Patent Publication Number: US-2018053177-A1

Title: Resource transfer method, apparatus and storage medium

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims the priority of the Chinese patent application No. 201610676636.7, filed on Aug. 16, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure is related to the field of computer technology, and more particularly to a resource transfer method and apparatus, and a storage medium. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Near Field Communication (NFC) payment is a common mobile payment method. 
     Typically, after establishing a radio frequency connection with an external device (such as a POS terminal) by means of NFC, a mobile device can make use of an NFC card emulation function to emulate a bank card to perform interaction of bank card information with the external device. 
     If the NFC card emulation function of the mobile terminal is continuously enabled, the bank card information will be always in an accessible state, making the bank card account suffer from a security risk. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a resource transfer method and apparatus, and a storage medium as follows. 
     According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a resource transfer method, which is implemented in an electronic device provided with a NFC controller and a security chip. The method includes: setting virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to an activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller; reading the virtual resource card information in the activated state by the NFC controller; providing the virtual resource card information by the NFC controller to an external device, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account; and setting the virtual resource card information in the security chip to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a resource transfer apparatus, which is implemented in an electronic device provided with a NFC controller and a security chip. The apparatus includes: a processor, and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor. The processor is configured to: set virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to an activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller; read the virtual resource card information in the activated state by the NFC controller; provide the virtual resource card information by the NFC controller to an external device, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account; and set the virtual resource card information in the security chip to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile terminal, causes the mobile terminal to perform a resource transfer method. The method includes: setting virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to an activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller; reading the virtual resource card information in the activated state by the NFC controller; providing the virtual resource card information by the NFC controller to an external device, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account; and setting the virtual resource card information in the security chip to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an implementation environment according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a resource transfer method according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3A  is a schematic diagram illustrating acquisition, from a first application, of account information input by a user according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3B  is a flowchart of a resource transfer method according to another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3C  is a structural diagram of a resource transfer system according to another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3D  is a schematic diagram of displaying of virtual resource cards according to another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3E  is a flowchart illustrating verification, by a second application, of an identity of a user of an electronic device according to another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3F  is a flowchart illustrating reading, by a first application, of each virtual resource card information stored in a security chip according to another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 4A  is a flowchart of a resource transfer method according to yet another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 4B  is a structural diagram of a resource system according to still another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 5A  is a block diagram of a resource transfer apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 5B  is a block diagram of a resource transfer apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a resource transfer apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations set forth in the following description of embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with aspects related to the disclosure as recited in the appended claims. 
     As used herein, the term “resource” refers to a numerical value which has a monetary attribute or is worth money and is represented in an electronic form. Typical resources include at least one of electronic currency, virtual point, virtual level, virtual item and virtual character. Hereinafter, description will be given by taking an example where resources are electronic currencies. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an implementation environment according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the implementation environment may comprise an electronic device  120  and an external device  140 . 
     The electronic device  120  is an electronic device provided with an NFC controller, an NFC antenna and a security chip. For example, the electronic device may be a tablet, a smart phone, a laptop, a netbook or the like. 
     Optionally, a first application for transferring resources and a second application for managing the security chip are run in the electronic device  120 . The second application has right to read from and write into the security chip. 
     Optionally, the first application further manages virtual resource cards, and virtual resource card information corresponding to the virtual resource cards is stored in the security chip. At least one piece of virtual resource card information is stored in the security chip, and each virtual resource card information uniquely corresponds to a resource account. 
     The electronic device  120  establishes a radio frequency communication connection with the external device  140  by means of the NFC technology. Optionally, the NFC controller of the electronic device  120  receives radio frequency signals from the external device  140  via the NFC antenna and sends radio frequency signals to the external device  140  via the NFC antenna. 
     The external device  140  is a device with a resource transfer function, such as a Point of Sale (POS) terminal and an automatic vending machine. In addition, an NFC controller and an NFC antenna are built in the external device  140 . 
