OA21974A - Multifunction electronic card. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic card using NFC technology with a QR code and configured to have several functionalities (Figure 1) and which can be used in several sectors of daily life activities. According to one embodiment, the NFC chip receives and stores all the information and data necessary to provide dedicated services by connecting to a network or a server using a terminal, to carry out various operations such as payments, exchanges or the collection of information with a single account.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Multifunction electronic card

The present invention is in the field of information and communication technologies and particularly relates to an electronic card which can be configured for several functionalities and therefore usable in several sectors of everyday life.

The electronic card according to the invention integrates a QR code and uses NFC technology to provide services in areas including: financial transactions, payments, education-training and school life, transport, medical care, community life.

Generally speaking, an electronic card refers to a payment card, which is generally a rectangular plastic object used to carry out financial transactions. It is part of the smart card family because it is equipped with an integrated circuit; the chip, which allows information to be stored and, in some cases, to carry out operations. The payment card, also commonly called a bank card, is a card that allows different types of payment to be made, such as transactions at a merchant using an EFT (Electronic Payment Terminal) or online payments. The card displays the identity of the holder (surname, first name), the card number, the expiry date, and finally a specific cryptogram.

The electronic card is mostly interactive, that is, contactless in the sense that the two objects, the terminal that hosts the data, and the card, communicate with each other without the intervention of a third party to complete the transaction. Electronic devices such as smartphones, mobile applications, electronic payment terminals, websites and other forms of digital technology are the supporting channels for the electronic card. The most recent technologies most often embedded in payment cards are the following:

- RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology: this is an automatic identification technology that allows data to be stored and retrieved from objects remotely. It operates at a high frequency, around 900 MHz, using the electrical component of the radio wave through radiofrequency tags called "radiolabels". Radio

[2] RFID labels or tags being receiving devices placed on the element to be identified (objects, animal, card, etc.);

- NFC (Near Field Communication) technology: this is also an automatic identification technology for storing and retrieving data. It is very similar to RFID, from which it derives some of its specifications. However, NFC uses the magnetic component of the short-distance radio wave between the sensor and the receiver, at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, which allows it to work through liquids. It allows for a whole range of applications. Characterized by its operating distance limited to a few centimeters and its data rate (106 to 424 Kbps), NFC is more suited to proximity electronic transactions, for example, between a card and a reader. Technically, RFID and NFC are two very rich fields that can be adapted to specific needs;

- HCE (Host Card Emulation) technology; more secure, it is a card emulation technology by a mobile application in an NFC smartphone. Unlike NFC using the "SIM-centric" model, HCE does not require the use of a Secure Element (SE) in the mobile to host the sensitive data of the payment application. HCE technology routes an NFC communication, such as a contactless payment transaction, directly from the NFC component to an application installed in the mobile and supporting the exchanged application commands. HCE appears to be a solution to the security problem posed by NFC, particularly concerning data and transactions.

These different technologies require a terminal, called an electronic payment terminal or EFT, in their operation. This is an electronic device that allows secure financial transactions to be carried out using payment cards, whether chip, magnetic stripe or contactless. There are several types of EFT; standard EFTs are generally equipped with a screen (touchscreen or not), a keyboard for entering the amount or its card code, one or more card readers; a slot for inserting or passing magnetic cards and an NFC chip for reading contactless cards and a printer for printing card receipts. The EFT can be fixed or portable (mobile).

The fact is that the use of electronic cards is resolutely focused on payments. Moreover, electronic cards are similar to bank cards for withdrawing money from ATMs and for transferring money between accounts (MasterCard Classic, Visa Classic, Visa Electron). Electronic cards are also

[3] similar to the payment card that is used both to carry out online transactions and to pay for in-store purchases, as well as airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, bills, subscriptions and other types of services. In addition, an electronic card is generally designed for unilateral, precise and unique use, essentially always relating to payments. The electronic card is therefore not adapted or configured for several functions at the same time and even less for different providers, as is clearly shown by patent CA2608707 which describes a method and system intended for the use of payment cards in a transport system only. This is an automatic fare collection solution for a public transport system that exploits the use of smart payment cards (for example, MasterCard PayPass cards) by the commercial payment card industry.

The unilateral or highly targeted use of electronic cards requires any individual with multiple bank accounts to have multiple electronic cards. The same applies if the individual subscribes to several other payment services. This situation consequently leads to the following disadvantages: clutter and confusion related to the management of several cards, tight control over respective deadlines, cumulative and high acquisition and maintenance costs, multiple passwords. In addition, many sectors of our daily lives outside of payments are not covered by these cards.

The object of the present invention is to propose an electronic card capable of providing several services on its own, in particular classic payment services and services extended to other sectors of daily life.

According to the invention, this objective is achieved with an electronic card that can be configured for several functionalities and therefore can be used in several sectors of daily life activities with a single account. The electronic card according to the invention integrates a QR code and uses NFC technology to provide services in very varied fields including: financial transactions, banking operations by unifying several accounts from different establishments, payments, education-training and school life, transport, medical care, community life. Consequently, the card according to the invention is convenient for use in the following structures: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), schools and universities, companies

[4] transport, hospitals and other health establishments, interest groups, banks and financial establishments, restaurants, tourism and travel agencies, restaurants, association groups, show production structures.

In one embodiment, the electronic card according to the invention equipped with NFC technology with a QR code integrates a system which includes a sticker and a reader. These entities interact via a computer network and a website and the internet.

