Authenticating an RF transaction using a transaction counter

• US 7,705,732 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xatra Fund MX LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Saunders, Peter D, Bishop, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/905,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.4, 340/5.2, 340/5.1, 340/5.6, 340/5.61, 340/5.51, 340/5.81, 340/5.8, 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 235/375, 235/380, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/454, 235/439, 705/35, 705/39, 705/44, 705/50, 705/64, 705/16, 705/22
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A system and method for securing a Radio Frequency (RF) transaction using a RF identification device (RFID) transaction device is provided. RFID transaction device includes a transactions counter for tallying the number of transactions attempted or completed with the RFID transactions device. Counter value is used to create a RFID device authentication tag for use in validating the RFID device. A RFID reader, interacting with the RFID device, provides a random number to the RFID device which may be used in the RFID device authentication tag creation and validation. RFID reader may also use counter value and random number to create a RFID reader authentication key useful for validating RFID reader. RFID transaction device may include an encryption key for creating RFID transaction device authentication tag. Likewise, RFID reader may include a RFID reader encryption key for creating RFID reader authentication tag.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an authentication request from a radio frequency (RF) transaction device, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, and wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device;

denying the authentication request in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value; and

disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication request further comprises at least one of an RF transaction device authentication tag, an account issuer routing number, or an encrypted transaction device identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an interrogation signal to the RF transaction device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the authentication request to a transaction processing entity; and

receiving a denial message from the transaction processing entity in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presetting the total transactions counted value to an initial count value;

setting an increment value for the total transactions counted value; and

setting the maximum transactions counted value.

6. A radio frequency (RF) reader, comprising:

means for receiving an authentication request from an RF transaction device, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, and wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device;

means for denying the authentication request in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value; and

means for disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

7. The (RF) reader of claim 6, further comprising:

means for receiving an RF transaction device authentication tag from the RF transaction device; and

means for decrypting the RF transaction device authentication tag in order to authenticate the RF transaction device.

8. The (RF) reader of claim 7, further comprising:

means for producing an (RF) reader authentication tag using at least one of a RF transaction device authentication tag, a transaction account number, a random number, or the total transactions counted value, and an RF transaction device encryption key; and

means for converting at least one of the RF transaction device authentication tag, the transaction account number, the random number, the total transactions counted value, or the RF transaction device encryption key to a merchant point of sale recognizable format.

9. The (RF) reader of claim 6, further comprising:

means for receiving an encrypted transaction device identifier from the RF transaction device; and

means for decrypting the encrypted transaction device identifier in order to authenticate the RF transaction device.

10. A transaction processing entity, comprising:

means for receiving an authentication request from a radio frequency (RF) reader, wherein the authentication request is initiated by an RF transaction device, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, and wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device;

means for denying the authentication request in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value; and

means for disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

11. The transaction processing entity of claim 10, wherein the authentication request further comprises at least one of an RF reader authentication tag, an RF transaction device authentication tag, or an encrypted transaction device identifier.

12. The transaction processing entity of claim 10, further comprising means for validating the RF transaction device in accordance with an RF transaction device authentication tag.

13. The transaction processing entity of claim 10, further comprising means for evaluating validity of the RF reader in accordance with an RF reader authentication tag.

14. The transaction processing entity of claim 10, further comprising:

means for locating an RF reader encryption key using a merchant point of sale identifier, rehashing from an RF reader authentication tag, a transaction account number, the total transactions counted value, a random number, and an RF transaction device authentication tag using the RF reader encryption key;

means for verifying the RF transaction device using a corresponding RF transaction device encryption key;

means for verifying the total transactions counted value; and

means for processing the authentication request where the RF reader authentication tag, RF transaction device authentication tag, and total transactions counted value are verified.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving an authentication request from a radio frequency (RF) reader, wherein the authentication request is initiated by an RF transaction device, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, and wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device;

denying the authentication request in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value; and

disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

16. A method, comprising:

transmitting an authentication request to a radio frequency (RF) reader, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with an RF transaction device, and wherein the authentication request is denied in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value;

incrementing, at the RF transaction device, the total transactions counted value; and

disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising incrementing the total transactions counted value by a selected value.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising incrementing the total transactions .counted value in response to at least one of receiving an interrogation signal, transmitting data, or completing an RF transaction.

19. A radio frequency (RF) transaction device, comprising:

means for transmitting an authentication request to an RF reader, the authentication request comprising a total transactions counted value, wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device, and wherein the authentication request is denied in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value;

means for incrementing, at the RF transaction device, the total transactions counted value; and

means for disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

20. The RF transaction device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for storing at least one of a transaction account number, a transaction account expiration date, or an RF transaction device encryption key;

means for receiving a random number and producing an RF transaction device authentication tag using at least one of the transaction account number, the transaction account expiration date, the RF transaction device encryption key, the random number, or the total transactions counted value; and

means for transmitting at least one of the RF transaction device authentication tag, the RF transaction device encryption key, the random number, or the total transactions counted value to the (RF) reader.

21. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving an authentication request from a radio frequency (RF) transaction device, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, and wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device;

denying the authentication request in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value; and

disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

22. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving an authentication request from a radio frequency (RF) reader, wherein the authentication request is initiated by an RF transaction device, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, and wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with the RF transaction device;

denying the authentication request in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value; and

disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.

23. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

transmitting an authentication request to a radio frequency (RF) reader, wherein the authentication request comprises a total transactions counted value, wherein the total transactions counted value represents a number of transactions associated with an RF transaction device, and wherein the authentication request is denied in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding a maximum transactions counted value;

incrementing, at the RF transaction device, the total transactions counted value; and

disabling the RF transaction device in response to the total transactions counted value exceeding the maximum transactions counted value.