Smart card customization
View Patent ↗The invention concerns a method for reducing factory customizing time in a smart card (CP n ), wherein a pre-customizing manager (GM) into a customizing machine loads post-customizing data (AP, OP 1 -OP 1 , DOP 1 -DOP 1 ) in the smart card. Then a post-customizing application (AP) included in the smart card is enabled after delivery of the card to a user following a connection of the smart card to a terminal to process the loaded post-customizing data so as to make the smart card operational.
1. A method of customizing a smart card comprising:
pre-customizing said smart card, prior to issuance to a user, by loading data necessary for post-customization into the smart card, from a customization machine of a card manufacturer, said post-customization data including at least a startup script and a post-customization application;
post-customizing said smart card, upon connection of the smart card to a user terminal, by activating said post-customization application by said startup script for processing the loaded post-customization data and performing post-issuance procedures in order to place the smart card in an operational state.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the post-customization data loaded in the smart card further includes customization operations and wherein the post-customization application is configured to execute, during post-customization, all of the customization operations correctly and successively so that the smart card is operational.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the customization operations are included in the post-customization application.
4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the customization operations are included in a list of customization operations loaded into the smart card during the pre-customization.
5. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
activating a back-into-consistency operation, if after an interruption of any one of the customization operations of post-customization a customization operation being executed has not finished, for putting at least some of the interrupted customization operation back into consistency in order to continue post-customization.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the back-into-consistency operation finishes the interrupted customization operation in order to continue post-customization.
7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
deleting the post-customization data upon proper completion of all of the customization operations loaded in the smart card.
8. A method according to claim 2 , wherein upon execution of one of the customization operations, a network connection application is activated by said customization operation in order to communicate with a server via the terminal for the purpose of downloading, into the smart card, data and/or codes relating to execution of said customization operation.
9. A system for customizing a smart card comprising:
pre-customization means for loading data necessary for post-customization into the smart card from a customization machine of a manufacturer, prior to issuance to a user, wherein said post-customization data includes at least a startup script and a post-customization application; and
post-customization means for post-customizing said smart card upon connection of the smart card to a user terminal, by activating said post-customization application by said startup script for processing the loaded post-customization data and performing post-issuance procedures in order to place the smart card in an operational state.
10. A smart card to be customized comprising:
post-customization data including at least a startup script and a post-customization application having been loaded into the smart card by a customization machine of a manufacturer, prior to issuance to a user, during pre-customization, wherein said post-customization application is activated by said startup script upon connection of the smart card to a user terminal for processing the loaded post-customization data and performing post-issuance procedures in order to place the smart card in an operational state.
11. A smart card according to claim 10 , wherein the post-customization application executes all of the customization operations correctly and successively in order to enable the smart card to be operational.
12. A computer-readable medium containing a program suitable for being implemented in a system for customizing a smart card, said program comprising instructions which, when executed in said system, cause the system to execute the steps of:
pre-customizing said smart card, prior to issuance to a user, by loading data necessary for post-customization into said smart card, from a customization machine of a manufacturer, said post-customization data including at least a startup script and a post-customization application; and
post-customizing said smart card, upon connection of the smart card to a user terminal by activating said post-customization application for processing the loaded post-customization data in the smart card and performing post-issuance procedures in order to place the smart card in an operational state.