WO2008054088A1

WO2008054088A1 - Contactless smartcard reader

Info

Publication number: WO2008054088A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/005249
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeong Yoo Kim; Gi Myoung Kim
Original assignee: Wisecatch Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2006-11-02
Filing date: 2007-10-24
Publication date: 2008-05-08
Also published as: KR100740673B1

Abstract

A contact less smart card reader is disclosed. An antenna connection terminal connects with a loop antenna provided in a mobile communication terminal. A power source connection terminal is connected to a power source for the mobile communication terminal, and supplies power. A control logic receives a signal received by the loop antenna, recognizes at least one contact less smart cards, and performs control such that recognized smart card-related information is transmitted to the outside. Memory stores the operating system of the control logic. A data connection terminal transmits the smart card-related information to the outside under the control of the control logic such that the smart card-related information is processed and displayed in a body of the mobile communication terminal. Packaging enables mounting in the mobile communication terminal in compliance with a predetermined standard.

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[Invention Title]

CONTACTLESS SMARTCARD READER

[Technical Field]

<i> The present invention relates, in general, to a contact less smart card reader, and, more particularly, to a contact less smart card reader, which has a mechanical structure to be mounted in a smart card slot provided in a mobile communication terminal, and which recognizes a smart card which is brought close to the mobile communication terminal in the state of being mounted in the smart card slot, thereby enabling various types of financial transactions to be conducted using recognized card information.

[Background Art]

<2> The term "smart card" is variously used according to the application field thereof. In the International Standards Organization (ISO) standard, the term 'Integrated Circuit (IC) Card' is used as a generic term for cards in each of which one or more ICs are embedded. In the Smart Card Forum, the term 'Smart Card' having a meaning of "an integrated circuit card with memory capable of making decisions" is used. Further, terms, such as 'Chip Card' , 'Microprocessor Card' , and 'Central Processing Unit (CPU) Card' , which emphasize the operation function thereof, are used. Furthermore, terms, such as 'Super Smart Card' and 'Crypto Card' , are used in the sense in which the cards have storage ability, operation functions, and high- degree security functions. However, generally, a smart card may be described as "a credit card-sized plastic card in which a chip, which includes a microprocessor, a card operation system, a security module, and memory, and thus processes a specific transaction, for example, payment, is embedded" . <3> Further, a Subscriber Identify Module (SIM), a User Identify Module (UIM), and a User Subscriber Identify Module (USIM) are included in the same category as a smart card, defined as described above. Here, the SIM is an essential standard based on user authentication and roaming between network service providers in a GSM network in Europe. In an example of the use of an SIM, a communication service provider issues SIM cards, and a subscriber carries only an issued SIM card and can freely use services regardless of place or time, for example, in a department store or a supermarket in such a way as to buy a mobile communication terminal and mount the SIM card on the purchased mobile communication terminal. Further, the term "UIM" is used in a synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) group. The UIM has the same function as the above-described SIM, and is selectively used in a CDMA standard. The USIM is a mobile communication chip card having a general concept which includes both SIM and UIM. A plurality of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)-2000 wireless connection standards, that is, asynchronous and synchronous types, have been approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), so that the USIM has become a practical method of realizing roaming using different wireless access standards. Therefore, the standardization of the USIM for user authentication has been aggressively promoted.

<4> FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing the configurations of smart cards based on the method of communicating with a smart card reader, that is, the type of interfacing.

<5> As shown in FIG. 1, smart cards are classified into contact, contactless, hybrid, and combination-type cards. In particular, a combination-type card is a smart card which includes a loop antenna connected to a smart chip, that is, into which contact and contactless-type cards are integrated. The combination-type card has an advantage of being able to be used in both contact and contact less-type application fields, as listed in Table 1 below.

