METHOD OF MIGRATING RFID TRANSPONDERS IN SITU

• US 20070174907A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: Assa Abloy Identification Technology Group AB (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Davis, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for updating secure access credentials are provided. More specifically, data from one or more RFID credentials can be read and subsequently written to one of the original RFID credentials reducing multiple RFID credentials to a single credential. The RFID transponder on the credential that has new data written thereon does not necessarily need to have the same functionality as the RFID transponder on the other RFID credentials that was read.

Claims

1. A method of updating an access control system, comprising:

reading data from a first RFID credential that utilizes a first set of characteristics to communicate with RFID readers;

changing at least one characteristic of said data such that at least one characteristic in the first set of characteristics changes, resulting in a second set of characteristics; and

writing the data with the second set of characteristics back to the first RFID such that the first RFID utilizes the second set of characteristics to communicate with RFID readers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one changed characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

format and data content, frequency, modulation method, passwords, security keys, encryption algorithms, and digital certificates.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one changed characteristic comprises format and wherein the format of the data changes from a first modulation method to a second different modulation method.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first modulation method comprises one of Amplitude Shift Key (ASK), Frequency Shift Key (FSK), Phase Shift Key (PSK), Manchester, Biphase, Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM), Return-to-Zero (RZ), and Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) and wherein the second modulation method comprises a different one of ASK, FSK, PSK, Manchester, Biphase, PCM, RZ, and NRZ.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of characteristics cause the first RFID to utilize a first carrier frequency and the second set of characteristics cause the first RFID to utilize a second carrier frequency, and wherein the first and second carrier frequencies are different.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of characteristics correspond to a data format used by a first manufacturer and the second set of characteristics correspond to a data format used by a second different manufacturer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading data from a second RFID credential that utilizes a third set of characteristics to communicate with RFID readers;

changing the data from the second RFID credential such that at least one characteristic in the third set of characteristics changes, resulting in the second set of characteristics;

combining the changed data from the second RFID credential with the changed data from the first RFID credential; and

writing the combined data with the second set of characteristics back to the first RFID.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and third set of characteristics have at least one characteristic that differs between them.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the read data into a portion of memory;

extracting the data from the memory into fields; and

reformatting the data in each field to match the second set of characteristics.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fields comprise at least one of card number, site code, manufacturer data, and user data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising comparing known data for a field with reformatted data from the corresponding field.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising reprogramming the first RFID credential with a password upon writing the data to the first RFID credential.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reading data from a second credential that utilizes a third set of characteristics to communicate with credential readers;

changing the data from the second credential such that at least one characteristic in the third set of characteristics changes, resulting in the second set of characteristics; and

writing the changed data from the second credential to the first RFID credential.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second credential comprises an RFID credential.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second credential comprises a non-RF enabled machine-readable credential.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the first RFID credential within proximity of an RFID device that will change the data;

waiting for completion of the writing step; and

distributing the first RFID credential after it has been rewritten.

17. A device for updating one or more RFID credentials, comprising:

a reader portion utilizing a first set of characteristics for reading data from a first RFID credential;

a processor operable to alter characteristics of the data such that at least one characteristic in the first set of characteristics alters, resulting in a second set of characteristics; and

a writer portion utilizing a second set of characteristics to write the altered data with the second set of characteristics back to the first RFID such that the first RFID utilizes the second set of characteristics to communicate with RFID readers.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a data rewrite application stored on a data storage, wherein the processor utilizes the data rewrite application to alter the characteristics from the first set of characteristics to the second set of characteristics.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the reader portion comprises a plurality of format modules each capable of reading data from an RFID credential using a different set of characteristics.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the writer portion comprises a plurality of format modules each capable of writing data to an RFID credential using a different set of characteristics.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least one altered characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

format, frequency, and modulation method.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the at least one altered characteristic comprises format and wherein the format of the data changes from a first modulation method to a second different modulation method.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the first modulation method comprises one of Amplitude Shift Key (ASK), Frequency Shift Key (FSK), Phase Shift Key (PSK), Manchester, Biphase, Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM), Return-to-Zero (RZ), and Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) and wherein the second modulation method comprises a different one of ASK, FSK, PSK, Manchester, Biphase, PCM, RZ, and NRZ.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the first set of characteristics cause the first RFID to utilize a first carrier frequency and the second set of characteristics cause the first RFID to utilize a second carrier frequency, and wherein the first and second carrier frequencies are different.

25. The device of claim 17, wherein the first set of characteristics correspond to a data format used by a first manufacturer and the second set of characteristics correspond to a data format used by a second different manufacturer.

26. The device of claim 17, wherein the reader portion and the writer portion are located within a common housing.

27. The device of claim 17, further comprising a portion of memory capable of temporarily storing the read data while the processor alters the first set of characteristics.

28. A system for updating one or more RFID credentials, comprising:

at least one reader capable of utilizing a first set of characteristics to read data from a first RFID credential;

a processor for changing characteristics of the read data such that at least one characteristic in the first set of characteristics changes, resulting in a second set of characteristics; and

at least one writer capable of utilizing a second set of characteristics to write the changed data with the second set of characteristics back to the first RFID such that the first RFID utilizes the second set of characteristics to communicate with RFID readers.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one reader and writer are associated with different housings.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one reader and writer communicate with each other using at least one of serial asynchronous communications, I2C, SPI, Wiegand, clock and data, Bluetooth, ZigBee, infrared light, visible light, and magnetic communication methods.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one reader and writer are connected in one of a bus, daisy chain, star, and point-to-point configuration.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one reader comprises a reader capable of reading a non-RF based credential and wherein the at least one writer comprises a writer capable writing data with changed characteristics back to the non-RF based credential.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the at least one changed characteristic comprises one or more of the following:

format, frequency, and modulation method.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one changed characteristic comprises format and wherein the format of the data changes from a first modulation method to a second different modulation method.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the first modulation method comprises one of Amplitude Shift Key (ASK), Frequency Shift Key (FSK), Phase Shift Key (PSK), Manchester, Biphase, Pulse-Code Modulation (PCM), Return-to-Zero (RZ), and Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) and wherein the second modulation method comprises a different one of ASK, FSK, PSK, Manchester, Biphase, PCM, RZ, and NRZ.