Credit card and a secured data activation system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a credit card comprising a card body, which comprises fingerprint reading means providing fingerprint signals representative of at least one fingerprint from a card user, when at least one finger of said user is pressed against said fingerprint reading means. Said card body further comprises data carrier means holding at least card owner fingerprint data and secured data, and fingerprint authentication means for activating said secured data. The card body further comprises an electrical power supply delivering electrical current to at least said fingerprint reading means. Accordingly there is no need for an external electrical power supply, and thus the existing standard card reading systems, such as ID-card readers, money transfer machines such as ATM's and the like may be used in conjunction with said credit card. Thus, investments into new standard reader systems are not necessary in order to improve the security of the secured data carried by the credit card. A complete and self-contained automated authentication process is conducted prior to communication concerning said secured data being established between said credit card and any of the existing ATM's on the market today, irrespective of type (automated or manually operated), manufacturer, version, or geographical position of said ATM and of credit card use.

1 . A credit card comprising a card body, which comprises 
 fingerprint reading means providing fingerprint signals representative of at least one fingerprint from a card user, when at least one finger of said user is pressed against said fingerprint reading means;    data carrier means holding at least card owner fingerprint data and secured data;    a readout area;    fingerprint authentication means comprising a data processor, which is able to authenticate said fingerprint signals with said card owner fingerprint data; and    an electrical power supply delivering electrical power to at least said fingerprint reading means, said fingerprint authentication means, and said readout area;    characterized in that    said card body comprises at least one driver circuit in communication with at least one transducer coil in said readout area comprising at least one core winding around at least one strip of electromagnetically inducible core material, each strip being individually inducible by said data processor to emit a magnetic field containing secured data signals corresponding to said secured data.    
   
   
       2 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said fingerprint authentication means control activation of said secured data based on authentication of the fingerprint signals by comparing these with said card owner fingerprint data, if the comparison is a match, then said secured data is activated, else said secured data is not activated.  
   
   
       3 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , where activation of said secured data is maintained over a determined activation time period.  
   
   
       4 . A credit card according to  claim 3 , where said activation of secured data is performed by emission of secured data signals one or several consecutive times by said at least one transducer coil.  
   
   
       5 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sweep detection sensor, which is able to cause said data processor to activate said secured data by emission of said secured data signals at least once by said at least one transducer coil, when said credit card is in the vicinity of a credit card reader.  
   
   
       6 . A credit card according to  claim 5 , wherein two sweep detection sensors are provided, one at each end section of said at least one transducer coil in order to provide the data processor with information as to in which end the secured data signals is to begin.  
   
   
       7 . A credit card according to  claim 5 , wherein said at least one sweep detection sensor is able to detect the velocity with which the credit card is swept by a credit card reader, and based on this detected velocity the data processor is able to determine the activation time period.  
   
   
       8 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said driver circuit further is able to perform advanced amplification such as amplitude compensation and pulse shaping upon said secured data signals.  
   
   
       9 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said driver circuit is provided integral with the data processor.  
   
   
       10 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , where said at least one strip of inducible core material is provided with at least one distributed air gap.  
   
   
       11 . A credit card according to  claim 10 , where said at least one air gap is provided with distributions of material having different electromagnetical inducibility as compared to the material of said at least one strip of inducible core material.  
   
   
       12 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said at least one core winding is placed substantially at one end section of said at least one strip of inducible core material.  
   
   
       13 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , further comprising activation indicator means for indication of the activation of said readout area.  
   
   
       14 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said electrical power supply comprises at least one battery.  
   
   
       15 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said electrical power supply comprises at least one rechargeable battery.  
   
   
       16 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said electrical power supply further comprises recharging means for said rechargeable battery.  
   
   
       17 . A credit card according to  claim 16 , in which said recharging means for said at least one rechargeable battery comprise a solar cell arrangement.  
   
   
       18 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said card body further comprises power supply status indicator means.  
   
   
       19 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said data carrier means include a first data storage for holding card owner fingerprint data, and a second data storage for holding secured data.  
   
   
       20 . A credit card according to  claim 19 , in which said first and/or second data storage is an EEPROM or FLASH-type memory.  
   
   
       21 . A credit card according to  claim 19 , in which said second data storage is a smart card chip or a magnetic strip.  
   
