FR2613158A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSMITTING INFORMATION - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION INCLUDES A METHOD FOR USING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT BOARD IC TO TRANSMIT INFORMATION BETWEEN TWO LOCATIONS AND FOR LIMITING ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION ONLY TO AUTHORIZED USERS. THIS PROCESS IS CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT INCLUDES THE OPERATIONS OF ENTERING THE SAID INFORMATION INTO A FIRST MEMORY OF A MICROPROCESSOR-BASED SYSTEM INCLUDING A FIRST MICROPROCESSOR WHICH PREVENTS THE TRANSFER OF THE CONTENTS FROM THE SAID FIRST MEMORY OR RECORDED BY READING. RESPONSE TO A PASSWORD READ PREDETERMINED STORED IN THE SAID FIRST MEMORY; TO PRESENT A FIRST AUDIT PASSWORD FIRST MICROPROCESSOR TO ALLOW THE TRANSFER OF SUCH AUDITING INFORMATION BY READWRITE; TO TRANSFER TO THE SAID INFORMATION FROM THE FIRST MEMORY AUDIT MEANS OF READWRITE ONLY WHEN THEIR FIRST PASSWORD CONINCES WITH THE PASSWORD READ PREDETERMINED STORED IN THE SAID MEMORY; TO DIRECT THE SAID TRANSFERRED INFORMATION AUDIT READING-WRITING TO A REPRODUCING DEVICE; AND TO REPRODUCE THE SAID INFORMATION. THE INVENTION IS USABLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

Description

The invention relates to integrated circuit cards and more

  particularly a system using integrated circuit cards to transmit

  secure information from one authorized user to another.

  Traditionally, highly confidential or sensitive business information has been transferred from one protected area to another using sealed documents or special couriers. More recently, computers have been used to transfer large volumes of confidential information between two protected areas, using a means of transmission such as telephone lines. Although an Electronic Data Joining Two Protected Areas is highly effective in providing limited access to transferred information, this is not a practical solution for all situations requiring a secure transfer of confidential information. For example the computer or computer connection is rigid and is not mobile with an authorized user whose daily work involves travel between different places. Another example is a person who, during the normal course of business, receives only small amounts of sensitive or confidential information on a sporadic basis and can not justify the expense of procuring a computer-protected area to receive information. For this person the confidential information is typically delivered

  in envelopes sealed by special couriers.

  Unfortunately, regardless of how the information in the envelope is recorded (that is, printed on paper or contained in an electronic medium such as an electronic disk) it is susceptible to unauthorized access by simply opening the envelope and reading the information, either visually or electronically. If the information is recorded on a magnetic disk it can simply be put in a control station and using an appropriate control system, the data can become accessible even if they are formatted to complement a particular operating system that only allows limited access to disk data. There is therefore a need for a protected information transfer system that can not be easily broken by special programming of reading and recording devices. More generally, there is a need for a system that delivers confidential information to authorized users in environments that do not lend themselves to the application of data connections.

  electronic circuits linking protected areas.

  Because of the foregoing, a first object of the present invention is to provide an information transmission system which is comparatively inexpensive, versatile and provides a high degree of security.

  for information during their transfer.

  An even more particular object of the present invention is to provide a medium for recording sensitive or confidential information so that the information can not be read by an unauthorized person regardless of who is in possession

physical environment.

  The specific object of the invention is to provide a system and method using at least one integrated circuit card for transmitting information between two locations and limiting access to the information only to an authorized user, where the information contained in the integrated circuit card is accessible only after a microprocessor incorporated in the integrated circuit card has been adapted to a password entry by the user with a password stored internally. In response to detecting a match between the entered and stored passwords, the microprocessor transfers the stored information from a built-in or embedded memory to a reproducing device which can be either an integral part of the card or a device outside, which receives the information by way of an interface or Junction of the reader / writer type between

  the map and the reproduction device.

  Another specific object of the invention is the use of an electronic data connection in applications that require a rapid transfer of sensitive or confidential information. When used in conjunction with a data connection, the password is preferably complemented by an encoding and decoding key which is only known to authorized users and entered into the integrated circuit card to encrypt or encrypt. decipher the information. During its transfer over a data connection, the information is in an encrypted format that is not susceptible of easy translation when intercepted. According to yet another specific object of the invention, by allowing the user of each access by password to access only limited portions of the memory, a plurality of authorized transmitters and receivers can share the same

  map, but do not have the same information.

