Abstract: In order to set up a communication channel on a link connecting a client application on a client machine and a service application present on a device dependent on a terminal, the client machine includes a representative of the service application. A formatting module is located at the client machine, downstream of the representative, for formatting the client application messages in a form readable by the service application. A gateway is located at the terminal, for receiving the messages readable by the card and transmitting them to the service application. Typically, the communicating device is a smart card, and the service application is a card application. The link is typically a network, for example of the Internet type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for loading a software having several modules loadable in the non-volatile memory of a portable digital device. The loading of at least one module includes testing the existence of a data structure associated with the module in the non-volatile memory and, when necessary, to create the data structure indicating it as empty. The method further includes resolving links for totality of internal elements and, afterwards, in marking the structure as loaded. The existence of an associated data structure is determined for each other module referenced in the loadable module and, when necessary, the structure is created and indicated as empty. The invention makes it possible to reduce the space occupied by the on-board software during loading of modules.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and methods for the customised delivery of targeted advertisements from a local server. In particular, the invention relates to the advertising server embedded in an electronic device and to the delivery and updating methods necessary for the operation thereof. According to the invention, the impact of the delivered advertising is optimised since the advertising content presented to the public matches each individual's requirements and centres of interest. Age, sex and geographical location are examples of criteria employed according to the invention.

Abstract: A method for customising a Web application executed on a user's terminal by means of a browser provided thereon, upon a request transmitted from the browser via a telecommunication network to a remote Web server hosting the application. At least one customising program and/or customising data is hosted by a local server belonging to a user assigned to the terminal. The application is customized by mixing the customising program and/or customized data items delivered by the local server with data items related to the application corresponding to the processing of the request transmitted by the remote server.

Abstract: The invention relieves an application programmer of the responsibility for managing access rights, by providing application code that is independent of the protection in a chip card. When an application, for example in a docking station, is given access to an object pertaining to another application in a chip card, two capabilities are created respectively in the applications, as objects, to protect all subsequent accesses to the object by filtering them through the two capabilities. On accessing an object pertaining to an application, if a second object pertaining to the other application is passed on to the latter, two other capabilities are added in the applications to protect access to the second object.

Abstract: In a distributed computing system which employs smart cards to provide services, the need for a fixed mapping between methods that can be invoked from a card application and APDU messages is avoided. A card skeleton provides a decoding table to a client proxy when a connection is established between a card and a terminal. With the information provided from the skeleton, the proxy dynamically maps methods to APDU messages, for communication during a given session. As a result, if the on-card application is enhanced to provide new methods, its corresponding skeleton is upgraded to recognize those methods. When the card is connected to a terminal, the updated information is provided to the proxy at the terminal, to enable the user to access the enhanced features of the application.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for loading a software having several modules loadable in the non-volatile memory of a portable digital device. The loading of at least one module includes testing the existence of a data structure associated with the module in the non-volatile memory and, when necessary, to create the data structure indicating it as empty. The method further includes resolving links for totality of internal elements and, afterwards, in marking the structure as loaded. The existence of an associated data structure is determined for each other module referenced in the loadable module and, when necessary, the structure is created and indicated as empty. The invention makes it possible to reduce the space occupied by the on-board software during loading of modules.

Abstract: The customization or initialization of the application, for example in a programmable smart card, uses minimum integrated code. A device for preparing customizing or initializing data to be transmitted to the card creates a concatenation of information elements in respective adjacent data blocks in accordance with a convention recognized by a communication device, without explicit field specification. On reception of a data sequence, the card code identifies the information elements according to their size and their position in the flow.

Abstract: Data to be stored is managed in different management modes including at least a first management mode and a second management mode. An identification is provided during a data preparation phase, for respectively identifying the data to be managed according to the different modes, and then managing on the basis of the provided identification. The storage can be located in a programmable smart card. Thus the data can include a code associated with an application whereof part (management code) is designed to customize the application during an initial phase, the identification being related to the data associated with this code part.

Abstract: Smart cards and other such devices with limited memory capacity function as hosts for services on a distributed computing network. The information to be deployed in the distributed computing system to provide access to those services is separated into two categories. One category consists of the information that is generic to all instances of the service. The second category constitutes that information which is specific to one instance of the application which provides a service. The specific information is stored on the smart card, whereas the generic information is stored elsewhere on the distributed computing network, for example on a server. In addition to the specific information, the card stores the address at which the generic information can be located on the network. When a card is inserted in a terminal connected to the network, the terminal retrieves the specific deployment information, along with the address for the generic information.

