Abstract: The system has a reader of electronic labels comprising several devices for the transmission/reception of electromagnetic waves, offset angularly about a median axis so that, when the reader is placed in the vicinity of a label and irrespectively of their relative orientation, at least a part of the lines of the magnetic field generated by at least one of said transmission/reception devices can get looped by passing into the coil of the label in the direction of its axis. The label has a foil made of amagnetic and conductive material placed against the antenna and parallel to it to form a reflective screen for the electromagnetic waves. Application to the contact-free identification of objects, notably metal objects, such as gas cylinders.

Abstract: Gaming machines provided with mechanical counters according to the regulations, to which there is grafted an electronic payment mechanism working on the basis of a chip card. It consists in diverting a certain number of links of the units of the machine by the electronic payment mechanism to enable wagers to be placed and payments to be made through the chip card, without the receiving or issuing of tokens and, preferably, without the modifying of the contents of the TOTAL IN and TOTAL OUT counters. A downgraded version modifies the contents of these counters and the balance of the feeder box containing the coins is obtained by modifying the formula used to compute this balance. It enables the efficiency of gaming machines to be raised.

Abstract: Game machines provided with electronic payment mechanisms. The conventional payment mechanism is replaced by a payment mechanism operating by tokens that are secured by contract-free detection and the machine is furthermore provided with a second payment mechanism operating by a chip card. Switching make it possible to change over from the token-operated payment mechanism to the chip-card operated payment mechanism when a card such as this is inserted into the corresponding payment mechanism. This device makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the games machines.

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 system for protecting integrated circuits on smart cards is described. The circuit (103) is placed in a cavity (102) in a ceramic package (101). Standard contacts (104) are deposited on the side of the package opposite to the cavity opening and connected to the chip (103) via feed-through conductors (106) extending into the cavity (102) and connected therein to wires (105) which are welded to the chip (103). The cavity (102) is either sealed by a lead (108) or filled with a protective material (208). Smart cards with a lifetime of over ten years may thus be obtained.

Abstract: A system controls the winding of a ribbon on a receiver reel rotationally driven by a stepping motor. The ribbon has successive indicators at regularly spaced intervals on the ribbon. A detection device, having two spaced optical cells at a predetermined distance between them, detects the passage of an indicator between the cells. A microprocessor counts the number of steps of the stepping motor that have been necessary to achieve movement of an indicator between the optical cells. The microprocessor also computes the number of pulses to be applied to the stepping motor per unit time to achieve a constant speed of the ribbon as it passes between cells.

Abstract: A micromodule includes a slotted metal strip and a perforated dielectric strip having a thickness of less than 70 micrometers, preferably between 30 and 50 micrometers. The metal strip is bonded to the dielectric strip so as to overlie the slots in the metal strip. A chip is bonded to the dielectric strip and connected to the metal strip through the perforations in the dielectric strip. An insulating resin layer encapsulates the chip and is bonded to the dielectric strip. The micromodule may be used, for example, in a smart card, as a radiating antenna, or as an identification label.

Abstract: In a system for the management of non-volatile memories, to avoid losses of information during writing, the critical writing sequences are locked. A back-up information element is stored before the performance of the critical section. The lock is constituted by the bits of the allocation table that designate the location of the saved back-up information. The lock is erased at the end of a normal writing sequence. If there is an abnormal interruption of a writing operation during the critical section, then the lock remains locked. This is detected when the power is turned on again, and the writing is resumed utilizing the saved information elements. The lock and the saved information elements are in a variable zone of the memory, thus preventing memory fatigue in the event of intensive use.

Abstract: A multi-applications portable card that can be plugged in notably into a reader of a personal computer comprises a first connector designed for a connection with the reader and positioned on the periphery of a pack. The portable card comprises, firstly, a mobile rack positioned on an edge of the card that gets fitted into a cavity of the pack, the mobile rack further including a housing provided with a bottom and designed to receive a chip borne by a token and, secondly, a second connector electronically linked to the first connector. The disclosed device can be applied in particular to PCMCIA cards.

Abstract: The machine is a card printer that carries out simultaneous black-and-white or color printing on both faces of a card. This machine uses two identical printers of the type using thermal printing heads and ribbons placed on either side of a device to guide and convey the card to be printed on. A device for the simultaneous positioning of the thermal printing heads enables each ink-bearing ribbon to be applied against one of the faces of the card when it comes under the heads. The invention can be applied to bank cards, entry cards, telephone cards.

