JP3967181B2 - Application addition system to IC card - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an application to an IC card that can add a new application even when the memory capacity of the storage means is insufficient when a new application is downloaded and added to the storage means of the IC card. Regarding additional systems.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a multi-function IC card can download and store a plurality of applications as long as it is within the memory capacity provided in the storage means of the IC card, but by downloading a new application, If the memory capacity is exceeded, downloading cannot be performed.
[0003]
Even in that case, if you want to download a new application, select a predetermined application that may not be used in the future from among applications already stored in the storage means, By deleting the application, a memory area sufficient to download a new application is secured, and then a new application is downloaded to the memory area.
[0004]
However, even applications that are unlikely to be used in the future may need to be used again later due to changes in various situations, etc. It is not desirable to completely delete an existing application.
[0005]
In addition, it may be possible to issue a new IC card with a new application downloaded as needed. However, it takes time and effort to issue an IC card. There is also a problem that the number of IC cards possessed increases and it takes time to organize, and it is inconvenient because it is bulky by possessing a plurality of IC cards.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Even if it is desired to use a new application, the present invention eliminates the need to newly issue an IC card, makes it possible to add and store a new application using an already owned IC card, and An application addition system to an IC card that allows a new application to be added to an IC card even if the memory capacity of the storage means of the IC card is insufficient to add a new application I will provide a.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The system for adding an application to an IC card according to the present invention includes an IC card, a communication terminal provided with an IC card reader / writer, and a server connected to the communication terminal via a communication line. A system for adding an application to an IC card that makes it possible to download an application to an IC card even when the capacity is insufficient. The server includes various systems for downloading to the storage means of the IC card. In the application database in which the applications are registered, in the IC card database in which information capable of confirming all the applications stored in the storage means of each IC card is registered, and in the storage means of the IC card Download a specific application The memory shortage calculating means for calculating the shortage of memory capacity when the application is downloaded to the storage means, and the memory shortage calculating means from the applications already stored in the storage means of the IC card. An application specifying means for specifying an application having a memory capacity that can compensate for the shortage of the memory capacity calculated in step (b), and an instruction for deleting the application specified by the application specifying means from the storage means of the IC card A deletion signal generating means for transmitting a signal; a communication means for communicating with the communication terminal; a storage means for receiving the application transmitted from the communication terminal by the communication means and storing the application; , Download the application to the IC card The application is extracted from the application database, the application is transmitted to the communication terminal by the communication means, and the information of the IC card registered in the IC card database is updated in accordance with the change accompanying the download and deletion. And a control means.
[0008]
Further, according to the present invention, the server manages a period in which the application received from the communication unit is temporarily stored in the storage unit, and a deposit price calculating unit that calculates a deposit price from the deposit period; and Communication means for transmitting the billing data calculated by the deposit price calculation means to the communication terminal via a communication line is provided.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of an application adding system to an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of the system for adding an application to an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the system for adding an application to an IC card according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1, the IC card user side 1 is provided with a communication terminal 2 provided with an IC card reader / writer 3, and the application manager side 4 is provided with a communication line such as the communication terminal 2 and the Internet. A server 5 connected via 6 is provided.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 2, the IC card reader / writer 3 includes data reading means 8 for reading data stored in the storage means of the IC card 7 owned by the IC card user side 1, and storage means of the IC card 7. Data writing means 9 for writing data, and data erasing means 10 for erasing data such as applications stored in the storage means of the IC card 7 are provided.
The communication terminal 2 includes a display unit 11 such as a CRT, an input unit 12 such as a keyboard, a communication unit 13 for performing communication via a communication line 6 such as the Internet, a storage unit 14, and a control unit 15. is doing.
[0012]
The server 5 includes a communication unit 16, a control unit 17, a deletion signal generation unit 18, an application identification unit 19, a memory shortage calculation unit 20, a price calculation unit 21, a storage unit 22, an application database 23, and an IC card database 24. , And.
[0013]
The communication means 16 has a function of communicating with the communication terminal 2 via the communication line 6 such as the Internet, and receives an application stored in the IC card 7 from the communication terminal 2 via the IC card reader / writer 3. And an application for downloading to the IC card 7 is transmitted to the communication terminal 2, and the application stored in the IC card 7 is stored in the IC card reader / writer 3 via the communication terminal 2. The delete command signal is transmitted.
