Methods and apparatus for a travel-related multi-function smartcard

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a smartcard system are provided which securely and conveniently integrate important travel-related applications. In one embodiment, a smartcard system includes a cardholder identification application and various additional applications useful in particular travel contexts; for example, airline, hotel, rental car, and payment-related applications. Furthermore, memory space and security features within specific applications provide partnering organizations (e.g., airlines, hotel chains, and rental car agencies) the ability to construct custom and secure file structures.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A smartcard apparatus of the type configured to communicate with an external device to perform a transaction, said smartcard apparatus comprising:

a smartcard body;

an integrated circuit device disposed within said smartcard body and configured to communicate with said external device, said integrated circuit device comprising a common application and a second application, said second application being configured to store travel-related information associated with a cardholder;

communicating means for providing data communication between said integrated circuit device and said external device; and

said second application comprising a common file structure and a partner file structure, wherein said partner file structure provides write access to a field within said partner file structure for a first partnering organization and denies write access to said field for a second partnering organiztion, and said common file structure provides write access for both said first and second partners to at least one filed in said common file structure.

2. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communication means comprises a plurality of external contacts disposed on a surface of said smartcard body.

3. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second application comprises a payment system application.

4. The smartcard apparatus of claim 3, wherein said payment system application is configured to store an account number and an expiry date associated with a payment account.

5. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second application comprises an airline application.

6. The smartcard apparatus of claim 5, wherein said airline application is configured to store an electronic ticket.

7. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second application comprises a hotel application.

8. The smartcard apparatus of claim 7, wherein said hotel application is configured to store data associated with a hotel reservation.

9. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second application comprises a rental car application.

10. The smartcard apparatus of claim 9, wherein said rental car application is configured to store data associated with a car preference.

11. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said common application comprises an application configured to store indicia of said cardholder's identity.

12. The smartcard apparatus of claim 11, wherein said indicia of said cardholder's identity includes a name and an address.

13. The smartcard apparatus of claim 1, wherein said common application provides general read access.

14. A distributed transaction comprising:

a network for transmitting transaction information:

a partnering organization having an associated partnering organization server,said partnering organization server being configured to send and receive said transaction information over said network;

a smartcard access point, said smartcard access point being configured to interface with a smartcard and to accept user input, wherein said access point is further configured to send and receive said transaction information over said network in response to said user input, said smartcard comprising;

a smartcard body;

an integrated circuit device disposed within said smartcard body and configured to communicate with said smartcard access point, said integrated circuit device comprising a common application and a second application, said second application being configured to store travel-related information associated with a cardholder;

said second application comprising a common filed structure and a partner file structure, wherein said partner file structure provides write access to a field within said partner file structure for a first partnering organization and denies write access to said field for a second partnering organization, and said common file structure provides write access for both said first and second partners to at least one field in said common file structure; and

communication means for providing data communication between said integrated circuit device and said smartcard access point.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the use of integrated circuit cards, or "smartcards," for commercial transactions and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for conveniently storing, retrieving, and updating data related to a cardholder's travel information in the context of a distributed transaction system.

BACKGROUND ART AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

Despite advances in information technology and process streamlining with respect to travel arrangements, the modem traveler is often subjected to unnecessary delays, petty inconveniences, and oppressive paperwork. These travel burdens are most evident in the airline, hotel, and rental car industries, where arranging and paying for services and accommodations can involve significant time delays due to miscommunication, poor record-keeping, and a host of other administrative inefficiencies.

Smartcard technology, as described below, has had limited success in addressing some of these problems. The term "smartcard" refers generally to wallet-sized or smaller cards incorporating a microprocessor or microcontroller to store and manage data within the card. More complex than magnetic-stripe and stored-value cards, smartcards are characterized by sophisticated memory management and security features. A typical smartcard includes a microcontroller embedded within the card plastic which is electrically connected to an array of external contacts provided on the card exterior. A smartcard microcontroller generally includes an electrically-erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM) for storing user data, random access memory (RAM) for scratch storage, and read only memory (ROM) for storing the card operating system. Relatively simple microcontrollers are adequate to control these functions. Thus, it is not unusual for smartcards to utilize 8-bit, 5 MHZ microcontrollers with about 8K of EEPROM memory (for example, the Motorola 6805 or Intel 8051 microcontrollers).

