Radio frequency identification system with privacy policy implementation based on device classification

• US 7,298,243 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RSA Security Incorporated (Symphony Technology Group LLC)
• Inventors: Juels, Ari, Brainard, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/915,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20050099268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.32, 340/10.4, 340/572.1, 340/572.4
• US Class Current: 340/10.4
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10019 resolving collision on the communication channels between simultaneously or concurrently interrogated record carriers. collision between the communication channels used by wireless communication devices, where the solution is not particularly adapted for RFIDs or the like, H04W74/08

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for use in an RFID system comprising a plurality of RFID devices and at least one reader which communicates with one or more of the devices. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, identifiers transmitted by the RFID devices are received by the reader. The system determines a classification of at least one of the received identifiers, and implements a privacy policy for data associated with one or more of the received identifiers based at least in part on the determined classification. For example, the given RFID device may be configurable into at least a first state indicative of a first classification, such as a private classification, and a second state indicative of a second classification, such as a public classification. The reader may alter a type of query that it issues based at least in part on the determined classification. Alternatively or additionally, response by the given RFID device to a query received from the reader may be conditioned on the state of the RFID device. The reader may be configured, dynamically or otherwise, so as to issue queries causing such selective responses by the RFID devices.

Claims

1. A method for use in an RFID system comprising a plurality of RFID devices and at least one reader which communicates with one or more of the devices, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving identifiers transmitted by the RFID devices;

determining a classification of at least one of the received identifiers; and

implementing a privacy policy for data associated with one or more of the received identifiers based at least in part on the determined classification;

wherein if a given one of the received identifiers is determined to have a classification of a specified type, the privacy policy implemented for data associated with another of the received identifiers is altered based on that determination.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data associated with a given received identifier comprises the identifier itself.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the classification of a given received identifier is determined from at least a portion of the identifier itself.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the classification of a given received identifier is determined by utilizing the identifier to perform a lookup operation in a database.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier of a given RFID device is controllable between at least a first state indicative of a first classification and a second state indicative of a second classification.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first classification comprises a private device classification and the second classification comprises a public device classification.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the reader alters a type of query that it issues based at least in part on the determined classification.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a given RFID device can be classified as either a blocker device, a private device or a public device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein if the received identifiers include at least one identifier which is classified as corresponding to a blocker device, the implementing step operates such that only data associated with identifiers of public devices is distributed to a designated data processing element of the system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein if the received identifiers do not include at least one identifier which is classified as corresponding to a blocker device, the implementing step operates such that data associated with identifiers of public devices is distributed to a designated data processing element of the system and data associated with identifiers of private devices is distributed to the designated data processing element.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a given RFID device can be classified as either an unblocker device, a private device or a public device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein if the received identifiers include at least one identifier which is classified as corresponding to an unblocker device, the implementing step operates such that data associated with identifiers of public devices is distributed to a designated data processing element of the system and data associated with identifiers of private devices is distributed to the designated data processing element.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein if the received identifiers do not include at least one identifier which is classified as corresponding to an unblocker device, the implementing step operates such that only data associated with identifiers of public devices is distributed to a designated data processing element of the system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a classification of the identifier of a given RFID device is changed from a first classification to a second classification under designated conditions.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the given RFID device is attached to a purchasable item, and the classification of its identifier is changed from a public device classification to a private device classification in conjunction with a purchase of the item.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the implementing step operates such that only a designated portion of the data associated with the received identifiers is distributed to a designated data processing element of the system, the designated portion being a function of the determined classifications.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the data processing element of the system comprises a back-end application of the system.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the reader is configured to transmit information specifying a particular privacy policy implemented in the system for device data obtained by the reader.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy policy is implemented in a privacy agent of the system, the privacy agent comprising a database, a classification engine and a data filter.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the database comprises a set {T_i,S_i}_i=1ⁿof device identifiers T_i and additional associated data S_i.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the classification engine comprises an algorithm that takes as input a set of identifiers {T_i}_i=1^m and additional associated data {D_i}_i=1^mreleased by the RFID devices upon query by the reader, and outputs particular classifications of the identifiers {T_i}_i=1^m.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the data filter takes as input a set of identifiers {T_i}_i=1^m and additional associated data {D_i}_i=1^m released by the RFID devices upon query by the reader, obtains corresponding classifications from the classification engine, and outputs filtered data according to the privacy policy.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the privacy policy is implemented at least in part utilizing a reader driver, the reader driver interacting with the reader to indicate to the reader particular portions of a device identifier space that the reader should scan, the device identifier space comprising the identifiers of the plurality of RFID devices.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the device identifier space comprises a plurality of zones Z={Z₀, Z₁, . . . , Z_m}, and the interaction between the reader and the reader driver comprises the steps of:

