Patent Publication Number: US-2007119917-A1

Title: Integrated circuit card, mobile communication terminal device, transaction system, and unauthorized use preventing method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a technology for preventing unauthorized use of an integrated circuit card even if the integrated circuit card and its password are leaked.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Cards such as credit cards or cash cards etc. are used to perform financial transactions. Such a card stores therein a card number. When carrying out a transaction with a card, a transaction terminal device or an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) reads the card number from the card and determines whether the user is authentic based on the read card number and a password supplied by the user. Recently, Integrated Circuit (IC) chip embedded IC cards are increasingly used for financial transactions, and transaction terminal devices or ATMs are configured to read card numbers stored in IC chips of the IC cards.  
      The IC cards have an advantage that there use is not limited to use for financial transactions. The IC cards for financial transactions can be used for other purposes. For example, mobile phones that can read IC cards have been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2004-287593 and 2003-157239 disclose mobile phones that can read card numbers stored in credit cards that are IC cards.  
      However, if a conventional IC card and its password falls into hands of a fraudulent person, he can perform an unauthorized transaction process or bank transaction. Thus, the conventional IC cards are not very secure.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to at least solve the problems in the conventional technology.  
      According to an aspect of the present invention, an Integrated Circuit (IC) card that stores therein card identification data that is used to identify the IC card at a transaction terminal includes a verification data fetching unit that fetches verification data from a mobile communication terminal of a user; a verification process unit that verifies whether fetched verification data is authentic thereby verifying whether the user is an authorized user of the IC card; and a controller that permits exchange of the card identification data between the IC card and the transaction terminal upon the verification process unit confirming that the user is an authorized user, and the prohibits exchange of the card identification data between the IC card and the transaction terminal upon the verification process unit confirming that the user is not an authorized user.  
      According to another aspect of the present invention, a mobile communication terminal device having an arrangement communicating with an Integrated Circuit (IC) card that stores therein card identification data that is used to identify the IC card at a transaction terminal, includes a storage unit that stores therein device identification data; and a verification data generating unit that generates verification data based on the device identification data and causes the arrangement to send the verification data to the IC card.  
      According to still another aspect of the present invention, a transaction system includes a mobile communication terminal that includes a first storage unit that stores therein device identification data; and a verification data generating unit that generates verification data based on the device identification data; an Integrated Circuit (IC) card that includes a second storage unit that stores therein card identification data; a verification data fetching unit that fetches the verification data from the mobile communication terminal; a verification process unit that verifies whether fetched verification data is authentic thereby verifying whether a user of the mobile communication terminal is an authorized user of the IC card; and a controller that permits exchange of the card identification data between the IC card and a transaction terminal upon the verification process unit confirming that the user is an authorized user, and the prohibits exchange of the card identification data between the IC card and the transaction terminal upon the verification process unit confirming that the user is not an authorized user; and the transaction terminal that carries out a transaction process upon receiving the card identification data from the IC card.  
      According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of authenticating a user of an Integrated Circuit (IC) card before allowing the user to perform a transaction process with the IC card includes sending a fetch request from the IC card to a digital device of the user; sending verification data from the digital device to the IC card upon receiving the fetch request; determining whether the verification data is authentic based on received verification thereby confirming whether the user is an authorized user of the IC card; and sending card identification data from the IC card to a transaction terminal that performs the transaction process upon determining at the determining that the user is an authorized user.  
      The other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic of an IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a mobile phone shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic of an IC card shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram of an IC chip shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a processing procedure performed by the IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart of a processing procedure performed by the IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained next in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention applied to an IC card (cash card) that is used for a bank transaction is explained in an embodiment.  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic of an IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system includes a mobile phone  100 , an IC card  200 , and an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)  300 . In the IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system, before using an IC card  200 , a communication is carried out between the IC card  200  and a mobile phone  100  at step (1) to carry out user verification, and after verifying that the user is an authorized user, the bank transaction using the IC card  200  is enabled at step (2). The step (1) and step (2) are the salient features of the IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system.  