A number of standards have been developed to address general aspects of integrated circuit cards, e.g.: ISO 7816-1, Part 1. Physical characteristics (1987); ISO 7816-2, Part 2: Dimensions and location of the contacts (1988); ISO 7816-3, Part 3: Electronic signals and transmission protocols (1989, Amd. 1 1992, Amd. 2 1994); ISO 7816-4, Part 4: Inter-industry commands for interchange (1995); ISO 7816-5, Part 5: Numbering system and registration procedure for application identifiers (1994, Amd. 1 1995); ISO/IEC DIS 7816-6, Inter-industry data elements (1995); ISO/IEC WD 7816-7, Part 7: Enhanced inter-industry commands (1995); and ISO/IEC WD 7816-8, Part 8: Inter-industry security architecture (1995). These standards are hereby incorporated by reference. Furthermore, general information regarding magnetic stripe cards and chip cards can be found in a number of standard texts, e.g., Zoreda & Oton, SMART CARDS(1994), and Rankl & Effing, SMART CARDS HANDBOOK (1997), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Various attempts have been made to alleviate travel-related inconveniences through the use of smartcard technology. In 1995, for example, the U.S. airline industry led an effort to reduce ticket distribution costs by developing standards for "ticketless travel."Soon thereafter, a joint conference of IATA and ATA adopted a set of specifications entitled Specifications for Airline Industry Integrated Circuit Cards (hereinafter, "IATA standard"). Similarly, in the field of financial payment systems, a standard has been developed entitled EMV Version 2.0, Integrated Circuit Card Specificationsfor Payment Systems, Parts 1-3 (1995). Both of these specifications are hereby incorporated by reference.

Notwithstanding widespread promulgation of these standards, smartcard efforts tend to remain fragmented, and the resultant benefit to consumers--particularly consumers who travel--has been quite minimal. One recent study estimates that approximately nine million smartcards were issued in the transportation and travel industry in 1996, yet, for the most part, these cards remain incompatible; that is, due to differing file structures and/or communication protocols employed, card data typically can not easily be shared across applications or between industry participants.

Systems and methods are therefore needed in order to overcome these and other shortcomings in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for a smartcard system which securely and conveniently integrates important travel-related applications, thereby overcoming the limitations of the prior art. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a smartcard system comprises a cardholder identification application and various additional applications useful in particular travel contexts; for example, airline, hotel, rental car, and payment-related applications. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a smartcard system further comprises space and security features within specific applications which provide partnering organizations the ability to construct custom and secure file structures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjuction with the appended drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary smartcard apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary smartcard integrated circuit, showing various functional blocks;

FIG. 3 is an examplary diagram of files and directories arranged in a typical tree structure;

FIG. 4 sets forth an exemplary database structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 sets forth a preferred cardholder ID data structure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 sets forth a preferred payment system data structure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 sets forth a preferred airline data structure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 sets forth a preferred rental car data structure in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 sets forth a preferred hotel system data structure in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary distributed transaction system useful in practicing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary smartcard system suitable for practicing the present invention will now be described. A smartcard 100 generally comprises a card body 102 having a communication region 104 for providing contact or non-contact communication between an external device (e.g., a card reader) and an integrated circuit 110 encapsulated within card body 102. Communication region 104 preferably comprises six conductive pads 106 whose placement and size conform to IS07816-2. More particularly, a communication region 104 in conformance with ISO-7816-2preferably comprises VCC contact 106(a) (power supply), RST contact 106(b) (reset), CLK contact 106(c) (external clock), GND Contact 106(d) (ground), VPP contact 106(e) (programming voltage), and I/O contact 106(f) (data line).

VCC 106(a) suitably provides power to IC 110 (typically 5.0 V +/-10%). CLK 106(c) is suitably used to provide an external clock source which acts as a data transmission reference. RST 106(b) is suitably used to transmit a reset signal to IC 110 during the booting sequence. VPP contact 106(e) may be used for programming of EEPROM 212 in IC 110. As is known in the art, however, this contact is generally not used since modern ICs typically incorporate a charge pump suitable for EEPROM programming which takes its power from the supply voltage (VCC 106(a)). I/0 106(f) suitably provides a line for serial data communication with an external device, and GND 106(d) is suitably used to provide a ground reference. Encapsulated integrated circuit 110 is configured to communicate electrically with contacts 106 via any number of known packaging techniques, including, for example, thermosonically-bonded gold wires, tape automated bonding (TAB), and the like.

