Patent Abstract:
The present invention describes an improved communication architecture for smart card systems and an improved procedure for communication of the smart card applications using protected data carriers, particularly in the case where smart cards or smart card readers cannot be used. The improved communication architecture has a common virtual smart card interface between the respective smart card applications and the modules which facilitate access to the protected data carriers (smart cards). The modules allow access to either physical smart cards, virtual software smart cards or hardware smart cards. The common virtual smart card interface means that the application is completely independent of the respective module or the respective data carrier. Alternatively, the improved communication architecture additionally contains a virtual smart card adapter which communicates over the common virtual smart card interface with the respective smart card application. The different modules are attached to the smart card adapters and selected statically or dynamically by the smart card application. Virtual software smart cards which functionally imitate true physical smart cards can be linked over the virtual smart card adapter to communicate with a smart card application. This procedure is then particularly suited for when the smart card is lost or defective, the smart card reader cannot function, or for testing new smart card technologies.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns an expanded smart card architecture for communicating between the smart card application and a smart card or a virtual smart card in case the smart card or the smart card reader, for whatever reason, is not present or cannot be used. 
     With the introduction of new technology and programs which necessitate the use of smart cards, the problem of short term availability of smart card readers often arises. Workstations for users must be converted to new smart card readers which conform to this technology. This is often very laborious from a technical point of view and, particularly in large companies, takes a great deal of time. The result of this is that new technologies or programs have to be operated together with old technologies and programs in a transitional phase. This is both costly and labor intensive. 
     Defective smart card readers prevent transactions using the smart card. This can be economically disadvantageous both for the smart card owner as well as for the operator of the smart card reader, depending on the field of use. 
     In the case of a lost smart card, the owner is prevented from working with the smart card until a new card is issued. In certain cases, e.g. during long trips away, this can lead to problems for the owner. This is increasingly the case because many business activities require extensive use of the smart cards. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore the object of the present invention to produce a procedure and system which is able to avoid the above mentioned disadvantages. 
     The advantages of the present invention are that a virtual software smart card can be used instead of a physical smart card. The virtual software smart card represents a software solution and models the functions of a physical smart card on a user&#39;s personal computer. New smart card designs may be tested using the virtual software smart card which simulates a hardware smart card. The creation of a virtual software smart card simulating a new smart card design is less time consuming and thus also cheaper than creating an actual smart card, making unnecessary smart card prototypes for testing the newly developed smart cards. In the case of loss of the physical smart card, the authorized user can download a virtual software smart card using a diskette, or over the Internet, into his system and continue to work using this virtual software smart card until a new smart card is issued. 
     Organizations and companies can use new smart card technology by making available virtual software smart cards, without all the systems having to be equipped with new smart card readers. For smart card manufacturers, the advantage is that new technologies can be tested in the later application environment before components (such as crypto-coprocessors, large memories, etc.) are available. 
     By introducing a common virtual smart card interface and a virtual smart card adapter, communication between the smart card application and the modules of the virtual smart card adapter is completely independent. For the smart card application, it makes no difference with which module of the virtual smart card adapter it is communicating. Modules routines access a physical smart card, a virtual software smart card or a hardware smart card with the functionality of a smart card. Changes to the modules or the virtual smart card adapter do not require any adaptation of the respective smart card application due to the common virtual smart card interface to the applications. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment example and figures where: 
     FIG. 1 shows a communication architecture between smart card applications and smart cards or smart card modules; 
     FIG. 2 shows the communication architecture in accordance with the invention between different smart card applications and different types of smart cards; carriers; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the process of an application which communicates with either a smart card or a software smart card; and 
     FIG. 4 shows the functional organization of the virtual smart card. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 describes the prior art communication architecture between different smart card applications  11 - 14  and different smart cards  30 - 33 . The communication architecture of FIG. 1 is a system having various software components stored on a personal computer  10 . Thus, it is possible using standard interfaces between the computer  10  and the various physical smart cards  30 ,  31 ,  33 , and PCMCI cards  32 , to carry out a session between the applications  11 - 14  and the smart cards  30 - 33 . 
     The identification of one of the smart card  30 - 33  connected through a reader  24 - 27  connected to a computer  10  is carried out by one of the applications  11 - 14 . The different applications communicate with specific smart card access routines over special interfaces  16 - 18  (PKCS # 11 , CDSA, CAPI). The respective smart card access routines  20 - 23  are either a part of the respective application  11 - 14 , or form a separate software component of a user&#39;s computer  10 . For different smart cards  30 - 33 , with different operating systems or different data structures, they have their own access routines  20 - 23 . Each new smart card, or change to the operating system software or data structure of a smart card  30 - 33 , requires an adaptation of the respective access functions. 