<6> [Table 1] <7>

<8>

<9>

<lffl>

Meanwhile, a mobile payment service is defined as 'a payment service for making payment using a mobile communication terminal when goods or services, provided online or offline, are purchased' . Such a mobile payment service appeared as the demands for mobile communication services increase, and has been recently extended due to the activation of the wireless Internet and electric commerce and the impending introduction of Wireless Broadband (WiBro) . When viewed from the technical standpoint, a mobile payment services are divided into a card based type using smart cards and a non-card based type using a wireless network. In particular, a card based type-mobile communication terminal is provided with a smart card slot, which complies with ISO 7816 which defines the specifications of an integrated circuit chip generally used for smart cards, for example, at a desired location on a rear surface, on which a battery is mounted using the smart card slot, the user of a terminal can mount a smart card chip (hereinafter referred to as a "smart chip" ), issued from a mobile communication service provider, in the slot and use the above-described mobile payment service.

<13> However, in the above-described card based type-conventional mobile payment service, there is a problem of procedural troublesomeness, that is, a problem in which a user must separately request a financial company, which issues smart cards, to issue a corresponding chip, receive it, and mount it. Further, a user generally possesses a plurality of smart cards. Accordingly, when a user possesses a plurality of chips, there are problems in that the user has difficulty storing them and must be troubled to switch chips, thereby hindering the use of smart cards. Further, when a mobile communication terminal, on which such a smart chip is mounted, is lost, there is a security problem, in which the credit information of an individual may be leaked.

<14>

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

<15> Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a contact less smart card reader, which has a mechanical structure to be mounted in a smart card slot provided in a mobile communication terminal, and which recognizes a smart card which is brought close to the mobile communication terminal in the state of being mounted in the smart card slot .

[Technical Solution]

<i6> A contact less smart card reader according to the present invention, includes an antenna connection terminal configured to connect with a loop antenna provided in a mobile communication terminal; a power source connection terminal connected to a power source for the mobile communication terminal, and configured to supply power; a control logic configured to receive a signal received by the loop antenna, to recognize at least one contact less smart cards, and to perform control such that recognized smart card-related information is transmitted to the outside; memory configured to store the operating system of the control logic; a data connection terminal configured to transmit the smart card-related information to the outside under the control of the control logic such that the smart card-related information is processed and displayed in a body of the mobile communication terminal; and packaging configured to enable mounting in the mobile communication terminal in compliance with a predetermined standard.

<17> [Advantageous Effects]

<19> According to the contact less smart card reader of the present invention, described above, the contactless smart card reader is mounted in a smart card slot provided in a mobile communication terminal, and recognizes various types of smart cards which are brought close to it, so that the problems of separately receiving issued smart chips and switching them in a card slot can be solved, with the result that there is an advantage in that a mobile communication terminal can be utilized as a mobile smart card reader. [Description of Drawings]

<20> FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a smart card based on a method of communicating with a smart card reader;

<2i> FIG. 2 is a view showing the appearance of a mobile communication terminal, capable of being applied to the present invention, and a smart card reader according to the present invention to be mounted on the mobile communication terminal!

<22> FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a contactless smart card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention;

<23> FIG. 4 is a electrical block diagram showing a mobile communication terminal capable of being applied to the present invention; and

<24> FIG. 5 is a view showing examples of the utilization of a mobile communication terminal on which a smart card reader according to an embodiment of the invention is mounted.

<25> *** Description of reference numerals of principal elements in the drawings ***

<26> 100: smart card reader 110: interface unit

<27> 120: control logic 130: memory

<28> 200: mobile communication terminal 210: control unit

<29> 220: Radio Frequency (RF) transmission/reception unit

<30> 230: image processing unit

<3i> 235: display unit 240: voice processing unit

<32> 241: speaker 243: microphone O

<33> 250: storage unit 260: key input unit

<34> 270: card slot 280: loop antenna

<35>

[Best Mode]

<36> In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the configurations of the antenna connection terminal, the power source connection terminal, and the data connection terminal comply with ISO 7816, that the frequency band in which transmission or reception is performed through the loop antenna be 13.56 MHz, and that the smart card reader be mounted in a mobile communication terminal in which an application supporting financial transactions is installed.