     Optionally, the external device  140  is configured to complete resource transfer between a first account and a second account. Optionally, the first account is a resource account corresponding to virtual resource card information acquired by the external device  140  from the electronic device  120 , and the second account is a resource account provided by the external device  140 . 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a resource transfer method according to an exemplary embodiment. The resource transfer method is implemented in an electronic device provided with an NFC controller and a security chip. The resource transfer method may comprise the following steps. 
     At step  201 , virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set to an activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller. 
     At step  202 , the virtual resource card information in the activated state is read by the NFC controller. 
     At step  203 , the virtual resource card information is provided by the NFC controller to an external device, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account. 
     At step  204 , the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     According to the resource transfer method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device reads virtual resource card information in an activated state via the NFC controller by setting the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to the activated state, provides the read virtual resource card information by the NFC controller to the external device, and then sets the virtual resource card information to the deactivated state. Since the virtual resource card information is set to the deactivated state, the NFC controller has no right to read the virtual resource card information and the virtual resource card information cannot be provided to the external device any more, thereby the security risks of a resource account have been reduced even if an NFC card emulation function of a mobile device is always enabled, improving security of the resource account. 
     Before performing resource transfer by using the electronic device, it is needed to store virtual resource card information in the security chip. Optionally, this can be implemented in one of the following possible manners. 
     In a possible manner, account information of a resource account input by a user is acquired by the first application and determined as virtual resource card information, and the virtual resource card information is stored by the first application into the security chip. 
     The account information referred to herein at least includes account number information of the resource account. Optionally, the account information may further include a password of the resource account and other information related to the resource account. Taking an example where the resource account is a bank card account, the account information may include a card number of the bank card, a password of the bank card, an account bank corresponding to the bank card. The virtual resource card information is not limited by the embodiment but can be determined according to actual situations. 
     Taking an example where a bank card number is determined as virtual resource card information, a bank card number “62284804025648900**” input by the user is acquired and determined as the virtual resource card information of a virtual resource card. 
     In another possible manner, account information of a resource account input by the user is acquired by the first application and virtual resource card information is generated based on the account information; the account information is bound with the virtual resource card information, and the binding relationship between the account information and the virtual resource card information is stored into a server corresponding to the resource account; and the virtual resource card information is stored into the security chip. 
     Optionally, when the virtual resource card information is generated based on the account information, a virtual account number is generated for the resource account and the account number information in the account information is replaced by the generated virtual account number to obtain the virtual resource card information. Generation of a virtual account number can be implemented by those skilled in the art, and will be not described here redundantly. 
     Taking an example where the resource account is a bank card account, as shown in  FIG. 3A , a bank card number “62284804025648900**” input by a user is acquired by the first application, and the account bank corresponding to the bank card number is Bank of China. A virtual account number randomly generated for the bank card account is “11113569102469720**” and the account bank of the bank account is Bank of China, so the virtual resource card information is “11113569102469720**; Bank of China”. The account information of the bank account “62284804025648900**; Bank of China” and the virtual resource card information “11113569102469720**; Bank of China” are bound together by the first application and stored into a server of Bank of China, and the virtual resource card information “11113569102469720**; Bank of China” is stored into the security chip. 
     Typically, for storing virtual resource card information into the security chip by the first application, the virtual resource card information to be stored into the security chip is sent by the first application to the second application and stored into the security chip by the second application. 
       FIG. 3B  is flowchart of a resource transfer method according to another exemplary embodiment.  FIG. 3C  is a structural diagram of a resource transfer system according to another exemplary embodiment. The resource transfer method is implemented in the implementation environment shown in  FIG. 1 , and may include the following steps. 
     At step  301 , when the NFC controller of the electronic device is within a predetermined range of the external device, a radio frequency connection is established between the NFC controller and the external device. 
