System and method for performing transactions and a portable intelligent device therefore

PCT No. PCT/AU93/00552 Sec. 371 Date Jun. 20, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 20, 1995 PCT Filed Oct. 26, 1993 PCT Pub. No. WO94/10657 PCT Pub. Date May 11, 1994A host and user transaction system comprising a self contained portable intelligent device (13) for use by a service user, and an interface device (11) for use by a service provider. The intelligent device (13) is in the form of an integrated circuit (IC) card incorporating a single chip microcomputer having an input/output communication port (15), nonvolatile memory (17, 19) and random access memory (21). The interface device (11) has its own memory for storing data and a coupler (14) to connect to the IC card for communicating therewith. The nonvolatile memory (17, 19) has in one part an operating system mask programmed in native code for performing basic functions and in a second part data files with different access restriction levels. The random access memory (21) is available for use by the operating system and stores data received from or ready for transmission via the communication port (15). The interface device (11) includes a program module within its own memory, which includes instructions for working with prescribed data files within the second part of the nonvolatile memory (17, 19). These instructions are performed by the operating system after the IC card is connected to the coupler by means of a program interpreter and form part of a prescribed instruction set discrete from the native code. Basic functions performed by the operating system in native code are only performed in accordance with a command executor which is limited to enabling the IC card to receive commands, perform prescribed functions in respect of the command and provide a result or status to the command, but not to execute program modules for performing a transaction which involves data file access.