<37> A contact less smart card reader according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

<38> FIG. 2 is a view showing the appearance of a mobile communication terminal capable of being applied to the present invention and a smart card reader according to the present invention to be mounted in the mobile communication terminal.

<39> As shown in FIG. 2, in the rear surface of a mobile communication terminal 200, on which a battery 280 is mounted, a card slot 270, in which a smart card reader 100 for contact lessly recognizing smartcards or a smart card chip is mounted, is placed on a desired location, and although not shown, a "loop antenna" connected to the card slot 270 is embedded. Here, it is preferable that the assignment of terminals included in the card slot 270, that is, the assignment of the number of terminals, the interval between the terminals, and the positions of the respective terminals, be determined to comply with specifications set forth in ISO 7816. The assignment of the respective terminals according to ISO 7816 standard is listed in Table 2.

<40>

<4i> [Table 2] <42>

<44>

<43>

<48> Further, as described in 'Technical Field' and 'Background Art' , it is preferable that the mechanical specifications of the card slot 270 comply with the specifications of SIM, UIM, or USIM. Therefore, it is preferable that the packaging of the smart card reader 100 comply with the mechanical specifications of SIM, UIM, or USIM.

<49> Further, the loop antenna is connected to the fourth and eighth terminals of the card slot 270, so that the smart card reader 100 mounted in the card slot 270 can recognize a smart card, to which is brought close, through the loop antenna. On the other hands, the loop antenna may be embedded in the edge of the battery 280. Therefore, when the battery 280 is mounted on the mobile communication terminal 200, the configuration in which the loop antenna, embedded in the battery 280, is connected to the card slot 270 should be provided in the mobile communication terminal 200.

<50> FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the contact less smart card reader according to the embodiment of the present invention.

<51> As shown in FIG. 3, the smart card reader 100 according to the present invention is mounted in the mobile communication terminal 200, and includes

<52> an interface unit 110 connected to respective terminals of the card slot 270; a control logic 120 driven using the power of the battery 280 connected to the power source connection terminal 'Vcc' of the interface unit 110, configured to supply power to a smart card through a loop antenna connected to the antenna connection terminal 'Ant' of the interface unit 110, to receive a signal from the loop antenna, to authenticate and recognize at least one smart cards based on a security algorithm, and to transmit/receive data to/from the mobile communication terminal 200 through the data connection terminal 'I/O' of the interface unit 110; and memory 130 configured to store a Chip Operating System (COS), a security algorithm for smart card authentication, a random number generating program for generating a random number to be used for smart card authentication, and temporary data.

<53> In particular, the control logic 120 performs control on the interface unit 110, that is, the data connection terminal 'I/O' , such that the recognized smart card-related information is transmitted to the mobile communication terminal 200.

<54> In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the configuration of the packaging of the smart card reader 100, in particular, the configuration of terminals exposed from the interface unit 110 to the outside, comply with the ISO 7816 standard.

<55> Next, it is preferable that the memory 130 include Read Only Memory (ROM) for storing an operating system, a security algorithm, and a random number generating program, and Random Access Memory (RAM) for storing temporary data.

<56> Further, a smart card and the smart card reader 100 according to the present invention employ a generally well-known challenge-response method as a method of authentication therebetween. The security algorithm stored in the memory 130 may be a symmetric key algorithm for performing decryption and encryption using identical keys between a smart card and the smart card reader 100 according to the present invention, or, to the contrary, may be a public key algorithm for performing decryption and encryption on data using asymmetric keys, that is, keys which are not shared between the smart card and the smart card reader 100. Here, in the brief description of the challenge-response process, the smart card reader 100 transmits a random number to a smart card, the smart card encrypts the random number in a symmetric key/public key method and transmits it to the smart card reader 100 again. Thereafter, the smart card reader 100 decrypts the encrypted random number, received from the smart card, determines whether the decrypted random number is the same as the random number transmitted by the smart card reader 100, and authenticates the smart card.

