How a Server Updates Smart Card Apps and Shows Ads

This patent describes a system where a central server authenticates a smart card user, identifies the specific smart card, allows the user to update applications on it, and then sends an advertisement to the user's computer.

What it covers

This patent details a method for managing applications on a smart card and delivering advertisements. When a user inserts their smart card into a computer, a server first verifies the user with a PIN. The server then reads a unique number from the smart card's processor to identify the specific card and retrieve its profile, which lists the applications stored on it (Claim 1). The server then tells the user's computer to show a page listing these applications and possible actions, like updating them. If the user chooses to modify an application, the server updates its records, the smart card itself changes the application, and the server sends an advertisement to be displayed on the user's computer (Claim 1).

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover smart card application updates that occur without a server authenticating the user via a PIN.
• —Does not cover systems where the smart card's unique processor number is not used by a server to identify a card profile.
• —Does not cover application updates that do not result in an advertisement being sent to the user's computer for display.
• —Does not cover smart card updates where the user's computer does not display a page of applications and permitted actions from the server.
• —Does not cover smart card systems that lack a server-side user profile or card profile containing physical characteristics and application identities.

The clever bit

The clever bit is securely linking a specific smart card's unique hardware identifier to a server-side user profile, allowing for personalized management of applications and targeted advertisement delivery during an update process. This ensures that updates and ads are tailored to the exact card and user.

Why it matters

This patent addresses the challenge of securely managing and updating software on smart cards after they have been issued, a process known as 'post issuance operation.' It also integrates advertising into this process, creating a potential revenue stream. While filed in 2003, the long grant time to 2018 suggests the underlying concepts of secure remote management of embedded systems and targeted content delivery remained relevant for a long period.

Real-world examples

• 1.Secure element updates on mobile payment cards
• 2.SIM card application management by mobile carriers
• 3.Digital TV smart card updates
• 4.Access control card configuration