Importing information onto a chip card

US6173401A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael Deindl · Lörrach, DE
• Walter Hanel · Stony Brook, US
• Albert Schaal · Lörrach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 14, 1998
• Grant date: Jan 9, 2001
• Expiry date: Apr 14, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07F7/082
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of importing information, in particular application information, onto a chip card which has a memory with a directory. The information being transferred onto the chip card comprises data and code, and it is often necessary to distribute these data and the code to different files in the directory. The method of the invention establishes whether the data and the code have been placed properly in the various files. The invention makes it possible to verify whether the information has been placed in the proper location allocated to it in the memory of the chip card. When an application is to be placed onto a chip card, the information is loaded into the chip card memory but is no allowed to be used until its location on the card is verified. Verification is accomplished by calculating an electronic fingerprint of the information and it's location. The fingerprint is compared with at least one other electronic fingerprint, and the stored information is activated only if on comparison a match is established between the electronic fingerprint and at least one other electronic fingerprint.