Radio frequency identification system with device for protecting privacy and method of operation
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for protecting a user from privacy invasion via RFID tags, the apparatus comprising:
- a controller; and
at least one transceiver coupled to the controller, wherein the at least one transceiver has sufficient sensitivity to detect a scan signal from a RFID reader before one or more RFID devices possessed by the user can detect the scan signal, and wherein the controller is adapted to control the at least one transceiver to detect the one or more RFID devices possessed by the user and to selectively generate a masking signal in response to detection of the scan signal, wherein said masking signal prevents scanning of said one or more RFID devices by said first RFID device.
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Abstract
An RFID system (100) includes an RFID privacy protection device (126) that keeps track of RFID tags possessed by a user, senses nearby RFID scanners (110, 112, 124) and limits the communication between the nearby RFID scanners and the RFID tags to what is necessary to accomplish the function of the RFID system by selectively generating a masking signal.
42 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus for protecting a user from privacy invasion via RFID tags, the apparatus comprising:
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a controller; and
at least one transceiver coupled to the controller, wherein the at least one transceiver has sufficient sensitivity to detect a scan signal from a RFID reader before one or more RFID devices possessed by the user can detect the scan signal, and wherein the controller is adapted to control the at least one transceiver to detect the one or more RFID devices possessed by the user and to selectively generate a masking signal in response to detection of the scan signal, wherein said masking signal prevents scanning of said one or more RFID devices by said first RFID device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for protecting a user from privacy invasion via RFID tags, the apparatus comprising:
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a controller; and
at least one transceiver coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is adapted to control the at least one transceiver to read one or more RFID devices possessed by the user and to selectively generate a masking signal in response to detection of an RFID reader scan signal if all of the one or more RFID devices possessed by the user are owned by the user, wherein said masking signal prevents scanning of said one or more RFID devices owned by the user by said RFID reader.
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8. An RFID system comprising:
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a plurality of RFID item tags each of which includes identifying information, wherein each of said plurality of RFID item tags is adapted to communicate said identifying information;
one or more RFID readers adapted to interrogate said plurality of RFID item tags and receive said identifying information; and
an RFID privacy protection device adapted to communicate with a set of RFID items tags possessed by a user and to determine ownership of at least a subset of said set of RFID item tags, and to generate a masking signal to prevent communication of said identifying information of said set of RFID items, if each of said set of RFID item tags is owned by said user. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of operating an RFID privacy protection device, the method comprising:
checking for a first active RFID reader;
in the case that the first active RFID reader is found;
if all of the one or more RFID item tags possessed by the user are owned by the user, generating a masking signal to prevent scanning of RFID item tags possessed by the user by the first active RFID reader. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
Specification