Abstract: The invention relates to a method for activating a portable data carrier (1) in which a first portable data carrier (1) is supplied in an inactive state to a user, after the user has requested the first data carrier (1) with the aid of a second portable data carrier (2) from a central instance, whereby the first and the second data carrier (1, 2) have access to authentication data for mutual authentication. In the method according to the invention a communication connection is set up between the first and the second data carrier (1, 2), via which the first and the second data carrier (1, 2) mutually authenticate each other on the basis of the authentication data and establish a cryptographically secured end-to-end connection. Via this end-to-end connection then the second data carrier (2) activates the first data carrier (1) by transmitting activation data to the first data carrier (1).

Abstract: A method is provided for interaction of a portable data carrier with an end device. The data carrier comprises a transducer arrangement having at least one or a set of capacitive transducer elements which are arranged on or in the data carrier at defined positions in relation to the geometry of the data carrier, at least one contactless interface, and a dedicated energy supply. The end device comprises a capacitive display screen having a touch-sensitive display, wherein the data carrier generates via the capacitive transducer elements signals which, when the data carrier is placed onto the display screen, are picked up by the display screen of the end device and evaluated as input signals through the end device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for checking luminescent value documents, in particular bank notes, with a luminescence sensor. The value document to be checked is irradiated to excite luminescence radiation, and the luminescence radiation emanating from the value document is detected with spectral resolution. Since the value document to be checked is transported past the luminescence sensor in the transport direction and is illuminated with an illumination area which extends in the transport direction, an effective measurement is possible even of value documents that emit very little luminescence radiation.

Abstract: A method is proposed for virtual enlargement of the stack of a portable data carrier allowing reloading of executable program code. To permit the execution of programs requiring a larger stack than that physically present, the stack is segmented into at least two stack segments and their fill state monitored. When complete occupation of a segment is recognized, the oldest stack segment is swapped out to a further storage medium. The further storage medium is a nonvolatile read-write memory that can be a slower memory compared to the stack. When sufficient memory space is available in the stack again, the swapped out segment is returned. The method includes managing a destination address of each stack segment swapped out to the non-volatile read-write memory in a register in a volatile read-write memory.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the fitness of a bank note by sensing the bank note transported along a transport path by a transport device. The apparatus includes a plurality of identical sensor and illumination units positioned along each side of the transport path whereby the sensor and illumination units are focused at a single predetermined section of the transport path.

Abstract: For examining defects in sheet material, in particular bank notes, the sheet material is convexly curved and tested in the area of the convex curvature. A detector is disposed tangentially to an apex line of the convex curvature for detecting elevations on the bank note surface due to bank note defects against a light background. A suitable optic is used to image this silhouette onto the detector. The detector is formed as a pixel array, and the number and height of shaded pixels are assessed as measures of defect density and size and nature of defects.