JP3166168B2 - Data recording method using IC card - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a data recording method using an IC card, and more particularly to a recording method capable of recording a large amount of user data.

[Conventional technology]

IC cards are expected to spread in the future in place of magnetic cards that are now popular. As for this IC card, several types of common specifications have been determined so far, and practical use has already been achieved for limited uses. A general IC card has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an EEPROM, and input / output terminals for connecting these elements to an external device. The ROM is a non-rewritable memory and is used as a program area for holding a program for controlling the CPU. RAM is a rewritable memory, and is used as a work area for the CPU to operate. Also,
The EEPROM is a memory that can be rewritten by applying a predetermined rewrite voltage, and is used as a user area for recording user data. In this user area, a larger amount of user data can be recorded than a magnetic card, and the card itself is greatly different from a magnetic card in that it has a CPU, and various uses are expected in the future. .

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Certainly, an IC card can record a larger amount of user data than a magnetic card. However, the storage capacity is significantly limited as compared with a memory used in a device such as a general personal computer. If an IC card is used as a simple substitute for a magnetic card which is currently popular, there is no particular problem regarding the memory capacity. However, IC cards are not limited to magnetic card substitutes, and are expected to be used for various purposes. For this reason, it is desired that the storage capacity of the user data be as large as possible. However, due to the physical limitations of a card of a size suitable for carrying, the capacity of the built-in EEPROM is limited,
It is difficult to significantly increase the storage capacity of the OM.

Therefore, the present invention can record a large amount of user data.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data recording method using an IC card.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention relates to a data recording method for recording user data using an IC card, comprising: an IC card having a rewritable memory for recording data; and a reading / writing device for accessing the IC card. The writing device and the IC card are provided separately,
Storage means accessible by a read / write device, and when writing user data, the read / write device
First write processing for writing user data to be originally written in the IC card into the storage means so that virtual write processing can be performed at a predetermined address location in the address space of the memory in the IC card. And a second writing process of writing access data necessary for accessing the user data written in the first writing process to a predetermined address location of a memory in the IC card. When reading user data, the read / write device
To be able to perform virtual read processing from a predetermined address location in the address space of the memory in the IC card,
A first read process for reading access data from a predetermined address location in a memory in an IC card, and a user to be read by accessing storage means based on the access data read in the first read process. And a second read process for reading data.

(Operation)

In the IC card according to the present invention, the original user data is not written in the internal EEPROM. Original user data is written in a storage means outside the IC card. Then, in the EEPROM inside the IC card, information necessary to access the user data recorded outside is recorded. To read user data from an IC card, the following two-stage process is performed. First, in the first stage,
Information necessary for accessing from the EEPROM is read. Then, in the second stage, based on this information, the user data recorded outside the IC card is accessed and read. In general, the information required to access this (eg address value) compared to user data
Has a very small amount of information. Therefore, in the IC card
If you record not the user data itself but the information necessary to access it in the EEPROM,
Memory space can be used efficiently, and a large amount of user data can be recorded.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a state in which a general IC card is connected to a reading / writing device. In the IC card 10,
Three types of memories, namely ROM11, RAM12, EEPROM13,
CPU 14 is built in. The ROM 11 is a non-rewritable memory, and is used as a program area for holding a program for controlling the CPU 14. The RAM 12 is a rewritable memory, and is used as a work area for the operation of the CPU. The EEPROM 13 is a memory that can be rewritten by applying a predetermined rewrite voltage, and is used as a user area for recording user data.

Since six signal lines are connected to the read / write device 20, six input / output terminals for connecting these signal lines are provided on the IC card 10. The use of each signal line is as follows.

(1) Signal line I / O Used to transfer data bidirectionally between the IC card 10 and the read / write device 20.

(2) Signal line RST This is used to supply a reset signal from the read / write device 20 to the IC card 10.

(3) Signal line CLK Used to supply a clock signal from the read / write device 20 to the IC card 10.

(4) Signal line VCC Used to supply a VCC voltage from the read / write device 20 to the IC card 10.

(5) Signal line GND Used to supply GND voltage from the read / write device 20 to the IC card 10 side.

(6) Signal line VPP Currently not used.

The read / write device 20 is connected with a storage means 30. This storage means 30 may be any device having a function of storing data. For example, a general rewritable memory device may be used, or a magnetic disk device, a magnetic tape device, an optical disk device, or the like may be used. A feature of the present invention resides in that user data is recorded not in the EEPROM 13 but in the storage means 30. Hereinafter, this recording method will be described with reference to a specific example.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of recorded contents in the EEPROM 13 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of recorded contents in the storage means 30 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
In the PROM 13, n pieces of access management information AI1, AI2,..., AIn are recorded together with data necessary for accessing the IC card, such as a personal identification code and a collation history. on the other hand,
In the storage means 30, n pieces of user data UD1, UD2,.
Is recorded. In this embodiment, the n pieces of access management information AI1, AI2,..., AIn are head address values for the n pieces of user data UD1, UD2,.

