# 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. - **Patent:** US 9959544 - **Original title:** Updating an application on a smart card and displaying an advertisement - **Owner:** International Business Machines Corp - **Granted:** 2018 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** telecommunications, consumer_electronics, software, semiconductors, ecommerce ## What it does 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 does NOT 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. ## 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 ## 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. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How a Server Updates Smart Card Apps and Shows Ads cover? 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. ### Who owns patent US 9959544? International Business Machines Corp owns this patent, granted in 2018. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 9959544 cited by? This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? 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. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover smart card application updates that occur without a server authenticating the user via a PIN. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9959544/updating-an-application-on-a-smart-card-and-displaying-an-advertisement **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US9959544 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How Phones Store and Rotate Ads Locally by Breaking Rules](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8423408/amazon-advertising) — Sprint's 2006 patent on a system that downloads a pool of ads to a phone and uses an on-device manager to decide which ad to show, even breaking its own rules to make sure lagging ad campaigns get seen. - [How Cable Boxes Download Software Updates Remotely](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5440632/reprogrammable-subscriber-terminal) — A method for cable television boxes to automatically download and install new software updates sent over the air from the cable provider's main office. - [How Servers Combine Global and Local Content for Personalized Web Displays](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6122658/custom-localized-information-in-a-networked-server-for-display-to-an-end-user) — A 1997 Microsoft patent describing how a server can mix general content with specific local details to create a personalized experience for users based on their location or demographics. - [How Dynamic Web Applications Use Templates to Fetch Data](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7111231/microsoft-word-docx-format) — A method for web applications to use abstract templates that automatically connect to back-end databases based on the user's device or platform. - [How Google Ads Detect Which Web Page You Are Viewing](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7136875/google-maps) — A method for web browsers to identify the correct webpage address to show relevant advertisements, even when the ad code is hidden inside a frame.