KR20070031367A - Pointing device with security capabilities - Google Patents

Abstract

A pointing device is disclosed that provides a security measure. Pointing devices are designed to read and write various cards (eg, tags, ICs, or magnetic cards) and communicate securely with the host device.

In one embodiment, the pointing device is a secure communication channel with the host device in order to protect data exchanged between the host device and the card when a software module is activated in the card detector and the host device communicating with the card. Includes a security engine configured to automatically configure

Description

Pointing device with security capabilities

The present invention can be easily understood by reading the detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings below. Like reference numerals denote like elements.

1 illustrates a typical pointing device (eg, a mouse) incorporating card-reading capability to read or write a card.

2 is a block diagram of a pointing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3a shows a configuration in which the present invention can be implemented,

3B shows an example of a receipt.

The present invention relates to a pointing device such as a mouse used in a computer device, and more particularly, to read or write various cards (eg, tags, ICs or magnetic cards, etc.), and securely with a host device. A pointing device for communicating.

A mouse is a small device that a computer user moves across a desk surface to point to or take one or more actions from that location.

These mice became widely used as computer tools for the first time since Apple Computer adopted the standard configuration of Apple Macintosh. Today, such a mouse has become an integral part of any user's graphical user interface (GUI).

At the same time, PCs have become a supplement or essential personal device for businesses, and people rely on these PCs to communicate with others over the Internet.

On the consumer side, many people use their PCs to buy goods or services over the Internet.

One of the issues with these transactions on the Internet is the payment, how users pay from their accounts to accounts in stores that are far from financial institutions.

Therefore, there is a need for a technology that provides security in communications from such pointing devices across application servers that execute financial transactions electronically on the network.

This paragraph aims to summarize embodiments of the various aspects of the present invention and to briefly introduce preferred embodiments. The simplification or omission in this paragraph is to avoid ambiguity in the purpose of this paragraph, the name of the invention and the abstract as with the name and abstract of the invention. Such simplification or omission is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Broadly speaking, the present invention is a pointing device (e.g. computer mouse) capable of reading or writing various cards (e.g. tags, ICs or magnetic cards, etc.) and having the ability to communicate securely with a host device. It is about

According to one aspect of the present invention, a card detector is provided inside a pointing device and is configured to be capable of communicating with a card including at least currency information; The security engine is configured to automatically establish a secure communication channel with the host device to protect the data exchanged between the host device and the card when a software module is activated on the host device.

The invention can be implemented in a variety of ways, including methods, systems, and apparatus. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a card detector configured to enable communication with a card including at least currency information; And a security engine configured to automatically establish a secure communication channel with the host device to protect data exchanged between the host device and the card when a software module is activated on the host device. Configured to enable a user to place an order at a commerce website on a network, the commerce website causing the host device to communicate with a website operated by a financial institution, and the data stored on the card being transferred to the host device and pointing device. The card needs to be scanned in order to be securely sent to a website operated by the financial institution.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a pointing device capable of reading or writing various cards and communicating securely with a host device.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The invention may be practiced without these specific details.

The description and representations herein are means used by those skilled in the art, and are intended to effectively convey the substance of the invention to others skilled in the art. On the other hand, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits are already well known and have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.

As used herein, "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a characteristic feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used in various parts of this specification, does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and is not separated or replaced by an embodiment mutually exclusive with another embodiment. Furthermore, the order of blocks in a process, flowchart or functional diagram representing one or more embodiments does not inherently indicate any particular order, nor does it imply any limitation in the invention.

Embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to FIGS. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the detailed description of the drawings is for illustrative purposes only, and that the present invention may be extended beyond this limited embodiment.

1 illustrates an example of a pointing device 100 (eg, a mouse) incorporating card reading capabilities capable of reading or writing card 102.

In one embodiment, the mouse 100 may include a card slot capable of receiving the card 102 for reading and writing the card 102, and in another embodiment, the mouse 100 may wirelessly card the card. 102 is made including a transponder capable of reading and writing.

Examples of the card 102 may include, but are not limited to, an IC card, a magnetic strip card, a memory card, a driving control card, and an ID card. It should be noted that the card used herein is not limited to the card shape, although not specifically mentioned. Indeed, it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that any type of device, including IC chips and transponders, may wirelessly interact with the mouse 100.