  The invention will be better understood and other purposes, features, details and advantages thereof

  will become clearer during the description

  explanatory text which will follow with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings given solely by way of example illustrating several embodiments of the invention and in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information transmission system according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control or control program for a microprocessor-based system incorporated in an integrated circuit card of an information transmission system; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the invention, using the system illustrated in FIG. 1 to accomplish an electronic data connection; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another alternative embodiment of the invention, the input and reproduction devices for the information transmission system according to the invention form the integral parts of the card. integrated circuit; FIG. 5 is a pictorial representation of the integrated circuit card according to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a memory incorporated in an integrated circuit card, where the field of memory locations is divided into a plurality of blocks, each isolated from the others for use by multiple authorized users. Referring to the figures and firstly to FIG. 1, a conventional read / write device 11 is shown as a microprocessor-based system incorporating a microprocessor 13, a read-only memory (ROM) 15, and a random access memory (RAM) 17 according to a conventional architecture defined by the bus 19. Also in a manner well known in the art, the reading / recording device 11 comprises an interface or junction zone 21 to enable the user of the device to to enable the user to transmit and receive information to an integrated circuit card 3 o from such a card, the display or reproduction devices and 25 and 27 are in communication with an integrated circuit card through an etching device 29 and an input buffer 31, respectively, contained in the device. e

reading / recording 11.

  The information is received by the circuit board

  23, from the reading / recording device

  11 through a conventional integrated interface or interface which is complementary to the interface 21 of the reading / recording device. From the junction 33, the data is communicated to a microprocessor-based system on the IC card 23 through an I / O bus 42. The microprocessor-based system includes a microprocessor 35 embedded in the microprocessor. the integrated circuit card or IC 23 responds to a control program 37a contained in a ROM 37 for processing, storing, transmitting and receiving information. In order to be able to read or write in the microprocessor-based system, the architecture of the The system according to Figure 1 requires that the data pass through the microprocessor 35. To store the data, the system also includes a RAM 39 incorporated in the IC card 23 which responds to commands from the microprocessor 35. The control program 37a of the Microprocessor 35 divides RAM 39 into fixed and variable memory fields 39a and 39b, respectively. The information in the fixed field or sector 39a can not be supplied to the I / O bus 42 through the microprocessor 35. To ensure maximum security, the fixed field 39a can be pre-programmed by the manufacturer. However, the fixed field is preferably programmed by the initial user, as will be explained below. According to an important aspect of the invention, the fixed memory field 39a of the RAM 39 of the IC card 23 comprises a password read that must correspond to a password. input to the IC card using the keyboard 27 through read / write or record means (eg, the read / write device 11 and the I / O bus 42) before the information contained in the variable field 39b of the RAM memory can be transferred by

  the microprocessor 35 by means of reading / recording

   The control / data bus 41 connecting the microprocessor 35, the ROM 37 and the RAM 39 is conventional, the microprocessor being used to display or reproduce it for the user by means of the display or display device 25. the effect of control of the control program 37a normally prevents the reading of the information in the variable memory field 39b from the RAM memory, in the RAM to the reading / recording means. The control program 37a functions as an active system for the embedded microprocessor-based system which ignores or is isolated from all external inputs until the correct password has been presented. As a result, access to the information contained in the variable memory field 39b is only accessible to a user having knowledge independent of the password read. Preferably, the password read is entered by an initial user and then isolated from all external accesses by means of appropriate and well-known operations, in the control program 37a to limit

access to the fixed field 39a.

  To enter the information in the variable memory field 39b, the fixed field 39a of the RAM 39 incorporated in the IC card 23 preferably includes a password written to write the information in the RAM memory as well as the word of read pass for reading the information in this one. In this case, the fixed field 39a of the RAM 39 has a section containing a written password which is placed in the memory in a similar manner to that of the read password. Referring to the flowchart according to FIG. 2 of the control program 37a, an initial authorized user receives the IC card and writes the read and write passwords, which are placed by the microprocessor 35 in the fixed field memory 39a for step A. Once the passwords are entered, the control program structure 37a and the built-in microprocessor-based system architecture do not allow

  password access by a user.

  Preferably, after entering the passwords, the

  IC card is sent to another authorized user.

  Separately, the written password is also sent to

this other user.

  As an alternative, an even safer system can be realized when passwords are read and written

  have entered the fixed field 39a by the manufacturer.