      Conventionally, when carrying out the, bank transaction, user verification is carried out based on insertion of the IC card  200  by the user into the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM)  300  that is installed in the bank and input of a password into the ATM  300  by the user. However, sufficient security cannot be secured by using only the password that usually includes four digits. Especially, if the password is leaked, an unauthorized user can also carry out the bank transaction similarly as the authorized user. In the present embodiment, by focusing on uniqueness of the mobile phone  100  that is possessed by the user, the user verification is carried out based on a unique data that is stored in the mobile phone  100 . The bank transaction is enabled only if the user verification is satisfactory.  
      The IC card  200  is a noncontact IC card that operates by using as,power source electromagnetic waves that are received by an internal antenna. The IC card  200  becomes operable when brought near the ATM  300 , fetches verification data from the mobile phone  100  to carry out the user verification, and carries out a transaction process with the ATM  300  after the user verification is completed.  
      A unique manufacturing code and subscriber data are stored inside the mobile phone  100 . Based on the manufacturing code and the subscriber data, the mobile phone  100  generates the verification data and provides the verification data to the IC card  200 . The mobile phone  100  includes a function to carry out a noncontact data transfer with the IC card  200  apart from the original wireless communication function. Any method can be used as a communication method between the mobile phone  100  and the IC card  200 .  
       FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of the mobile phone  100 . The mobile phone  100  includes an input unit  101 , a microphone  102 , a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)  103 , a speaker  104 , a User Interface (UI) controller  105 , a wireless controller  106 , an antenna  107 , a memory  108 , a User Identify Module (UIM)  109 , a verification data providing unit  110 , and a communicator  111 .  
      The input unit  101  is an input device that receives input of numerals, characters, symbols etc. The microphone  102  is an input device for inputting a call sound. The LCD  103  is a display device that displays various types of data related to communication. The speaker  104  is an output device that outputs receiving sound. The UI controller  105  controls various input output devices (the input unit  101 , the microphone  102 , the LCD  103 , and the speaker  104 ) related to a user interface.  
      The wireless controller  106  carries out communication control pertaining to wireless communication such as outgoing call control and incoming call control. The antenna  107  transmits electromagnetic waves to a mobile phone base station and receives electromagnetic waves from the mobile phone base station.  
      The memory  108  stores device identification data such as the manufacturing code of the mobile phone  100  etc. The memory  108  is not rewriteable. The UIM  109  is a nonvolatile storage device that stores the subscriber data that is issued by the mobile phone company. The UIM  109  is detachable from the main body of the mobile phone  100 .  
      The verification data providing unit  110  generates the verification data that is required when carrying out the user verification by using the IC card  200  and provides the generated verification data to the IC card  200 . The UIM  109  includes a data fetching unit  110   a , a verification data generating unit  110   b , a communication controller  110   c , and a controller  110   d.    
      The data fetching unit  110   a  responds to an instruction from the controller  110   d , reads the device identification data and the subscriber data from the memory  108  and the UIM  109  respectively, and outputs the read data to the controller  110   d . The controller  110   d , upon receiving a request pertaining to the verification data from the IC card  200 , issues a read data instruction to the data fetching unit  110   a.    
      By using as input the device identification data and the subscriber data that are fetched by the data fetching unit  110   a , the verification data generating unit  110   b  executes a predetermined algorithm to generate the verification data. A one way hash function can be used as the algorithm. In the present embodiment, the verification data is generated from the device identification data and the subscriber data. However, the device identification data (the manufacturing code) that randomly specifies the mobile phone  100  can also be used as the verification data.  
      The communication controller  110   c  uses the communicator  111  to exercise control pertaining to noncontact communication with the IC card  200 . For example, if the IC card  200  is a noncontact IC card of proximity type (within 70 cm) that is regulated by ISO15693, apart from including the communicator  111  that is communicable with the noncontact IC card, the communication controller  110   c  exercises communication control by using a protocol that is compatible with the noncontact communicating method. If the IC card  200  includes an infrared communication function, the communication controller  110   c  provides the infrared communication function in the communicator  111 .  
