Abstract: A device for servicing a vending machine including i) a chip card reader for receiving payments to the vending machine and transferring information elements from the vending machine to the device, ii) a servicing door, and iii) a lock for preventing opening of the servicing door.

Abstract: An automatic trigger circuit including: a two-arm current mirror including a first arm connected between a DC electrical supply and a ground, the first arm including a first transistor including a first source connected to the DC electrical supply, a first gate, and a first drain connected to the first gate; a second transistor including a second gate connected to the DC electrical supply, a second drain connected to the first drain and a second source; a third transistor including a third drain connected to the second source, a third gate for receiving a first level reference voltage, and a third source; and a fourth transistor including a fourth drain connected to the third source and a fourth source connected to the ground; and a second arm connected between the DC electrical supply and the ground, the second arm including a fifth transistor including a fifth source connected to the DC electrical supply, a fifth gate connected to the first gate and a fifth drain; and a sixth transistor including a sixth dr

Abstract: The disclosure relates to "chip" type electronic keys and the connectors designed to work with these keys. A bolting or blocking groove is provided in the face of the key opposite the one supporting the chip, in an intermediate position between this chip and the front end of the key. The key-blocking means therefore press the key towards the connection means which are located above the key. Thus, clearance is eliminated and the clogging of the contacts is avoided. The disclosure enables the use of the known standard of chip keys for the chip and its connection means.

Abstract: An interface is made for a device for the exploitation of electrical signals between a receiver of this device and a device for the exploitation of these signals. The interface is capable of sending, alternatively, signals received by the receiver to an external circuit and signals delivered by the external circuit to the exploitation circuit. It is shown that this approach can be used to resolve problems of the scrambling and unscrambling of audio-visual signals.

Abstract: A hand held, unitary assembly, data collection device for an off-line vending machine such as a parking meter, which is operable by smart integrated circuit chip cards. The vending machine has a chip card reader, and which stores data as to the sale of goods/services from the machine. The device has a first portion which mechanically and electrically fits the vending machine reader; and a second portion with an opening to receive a PCMCIA card. Data is retrieved and transferred to the PCMCIA card. The first and second portions are rigidly joined to one another forming a unitary assembly, and the second portion securely holds the PCMCIA card, and is also a handle for gripping the device.

Abstract: A device for improving a system for controlling the winding of a ribbon on a take-up reel. This device is particularly designed to obviate the phenomenon of clinging between a ribbon and the face of a card to be printed on, during an operation of printing by the thermal transfer of inks carried by the ribbon. For that purpose, the vertical shift of the ribbon is detected by a sensor associated with an optical detection device. The detection of this shift prompts the modification, in a circuit, of the number of steps per time unit of the step motor.

Abstract: The invention relates to exchangeable memory cards having several integrated circuits for personal computers. These memory cards serve as a large capacity mass memory for replacing floppy disks and other exchangeable magnetic supports. In particular, they have a plug-in connector (12) at the end of the card and can be inserted in the reader in accordance with PCMCIA standards of a microcomputer. According to an aspect of the invention, a flush contact chip card memory is formed by such a plug-in card (10) and for this purpose the latter has a supplementary connector with flush contacts on its principal face (14). The thus formed reader is transportable, with its application software stored in the card (10) and can be installed in any random microcomputer equipped with a PCMCIA reader. A credit card or security card (18) can then be inserted in the transportable reader. The memory card is typical a PCMCIA size card with a recess on one major plane surface and the security cards fits into this recess.

Abstract: A method for updating information elements in a memory which includes a plurality of memory locations. An initial value D0 has been written at a first location E0 of the memory, E0 being determined by an initial value of a string of indicator bits, the initial value being defined by the parity of the rank of a last bit of the string of indicator bits in a programmed state.

Abstract: The method is designed to increase the protection of a microcircuit-based memory card comprising at least one memory coupled to a data-processing element. When said data-processing element receives a command by a data signal external to the card, said method consists in making said data-processing element emit a ratification signal at an instant that is deferred, with respect to the instant at which its emission was prompted by the data signal, by a duration that is randomly variable in time. The disclosed method can be applied to microcircuit-based memory cards.

Abstract: In a memory card designed to count down a number of units by successive programming of non-volatile, electrically erasable and electrically programmable memory cells, the memory is organized into N rows of P cells, the weight of the cells of one row in the account being P times the weight of the next-ranking row. The countdown procedure is recurrent and consists in making a search, in scanning the memory according to the rising order of weights, of an erased cell, programming this cell and an erased cell and then erasing the entire row having an immediately lower rank unless the erased cell is located in the first row, and in recommencing this recurrent procedure until an erased cell is found in the first line. The auxiliary cell enables the detection of an abnormal interruption of the recurrent procedure and the restoring of the exact account of the memory which could have been distorted by this abnormal interruption.

