Smart Card Application in Schools

Co-Advised by
Prof. Helen Shen
Mr. Eddie Chua (mySch)
Mr. Ambrose Tse (mySch)

Group No: HE4

Lao Shing Kit, Jing
Wong Sau Chung, Kenneth

Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Introduction
System Architecture
Problems & Solutions
Testing and Evaluation
Conclusions

1. Introduction
Project
Goal
Mainly
focus on 3 areas
To
integrate
a
Smart
Card
system
with
a
(1) Attendance Recording System
school intranet system called mySch
(2)
ECA Administration
System
developed
by mySch (http://www.mysch.net)
using a software model.

(3) Electronic Payment System

Benefits

Main Concerns
(1)
More
convenient to
different services in
Connection
ofuse
2 systems
school
(2) Stability of dataflow
To increase efficiency in administrative work
(3) Correctness of dataflow

2. System Architecture - Hardware

I. Smart Card & Card Reader
Aug
Dec 02 iGuard Vs Octopus
Libra
iGuard

Libra
Octopus

Popularity

Medium

Very Low
High

Cost

Low

Low
High

Restriction

Low

Very Low
High

API

WellDeveloped

Developing
WellDeveloped

2. System Architecture - Software

II. Software Model
Act as a bridge to ensure accurate and
stable dataflow
Send rate = X

Card
Card
Reader
Reader

X>Y

Receive rate = Y

Software
Model Lost
Extra Packets
Extra Packets Stored

School
School
Intranet
Intranet

2. System Architecture - Flow

mdb

Sybase
Sybase

Card Server Database

Record Buffer
iGuard
Card
Reader

ADO
Adjust
Settings

ADO

Data Scheduling Data

Parser
Parser
A
B

mySch Database
1. Attendance Record
2. ECA Record
3. Transaction Record

Java Servlet Java Servlet

HTTP request
with query string
mySch
School Intranet

XML Acknowledgement

Card Server
iGuard
Card
Reader

Adjust
Settings

Attendance
Recording
System

ECA
Admin
System

Electronic
Payment
System

2. System Architecture - Card Server

Manipulation and synchronization of data in Smart Cards

Card Server

Get Data from the

Main component
Reader

in the software model

Ensure accurate and stable dataflow

Buffer Smart Card

data

Functions:

Extract the XML

Transfer of
acknowledgement

data from card readers to mySch

Synchronization of data
Control
functions
Modification
of Smart Card reader settings
of all slave card
Exportation
of the data collected
readers
:
ECA administration
Attendance
/
ECA /
Transaction

2. System Architecture - mySch Server

(1) Attendance Recording System
(2) ECA Administration System
Updat
e

Click each name to maintain

attendance records

Updat
e

Type every detail to join

extra-curricular activities

Attendance Records
ECA Records

Students
Record

Students
Record

XML
ACK
Card Reader

Card Server

mySch Database

Updat
e

Java Servlet
Programs

2. System Architecture - mySch Server

(3) Electronic Payment System
Status = Success
Price

Price

Java Servlet
Programs
Choose Products

Waiting Smart Card

Get Status
Periodically

Price

After
10s

Price, status
Status
Students
Record

Students
Record

XML
ACK
Card Reader

Card Server

Price

Java Servlet
Programs

Students
Record
+ Price
mySch Database

User Account

3. Problems and Solutions

Which
for implementation?
How tolanguage
synchronize
students records?
(1) Visual Basic vs Java
iGuard API involves ActiveX Control
iGuard.ID* = mySch.RegNum
VB example
given
iGuard.othername
= mySch.login*
iGuard.lastname
+ iGuard.firstname
= mySch.engName
(2) Visual Basic
vs Visual C++
= mySch.ClassLevel + mySch.ClassName
iGuard.Department
easy for
interface design
* Unique value

3. Problems and Solutions

How the 3 systems are implemented?
(2)
(3)Java
XMLServlet
Acknowlegement
Programs

(1)HTTP request with query string

http://fyp.mysch.net/bin/smartcard/syncRegNum?
login=ambrose&pwd=ambrose123
&uid=0001&ulogin=kenneth&upwd=ken117&name=Wong&sex=M

Parameters

4. Testing & Evaluation

Simulate the situation of a real school in terms of
Number of users (~1000 users)
Number of accesses (~2 times/user)
Access rate (~1.3 seconds/record)
Modification to the programs
Lock the sending signal of Card Server
Impose selection criteria for sending HTTP
requests

5. Conclusions
Future Extensions
Integrate more services in mySch
Using different brands of card readers and
compare performance
Thank
you for your
attention
embedded
in handheld
devices/
Web-based

- The End -

Benefits from the Project

integrate 2 well-developed systems
Importance of controlling dataflow
IT applications in schools