Patent ID: 7136714

Claim:
A procedure for determining modifications made to an electronic card having constituent elements comprising electronic components, ports, supply elements and connection components, between a first moment and a second, subsequent moment, wherein: a) a first diagram illustrating said electronic card at said first moment is determined, said first diagram comprising a set of entities representing said constituent elements at said first moment, said first diagram being presented in the form of a first table; b) a second diagram illustrating said electronic card at said second moment is determined, said second diagram comprising a set of entities representing said constituent elements at said second moment, said second diagram being presented in the form of a second table; c) a class relating to a change is assigned to each entity in said first and second tables representing said first and second diagrams, as follows: c1) each entity in said first table is considered: if this entity is not present in said second table, it has been eliminated and an eliminated entity class is assigned thereto; otherwise: if the properties of said entity are different in said first and second tables, it has been modified and a modified entity class is assigned thereto; and if the coordinates of said entity are different in said first and second tables, it has been displaced and a displaced entity class is assigned thereto; c2) each entity in said second table is considered: if this entity is not present in said first table, it has been added and an added entity class is assigned thereto; and c3) any entity that has not been modified, displaced, added or eliminated is considered as unchanged and an unchanged entity class is assigned thereto; d) a visual identification attribute is associated with each entity in said first and second diagrams, said visual identification attribute being representative of the class of this entity; e) first and second images corresponding to said first and second diagrams respectively are constructed, in which the various entities are represented each time with the associated visual identification attribute being displayed; and f) said first and second images are compared in order to deduce therefrom, where applicable, the modifications made to said electronic card between said first and second moments.