Abstract: Service applications are provided on multiple types of devices with different execution contexts. A smart card stores the application description, and processes it to install an adapted configuration of the application for whatever device it is inserted in. Smart cards are compatible with many devices, as well as being small, resistant, and tamper-proof. In addition to security features, their processing capacities can be used to at least partially treat the abstract descriptions of the applications in order to produce concrete descriptions adapted to the execution context.

Abstract: In order to set up a communication channel on a link connecting a client application on a client machine and a service application present on a device dependent on a terminal, the client machine includes a representative of the service application. A formatting module is located at the client machine, downstream of the representative, for formatting the client application messages in a form readable by the service application. A gateway is located at the terminal, for receiving the messages readable by the card and transmitting them to the service application. Typically, the communicating device is a smart card, and the service application is a card application. The link is typically a network, for example of the Internet type.

Abstract: The invention enables the customization or the initialization of an application for example in a programmable smart card (1) using minimum integrated code. Therefor, a device for preparing customizing or initializing data to be transmitted to the card comprises means (44, 46) designed to create concatenation (26) of information elements (Vi) in respective adjacent data blocks (Bi) scheduled in accordance with a convention recognised by said communication device, without explicit field specification. On reception of said data sequence, the card code identifies the information elements according to their size and their position in the flow.

Abstract: The invention automatically executes, in a single execution medium, a number of programs written in source languages to which respective execution media are dedicated, without constraining a programmer to a single source language for a respective execution medium type. Each program is compiled into a program expressed in an intermediate language representing a minimum subset of the source languages. In a data processing means such as a smart card, an execution medium is dedicated to the intermediate language. The intermediate language program is loaded with a respective programming library adapting the respective source language to the intermediate language in order to execute the intermediate language program in the execution medium.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided that enables an application to interact directly with certain types of communication messages, while at the same time retaining the advantages of a semantics-based framework, such as remote method invocation. A set of standard entry points are defined that can be employed by any application to receive and interact with communication messages. In one implementation of the invention, three such entry points are established as invokable methods that are called within the application. These three methods respectively relate to data processing operations, pre-processing operations and post-processing operations.

Abstract: A method for managing communications between local and remote objects in an object oriented client server system in which a client application invokes a focal object as a proxy for a remote object on the server.

Abstract: The invention concerns the management of data designed to be stored in a storage (6), said data being designed to be managed in different management modes including at least a first management mode and a second management mode. The invention is characterised in that it consists in: providing an identification, during a data preparation phase, for respectively identifying the data to be managed according to the different modes, and managing and/or operating on the data on the basis of said provided identification (E6, P1). The storage can be located in a programmable smart card. Thus the data can include a code associated with an application whereof part (management code) is designed to customize the application during an initial phase, the identification being related to the data associated with said code part.

Abstract: The invention concerns an application programmer no longer responsible for managing access rights. the application code being independent of the protection in the chip card The capability-based access control consists, when an application (Aa). for example in a docking station. is given access to an object (Ob1) pertaining to the other application (Ab) in a chip card (CP), in creating two capabilities (Fa(Ob1). Fb(Ob1)) respectively in the applications, as objects. to protect all subsequent accesses to the object by filtering them through the two capabilities. On accessing (E1) an object (Ob1) pertaining to an application (Ab), if a second object (Ob2) pertaining to the other application (Ab) is passed on to the latter, two other capabilities (Fa(Ob2, Fb(Ob2)) are added (E2) in the applications to protect access to the second object.

Abstract: Service applications are provided on multiple types of devices with different execution contexts. A smart card stores the application description, and processes it to install an adapted configuration of the application for whatever device it is inserted in. Smart cards are compatible with many devices, as well as being small, resistant, and tamper-proof. In addition to security features, their processing capacities can be used to at least partially treat the abstract descriptions of the applications in order to produce concrete descriptions adapted to the execution context.

Abstract: Smart cards and other such devices with limited memory capacity function as hosts for services on a distributed computing network. The information to be deployed in the distributed computing system to provide access to those services is separated into two categories. One category consists of the information that is generic to all instances of the service. The second category constitutes that information which is specific to one instance of the application which provides a service. The specific information is stored on the smart card, whereas the generic information is stored elsewhere on the distributed computing network, for example on a server. In addition to the specific information, the card stores the address at which the generic information can be located on the network. When a card is inserted in a terminal connected to the network, the terminal retrieves the specific deployment information, along with the address for the generic information.