The process of reading the user data from the IC card 10 by the read / write device 20 includes the following two steps. That is, the read / write device 20 stores a predetermined address value of the user data to be read through the signal line I / O into the IC.
Give to the card 10 side. The CPU 14 reads data from the EEPROM 13 based on the address value, and reads the data from the signal line I / O.
To the read / write device 20 via The above is the first stage processing. In the conventional IC card, the desired user data itself is read from the EEPROM 13 by this first step, so that it is not necessary to perform the subsequent second step processing. However, in the IC card of the present invention, the data read in this way is not the user data itself,
This is access management information. Therefore, the following second stage processing is required. Now, it is assumed that, for example, the access management information AI2 has been read in the first stage processing. In the second stage, the access control information AI
This is the process of accessing the user data using 2 and reading it. That is, the user data UD2 shown in FIG. 3 is read.

On the other hand, the process of writing the user data to the IC card 10 by the read / write device 20 also includes two steps. That is,
The read / write device 20 stores user data to be written in an EEPROM.
Write in the storage means 30 instead of the OM13. This is the first stage processing. Subsequently, the read / write device 20 writes the access management information (the start address value in this example) for the user data written in the first stage into the EEPROM 13. This is the second stage processing. Then, the write address in the EEPROM 13 in the second stage is handled as the address of the user data.

Thus, in the IC card of the present invention, two-stage processing is required to read or write desired user data. However, since addressing for reading and writing can always be performed on the address space in the EEPROM 13, the same handling as a conventional IC card in which user data is directly written in the EEPROM 13 is possible. . In other words, it is possible to access the user data assuming that the user data is directly written in the EEPROM 13. With this configuration, the EEPROM
13 virtual memory capacity can be greatly expanded. Generally, the individual access management information AI1, AI2,..., AIn has a very short data length compared to the individual user data UD1, UD2,. For example, in this embodiment, the individual access management information may be a head address value of individual user data recorded in the storage unit 30. Because of this, EEPROM
Numerous access control information can be recorded in 13. On the other hand, since the storage means 30 is a storage device provided externally to the IC card 10, its storage capacity is theoretically increased to infinity. That is, a read / write device
If the number of storage devices is increased as necessary, the necessary storage capacity can be secured. Therefore, the IC card of the present invention can record an enormous amount of user data as compared with the conventional IC card.

According to the present invention, as described above, not only the merit that the recording capacity of user data can be greatly expanded,
There is an additional benefit that security can be improved. That is, the EEPROM in the IC card
In FIG. 13, since no actual user data is recorded, even if an accident such as loss or theft of an IC card occurs, the contents of the user data are never read by a third party. Therefore, the security of the recorded data can be improved.

As described above, one embodiment illustrating the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and can be implemented in various other modes. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the user data is recorded in the storage unit 30 connected to the read / write device 20, but the storage unit 30 may be any storage device outside the IC card. May be used. Therefore, when the read / write device 20 is connected to a host computer, a recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, or an optical disk connected to the host computer can be used as the storage unit 30. . In the above-described embodiment, the head address value of the user data is used as the access management information.
In short, any form may be used as long as the information is necessary for accessing the user data. Therefore,
Instead of an address value, a file name or the like may be used.
In particular, when a large number of IC cards are issued and a storage device connected to a host computer is used as the storage means 30, it is practical to use a file name having a hierarchical structure as the access management information.

[Effect of the Invention] As described above, in the data recording method using the IC card according to the present invention, instead of recording the user data itself in the IC card, the access management information is recorded, and the user data itself is stored in an external storage. Since the information is recorded in the means, a large amount of user data can be recorded, and the security can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a state in which an IC card according to the present invention is connected to a read / write device, and FIG. 2 is an EEPROM shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the recorded contents in the OM 13, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the recorded contents in the storage means 30 shown in FIG. 10 IC card, 11 ROM, 12 RAM, 13 EEPRO
M, 14 CPU, 20 read / write device, 30 storage means.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-5158 (JP, A) JP-A-61-43034 (JP, A) JP-A-62-288971 (JP, A) JP-A-63-195754 (JP) , A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data recording method for recording user data using an IC card, comprising a rewritable memory for recording data.
Preparing an IC card, a read / write device for accessing the IC card, and storage means provided separately from the IC card and accessible by the read / write device; At the time of writing user data, the read / write device is designed to perform a virtual write process at a predetermined address location in the address space of the memory.
A first writing process for writing user data to be written in the card into the storage means, and access data necessary for accessing the user data written in the first writing process are stored in the predetermined memory of the memory. And a second write process for writing to an address location of the memory. When reading user data, the read / write device performs a virtual read process from a predetermined address location in the address space of the memory. A first read process for reading the access data from the predetermined address location in the memory, and the storage unit based on the access data read in the first read process. A second reading process for reading user data to be read by accessing the IC card. Method of recording data using.