normally, this selection operation is performed by giving an application selection command from the external device side. For example, when an IC card storing the three types of application programs as described above is inserted into an external device (reader / writer device) installed in a hospital, first, the IC card from the external device is used for medical diagnosis. An operation for giving an application selection command for selecting a program is required. On the IC card side, based on the application selection command, processing for setting a specified specific application program is performed, and processing for transmitting a selection completion response to the external device side is performed. After receiving the response, the external device can give the original command (command for the medical diagnosis program) to the IC card side.
[0007]
As described above, in an IC card of a type that selectively executes a plurality of application programs, a series of operations for selecting a specific application program is required at the start of external access. However, such an application selection procedure is not always efficient. In particular, since a serial transmission method using one signal line is used for signal transmission between the external device and the IC card, command transmission, selection processing inside the IC card, response transmission, This process requires a certain amount of time, and a waiting time must be generated until the original work can be started.
[0008]
SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an IC card capable of efficiently selecting an application program to be executed.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
(1) A first aspect of the present invention is an IC card having a CPU and a memory, and capable of selectively executing a plurality of application programs stored in the memory by the CPU.
The CPU executes a command given from the external device based on a program stored in the memory, and performs a function of transmitting the result to the external device as a response,
In the memory, an application storage section for storing individual application programs and a selection history storage section for storing selection history of individual application programs are provided.
CPU
Processing for selecting a designated application program when an application selection command for designating one of a plurality of application programs is given from an external device;
A process of starting the selected application program when the application program is selected and recording the date and time as a selection history in the selection history storage section of the selected application program;
When the reset signal is given from an external device, the selection history recorded in the selection history storage section is referred to count the number of selections within a predetermined period for each application, and the application program having the maximum count value The process of automatically selecting
Is to do.
[0010]
(2) According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the IC card according to the first aspect described above,
Information specifying the automatically selected application program is given to the external device together with a response signal to the reset signal.
[0011]
(3) A third aspect of the present invention is the IC card according to the first or second aspect described above,
When the space in the selection history storage section is saturated, the process of deleting from the oldest date and time is performed.
[0012]
(4) A fourth aspect of the present invention is the IC card according to the first to third aspects described above,
If a new application selection command is given before executing the command for the automatically selected application program, the newly selected application program is started, the selection history is recorded, and the automatic selection is performed first. The process of deleting the date and time recorded as the selected application program history is performed.
[0013]
(5) According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the IC card according to the first to fourth aspects described above,
When no past selection history is recorded, the application program stored at the youngest address in the memory is automatically selected.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a state in which information is transmitted between a general IC card 10 and an external device (reader / writer device) 20. In this example, the IC card 10 includes a CPU 11 having various arithmetic processing functions, an I / O interface 12 for transmitting / receiving information to / from the external device 20, and memories such as a ROM 13, an EEPROM 14, and a RAM 15. The ROM 13 is a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory, and the CPU 11 executes predetermined processing based on a basic program stored in the ROM 13. The EEPROM 14 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory and stores user data and various application programs. The RAM 15 is a rewritable volatile memory used as a work area when the CPU 11 executes various processes.
[0015]
The IC card 10 and the external device 20 are connected to each other by a method such as a connection using a physical signal line, a connection using infrared rays, or a non-contact connection using electromagnetics, and information is transmitted and received. Information is transmitted from the external device 20 to the IC card 10 in the form of a command. The transmitted command is given to the CPU 11 via the I / O interface 12. Conversely, information is transmitted from the IC card 10 to the external device 20 in the form of a response to a given command. This response is transmitted from the CPU 11 to the external device 20 via the I / O interface 12.
[0016]
In this embodiment, the application program is stored in an application storage area 140 provided in the EEPROM 14 as shown in FIG. In the illustrated example, application programs 1, 2, and 3 are stored in the sections 141A, 142A, and 143A in the application storage area 140, respectively. One of the features of the present invention is that partitions 141B, 142B, and 143B for storing the selection history of each application program are further provided and the selection history is recorded. In these sections 141B, 142B, and 143B, selection histories of the application programs 1, 2, and 3 are recorded, respectively.
