Roland Moreno's ubiquitous invention

The story of an invention that touched almost everyone on the planet.

By Roland Moreno Foundation

Fondation Roland Moreno

Roland Moreno vient de faire une découverte!Roland Moreno Foundation

In early 1974, Roland Moreno made what would turn out to be a groundbreaking discovery. He uncovered the existence of a type of memory that preserves information without the need for energy.

Moreno claimed to have thought of the smart card concept in a dream, telling France Soir in a 2006 interview, "I came up with the idea in my sleep... To be honest, I'm a lazy bum and my productivity is on the feeble side. I'm jealous, spendthrift, a total couch potato and absent-minded – I've got my real Professor Nimbus side."

He also joked he got the idea after smoking a joint. No one is certain of the real story.

Brevet de 1975Roland Moreno Foundation

On March 25, 1974, he filed the first patent of the invention which will be his greatest stroke of genius, the "electronic chip of payment".

Roland Moreno lors d'une conférence appleRoland Moreno Foundation

La « maquette » du premier terminal commerçant by Roland MorenoRoland Moreno Foundation

A personalized and portable integrated microcircuit memory, which via code guarantees "simple and secure" information exchange with a dedicated off-line terminal.

La bague bancaire connectéeRoland Moreno Foundation

La Bague bancaireRoland Moreno Foundation

The very first version of the chip is mounted on a ring, then it is integrated into a plastic card in standard format.

Roland Moreno dans son atelierRoland Moreno Foundation

During the following year, he develops his idea and surrounds himself with friends to specify the essential characteristics of his invention.

Roland Moreno devant son etabliRoland Moreno Foundation

- control by the card reader of the code contained in the chip
- counting of code errors and self-destruction of the chip
- the protection of areas containing confidential data

Roland Moreno en pleine reflexionRoland Moreno Foundation

The project "Take the Money and Run" (a nod at Woody Allen) revolutionized the banking and telecommunications world.

This is the beginning of a long adventure towards recognition for Moreno.

La première version de la carte à puceRoland Moreno Foundation

The french chip card

40 years and international success

Logo innovatron, From the collection of: Roland Moreno Foundation
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Between 1972-1974, Roland Moreno opened a company called INNOVATRON to sell ideas - including his brilliant little "smart memory" that allowed simple and secure transactions.

Maquette d'un terminal commerçant pour carte bleueRoland Moreno Foundation

After ten years of perseverance, sharing of convictions, struggle and "luck", the Smart Card becomes a real social phenomenon.

Un des nombreux brevets de la carte à puceRoland Moreno Foundation

43 patents will be filed to protect the smart card.

Roland Moreno présentant une carte à puceRoland Moreno Foundation

...a prepaid memory card...

Un publiphoneRoland Moreno Foundation

...usable in any telephone booth.

TélécartesRoland Moreno Foundation

In 1989, 100 million phone cards were sold, and they became collectors' items.

Roland Moreno dans les années 80Roland Moreno Foundation

In 1992 more than 500 million phone cards were sold, and all bank cards adopted the smart chip.

La carte a puce - Roland MorenoRoland Moreno Foundation

Exemple de TélécartesRoland Moreno Foundation

Electronic banking, identification, mobile telephony, telecommunications, health, transport - today more than 300 billion smart cards are used worldwide.

Reportage télévisé Carte à PuceRoland Moreno Foundation

"The smart card has a limited number of applications, I see five: the bank, the phone, the car parks, the TV decoders and the health card, and beyond that, I'm a bit skeptical."

Portrait de Roland MorenoRoland Moreno Foundation

International recognition

1991, Roland Moreno is made Knight of the Legion of Honor

Roland Moreno & François MitterandRoland Moreno Foundation

1991, Roland Moreno is made Knight of the Legion of Honor.

Roland Moreno Portrait vidéoRoland Moreno Foundation

Théorie du bordel ambiant by Roland MorenoRoland Moreno Foundation

In June 1990, Roland Moreno publishes the "Theory of the brothel environment" at Belfond editions.

Roland Moreno à son bureauRoland Moreno Foundation

Prix Eduard RheinRoland Moreno Foundation

In 1996, he received the Eduard Rhein Prize, the German equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Roland Moreno à la fin de sa vieRoland Moreno Foundation

HTC France - Roland MORENO - 22/09/2011Roland Moreno Foundation

Roland Moreno à son bureauRoland Moreno Foundation

Roland Moreno (1945-2012)

"Wondering, is not it better than walking in step?"

Credits: Story

Thanks to Marianne & Julia Moreno for telling us about the wonderful adventures of their father,
and thanks to Blaise Lavigne for providing us such beautiful pictures.

The Roland Moreno Foundation

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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