While an exemplary smartcard is discussed above in the context of a plurality of external contacts, it will be appreciated that contactless cards may also be utilized to practice this invention. That is, non-contact communication methods may be employed using such techniques as capacitive coupling, inductive coupling, and the like. As is known in the art, capacitive coupling involves incorporating capacitive plates into the card body such that data transfer with a card reader is provided through symmetric pairs of coupled surfaces, wherein capacitance values are typically 10-50 picofarads, and the working range is typically less than one millimeter. Inductive coupling employs coupling elements, or conductive loops, disposed in a weakly-coupled transformer configuration employing phase, frequency, or amplitude modulation. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the location of communication region 104 disposed on or within card 100 may vary depending on card configuration. For additional information regarding non-contact techniques, see, for example, contactless card standards ISO/IEC 10536 and ISO/IEC 14443, which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Smartcard body 102 is preferably manufactured from a sufficiently rigid material which is resistant to various environmental factors, e.g., physical deterioration, thermal extremes, and ESD (electrostatic discharge). Materials suitable in the context of the present invention include, for example, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrol), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or the like. In a preferred embodiment, chip card 100 conforms to the mechanical requirements set forth in ISO 7810, 7813, and 7816. Body 102 may comprise a variety of shapes, for example, the rectangular ID-1, ID-00, or ID-000 dimensions set forth in ISO-7810. In a preferred embodiment, body 102 is roughly the size and shape of a common credit card and substantially conforms to the ID-1 specification.

Referring now to FIG. 2, IC 110 preferably comprises regions for Random Access Memory (RAM) 216, Read-Only Memory (ROM) 214, Central Processing Unit (CPU) 202, data bus 210, Input/Output (I/O) 208 and Electrically-Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) 212.

RAM 216 comprises volatile memory which is used by the card primarily for scratch memory, e.g., to store intermediate calculation results and data encryption processes. RAM 216 preferably comprises at least 256 bytes.

EEPROM 212 provides a non-volatile memory region which is erasable and rewritable electrically, and which is used to store, inter alia, user data, system data and application files. In the context of the present invention, EEPROM 212 is suitably used to store a plurality of files related to cardholder travel information (discussed in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 3). EEPROM 212 preferably comprises at least 8K bytes.

In a preferred embodiment, CPU 202 implements the instruction set stored in ROM 202, handles memory management (i.e., RAM 216 and EEPROM 212), and coordinates input/output activities (i.e., I/O 208).

ROM 214 preferably contains, or is "masked" with, the smart card operating system (SCOS). That is, the SCOS is preferably implemented as hard-wired logic in ROM 214 using standard mask design and semiconductor processing methods well known in the art (e.g., photolithography, diffusion, oxidation, ion implantation, etc.). Accordingly, ROM 214 cannot generally be altered after fabrication. The purpose of such an implementation is to take advantage of the fast access times provided by masked ROMs. ROM 214 suitably comprises about 4K-20K bytes of memory, preferably at least 16K bytes. In this regard, it will be appreciated that alternate memory devices may be used in place of ROM 214. Indeed, as semiconductor technology progresses, it may be advantageous to employ more compact forms of memory, for example, flash-EEPROMs.

The SCOS controls information flow to and from the card, and more particularly facilitates storage and retrieval of data stored within EEPROM 212. As with any operating system, the SCOS operates according to a well-defined command set. In this regard, a variety of known smart card operating systems are suitable for the purpose of this invention, for example, IBM's Multi-Function Card (MFC) Operating System 3.51, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference. While the IBM MFC operating system employs the standard tree structure of files and directories substantially in accordance with IS07816-4 (as detailed below), it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other operating system models would be equally suitable for implementation of the present invention. Moreover, it may be advantageous to allow certain aspects of operating system functionality to exist outside the card, i.e., in the form of blocks of executable code which can be downloaded and executed by the smartcard during a transaction (for example, Java applets, ActiveX objects, and the like).

Given the general characteristics of smartcard 100 as outlined above, it will be apparent that a wide range of microcontrollers and contact-based smartcard products known in the art may be used to implement various embodiments of the present invention. Suitable smartcards include, for example, the model ST16SF48 card, manufactured by SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, which incorporates a Motorola 6805 microcontroller with 16K ROM, 8K EEPROM, and 384 bytes of RAM. It will be appreciated, however, that particular embodiments of the present invention might require more advanced microcontrollers with greater EEPROM capacity (i.e., in the range of about 12-16K). Such systems are well known in the art.

Having thus described an exemplary smartcard 100 and IC 110, an overview of a smartcard file structure in accordance with the present invention will now be described. Referring now to FIG. 4, file structure 400 is preferably used to store information related to card-holder preferences and various data useful for securing and paying for air travel, rental cars, hotel reservations and the like. More particularly, file structure 400 preferably comprises cardholder ID application 406, payment system application 408, airline application 410, hotel system application 412, rental car application 414, and cardholder verification data 404. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the term "application" in this context refers to self-contained regions of data all directed at a particular function (e.g., airline, hotel, etc.) rather than a block of executable software code, although the use of executable modules as part of any particular application falls within the scope of the present invention.