      The controller  110   d  exercises complete control over the verification data providing unit  110 . To be specific, upon receiving a request pertaining to the verification data from the IC card  200 , the controller  110   d  issues a fetch data instruction to the data fetching unit  110   a , outputs the fetched data to the verification data generating unit  110   b , and issues a generate verification data instruction. Upon receiving the verification data, the controller  110   d  transfers the verification data to the communication controller  110   c  and exercises control such that the verification data is transmitted to the IC card  200 .  
      Using the mobile phone  100  having the aforementioned structure not only enables communication with the mobile phone base station, but also enables to generate the verification data based on the device identification data in response to a request from the IC card  200 , and to provide the verification data to the IC card  200 .  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic of the IC card  200  and  FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram of an IC chip  210  shown in  FIG. 3 . The IC card  200  includes the IC chip  210  and an antenna coil  220  that are provided on a card shaped plastic. The IC card  200  operates while charging itself using the electromagnetic waves from the ATM  300  as a power source. Although the IC chip  210  and the antenna coil  220  are elicited for the sake of convenience, the surface of the IC chip  210  and the antenna coil  220  is covered with a resin sheet.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the IC chip  210  includes a communication interface  211 , a recorded data storage unit  212 , a verification process unit  213 , an IC card usability data storage unit  214 , a validity period timer  215 , and a controller  216 .  
      The communication interface  211  is an interface for carrying out data communication with the mobile phone  100  or the ATM  300  using a communication method pertaining to the noncontact IC card. When carrying out communication with the mobile phone  100  using the infrared communication method etc., the communication interface  211  needs to be compatible with both the communication method pertaining to the noncontact IC card and the infrared communication method.  
      The recorded data storage unit  212  is a storage device, which stores as recorded data the subscriber data of the authorized user and the device identification data of the mobile phone  100  that is possessed by the authorized user. The verification process unit  213  compares the device identification data and the subscriber data that are included in the verification data received from the mobile phone  100  with the device identification data and the subscriber data that are stored in the recorded data storage unit  212  respectively, and carries out the verification process to determine whether the user is the authorized user.  
      The IC card usability data storage unit  214  is a storage device, which stores a usability flag that indicates whether the IC card  200  is usable in the ATM  300 . If the verification process unit  213  determines that the user is the authorized user, the usability flag is set to “1 (on)” that indicates “use permitted”. If the verification process unit  213  determines that the user is an unauthorized user, the usability flag is set to “0 (off)” that indicates “use prohibited”.  
      The validity period timer  215  times a validity period of the usability flag that is stored in the IC card usability data storage unit  214 . The validity period timer  215  starts timing when the usability flag is updated to “1”. If the validity period timer  215  has timed the usability flag for a predetermined time period (for example, 5 minutes), the controller  216  updates the usability flag to “0”. Even if the verification process unit  213  verifies that the user is the authorized user, the usability flag is cleared after the predetermined time to ensure that the user is not identified as the authorized user for a prolonged time period.  
      The controller  216  exercises complete control over the IC card  200 . To be specific, the controller  216  controls communication with the mobile phone  100  and the ATM  300  via the communication interface  211 , controls reading and writing of data pertaining to the recorded data storage unit  212  and the IC card usability data storage unit  214 , issues a verify instruction to the verification process unit  213 , and issues start timing, end timing, and initialize instructions to the validity period timer  215 .  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart of the sequence of the transaction process by using the IC card  200  shown in  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , before carrying out the transaction with the ATM  300 , the IC card  200  carries out the verification process based on the verification data from the mobile phone  100 . To be specific, the mobile phone  100  transmits the verification data to the IC card  200  (step S 101 ), and based on the verification data the IC card  200  carries out the verification process (step S 102 ). The verification process is explained in detail later with reference to  FIG. 6 .  
