Portable storage medium issue system

Abstract: An IC card issue system of the present invention issues IC cards (5), each having a data memory (52) and a control element (51), to individuals by respectively writing, in the data memories of the respective portable storage media, issue data common to the individuals and issue data which differ individually. The system includes a storage section (2) for storing an issue data file (2a) constituted by a common data group (12) as a set of issue data common to each person, a personal data group (13) as a set of issue data which differ individually, and attribute information (11). A read section (6) for sequentially reading out the issue data from the common data group (12) or from the personal data group (13) in the storage section (2) on the basis of discrimination signs (23) in the attribute information (11) stored in the storage section (2), and a write section (6) for writing the issue data read out by the read section (6) in the data memory of the IC card (5). Each of the discrimination signs represents that corresponding issue data is common data or personal data, and values each indicating a specific location of corresponding issue data in the common data group or in the personal data group.

Description: The present invention relates to an issue system for writing issue data, such as information associated with an issuer and personal information associated with each IC card holder, in IC cards (portable storage media) each incorporating, e.g., a CPU, a data memory, and the like. When a portable storage medium such as an IC card is to be issued, issue data stored in, e.g., an issue data file is written in it by an issue system. An issue data file used in such an operation is designed such that issue data is not discriminated as common data or personal data, and common data is repeatedly stored for each individual person. As described above, the issue data file used in issue processing is designed such that common data is repeatedly stored for each individual person without discriminating issue data as common data or personal data. For this reason, especially when a ratio of common data to the total issue data is significantly high, the capacity of the issue data file is increased, and the real storage free area of the issue data file is undesirably reduced. The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-described drawback that the free storage area of an issue data file is reduced with an increase in amount of common data, and has as its object to provide a portable storage medium issue system which can avoid a great reduction in a free storage area of an issue data file due to common data. According to the present invention, there is provided a portable storage medium issue system for issuing portable storage media, each having a data memory and a control element, to individuals by respectively writing, in the data memories of the respective portable storage media, issue data common to the individuals and issue data which differ individually, comprising: a storage section for storing an issue data file constituted by a common data group as a set of issue data common to each person, a personal data group as a set of issue data which differ individually, and attribute information including discrimination signs each representing that corresponding issue data is common data or personal data, and values each indicating a specific location of corresponding issue data in the common data group or in the personal data group; a read section for sequentially reading out the issue data from the common data group or from the personal data group in the storage section on the basis of the discrimination signs in the attribute information stored in the storage section; and a write section for writing the issue data read out by the read section in the data memory of each portable storage medium. According to the present invention, portable storage media each having a data memory and a control element are issued to individuals by respectively writing, in the data memories of the respective portable storage media, issue data common to the individuals and issue data which differ individually. A storage section stores an issue data file constituted by a common data group as a set of issue data common to each person, a personal data group as a set of issue data which differ individually, and attribute information including discrimination signs each representing that corresponding issue data is common data or personal data, and values each indicating a specific location of corresponding issue data in the common data group or in the personal data group. The issue data are sequentially read out from the common data group or from the personal data group in the storage section on the basis of the discrimination signs in the attribute information stored in the storage section. The readout issue data are respectively written in the data memory of the portable storage medium. This invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of an IC card issue system according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing an issue data file to be stored in the system in Fig. 1; Figs. 3A to 3C are flow charts for explaining an operation of the IC card issue system in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a view showing another issue data file to be stored in the system in Fig. 1. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows an IC card issue system as an issue system for a portable storage medium according to the present invention. The IC card issue system comprises: host computer (host CPU) 1, having internal memory 1a, for controlling the overall system; auxiliary memory device (AUX memory device) 2 for storing a control program for controlling the issue system and issue data file 2a as processing contents of the system; CRT display 3 for displaying a sequence of operations of the issue system and an operation state to an operator; keyboard/mouse 4 as an input unit used to operate the system; read/write device 6 for writing issue data in IC cards 5 (5-1 to 5-n); printer 7 for printing out an issue record of IC cards, e.g., a date, issue data, a file name, card numbers, and the number of issue cards; key card 8 for storing an issuer key and a decode key; and read/write device 6A for performing read/write operations to key card 8. The issuer key serves as a password and is used to check whether or not a card to be issued is right one. The apparatus of Fig. 1 starts to operate only when the issuer key matches the password input from keyboard 4. Issue data file 2a consists of attribute information group 11, common data group 12, and personal data group 13, as shown in Fig. 2. In attribute information group 11, pieces of the attribute information of all the issue data to be written in IC cards 5 are stored in the order of writing. Each attribute information is constituted by a discrimination sign (discrimination sign) representing whether corresponding issue data is common data or personal data, and a value representing a specific location of corresponding issue data in common data group 12 or in personal data group 13. More specifically, attribute information group 11 is constituted by: storage area 21 for storing the sequential number of each issue data; storage area 22 for storing each data name; storage area 23 for storing each discrimination data representing whether corresponding issue data is common data or personal data; flag area 25 indicating whether or not a coded personal ID number (50th data in data group 13) of each card is to be decoded; and storage area 24 for storing location data each representing a specific byte position of corresponding issue data in relation to the start byte position in common data group 12 or in personal data group 13. If "1" is stored as a discrimination sign in storage area 23, corresponding data in storage area 22 is common data. In contrast to this, if "2" is stored as a discrimination sign, corresponding data is personal data. When the flag bit in flag area 25 is "0", no decoding is performed, and when it is "1", decoding is performed. More specifically, when the flag bit in area 25 is "1", then the ID number of the 50th data in personal data group 13 is decoded and written into IC card 5. The key used for this decoding is stored in key card 8, and is entered in internal memory 1a of CPU 1 after the password of key card 8 is verified. In common data group 12, as issue data common to the respective persons (i.e., common to respective IC cards 5), issue machine numbers, issue company names, and the like. More specifically, common data group 12 is constituted by pairs of 3-byte storage areas 31, each for storing the actual data length of corresponding common data, and storage areas 32, each for storing corresponding common data. In personal data group 13, the names of persons and the like are stored as issue data which differ from person to person (i.e., from IC card 5 to IC card 5). More specifically, personal data group 13 is constituted by combinations of 6-byte storage areas 41, each for storing the card number of corresponding IC card 5 issued for each person, 3-byte storage areas 42, each for storing the actual data length of corresponding personal data, and storage areas 43, each for storing corresponding personal data. As shown in Fig. 1, each IC card 5 (5-1 to 5-n) is constituted by CPU (central processing unit) 51 (51-1 to 51-n), and data memory 52 (52-1 to 52-n) for storing the password of an issuer, issue data, and the like. IC card issue processing of the present invention in the above-described arrangement will be described below with reference to flow charts shown in Figs. 3A to 3C. First, a prescribed password is input from keyboard 4 (ST2 in Fig. 3A). CPU 1 compares the input password with the issuer key obtained from key card 8 in order to verify the password (ST4). If the password is not verified (no at ST6), then an error message is displayed at CRT display 3, and the operation stops. When the password is verified (yes at ST6), IC card issue processing starts (ST8 in Fig. 3B). In accordance with instructions displayed on the CRT display 3, an operator inputs the file name of issue data to be issued, a start card number, and the number of issue cards by using keyboard 4 (ST10). These input data are stored in internal memory 1a in host CPU 1. Host CPU 1 checks whether input issue data file 2a exists in AUX memory device 2 (ST12). If the file is stored in AUX memory device 2 (YES in ST12), issue data file 2a is read out from AUX memory device 2 and is transferred to internal memory 1a. Host CPU 1 checks whether cards, identified by the numbers from