Value carrying unit and system for secure handling of value carrying units

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority and benefit from Swedish patent application No. 0702665- 1, filed November 27, 2007, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to units carφng value such as currency notes, coins and similar things and a system for secure handling of such units carrying value.

BACKGROUND

In mass media reports can be found about the increasing and more and more violent robberies of transports of valuables and money in our country. It may appear as if an increased security to prevent these robberies could be inefficient. The criminals escalate theirs operations in a rate corresponding to the rate of improvements of perimeter protection, i.e. thicker protection plates in the transport vehicles result in more powerful and larger amounts of explosives, etc. In addition, new currency notes have been designed to make it still harder to counterfeit them but they are still theft-prone.

The method of making stolen currency notes unusable by making ink cartridges detonate and discolour the currency notes, when safe-deposit boxes and similar objects are incorrectly opened by physical violence, only works to some extent but is not completely reliable.

Misappropriation from safe deposit boxes continues in spite of the fact that a large part of the quantity of currency notes could be destroyed.

It has also been proposed earlier, that plastic currency notes should be provided with an integrated circuit to prevent counterfeiting, to make it possible to automatically carry out verifications and automatically register the serial number of a currency note and allow that the currency note is temporarily blocked during transport see "Currency with an Integrated Chip", IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 5a, October 1989. However, any details as to the manner in which this could be accomplished are not described.

In the Swedish, patent 512 828 a currency note provided with means for registration and storing information, for example a magnetic strip, is disclosed. Such a currency note can be made worthless by deactivating it in a purchasing operation in for example a department store, moving the value of the currency note to the account of the department store. After deactivating the currency note is worthless. For example, it can be activated in a bank office and then the value of the currency note is electronically transferred from the bank account to the currency note.

In the published British patent application 2 357 619 a system is disclosed, in which

currency notes are provided with "data active elements" such as a magnetic strip or a chip.

Checking units can read the unique identity of the currency note and search for the latest legitimate owner of the currency note. If it is legitimate, the checking unit can superpose its own identity on top of the unique identity. SUMMARY

It is an object of the invention to provide a unit carrying value allowing a more secure handling of values.

It is another object of the invention to provide a system having a secure handling of value carrying units. When transporting value carrying units or valuable papers from a place A to a place B, they can be made worthless by the fact that they are provided with special modules already when leaving place A. Such value carrying units can for example be currency notes, similar objects of value and even personal cards that protect different values, such as bank cards, pass cards such as for example magnetic cards and smart cards. Each value carrying unit can also have a unique identity or a unique marking, which for example for a currency note corresponds to the serial number thereof. Using a special reading device included in the system, it is possible to block and unblock the value carrying units and also make follow-ups of various kinds, of the owner, of the user, when, where, how and by whom.

This structure can provide obvious advantages to all, who have a need to move value carrying units. Value carrying units which are blocked and unusable will not any longer be objects of interest for misappropriation.

Thus, a numerical identity that is source code protected and is made as a readable encrypted data chip/marker can be added to the value carrying units. The data chip can work using wireless communication such as by radio waves, for example in the same way as transponders having no own power supply. This makes it possible to read the unique identities of the value carrying units, and at places where for example large sums are kept/handled, an efficient blocking when transporting money between different destinations can be performed. Currency notes implemented in this way cannot be used as payment, when they are blocked or deactivated, such as when they are stored and during transport. They can only be unblocked when they are handed over to authorized users.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the methods, processes, instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in

the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the novel features of the invention are set forth with particularly in the appended claims, a complete understanding of the invention, hoth as to organization and content, and of the above and other features thereof may be gained from and the invention will be better appreciated from a consideration of the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments presented hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system for secure handling of payment means,

- Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a currency note provided with an electronic protective module,

- Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the structure of a protective module,

- Fig. 4 is a schematic picture illustrating transport of currency notes, and

- Fig. 5 is a schematic picture illustrating checking of currency notes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In Fig. 2 a value carrying unit or document of value such as a currency note or banknote 1 is shown. It is provided with a module being an electronic microchip 3, here also called a module, which has intelligence such as a microprocessor 5 together with an associated memory 7 and which further has circuits 9 for transferring signals usiixg wireless short range communication, for example by radio waves, and a power circuit, see the schematic picture of Fig. 3. In the memory 7 a storage location 13 is intended for storing an indicator indicating the actual state of the module and thereby also the actual state of the currency note 1 , the state indicated as "Active" or "Not active". Further, a memory location 15 can be provided for permanent storage of an identification of or of the identity of the module and the currency note. The module 3 can be supplied with power by inductive transfer of enough energy to the power circuit 11 to allow communication with some suitable unit and it can for this purpose include a suitably designed antenna or winding 17 working as the secondary coil of a transformer. The communication with the module 3 can include that the module, when receiving a suitable signal, also emits signals representing the actual state of the module. If also information regarding the identity thereof and/or of the currency note is stored in the module, the module can, when receiving another suitable signal, emit signals representing the identity.

The short range communication can take place between the module 3 and a reading or controlling station 21. Then, such a station suitably includes communication circuits 23 for transferring signals between the station and one or several modules. Furthermore, an antenna or winding 25 can be provided for inductive transfer of energy to a module 3, in the case where the

module includes a corresponding antenna or winding 17.

