IC card and method of writing its operation program

Claim 2

An IC card comprising memory means (4) for storing an operation program (9) which is alterable, processor means (6) for executing a predetermined sequence of processing steps according to said operation program, said memory means storing operation program alterability/non-alterability information indicating whether said operation program is alterable on non-­alterable and collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, means (6a, 6b) for changing over said operation program alterability/­non-alterability information to one of said alterable mode and said non-alterable mode by detecting coincidence between said collation information and externally applied input information, and means (6a, 6b) for executing alteration of said operation program when said operation program alterability/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode.

Claim 3

An IC card comprising memory means (9) for storing an operation program which is alterable, processor means (6) for executing a predetermined sequence of processing steps according to said operation program, said memory means (9) or other memory means (5) including regions for respectively storing operation program alterability/non-alterability information indicating whether said operation program is alterable or non-alterable and collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/­non-alterability information between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, means for changing over said operation program alterability/non-alterability infor­mation to one of said alterable mode and said non-­alterable mode by detecting coincidence between said collation information and externally applied input information, and means for executing alteration of said operation program when said operation program alterabili­ty/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode.

Claim 4

An IC card comprising memory means (9) for storing an operation program which is alterable, processor means (6) for executing a predetermined sequence of processing steps according to said operation program, said memory means (9) or other memory means (5) including regions for respectively storing operation program alterability/non-alterability information indicating whether said operation program is alterable or non-alterable and collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/­non-alterability information between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, means for changing over said operation program alterability/non-alterability infor­mation to one of said alterable mode and said non-­alterable mode by detecting coincidence between said collation information and externally applied input information, and means for executing alteration of said operation program when said operation program alterabili­ty/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode.

Claim 5

An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein said IC card stores a program for changing over the mode of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information when coincidence between said input informa­tion and said collation information is detected and a program for executing alteration of said operation program when said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information is in said alterable mode, and wherein said collation information is identification information referenced to identify a card handler.

Claim 6

An IC card according to Claim 3, wherein said memory means storing said operation program is an alterable non-volatile memory.

Claim 7

An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein said collation information is identification information referenced to identify said operation program.

Claim 8

An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein said collation information includes identification information referenced to identify a card handler and identification information referenced to identify said operation program.

Claim 9

An IC card comprising memory means for storing a plurality of operation programs (9a, 9b), processor means (6) for activating one of said operation programs to execute a predetermined sequence of processing steps according to said selected operation program, said memory means or other memory means including regions for respectively storing operation program alterability/­non-alterability information indicating whether each of said plural operation programs is alterable or non-­alterable and collation information referenced for permitting change-over of each of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, means for changing over said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information corresponding to a selected one of said plural operation programs to one of said alterable mode and said non-alterable mode by detecting coincidence between externally applied input information corresponding to said selected operation program and said collation information stored in said memory means, and means for executing said selected operation program when said operation program alterability/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode.

Claim 10

An IC card comprising memory means for storing a plurality of operation programs (9a, 9b), processor means (6) for activating one of said operation programs to execute a predetermined sequence of processing steps according to said selected operation program, said memory means or other memory means including regions for respectively storing operation program alterability/­non-alterability information indicating whether each of said plural operation programs is alterable or non-­alterable and collation information referenced for permitting change-over of each of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, means for changing over said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information corresponding to a selected one of said plural operation programs to one of said alterable mode and said non-alterable mode by detecting coincidence between externally applied input information corresponding to said selected operation program and said collation information stored in said memory means, and means for executing said selected operation program when said operation program alterability/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode.

Claim 11

An IC card according to Claim 7, wherein said operation program alterability/non-alterability informa­tion and said collation information are stored in memory regions where said operation programs are not stored.

Claim 12

An IC card according to Claim 7, wherein said plural operation programs (9a, 9b) are stored in different memory regions respectively.

Claim 13

An IC card according to Claim 7, wherein said plural operation programs include a system program.