According to one embodiment, the NFC chip contains the information necessary to carry out secure transactions, provide data, information.

In one operating mode, the card is configured to connect to the network, to the server of a structure, a company, a corporation to receive and store data and information in real time, and to carry out various operations such as payments, exchanges or the collection of information through an interface prefiguring all the services related to the different sectors of activity, using a terminal, and for which the card is activated for a fee.

The multifunction electronic card according to the invention has many advantages. It thus allows:

- unify several bank accounts and other accounts, with a single secret code;

- free yourself from the hassle of managing multiple cards;

- save on transport costs related to various daily errands; - serve beyond payment transactions.

The other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better perceived in the detailed description through three non-limiting embodiments illustrated by figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of plates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

These three embodiments present the implementation of the multifunction card in accordance with the invention in the following areas: education-training and school life, community life and transport.

Figure 1, plate 1 shows the interface which prefigures all the services accessible with the multifunction card according to the invention.

Figure 2, plate 2 shows the daily monitoring page of a learner's grades from their training establishment using the card according to the invention.

[5]

Figure 3, plate 3 shows the page for monitoring the regularity of attendance and absences of a learner using the card in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4, plate 3, shows the access to pay and monitor the education of a learner with the card according to the invention.

Figure 5, plate 4 shows the page for monitoring the effectiveness and regularity of courses in a learner's training establishment.

Figure 6, plate 5 shows the sheet tracking the contributions of a member of a group with the card according to the invention.

Figure 7, plate 6 shows access to the documents relating to a vehicle (registration document, sticker and insurance) using the card in accordance with the invention.

Figure 8, plate 7 shows the page for consulting the offenses and penalties incurred by a motorist using the card in accordance with the invention.

Figure 9, plate 8 shows the page and access to pay for a transport ticket and to track the luggage and personal effects of a traveler from the card according to the invention.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the invention is a PVC card comprising a QR code on one side and an NFC circuit on the other, comprising an NFC controller, an antenna and an NFC chip, through a system which comprises a sticker and a reader. These connectivities make it possible to connect the card according to the invention to a terminal, such as a smartphone, in order to read the data stored on the chip and to carry out various operations remotely via a computer network, a website or the internet. The invention offers several functionalities and can therefore be used in several sectors of everyday life.

In one mode of operation, the card is configured to connect to the network, to the server of a given structure; a company, a corporation or any other organization to carry out various operations such as payments, exchanges or the collection of information. The card according to the invention unifies all accounts, as well as bank accounts of different establishments.

According to a non-limiting mode of use, the connection of a smartphone to the card according to the invention by QR code or NFC gives access to an interface prefiguring all the services linked to the different sectors of activity (Figure 1). However, the user can only use the services for which he has an active subscription.

[6]

Thus, in a preferred non-limiting embodiment, for an active subscription in the field of education-training and school life, the "school" icon (Figure 1) allows a training structure to benefit from an interactive management system with the parents of the learner in order to provide the parents of said learner with regular monitoring in real time by updating the information stored on the chip and consultable from a smartphone. The card according to the invention thus provides the parents of said learner with the learner's grades (Figure 2), the times of absences of the learner (Figure 3), the state of the learner's schooling (Figure 4) and a portal for the payment of said schooling, the regularity of the courses in the learner's training structure (Figure 5), as well as the progress of the courses and the evolution of their execution.

In a preferred and non-limiting embodiment, an active subscription in the area of associative life allows the user to activate the “Association” section (Figure 1) to find out about other members of the community, have the status of their own contributions made (Figure 6), a portal for paying said contributions, as well as the dates and times of subsequent meetings or gatherings and alerts related to sanctions incurred in the event of irregularity.

In a preferred non-limiting embodiment, an active subscription for transport services allows the holder of the electronic card in accordance with the invention to activate the "Transport" section (Figure 1) and to view the registration document, insurance and sticker of his vehicle (Figure 7). As well as information on offenses committed and fines due, the identification of the owner of the vehicle and his contact details. The section also indicates the number of points remaining or removed from the driving license, the penalty in the event of an offense (Figure 8), which can range from withdrawal of the license to stopping driving for a defined period.

An active subscription in the transport sector also allows a transport company to collect transport tickets from passengers, while offering them the possibility of tracking luggage and other personal belongings in real time during the journey (Figure 9).

Claims (3)

1- Electronic card characterized in that said card integrates a QR code and uses NFC technology, and for which the configuration makes it possible to connect to the network, to the server of a structure, a company, a society to receive, store or collect and exchange information or data in real time, thanks to an interface prefiguring the services linked to different sectors of activity (Figure 1), to be activated preferentially on the card, using a terminal (Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9), in order to carry out various operations such as payments, banking operations, as well as other everyday operations using a single account, and thus providing remote services in very varied fields including: financial transactions, payments, education-training and school life, transport, medical care, community life, in conjunction with the following structures: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), schools and universities, transport companies, hospitals and other establishments health, interest groups, banks and financial institutions, restaurants, tourism and travel agencies, associations, show production structures. 2- Electronic card according to claim 1, characterized in that the NFC and the QR code are the connectivities which allow the card to be attached to a computer network, a website or the internet from a terminal. 3- Electronic card according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the NFC chip receives and stores the information necessary to carry out secure operations on a daily basis.