      Based on a result of the verification process, if the user is verified as an unauthorized user (“No” at step S 103 ), the bank transaction with the ATM  300  is disabled. The IC card  200  further continues the verification process, and carries out an error process if verification is not successful.  
      If the user is verified as the authorized user (“Yes” at step S 103 ), the transaction process with the ATM is enabled. To be specific, upon carrying out a predetermined transaction operation on the ATM  300  (selection of withdrawal from an account) (“Yes” at step S 104 ), the ATM  300  issues a request pertaining to the card ID to the IC card  200  (step S 105 ). The IC card  200  responds to the request and returns the card ID (step S 106 ).  
      Next, the ATM  300  receives an input of the password (“Yes” at step S 107 ), and if the password is accurate (step S 108 ), executes the transaction process (step S 109 ).  
      Thus, in the IC-card unauthorized-use preventing system according to the present embodiment, the bank transaction via the ATM  300  cannot be carried out without bringing the mobile phone  100  that is possessed by the authorized user of the IC card  200  even if the IC card  200  is valid. Such a precaution is taken to ensure that an unauthorized user is not able to carry out an unauthorized bank transaction even if the unauthorized user fraudulently uses the IC card  200  and the password.  
      Although the ATM  300  receives the password, because the user verification is carried out by using the mobile phone  100 , a necessity to input the password can be removed.  
      Next, the verification process shown at step S 102  of  FIG. 5  is explained in detail.  FIG. 6  is a flow chart of a sequence of the verification process shown at step S 102  of  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , if the user comes near the ATM  300 , the IC card  200  that is possessed by the user uses the electromagnetic waves of the ATM  300  as power source to activate itself (step S 201 ), and issues a request pertaining to the verification data to the mobile phone  100  (step S 202 ).  
      Upon receiving the verification data request, the mobile phone  100  reads the device identification data from the memory  108  and reads the subscriber data from the UIM  109  (step S 203 ). Based on the device identification data and the subscriber,data, the mobile phone  100  generates the verification data (step S 204 ), and returns the generated verification data to the IC card  200  (step S 205 ).  
      Upon receiving the verification data, the IC card  200  reads the recorded data (the device identification data and the subscriber data) that is stored in the recorded data storage unit  212  (step S 206 ), and carries out the verification process by comparing the recorded data and the received verification data (step S 207 ). To be specific, the IC card  200  generates the verification data for comparison from the device identification data and the subscriber data that are included in the recorded data, and carries out the verification process by comparing the generated verification data with the verification data received from the mobile phone  100 .  
      Based on the result of the verification process, if the user is verified as the authorized user (step S 208 ), the IC card  200  sets the usability flag that is stored in the IC card usability data storage unit  214  to “1” (step S 209 ). The bank transaction with the ATM  300  is enabled if the usability flag is set to “1”. However, if the user is verified as an unauthorized user (“No” at step S 208 ), the usability flag remains at “0”.  
      When the usability flag is set to “1”, the validity period timer  215  starts timing (step S 210 ). If the timing exceeds a predetermined time period (“Yes” at step S 211 ), the usability flag is set to “0”. Due to this, the time period during which the IC card  200  is verified as valid is reduced to a minimum necessary time period, and use of the IC card  200  is disabled after completion of the transaction.  
      In the present embodiment, before carrying out the bank transaction using the IC card  200 , the verification process using the mobile phone  100  is carried out, and the bank transaction with the ATM  300  by using the IC card  200  is enabled only if the user is verified as the authorized user, thereby enabling to prevent unauthorized card use even if the IC card  200  and the password are leaked to the unauthorized user, and enabling to prevent occurrence of unforeseen disadvantage to the authorized card holder.  
      The present invention applied to the IC card (cash card) that is used for a bank transaction is explained in the present embodiment. However, the present invention is not to be limited and can also be applied to various types of IC cards such as the credit cards that are used in credit card transactions and rely on the password for security.  