Cardholder verification data 404 preferably houses data useful in verifying cardholder identity during a transaction. In a preferred embodiment, cardholder verification data 404 comprises two eight-byte cardholder verification numbers (i.e., PIN numbers) referred to as CHV1 and CHV2.

Cardholder ID application 406 suitably comprises various files related to personal information of the cardholder (e.g., name, addresses, payment cards, driver's license, personal preferences and the like). Cardholder ID application 406 is described in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 5.

Payment system application 408 suitably comprises information useful in effecting commercial transactions, e.g., account number and expiration date information traditionally stored on a magnetic-stripe credit card. Alternatively, Payment system application 408 comprises a full EMV-compliant application suitable for a wide range of financial transactions. Payment system application 408 is described further below in conjunction with FIG. 6.

Airline application 410 suitably comprises data helpful in streamlining commercial airline travel; for example, relevant personal preferences, electronic tickets, and frequent flier information. Airline application 410 is discussed in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 7.

Hotel application 412 suitably comprises information useful for securing and paying for hotel reservations, including an array of information and preferences associated with a list of preferred hotels as well space for electronic keys. Hotel application 412 is discussed in greater detail below in conjunction with FIG. 9.

Rental car application 414 suitably comprises data useful in expediting the process of car rental and return, including, for example, car preference and frequent rental information. Rental car application 414 is described in further detail below in conjunction with FIG. 8.

In each of the above mentioned applications, sophisticated access and encryption schemes are preferably utilized in order to allow multiple parties to make use of certain file structures while preventing unauthorized entry into others. More specifically, partnering organizations (e.g., hotel chains, airlines, and rental car agencies) may create their own tailor-made file structures (i.e., "partner file structures") within card 100. Details of the various security measures employed are described in further detail below in conjunction with Table 40.

Referring now to FIG. 10, smartcard 100 is suitably used in the context of a distributed transaction system. Briefly, cardholder's may employ smartcard 100 at various access points 15 which are connected via network 19 to an issuer 10 and at least one partnering organization 12. Issuer 10 suitably comprises various hardware and software components suitable for client host communications as well as a database system 11. In this context, the term `issuer` refers to the organization that actually issues the smartcard and retains some high-level access to certain areas of file structure 400 (detailed below).

Partnering organizations 12(a), 12(b), and so on, comprise the various hotel chains, rental-car agencies, airlines, and the like, who have access to appropriate data regions within smartcard 100. Each partnering organization 12 suitably comprises a database 13 and appropriate hardware and software components necessary for completing a transaction over network 19. Network 19 may comprise one or more communication modes, e.g., the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the Internet, digital and analog wireless networks, and the like.

Each access point 15 suitably comprises an appropriate card reader for interfacing with smartcard 100 as well as hardware and software suitable for interfacing with a cardholder and performing a transaction over network 19. Access points 15 are preferably located in areas providing convenient access for traveling cardholder's or cardholder's preparing travel arrangements. Such access points 15 may be located, for example, in airline ticketing and gate areas, rental car facilities, hotel lobbies, travel agencies, and stand-alone kiosks in malls. In addition, businesses might see fit to host an access point 15 to streamline their employees' business travel. Furthermore, an individual cardholder might configure his or her personal computer to act as an access point using appropriate software and peripheral hardware.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, data files and directories are stored in a "tree" structure as illustrated in FIG. 3. That is, the smartcard file structure resembles the well known MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) file structure wherein files are logically organized within a hierarchy of directories. Specifically, three types of files are defined in ISO 7816-4: dedicated files (DF), elementary files (EF), and a master file (MF). The master file is analogous to the MS-DOS "root" directory, and contains all other files and directories. Dedicated files are actually directories or "folders" for holding other DFs or EFs. Thus, MF 302 may contain an arbitrary number of DFs 306, and these DFs (e.g., DF 306(a)) may or may not contain other DFs (e.g., DF 308). Elementary files are used to store user data, and may exist within a dedicated file (e.g., EF 310 within DF 306(a)), or within the master file (e.g., EF 304 within MF 302). Higher level DFs (i.e., DFs which house particular applications) are often referred to as application dedicated files (ADFs).

The MF and each of the DFs and EFs are assigned a unique two-byte file identifier (FID). By convention, the MF is traditionally assigned an FID of `3F00` hex. Selection of an EF or DF by the operating system may then be performed by tracing its entire path starting at the MF. Thus, if the MF contains a DF with a FID `A100 `, and this DF in turn contains an EF or DF by the operating system may then be performed by tracing its entire path successive selection of EIDs 3F00, A100, and A101. It will be appreciated that the FID is essentially a file name used by the operating system select directories and files; it is not intended to indicate a physical address within EEPROM 212. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, low-level EEPROM addressing is preferably handled by the SCOS in conjunction with CPU 202.