the reader scanning device identifiers in Z₀ and transmitting associated data to the reader driver;

the reader driver utilizing the associated data to determine the privacy policy; and

the reader driver communicating to the reader information identifying at least a particular subset Zε

Z of zones that the reader is permitted to scan in accordance with the privacy policy.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein an auditing device of the system is operative to determine whether or not a given reader is adhering to the privacy policy.

26. The method of claim 7 wherein if the received identifiers include at least one identifier having a first classification, the reader issues a query that requests a response from only those RFID devices whose identifiers have a second classification.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein if the received identifiers do not include at least one identifier having the first classification, the reader issues a query that requests a response from one or more RFID devices without regard to the classification of their identifiers.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the reader is configured to issue a query for which a corresponding response by a given one of the RFID devices is conditioned on information stored in the given RFID device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the stored information comprises a privacy bit controllable between a first state indicative of a private classification and a second state indicative of a public classification.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the reader is configured to issue a private read command which requests responses from only those RFID devices having a privacy bit in the first state.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the reader is configured to issue a public read command which requests responses from only those RFID devices having a privacy bit in the second state.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the reader is configured to issue a general read command which requests responses from all the RFID devices without regard to the states of their privacy bits.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein reader configuration can be changed dynamically.

34. An apparatus for use in an RFID system comprising a plurality of RFID devices and at least one reader which communicates with one or more of the devices, the apparatus comprising:

an RFID device configurable into at least a first state indicative of a first classification and a second state indicative of a second classification;

wherein the system upon receipt of identifiers transmitted by the RFID devices is operative to determine a classification of at least one of the received identifiers, and to implement a privacy policy for data associated with one or more of the received identifiers based at least in part on the determined classification; and

wherein if a given one of the received identifiers is determined to have a classification of a specified type, the privacy policy implemented for data associated with another of the received identifiers is altered based on that determination.

35. An apparatus for use in an RFID system comprising a plurality of RFID devices and at least one reader which communicates with one or more of the devices, the apparatus comprising:

an RFID device configurable into at least a first state indicative of a first classification and a second state indicative of a second classification;

the RFID device being further configured to receive from the reader a query for which response by the RFID device is conditioned on the state of the RFID device;

the system thereby implementing a privacy policy for data associated with one or more RFID device identifiers received by the reader, based at least in part on one or more classifications determined for the one or more received identifiers;

wherein if a given one of the received identifiers is determined to have a classification of a specified type, the privacy policy implemented for data associated with another of the received identifiers is altered based on that determination.

36. An RFID system comprising:

at least one RFID device; and

at least one reader which communicates with the RFID device;

the reader receiving an identifier transmitted by the RFID device;

the system being operative to determine a classification of the received identifier, and to implement a privacy policy for data associated with the received identifier based at least in part on the determined classification;

wherein if a given one of the received identifiers is determined to have a classification of a specified type, the privacy policy implemented for data associated with another of the received identifiers is altered based on that determination.

37. A method for use in an RFID system comprising a plurality of RFID devices and at least one reader which communicates with one or more of the devices, the method comprising the step of:

configuring a given one of the RFID devices in one of at least a first state indicative of a first classification and a second state indicative of a second classification;

wherein response by the given RFID device to a query received from the reader is conditioned on the state of the RFID device;

the system thereby implementing a privacy policy for data associated with one or more RFID device identifiers received by the reader, based at least in part on one or more classifications determined for the one or more received identifiers;

wherein if a given one of the received identifiers is determined to have a classification of a specified type, the privacy policy implemented for data associated with another of the received identifiers is altered based on that determination.