     The NFC controller of the electronic device is typically in a standby mode. When needing to perform resource transfer, the external device emits a radio frequency field within a predetermined range thereof. When the NFC controller of the electronic device is within the predetermined range of the external device, the NFC antenna electrically connected to the NFC controller receives a radio frequency signal sent by the external device. The NFC controller is activated to switch from the standby mode to an operating mode, and establishes a radio frequency connection with the external device. 
     At step  302 , a resource transfer request is received from the external device by the NFC controller and sent to the first application. 
     Typically, after a radio frequency connection is established between the external device and the NFC controller of the electronic device, the external device sends a radio signal carrying a resource transfer request to the NFC controller. When receiving the resource transfer request, the NFC controller sends the resource transfer request to the first application. 
     At step  303 , each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is read by the first application, and a virtual resource card corresponding to each virtual resource card information is displayed. 
     After the first application receives the resource transfer request, each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is read by the first application and a virtual resource card corresponding to each virtual resource card information is displayed. Optionally, the virtual resource card is an electronic card generated by the first application based on the virtual resource card information. Optionally, part or all of the virtual resource card information may be displayed on the virtual resource card. 
     For example, the virtual resource card information read by the first application from the security chip includes “6**84804025648900**; Bank of China” and “6**84804025648900**; Bank of Construction”. As shown in  FIG. 3D , a virtual resource card  31  corresponding to “6**84804025648900**; Bank of China” is displayed, and account bank information “Bank of China” is displayed on the virtual resource card  31 ; and a virtual resource card  32  corresponding to “6**84804025648900**; Bank of Construction” is displayed, and account bank information “Bank of Construction” is displayed on the virtual resource card  32 . 
     At step  304 , a virtual resource card selected by a user is acquired by the first application, and an activation request is sent to the second application. The activation request triggers the second application to set the virtual resource card information, which is stored in the security chip and corresponds to the virtual resource card selected by the user, to an activated state. 
     Optionally, the activation request carries virtual resource information corresponding to the selected virtual resource card. 
     Acquisition of a virtual resource card selected by a user after virtual resource cards are displayed by the first application can be implemented by those skilled in the art, and will not be described here redundantly. 
     At step  305 , the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set to the activated state by the second application, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller. 
     Optionally, when receiving the activation request carrying the virtual resource information, the second application sets the virtual resource information stored in the security chip to an activated state, so that the NFC controller has right to read the virtual resource information. 
     For example, referring still to  FIG. 3D , if the user selects the virtual resource card  32 , then the first application determines that the virtual resource information corresponding to the virtual resource card  32  is “6**84804025648900**; Bank of Construction” and sends an activation request carrying “6**84804025648900**; Bank of Construction” to the second application. The second application sets the virtual resource information “6**84804025648900**; Bank of Construction” to an activated state. 
     Typically, after setting the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to the activated state, the second application sends a confirmation message to the first application, informing the first application that the virtual resource card information has been set to the activated state. After receiving the confirmation message, the first application informs the NFC controller to provide the virtual resource card information to the external device, for which reference can be made to step  306 . 
     At step  306 , the virtual resource card information in the activated state is read by the NFC controller and provided to an external device, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account. 
     The NFC controller reads the virtual resource card information in the activated state and sends the same to the external device which has established a radio frequency connection therewith. 
     Optionally, the second account is determined by the external device. For example, when the external device is a POS terminal, the second account may be a bank account bound with the POS terminal. As another example, when the external device is an automatic vending machine, the second account may be a bank account of a company to which the automatic vending machine belongs. 
     The process for the external device to complete resource transfer by using the acquired virtual resource card information and the second account is known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described here redundantly. 
     At step  307 , the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set by the second application to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     Typically, after completing resource transfer, the external device sends a notification to the NFC controller of the electronic device to indicate the completion of resource transfer. When receiving the notification, the NFC controller of the electronic device sends the notification to the first application. After receiving the notification, the first application sends a deactivation instruction to the second application. 
     Optionally, when receiving the deactivation instruction sent by the first application, the second application sets the virtual resource card information in the activated state in the security chip to a deactivated state. 