  When each IC card is distributed, the manufacturer notifies the written password to an authorized sender or sender and the password read to an authorized receiver or recipient. By thus making the complementary system, no authorized user knows both passwords, which provides a measure

additional security.

  According to the invention, an authorized user having knowledge of the password written either by the manufacturer or by an initial user, presents the password to the IC card 23 via the reading / writing or recording means which comprises the keyboard 27, the reading / recording device 11 and the I / O bus 42 in FIG. 1. The microprocessor 35 incorporated in the IC card 23 reads the password during the operation B and compares it to the operation C the written password stored in the RAM 39. When the comparison establishes a match, the control program 39a advance to the operation or step D o the microprocessor 35 determines whether the user wishes to read or write in the memory 39. Since the user has requested a recording of the data, the control program 39a executes the step or the operation E. In step E, the microprocessor 35 allows the authorized user to enter the information in the memory R AM 39 via the keyboard 27. With the information thus entered, the IC card 23 is removed from the read / write device or recording 11 and sent to the user who initially entered the passwords to read the information in the IC card. The IC card may be sent by any usual service such as regular mail or commercial mail services. When the IC card 23 is received by the initial user, it is inserted into a conventional reader / recorder, as shown in FIG. 1. To access the information, the receiver presents a password to the microprocessor 35. of the microprocessor-based system on the IC card 23, using the keyboard 27, the interface 33 and the I / O bus 42. When in step C the password presented by the receiver corresponds to the word read that has previously been stored in the RAM 39 incorporated in the -IC card 23, the microprocessor 35 performs the steps or operations D and F by delivering the information contained in the RAM memory to the I / O bus 42 for the reading by the read / write device 11. The read / write device 11 transmits the information to the reproduction device 25 so that it is displayed for

the authorized user.

  After the access to information and its display, the receiver can become sender or transmitter by first presenting to the microprocessor 35 integrated or incorporated, through the read / write device 11, the interface 33 and the bus I / O 42, a password that is read by the microprocessor in step B and mapped to the read password stored in RAM 39 in step C. When a coincidence is determined by In step C, the information data generated by the keyboard 27 and presented to the microprocessor is input to the RAM 39 through the I / O bus. The receiver now becomes a transmitter and can send the IC card with its new information either to the original sender or sender at the location where it is located or to send it to the same sender at a different location, where applicable, to a completely different authorized user at a different place. To avoid the possibility of using an electronic input device (for example a random number generator) to unlock the information contained in the IC card, the control program 37a may include an exclusion feature at the same time. step G which ignores any password entered during a predetermined period of time after the registration of a password which does not correspond to the stored password. Programmable exclusion features of this type are well known in the art and do not need to be explained in more detail. As another way to protect information from unauthorized access, an enrichment of

  previous system includes a program 37b

  encoding / decoding software stored in the ROM 37 and incorporated as part of the active system for the microprocessor-based system contained in the IC card 23. With the encoding / decoding program 37b, after an authorized user has entered the correct password, the user enters a code key in the IC card 23 via the keyboard 27. Inside the IC card, the microprocessor 35 executes the coding / decoding program 37b to encrypt the information and then place it in memory in the RAM 39. The code key is used by the encoding / decoding program 37b as part of the algorithm that encrypts and decrypts the protected information. Similarly, to have access to the information stored in the IC card 23 in a meaningful form, the use must enter both the correct read password and the correct code key. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations in well-known software coding and decoding programs can be used to implement

  of this characteristic.

  In certain situations, it is desirable to provide for the communication of information in one day or even in a few hours. Typically, ordinary mail or courier services can not deliver same day. According to the present invention, a modem may be connected to the read / write device 11 of Figure i to electronically transmit the information to an authorized receiver. Although this embodiment of the invention is somewhat less safe than those mentioned above in that both users must issue both passwords and an electronic data link is used, it is useful in some cases. situations where security must

  to be sacrificed for the sake of speed.