Each file preferably has as associated file leader containing various indicia of the particular EF, DF, or MF. More particularly, the file header associated with a particular file preferably includes the file identifier (FID), file size, access conditions, and file structure. In this regard, smartcard 100 suitably employs one of four file structures: transparent, linear fixed, linear variable, or cyclic. For the sake completeness, the nature of these file structures will be briefly reviewed.

A transparent file structure consists of a string of bytes accessed by specifying an offset and byte count. For example, with reference to Table 1 below, given a n-byte string of data, bytes 7 through 10 would be accessed using an offset of six and a length of four.

                  TABLE 1
    ______________________________________
    Transparent file structure
    ______________________________________
     ##STR1##
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 2
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary primitive TLV object
    Tag    Length  Value
    ______________________________________
    `8C`   `07`    p       h   o     e   n     i   x
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 3
    ______________________________________
    Key to acronyms
    ______________________________________
    AN               Alphanumeric
    N                Numeric
    B                Boolean
    C                Convention
    M                Matrix
    D                Data
    AR               Bits array
    BIN              Binary
    RJ               Right-justified
    LJ               Left-justified
    BCD              Binary coded decimal
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 4
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary cardholder ID directory EF
                       External  Internal format
                       format    (bytes)
    Record description Size   Type   Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Application ID for holder.sub.-- ID DF
                       16     AN     16    ASCII
    Application label               AN       16
                                          16
                                                 ASCII
    Application ID for miscellaneous DF
                           16       AN
                                          16
                                                 ASCII
    Application label               AN       16
                                          16
                                                 ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 5
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary ID EF data structure
                  External  Internal
                  format                         format (bytes)
    Record description
                    Size    Type    Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Last Name       30      AN      30    ASCII
    First Name                   AN      20     20
                                               ASCII
    Middle Name                   AN           8
                                         8
                                                ASCII
    Honorary Title                AN        8
                                         8
                                                ASCII
    Name Suffix                   AN           4
                                         4
                                                ASCII
    Date of Birth                 D       4    8
                                                BCD
    Social Security Number
                                 AN 10
                                          10
                                                ASCII
    Emergency Contact
    Last Name                    AN       20     20
                                                ASCII
    First Name              AN            10             10
                                                ASCII
    Relation                      C              BIN
    Phone                        N              BCD 20
    Gender                        AN               1
                                          1
                                                 ASCII
    Special Person Requirements
                                 AN       12
                                                M
    Language Preference (ISO 639)
                            2
                                  C              ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 6
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary home EF file structure
                     External
                             Internal format
                     format  (bytes)
    Record description Size   Type   Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Home Address 1     40     AN     40    ASCII
    Home Address 2                  AN         40
                                          40
                                                  ASCII
    Home Address City               AN      25
                                          25
                                                  ASCII
    Home Address State              AN       5
                                          5
                                                  ASCII
    Home Country (TSO 3166)
                                    AN 2
                                          2
                                                  ASCII
    Home Address Zip Code
                                   AN     10
                                          10
                                                 ASCII
    Home Address Telephone
                                   N       10
                                                 BCD
    Home Address FAX               N       10  20
                                                 BCD
    Home E-mail address
                                   AN       40
                                          40
                                                 ASCII
    Personal travel charge account number
                          2         N
                                           1
                                                  BCD
    pointer
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 7
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary business EF file structure
                             Internal format
                   External format
                               (bytes)
    Record description
                     Size    Type    Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Business Address 1
                     40      AN      40    ACSII
    Business Address 2
                                  AN       40
                                                 ASCII
    Business Address City
                                  AN       25
                                                 ASCII
    Business Address State
                                   AN 5
                                           5
                                                  ASCII
    Business Country (ISO 3166)
                                   AN
                                           2
                                                  ASCII
    Business Address Zip Code
                                  AN0
                                           10
                                                 ASCII
    Business Telephone No.
                                  N              BCD
    Business Address Fax
                                  N             BCD
    Business E-mail Address
                                  AN 40
                                           40
                                                 ASCII
    Professional Title
                                  AN       10
                                                 ASCII
    Employee ID                   AN       10     10
                                                 ASCII
    Division                     AN        20        20
                                                ASCII
    Dept                         AN        20            20
                                                ASCII
    Cost Center                  AN        12     12
                                                ASCII
    Professional travel account number
                           2      N              BCD
    pointer
    Professional license data
                                 AN 20
                                           20
                                                ASCII
    Credit Card pointer
                                  N              BCD
    Company Name                 AN        20    20
                                                ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 8
    ______________________________________
    Examplary preferences EF file structure
                            Internal format
                 External format
                                 (bytes)
    Record description
                   Size   Type      Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Preferences Array
                   20     C         20   C
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 9
    ______________________________________
    Examplary passport EF file structure
                  External format
                           Internal format (bytes)
    Record description
                    Size   Type    Size   Type
    ______________________________________
    Passport Number 20     AN      20     ASCII
    Passport Country -- ISO 3166
                                  AN
                                         2
                                                ASCII
    Issuance Date                 D          8
                                          4
