HK1168448B - Card of the bank type with a user-actuatable switch - Google Patents

Description

Bank card with user-actuatable switch

Bank cards are known with switches having the function of driving the card circuit and/or the digital display of the card in the general case or, in the specific case, of starting a given program implemented in the card, in particular a secure identification process. It is noted that in several applications the general case and the special case can be combined, since the power supply driving the circuit in the card automatically starts the secure identification algorithm in order to perform certain transactions, in particular banking transactions.

It is known for bank cards, particularly from us patent 5,627,355, which is incorporated herein by reference, to include a switch that can be actuated by a button or deformable region of the card, so that the application of pressure in the region of the card including the switch activates a particular security identification algorithm. The card also includes at least one numeric display for sequentially displaying various personal identification numbers, or PIN codes. The card also includes an electronic unit and a power source associated with the solar cell arranged on the surface of the card. This type of card can be used for various services, whether for making a call from a public telephone, downloading a movie from the internet, or accessing a bank or postal account, in particular in order to perform different transactions, such as bill payments.

The identification procedure provided in us patent 5,627,355 consists in: a list of PIN codes uniquely generated for a given user is stored in the card, the same list being stored in the bank's server. Each time the card is actuated by the switch, a new personal code is selected in the list and displayed. The selection typically consists in selecting the next unused code from a pre-established list. The user must enter the code in a machine or computer that sends it to the server. The server checks that the code is indeed the next unused code in the list of clients under consideration. This is called a "one-time password" or "OTP". The importance of maintaining synchronization of the locations in the card list and the locations in the server list is therefore evident. If the code in the card list is used and not sent to the server, especially when the card is inadvertently driven, the code sent during the next transaction with the server will not match the next unused code in the server list. Us patent No. 5,627,355 mentions a method to partially overcome this problem by comparing with the code sequences in the server list to detect any lack of synchronization and thereby reestablish a match between the two lists. This method can only be limited to short sequences, especially for security reasons. Thus, if several codes in the card are wasted, the system will no longer accept the code provided by the client. Thus, even if matches are updated often, useful code is wasted and thus the number of possible transactions for a given list stored in the card is less. The card will then be used up sooner. Finally, another drawback related to this problem comes from the fact that: the inadvertent driving of the card results in an increase in the waste of the power consumption stored in the card.

Typically, the first actuation of the switch of the card of the type described above is used to initialize the application. Next, each new cycle is started by each new actuation of the switch. The problems associated with the inadvertent actuation of the switch and hence the security identification procedure are not only related to the card user, who for example places the card in a purse in the rear pocket of a pair of trousers and may sometimes inadvertently actuate the card switch while sitting, but also to the production steps during which pressure is applied to the card, particularly when an outer layer is added by a lamination or printing step. Thus, when a customer receives a new card, the card may have consumed a certain number of pin numbers. If the number is greater than the number tolerated by the system managing the application, the customer receives defective cards that are inoperable. This situation obviously detracts from the service provider and is troublesome to the customer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic card with switches that can be actuated by a user, which overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

The invention therefore relates to an electronic card comprising an electronic unit, a power supply, a switch that can be actuated by a user of the electronic card, and an application that is introduced into said electronic unit, characterized in that it further comprises means for detecting the actuation of said switch, which means determine whether this actuation corresponds to a pulse whose length is contained within a specific predetermined time range, or to a series of pulses defining a digital signal in a time profile (time profile), in which at least one given parameter has a value contained within a specific predetermined time range, said application being actuated or its actuation being effected when said detection means detect said pulse or said series of pulses.

According to the invention, at least one determined time parameter of the user actuation signal of the switch is checked to authorize the execution of the application or its cycle to validate such execution. It is noted that this procedure can also be applied to power some part of the electronic unit and to power the display, thus limiting as much as possible the power consumption of the card. It may then be assumed that only the standby circuit is permanently powered and that the circuit is arranged to detect at least the first drive signal from the switch. It may also be provided that after the card enters the inactive mode, the first actuation of the switch drives the powering of a part of the electronic unit or of the whole electronic unit, which, once powered, detects and processes the actuation signal coming from the switch to determine whether it corresponds to the actuation signal for said application.

Thanks to the features of the invention, it is possible to prevent long stresses on the switch (in particular during lamination at the time of manufacture) from causing actuation of the application in question. In the case of a pulse train, the switch is intelligent, which will preclude any long or short actuation of the switch when the time profile of the generated digital signal does not match the profile with at least one parameter whose value is contained in a given time range. By selecting the parameter to exclude at least the most likely unintentional actuation signals associated with typical actions or behaviors of the average user, it can be ensured that the application is initiated substantially only by intentional actuation by the user.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting example and incorporated in the specification, in which:

fig. 1 schematically shows the architecture of an electronic card according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a time diagram of a drive signal for an integrated application in an electronic card according to a first envisaged variant.