In one deployment, although further described below, the card 102 is presented to the pointing device 100 after the user is ready to check in for payment or approval for the order online.

Card 102 may be viewed as having a specific monetary function that allows the cost for an order or authorization to be deducted from the card.

2, an example of a block diagram of a pointing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

The pointing device 200 includes a card detector 202, a CPU 204, a security engine 206, and a RAM 210. The original function as a regular pointing device is collectively represented in function block 208.

Depending on the implementation, the card detector 202 may be combined with a slot provided to receive the card for contact communication, or may include a transponder for communicating with the card without contact.

The data stored in the card is read by the CPU 204 and transmitted to a counterpart inside the host device through a secured channel established by the security engine 206. In other words, any data exchanged between the card and the host device via the pointing device 200 is secure. The RAM 210 is provided to store code for the security engine 206, for example.

2B illustrates an example of card detector 220 implementation. As shown in the figure, the card detector 220 includes an antenna strip 222 for communicating with the card by radio frequency (RF), and a slot 224 for receiving the card for contact communication. It includes. Circuitry 226 is provided for reading data from the card regardless of how the card communicates.

Referring to FIG. 3A, FIG. 3A illustrates a configuration 300 in which the present invention may be practiced. The pointing device 302 as intended of the present invention is coupled with the PC 304. As described above, the pointing device 302 is designed to exchange data with a card (eg, an RFID card or a magnetic strip card). Like a portable device with a built-in transponder, such as a mobile phone, the pointing device 302 may be designed and implemented to communicate wirelessly with such a portable device.

In operation, the pointing device 302 operates as a regular pointing device and allows the user to move the screen 302 to take a selected action. PC 304 is connected to commerce site 306 via the Internet 308 to allow a user to select a type of product or service. After the order is placed, the commerce site 306 redirects the PC 304 to the financial website 310 operated by the financial institution managing the account. At this time, the user is required to scan the portable device or the card through the pointing device 302.

Data stored in the card or the portable device is read by the pointing device 302. A secured communication channel is established between the pointing device 302 and the PC 304. The software module running inside the PC 304 determines whether there is enough balance to place an order for the selected product or service. If there is sufficient balance, the software module is configured to perform a procedure for authenticating data transmitted from the software module and to communicate with the site 310.

If authentication is successful, the order filed from the user is accepted by commerce site 306, and at the same time the total amount of the order is deducted from the card or the portable device.

In operation, after authentication, PC 304 receives a message from the financial site 310. The message indicates how much has been subtracted from the card or the portable device. The software module executed inside the PC 304 generates data reflecting the balance and writes a new balance to the card or the portable device via the pointing device 302. In one embodiment, the receipt is shown on the display of the PC 304.

Here, the receipt may not only mean a form in which a transaction history is printed on paper as in a widely used form, but also as an electronic form displayed on a display of a PC or other mobile terminal as mentioned above. It may mean that.

3B illustrates an example of a receipt 320 including an electronic wallet ID, an issuer ID, a RefNumber, a terminal ID, a transaction time, a total purchase amount, and a balance remaining in the electronic wallet. The electronic wallet ID is embedded in the card for authentication. The issuer ID is associated with a financial institution that issues the card or manages an account associated with the card. The RefNumber is used to refer to a transaction. The transaction history records when a transaction occurred. The total purchase amount represents the amount the user has agreed to for his / her order. The remaining balance represents the amount of money the card can continue to be used without recharging.

To recharge the card, in one embodiment a user uses his / her handheld device to move a certain amount from his / her account opened at a bank to the card. This is based on the premise that the portable device incorporates a transponder or slot reader that sends an authorized amount to the card for the card's balance to be updated. In one embodiment, the pointing device is used to query or read the balance of the card, in which case the host device need not be online. The pointing device may be used to read account information and / or transaction details.

According to an embodiment, the pointing device as intended of the present invention is used with the host device in a closed environment. The pointing device is used to perform a secure transaction between the cardholder and the operator of the host device. Typically the host device is at least loaded with a security module configured to allow the pointing device to read certain information from the card and to rewrite updated or new information to the card to conduct a transaction.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pointing device operates as a read / write terminal that enables interaction with an electronic pulse / wallet according to each electronic payment operation. The user may need to communicate with a backend payment server to retrieve the information needed to instruct the selected electronic wallet to perform the operation. This operation not only enables transactions such as purchases and loads, but also enables non-transactions such as balance checks.

