Method for access control

• US 7,999,659 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Friedrich, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sherwin; Ryan W
• Application Number:
  US11/653,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.51, 340/10.52, 340/5.21, 340/5.23, 340/5.22, 365/195, 365/191
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00

Abstract

A method for access control to at least one memory area of a passive and/or backscatter-based transponder is provided. In the method for access control, depending on an identification selection criterion, a first or at least one second identification within the transponder is activated, the activated identification upon an appropriate request by reader unit is transmitted to said unit, the at least one memory area of the transponder is divided into memory blocks with a settable size, access control information is assigned to a respective memory block, and read and/or write access to a specific memory block is released or blocked depending on the associated access control information and the identification selection criterion.

Claims

1. A method for access control to at least one memory area of a passive and/or backscatter-based transponder, the method comprising:

activating a first or at least one second identification within the transponder, based on an identification selection criterion;

transmitting the activated identification upon a request by a reader unit to the reader unit, dividing at least one memory area of the transponder into memory blocks of a settable size;

assigning access control information to a respective memory block; and

releasing or blocking read and/or write access to a specific memory block based on the associated access control information and the identification selection criterion,

wherein the access control information comprises two bits, wherein a first bit pattern, made up of the two bits, releases read and write access to the specific memory block regardless of whether the first identification or the at least one second identification is activated, wherein a second bit pattern, made up of the two bits, blocks read and write access to the specific memory block with an activated first identification and blocks with a deactivated first identification, wherein a third bit pattern, made up of the two bits, releases read and write access to the specific memory block with an activated second identification and blocks with a deactivated second identification, and wherein a fourth bit pattern, made up of the two bits, releases read access to the specific memory block and blocks write access, regardless of whether the first identification or the at least one second identification is activated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first bit pattern is “

00,”

the second bit pattern is “

01,”

the third bit pattern is “

10,” and

the fourth bit pattern is “

11,”

which are expressed in binary notation.

3. A method for access control to at least one memory area of a passive and/or backscatter-based transponder, the method comprising:

activating a first or at least one second identification within the transponder, based on an identification selection criterion;

transmitting the activated identification upon a request by a reader unit to the reader unit,

dividing at least one memory area of the transponder into memory blocks of a settable size;

assigning access control information to a respective memory block; and

releasing or blocking read and/or write access to a specific memory block based on the associated access control information and the identification selection criterion,

wherein access to the memory area at a preconnected access level is controlled by a memory area access control information comprising 2 bits, wherein for a first value of the memory area access control information, write access to the memory area is released independent of a transponder status information for a second value of the memory area access control information, wherein write access to the memory area is released based on the transponder status information, and wherein, for a third value of the memory area access control information, write access to the memory area is blocked permanently.