Fig. 3 shows a time diagram of a drive signal for an integrated application in an electronic card according to a second envisaged variant.

Fig. 1 shows an electronic card 2 comprising a digital display 4, an electronic unit 6, a battery 10 and a switch 12 that can be actuated by the user of the electronic card. The switch is integrated in the card and associated with a kind of button 14 or elastically deformable region of the card, and the switch is actuated when pressure is applied in or on the deformable region. The actuation of the switch is detected by actuation detection means associated with means for controlling the application of the incoming electronic card. These detection means and the control means themselves may be actuated upon detection of the start of actuation of the switch, so that at least the detection means is powered. It will be noted that in the example of figure 1, the electronic unit 6 is constituted by a microprocessor which defines the above-mentioned detection means and control means. Other embodiments having circuits dedicated to these detection means and control means, respectively, may be provided within the scope of the invention.

In particular, the application considered is a secure card subscriber identity program with a system connected to a server of a service provider. The program generates and reads a personal one-time password (OTP).

The detection means are arranged to detect the actuation of said switch 12, in particular by the closure of the switch 12, and to determine whether the actuation corresponds to a pulse whose length is comprised within a certain predetermined time range, or to a series of pulses defining a digital signal in a time graph, in which at least one given parameter has a value comprised within a certain predetermined time range. If this is the case, the control means drives the application or makes its drive effective. In particular, the application displays a personal identification code to be used for the next transaction. The application may perform this display only upon detection of a signal from the user via the switch corresponding to a valid signal, or it may launch the application once the switch has been actuated and then display a code for the user that is valid (i.e. deemed to be used) only when the valid signal is ultimately detected. If the valid signal is not detected, the display device is quickly deactivated and the displayed code is considered unused. The display device is preferably driven simultaneously with the driving of the application. They remain in the active state for a certain period of time, allowing the user to enter the displayed code into the system associated with the card before being deactuated again (deactate).

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the series of pulses required to drive the electronic card, in particular the applications implemented in the electronic card, consists of at least two pulses occurring in successive periods of a given duration T. In the variant shown in fig. 2, three pulses P1, P2 and P3 are provided. In another embodiment, the period of detection may be the time interval between three pulses, which must be less than a given duration.

According to another embodiment, pulses of variable length are provided. In the variant shown in fig. 3, a relatively long pulse is provided, followed by a shorter pulse. Different parameters can be defined to characterize the series of pulses that generate the drive of the electronic card application concerned. As an example, four parameters may be defined to define a particular series of two pulses. The example assumes that the length of the first pulse P4 is comprised between the values T1 and T2. The time period between two pulses must be less than T3 and the length of the second pulse P5 must be less than T4. It may also be desirable for the period between two pulses to be greater than other specified periods of time that take into account the minimum possible time required for the user to release pressure between and between two successive pressure applications.

In the case of a single pulse, it would be preferable to define minimum and maximum periods for that pulse.

Other variations may be selected by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (8)

1. Electronic card (2) comprising an electronic unit (6), a power supply (10), a switch (12) that can be actuated by the user of the electronic card, and an application introduced into said electronic unit, characterized in that it further comprises means for detecting the actuation of said switch, which determine whether said actuation corresponds to a pulse whose length is comprised within a specific predetermined time range (T) between a minimum time period and a maximum time period, or to a series of pulses (P1, P2, P3; P4, P5) defining a digital signal in a time graph, wherein at least one given parameter of the series of pulses has a value comprised within a specific predetermined time range (T2; T3; T4), said application being actuated or the actuation thereof being effected when said detection means detect said pulse or said series of pulses.

2. Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that said switches are associated with push-buttons or with elastically deformable regions (14) of the electronic card.

3. Electronic card according to claim 1, further comprising a digital display (4), characterized in that said application is a personal identification program using a personal one-time password (OTP), said OTP being displayed by said digital display.

4. Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that said given parameter corresponds to a maximum period (T; T2; T3) of at least one pulse of said series of pulses.

5. Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that each pulse supplied must occur within a continuous period (T) of predetermined length.

6. Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that the time interval between two consecutive pulses is provided to be less than a certain predetermined time period (T3).

7. Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that the time interval between two successive pulses is provided to be greater than a certain predetermined time interval.

8. Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that said series of pulses comprises at least two pulses (P4, P5) of different length.