  Figure 3 illustrates a system using two read / write devices -la and llb connected by a pair of conventional modems 43a and 43b and a transmission path 45 such as commercial telephone lines. To execute an electronic transfer according to this embodiment, the sender or transmitter enters the information in a first card 23a using the read / write device 11a as previously described. To transmit the data, the sender enters the password read in the first card 23a, thereby making the data accessible to the read / write device 11a and the modem 40a. As is well known in the art, the first modem 43a transmits the information to the second modem 43b through the transmission path 45. Preferably the second authorized user at the location containing the second read / write device 11b has been warned of the transmission of information. This second user enters a password written in a second card 23b via a keyboard associated with the read / write device 11b. As explained above with respect to FIG. 1, the microprocessor 35 incorporated in the second IC card 23b compares the password received with the registered written password and allows the information to be entered in the variable field. 39b of its RAM 39 only when a coincidence has been noted. Assuming that the second user has presented the correct written password, the information from the modem 43b is transferred to the RAM 39 of the IC card 23b via the

  read / write device llb. For the information

  If it is displayed to the second user, he / she must enter the appropriate read password, as previously explained, so that the microprocessor 35 incorporated in the IC card 23b allows reproduction of the information on a reproduction or display device.

  associated with the read / write device lib.

  Since the placement of information on a transmission line such as telephone lines makes it susceptible to interception by a third party, the information is preferably

  enciphered by a code key as described above.

  Specifically, when the information is read in the first IC card 23a, it is sent to the modem 40a in encrypted form for transmission on the transmission path 45. As a result, a code key is not entered when the information is read in the first IC card 23a. Only authorized users at sending and receiving locations know the key to

correct code.

  As another simplification of the general system, the need for the presence of external read / write means to read and write the data in an IC card such as a conventional read / write device and an I / O bus can be eliminated by providing reproduction and input devices in the form of integral parts of the I / C card. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a reproducing or viewing device 47 such as a liquid crystal device 49 in FIG. 5 communicates with the embedded microprocessor 35 of the iC card 23 'via a means of read / write which is performed by an extension of the control / data bus line 41 and a driver device 51. Similarly, an input device 54 incorporated in the IC card 23 'is also connected. to the extension of a control / data bus line 41 by an input buffer 53. As shown in Fig. 5, the input device 54 may be a matrix of keyboard rows 55 with a sufficient number of keyboard rows to ensure that all appropriate commands and information can be entered. For maximum versatility, the IC card 23 'of FIG. 5 preferably includes the conventional interface 33 and I / O bus 42 for connecting the card.

  IC to the read / write device 11 of Figure 1.

  Although the rows of keys or keyboard 55 and the liquid crystal display device 49 are served by the bus line 41, the control program can not be reached and no loss of password or information security occurs. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that an application program such as the 37b coding / decoding program presents a certain risk using the architecture

  according to Figure 4. Such a risk may be the counter-

  acceptable for the benefit of embedded input and output data, depending on the environment of the

  the intended use of the IC card.

  As another variation of the preceding security system, the control program 37 of the microprocessor-based system on the IC card 23 is modified to allow the registration of a new password read on the old password read in the fixed field 39a of the RAM 39 so that the card can be sent to several individuals without the need for a proliferation of knowledge of a unique read password maintained in the fixed field 39 of the RAM 39. Such an alternative system can be simply supplemented by a structuring of the control program 39a so as to respond to a predetermined input command from the keyboard 27 to return to step A after a first set of read and written passwords has been entered in the fixed field 39a. After returning to step A, new read and write passwords are written on the

  previously entered passwords.

  In accordance with the subject of an increased number of possible users, FIG. 6 illustrates that the variable field 39a of the RAM 39 embedded in the IC card 23 can be divided into a plurality of sections 57. The control program 37a allows a User access only to section 57 containing a password read or written that coincides with the password entered by the user. By using such an IC card according to the invention, a group of transmitters and a group of receivers can use the card in such a way that for each single information transfer, using the card, as little as just one transmitter and one receiver can have access. During the same transfer of the IC card however, other pairs of transmitters / receivers may transfer the information without knowledge of the information accessible to the

  first pair of transmitters / receivers.

  The IC card may be put into circulation first among a group of users entering passwords as explained in connection with step A of Figure 2. The card is then sent to a second group. Each member of this second group knows a written password entered by one of the members of the first group. To enter the information, the same steps of FIG. 2 are performed by the microprocessor-based system incorporated in the IC card; however, in this embodiment, only a section of the variable field identified by the words of

  read and write pass is accessible to information. The-

  The reading of the information is performed in the manner explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. It is appreciated from the foregoing that a system and method are provided for the inexpensive transfer of a

  sensitive or confidential information in a way that -

  provides a degree of security against unauthorized access to information, which was previously only possible using computer terminals

  relatively expensive in protected areas.

