Method, system and apparatus for NFC security

• US 10,540,527 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Minh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gao, Shu Chun
• Application Number:
  US13/827,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20160283759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,504 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10257 arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks computer security in general G06F21/00; jamming of communication, countermeasures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for providing security to RFID and NFC systems. In some exemplary embodiments, a smart poster may be utilized to provide appropriate or desired communications with an RFID or NFC-enabled device. Such exemplary embodiments may utilize an authorized NFC tag to communicate with an NFC-enabled device, and upon activation of the authorized NFC tag, may trigger activation or appearance of one or more related items, such as visual cues. Additionally, aspects of NFC security systems which can include regions of security, states of activity and actions performed when security violations are detected.

Claims

1. A security system for detecting unauthorized near field communication (NFC) tags, comprising:

a NFC radio detection system having a NFC controller with scanning or interrogating abilities and with at least one sub-assembly circuit boards;

an antenna, periodically energized by the NFC radio detection system;

a structure for housing the NFC radio detection system and at least one authorized NFC tag;

a display provided on the structure and containing the at least one authorized NFC tag;

at least one unauthorized NFC tag emitting a radio frequency (RF) signal applied on or near the display or the structure; and

where the at least one authorized NFC tag is programed with information about a surface of the display and has authorized radio frequency identification (RFID) device properties to function on the surface and the at least one unauthorized NFC tag without the information about the surface of the display does not provide intended communication capabilities;

the NFC controller interrogating an area including the display and the structure to detect whether the at least one unauthorized NFC tag is present; and

an alarm to signal the presence of the at least one unauthorized NFC tag and selects an action or set of actions to perform based on results from interrogating the area.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein the area extends past a physical boundary of the display.

3. The security system of claim 1, wherein the area corresponds to a size of the display.

4. The security system of claim 1, wherein the security system further includes the antenna that follows an outside perimeter of the display.

5. The security system of claim 4, wherein the antenna is an inductive coil antenna.

6. The security system of claim 1, further comprising magnetic probes positioned on the display.

7. The security system of claim 1, wherein the security system scans the at least one unauthorized NFC tag and overwrites the at least one unauthorized NFC tag.

8. The security system of claim 1, wherein the security system disables a functionality of the at least one unauthorized NFC tag.

9. The security system of claim 1, wherein the display is a smart poster.

10. The security system of claim 9, wherein the smart poster includes a low power receiver.

11. The security system of claim 1, wherein the at least one authorized NFC tag is designed for a loaded resonant frequency that can compensate for the at least one unauthorized NFC tag.

12. A security system for detecting unauthorized near field communication (NFC) tags, comprising:

a NFC radio detection system having a NFC controller with scanning or interrogating abilities, where scanning is operated by polling or triggered by conditional rules;

a structure for housing the NFC radio detection system and at least one authorized NFC tag;

a display provided on the structure and containing the at least one authorized NFC tag;

at least one unauthorized NFC tag emitting a radio frequency (RF) signal applied on or near the display or the structure, and the at least one authorized NFC tag is designed for a loaded resonant frequency that can compensate for the at least one unauthorized NFC tag; and

where the at least one authorized NFC tag is programed with information about a surface of the display and the at least one unauthorized NFC tag without the information about the surface of the display does not provide intended communication capabilities;

the NFC controller interrogating an area including the display and the structure to detect whether the at least one unauthorized NFC tag is present;

magnetic probes positioned on the display; and

an alarm to signal the presence of the at least one unauthorized NFC tag to perform based on results from interrogating the area.