     Optionally, to improve security of resource transfer, step  307  may be replaced by: setting the virtual resource card information to the deactivated state before an activation duration of the virtual resource card information exceeds a predetermined duration. 
     The activation duration is the length of time during which the virtual resource card has been set to the activated state. The predetermined duration may be set by a developer of the system or customized by the user. For example, the system developer may set the predetermined duration to 30 s or 60 s. 
     Optionally, the virtual resource card information in the security chip may be set to the deactivated state, before the activation duration of the virtual resource card information exceeds the predetermined duration, in the following manners. 
     In a possible manner, when receiving the deactivation instruction sent by the first application, the second application sets the virtual resource card information in the activated state in the security chip to the deactivated state. If the second application fails to receive the deactivation instruction from the first application within the predetermined time period, the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set to the deactivated state by the second application. 
     Taking an example where the predetermined duration is 60 s, if the second application fails to receive the deactivation instruction from the first application within 60 s after setting virtual resource card information A in the security chip to the activated state, the second application sets the virtual resource card information A to the deactivated state. 
     Generally, the second application fails to receive the deactivation instruction from the first application within the predetermined time period, because the external device has not completed the resource transfer or the first application fails to receive the notification sent by the external device for indicating the completion of resource transfer. 
     In another possible manner, it is detected by the second application whether the activation duration of the virtual resource card information reaches a predetermined threshold. If the activation duration reaches the predetermined threshold, the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set by the second application to the deactivated state. 
     The predetermined threshold is smaller than the predetermined duration. The specific value of the predetermined threshold may be set by the developer of the system or customized by the user. For example, when the predetermined duration is 60 s, the predetermined threshold is 58 s. As another example, when the predetermined duration is 30 s, the predetermined threshold is 29 s. 
     For example, when the predetermined threshold is 30 s, the second application activates the virtual resource card information A in the security chip after receiving the activation request from the first application, and the virtual resource card information A is set by the second application to the deactivated state when the activation duration of the virtual resource card information A reaches 30 s. 
     According to the resource transfer method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set by the second application to an activated state, the virtual resource card information in the activated state is read by the NFC controller, the read virtual resource card information is provided to the external device, and then the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set by the second application to a deactivated state. Since the second application sets the virtual resource card information to the deactivated state, the NFC controller has no right to read the virtual resource card information and the virtual resource card information cannot be provided to the external device any more, thereby the security risks of a resource account have been reduced even if an NFC card emulation function of a mobile device is always enabled, improving security of the resource account. 
     In addition, by sending from the first application to the second application a deactivation instruction after the resource transfer is completed, the second application sets the virtual resource card information in the security chip to a deactivated state, so that the virtual resource card information in an activated state in the security chip is set to the deactivated state after completion of the resource transfer and the NFC controller does not provide the virtual resource card information to the external device any more. 
     Optionally, to improve the security of resource transfer, the second application needs to further verify the identity of the user of the electronic device, before setting the virtual resource card information to the activated state. Specifically, this can be implemented by performing several steps shown in  FIG. 3E . 
     At step  308 , when the second application receives an activation request sent by the first application, identity verification information input by a user is acquired by the second application and it is detected whether the identity verification information matches predetermined verification information. 
     The identity verification information and the predetermined verification information referred to herein may be fingerprint information, digital passwords or voiceprint information, which is not limited by the embodiment. Detection of whether the identity verification information matches the predetermined verification information can be implemented by those skilled in the art, and will not be described here redundantly. 
     At step  309 , if the identity verification information matches the predetermined verification information, the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set by the second application to the activated state. 
     At step  310 , if the identity verification information does not match the predetermined verification information, each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set by the second application to the deactivated state. 
     Before setting the virtual resource card information in the security chip to the activated state, the second application verifies the identity legality of the user of the electronic device, by determining whether the identity verification information matches the predetermined verification information. If there is a match, it is judged that the user of the electronic device has a legal identity and the virtual resource card information is set to the activated state, thereby ensuring security of the resource account corresponding to the virtual resource card information. 
