Patent ID: 7437560

Claim:
A method of establishing a secure communication link between a smart card and a central computer system through a communication network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at a smart card communication device an outgoing secure radio frequency signal transmitted from the smart card, the secure radio frequency signal including secured data formatted by the smart card to allow the central computer system to detect a modification to the secured data occurring during transmission beginning at the smart card and extending to the central computer system; demodulating the outgoing secure radio frequency signal using the smart card communication device to produce an outgoing secure data signal, wherein the demodulating of the outgoing secure radio frequency signal is without deciphering the secured data; formatting the outgoing secure data signal in accordance with a communication network protocol to produce an outgoing formatted secure signal; transmitting the outgoing formatted secure signal to the central computer system, wherein the central computer system is remote from the smart card communication device; decoding, using a security device coupled to the central computer system, data from the outgoing formatted secure signal to detect the modification to the secured data occurring during transmission beginning at the smart card and extending to the central computer system; processing, with the central computer system, a transaction for the smart card using the secured data included in the outgoing formatted secure signal; and encoding central computer system information using the security device to produce an incoming secure data signal comprising an incoming set of secured data, the incoming set formatted to allow the smart card to detect a modification to the incoming set occurring during transmission beginning at the central computer system and extending to the smart card.