the input card number to the last card number which represents the sum of the input card number and the number of issue cards, exist in issue data file 2a (ST14). If they exist (YES in ST14), host CPU 1 causes CRT display 3 to display an insertion request of IC card 5. In response to this request, the operator inserts IC card 5 (e.g., 5-1) in a card insertion slot (not shown) of read/write device 6 (ST16). Host CPU 1 then outputs the input password of the issuer to CPU 51 in IC card 5 through read/write device 6. CPU 51 (51-1) in IC card 5 (5-1) collates the issuer key from memory 1a of host CPU 1 with the password stored in data memory 52 (52-1) (ST18). CPU 51 sends the collation result to host CPU 1 through read/write device 6. If the sent collation result represents that the issuer key is verified (YES in ST20), host CPU 1 causes internal memory 1a to store attribute information group 11 in issue data file 2a stored in AUX memory device 2 (ST22). By using the distribute information of the first issue data in distribute information group 11, host CPU 1 checks whether the issue data is common data or personal data and determines a specific storage position of the data in common data group 12 or in personal data group 13 (ST24). Issue data is read out from issue data file 2a in accordance with these determination results (ST26). The readout issue data is output to CPU 51 in IC card 5 through read/write device 6. With this operation, the issue data from host CPU 1 is stored in data memory 52 by CPU 51 in IC card 5 (ST32). If "1" is stored as a discrim. sign in storage area 23 in attribute information (YES in ST24), host CPU 1 determines that corresponding issue data is common data. In this case, host CPU 1 reads out succeeding issue data by an actual data length read out from storage area 31 located at a position indicated by location data of storage area 24 in common data group 12 (ST26). Host CPU 1 then outputs the readout issue data to CPU 51 in IC card 5 through read/write device 6. CPU 51 in IC card 5 stores the issue data from host CPU 1, i.e., common data, in data memory 52. If a discrimination sign in storage area 23 is not "1" (NO in ST24), host CPU 1 checks whether corresponding issue data is personal data. If the data is personal data (YES in ST28), host CPU 1 determines the storage position of the data in common data group 12 or personal data group 13 on the basis of location data 24. Issue data read out from issue data file 2a in accordance with these determination results is output to CPU 51 in IC card 5 through read/write device 6. With this operation, the issue data from host CPU 1 is stored in data memory 52 by CPU 51 in IC card 5 (ST32). Processing for the third issue data (discrimination sign: "2") in attribute information group 11 is performed in the following manner. If "2" is stored as a discrimination sign in storage area 23 in attribute information (NO in step 24; YES in ST28), host CPU 1 determines that corresponding issue data is personal data. In this case, host CPU 1 reads out succeeding issue data, i.e., personal data having start card number n0 (e.g., 000001) as its header in personal data group 13 of issue data file 2a by an actual data length read out from storage area 42 located at a position indicated by location data (0007) of storage area 24 (ST30). The readout issue data is output to CPU 51 in IC card 5 through read/write device 6. With this operation, CPU 51 in IC card 5 causes data memory 52 to store the issue data (i.e., the personal data) from host CPU 1 (ST32). Subsequently, host CPU 1 sequentially reads out issue data from common data group 12 or from personal data group 13 by using attribute information (23, 24), of issue data, in attribute information group 11, and performs processing of the readout data in the same manner as described above (NO in ST34; ST36). If writing for all issue data belonging to start card number n0 (YES in ST34), i.e., writing for issue data with respect to all the attribute information in attribute information group 11 is completed, IC card 5 is ejected from read/write device 6 (ST38). At this time, host CPU 1 requests insertion of IC card 5 having the next number (e.g., 000002) by using CRT display 3. In response to this request, IC card 5 is inserted in the card insertion slot (not shown) of read/write device 6, and processing is performed in the same manner as described above (NO in ST40; ST42), thereby storing all corresponding issue data in data memory 52 (52-1 to 52-n) in each IC card 5 (5-1 to 5-n). After n IC cards 5 (5-1 to 5-n) corresponding to the input number of issue cards are issued in this manner, host CPU 1 causes printer 7 to print out an issue record constituted by an issue date, an issue data file name, card numbers of issue data, and the number of issue cards. Note that if an error is caused (NO in ST12, ST14, ST20, or ST28) during the processing in Figs. 3A to 3C, an error message is displayed on CRT display 3 to stop or interrupt the processing. Since attribute information group 11 may be considered as common data, an issue data file may have an arrangement shown in Fig. 4. More specifically, a portion after storage area 24 of each data location is set to be common data area (fixed length). In this arrangement, if issue data is common data, the common data is stored together with its actual data