Claim 14

In an IC card comprising memory means including an operation program storage region (9a, 9b) for storing an operation program, attribute information storage region (2a, 2b) for storing operation program alterability/­non-alterability information indicating whether or not said operation program can be written in said operation program storage region, and an identification information storage region (3a, 3b) for storing collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information stored in said attribute information storage region between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, alterability/­non-alterability information writing means (6a, 6b) for storing said operation program alterability/non-alterability information in said attribute information storage region when externally applied input information coincides with said collation information stored in said identification information storage region, operation program writing means (6b) for storing an externally supplied operation program in said operation program storage region when said operation program alterability/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode, and execution processor means (6) for executing a predetermined sequ­ence of processing steps according to said operation program, a method of writing an operation program in said IC card comprising the steps of storing said opera­tion program alterability/non-alterability information of said alterable mode in said attribute information storage a region by said alterability/non-alterability information writing means, storing an externally supplied operation program in said operation program storage region by said operation program writing means, and then storing said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information of said non-alterable mode in said attribute information storage region by said alterability/non-alterability information writing means.

Claim 15

In an IC card comprising memory means including an operation program storage region (9a, 9b) for storing an operation program, attribute information storage region (2a, 2b) for storing operation program alterability/­non-alterability information indicating whether or not said operation program can be written in said operation program storage region, and an identification information storage region (3a, 3b) for storing collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information stored in said attribute information storage region between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, alterability/­non-alterability information writing means (6a, 6b) for storing said operation program alterability/non-alterability information in said attribute information storage region when externally applied input information coincides with said collation information stored in said identification information storage region, operation program writing means (6b) for storing an externally supplied operation program in said operation program storage region when said operation program alterability/non-alterability information is in said alterable mode, and execution processor means (6) for executing a predetermined sequ­ence of processing steps according to said operation program, a method of writing an operation program in said IC card comprising the steps of storing said opera­tion program alterability/non-alterability information of said alterable mode in said attribute information storage a region by said alterability/non-alterability information writing means, storing an externally supplied operation program in said operation program storage region by said operation program writing means, and then storing said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information of said non-alterable mode in said attribute information storage region by said alterability/non-alterability information writing means.

Claim 16

In an IC card comprising memory means including an operation program storage region (9a, 9b) for storing an operation program, attribute information storage region (2a, 2b) for storing operation program alterability/ non-alterability information indicating whether or not said operation program can be written in said operation program storage region, and an identification information storage region (3a, 3b) for storing collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information stored in said attribute information storage region between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, alterability/­non-alterability information writing means (6b) for storing said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information in said attribute information storage region when externally applied input information coincides with said collation information stored in said identification information storage region, operation program writing means (6a) for storing an externally supplied operation program in said operation program storage region when said operation program alterability/­non-alterability information is in said alterable mode, and execution processor means for executing a predeter­mined sequence of processing steps according to said operation program, a method of writing an operation program in said IC card comprising the steps of storing said operation program alterability/non-alterability information of said alterable mode in said attribute information storage region by said alterability/non-­alterability information writing means, storing an externally supplied test program (Fig. 8, D) used for testing said IC card in said operation program storage region by said operation program writing means, storing an externally supplied operation program in said opera­tion program storage region by said operation program writing means when said IC card is proved to properly operate as a result of a test according to said test program, and storing said operation program alterability/­ non-alterability information of said non-alterable mode in said attribute information storage region by said alterability/non-alterability information writing means.

Claim 17

In an IC card comprising memory means including an operation program storage region (9a, 9b) for storing an operation program, attribute information storage region (2a, 2b) for storing operation program alterability/ non-alterability information indicating whether or not said operation program can be written in said operation program storage region, and an identification information storage region (3a, 3b) for storing collation information referenced for permitting change-over of said operation program alterability/non-alterability information stored in said attribute information storage region between an alterable mode and a non-alterable mode, alterability/­non-alterability information writing means (6b) for storing said operation program alterability/non-­alterability information in said attribute information storage region when externally applied input information coincides with said collation information stored in said identification information storage region, operation program writing means (6a) for storing an externally supplied operation program in said operation program storage region when said operation program alterability/­non-alterability information is in said alterable mode, and execution processor means for executing a predeter­mined sequence of processing steps according to said operation program, a method of writing an operation program in said IC card comprising the steps of storing said operation program alterability/non-alterability information of said alterable mode in said attribute information storage region by said alterability/non-­alterability information writing means, storing an externally supplied test program (Fig. 8, D) used for testing said IC card in said operation program storage region by said operation program writing means, storing an externally supplied operation program in said opera­tion program storage region by said operation program writing means when said IC card is proved to properly operate as a result of a test according to said test program, and storing said operation program alterability/­ non-alterability information of said non-alterable mode in said attribute information storage region by said alterability/non-alterability information writing means.