     FIG. 2 describes the communication architecture in accordance with the invention for providing a session between the different smart card applications  11 - 14  and data carriers of different smart cards  30 - 36 . The executable code is read from a computer readable medium into the internal memory of computer  10 . As was the case in FIG. 1, the components of FIG. 2 are implemented as software executable instructions stored within a personal computer  10 . FIG. 2, however, provides several advantages over the prior art system of FIG. 1, in that a software smart card  35 , i.e., a computer program which may either be stored on the personal computer  10  from a floppy disk or CD ROM, or downloaded from a network such as the Internet, can simulate all the functions of a smart card. The software smart card  35  is accessed through a software smart card module  43 , using access routines similar to those of existing smart card modules  42  and  44 . 
     Different applications  11 - 14  communicate over a common virtual smart card interface  40  with any of the smart card modules  42 - 44  and their connected smart card data carriers. Applications  11  and  12 , for example, connect through standardized interfaces  16  and  17  such as PKCS # 11 , and CDSA, and application  13  connects through a standardized interface  18  such as CAPI. The different standard interfaces  16 - 18  (PKCS # 11 , CDSA, CAPI) use the common virtual smart card interface  40 . Application  14  connects directly to the common virtual smart card interface  40 . 
     The common virtual smart card interface  40  describes a set of functions to access data on a smart card  30 ,  36  or software smart card  35 , and perform any cryptographic functions in transferring data from a smart card or software smart card. Among the functions described by the virtual smart card interface  40 , which are to be implemented by the smart card adapter  41  are the following: 
     Initialize (i.e., get data concerning configured readers  24 - 26  connected to the computer  10 ); 
     List slots (list attached readers, software smart cards, PCMIA connections, etc.); 
     Attach card (i.e., establish a connection to the smart card and set up related modules for communicating between an application and the smart cards); 
     Detach smart card (remove connection to the card); 
     Get slot status (i.e., connection status, card presence or absence for each reader  24 - 26  or software smart card  35  implemented in the system); and 
     Get information regarding the reader  24 - 26  and its status. 
     Additionally, functions which are to be implemented by the individual smart card modules  42 - 44  for supporting a connection to the respective smart card are described in the virtual smart card interface  40 . Thus, an application connecting to the smart card can access the following functions through the virtual smart card interface  40 : 
     Get card information (returns information on card type, size); 
     Initialize PIN, (set Personal Identification Number, password); 
     Change PIN; 
     Verify PIN; 
     Select file (selects file to work with); 
     Read file; 
     Update file; 
     Initialize session (initializes a session to the card); 
     Allocate key object (allocates space for a key object); 
     Free key object (frees space for a key object); 
     Read key information; 
     Update key information; 
     Import key (import private key or public key); 
     Generate signature (sign data); 
     Verify signature (verify signature of data); and 
     Generate key pair (create keys inside the card). 
     The common virtual smart card interface  40  also checks the calls, or requests received from the smart card applications  11 - 14 . An execution dispatcher implemented in the common virtual smart card interface  40  selects the access routine, which in the case of the software smart card  35 , is in the software smart card module  43 , and generates the low level commands for the specifically selected device. The device dispatcher of the common virtual smart card interface  40  then issues a call from the respective application to the software smart card  35  for data on the smart card  35  data carrier. 
     The virtual smart card adapter  41  provides the access routine for the software smart card module  43 . The access routine of the selected smart card module is accessed for the specifically connected device which, in accordance with the present invention, would be the software smart card  35 . 
     The virtual smart card adapter  41  is a software module, and offers a uniform interface for all applications to the different smart card types  30 ,  35  and  36 . Different types of smart card modules (smart card modules  42 , software smart card modules  43 , hardware smart card modules  44 ) can be attached to the virtual smart card adapter  41 . The applications  11 - 14  can interrogate the access routines of modules  42 - 44  through the virtual smart card adapter  41 , and communicate with a selected module. The selection of the respective module  42 - 44  can be carried out statically or dynamically by each application  11 - 14 . In the case of dynamic linking of a smart card module  42 - 44 , over the Internet for example, the virtual smart card adapter  41  checks the identity and authenticity of the module  42 - 44 , i.e. whether the module has been created by an authorized entity and has not been since modified. The module  42 - 44  transmits a digital signature which is tested by the virtual smart card adapter  41  on establishing the communication. 
     The virtual smart card adapter  41  can also be connected statically or dynamically to the application  11 - 14 . In the case of dynamic connections, the smart card application checks the identity and authenticity of the virtual smart card adapter  41 . Therefore, even the application can be linked dynamically to the virtual smart card adapter  41  over the Internet. Also, in this case, the identity and authenticity of smart card applications  11 - 14  must be checked. The check here on authenticity is also carried out using a digital signature. 
     Alternatively, the smart card application  11 - 14 , the virtual smart card adapter  41  and the smart card modules  42 - 44  attached to it can be linked statically in the user&#39;s computer by introducing these components from a computer readable disk. In this case, a digital signature is unnecessary. 
