Chip Card Data Compression for Smart Card Memory Limits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Smart cards used for identification purposes face memory limitations, leading to insufficient storage capacity over time, as existing methods like defragmentation only partially free up space, making it difficult to store and manage user data effectively.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a chip card terminal that compresses user data using lossless or lossy compression techniques, transferring data from the card's non-volatile memory to its electronic memory, and then back to the card, while ensuring secure communication and authentication to expand logical memory capacity without altering critical data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If defragmentation is performed on chip card memory, then some storage space is released, but the memory capacity is still insufficient for long-term use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage spaceVSAvoidmemory sufficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies data compression to transform user data into a more compact form, changing the parameter of data size. By compressing stored data, the system can fit more information into the same physical memory space, effectively increasing storage capacity without hardware modifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a compression algorithm as an intermediary process between data storage and retrieval. This intermediary transforms the raw data before storage and decompresses it upon retrieval, allowing efficient use of limited memory resources while maintaining data accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If more user data is stored in chip card memory, then identification functionality is enhanced, but memory capacity is exceeded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser data volumeVSAvoidmemory sufficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the size parameter of user data through compression algorithms. By reducing the space required for each data element, the system can store a larger volume of user data within the fixed memory constraints of the chip card, maintaining both functionality and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If data is compressed on the chip card, then storage capacity is increased, but processing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidcompression processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the computationally intensive compression and decompression operations from the chip card environment and performs them externally. This allows the chip card to benefit from increased effective storage capacity without bearing the processing complexity, as the heavy computational tasks are handled by external systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Quantity of substance

If user data is transferred to and from external memory, then compression can be performed, but communication interruptions may cause data loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompressed dataVSAvoiddata integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements protective measures before data transfer by establishing secure communication protocols and verification mechanisms. These beforehand cushions include authentication procedures, error detection codes, and transaction logging that prevent and detect potential data loss or corruption during the compression and transfer process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms during data transfer and compression operations. The system continuously monitors the transfer process, verifies data integrity through checksums or cryptographic verification, and can rollback or retry operations if errors are detected, ensuring data integrity is maintained throughout the compression process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3286687B1Method for compressing user data of a document
Publication Date: 2019.03.27 BUNDESDRUCKEREI GMBH
  • EP3286687B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3286687B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for compressing user data (140) of a document (102) by means of a chip card terminal (104), wherein the document (102) has at least one non-volatile memory (112) having user data (140) contained therein, wherein the chip card terminal (104) has at least an electronic memory (144), a closed housing, and a mechanical draw-in device, wherein the mechanical draw-in device is designed to secure the document (102) against removal from the chip card terminal (104). The method comprises drawing the document (102) into the mechanical draw-in device of the chip card terminal (104) such that the document (102) is completely inside the housing of the chip card terminal (104) after the drawing in, transferring the user data (140) from the non-volatile memory (112) of the document (102) into the electronic memory (144) of the chip card terminal (104), compressing the user data (140) by means of the chip card terminal (104), transferring the compressed user data (140) into the non-volatile memory (112) of the document (102), and ejecting the document (102) from the mechanical draw-in device.