  Unlike the previous system, protected information is inaccessible in any form to an unauthorized user. Only those with knowledge of the password read or written can with

  successfully gain access to the memory incorporated in the IC card.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the passwords read and written can be the same. As another simplification of the system, the code key can also be formed by the same data sequence that includes the passwords.

Claims (14)

  A method of using at least one integrated circuit (IC) card for transmitting information between two locations and for restricting access to the information only to authorized users, wherein at least one card (IC) comprises a first embedded computer-based system which allows reading or writing via read / write means, said method being characterized in that it comprises the operations of: - inputting said information into a first memory of said system to microprocessor base comprising a first microprocessor which prevents the transfer of the contents of said first memory to said read / write or record means in response to a predetermined read password stored in said first memory; - presenting a first password to said first microprocessor to allow the transfer of said information to said read / write means; - transferring said information from said first memory to said read / write means only when said first password coincides with the predetermined read password stored in said memory; directing said transferred information to said read / write means to a reproduction device; and to reproduce said information.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises operations: to present a second password to the aforementioned microprocessor, through the aforementioned read / write means, and to transfer said information of said means. in said first memory only when said second password coincides with a predetermined written password stored in said first memory. - 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the operation of transferring the aforementioned information of the aforementioned read / write means to the aforementioned first memory comprises the operation of encoding said information according to a key of   code generated by said read / write means.   4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the operation of transferring the aforementioned information from the aforementioned first memory to the aforesaid reading / writing means comprises the operation of entering the aforementioned code key for the purpose of decoding said information.   5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one card (IC) comprises two physically separated cards (IC), a first and a second card, so that the operations of entering the aforementioned information, presenting the first password and transferring said information occurs in said first card (IC) and the operation of directing said information comprises: inputting said information into a second memory embedded in said second card (IC) through a memory channel; transmission; presenting the aforesaid second password to a second microprocessor of a second microprocessor-based system, incorporated in said second card (IC) to enable the transfer of said information from said first memory to said second memory in said second system-based microprocessor, and transfer said information from said second memory to the aforementioned reproducing device only when the second password coincides with a word of   predetermined read pass stored in said second memory.   6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid first password stored in the first memory is entered with the aid of reading / writing means.   7. System for preventing access to confidential information by unauthorized persons during the transfer of said confidential information between first and second authorized users, characterized in that it comprises at least one integrated circuit card comprising circuits based on microprocessor system having a memory containing said confidential information, first means for presenting data to said microprocessor-based circuit or releasing them therefrom, said microprocessor-based circuits comprising second means for transferring data between said first means and said memory, at least one keyboard for generating said data to be presented by said first means to said microprocessor-based circuits, reproducing means responsive to said first means for displaying said confidential information, said second means including comparison means its for comparing a first password of said data generated by said keyboard and presented to the microprocessor-based circuit by said first means with a previously read password stored in said memory, and transferring said confidential information from said memory to said first means only when the   first password coincides with said password read.   8. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the comparison means comprise means for comparing a second password of said data generated by said keyboard and presented to said microprocessor-based circuits by the aforementioned first means with a password. written, previously stored in said memory, and to transfer the confidential information of said first means to said memory only when the second word   password coincides with said password written.   9. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the first aforementioned means comprise an input / output bus and a read / write device. 10. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the first aforementioned means comprises an extension of a control / data bus incorporated in said card (IC) for connecting the aforementioned microprocessor-based circuits to the aforementioned keyboard and the means of reproduction or visualization above, o the keyboard is a matrix of rows of keys or keys mounted on said card (IC) and said means of   reproduction are also mounted on said card (IC).   11. System according to claim 8, characterized in that the aforesaid memory is divided between at least one fixed and variable field group, said fixed field comprising the read and written passwords mentioned above and the variable field containing the information. confidential. - -   12. System according to claim 11, characterized in that the aforementioned memory comprises a plurality of aforementioned groups and the comparison means comprise means allowing access only by the aforementioned first means to the confidential information to a group for which a coincidence is detected between the first password   mentioned above and the password read above.   13. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the first aforementioned means comprise first and second read / write devices connected by an electronic data seal and said card (IC) above comprises a first card connected to said first reading device. / write and second map connected to said second read / write device.   14. System according to claim 13, characterized in that said first and second cards (IC) each comprise microprocessor-based circuits mentioned above having said memory and said second aforementioned means.