Method and electronic terminal for rfid tag type encryption

• US 20070165861A1
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Schetelig, Markus, Kuhl, Carmen, Soehner, Jens-Uwe
• Application Number:
  US10/572,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165861A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for identifying the type of an RFID tag, comprising the steps of receiving encrypted data from said RFID tag, decrypting said data by at least one decryption method, evaluating if said data has been correctly decrypted by said at least one decryption method, and in case said at least one decryption method has succeeded in decrypting said data, deriving a tag type from said decryption method. Further there is disclosed a device for identifying the type of an RFID tag, comprising a radio frequency identification tag reader for receiving data from a radio frequency identification tag, a decryptor for decrypting said data by at least one decryption method, the decryptor being suitable to evaluate if said data has been correctly decrypted by said at least one decryption method, and a data processing unit suitable to derive a tag type from said at least one decryption method and to generate a corresponding output. Also there is disclosed a device for identifying the type of an RFID tag, containing encrypted data, and comprising a transmitter for sending said data to a radio frequency identification tag reader, characterized in that said encrypted data contains an indication of the type of radio frequency identification tag.

Claims

1. Method for identifying the type of an RFID tag, comprising the steps:

receiving encrypted data from said RFID tag;

decrypting said data by at least one decryption method;

evaluating if said data has been correctly decrypted by said at least one decryption method;

in case said at least one decryption method has succeeded in decrypting said data, deriving a tag type from said decryption method.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said encrypted data is requested by sending an interrogation signal.

3. Software tool comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for carrying out the method of anyone of the preceding claims when said software tool is run on a computer or network device.

4. Computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for carrying out the method of anyone of the preceding claims when said program product is run on a computer or network device.

5. Computer program product comprising program code, downloadable from a server for carrying out the method of anyone of the preceding claims when said program product is run on a computer or network device.

6. Computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a program that instructs a computer to perform the steps of the method of anyone of the preceding claims.

7. Electronic terminal (2), comprising a radio frequency identification tag reader (12) for receiving data from a radio frequency identification tag, a decryptor (14) for decrypting said data by at least one decryption method, the decryptor (14) being suitable to evaluate if said data has been correctly decrypted by said at least one decryption method, and a data processing unit (16) suitable to derive a tag type from said at least one decryption method and to generate a corresponding output.

8. Electronic terminal (2;

2′

) according to claim 7, wherein said electronic terminal (2;

2′

) also comprises a transmitter (4;

4′

) for sending an interrogation signal to a radio frequency identification tag (6).

9. Electronic terminal (2;

2′

) according to anyone of claims 7 to 8, wherein said electronic terminal (2;

2′

) is a mobile terminal device.

10. Electronic terminal according to anyone of claims 7 to 9, wherein said electronic terminal is enabled to communicate via a public land mobile network.

11. Radio frequency identification tag (6), containing encrypted data, and comprising a transmitter (8) for sending said data to a radio frequency identification tag reader, characterized in that said encrypted data contains an indication of the type of radio frequency identification tag (6).

12. Radio frequency identification tag (6) according to claim 11, wherein said radio frequency identification tag (6) also comprises a receiver (10) for receiving interrogation signals from a radio frequency identification tag reader (12).