Abstract: A method for loading and managing a plurality of applications in a memory of a chip card, the method including: recording a chart of applications in the memory of the chip card which associates a password and a memory space with a name for i) each of the plurality of applications and ii) at least one user application on that application; recording a chart of data tables in the memory of the chip card, the chart of data tables including a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records associating a name for each of the plurality of applications with a name for at least one data table of that application; recording a chart of rights in the memory of the chip card, the chart of rights associating for each of the plurality of applications, the name for the at least one data table thereof with i) the name for each of the plurality of applications, and user applications thereof, that are capable of using the at least one data table thereof and ii) a set of rights granted to the plurality of applications, an

Abstract: A method of locking a smart card to block the operation of at least one protected program stored in a read-only memory or ROM of the smart card, the smart card incorporating a central processor, the ROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory or EPROM and a random access memory or RAM, the method including the steps of: entering a logic lock in the EPROM, making multiple copies of the logic lock in the EPROM, carrying out a logic OR on the logic lock in the EPROM and the multiple copies of the logic lock in the EPROM in order to block the performance of the protected program upon the detection of either (a) the logic lock in the EPROM or (b) at least one of the multiple copies of the logic lock in the EPROM, recopying the logic lock in the RAM, and performing the logic OR on the logic lock in the EPROM, the multiple copies of the logic lock in the EPROM, and the logic lock in the RAM.

Abstract: The method consists in pressure bonding a first strip to a second strip through a bonding press, marking each of the strips with the pattern pitches and juxtaposing the pattern pitch markings of each strip at the time of the bonding by extension of at least one strip with respect to another and by differential heating of each of the opposing strips to cause a relative shift, by expansion, of the two strips with respect to each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to integrated circuits and, notably, to circuits for which it is desired to provide security against any fraudulent usage. The circuits concerned are microprocessor circuits having a program memory, a programmable non-volatile memory, at least one input/output port and an RS register memorizing the signals from sensors of abnormal conditions. This register is accessible by the microprocessor. There is provision for means to check the state of the register immediately before any operation for the writing or erasure of the programmable memory, and immediately before any transmission of data towards the exterior of the input/output port, and means to interrupt the working of the microprocessor if the check reveals abnormal conditions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, supplied with a supply voltage Vcc, the intergrated circuit including: an antifuse including terminals; and a programming circuit for programming the antifuse, the programming circuit using a programming voltage Vpp that is substantially higher than the supply voltage Vcc, wherein the programming circuit including structure to apply the supply voltage Vcc to the terminals of the antifuse immediately after an application of the programming voltage Vpp to the terminals of the antifuse so that programming of the antifuse is not interrupted.

Abstract: A circuit to produce a voltage Vpp from a lower voltage supply Vcc is useful, for example, to produce the voltage for programming the cells of an electrically programmable memory. The circuit has a load pump (PMP), a regulator (REG) to interrupt the working of the load pump when the voltage Vpp exceeds a predetermined voltage (Vpp0), a transistor (T1) to interrupt the current consumption of the regulator when the load pump is interrupted, and a control circuit (CTRL) to then monitor the voltage Vpp and ascertain that it does not drop by more than a small value dV below Vpp0 and to restart both the load pump and the current supply of the regulator if the voltage drops more than dV.

Abstract: A fuse circuit including: a physical fuse; a detection circuit for the detection of the state of the physical fuse; and an electrically programmable non-volatile memory cell associated with the physical fuse, programmed when the physical fuse is blown and connected to the detection circuit so that, when the electrically programmable non-volatile memory cell is programmed, the electrically programmable non-volatile memory cell confirms the blown state of the physical fuse even if the characteristics of the blown state of the physical fuse change with time.

Abstract: A method that enables the certification, at reception as well as at transmission, of messages sent by facsimile includes writing characteristic elements of a message in a rectangular box at the head of this message. A certifier device is used to decode alphanumerical characters of this box, encrypt them, and fashion an alphanumerical seal which is transmitted on the line of the facsimile machine with the standard code of facsimile transmission signals. At reception, the seal appears at the bottom of the message while the box appears always at the top of the message. To authenticate this seal, the receiver may approach an information retrieval center which will carry out the encoding operation on the contents of the box and compare the result with the seal to authenticate the message.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for the electrical and graphic customization of chip cards. Instead of a standard thermal print head which is applied flat against the card to be printed on and then requires the bending of the chip card during the printing, a vertical print head (120) is used, the heating elements of this vertical print head being arranged on the edge of a thin vertical support. The card (116) can be shifted in a flat position and in an unbent state beneath this head during the graphical printing. It is then delivered, while still in a flat position, to a standard chip card reader (150) in which the electrical customization is done. The cards are not damaged, the mechanical features are greatly simplified and there is no risk of mixing up the graphic and electrical data corresponding to several different cards.

Abstract: The invention relates to PC-cards.In order to permit communications between readers operating according to several different communication protocols, according to the invention said card comprises:several conversion circuits (CNV1, CNV2, CNV3), each of which is able to convert into instructions performable by the card the electrical signals received from the reader according to a given protocol, each of the different conversion circuits corresponding to a different communication protocol,and a protocol selection circuit (CNVA, L0, L1, L2, L3, G1 to G6), incorporating an auxiliary conversion circuit (CNVA), the latter being able to produce specific instructions performable by the card, said specific instructions being used for the selection of one of the conversion circuits and being produced from electrical signals which can be produced in all the protocols.