As mentioned above, pointing devices enable secure communication between themselves and payment clients, extending security from payment customers to payment terminals. These channels provide access key protection for vulnerable contactless transponders, such as those based on the ISO14443 standard.

Combined with a networked back-end hardware security module, the pointing device operates as a virtual secured access module (SAM) at each terminal of a payment system based on a securityless contactless transponder. With this virtual SAM, keys are generated at the backend and passed to the terminal. No physical hardware SAM is separately installed on each terminal. This allows such a transponder based payment system to be deployed and operated in an open environment such as the Internet.

The above described embodiments are merely illustrative of various aspects / embodiments for the present invention. Various modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the description of the above-described embodiments.

According to the present invention, security is provided for communication from a pointing device to an application server that executes a financial transaction electronically on a network.

In addition, according to the present invention, no physical hardware SAM is separately installed in each terminal, and a payment system based on a transponder can be arranged and operated in an open environment such as the Internet.

Claims (20)

A card detector configured to be able to communicate with a card including at least monetary information; And A security engine configured to automatically establish a secure communication channel with the host device to protect data exchanged between the host device and the card when a software module is activated on the host device. Pointing device with security capability. The method of claim 1, RAM for storing the code for supporting the security engine; And And a CPU configured to execute the code by the security engine to establish a secure communication channel with the host device. The method of claim 1, wherein the card detector, A pointing device with security capability including a transponder for wireless communication with the card. The method of claim 1, wherein the card detector, And a card slot for physically accommodating the card so as to communicate with the card. The method of claim 1, wherein the card detector, A pointing device with a security capability, characterized in that the communication with the card through a contact or contactless manner. The method of claim 5, wherein the card detector, A transponder for wireless communication with the card; And And a card slot for physically receiving the card to enable communication with the card. The method of claim 1, The pointing device with a security capability to enable the host device to read the balance of the card through the pointing device. The method of claim 7, wherein the card, It is charged through a transponder provided in a predetermined portable device, The predetermined portable device is a pointing device having a security capability, characterized in that used to communicate with the issuing authority or management authority of the card. The method of claim 7, wherein The pointing device having a security capability, characterized in that acting as a terminal to read and write so that the user can interact with the electronic wallet through the electronic payment function. A card detector configured to communicate with a card including at least currency information; And A security engine configured to automatically establish a secure communication channel with the host device to protect data exchanged between the host device and the card when a software module is activated on the host device, The host device is configured to allow a user to place an order at a commerce website on the network, the commerce website causing the host device to communicate with a website operated by a financial institution, and the data stored on the card being transferred to the host. A pointing device with a security capability, characterized in that the card is scanned to ensure that the device and the pointing device are securely transmitted to a website operated by a financial institution. The method of claim 10, RAM for storing the code for supporting the security engine; And And a CPU configured to execute the code to cause the security engine to establish a secure communication channel with the host device. The method of claim 10, wherein the card detector, A pointing device having a security capability including a transponder for wireless communication with the card. The method of claim 10, wherein the card detector, And a card slot for physically accommodating the card so as to communicate with the card. The method of claim 10, wherein the card detector, A pointing device with a security capability, characterized in that the communication with the card through a contact or contactless manner. The method of claim 14, wherein the card detector, A transponder for wireless communication with the card; And And a card slot for physically receiving the card to enable communication with the card. The method of claim 10, The pointing device having a security capability to enable the host device to check the balance of the card through the pointing device. A card detector configured to communicate with the card; And A security engine configured to automatically establish a secure communication channel with the host device to protect data exchanged between the host device and the card when a software module is activated on the host device, The host device is configured to allow a user to present the card to the pointing device, and transmits the specific information read from the card to the host device returning updated information for writing back to the card through a secure communication channel. Pointing device having a security capability, characterized in that. The method of claim 17, RAM for storing the code for supporting the security engine; And And a CPU configured to execute the code to cause the security engine to establish a secure communication channel with the host device. The method of claim 18, wherein the card detector, A pointing device having a security capability including a transponder for wireless communication with the card. The method of claim 17, A pointing device, wherein the card interacts with the pointing device through a transponder embedded in the card.

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