[0014]
Various applications for downloading to the storage means of the IC card 7 are registered in the application database 23 in advance, and the application database 23 stores the application database 23 based on the transmission request information of the application from the communication terminal 2 by the IC card user. A desired application is extracted from the registered applications by the control means 17 and transmitted from the communication means 16 to the communication terminal 2.
[0015]
The IC card database 24 includes IC card management information that can identify each IC card, and information that can be used to confirm all applications stored in the storage means of each IC card. It is registered.
The information capable of confirming the application is a code number or the like set in advance for each application, and may be any information that can confirm the type of application based on at least the information.
With these pieces of information, it is possible to always check which type of application is stored in which IC card storage means.
[0016]
When downloading a predetermined application to the storage means of the IC card 7, the memory shortage calculation means 20 has a memory capacity enough to store the application when the application is downloaded to the storage means of the IC card 7 in advance. It has a function to check whether or not there is, and to calculate a memory capacity that is insufficient if it is insufficient.
[0017]
In addition, the application specifying unit 19 selects a memory shortage calculating unit from among the applications already stored in the storage unit of the IC card 7 based on the memory capacity that is the shortage calculated by the memory shortage calculating unit 20. 20 has a function of identifying an application having a memory capacity that can compensate for the shortage of the memory capacity calculated in step 20.
[0018]
The deletion signal generation means 18 has a function of transmitting a command signal for deleting the application specified by the application specification means 19 from the storage means of the IC card 7, and is transmitted from the communication means 16 to the communication terminal 2. Then, it is sent to the IC card 7 via the IC card reader / writer 3.
[0019]
Further, the storage unit 22 reads the application with the IC card reader / writer 3 before deleting the application from the storage unit of the IC card 7 and receives it from the communication terminal 2 on the server 5 side, and then temporarily stores it. This application is stored.
Therefore, at any time, the application once stored in the storage means 22 can be transmitted to the communication terminal 2 as necessary and downloaded to the storage means of the IC card 7 via the IC card reader / writer 3. It is.
[0020]
Further, the control means 16 extracts an application to be downloaded to the IC card 7 from the application database 23 based on transmission request information from the IC card user, and causes the communication means 16 to transmit the application to the communication terminal 2. At the same time, it has a function of changing and updating the information of the IC card registered in the IC card database 24 as needed in accordance with the download and deletion processes.
[0021]
Further, the price calculation means 22 has a function of managing the period of time for which the application for temporary custody received by the server 5 from the communication terminal 2 is stored in the storage means 22 and calculating the custody price from the custody period. .
[0022]
Next, the processing procedure of the application adding system to the IC card of the present invention will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, the IC card user inserts the IC card 7 into the IC card reader / writer 3 (step S1).
Next, information for specifying an application to be newly added and stored in the storage means of the IC card 7, such as an application management number and an application name, is input from the input means 12 of the communication terminal 2 (step S2). .
[0023]
Next, IC card management information such as an ID number for identifying the IC card stored in the storage means of the IC card 7 is read by the IC card reader / writer 3 (step S3).
Then, information specifying the application and IC card management information are transmitted from the communication terminal 2 to the server 5 (step S4).
[0024]
In the server 5, the type of application already stored in the IC card 7 is checked from the IC card database 24 based on the IC card management information, and the current free memory capacity in the storage means of the IC card 7. The data regarding is extracted (step S5).
Next, based on the information specifying the application, data related to the used memory capacity of the application requested to be downloaded is extracted from the application database 23 (step S6).
[0025]
Then, the memory shortage calculating means 20 compares the used memory capacity of the application requested to be downloaded to the IC card 7 with the current free memory capacity in the storage means of the IC card 7 (step S7).
As a result of this comparison (step S8), if the capacity of the application requested to be downloaded is large relative to the current free memory capacity of the storage means of the IC card 7, and the application cannot be downloaded, download the application. A memory capacity that is insufficient when performing is calculated (step S9).
[0026]
Next, based on the IC card management information in the IC card database 24, the application specifying means 19 exceeds the memory capacity that becomes insufficient when downloading the application from among the applications already stored in the IC card 7. An application having a memory capacity of 2 is specified (step S10).
[0027]
Subsequently, a deletion command signal for deleting the application specified by the application specifying means 19 is generated by the deletion signal generating means 18 and transmitted from the server 5 to the communication terminal 2 via the communication line 6 (step S11).
The control means 15 of the communication terminal 2 that has received the delete command signal uses the application identification means 19 to select the application stored in the storage means of the IC card 7 by the data reading means 8 with respect to the IC card reader / writer 3. The identified application is read, transmitted to the server 5 via the communication line 6, and stored in the storage means 22 of the server 5 (step S12).