                                                BCD
    City of Issuance
                                 AN    20
                                        20
                                               AN
    Expiration Date               D    8
                                         4
                                                BCD
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 10
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary driver EF file structure
                     External
                             Internal format
                     format     (bytes)
    Record description Size   Type   Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Driver's License No.
                       20     a      20    ASCII
    Driver's License Issuing State/Country
                          2          a
                                                 BCD
    License Expiration Date
                                     D   8
                                                 ASCII
    License Type                     C              2
                                                 BCD
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 11
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary biometric EF file structure
             External format
                        Internal format (bytes)
    Record description
               Size     Type    Size     Type
    ______________________________________
    Biometrics template
               100      AN      100      BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 12
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary authentication EF
                      Internal format (bytes)
    Record description  Size     Type
    ______________________________________
    Signed Static Application Data
                        80       B
    Static Data Authentication Tag List
                                 B      16
    Issuer Public Key Certificate
                                       B
    Issuer Public Key Exponent
                                        B
    Issuer Public Key Remainder
                                       B
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 13
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary programs EF
                             Internal format
                 External format
                               (bytes)
    Record description
                   Size     Type     Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Preferred Airlines
                   9 (3 .times. 3)
                            C        9    C
    Preferred Hotels
                                   C             C
    Preferred Rental Cars
                                   C             C
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 14
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary payment card EF file structure
                     External
                             Internal format
                     format  (bytes)
    Record description Size   Type   Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    First Payment Card # (ISO)
                       19     N      10    BCD
    First Payment Card Expiration Date
                           8       D       4
                                                 BCD
    Second Payment Card # (non-ISO)
                              20
                                  AN      20
                                                ASCII
    Second Payment Card Expiration Date
                          8        D       4
                                                 BCD
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 15
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary sequence EF file structure
              External format
                        Internal format (bytes)
    Record description
                Size   Type      Size   Type
    ______________________________________
    Sequence Number
                16     AN        16     ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 16
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary card number EF
              External format
                        Internal format (bytes)
    Record description
                Size   Type      Size   Type
    ______________________________________
    Card Number 8      HEX       8      HEX
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 17
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary issuance EF file structure
                             Internal format
                 External format
                               (bytes)
    Field          Size    Type      Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Country Authority      ISO 3166  2
    Issuer Authority
                                RID - ISO   10
                                      5          HEX
                           7816-5
    Application version
                                 XX.YY   5
                                        2        BCD
    Application expiration date
                                 YYYYMM
                                       4         BCD
                           DD
    Application effective date
                                 YYYYMM
                                       4         BCD
                                                     DD
    Personalizer Code
                                  AN             ASCII
    Personalization Location
                                  AN             ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 18
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary Pay1 EF file structure
                            Internal format
                  External format
                                (bytes)
    Record description
                    Size    Type    Size  Type
    ______________________________________
    Format Code (Track 1)
                    1       AN      1     ASCII
    PAN (Track 2)                 N              BCDF5
                                          right
                                                   padding
    Expiration date (Track 1 or 2)
                                   YYMM
                                         2
                                                  BCD
    Effective date (Track 1 or 2)
                                   YYMM
                                         2
                                                  BCD
    Discretionary data (Track 1 or 2)
                                   N
                                                  BCDF
                                          right
                                          padding
    Name (Track 1)                AN            26
                                                 ASCII, LJ
                                          blank
                                          padding
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 19
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary passenger EF file structure
                                     Internal
                     External format format (bytes)
    Record description
                     Size   Type     Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Passenger Name   49     AN       49   ASCII
    Gender           1      A        1    BIN
    Language Preference
                     2      AN       2    ASCII
    Unique ID        24     AN       24   ASCII
    Airline ID (3 letters code)
                     3      AN       3    ASCII
    Type code (2 letters)
                     2      AN       2    ASCII
    Unique ID        19     AN       19   ASCII
    Application version
                     2      N        2    BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 20
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary frequent flyer EF file structure
                                   Internal
                  External format  format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type      Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Airline Customer ID
                  22     AN        22   ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 21
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary IET file structure
                                     Internal
                     External format format (bytes)
    Description of the records
                     Size   Type     Size Type
    ______________________________________
    IET 1            14     AN       14   BIN
    IET 2            14     AN       14   BIN
    IET 3            14     AN       14   BIN
    IET 4            14     AN       14   BIN
    IET 5            14     AN       14   BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 22
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary boarding EF file structure
                                   Internal
                  External format  format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type      Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Boarding data 40     AN        40   ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 23
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary biometric EF file structure
                                    Internal
                  External format   format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type       Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Biometrics data
                  100    AN         100  BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 24
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary issuance EF file structure
                                  Internal
                     External format
                                  format (bytes)
    Field            Size   Type      Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Country Authority (2 letters)
