Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US8698595B2/en
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 13:53:00+00:00

Document:
2012-08-07 Assigned to XATRA FUND MX, LLC reassignment XATRA FUND MX, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.
2013-05-10 Assigned to AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC. reassignment AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BARANOWSKI, JAMES A.
This application is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 13/242,810, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED RFID INSTRUMENT SECURITY,” filed Sep. 23, 2011, which is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 10/908,767, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,049,594, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED RFID INSTRUMENT SECURITY,” filed May 25, 2005, and claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/632,027, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCED SECURITY RFID TAG PROCESSING” filed Nov. 30, 2004, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In another embodiment of the present invention, unauthorized use of an RFID read/write device is restricted. For example, a RFID read/write device may employ user credentials to communicate with a certificate authority to obtain a counter security protocol to decrypt information communicated from an RF-operable instrument to the RFID read/write device.
For example, one of the benefits of a subscription service is that the encryption mechanism is not revealed outside of the system that is hosting/providing the service (e.g., tag processing service 115). Further, with a subscription service, enhanced security is maintained through every step. In one embodiment, every user of RFID tags 150 and/or RFID read/write devices 110 communicating with system 100 provides authentication credentials in order to operate tags 150 and/or devices 110. In addition, every system (i.e., system 115) and/or user that subscribes to the service first registers for the service and receives credentials for performing transactions via the service. In an exemplary embodiment of a service transaction, a user on the subscribing system uses RFID device 110 to scan RFID tag 150 with encrypted data, device 110 sends the data to the subscribing system using a secured protocol such as HTTPS, the subscribing system authenticates to the service provider system via a web service secured using a protocol such as HTTPS, the service provider system decrypts the data and returns the result to the subscribing system, and the subscribing system returns the result to RFID device 110 using a secured protocol (e.g., HTTPS). This method is described in greater detail herein.
An RFID instrument may include, for example, a RFID tag or an RFID transponder. As used herein, the term “RF-operable tag” may refer to both RFID tags 150 as well as transponders 170. Transponder 170 includes, in one embodiment, an antenna for receiving an interrogation signal from RFID read/write device 110 via an internal or antenna external antenna. In one embodiment, transponder 170 is a 13.56 MHz transponder compliant with the ISO/IEC 14443 standard, and transponder 170 antenna is of the 13 MHz variety. Transponder 170 is in communication with a transponder compatible modulator/demodulator configured to receive the signal from transponder 170 and configured to modulate the signal into a format readable by any later connected circuitry. Further, the modulator/demodulator is configured to format (e.g., demodulate) a signal received from the later connected circuitry in a format compatible with transponder 170 for transmitting to RFID read/write device 110 via the antenna. For example, where transponder 170 is of the 13.56 MHz variety, the modulator/demodulator is ISO/IEC 14443-2 compliant. Transponder 170 may also be configured for near field communication. See, for example, Sony's “Near Field Communication” (“NEC”) emerging standard which is touted as operating on 13.56 MHz and allowing the transfer of any kind of data between NFC enabled devices and across a distance of up to twenty centimeters. See also, Bluetooth chaotic network configurations; described in more detail in “What is Bluetooth,” Palowireless Bluetooth Resource Center, available at http://www.palowireless.com/infotooth/whatis.asp, which is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, data on a first transponder 170 is transmitted directly or indirectly to a second transponder 170 to create a copy of all or part of the original device.
In one exemplary embodiment, TPS 105, RFID read/write device 110, and/or tag processing services 115 is configured to employ HTTPS and/or any other secure protocol for communication transmissions. For example, in one embodiment, TPS 105, RFID read/write device 110, and/or tag processing services 115 is configured to secure communications between TPS 105 and RFID read/write device 110 using HTTPS protocols. In another exemplary embodiment, TPS 105, RFID read/write device 110, and/or tag processing services 115 are configured to use HTTPS protocols to facilitate securing communications between TPS 105 and other internal or external third-party systems connected to internal or external network 108. In yet another exemplary embodiment, TPS 105, RFID read/write device 110, and/or tag processing services 115 are configured to use HTTPS protocols to facilitate securing communications between RFID read/write device 110 and RFID tags 150 and/or transponder 170.
For example, FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary authentication process 400. Authentication process 400 is depicted as one-sided. That is, the flowchart depicts the process of RFID read/write device 110 authenticating transponder 170, although similar steps are followed in the event that transponder 170 authenticates RFID read/write device 110. Further still, secure mutual authentication process 400 is described in terms of encrypting and/or decrypting security keys. However, the present invention contemplates authentication by way of encrypting and decrypting any type of security protocol. For example, the present invention contemplates the use of digital signatures, digital certificates, GPS information, WEP keys, WPA keys, WPA2 keys, identifier information, HTTPS protocols and the like.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating the transponder is in response to the activating the transponder.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interrogation signal comprises a random code generated by an RFID device.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication code is associated with the transponder.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transponder comprises a transponder identification code.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the encrypted authentication code is decryptable using a security authentication key unique to the transponder identification code.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transponder is configured with global positioning system (GPS) capability to be operable in a predetermined area.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising deactivating the transponder in response to the GPS capability indicating the transponder has moved outside of the predetermined area.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving communications using a communications security protocol.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications security protocol is an HTTPS protocol.
means for transmitting the encrypted authentication code.
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