     Optionally, each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip may be read by the first application by performing several steps shown in  FIG. 3F . 
     At step  303   a , a virtual resource card information acquisition request is sent by the first application to the second application. 
     At step  303   b , after the second application receives the virtual resource card information acquisition request, each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is read and sent to the first application. 
     In practical implementation, the first application may be a MiPay application developed by Xiaomi Inc., and the second application may be a QPAY application for managing the security chip in a TrustZone of the electronic device. 
       FIG. 4A  is a flowchart of a resource transfer method according to yet another exemplary embodiment.  FIG. 4B  is a structural diagram of a resource system according to still another exemplary embodiment. The resource transfer method is implemented in the implementation environment shown in  FIG. 1 , and may include the following steps. 
     At step  401 , when the NFC controller of the electronic device is within a predetermined range of the external device, a radio frequency connection is established between the NFC controller and the external device. 
     The NFC controller of the electronic device is typically in a standby mode. When needing to perform resource transfer, the external device emits a radio frequency field within a predetermined range thereof. When the NFC controller of the electronic device is within the predetermined range of the external device, the NFC antenna electrically connected to the NFC controller receives a radio frequency signal sent by the external device. The NFC controller is activated to switch from the standby mode to an operating mode, and establishes a radio frequency connection with the external device. 
     At step  402 , a resource transfer request is received by the NFC controller from the external device and sent to the MiPay application. 
     Typically, after a radio frequency connection is established between the external device and the NFC controller of the electronic device, the external device sends a radio signal carrying a resource transfer request to the NFC controller. When receiving the resource transfer request, the NFC controller sends the resource transfer request to the MiPay application. 
     At step  403 , each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is read by the MiPay application, and a virtual resource card corresponding to each virtual resource card information is displayed. 
     After the MiPay application receives the resource transfer request, each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is read by the MiPay application and a virtual resource card corresponding to each virtual resource card information is displayed. Optionally, the virtual resource card is an electronic card generated by the MiPay application based on the virtual resource card information. 
     At step  404 , a virtual resource card selected by a user is acquired by the MiPay application, and an activation request is sent to the QPAY application. The activation request triggers the QPAY application to set the virtual resource card information, which is stored in the security chip and corresponds to the virtual resource card selected by the user, to an activated state. 
     Optionally, when acquiring the virtual resource card selected by the user, the MiPay application determines virtual resource information corresponding to the selected virtual resource card and sends an activation request carrying the virtual resource information corresponding to the selected virtual resource card to the QPAY application. 
     Acquisition of a virtual resource card selected by a user after virtual resource cards are displayed by the MiPay application can be implemented by those skilled in the art, and will not be described here redundantly. 
     At step  405 , the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set by the QPAY application to the activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller. 
     Optionally, when receiving the activation request carrying the virtual resource information, the QPAY application sets the virtual resource information in the security chip to an activated state, so that the NFC controller has right to read the virtual resource information. 
     Typically, after setting the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to the activated state, the QPAY application send a confirmation message to the MiPay application, informing the MiPay application that the virtual resource card information has been set to the activated state. After receiving the confirmation message, the MiPay application informs the NFC controller to provide the virtual resource card information to the external device, for which reference can be made to step  406 . 
     At step  406 , the virtual resource card information in the activated state is read by the NFC controller and provided to the external device. The external device is configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account. 
     Optionally, the second account is determined by the external device. For example, when the external device is a POS terminal, the second account may be a bank account bound with the POS terminal. As another example, when the external device is an automatic vending machine, the second account may be a bank account of a company to which the automatic vending machine belongs. 
     The process for the external device to complete resource transfer by using the acquired virtual resource card information and the second account is known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described here redundantly. 