<57> Meanwhile, it is preferable that a frequency band, in which signals are transmitted and received between the smart card reader 100 according to the present invention and a smart card, be 13.56 MHz.

<58> FIG. 4 is an electrical block diagram showing a mobile communication terminal capable of being applied to the present invention.

<59> As shown in FIG. 4, the electrical configuration of the mobile communication terminal 200 to be applied to the present invention includes an RF transmission/reception unit 220 for transmitting/receiving RF signals to/from a base station through an antenna; a key input unit 260 for generating desired key signals when number/character key buttons and function key buttons are operated; a storage unit 250, including a program storage unit for storing the Operating System (OS) or various types of applications, for example, a financial application for a mobile payment service, of the mobile communication terminal, and a data storage unit for temporarily storing data generated during an operation process or storing data set by a user; a microphone 243 for converting external sound waves into an analog voice signal corresponding to the external sound waves, a speaker 241 for converting an analog voice signal generated in the mobile communication terminal into sound waves, a voice processing unit 240 for converting the analog voice signal input from the microphone 243 into sound waves corresponding to the analog voice signal, converting a digital voice signal into an analog voice signal corresponding to the digital voice signal, and outputting resulting signals through the speaker 241; a display unit 235; an image processing unit 230 for processing image signals to be output to the display unit 235; a card slot 270 in which the smart card reader 100 is mounted; a loop antenna 280 connected to the card slot; and a control unit 210 for generally controlling the above-described units.

<60> In particular, the control unit 210 controls the smart card reader 100, mounted in the card slot 270, and performs control on all of the elements such that mobile payment services are used based on the information of a smart card, received from the smart card reader 100, and an installed financial application.

<6i> FIG. 5 is a view showing examples of the utilization of a mobile communication terminal on which a smart card reader is mounted according to an embodiment of the invention.

<62> As shown in FIG. 5, the mobile communication terminal 200 receives the card information of a smart card 300, which is brought close thereto, using the smart card reader 100 mounted in the card slot 270. Thereafter, the mobile communication terminal 200 receives the password of the smart card from a user, accesses the financial server that issued the smart card, and performs financial transactions, for example, money transfer to another account, a charge of a prepaid card, payment for goods purchased on an on^¬ line shopping mall, and payment for credit card franchise.

Claims

[CLAIMS] [Claim 1]

<64> A contactless smart card reader, comprising:

<65> an antenna connection terminal configured to connect with a loop antenna provided in a mobile communication terminal;

<66> a power source connection terminal connected to a power source for the mobile communication terminal, and configured to supply power;

<67> a control logic configured to receive a signal received by the loop antenna, to recognize at least one contactless smart cards, and to perform control such that recognized smart card-related information is transmitted to an outside;

<68> memory configured to store an operating system of the control logic;

<69> a data connection terminal configured to transmit the smart card- related information to an outside under a control of the control logic such that the smart card-related information is processed and displayed in a body of the mobile communication terminal; and

<70> packaging configured to enable mounting in the mobile communication terminal in compliance with a predetermined standard.

<71>

[Claim 2]

<72> The contactless smart card reader according to claim 1, wherein configurations of the antenna connection terminal, the power source connection terminal, and the data connection terminal comply with International Standards Organization (ISO) 7816, and the antenna connection terminal uses a fourth pin and an eighth pin as set forth in ISO 7816.

<73>

[Claim 3]

<74> The contactless smart card reader according to claim 1, wherein a frequency band in which signals are transmitted or received through the loop antenna is a short wave band.

<75> [Claim 4]

<76> The contact less smart card reader according to claim 1, wherein the contactless smart card reader is mounted in a mobile communication terminal in which an application for a financial transaction is installed.