   
       22 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , in which said fingerprint authentication means and said data carrier means are combined in a single integrated circuit, such as a microcontroller with a memory.  
   
   
       23 . A credit card according to  claim 22 , in which said single integrated circuit is able to be put in a first state, in which said secured data and said card owner fingerprint data is temporarily available for an activation of said secured data.  
   
   
       24 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , wherein said fingerprint reading means comprise at least one fingerprint reading system.  
   
   
       25 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , further comprising credit card service selection means, such as a switch, by which a credit card owner may select a credit card service by selecting from different sets of secured data, one for each credit card service available.  
   
   
       26 . A credit card according to  claim 25 , wherein said credit card service selection means comprise one fingerprint reading system for each credit card service available.  
   
   
       27 . A credit card according to  claim 25 , wherein said credit card service selection means comprise a single fingerprint reading system for all credit card service available, wherein said card owner fingerprint data comprises at least one fingerprint or fingerprint combination corresponding to an activation fingerprint for each credit card service, and wherein said data processor is adapted for activation of the readout area during a determined activation time period, when said activation fingerprint is pressed against said fingerprint reading system.  
   
   
       28 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , where said fingerprint reading means by means of said data processor is able to pre-store card owner fingerprint on said data carrier means in a one-time operation.  
   
   
       29 . A credit card according to  claim 1 , wherein said card owner fingerprint data comprises at least one fingerprint or fingerprint combination corresponding to a deactivation fingerprint, and wherein said data processor is adapted for deactivation of the readout area during a determined deactivation period, when said deactivation fingerprint is pressed against said fingerprint reading means.  
   
   
       30 . A secured data activation system for a data carrier, such as a credit card according to  claim 1 , comprising 
 data carrier means holding at least secured data;    an input device for acquiring an input;    a readout area;    secured data activation means comprising a data processor, which based on said input is able to submit said secured data to said readout area;    an electrical power supply delivering electrical power to at least said input data unit, said secured data activation means, and said readout area; and    at least one driver circuit in communication with at least one transducer coil in said readout area comprising at least one core winding around at least one strip of electromagnetically inducible core material, each strip being individually inducible by said data processor to emit a magnetic field containing secured data signals corresponding to said secured data.    
   
   
       31 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , where activation of said secured data is maintained over a determined activation time period.  
   
   
       32 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , where said activation of secured data is performed by emission of secured data signals one or several consecutive times by said at least one transducer coil.  
   
   
       33 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , further comprising at least one sweep detection sensor, which is able to cause said data processor to activate said readout area by emission of said secured data signals one or several consecutive times by said at least one transducer coil, when said credit card is in the vicinity of a credit card reader.  
   
   
       34 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 33 , wherein two sweep detection sensors are provided, one at each end section of said at least one transducer coil in order to provide the data processor with information in which end the secured data signals is to start.  
   
   
       35 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 33 , wherein said at least one sweep detection sensor is able to detect the velocity with which the credit card is swept by a credit card reader, and based on this detected velocity the data processor is able to determine the activation time period.  
   
   
       36 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , in which said driver circuit further is able to perform advanced amplification such as amplitude compensation and pulse shaping upon said secured data signals.  
   
   
       37 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , in which said driver circuit is provided integral with the data processor.  
   
   
       38 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , where said input device is a credit card user verification device.  
   
   
       39 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , said at least one strip of inducible core material is provided with one or more distributed air gaps.  
   
   
       40 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 39 , said where said one or more air gaps are provided with distributions of material having different electromagnetical inducibility as compared to the material of said at least one strip.  
   
   
       41 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , in which said at least one core winding is placed substantially at one end section of said at least one strip of inducible core material.  
   
   
       42 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , further comprising activation indicator means for indication of the activation of said readout area.  
   
   
       43 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , in which said electrical power supply comprises at least one battery.  
   
   
       44 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , in which said electrical power supply comprises at least one rechargeable battery.  
   
   
       45 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 44 , in which said electrical power supply further comprises recharging means for said rechargeable battery.  
   
   
       46 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 45 , in which said recharging means for said at least one rechargeable battery comprise a solar cell arrangement.  
   
   
       47 . A secured data activation system according to  claim 30 , in which said card body further comprises power supply status indicator means.