IC card system

Claim 2

An IC card system characterized by comprising: means (52) contained in an IC card, and for storing the data setting the operating conditions of the IC card; means (77) contained in a card terminal and for operating the IC card on the operating condition setting data from the IC card; means (87, 90) for exchanging a check signal for checking a compatibility of the IC card with the card terminal, between the IC card and the card terminal; and means (77, 81) for checking the compatibility between them on the basis of the received check signal.

Claim 3

The IC card system according to claim 1, characterized in that said check signal exchange means includes means (87) for transmitting a signal for checking a normal operation to the IC card, after the operating conditions of the IC card are set in said card terminal, said compatibility check means includes means (56) for checking if the normal operation check signal from said card terminal is correctly received by said IC card, and means (80, 102) for disconnecting the card terminal from the IC card if the IC card does not receive said normal operating check signal correctly.

Claim 4

The IC card system according to claim 1, characterized in that said check signal exchange means includes means (53, 75) for storing a terminal attribute data as set according to the type of the terminal per se, in said terminal, means (65) for storing a card attribute data as set according to the type of the card per se, in said IC card, and means (58) for transmitting said card attribute data to said card terminal, said check means includes means (73, 75) for checking a compatibility of the IC card and the card terminal by using at least one of the terminal attribute data prestored in said card terminal and the card name attribute data transmitted from said IC card, and means (102) for disconnecting the card terminal from the IC card when a check result of no compatibility is obtained.

Claim 5

The IC card system according to claim 1, characterized in that said check signal exchange means includes means (75) for storing the terminal code as prestored in the card terminal according to the type of the terminal per se, means (87, 88) for transmitting said terminal code to the IC card, and means (87, 88) for transmitting a command code from the card terminal to the IC card when the data is exchanged between the card terminal and the IC card, said check means includes means (63) for checking in the IC card whether or not the terminal code transmitted to said IC card correctly corresponds to command codes successively transmitted at the time of said data exchange processing, and means (56) for prohibiting the data exchange operation with the IC card when said terminal code does not correspond to the command code.

Claim 6

The IC card system according to claim 1, characterized in that said IC card (11) includes means (55) for entering the end data of various processes such as manufacturing, issuing, identification data registration, and counter transaction, means for storing said process end data, and means for checking for a state of process execution on the basis of the data representing the end of each process.

Claim 7

The IC card system according to claim 1, characterized in that said IC card (11) includes means (67) for checking if predetermined items of said IC card are good or not, by the IC card itself, means (65) for storing the state data of the IC card by said state data checking means, and means for outputting the state data of the IC card as stored in the IC card, to said card terminal.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 7, characterized in that said step (c) includes the steps of checking whether a normal operation check signal of the card terminal is received at the IC card correctly, and outputting a response signal based on said checking step to said card terminal.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 8, characterized in that said step (c) further includes the steps of sending forth to the IC card a terminal attribute data set in accordance with the kind of the IC card per se, when a response signal from the IC card to the card terminal represents that the normal operation check signal is correctly received at the IC card.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 9, characterized in that said step (c) includes the steps of sending forth to the card terminal a card attribute data set in accordance with the kind of the IC card per se, after said terminal attribute data is sent forth to the IC card.