Chip Card Integrated GPS Receiver for Secure Billing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current chip card technologies for determining connection duration and location in telecommunication networks are costly, complex, and vulnerable to time falsification, as they rely on internal device clocks that can be manipulated by users, and do not effectively integrate location information for billing purposes.
Innovation Solution
A chip card with an integrated GPS receiver, including an antenna, high-frequency circuit, and digital processing circuit, which determines connection duration and location directly, ensuring secure and accurate time and location information for billing, using GPS signals that are difficult to falsify, and allowing for secure computation and debiting of charges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If an internal quartz oscillator is integrated into the chip card to determine connection duration, then the billing can be performed directly at the source without complex network infrastructure, but the device becomes difficult to manufacture, has a short life span, and becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the quartz oscillator from the chip card and places it in the mobile device instead. The chip card receives timing signals from the mobile device's oscillator through the communication interface, eliminating the need for a built-in oscillator in the card while maintaining billing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device's quartz oscillator serves multiple functions: it provides timing signals for billing in the chip card system, and continues to serve the mobile device's own timing requirements. This multi-functional use eliminates the need for a separate oscillator in the chip card.
2Ease of operation
If users can set the internal watch in mobile devices to determine connection time, then the system is easy to operate, but the time can be easily falsified by setting the clock to a cheaper rate time
Solution Approach 1:
The chip card acts as an intermediary that does not trust the mobile device's internal time. Instead, it uses its own independent time-determining system (receiving timing signals from the mobile device's oscillator through controlled interfaces) to verify and establish billing time, preventing user manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The chip card performs self-verification of time by using its own time-determining mechanism rather than relying on the mobile device's user-set time. The card independently establishes billing parameters through its integrated time-determination system.
3Productivity
If a pre-paid account with stored charges is used in the chip card to enable direct billing, then the billing can be settled directly from the card, but the system requires complex security mechanisms to prevent time falsification between network corrections
Solution Approach 1:
The chip card continuously maintains an accurate time-determining system synchronized with the network before billing events occur. This preliminary time synchronization ensures that when billing is needed, the time is already verified and cannot be falsified, eliminating the need for complex post-event security mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback between the chip card's time-determining system and the network's time server. The card regularly synchronizes its time with the network, creating a feedback loop that prevents time drift and falsification, simplifying the security requirements.
4Loss of information
If all connection parameters are stored in the mobile device memory for billing computation, then the billing information can be displayed on the mobile device, but automatic billing cannot be performed and manual operations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The chip card performs self-service by autonomously determining billing parameters (time, duration, location) using its integrated time-determining system and communicating directly with the network's billing system. This eliminates the need for manual user intervention while maintaining full billing information availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Billing method for billing a call to a user identified with an identification card (2) in a telecommunication network. The duration of the calls is determined by a GPS receiver. The identification card further preferably comprises downloaded scales of charges, the billed amount depending on the determined duration of the call and on the stored scales of charges.Advantage: the determined time can not be falsified by the user.