[0017]
Here, as an example, it is assumed that the application programs 1, 2, and 3 are a medical diagnosis program, a credit settlement program, and a gasoline price payment program, respectively. In this case, the IC card 10 can be used as a diagnosis card, a credit card, or a gasoline refueling card, and a specific application program is selected according to the application.
[0018]
Conventionally, this selection operation is performed based on an instruction from the external device 20 side. For example, when the IC card 10 is inserted into the external device 20 installed in a hospital, an application selection command for selecting a medical diagnosis program is given following a reset signal to the CPU 11. As a result, the medical diagnosis program is activated inside the IC card 10, and thereafter, the IC card 10 enters a state of accepting commands for the medical diagnosis program. When the same IC card 10 is inserted into the external device 20 installed in the shopping center, an application selection command for selecting a credit settlement program is given following a reset signal to the CPU 11. As a result, the credit settlement program is activated inside the IC card 10, and thereafter the credit settlement program is accepted.
[0019]
Of course, in the IC card 10 according to the present invention, it is possible to select an application to be activated by giving the application selection command as described above from the external device 20 side. However, the IC card 10 according to the present invention has a function of automatically selecting an application having a high probability of being selected before an application selection command is given from the external device 20 side. A specific method for determining which application has a high probability of being selected will be described later. When access to the IC card 10 according to the present invention is started, one application is already automatically selected. It is in the state. Which application is automatically selected in the IC card 10 is transmitted as a response to the external device 20 side. Therefore, if this automatically selected application is a correct application to be executed, the external application 20 The device 20 can immediately send a command for the application. That is, there is no need to give an application selection command as in the prior art. On the other hand, if the automatically selected application is not the application to be executed, an application selection command may be given and a correct application selection operation may be performed as before.
[0020]
In the present invention, a past selection history is used as a judgment material for determining an application having a high probability of being selected. For this reason, in the IC card according to the present invention, every time a specific application is selected, a process of recording the date and time as a selection history is performed. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, when the application program 1 is selected, the date and time is recorded as a selection history in the section 141B. If n times have been selected in the past, a total of n dates and times will be recorded. However, since the storage capacity of the partition 141B is finite, when the storage space in the partition is saturated, a process of deleting from the oldest date and time is performed. Similarly, in the sections 142B and 143B, the dates and times when the application programs 2 and 3 are selected are recorded as selection histories.
[0021]
When the external device 20 starts accessing the IC card 10, the CPU 11 refers to the selection history recorded for each application program, and based on this selection history, a specific application program (an application with a high probability of being selected). The process of selecting automatically is performed. Specifically, in the embodiment shown here, this automatic selection process is executed when a reset signal is given to the CPU 11. Usually, immediately after the IC card 10 and the external device 20 are connected, a reset signal is transmitted from the external device 20 to the CPU 11 in the IC card 10. Therefore, it is convenient to execute this automatic selection process following the process performed in the IC card 10 when the reset signal is received (usually, various initial setting processes are performed).
[0022]
One candidate application that is likely to be selected is the most recently selected application. For example, in a situation where shopping is performed at a shopping center, an IC card is used every time shopping is performed, and a credit settlement program is selected and executed each time. Therefore, if the most recently selected application is a credit settlement program, the application to be selected at the next use is highly likely to be a credit settlement program. Therefore, the approach of always automatically selecting the most recently selected application is a sufficiently meaningful approach.