     At step  407 , the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set by the MiPay application to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     Typically, after completing resource transfer, the external device sends a notification to the NFC controller of the electronic device to indicate the completion of resource transfer. When receiving the notification, the NFC controller of the electronic device sends the notification to the MiPay application. After receiving the notification, the MiPay application sends a deactivation instruction to the QPAY application. 
     Optionally, when receiving the deactivation instruction sent by the MiPay application, the QPAY application sets the virtual resource card information in the activated state in the security chip to a deactivated state. 
     Optionally, to improve security of resource transfer, step  407  may be replaced by: setting the virtual resource card information to the deactivated state before an activation duration of the virtual resource card information exceeds a predetermined duration. 
     The activation duration is the length of time during which the virtual resource card has been set to the activated state. The predetermined duration may be set by a developer of the system or customized by the user. For example, the system developer may set the predetermined duration to 30 s or 60 s. 
     Optionally, the virtual resource card information in the security chip may be set to the deactivated state, before the activation duration of the virtual resource card information exceeds the predetermined duration, in the following manners. 
     In a possible manner, when receiving the deactivation instruction sent by the MiPay application, the QPAY application sets the virtual resource card information in the activated state in the security chip to the deactivated state. If the QPAY application fails to receive the deactivation instruction from the MiPay application within the predetermined time period, the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set to the deactivated state by the QPAY application. 
     Generally, the QPAY application fails to receive the deactivation instruction from the MiPay application within the predetermined time period, because the external device has not completed the resource transfer or the MiPay application fails to receive the notification sent by the external device for indicating the completion of resource transfer. 
     In another possible manner, it is detected by the QPAY application whether the activation duration of the virtual resource card information reaches a predetermined threshold. If the activation duration reaches the predetermined threshold, the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set by the QPAY application to the deactivated state. 
     The predetermined threshold is smaller than the predetermined duration. The specific value of the predetermined threshold may be set by the developer of the system or customized by the user. For example, when the predetermined duration is 60 s, the predetermined threshold is 58 s. As another example, when the predetermined duration is 30 s, the predetermined threshold is 29 s. 
     In conclusion, according to the resource transfer method provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, virtual resource card information stored in the security chip is set by the QPAY application to an activated state, the virtual resource card information in the activated state is read by the NFC controller, the read virtual resource card information is provided to the external device, and then the virtual resource card information in the security chip is set by the QPAY application to a deactivated state. Since the QPAY application sets the virtual resource card information to the deactivated state, the NFC controller has no right to read the virtual resource card information and the virtual resource card information cannot be provided to the external device any more, thereby the security risks of a resource account have been reduced even if an NFC card emulation function of a mobile device is always enabled, improving security of the resource account. 
     In the following are described apparatus embodiments of the disclosure which can perform the method embodiments of the disclosure. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of the disclosure, reference can be made to the method embodiments of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 5A  is a block diagram of a resource transfer apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. The resource transfer apparatus may be implemented with software, hardware or a combination thereof as the entirety or part of an electronic device. The resource transfer apparatus may include a first setting module  501 , a first reading module  502 , a providing module  503  and a second setting module  504 . 
     The first setting module  501  is configured to set virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to an activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller. 
     The first reading module  502  is configured to read the virtual resource card information in the activated state by the NFC controller. 
     The providing module  503  is configured to provide the virtual resource card information read by the first reading module  502  to an external device by the NFC controller, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account. 
     The second setting module  504  is configured to set the virtual resource card information in the security chip to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     In a possible implementation, as shown in  FIG. 5B , a first application for transferring resources and a second application for managing the security chip are run in the electronic device. The second setting module  504  includes: a receiving sub-module  504   a  and a first setting sub-module  504   b.    
     The receiving sub-module  504   a  is configured to receive, by the second application, a deactivation instruction sent by the first application, the deactivation instruction being sent after the first application completes transferring of the resources. 
     The first setting sub-module  504   b  is configured to set the virtual resource card information in the security chip to the deactivated state by the second application. 