                            ISO 3166  2
    Issuer Authority 10     RID - ISO 5    HEX
                            7816-5
    Application version
                     5      XX.YY     2    BCD
    Application expiration date
                     8      YYYYMM    4    BCD
                            DD
    Application effective date
                     8      YYYYMM    4    BCD
                            DD
    Personalizer Code
                     1      AN        1    ASCII
    Personalization Location (custom
                     1      AN        1    ASCII
    code)
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 25
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary PIN EF file structure
                                    Internal
                  External format   format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type       Size Type
    ______________________________________
    PIN           8      AN         8    BIN
    Expiration date
                  8      D          4    BCD
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 26
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary preferences EF 716 file structure
                                    Internal
                  External format   format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type       Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Preferences Array
                  8      C          8    BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 27
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary preferences EF
                      External       Internal
    Record description
                      format         format (bytes)
    ______________________________________
    Preferences Array (Default)
                      8     C        8   BIN
    Preferences Array (No. 2)
                      8     C        8   BIN
    Preferences Array (No. 3)
                      8     C        8   BIN
    Preferred limousine company
                      12    AN       12  ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 28
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary rental.sub.-- car.sub.-- id EF
                     External       Internal
    Record description
                     format         format (bytes)
    ______________________________________
    Frequent Rental ID#
                     22    A        22   ASCII
    Company name     3     A        3    ASCII
    Unique Customer ID
                     19    A        19   ASCII
    CDP (Contract Disc. Program)
                     10    A        10   ASCII
    Accumulated points
                     8     N        3    BIN
    Rental features        AR       2    BIN
    Car Type Upgrade       B        1 bit
                                         B
    Week-end/Vacation Special
                           B        1 bit
                                         B
    Guaranteed Late Reservation
                           B        1 bit
                                         B
    Insurance              Array    2    BIN
    Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)
                           B        1 bit
                                         B
    Personal Automobile Insurance
                           B        1 bit
                                         B
    Personal Effects Coverage
                           B        1 bit
                                         B
    Personal Insurance     B        1 bit
                                         B
    Corporate Insurance    B        1 bit
                                         B
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 29
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary reservation EF
                   External        Internal
    Record description
                   format          format (bytes)
    ______________________________________
    Rental Car Company
                   3     A         3   ASCII
    Location       3     A         3   ASCII
    Date           8     D         4   BCD
    Time           4     T         2   BCD
    Reservation Number
                   15    A         15  ASCII
    Flight Number  5     M         5   BIN
    Airlines       3     AN        3   ASCII(RJ)
    Flight number  4     K         2   BCD
    Preferred profile
                   1     C         1   ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 30
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary expenses EF
                  External         Internal
    Record description
                  format           format (bytes)
    ______________________________________
    Type of expense
                  1     C          1   ASCII
    Date          8     D          4   BCD
    Location code 3     AN         3   ASCII
    Amount        7     N          3   BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 31
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary reservation EF
                                   Internal
                   External format format (bytes)
    Record description
                   Size   Type     Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Property Code  3      AN       3    ASCII
    Date           8      D        4    BCD
    Confirmation Number
                   15     AN       15   ASCII
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 32
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary preferences EF
                                      Internal
                      External format format (bytes)
    Record description
                      Size   Type     Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Preferences Array (default)
                      8      C        8    BIN
    Preferences Array (number 2)
                      8      C        8    BIN
    Preferences Array (number 3)
                      8      C        8    BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 33
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary expenses EF
                                   Internal
                  External format  format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type      Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Type          1      C         1    ASCII
    Date          8      D         4    BCD
    Property Code 3      AN        3    ASCII
    Amount        7      N         3    BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 34
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary key-of-the-room EF
                                    Internal
                  External format   format (bytes)
    Record description
                  Size   Type       Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Key value     40     AN         40   BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 35
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary stayer ID EF
                                  Internal
                     External format
                                  format (bytes)
    Record description
                     Size   Type      Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Frequent stayer number
                     19     AN        19   ASCII
    Frequent Stayer Level Code
                     1      AN        1    ASCII
    Frequent Stayer Level Expiration
                     6      YYYYMM    3    BCD
    Date
    CDP              10     AN        10   ASCII
    Event Counter    3      N         1    BIN
    Hotel Frequent Stayer PIN
                     8      AN        8    BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 36
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary preferences EF
    ______________________________________
                                      Internal
                      External format format (bytes)
    Record description
                      Size   Type     Size Type
    ______________________________________
    Preferences Array (default)
                      8      C        8    BIN
    Preferences Array (number 2)
                      8      C        8    BIN
    Preferences Array (number 3)
                      8      C        8    BIN
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 37
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary Preferences Code Ranges
     0-49         General purpose (Cardholder ID 406)
    50-99         Hotel application 412
    100-149       Rental car application 414
    150-199       Airline application 410
    200-255       Other
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 38
    ______________________________________
    Exemplary preference codes
    Preference          Code (decimal)
    ______________________________________
    GENERAL PURPOSE
    Smoking             00
    Non-smoking         01
    Home as preferred address
                        02
    Work as preferred address
                        03
    Handicapped         04
    Home as preferred e-mail address
                        05
    Work as preferred e-mail address
                        06
    HOTEL PREFERENCES
    King-size bed       50
    Queen-size bed      51
    Double bed          52
    High floor room     53
    Low floor room      54
    Near elevator room  55
    Away from elevator room
                        56
    RENTAL CAR PREFERENCES
    Compact car         100
    Standard car        101
    Mid-size car        102
    Luxury car          103
    AIRLINE PREFERENCES
    Window seat preferred
                        150
    Aisle seat preferred
                        151
    Low calorie         152
    Vegetarian          153
    Diabetic            154
    Low sodium          155
    Kosher              156
    ______________________________________