[0023]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of automatic selection processing performed inside the IC card 10 when such an approach is adopted. First, when a reset signal is given from the external device 20 side, reset signal reception processing is performed in step S11. This process is a process for setting various data in the RAM 15 or performing a specific setting based on the specific data in the EEPROM 14, but is not directly related to the gist of the present invention. Omitted. Subsequently, in step S12, the history of each application is read. Specifically, the selection history (date and time of selection) in the sections 141B, 142B, and 143B shown in FIG. 2 is read out. In step S13, the application having the latest selection history (that is, the latest date and time) is automatically selected, and in the subsequent step S14, the selection history of the selected application is updated (current date and time is selected). Newly recorded as history).
[0024]
Finally, in step S15, an ATR signal is transmitted. This ATR (Answer To Reset) signal is a response to the reset signal given from the external device 20 side, and informs the external device 20 side that the reset signal reception processing has been completed and preparation for command reception is ready. It is a signal for. In the present embodiment, along with this ATR signal, information specifying which application is the automatically selected application is transmitted to the external device 20. In a general IC card standard, an ATR signal can include arbitrary data bits in addition to predetermined data bits. In the present embodiment, a method of transmitting information for specifying the automatically selected application to the external device 20 as the arbitrary data bits is adopted. The external device 20 can recognize from the ATR signal that the IC card 10 is ready to accept a command and can recognize that a specific application has been automatically selected. After transmitting this ATR signal, normal command execution processing described later is performed.
[0025]
On the other hand, another approach for determining an application having a high probability of being selected is a method of automatically selecting an application program having the highest selection frequency within a predetermined period. Even for an IC card that can be used for many applications, these applications are not uniformly used, and usually, there are many usage patterns that are biased to specific applications for each user. Therefore, it can be said that the application having the highest usage frequency in the past has a high probability of being selected next time. Therefore, for example, an approach that sets a predetermined period in advance such as the past week or the past month and automatically selects an application with the highest selection frequency within the predetermined period is a sufficiently meaningful approach. It is.
[0026]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of automatic selection processing performed inside the IC card 10 when such an approach is adopted. First, when a reset signal is given from the external device 20 side, reset signal reception processing is performed in step S21. Subsequently, in step S22, the history of each application is read. That is, the selection history (date and time when the selection is made) in the sections 141B, 142B, and 143B shown in FIG. 2 is read out. In step S23, the number of selections within a predetermined period is counted for each application. For example, the number of times of recording the date and time within the past week is counted. In step S24, the application having the maximum count value is automatically selected, and in the subsequent step S25, the selection history of the selected application is updated (the current date and time is newly recorded as the selection history). Finally, in step S25, an ATR signal is transmitted. Along with this ATR signal, information specifying which application is the automatically selected application is transmitted as in the above example.
[0027]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of normal command execution processing performed in the IC card 10 after the procedure shown in FIG. 3 or the procedure shown in FIG. 4 is completed. When the four-command execution process is performed, a specific application has already been automatically selected, and the external device 20 has been notified of which application has been automatically selected. When the automatically selected application is an application that should be executed, the external device 20 transmits a command for the application, but when the application is not an application that should be executed, the external device 20 should execute it. An application selection command for selecting an application is transmitted. In the former case, the procedure for transmitting the application selection command can be omitted. In the latter case, an operation for transmitting an application selection command is required, which is a normal process performed by a conventional IC card.
[0028]
On the IC card 10 side, in step S31, a standby state for command reception is set. When a command from the external device 20 is received, it is determined in step S32 whether or not this command is an application selection command. As described above, when the automatically selected application is an application that should be executed, the external device 20 transmits a command for the application, and thus the process proceeds from step S32 to step S33. This given command is executed. On the other hand, if the automatically selected application is not the application that should be executed, the external device 20 transmits an application selection command for selecting the application that should be executed originally. Proceeding to step S34, a process of selecting an application (a process of switching from the automatically selected application to the newly selected application) is performed based on the given application selection command. Further, in step S35, the selection history is selected. , I.e., a process of recording a selection history for the newly selected application. At this time, if necessary, a process of correcting the selection history for the application that has been automatically selected first (the automatic selection made earlier was an incorrect selection. To correct this, for example, Processing that deletes the date and time) may be performed.