     In a possible implementation,  FIG. 5B  is a block diagram of a resource transfer apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 5B , a first application for transferring resources and a second application for managing the security chip are run in the electronic device. The second setting module  504  further includes: a detecting sub-module  504   c  and a second setting sub-module  504   d.    
     The detecting sub-module  504   c  is configured to detect, by the second application, whether an activation duration of the virtual resource card information has been activated reaches a predetermined threshold. 
     The second setting sub-module  504   d  is configured to, if the detecting sub-module  504   c  detects that the activation duration reaches the predetermined threshold, set the virtual resource card information in the security chip to the deactivated state by the second application. 
     In a possible implementation, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the resource transfer apparatus further comprises: a third setting module  505  configured to, if the second application fails to receive a deactivation instruction sent by the first application within a predetermined time period, set the virtual resource card information in the security chip to the deactivated state by the second application. 
     In a possible implementation, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the resource transfer apparatus further comprises: a detecting module  506  and a fourth setting module  507 . 
     The detecting module  506  is configured to, when the second application receives an activation request sent by the first application, acquire, by the second application, identity verification information input by a user and detect whether the identity verification information matches predetermined verification information. 
     The fourth setting module  507  is configured to, if the detecting module  506  detects that the identity verification information matches the predetermined verification information, set the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to the activated state. 
     In a possible implementation, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the resource transfer apparatus further includes: an establishing module  508 , a first sending module  509 , a second reading module  510  and a second sending module  511 . 
     The establishing module  508  is configured to, when the NFC controller is within a predetermined range of the external device, establish a radio frequency connection between the NFC controller and the external device. 
     The first sending module  509  is configured to receive, by the NFC controller, a resource transfer request from the external device, and send the resource transfer request to the first application. 
     The second reading module  510  is configured to read, by the first application, each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip, and display a virtual resource card corresponding to each virtual resource card information. 
     The second sending module  511  is configured to acquire, by the first application, a virtual resource card selected by a user, and send an activation request to the second application, wherein the activation request triggers the second application to set the virtual resource card information, which is stored in the security chip and corresponds to the virtual resource card selected by the user, to the activated state. 
     In a possible implementation, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the second reading module  510  comprises: a sending sub-module  510   a  and a reading sub-module  510   b.    
     The sending sub-module  510   a  is configured to send, by the first application, a virtual resource card information acquisition request to the second application. 
     The reading sub-module  510   b  is configured to, after the second application receives the virtual resource card information acquisition request sent by the sending sub-module, read each virtual resource card information stored in the security chip and send the read virtual resource card information to the first application. 
     According to the resource transfer apparatus provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device reads virtual resource card information in an activated state via the NFC controller by setting the virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to the activated state, provides the read virtual resource card information to an external device by the NFC controller, and then sets the virtual resource card information to a deactivated state. Since the virtual resource card information is set to the deactivated state, the NFC controller has no right to read the virtual resource card information and the virtual resource card information cannot be provided to the external device any more, thereby the security risks of a resource account have been reduced even if an NFC card emulation function of a mobile device is always enabled, improving security of the resource account. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the disclosure provides a resource transfer apparatus, which can implement the resource transfer method according to the disclosure. The resource transfer apparatus includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor. 
     The processor is configured to: set virtual resource card information stored in the security chip to an activated state, the activated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is readable by the NFC controller; read the virtual resource card information in the activated state by the NFC controller; provide the virtual resource card information by the NFC controller to an external device, the external device being configured to transfer resources in a first account corresponding to the virtual resource card information to a second account; and set the virtual resource card information in the security chip to a deactivated state, the deactivated state being a state where the virtual resource card information is unreadable by the NFC controller. 
     It should be noted that: when resource transfer is performed by the apparatus provided by the above embodiments, the above division into respective functional modules is only given by way of example. In practical application, the above functions may be implemented by different functional modules as required; that is, the internal structure of the mobile terminal may be divided into different functional modules to realize all or part of the above functions. 
     Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiments, the specific manners for the individual modules to perform operations have been described in detail in the embodiments of the related methods and will not be elaborated herein. 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a resource transfer apparatus  600  according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the apparatus  600  may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a gaming console, a tablet device, a medical device, exercise equipment, a personal digital assistant or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the apparatus  600  may include one or more of the following components: a processing component  602 , a memory  604 , a power component  606 , a multimedia component  608 , an audio component  610 , an input/output (I/O) interface  612 , a sensor component  614  and a communication component  616 . 
     The processing component  602  typically controls overall operations of the apparatus  600 , such as the operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communications, camera operations and recording operations. The processing component  602  may include one or more processors  620  to execute instructions to perform all or some of the steps in the above described methods. Moreover, the processing component  602  may include one or more modules which facilitate the interaction between the processing component  602  and other components. For example, the processing component  602  may include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component  608  and the processing component  602 . 
     The memory  604  is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of the apparatus  600 . Examples of such data include instructions for any applications or methods operated on the apparatus  600 , contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, video, etc. The memory  604  may be implemented by using any type of volatile or non-volatile memory devices, or a combination thereof, such as a static random access memory (SRAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, a magnetic or optical disk. 
     The power component  606  provides power to various components of the apparatus  600 . The power component  606  may include a power management system, one or more power sources, and any other components associated with the generation, management, and distribution of power in the apparatus  600 . 
     The multimedia component  608  includes a screen providing an output interface between the apparatus  600  and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes the touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may not only sense a boundary of a touch or swipe action, but also sense a period of time and a pressure associated with the touch or swipe action. In some embodiments, the multimedia component  608  includes a front camera and/or a rear camera. The front camera and the rear camera may receive an external multimedia datum while the apparatus  600  is in an operation mode, such as a photographing mode or a video mode. Each of the front camera and the rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focus and optical zoom capability. 
     The audio component  610  is configured to output and/or input audio signals. For example, the audio component  610  includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive an external audio signal when the apparatus  600  is in an operation mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal may be further stored in the memory  604  or transmitted via the communication component  616 . In some embodiments, the audio component  610  further includes a speaker to output audio signals. 
     The I/O interface  612  provides an interface between the processing component  602  and peripheral interface modules, such as a keyboard, a click wheel, buttons, and the like. The buttons may include, but are not limited to, a home button, a volume button, a starting button, and a locking button. 
     The sensor component  614  includes one or more sensors to provide status assessments of various aspects of the apparatus  600 . For instance, the sensor component  614  may detect an open/closed status of the apparatus  600 , relative positioning of components, e.g., the display and the keypad, of the apparatus  600 , a change in position of the apparatus  600  or a component of the apparatus  600 , presence or absence of user&#39;s contact with the apparatus  600 , an orientation or an acceleration/deceleration of the apparatus  600 , and a change in temperature of the apparatus  600 . The sensor component  614  may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor component  614  may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component  614  may also include an accelerometer sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor or a temperature sensor. 
     The communication component  616  is configured to facilitate communication, wired or wirelessly, between the apparatus  600  and other devices. The apparatus  600  can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G; or 3G; or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the communication component  616  receives a broadcast signal or broadcast associated information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one embodiment, the communication component  616  further includes a near field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communications. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, an infrared data association (IrDA) technology, an ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, a Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies. Optionally, the NFC module includes an NFC controller and an NFC antenna. 
     In an embodiment, the apparatus  600  may be implemented with one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, or other electronic components, for performing the above methods. 
     In an embodiment, there is also provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, such as included in the memory  604 , executable by the processor  620  in the apparatus  600 , for performing the above-described methods. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, an optical data storage device or the like. 
     The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium has stored therein instructions that, when executed by the processor of the apparatus  600 , cause the apparatus  600  to perform the steps shown in  FIGS. 2, 3B, 3E, 3F and 4A . 
     Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed here. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following the general principles thereof and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims. 
     It will be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact construction that has been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure only be limited by the appended claims.