The communication of information between a station 21 and a module 3 can be protected using suitable encryption such as by using a 128 byte ASCII-code key. Then the module 3 can include a permanently entered, private and unique, secret code key stored in a memory location 27, a permanently entered, private and unique, open code key stored in a memory location 28 and further a memory location 29 for temporary storage of a code key for verification. In the same way, the station 21 can include a memory location 31 in a memory 33 for storing a permanently entered, private and unique, secret code key, a memory location 32 for storing a permanently entered, private and unique, open code key and a memory location 35 for storing a key for verification. For simpler communication cases, as will be described below, the module 3 can include a general code key stored in a memory location 30 and the station include the same general code key stored in a memory location 36.

In communication between a station 21 and a module 3, when the private and unique code keys are used, if it is indicated that the encryption codes do not match with enough accuracy, for example with respect to a predetermined percentage of acceptance when considering a permitted number of bit errors, or if the communication between the station and module has been started a number of times without the matching of the encryption codes having been successful, the module and thereby the document of value in which it is included can be deactivated by setting the state thereof to "Not active". The identity of the value carrying unit 1, which is suitably represented by a unique hexadecimal code, can then be transferred to a central database, compare "Trace Control Centre" 51 in Fig. 1, which will be described below, and there marked "Cancelled" for all time.

Transporting currency notes from a location A to a location B can be performed as illustrated in Fig. 4. The currency notes to be transported are placed, for example in a box or vehicle 41 for transport of valuables, so that they can be reached by wireless signals from a deactivating unit 43. The deactivating unit is controlled to emit signals, which at the same time are received by the modules 3 of all the currency notes. These signals transfer enough energy to the power circuits 11 of the modules and thereafter information is transferred, which is received by the processor 5 in each module, and it is used to set the indicator of the state of the respective module to "Not active" by storing corresponding information in the memory location 13. The transfer of this information, which is unidirectional from the deactivating unit 43 to the modules 3, can be protected by the general code key, stored in the memory locations 36 and 30, respectively. Thereupon, the currency notes 1 are transported to the location B. The transported currency notes are there placed, so that they, using wireless communication, can be reached by

an activation unit 43. Then, this unit is controlled to emit signals in the same way as the deactivating unit 43 , but with an information carrying signal, which is received by the modules 3 and by their processor 5 is used to set the state of the modules to "Active" by storing appropriate information in the memory locations 13. In this case, the transfer of the information carrying signal can also be protected by the general code key.

Due to that fact that all modules 3 of the currency notes have the state "Not active", currency notes, which possibly have been stolen during the transport, can be easily detected, as appears from Fig. 5. A currency note is then placed so that its module 3 can communicate with a checking unit 47. From the checking units signals are emitted to first transfer energy by induction to the power circuit 11 and then to ask for the state of the module. When receiving the latter signal the module emits information about its state. The communication can in that case be protected using the private and unique code keys stored in the memory locations 31, 32 and 27, 28, respectively. In exchanging information between the currency note and the checking unit, they can first exchange their open keys by communication without encryption, storing them in the memory locations 29 and 35, respectively for the code keys for verification. Then, in transmitting information to the currency note, the secret key of checking unit 47 is used and the open key of the currency note for encryption and decryption, whereas in transmitting information from the currency note, the secret key of the currency note and the open key of the checking unit are used. To further increase the security such a checking unit 47 can, for example when located in a bank office, a cash dispenser or a shop, be provided with a deactivating function similar to that of station 43, to set, after receiving a currency note, the module 3 thereof to a not active state. Furthermore, the checking unit 47 can then be provided with the same deactivating function as that of the unit 45, setting the state of every currency note 1 handed over to "Active" after the currency has been stored, such as in a bank office, a cash dispenser or a shop, then having been in a not active state.

In the case where the modules 3 contain information about their identity and the identity of the currency note 1, the currency notes can be used in a larger system, in which checks of the currency notes can be made in every transaction, provided that the receiver of the currency note has a suitable reading unit that is of the same kind as the checking unit 47 but that is extended also for reading an identity and that in addition possibly is connected to be in communication with other similar units and possibly in communication with a central unit in a larger monitoring system.

Such reading units can for example be connected to or built-in in different systems in the

trade, such as systems for handling currency notes, cash registers and cash dispensers. The reading units can be arranged so that they can also perform deactivation and activation in the same way as the checking station or unit 47 in Fig. 5, this also making the transport of currency notes between shops and bank offices and similar places more secure. Such a system is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 , in which only one of every kind of station or unit is shown, It is obvious that several stations of most kinds of stations or units can be provided in the system. In. the system there are three security levels, which are indicated by the grey scale of the symbols for the stations or the units - the darker shading the higher security.

In a central unit 51, "Trace Control Centre", checks and follow-ups of various kinds are performed along with blocking of currency notes/coins and papers of value. In every control station 53 called "Cash Controller - Value Checkpoint" (only one is displayed) a control is performed of currency notes of various denominations which are in circulation, where people can check their currency for example in business operations between themselves.

In such a system all money transports can be executed with blocked currency notes, the receiving part then always having only blocked currency notes. By receiving part is meant bank offices, shops etc.

In the detailed description above currency notes have been used as an example of documents of value, paper bills of value and similar objects which possess a value of money. It is obvious that the modules 3 can be applied to arbitrary value carrying units, such as any kind of portable unit, which possesses, constitutes or protects a value, such as a document of value, coins, personal cards of various kinds, etc.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is realized that numerous other embodiments may be envisaged and that numerous additional advantages, modifications and changes wil] readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative devices and illustrated examples shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within a true spirit and scope of the invention. Numerous other embodiments may be envisaged without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.