Gemplus Card International

Gemplus

Philippe Martineau

A smart card, which in normal use in a network allows the transfer of goods/services to a user of the card from a network operator by subtracting prepaid units of value stored in the card. The card has an embedded integrated circuit with a serial number unique to each card, and a prepaid units register for storing a number of remaining units of prepaid value. In response to an interrogation, the serial number and the number of remaining prepaid units may be read out. A key number is also stored in the circuit. It has a first portion unique for each card, and a second portion which is common to a plurality of cards, but unique for a network operator. The key number in normal use of the card cannot be read from the card. An algorithm is also stored in the card, and in normal use it also is not readable from the card. A microprocessor calculates a certificate in accordance with the algorithm as a function of the key number and the number in said prepaid register, and the certificate is readable from the card.

Prepaid smart card in a GSM based wireless telephone network and method for operating prepaid cards

The invention provides a prepaid smart card to be used in a wireless telephone network, and methods for prepaying for wireless telephone services, as well as systems for operating a wireless telephone network with prepaid smart cards. The cards, methods and systems permit the use of wireless telephones anonymously, and/or the payment by a user without having a subscription. The invention requires minimal changes to the existing wireless telephone and wireless telephone network, yet provides security against abuse or fraudulent use of the telephone system. Additionally, promotional material may be provided with the prepayments, and persons may prepay into a subscriber's telephone.

Prepaid smart card in a GSM based wireless telephone network and method

To simplify the manufacture of terminals for the use of chip cards, the system is designed so as to place a minimum set of instructions in these terminals and to transfer the storage of complementary instructions pertaining to uses of greater complexity and/or pertaining to the chip card into the chip card. To bring about the performance of these complementary instructions, an address designating an instruction of a complementary set is stored in a reserved memory of the chip card. The microprocessor of the chip card is furthermore provided with a microprogram enforcing the performance of an instruction thus designated as soon as it is detected that the reserved memory has been designated by an instruction of an elementary set of instructions of this microprocessor. It is shown that it is possible, in this way, to simplify and rationalize the manufacture of very powerful terminals.

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Rockville, MD, United States of America

Philippe Martineau