Bluetooth enabled credit card with a large data storage volume

Abstract

A smart card is disclosed which includes a mass storage memory for storing biometric information of a user and private data. A radio is used as an interface to the card. When the user of the card wishes to invoke an application for the private data, biometric information about the user is provided to a device in communication with the card, enabling the card to authenticate the user as an authorized user of the private data, and in response to that authentication provide the data to the application in a manner that maintains privacy and integrity of data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A smart card comprising:
 a mass storage for storing private data corresponding to a user; and   a processor, coupled to the memory, to:
 receive a request from an application requesting access to the private data; 
 in response to the request:
 process biometric data corresponding to the user to authenticate the user as an authorized user of the private data; and 
 when the user is authenticated, provide the private data to the application. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The smart card of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a radio including Bluetooth radio circuit blocks;   a battery connected to the processor, the mass storage, and the radio;   a base layer upon which the mass storage, the radio, the processor, and the battery are disposed; and   a top layer enclosing the memory, the radio, the processor, and the battery.   
     
     
         3 . The smart card of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive an application load request from a host device;   in response to the application load request, load the application into the mass storage, the application uniquely identified by the application load request; and   wherein the host device includes software to support the application.   
     
     
         4 . The smart card of  claim 1 , wherein the processing the biometric data comprises:
 matching a biometric template to biometric data pre-stored in the mass storage, the biometric feature captured at a host device, the biometric template generated from a biometric feature captured at a host device.   
     
     
         5 . The smart card of  claim 1 , wherein processing the biometric data comprises:
 matching a biometric template to biometric data pre-stored in the mass storage, the biometric template generated from a biometric feature captured by sensor communicatively coupled to the smart card.   
     
     
         6 . The smart card of  claim 5 , wherein the biometric feature is a fingerprint, wherein the host device is a mobile phone, and wherein the application is a security application that utilizes the smart card. 
     
     
         7 . The smart card of  claim 1 , wherein processing the biometric data comprises:
 capturing a biometric feature of the user at a host device;   converting, at the host device, the captured biometric feature into a template;   transmitting from the host device, the template to the smart card; and   comparing the template to biometric reference data pre-stored in the mass storage to identify a match.   
     
     
         8 . The smart card of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power switch and a display; and   wherein engaging the power switch activates the display to inform the user the card active.   
     
     
         9 . The smart card of  claim 2 , wherein the mass storage comprises at least 10 megabytes of flash memory and the radio transmits and receives data using Bluetooth protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The smart card of  claim 1 , wherein the private data is encrypted during storage on the smart card and wherein the private data is decrypted before being transmitted to the application. 
     
     
         11 . The smart card of  claim 1 , wherein the private data is encrypted during storage on the smart card and wherein the private data is decrypted while being transmitted to the application. 
     
     
         12 . A method for securing data on a smart card comprising:
 receiving, by at least one computing device, a request from an application requesting access to private data stored in a mass storage of a smart card;   in response to the request:
 processing, by the at least one computing device, biometric data corresponding to the user to authenticate the user as an authorized user of the private data; and 
 when the user is authenticated, provide the private data to the application. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving an application load request from a host device;   in response to the application load request, loading the application into the mass storage, the application uniquely identified by the application load request; and   wherein the host device includes software to support the application.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein processing the biometric data comprises:
 matching a biometric template to biometric data pre-stored in the mass storage, the biometric feature captured at a host device, the biometric template generated from a biometric feature captured at a host device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein processing the biometric data comprises:
 matching a biometric template to biometric data pre-stored in the mass storage, the biometric template generated from a biometric feature captured by sensor communicatively coupled to the smart card.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the biometric feature is a fingerprint, wherein the host device is a mobile phone, and wherein the application is a security application that utilizes the smart card. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein processing the biometric data comprises:
 capturing a biometric feature of the user at a host device;   converting, at the host device, the captured biometric feature into a template;   transmitting, from the host device, the template to the smart card; and   comparing the template to biometric reference data pre-stored in the mass storage to identify a match.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the smart card comprises a power switch and a display and
 wherein engaging the power switch activates the display to inform the user the card is active.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the mass storage comprises at least 10 megabytes of flash memory and the radio transmits and receives data using Bluetooth protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the private data is encrypted during storage on the smart card and wherein the private data is decrypted before being transmitted to the application. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the private data is encrypted during storage on the smart card and wherein the private data is decrypted while being transmitted to the application.