Radio frequency identification transponder security

• US 8,035,489 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Soperra, Andrea, Burbridge, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey; Renee
• Application Number:
  US11/794,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/10.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• 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

Security and privacy of tag information in an RFID-based system can be achieved through the usage of pseudonyms generated based on one-way hash functions. A system based on binary one-way trees allows for the scalable generation and decoding of authentication keys to obtain access to tag identities. The apparatus and methods described can also be adapted to provide limited access for readers to tag information.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification transponder configured to respond, on detecting an interrogation attempt, by providing an output which is an identifier, the identifier being, or being based upon, a leaf or a node of a hash tree of at least binary order, wherein the identifier which is provided is different for every detected interrogation attempt, and which provides, in response to each of a sequence of detected interrogation attempts, one identifier of a predetermined sequence of identifiers which sequence is or is based on a predetermined sequence of leaves of the hash tree.

2. A radio frequency identification transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein each identifier output by the transponder in response to detection of an interrogation attempt is a combination of:

(i) a leaf of the hash tree or based on a leaf of the hash tree;

or (ii) a node of the hash tree or based on a node of the hash tree;

or is based on such a combination.

3. A radio frequency identification transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein each identifier output by the transponder in response to detection of an interrogation attempt is either:

(i) a leaf of the hash tree or based on a leaf of the hash tree;

or (ii) a node of the hash tree or based on a node of the hash tree.

4. A radio frequency identification transponder as claimed in claim 3, wherein each identifier output by the transponder in response to detection of an interrogation attempt is a leaf of the hash tree or based on a leaf of the hash tree.

5. A radio frequency identification transponder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hash tree is a one-way binary hash tree.

6. A system for providing a reader of RFID transponders with the right to read a particular transponder for only a predetermined multiplicity of read attempts, the system comprising:

the reader;

an authorization device; and

a radio frequency identification transponder configured to respond, on detecting an interrogation attempt, by providing an output which is an identifier, the identifier being, or being based upon, a leaf or a node of a hash tree of at least binary order, wherein the identifier which is provided is different for every detected interrogation attempt;

the authorization device and the transponder sharing knowledge of the hash tree of the tag which knowledge is not known to the reader;

wherein the reader is;

(i) configured to interrogate the transponder, to obtain an identifier output by the transponder;

(ii) arranged to contact the authorization device and to reveal its own identity and the obtained identifier;

the authorization device being arranged to check the entitlement of the reader to read the transponder and, if the reader is entitled to read the transponder, to provide to the reader information about the hash tree to permit the reader to read the transponder over/for the predetermined multiplicity of a interrogation attempts.

7. A method for providing a reader of radio frequency

identification transponders with the right to read a particular transponder for only a predetermined multiplicity of read attempts, the transponder being configured to respond, on detecting an interrogation attempt, by providing an output which is an identifier, the identifier being, or being based upon, a leaf or a node of a hash tree of at least binary order, wherein the identifier which is provided is different for every detected interrogation attempt, the method comprising:

(i) interrogating the transponder with the reader to obtain an identifier output by the transponder;

(ii) providing, from the reader, an authorization authority with the identity of the reader and the obtained transponder identifier; and

(iii) the authorization authority checking the entitlement of the reader to read the transponder and, if the reader is entitled to read the transponder, providing to the reader information about the hash tree to permit the reader to read the transponder over/for the predetermined multiplicity of a interrogation attempts.