Secure NFC apparatus and method supporting various security modules in plug-in fashion

• US 8,209,754 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Joo-Sik, Cheon, Sung-Rock, Jeon, Jae-Sic, Kwon, O-Hyon
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiferaw, Eleni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Branske, Hilary
• Application Number:
  US11/514,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 705/65, 705/69, 713/159, 713/185, 713/172, 726/20, 726/9, 726/17, 726/16, 726/5, 380/270, 380/247, 380/249, 380/250, 380/287, 380/52, 379/433.09, 370/466, 370/467
• US Class Current: 726/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

A secure NFC apparatus includes a plug-in socket, an NFC unit, and a protocol matching unit. A security module is inserted in the plug-in socket. The NFC unit communicates with the outside via non-contact NFC using signals based on an S2C protocol. The protocol matching unit determines the type of chip in the inserted security module, generates a chip identification signal according to results of the identification, and matches the protocol of the signals based on the S2C protocol, which are input to and output from the NFC unit, with the protocol of the signals, which are input to and output from the security module, according to the chip identification signal.

Claims

1. A secure Near Field Communication (NFC) apparatus, comprising:

a plug-in socket for inserting a security module;

an NFC unit outside the plug-in socket, configured to communicate with an external device via non-contact NFC based on a first communication protocol, and configured to additionally communicate with the security module inserted in the socket; and

a protocol matching unit outside the plug-in socket and connected between the NFC unit and the socket such that signals communicated between the NFC unit and the inserted security module pass through the protocol matching unit, wherein the inserted security module is communicated with the protocol matching unit based on a second communication protocol;

wherein said protocol matching unit is configured to

identify a type of the security module by communicating with the security module inserted in the plug-in socket,

generate a chip identification signal related to the type of the security module,

identify the first communication protocol in which signals are communicated between the NFC unit and the protocol matching unit,

identify the second communication protocol in which signals are communicated between the protocol matching unit and the inserted security module, and

based on the chip identification signal, determine if the first communication protocol matches the second communication protocol,

wherein the protocol matching unit comprises a protocol conversion unit configured to perform protocol conversion between the first and second communication protocols in response to a determination that the first communication protocol does not match the second communication protocol; and

in response to a determination that the first communication protocol matches the second communication protocol, the protocol matching unit causes signals output by the NFC unit to bypass the protocol conversion unit and to be transferred to the inserted security module without protocol conversion, and causes signals output by the inserted security module to bypass the protocol conversion unit and to be transferred to the NFC unit without protocol conversion.

2. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protocol matching unit is configured to identify the type of chip of the security module as either a chip based on an International Standards Organization (ISO) protocol or a chip based on the first communication protocol.

3. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein

the socket is configured to receive, in a plugged-in manner, a non-contact smart card as the security module;

and

the protocol matching unit is configured to identify the type of chip of the non-contact smart card as a chip based on the ISO protocol.

4. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plug-in socket is a socket corresponding to chip specifications of a contact smart card.

5. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the protocol matching unit comprises a chip identification unit configured to transmit a request signal to the security module and configured to generate the chip identification signal according to a signal received in response to the request signal.

6. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the chip identification unit is configured to first determine whether the security module is a module having a chip based on the first communication protocol, and then determine whether the security module is a module having a chip based on an ISO protocol if the security module is not a module having a chip based on the first communication protocol.

7. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the chip identification unit is configured to

transmit a request signal based on the first communication protocol to the security module, and

generate the chip identification signal indicating that the security module is a module having a chip based on the first communication protocol, if a response signal based on the first communication protocol is received within a predetermined time period after the request signal based on the first communication protocol has been transmitted to the security module.

8. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein, if no response signal based on the first communication protocol is received, the chip identification unit is configured to

transmit a further request signal based on the ISO communication protocol to the security module, and

generate the chip identification signal indicating that the security module is a module having a chip based on the ISO protocol, if a response signal based on the ISO protocol is received within a predetermined time period after the further request signal based on the ISO protocol has been transmitted to the security module.

9. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the protocol matching unit further comprises:

a selection unit connected between the NFC unit and the protocol conversion unit and configured to, depending on the chip identification signal, selectively bypass the signals based on the first communication protocol, which are input to and output from the NFC unit, to the security module, or output the signals based on the first communication protocol to the protocol conversion unit for protocol conversion, and

wherein the protocol conversion unit is configured to perform protocol conversion between the signals based on the first communication protocol which are output from the selection unit, and the signals which are input to and output from the security module, so that the signals are compatible with each other.

10. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the protocol conversion unit comprises:

a signal conversion unit configured to perform protocol conversion between Miller coded signals based on the first communication protocol and Manchester coded signals based on an ISO protocol so that the signals are compatible with each other; and

a waveform shaping unit connected between the signal conversion unit and the socket and configured to perform waveform shaping on analog signals communicated between the signal conversion unit and the socket so that a size of the analog signals output to the security module inserted in the socket is greater than a size of the analog signals output to the signal conversion unit.

11. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the waveform shaping unit comprises:

a first resistor connected between a first terminal and a second terminal of the signal conversion unit;

a first capacitor connected between the second terminal of the signal conversion unit, and a first node;

a second resistor connected between the first node and a ground;

a second capacitor connected between the first node and the ground;

a first diode connected between the first node and a second node;

a second diode connected between the second node and the ground;

a third capacitor connected between the first terminal and the second terminal of the socket;

a fourth capacitor connected between the first terminal of the socket and the second node; and

an inductor connected between a third terminal of the signal conversion unit, and the first terminal of the socket.

12. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the signal conversion unit is configured to ground the second terminal of the socket when the signals which have been converted are input to and output from the security module.

13. The secure NFC apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a SigIn-SigOut-Connection (S2C) protocol.

14. A secure Near Field Communication (NFC) method using a security module plugged in a socket of a secure NFC apparatus, the method comprising:

communicating an external device with a NFC unit of the secure NFC apparatus via non-contact NFC based on a first communication protocol, the NFC unit being outside the socket and configured to additionally communicate with the security module through a protocol matching unit of the secure NFC apparatus, said protocol matching unit being outside the socket and connected between the security module and the NFC unit, wherein the inserted security module is communicated with the protocol matching unit based on a second communication protocol;

the protocol matching unit identifying a type of the security module by communicating with the security module inserted in the socket and generating a chip identification signal related to the type of the security module;

the protocol matching unit identifying the first communication protocol in which signals are communicated between the NFC unit and the protocol matching unit;

the protocol matching unit identifying the second communication protocol in which signals are communicated between the protocol matching unit and the inserted security module;

based on the chip identification signal, the protocol matching unit determining if the first communication protocol matches the second communication protocol;

the protocol matching unit performing conversion, by means of a protocol conversion unit included in the protocol matching unit, between the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol in response to a determination that the first communication protocol does not match the second communication protocol; and

the protocol matching unit causing the signals communicated between the NFC unit and the security module to bypass the protocol conversion unit in response to a determination that the first communication protocol matches the second communication protocol.

15. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the security module outputs a user Identification (ID) for identification of a user or an amount of charged money for use of a service as authentication information in response to an input signal.

16. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the security module performs authentication in response to an input signal, and stores personal information included in the input signal if the authentication is successful.

17. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 16, wherein:

the secure NFC apparatus is mounted in a mobile communication terminal; and

the input signal received by the security module is a signal generated from information that is received via the non-contact NFC with another mobile communication terminal equipped with another secure NFC apparatus.

18. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the personal information is an electronic name card, a photo, a moving image or a telephone directory, which is managed in a further security module in the another secure NFC apparatus of said another mobile communication terminal.

19. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the security module is a module having either a chip based on an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) protocol or a chip based on the first communication protocol.

20. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the security module is a non-contact smart card and the chip of the non-contact smart card is based on the ISO protocol.

21. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the socket corresponds to chip specifications of a contact smart card.

22. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the external device comprises a reader for authentication.

23. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

including the external device and the secure NFC apparatus in mobile communication terminals,

wherein the non-contact NFC is performed between the mobile communication terminals to manage personal information.

24. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the security module is a module having a chip based on the first communication protocol;

causing the signals based on the first communication protocol and communicated between the NFC unit and the security module to bypass the protocol conversion unit if the security module is a module having a chip based on the first communication protocol;

determining whether the security module is a module having a chip based on an ISO protocol; and

performing protocol conversion between the signals based on the first communication protocol and the signals input to and output from the security module if the security module is a module having a chip based on the ISO protocol.

25. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 24, further comprising determining that the security module is a module having a chip based on the first communication protocol if a response signal according to the first communication protocol is received within a predetermined time period after a request signal based on the first communication protocol has been transmitted to the security module.

26. The secure NFC method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising, if no response signal based on the first communication protocol has been received,

determining that the security module is a module having a chip based on the ISO protocol if a response signal based on the ISO protocol has been received within a predetermined time period after a further request signal based on the ISO protocol has been transmitted to the security module.