[0028]
Subsequently, the control means 15 of the communication terminal 2 is identified by the application identification means 19 from the applications stored in the storage means of the IC card 7 by the data erasure means 10 with respect to the IC card reader / writer 3. The application is erased (step S13).
[0029]
Next, based on the information specifying the application requested to be downloaded from the application database 23 of the server 5, the corresponding application is extracted, and this application is transmitted from the server 5 to the communication terminal 2. In addition, information specifying the application deleted from the storage means of the IC card 7 is stored as the type of application already stored in the IC card 7 in the IC card management information registered in the IC card database 24. Erasing is performed, and further, a process for newly adding information specifying an application to be downloaded to the storage means of the IC card 7 this time is performed (step S14).
[0030]
Subsequently, the control means 15 of the communication terminal 2 causes the data writing means 9 of the IC card reader / writer 3 to download the application to the storage means of the IC card 7 (step S15).
With the above processing, even when there is no free memory capacity in the storage means of the IC card 7, it is possible to download a new application desired by the IC card user.
[0031]
Then, after using the newly downloaded application, when the IC card user no longer needs the application, the IC card user again stores the application stored in the storage means 22 of the server 5 again. When the user wants to download and use it in the storage means, the application stored in the storage means 22 via the communication line 6 is transmitted from the server 5 to the communication terminal 2 at any time, and the IC card reader / writer 3 is used to It can be downloaded to the storage means of the card 7.
[0032]
The price calculation means 21 of the server 5 transmits the application of the IC card 7 specified by the application specification means 19 to the server 5 via the communication line 6 and stores it in the storage means 22 of the server 5. When the application is used again with the IC card 7, the date and time when the application is downloaded from the storage means 22 to the IC card 7 is recorded. Information relating to the period for which the application is kept is managed, and further, calculation is performed at a predetermined rate based on the period for keeping the application, thereby performing a process for calculating a deposit for the application.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the system for adding an application to an IC card according to the present invention has a new IC card even if the memory capacity of the storage means of the IC card does not have enough free memory capacity to add a new application. A new application can be added using a single IC card without being issued. Therefore, even if a new application is desired, there is no need to newly issue an IC card, and a new IC can be used. There is an effect that it is convenient to save the trouble of issuing a card.
Furthermore, if necessary, it is possible to temporarily deposit an IC card application to a server for a fee, which is advantageous for the application management side.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a system for adding an application to an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of a system for adding an application to an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a system for adding an application to an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a system for adding an application to an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC card user side 2 Communication terminal 3 IC card reader / writer 4 Application manager side 5 Server 6 Communication line 7 IC card 8 Data reading means 9 Data writing means 10 Data erasing means 11 Display means 12 Input means 13, 16 Communication Means 14, 22 Storage means 15, 17 Control means 18 Deletion signal generation means 19 Application specifying means 20 Memory shortage calculation means 21 Price calculation means 23 Application database 24 IC card database

Claims (2)

Even when the memory capacity of the storage means of the IC card is insufficient due to the IC card, the communication terminal provided with the IC card reader / writer, and the server connected to the communication terminal via a communication line, the IC card can be transferred to the IC card. An application addition system to an IC card that enables downloading of an application,
The server includes
An application database in which various applications for downloading to the storage means of the IC card are registered;
An IC card database in which information capable of confirming all the applications stored in the storage means of each IC card is registered;
A memory shortage calculating means for calculating a shortage of memory capacity when downloading a predetermined application to the storage means of the IC card;
An application specifying means for specifying an application having a memory capacity capable of compensating for the shortage of the memory capacity calculated by the memory shortage calculating means from the applications already stored in the storage means of the IC card;
A deletion signal generating means for transmitting a command signal for deleting the application specified by the application specifying means from the storage means of the IC card;
A communication means for communicating with the communication terminal;
Storage means for receiving and storing the application transmitted from the communication terminal by the communication means;
An application to be downloaded to the IC card is extracted from the application database, the application is transmitted to the communication terminal by the communication means, and the information on the IC card registered in the IC card database is downloaded and A control means for updating in accordance with the change accompanying the deletion;
A system for adding an application to an IC card. The server includes a deposit price calculation unit that manages a period in which the application received from the communication unit is temporarily stored in the storage unit and calculates a deposit price from the deposit period. Item 1. A system for adding an application to an IC card according to Item 1.

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