Patent ID: 6986458

Claim:
A system for implementing smart cards, comprising: a network of card readers and processing equipment that are configured to execute different card access operating applications implemented by different originators to benefit cardholders in response to interaction with smart cards; a plurality of memory smart cards each carrying memory that contains a plurality of data elements selected for use in a card application from a standard list of data elements configured specifically for originators of one type of application to implement card applications of that type differently, wherein the memory further contains an index identifying which data elements from the standard list are included for use in that application wherein the card access operating applications of the card readers of the different originators processing that type of application are configured to process data elements from the standard list in the same way, and are further configured to read the index, to map the index to the standard list to locate a particular data element of interest to a current card access operating application, to read a current value of that data element based on the mapping, and to perform an operation that uses the current value.