SECURITY-ENHANCED RFID SYSTEM

• US 20090214038A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Redbite Solutions Limited
• Original Assignee: Redbite Solutions Limited
• Inventors: Xing, Da, McFarlane, Duncan, Wong, Chien Yaw
• Application Number:
  US12/091,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20090214038A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to RFID systems. In particular, the invention relates to an RFID system having enhanced security of communication between a tag and a tag reader. In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an RFID system comprising at least one RFID reader; control means for communicating with an RFID tag by public-key encryption via said reader; at least one RFID tag adapted to encrypt a response to a transmission by a reader using a public-key transmitted to the tag; unauthorised broadcast detection means for detecting a broadcast made by an unauthorised reader; and alert means for providing an alert in the event a broadcast by an unauthorised reader is detected.

Claims

1. An RFID system comprising:

at least one RFID reader;

control means for communicating with an RFID tag by public-key encryption via said reader;

at least one RFID tag adapted to encrypt a response to a transmission by a reader using a public-key transmitted to the tag;

unauthorised broadcast detection means for detecting a broadcast made by an unauthorised reader; and

alert means for providing an alert in the event a broadcast by an unauthorised reader is detected.

2. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises key generator means for generating a new public-key/private-key pair for said public key encryption.

3. The RFID system of claim 2 wherein said key generator means is adapted to generate said new public-key/private-key pair for each transmission by a reader.

4. The RFID system of claim 2 wherein said key generator means is adapted to generate said new public-key/private-key pair at random intervals of time.

5. The RFID system of claim 2 wherein said key generator means is adapted to generate said new public-key/private-key pair at predetermined intervals of time.

6. The RFID system of claim 2 wherein said key is further adapted to generate said new public-key/private-key pair in response to an external trigger.

7. The RFID system of claim 2 wherein an RFID reader is adapted to transmit said public-key of said new public-key/private-key pair to a tag.

8. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the unauthorised broadcast detection means comprises means for determining whether a received RF broadcast comprises a public-key that does not correspond to a public key stored in the RFID system.

9. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the unauthorised broadcast detection means comprises means for determining whether a received RF broadcast is encrypted according to a public-key that does not correspond to a public key stored in the RFID system.

10. The RFID system of claim 9 wherein the step of determining whether a received RF broadcast is encrypted according to a public-key that does not correspond to a public key stored in the RFID system comprises means for attempting to decrypt said RF broadcast received, and means for determining whether said attempt was successful.

11. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the system is adapted further provided with locating means for detecting a location of an unauthorised reader.

12. The RFID system of claim 11 wherein the locating means is triggered by said alert.

13. The RFID system of claim 11, wherein the unauthorised broadcast detecting means is adapted to detect a broadcast made by an unauthorised reader and also to detect a response made thereto by a tag, and wherein the locating means determines a location of the unauthorised reader by reference to a known location of an authorised reader that would elicit the same response from the tag.

14. The RFID system of claim 11, wherein the unauthorised broadcast detecting means is adapted to detect a broadcast made by an unauthorised reader with a particular public key and also to detect an encrypted response made thereto by a tag, and wherein the locating means triggers a broadcast query using the particular public key and then determines a location of the unauthorised reader by reference to a known location of an authorised reader that would elicit the same encrypted response from the tag.

15. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an RFID tag, the tag being adapted to communicate with said at least one reader by public-key encryption.

16. The RFID system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises at least two RFID readers that communicate with each other by way of public key encryption.

17. The RFID system of any claim 1, further adapted to communicate with another RFID reader, system of readers, or communications device.

18. A method of communication between at least one RFID reader and at least one RFID tag of an RFID system according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

a. providing a public-key/private-key pair to a controller;

b. transmitting a message comprising said public-key from said at least one RFID reader to said at least one RFID tag;

c. receiving a reply from said at least one tag encrypted according to said public-key; and

d. decrypting said reply from said tag,

wherein the method further comprises the steps of

e. monitoring RFID transmissions in an area; and

f. detecting a broadcast by an unauthorised reader; and

g. providing an alert in the event a transmission is detected by an unauthorised RFID reader.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of generating a new public-key/private-key pair at predetermined intervals of time, to be provided to said controller.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of generating a new public-key/private-key pair at random intervals of time, to be provided to said controller.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein step (a) further comprises the step of generating a new public-key/private-key pair prior to each transmission by a reader.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein step (a) comprises the step of generating a new public-key/private-key pair in response to an external trigger.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting a broadcast by an unauthorised reader further comprises the step of determining whether a received RF broadcast comprises a public-key that does not correspond to a public-key stored in the RFID system.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of detecting a broadcast by an unauthorised reader further comprises the step of determining whether a received RF broadcast is encrypted according to a public-key that does not correspond to a public-key stored in the RFID system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of determining whether a received RF broadcast is encrypted according to a public-key that does not correspond to a public key stored in the RFID system comprises the step of making an attempt to decrypt said RF broadcast received, and determining whether said attempt was successful.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of detecting a location of the unauthorised reader.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein detection of the location of the unauthorised reader is triggered by said alert.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein a broadcast made by the unauthorised reader and also a response made thereto by a tag are detected, and wherein the location of the unauthorised reader is determined by reference to a known location of an authorised reader that would elicit the same response from the tag.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein a broadcast made by an unauthorised reader with a particular public key and an encrypted response made thereto by a tag are detected, and wherein a broadcast query is subsequently transmitted using the particular public key and the location of the unauthorised reader is determined by reference to a known location of an authorised reader that would elicit the same encrypted response from the tag.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step of communicating with another RFID reader, system of readers, or communications device.

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)