Apparatus and method for preventing wireless interrogation of phones

• US 8,145,191 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman, Dixon, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US12/400,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/550.1, 455/129, 455/90, 455/406, 455/74.1, 455/558, 455/559, 455/575.1, 455/120, 455/557, 455/556, 455/67.11, 380/53, 726/27, 726/28, 726/29, 726/35
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided to prevent contactless portable electronic consumer devices such as an RF identification device (RFID), tokens, mini-cards, key fobs, cellular phones, smart card, etc. from being wirelessly interrogated. In one embodiment, a decoy circuit capable of detecting wireless interrogation signals transmitted to a contactless portable consumer device is used to prevent one or more interrogation devices from interrogating an authentic circuit in the contactless portable consumer device.

Claims

1. A phone comprising:

a decoy circuit configured to detect wireless interrogation signals transmitted to the phone and to prevent one or more interrogation devices from interrogating an authentic circuit in the phone by deceiving the one or more interrogation devices into believing the decoy circuit is the authentic circuit.

2. The phone of claim 1, further comprising a memory that includes at least financial information or health information, and combinations thereof.

3. The phone of claim 1, wherein the decoy circuit comprises an antenna that is at least as sensitive as an antenna associated with the phone.

4. The phone of claim 1, wherein the decoy circuit comprises a detection circuit that responds more quickly to the wireless interrogation signals than the phone.

5. The phone of claim 1, wherein the decoy circuit comprises a decoy program configured to simulate the authentic circuit.

6. The phone of claim 1, wherein the decoy circuit comprises decoy data configured to simulate data associated with the phone.

7. The phone of claim 1, wherein the decoy circuit comprises a location device capable of determining where the decoy circuit detected the wireless interrogation signals.

8. The phone of claim 1, wherein the decoy circuit comprises a timing device capable of determining when the decoy circuit detected the wireless interrogation signals.

9. The phone of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit an alert indicating that the wireless interrogation signals have been transmitted to the phone.

10. A method for preventing interrogation of a phone comprising:

detecting a wireless interrogation signal from an interrogation device using a decoy circuit; and

responding to the wireless interrogation signal with the decoy circuit, wherein the response from the decoy circuit is more rapid than a response from a corresponding authentic circuit in the phone, and wherein the response from the decoy circuit is configured to deceive the interrogation device into believing the decoy circuit is the authentic circuit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting the wireless interrogation signal comprises detecting the wireless interrogation signal at a signal level lower than the phone can detect.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a geographic location of the phone.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending an alert indicating that a wireless interrogation signal has been transmitted to the phone.

14. A system comprising:

a phone comprising authentic data; and

a decoy device comprising decoy data,

wherein the decoy device is adapted to provide the decoy data to an interrogation device, the decoy data being configured to deceive the interrogation device into believing the decoy data is the authentic data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the decoy device is adapted to respond to a signal from the interrogation device before the phone responds to the signal when both the phone and the decoy device are within an operating range of the interrogation device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the authentic data comprises financial information.

17. A method for preventing interrogation of a phone having authentic data comprising:

placing the phone adjacent to a decoy device;

receiving an interrogation signal at the decoy device from an interrogation device; and

sending decoy data from the decoy device to the interrogation device, wherein the decoy data is configured to deceive the interrogation device into believing the decoy data is the authentic data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending the authentic data to the interrogation device after the decoy data is sent from the decoy device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the decoy data comprises a decoy account number.