IC card authorization system, method and device

Abstract

A card read/write device comprises means for storing and updating authorization information regarding specific cards and/or card types which are authorized for use with said card read/write device. Even if a certain card is complying with the standards under which the card read/write device operates, and therefore in theory should be allowed to be used with said device, the card read/write device comprises means for denying or accepting the use of the card, each time the card is presented to the device. The functionality to accept or deny a specific card and/or card type can be altered repeatedly in the lifespan of the card reader by storing—and providing means for updating authorization data in the card read/write device. The process to update the authorization data of the card read/write device, could be any hardware or software based method, such as a button on the smart card reader, an application stored in a smart card, an application stored on a computing device which is coupled to the card reader or by downloading updated information via a network such as the Internet. The advantage of the present invention, is that it provides card reader providers and/or card issuers a means to control and prevent unauthorized use of the card read/write device, which said card reader provider have provided. The reader provider retains control over which cards can be used with the card read/write device, and thus the card reader provider has the freedom to enter into agreements with other card issuers, to authorize the use of card issuer's cards, with the provided card readers. In alternate embodiments, the authorization data is not stored in the card reader, but in other locations, and looked up by the card reader when authorization of a card is required.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.