     Modules  42 - 44  provide access routines to the data objects stored in a smart card  30 ,  35 ,  36 . The data objects can, for example, be stored in a physical smart card  30 , a (virtual) software smart card  35 , or on a hardware smart card  36 . Cryptographic functions are stored either in the module  42 - 44  or on a physical smart card  30 , or a hardware smart card  36  (e.g. PCM/CIA card). In the case of a virtual software smart card  35 , the cryptographic functions are a part of the software smart card  35 . Cryptographic functions include encrypting the transmissions between the application and the software smart card which are similar to those which are carried on between an actual physical smart card and an application. The protocol for the cryptographic functions in the software of smart card  35  are identical to those of the physical smart card, except they are represented by instructions executed by the computer  10 , rather than by an external physical smart card having its own processor. Access to private data on a physical smart card  30 , or hardware smart card  36 , is protected by a password (e.g. PIN). 
     With the virtual software smart cards  35 , private data is additionally encoded with the support of the password. The codes of the (virtual) software smart cards  35  are additionally protected from being read out. 
     A sample process which illustrates the connection of an application  11 - 14  to a connected physical smart card via its reader  24 ,  26  of FIG. 2, or a virtual smart card  35  stored in computer memory is illustrated by the process of FIG.  3 . Referring now to FIG. 3, the process begins when the virtual smart adapter  41  is initialized, and builds a list of installed readers queried from the operating system, as well as the available software smart cards  35  which are located in a directory on the computer  10  hard drive in step  46 . Once initialized, an application  11 - 14  calls the virtual smart card adapter  41  to query which readers are available in step  47 , and the virtual smart card adapter  41  returns a reader list, indicating the card presence as well as software smart cards which may be available in the system. 
     An application may call the virtual smart card adapter to attach the application to any one of the identified cards in the reader in step  48 . The virtual smart card adapter then issues the respective low level commands to a card module  42 - 44  to load the related module for communicating with the selected software card. 
     The application calls in step  49  the virtual smart card adapter  41  to read data from the selected smart card. The associated module  42 - 44  assembles the commands for communicating with the respective smart card, sends the commands and then returns data from the smart card to the application  11 - 14 . When the transaction is completed, virtual smart card adapter  41  releases the connection to the smart card in step  50 . 
     The same essential procedure can be implemented for establishing a session between an application  11 - 14  and a software smart card  35  stored in the hard drive memory of computer  10 . In this instance, steps  48 - 50  are replaced by steps  51 - 53 . The application in step  51  calls the virtual smart card adapter  41  and begins a connection sequence to the software smart card  35 . The related module  43  for supporting the software smart card  43  is loaded for execution. The application in step  52  calls the virtual smart card adapter  41  to read data from the software smart card  35 . The virtual smart card adapter  41  passes the request to the selected module  43 , and the module can then read data from the hard disk, representing a data carrier from the software smart cards, decrypt the data and return the data to the respective application  11 - 14 . 
     Step  53  ends the session from an application call issued by the virtual smart card adapter  41  to detach from the software smart card. 
     Several standardized virtual software smart card types  35  can be developed and stored on a storage medium such as a floppy disk or CD ROM read by a user&#39;s computer  10  and stored on the hard drive. The virtual software smart cards  35  can also be distributed over the Internet as a data file to users. Virtual software smart cards  35  have a generic structure shown in FIG. 4, representing the method of functioning of a physical smart card defined by a set of stored objects and do not contain any user-specific data. Therefore, they need to be initialized/personalized by the user. 
     The user interface routine  54  asks the user, for example, which virtual software smart card type is required. Smart card types cover, for example, signature cards, access cards or data cards. The user interface routine  54  asks the user to determine a password or to accept or change an existing password. The virtual software smart card  35  generates a code from the password. The initialization routine  55  of the virtual software smart card  35  preferably precedes an authentication routine  56  which establishes whether changes have been made in the virtual software smart card  35  during downloading of the virtual software smart card  35  from one system to the other. The virtual software smart card  35  is preferably equipped with a user interface routine  54  for initializing the virtual smart card  35 . 
     From the information requested, a memory area  56  is established on the hard disk of the user for storing public data objects  59 , and a memory area for storing private data objects  60 . These functions of the virtual software smart card  35  are carried out by component of the virtual software smart card such as the access routines  58 , all of which are stored on the computer  10  hard disk. The public data objects  59  are freely accessible; private data objects  60  can only be accessed using a code/password. The user is thus able to work using the virtual software smart card. 
     The virtual smart card adapter  41  can be a component of the virtual software smart card  35  or can represent its own software component which is available together with the virtual software smart card  35 . 
     The foregoing description of the invention illustrates and describes the present invention. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only the preferred embodiments of the invention, but as aforementioned, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings, and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other, embodiments and with the various modifications required by the particular applications or uses of the invention. Accordingly, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Also, it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7