length. At this time, a 6-byte space is stored in storage area 24 of the data location. With this operation, attribute information group 11 and common data group 12 are linked to each other. If issue data is personal data, the data is stored in personal data group 13, in the same manner as described with reference to Fig. 2. As described above, in the system for issuing IC cards by storing issue data in the IC cards by using an issue data file stored in the auxiliary memory device, since data common to the respective IC cards to be issued is stored in the issue data file by an amount corresponding to one IC card, common data need not be stored for the respective IC cards in the issue data file. For this reason, the capacity of an issue data file can be reduced compared with that for the same number of IC cards to be issued in the prior art. Therefore, the real storage area of an issue data file can be effectively used, and the storage capacity of the above-mentioned auxiliary memory device can be effectively used. In the above-described embodiment, an IC card is used as a portable storage medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other media, such as a laser card, having a data memory and a control element, for selectively and externally performing input/output operations may be used. In addition, the shape of a storage medium is not limited to a card-like shape, and storage media having other shapes such as a rod-like shape may be employed.

Claims: A storage medium issue system characterized by comprising: means (2) for storing an issue data file (2a) including a common data section (12) for storing common data which is common to a plurality of storage media (5), a plurality of individual data sections (13) for storing personal data, each personal data being specific to each of the storage media (5), and an attribute data section (11) which indicates a location of data (12, 13) in said issue data file (2a); first reading means (1) for reading out the location data in said issue data file; second reading means (1) for reading out the common data and the personal data in said issue data file in accordance with the location data read out by said first reading means; and means (1, 6) for writing the common data and the personal data, read out by said second reading means, to the storage media (5). A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said attribute data section (11) includes: means for holding first information (21) indicating an order of issue data for the reading by said first and second reading means. A system according to claim 2, characterized in that said attribute data section (11) includes: means for holding second information (22) indicating a location of a storage area of said common data section (12) and said individual data section (13) in said storing means (2). A system according to claim 3, characterized in that said attribute data section (11) includes: means for holding third information (23) discriminating a kind of said common data section (12) and said individual data section (13). A system according to claim 4, characterized in that said issue data file (2a) includes: means for holding fourth information (24) indicating the location of said common data section (12) and said individual data section (13) in said issue data file (2a). A system according to claim 5, characterized in that said issue data file (2a) includes: means for holding fifth information (25) instructing whether or not a coded password (50th) contained in said individual data section (13) is to be decoded. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said storage media include IC cards (5) each of which comprises a microcomputer (51) and a memory (52). A system according to claim 7, characterized in that said second reading means (1) includes: means (1) for reading the common data section (12) from said issue data file (2a) so as to commonly write into each memory (52) of said IC cards (5); and means (1) for sequentially reading the individual data section (13) so as to individually write into the respective memory (52) of said IC cards (5). A system according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising: means (8) for providing an issuer key; means (1) for comparing a given password with said issuer key, and preventing the system from issuing the IC cards (5) if the password does not match the issuer key (ST2 to ST6 no); means (1) for performing a storage medium issuing operation (ST8 to ST44) when said password matches said issuer key (ST2 to ST6 yes); and means (1, 6) for transferring the issue data file (2a) to the storage medium (5) during the storage medium issuing operation. A system according to claim 9, characterized by further comprising: means (8) for providing a decode key; means (1) for decoding a coded personal data (50th) contained in said individual data section (13) in accordance with said decode key; and means (1) for performing the storage medium issuing operation (ST8 to ST44), using the decoded personal data (50th), when said password matches said issuer key (ST2 to ST6 yes).

Inventors: KAWATA MIKI C O INTELLECTUAL P, KAWATA, MIKI, C/O INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DIVISION
Applicants: TOSHIBA KK, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G07F7
IPC codes: B42D15, G06K17, G07F7, G07B1, G06K19