IC card system

An IC information card system comprising:

• a first and second IC information card each having:
• (a) input/output means in the card for receiving at least data, commands and keycodes and for providing at least data,
• (b) means storing a first keycode,
• (c) nonvolatile memory means within the card having a first region for storing one or more keycodes and a second region segmented into a plurality of data zones, each one of the data zones being defined to require either no keycode or a specified one or more of the first keycode and the keycode or keycodes stored in the first region to be entered into the card in order to read data in that data zone and to require either no keycode or a specified one or more of the first keycode and the keycode or keycodes stored in the first region to be entered into the card in order to write data in that data zone,
• (d) first means within the card responsive to the input/output means receiving a read command, a code specifying a particular one of the data zones in which data is to be read and any entered keycode or keycodes, for comparing any entered keycode or keycodes with any keycode or keycodes specified as being required to read data in the particular data zone and for providing data from the particular zone to the input/output means if the entered keycode or keycodes match the keycode or keycodes specified as being required to read data in the particular data zone or if no keycode is specified as being required to read data from the particular data zone, and
• (e) second means within the card responsive to the input/output means receiving a write command, a code specifying a selected one of the data zones in which data is to be written, data to be written into the selected zone and any entered keycode or keycodes, for comparing any entered keycode or keycodes with any keycode or keycodes specified as being required to write data in the selected data zone and for writing the received data in the selected zone if the entered keycode or keycodes match the keycode or keycodes specified as being required to write data in the selected data zone or if no keycode is specified as being required to write data in the selected zone, wherein the memory means of the first card includes one or more data zones each storing a respective one or a combination of the first keycode and the keycode or keycodes stored in the first region of the memory means of the second card;
• and
• IC card reader/writer means having:
• (a) a first and a second port for receiving the first and second cards, respectively, and for coupling to the input/output means thereof,
• (b) coupling means for receiving at least commands, data and keycodes and for providing at least data,
• (c) reader/writer memory means,
• (d) first means responsive to the coupling means receiving a command to read the second card, a code specifying a particular zone in the second card in which data is to be read and any keycode or keycodes to be entered in the first card, for providing to the input/output means of the first card one or more read commands together with a code or codes specifying the data zone or zones of the memory means of the first card where the keycode or keycodes required to read data in the particular zone of the second card are stored and any keycode or keycodes received by the coupling means, for transferring such required keycode or keycodes to the reader/writer memory means if the keycode or keycodes received by the coupling means match the respective keycode or keycodes that are required to read the one or more data zones of the memory means of the first card or if no keycodes are required to read such data zones, for providing to the input/output means of the second card the read command, a code specifying the particular data zone and the keycode or keycodes for reading data in the particular zone transferred from the memory means of the first card to the reader/writer memory means, and for transferring any data provided by the input/output means of the second card to the reader/writer memory means, and
• (e) second means responsive to the coupling means receiving a command to write to the second card, a code specifying a selected zone in the second card in which data is to be written, data to be written in the selected zone and any keycode or keycodes to be entered in the first card for providing to the input/output means of the first card one or more read commands together with a code or codes specifying the data zone or zones of the memory means of the first card where the keycode or keycodes required to write data in the selected zone of the second card are stored and any keycode or keycodes received by the coupling means, for transferring such required keycode or keycodes to the reader/writer memory means if the keycode or keycodes received by the coupling means match the respective keycode or keycodes that are required to read the one or more data zones of the memory means of the first card or if no keycodes are required to read such data zones, and for providing to the input/output means of the second card the write command, a code specifying the selected zone, the data to be written in the selected zone and the keycode or keycodes required for writing data in the selected zone transferred from the memory means of the first card to the reader/writer memory.

An initialization system for IC information cards each including first means within the card responsive to a first command, zone definition data and an entered keycode received by the input/output means for comparing the entered keycode with a first keycode stored in the card for writing the zone definition data in a first region of the memory means only if the received keycode matches the first keycode, the zone definition data comprising one or more zone definition words each corresponding to a respective data zone in a second region of the memory means, each zone definition word specifying at least the starting address of the corresponding data zone and the size of the corresponding data zone, and second means within the card responsive to a second command, keycode data comprising one or more additional keycodes and an entered keycode received by the input/output means for comparing the entered keycode with the first keycode and for writing the keycode data in a third region of the memory means only if the entered keycode matches the first keycode, and wherein each zone definition word further specifies that either no keycode or one or more of the first keycode and the additional keycode or keycodes are required to be received by the input/output means in order to read data from the corresponding zone and either no keycode or one or more of the first keycode and the additional keycode or keycodes are required to be received by the input/output means in order to write data in the corresponding data zone, the system comprising:

• input means for receiving one of the cards at a time to be initialized and for coupling to the input/output means of the card received thereby;
• initializer memory means for storing the first keycode, appropriate zone definition data and additional keycode or keycodes;
• first initializer means for writing the zone definition data stored in the initializer memory means to the first region of the memory means of the card received by the input means using the first command, and the first keycode stored in the initializer memory means;
• and
• second initializer means for writing the additional keycode or keycodes stored in the initializer memory to the third region of the memory means of the card received by the input means using the second command, and the first keycode stored in the initializer memory means.

In an IC information card containing a nonvolatile memory means having a multiplicity of addressable bit storage locations, a method for segmenting a data storage region of the memory means into a plurality of data zones, each having assignable attributes including an assignable security access level, the method comprising the steps of:

• defining first, second and third regions in the memory means, the third region being the data storage region;
• requiring the entry in the card of at least a first keycode for writing in the first and second regions of the memory means;
• writing one or more keycodes in the first region of the memory means by entering the first keycode and any additional required keycodes;
• and
• writing zone definition data in the second region of the memory means by entering the first keycode and any additional keycodes, the zone definition data comprising one or more zone definition words each corresponding to a respective data zone in the third region of the memory means, each zone definition word specifying at least the starting address of the corresponding zone, the size of the corresponding zone and whether no keycode or one or more of the first keycode and the keycode or keycodes in the first region are required to be entered in the card to read data in the corresponding data zone and whether no keycode or one or more of the first keycode and the keycode or keycodes in the first region are required to be entered in the card to write data in the corresponding zone.