                                      TABLE 40
    __________________________________________________________________________
    Exemplary access conditions
               READING     UPDATING
               Access      Access
               condition
                    Owner
                        Key
                           condition
                                Owner Key
    __________________________________________________________________________
    MF
    DF Cardholder ID 406
    DF Holder.sub.-- ID 502
    EF ID 504  FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Home 506
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Business 508
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Preferences 514
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Passport 516
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Biometrics 522
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Driver 518
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    DF Miscellaneous
    EF Payment card 510
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Sequence 512
               FREE        FREE
    EF Card Number 526
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    DF Payment System 408
    DF Issuer 602
    EF Pay1 604
               FREE        FREE
    DF Airline 410
    DF Common 702
    EF Passenger 706
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY2
    EF Frequent flier 708
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY2
    EF IET 710 FREE        FREE
    EF Boarding 712
               FREF        FREE
    EF Biometric 714
               FREE        FREE
    DF Issuer 704
    EF Preferences 716
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY2
    EF PIN 718 FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY2
    EF Issuance 720
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY2
    DF Rental car 414
    DF Common 802
    EF Preferences 805
               FREE        USER IDENT PIN
    DF Rental.sub.-- car 803
    EF Rental.sub.-- car.sub.-- ID 807
               FREE        SIGN RENTCAR
                                      KEY6
    EF Reservation 809
               FREE        FREE
    EF Expenses 811
               FREE        SIGN RENTCAR
                                      KEY6
                           (append)
                                (append)
                                      (append)
                           IDENT
                                USER  PIN
                           (erase)
                                (erase)
                                      (erase)
    DF Hotel system 412
    DF Common 914
    EF Reservation 918
               FREE        FREE
    EF Expenses 916
               FREE        FREE USER  PIN
                           (append)
                                (erase)
                                      (erase)
                           IDENT
                           (erase)
    EF Key-of-the-room 910
               FREE        FREE
    EF Preferences 912
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    DF Hotel.sub.-- chain 902
    EF Preferences 904
               FREE        SIGN ISSUER
                                      KEY1
    EF Stayer ID 906
               FREE        SIGN HOTEL KEY5
    __________________________________________________________________________

• Inventors
  Hohle, William; Petit, Frederic;
• Assignee
  American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (New York, NY)
• Published
  Aug-8-2000
• Current US Classes:
  235/380
  235/384
  705/1
  705/5
• Application #
  012750
• International Classes
  G06F 017/60
• Field of Search
  705/1 705/5 705/6 235/375 235/380 235/379 235/382 235/384
• Examiner
  Stamber; Eric W.
• Agent
  Snell & Wilmer, L.L.P.
• US Patent References:
  4816653
  4882474
  4928001
  5408082
  5504321
  5517014
  5544246
  5576951
  5578808
  5590038
  5684742
  5724520
  5732398
  5801367
  5802519
  5832454
  5884271