[0029]
In either case, a predetermined response is transmitted to the external device 20 in step S36. If the same process is repeatedly executed through step S37 and a command for ending the execution of the application is given, this procedure is ended through step S37.
[0030]
As described above, the application automatic selection function performed in the present invention is a function of predicting and selecting an application having a high probability of being selected, and thus the automatic selection is not necessarily a correct selection. However, if automatic selection based on the above-described approach is performed, there is a high possibility that correct automatic selection is performed, and there is a high possibility that an application selection command can be omitted. Even if the automatic selection is wrong, by giving an application selection command, the correct application can be selected by the conventional method, so there is no practical disadvantage.
[0031]
As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on embodiment shown in figure, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, In addition, it can implement with a various form. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the application program is stored in the EEPROM 14, but the present invention can also be applied to an IC card in which the application program is stored in the ROM 13. However, in this case, the selection history needs to be recorded in the rewritable EEPROM 14.
[0032]
In the above-described embodiment, the processing operation on the premise that the selection history has already been recorded has been described. However, when the IC card is used for the first time, it is necessary to perform automatic selection by another method. That is, at the first use when no past selection history is recorded, automatic selection based on the selection history is not possible. For example, a method of automatically selecting an application stored at the youngest address in the memory is used. Take it. Or you may take the method of waiting for the application selection command given from the external apparatus 20 side, without performing an automatic selection process.
[0033]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, as an application candidate to be automatically selected, an approach for selecting the application program selected most recently, an approach for selecting an application program with the highest selection frequency within a predetermined period, and However, as an automatic selection approach, a method combining both may be used, or another approach may be used.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the IC card according to the present invention, when an access is started, an application is automatically selected based on a past selection history, so that an application program to be executed can be efficiently selected. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a state in which information is transmitted between a general IC card 10 and an external device (reader / writer device) 20. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a memory map showing a state of an application storage area 140 in the EEPROM 14 in the IC card according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of an automatic selection process based on an approach of selecting an application selected most recently.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of automatic selection processing based on an approach of selecting an application with the highest selection frequency.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of normal command execution processing after automatic selection is performed.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... IC card 11 ... CPU
12 ... I / O interface 13 ... ROM
14… EEPROM
15 ... RAM
20. External device (reader / writer device)
140: Application storage areas 141A, 142A, 143A ... Partitions for storing application programs 141B, 142B, 143B ... Partitions for storing application selection history

Claims (5)

In an IC card that has a CPU and a memory and can selectively execute a plurality of application programs stored in the memory by the CPU,
The CPU executes a command given from an external device based on a program stored in the memory, and performs a function of transmitting the result to the external device as a response,
In the memory, an application storage section for storing individual application programs and a selection history storage section for storing selection history of individual application programs are provided.
The CPU
Processing for selecting a designated application program when an application selection command for designating one of the plurality of application programs is given from the external device;
A process of starting the selected application program when the application program is selected and recording the date and time as a selection history in the selection history storage section of the selected application program;
When a reset signal is given from the external device, by referring to the selection history recorded in the selection history storage section, the number of selections within a predetermined period is counted for each application, and the count value is the maximum. A process of automatically selecting an application program;
An IC card characterized by In the IC card according to claim 1,
  An IC card characterized in that information specifying an automatically selected application program is given to an external device together with a response signal to a reset signal. In the IC card according to claim 1 or 2,
  An IC card characterized in that when the space in the selection history storage section is saturated, a process of deleting from the oldest date and time is performed. In the IC card according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
  If a new application selection command is given before executing the command for the automatically selected application program, the newly selected application program is started, the selection history is recorded, and the automatic selection is performed first. An IC card that performs processing for deleting the date and time recorded as a selection history of the selected application program. In the IC card according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
  An IC card that automatically selects an application program stored at the youngest address in a memory when no past selection history is recorded.

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