SEAMLESS RFID TAG SECURITY SYSTEM

• US 20070206797A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GSI Group Corporation (Novanta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SkyeTek, Inc. (RFID Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Christopher, Chakraborty, Sayan, Shah, Vikram
• Application Number:
  US11/307,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206797A1
• 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 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys

Abstract

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) security system having a client, that includes a computerized system, at least one RFID tag, and a RFID reader. The computerized system and RFID reader employ a first security protocol and the RFID reader and RFID tags employ a second security protocol for communications. The security protocols permit encryption and/or authentication, and use either the same key exchange algorithms, the same encryption algorithms, and/or related keys to provide seamless communications within the RFID security system.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) security system, comprising:

a client that includes a computerized system;

at least one RFID tag;

a RFID reader;

wherein;

said computerized system and said RFID reader employ a first security protocol to communicate;

said RFID reader and said RFID tag employ a second security protocol to communicate;

said first security protocol and said second security protocol enable use of at least one member of the set consisting of encryption and authentication, thereby providing security for communications within the RFID security system; and

said first security protocol and said second security protocol both use at least one member of the set consisting of same key exchange algorithms, same encryption algorithms, and related keys, thereby providing seamless communications within the RFID security system.

2. The RFID security system of claim 1, wherein said RFID reader includes a cache to store at least one member of the set consisting of commands for said RFID tag received from said computerized system, data for said RFID tag received from said computerized system, and data for said computerized system received from said RFID tag.

3. The RFID security system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first security protocol and said second security protocol uses secure sockets layer (SSL)-protocol.

4. The RFID security system of claim 1, wherein said first security protocol and said second security protocol additionally provide auditing of communications within the RFID security system.

5. A method for providing secured communications in a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, between a computerized system and at least one RFID tag, via a RFID reader, the method comprising:

(a) establishing a network link between the computerized system and the RFID reader, wherein said network link employs a first security protocol;

(b) establishing a radio frequency (RF) link between the RFID reader and the RFID tag, wherein said RF link employs a second security protocol, the first security protocol and the second security protocol both using at least one member of a first set consisting of same key exchange algorithms, same encryption algorithms, and related keys; and

(c) communicating, between the computerized system and the RFID tag, at least one member of a second set consisting of commands for the RFID tag from the computerized system, data for the RFID tag from the computerized system, and data for the computerized system from the RFID tag, using the first security protocol and the second security protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing step (a) occur prior to step (b), and caching at least one member of the set consisting of at least one said command for the RFID tag from the computerized system, and an instance of said data for the RFID tag from the computerized system.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing step (b) occur prior to step (a), and caching an instance of said data for the computerized system from the RFID tag.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of step (a) and step (b) uses secure sockets layer (SSL).

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said first security protocol and said second security protocol use said related keys wherein the relationship between the related keys is that one key is a salted hash of the other key.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein step (c) includes at least one member of a third set consisting of encrypting the second set and authenticating the second set using a member of said first set.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein step (c) includes auditing transactions across at least one of said network link and said RF link.

12. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) security system, comprising:

a computerized processing means to process communications within said RFID security system;

at least one RFID tag means for performing at least one member of a first set consisting of receiving and performing a command, receiving and employing an instance of received data, and transmitting an instance of transmitted data;

RFID reader means for engaging in client communications with said computerized processing means with respect to at least one member of said first set;

said RFID reader means further for engaging in tag communications with said at least one RFID tag means with respect to at least one member of said first set;

said computerized processing means and said RFID reader means employing a first security protocol for said client communications;

said RFID reader means and said RFID tag means employing a second security protocol for said tag communications; and

wherein, said first security protocol and said second security protocol permit at least one member of the set consisting of encryption and authentication; and

wherein, said first security protocol and said second security protocol both use at least one member of the set consisting of same key exchange algorithms, same encryption algorithms, and related keys, thereby providing seamless communications within the RFID security system.

13. The RFID security system of claim 12, wherein said RFID reader means includes a cache to store at least one member of the set consisting of said client communications and said tag communications.

14. The RFID security system of claim 12, wherein at least one of said first security protocol and said second security protocol uses secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol.

15. The RFID security system of claim 12, wherein said first security protocol and said second security protocol additionally provide auditing of the communications within the RFID security system.