1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for storing and using tickets with smart cards, and more particularly to the secure storage and usage of "open" tickets in smart cards, i.e tickets of which the particular date and/or time of use is left open when issuing the ticket. More specifically, the present invention relates to the secure storage, usage, validation and/or verification of tickets using smart cards, and to smart cards and a payment system arranged for use of the smart cards.
2. Discussion of Background
In recent years, smart cards have been used in many applications, such as an electronic purse, or in other applications requiring access rights to goods and/or services, such as identification (user verification), storing important data (e.g., medical data), and/or collecting loyalty credits. In addition, various types of tickets are used today, for example, tickets issued containing all relevant data, such as airline tickets, wherein the company (airline) involved, the price, the day of travel, the place and time of departure, and the place and time of arrival is provided and as such the tickets are ready for use. Another type of ticket is a ticket that is not ready for use, for example, a ticket where the day of travel needs to be filled in after the issuance of the ticket. Such an "open" ticket needs to be validated before it can be used, for example, by filling in the day of travel and possibly other data. Such an "open" ticket may be suitable for multiple use if it can be validated more than once.
Examples of tickets stored on smart cards are known and, for example, Dutch patent application NL 93 01902, discloses a method of obtaining a right to a service by means of a smart card (IC card), wherein the smart card is used for both payment and registration. That is, the smart card is used to store proof of payment of the service paid for, thus replacing paper tickets. The use of multiple tickets, i.e. tickets which may be used more than once, is also mentioned in the above patent application.
In the method of the above-described Dutch patent application, a ticket is stored on a card by registering on the card an access code, optionally in combination with a card identification code. At the terminal of, for example, a theater the access code and (optionally) the identification code are checked, whereupon the access code is erased from the card. However, in the above-mentioned Dutch patent application, the way in which multiple tickets are implemented and/or used is not disclosed, and a specific method for securely storing tickets on smart cards, especially tickets which may be validated after their issuance, is not provided.
European patent application EP 0 658 862 discloses a method and system for employing multi-functional smart cards by means of a communication system, for example, to allow airline tickets to be stored on the smart cards. The specific manner in which the tickets are stored is however not disclosed.
European patent application EP 0 380 377 discloses a system for electronic payment of transport and services by means of smart cards, wherein a ticket is disclosed having fields for stamping the ticket on a certain date at a certain time, and fields for storing data indicating that the ticket has been checked. However, the particulars of the way in which the ticket data is stored are not disclosed.
However, conventional electronic tickets are susceptible to fraud in that ticket data can untraceably be altered. Whereas fraudulent manipulations of paper tickets are often visible, or must be carried out very skillfully so as not to be visible, the alteration of bits on a smart card typically leaves no traces. Especially in the case of open tickets, where various stations "stamp" the ticket in order to perform a validation or verification, the possibility of fraud exists.