      In the present embodiment, the IC card  200  requests the verification data from the mobile phone  100 . However, the present invention is not to be thus limited, and the verification data can also be transmitted to the IC card  200  upon receiving an input operation on the mobile phone  100 .  
      In the present embodiment, the verification data is generated based on the device identification data and the subscriber data pertaining to the mobile phone  100 . However, the present invention is not to be thus limited, and the device identification data itself can also be transmitted as the verification data. Further, the verification data can also be generated based on the device identification data and time data, and the generated verification data can be used as a unique value to further prevent unauthorized use.  
      According to the present invention, an Integrated Circuit (IC) card includes a verification data fetching unit that fetches verification data from a mobile communication terminal that is possessed by a user of the IC card, a verification process unit that verifies, based on the verification data that is fetched by the verification data fetching unit, whether the user is an authorized user of the IC card, and a controller that permits a transaction by a transaction terminal if the user is verified as the authorized user by the verification process unit and prohibits the transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as an unauthorized user by the verification process unit, thereby enabling to prevent unauthorized use of the IC card by the unauthorized user even if the password is leaked.  
      According to the present invention, a storage unit is further included that stores device identification data pertaining to the mobile communication terminal, the verification data fetching unit fetches from the mobile communication terminal, the verification data that includes the device identification data pertaining to the mobile communication terminal, and based on the verification data that is fetched by the verification data fetching unit and the device identification data that is pertaining to the mobile communication terminal and stored in the storage unit, the verification process unit verifies whether the user is the authorized user of the IC card, thereby enabling to accurately confirm, based on possession of the unique mobile communication terminal due to the device identification data, that the user of the IC card is the authorized user. Especially, both the mobile communication terminal and the IC card are possessed by the user and are used to carry out user verification, thereby enabling to enhance accuracy pertaining to verification.  
      According to the present invention, a mobile communication terminal device that includes the IC card further includes a verification data storage unit that stores the verification data that is transferred to the IC card before transferring the card identification data to the transaction terminal, a verification data fetching unit that fetches the verification data from the verification data storage unit, a verification process unit that verifies, based on the verification data fetched by the verification data fetching unit, whether the user of the IC card is the authorized user, and a controller that permits, a transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as the authorized user by the verification process unit and prohibits the transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as an unauthorized user, thereby enabling to carry out verification pertaining to the user of the IC card by using the mobile communication terminal device, and enabling to enhance convenience and accuracy pertaining to verification.  
      According to the present invention, the mobile communication terminal includes a communicator that communicates with the IC card, the storage unit that stores the device identification data that is unique to the mobile communication terminal device, and the verification data generating unit that generates the verification data based on the device identification data that is stored in the storage unit, and the IC card includes a verification data requesting unit that requests the mobile communication terminal for the verification data before transferring the card identification data to the transaction terminal, the verification process unit that verifies, based on the verification data that is received from the mobile communication terminal, whether the user is the authorized user of the IC card, and the controller that permits a transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as the authorized user by the verification process unit and prohibits the transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as an unauthorized user by the verification process unit. Thus, verification pertaining to the user of the IC card can be carried out only by using a combination of the unique mobile communication terminal and the IC card, thereby enabling to carry out user verification accurately.  
      According to the present invention, a verification data fetching process fetches, before transferring the card identification data to the transaction terminal, the verification data from the mobile communication terminal that is possessed by the user of the IC card, a verification process verifies, based on the verification data that is fetched by the verification data fetching process, whether the user is the authorized user of the IC card, and a control process permits a transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as the authorized user by the verification process and prohibits the transaction by the transaction terminal if the user is verified as an unauthorized user by the verification process. Thus, verification pertaining to the user of the IC card can be carried out only by using a combination of processes in the unique mobile communication terminal and processes in the IC card, thereby enabling to carry out user verification accurately.  
      Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.