Abstract: In a memory cell of an EEPROM or flash-EEPROM memory, the source and the drain of a floating-gate transistor forming the non-volatile memorizing device are connected together. It is shown that the capacitive behavior of the cell is then differentiated at the time of the reading depending on whether it is in a programmed state or in an erased state. This difference in behavior is used to differentiate the logic states.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the marking of particulars on a connector of a card called an electronic chip card, said connector having metal contacts with a given thickness. Said method comprises a step consisting of the etching, with a laser beam, of said particulars in the thickness of the metal contacts of the connector. Application to the marking of chip cards, bank cards, telephone cards etc.

Abstract: To resolve the problems related to the divulgation of the algorithms for the transcoding of the secret codes in chip cards, notably prepayment type chip cards, it is planned to limit the number of authentication operations possible by the number of units contained in the card. It is shown that in this case this number, which is generally small, for example about a hundred units, limits the number of attempts that can be made by a fraudulent person trying to penetrate the mysteries of the secret enciphering algorithm.

Abstract: Process for programming memories of the fuse protection type, particularly those used in smart or chip cards. A breakdown voltage is applied (204) for a time greatly exceeding that used in the prior art, and with a current at a value well above that used in the prior art. Typically 100 ms and 2A are used. Programmable processors (102) make it possible to regulate these values and carry out tests beforehand. These methods avoid reconstitution of blown fuses and the errors resulting therefrom.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, for use in a microprocessor-based chip card that provides several different functions at different hierarchical levels. The circuit has a microprocessor, a read-only memory managing a protection system and an EEPROM capable of containing not only data but also a code that can,be executed by the microprocessor. Different programs are placed in the EEPROM memory zones (Z1C, Z2C, Z3C). The read-only memory contains filtering instructions used to read a filter address in a specified zone Z1B, Z2B, Z3B of the EEPROM. Depending on the contents of this zone, the program will be routed, or not routed, towards the zones (Z1C, Z2C, Z3C). Thus information is recorded at only one address of the EEPROM in order to control accessibility to the different functions of the circuit.

Abstract: The system includes an electronic label (1) and a data terminal (6). The electronic label (1) is provided with a device for the emitting of electromagnetic waves (8) fixed to a ring (2) of the bottom of the protective bell (5). The data terminal (6) is coupled to a detachable read/write head (7) that can be inserted, as desired, into the bell (5) directly facing the label (1) bearing ring (2) to transmit information elements between the data terminal (6) and the label. The system may be used for the automatic identification of gas cylinder type articles.

Abstract: A method of electronic payment comprising: providing a memory with an EPROM counter and a pointer; inserting the memory into a machine; decrementing the counter in steps which correspond to a unit of payment, in an irreversible manner, until the counter is equal to the pointer; stopping the decrementing; and incrementing the pointer, without removing the memory from the machine, when a gain is achieved in response to a random external event.

Abstract: A cleaning card for a card-printing machine associated with a station for the electrical customization of the cards. The cleaning card has dimensions substantially identical to those of the cards to be printed, and is coated with two cleaning flat pads. The first cleaning flat pad, on both sides of the card, collects and retains various types of dust and dirt. The second cleaning flat pad, on the face designed to receive the electrical customization at the locations defined by the standards, is adapted to the cleaning of the landing contacts.

Abstract: The invention relates to chip cards. There is disclosed a chip card (12) with only two contacts intented both to information exchanges (instructions and data) between the card (12) and a card reader and to the power supply of the card (12). According to the invention, the contacts are preferably a clock contact (CLK) used to the synchronization of data and instructions, and a data input/output contact (I/O) used to the transmission of data and instructions from the reader to the card (12) and to the transmission of data from the card (12) to the reader. For the power supply, a full-wave rectifier (bridge of diodes) may be arranged between the two contacts (CLK;I/O). The invention also relates to the communication protocole which allows to use only two contacts (CLK;I/O) while having instructions similar to those of conventional chip cards (initialization of the card, address incrementation of memory cell, reading of the cell, writing, comparison of a confidential code).

Abstract: To simplify the printing of medical forms, provision is made for a reader of chip cards and a set of chip cards comprising doctor chip cards and patient chip cards. According to the principle of the system, it is provided that the doctor's card will be inserted into the reader as soon as the working day begins, and that this card will set the reader. Subsequently, by introducing patient cards, it is possible to prompt the printing of forms having, at the appropriate places, indications pertaining to the doctor who has issued the prescription and the patient who has received it.