Process for deterring the theft of notes, note, corresponding inactivation device and activation device

• US 7,800,502 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banks And Acquirers International Holding
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Industrielle et Financiere D'Ingenierie "Ingenico"
• Inventors: Naccache, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/924,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.86, 3405681-5729, 340 101- 105
• US Class Current: 340/572.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/01 Testing electronic circuits therein
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

A process is provided for deterring the theft of notes equipped with a radio-tag type authenticity check element, capable of returning an item of authenticity information, in response to an authentication request emitted by a check device. Such a process includes the following steps: transmission to the check element of at least one inactivation code, rendering the note invalid; storage and/or transport of the invalid note; and reactivation of the check element, using at least one activation code, depending on the inactivation code, rendering the note valid.

Claims

1. A process for deterring the theft of at least one note equipped with a radio-tag type authenticity check element, which returns an item of authenticity information, in response to an authentication request emitted by a check device, wherein said process comprises the following steps:

transmission to said check element of at least one inactivation request, rendering said check element inactivated and said note invalid;

delivery from said note of at least one activation code or at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed;

secured transmission of said at least one activation code or said at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed, to an activation device;

at least one step of storage or transport of said invalid note;

re-activation of said check element by said activation device, using at least said one activation code, rendering said note valid.

2. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 1, wherein said secured transmission step is carried out via Internet.

3. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 1, wherein said inactivation request comprises at least one inactivation code, stored by said note upon receipt of said inactivation request, and wherein said activation code is a function of said inactivation code.

4. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 1, wherein at least one of said activation code or an inactivation code are obtained using an algorithm belonging to a group comprising:

numbering algorithms;

MAC type algorithms;

hash algorithms.

5. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 1, wherein said notes may adopt at least two states belonging to a group comprising:

an active state, in which a note returns an item of authenticity information, in response to an authentication request;

an inactive state, in which a note does not return a response, following an authentication request, or delivers a non-authenticity response.

6. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 5, wherein, when said note is in the active state, said note responds to at least one request belonging to a group comprising:

an authentication request;

an inactivation request.

7. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 5, when said note equipped with said check element is in the active state and receives an inactivation request, wherein said process comprises an inhibition step, by said check element, of the capacity to respond to an authentication request, leading to a switching of said note to the inactive state.

8. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 6, when said note equipped with said check element is in the active state and receives an inactivation request, wherein said process comprises an inhibition step, by said check element, of the capacity to respond to an authentication request, leading to a switching of said note to the inactive state.

9. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 5, wherein, when said note is in the inactive state and receives an activation request, comprising at least one activation code, the process comprises the following steps:

verification of the validity of said activation code received depending on at least one of said activation code delivered by said note or an inactivation code, and delivery of an item of validity information, either positive or negative, for the re-activation;

switching of said note to the active state, if said validity information is positive.

10. The process for deterring the theft of notes of claim 6, wherein, when said note is in the inactive state and receives an activation request, comprising at least one activation code, the process comprises the following steps:

verification of the validity of the activation code received depending on at least one of said activation code delivered by said note or an inactivation code, and delivery of an item of validity information, either positive or negative, for the reactivation;

switching of said note to the active state, if said validity information is positive.

11. A note equipped with a radio-tag type authenticity check element, which returns an item of authenticity information, in response to an authentication request emitted by a check device, wherein said check element comprises:

inactivation means, in response to an inactivation request, rendering said note invalid;

means of delivery of at least one activation code or at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed;

re-activation means, using at least one activation code, rendering said note valid.

12. An inactivation device for a radio-tag type authenticity check element equipping a note, which returns an item of authenticity information, in response to an authentication request emitted by a check device, wherein said check element comprises:

inactivation means, in response to an inactivation request, for rendering said note invalid;

means for delivery of at least one activation code or at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed; and

re-activation means, using at least one activation code, for rendering said note valid, and wherein said inactivation device comprises;

means for transmitting to said check element at least one inactivation request, rendering said note invalid; and

means for storing at least one activation code or at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed, delivered from said check element, for re-activation of said check element.

13. The inactivation device of claim 12, wherein the device comprises means of transmitting to at least one activation device the activation code, which renders said note valid.

14. An activation device for a radio-tag type authenticity check element equipping a note, which returns an item of authenticity information, in response to an authentication request emitted by a check device,

wherein said check element comprises:

inactivation means, in response to an inactivation request, for rendering said note invalid;

means for delivery of at least one activation code or at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed; and

re-activation means, using at least one activation code, for rendering said note valid; and

wherein said activation device comprises;

means for receiving at least one activation code or at least one item of information permitting said activation code to be reconstructed, delivered from said check element; and

means for transmitting to said check element at least one activation code, rendering said note valid.