Securing a transaction between a transponder and a reader

• US 8,872,619 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xatra Fund MX LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Williamson, John R., Berardi, Michael J., Bliman, Michal, Shah, Sejal Ajit, Scheding, Kathryn D., Saunders, Peter D., Mayers, Alexandra, Isenberg, Susan E., Hood, Matthew C., Elwood, Jennifer Anne, Bonalle, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US11/743,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,735 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.61, 340/10.1, 340/5.4, 340/5.6, 340/10.41, 455/38.2, 380/23, 307/10.2, 713/186, 713/176
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards

Abstract

A transponder-reader payment system includes a fob including a transponder, and a RFID reader for interrogating the transponder. The system may further include a personalization system for populating onto the fob and RFID reader identifying information and security and authentication keys which may be used during mutual authentication of the fob and the reader and for completing a transaction. In exemplary operation, the fob and RFID reader may be personalized, the fob may be presented to the RFID reader for interrogation, the fob and reader may engage in mutual authentication, and fob identifying information may be provided to the reader for transaction completion. In another exemplary embodiment, operation of the transponder-reader payment system may be controlled by an activation circuit. Further, the fob may be responsive to multiple interrogation signals.

Claims

1. A transponder device, comprising:

encryption circuitry configured to;

encrypt, with a transponder device authentication key, a transponder device authentication signal received from a reader to create an encrypted transponder device authentication signal,

encrypt an account code with an account code key to create an encrypted account code, and

decrypt, with a reader authentication key, an encrypted reader authentication signal received from the reader to create a decrypted reader authentication signal;

a protocol/sequence controller configured to;

transmit the encrypted transponder device authentication signal to the reader, and

transmit the encrypted account code to the reader to facilitate a payment transaction responsive to the decrypted reader authentication signal matching a reader authentication signal; and

authentication circuitry configured for mutual two-way authentication with the reader via the transponder device authentication signal and the reader authentication signal, including authenticating the reader responsive to the decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal transmitted from the transponder device to the reader.

2. The transponder device of claim 1, wherein the transponder device authentication key and the reader authentication key are the same key.

3. The transponder device of claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to activate a transponder device communications interface responsive to the decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal.

4. The transponder device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the transponder device authentication key, the reader authentication key, and the account code key is a security key unique to at least one of the transponder device and the reader.

5. The transponder device of claim 1, wherein the transponder device authentication key, the reader authentication key, and the account code key are the same key.

6. The transponder device of claim 1, wherein the account code key is the same key as at least one of the transponder device authentication key and the reader authentication key.

7. The transponder device of claim 1, wherein the reader authentication key is the same key as at least one of the transponder device authentication key and the account code key.

8. The transponder device of claim 1, further comprising a first transponder configured to receive a first radio frequency (RF) interrogation signal from the reader.

9. The transponder device of claim 8, further comprising a second transponder configured to receive a second RF interrogation signal from the reader.

10. The transponder device of claim 9, wherein the authentication circuitry is further configured to communicate with at least one of the first transponder and the second transponder.

11. The transponder device of claim 10, wherein the protocol/sequence controller is further configured to communicate with at least one of the first transponder, the second transponder, the authentication circuitry, and a transponder device universal serial bus (USB) interface, wherein the protocol/sequence controller is configured to activate the authentication circuitry in response to at least one of the first RF interrogation signal and the second RF interrogation signal.

12. The transponder device of claim 9, further comprising at least one of a first transponder antenna and a second transponder antenna, wherein the first transponder antenna is configured to receive the first RF interrogation signal and the second transponder antenna is configured to receive the second RF interrogation signal.

13. The transponder device of claim 1, wherein the account code is in magnetic stripe format.

14. The transponder device of claim 1, further comprising a switch configured to at least one of enable and disable the transponder device.

15. The transponder device of claim 14, wherein the switch is configured to place the transponder device in at least one of a selectivity mode and an inclusivity mode.

16. The transponder device of claim 14, wherein the switch is a biometric switch that is configured to at least one of enable and disable the transponder device.

17. The transponder device of claim 1, further comprising a personalization system configured to personalize at least one of the transponder device authentication key, the reader authentication key, the account code key, the account code, and a transponder device database.

18. A transponder device according to claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry including a biometric sensor, configured to identify an authorization to activate a function of the authentication circuitry.

19. A transponder device according to claim 18,

wherein the circuitry including the biometric sensor is further configured to identify an authorized transaction exceeding an established limit.

20. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

encrypting, with a transponder device authentication key, a transponder device authentication signal received from a reader to create an encrypted transponder device authentication signal;

encrypting an account code with an account code key to create an encrypted account code;

transmitting the encrypted transponder device authentication signal to the reader for authentication of the transponder device by the reader;

transmitting the encrypted account code to the reader to facilitate a payment transaction responsive to the decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal;

decrypting, with a reader authentication key, an encrypted reader authentication signal received from the reader to create a decrypted reader authentication signal; and

authenticating the reader in mutual two-way authentication with the reader via the transponder device authentication signal and reader authentication signal, including authenticating the reader responsive to the decrypted reader authentication signal matching a reader authentication signal transmitted from the transponder device to the reader.

21. A reader, comprising:

encryption circuitry configured to;

encrypt, with a reader authentication key, a reader authentication signal received from a transponder device to create an encrypted reader authentication signal,

decrypt, with a transponder device authentication key, an encrypted transponder device authentication signal received from the transponder device to create a decrypted transponder device authentication signal, and

decrypt an encrypted account code to facilitate a payment transaction responsive to a decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal;

a protocol/sequence controller configured to transmit the encrypted reader authentication signal to the transponder device for authentication of the reader by the transponder device; and

authentication circuitry configured for mutual two-way authentication with the transponder device via a transponder device authentication signal and the reader authentication signal, including authenticating the transponder device responsive to the decrypted transponder device authentication signal matching the transponder device authentication signal transmitted from the reader to the transponder device.

22. The reader of claim 21, further comprising a first interrogator configured to provide a first radio frequency (RF) interrogation signal to the transponder device.

23. The reader of claim 22, further comprising a second interrogator configured to provide a second RF interrogation signal to the transponder device.

24. The reader of claim 23, further comprising a first antenna to communicate with at least one of the first interrogator and the second interrogator, and a second antenna to communicate with at least one of the first interrogator and the second interrogator.

25. The reader of claim 21, further comprising at least one of an internal antenna and an external antenna.

26. A method for securing a transaction between a transponder device and a reader, comprising:

encrypting, with a reader authentication key, a reader authentication signal received from a transponder device to create an encrypted reader authentication signal;

transmitting the encrypted reader authentication signal to the transponder device for authentication of the reader by the transponder device;

decrypting, with a transponder device authentication key, an encrypted transponder device authentication signal received from the transponder device to create a decrypted transponder device authentication signal;

decrypting an encrypted account code to facilitate a payment transaction responsive to a decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal; and

authenticating the transponder device in mutual two-way authentication with the transponder device via a transponder device authentication signal and the reader authentication signal, including authenticating the transponder device responsive to the decrypted transponder device authentication signal matching the transponder device authentication signal transmitted from the reader to the transponder device.

27. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

encrypting, with a reader authentication key, a reader authentication signal received from a transponder device to create an encrypted reader authentication signal;

transmitting the encrypted reader authentication signal to the transponder device for authentication of the reader by the transponder device;

decrypting, with a transponder device authentication key, an encrypted transponder device authentication signal received from the transponder device to create a decrypted transponder device authentication signal;

decrypting an encrypted account code to facilitate a payment transaction responsive to a decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal; and

authenticating the transponder device in mutual two-way authentication with the transponder device via a transponder device authentication signal and the reader authentication signal, including authenticating the transponder device responsive to the decrypted transponder device authentication signal matching the transponder device authentication signal transmitted from the reader to the transponder device.

28. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader configured to provide a first radio frequency (RF) interrogation signal to a transponder device, to receive a transponder device RF signal comprising an encrypted transponder device authentication code, and to communicate transponder device account data related to the transponder device RF signal for processing of a transaction, the RFID reader comprising:

a communications interface configured to communicate with a transaction processing entity, wherein the communications interface is configured to provide the transponder device account data to the transaction processing entity for processing of the transaction;

a first interrogator configured to provide the first RF interrogation signal comprising a transponder device authentication code, wherein the first RF interrogation signal is configured to activate a transponder device authentication circuit;

an RFID reader authentication circuit in communication with the first interrogator, wherein the RFID authentication circuit is configured for mutual two-way authentication with the transponder device via the transponder device authentication code, including authenticating the transponder device RF signal and to compare a decrypted transponder device authentication code to the transponder device authentication code to determine whether a match exists;

a database configured to store RFID reader data, wherein the database is configured to communicate with the RFID reader authentication circuit, and wherein the database is configured to provide a transponder device decryption security key to the RFID reader authentication circuit in response to the encrypted transponder device authentication code, wherein the transponder device decryption security key is configured to be provided to the RFID reader authentication circuit based on a unique transponder device identification code;

encryption circuitry configured to;

encrypt, with a reader authentication key, a reader authentication code received from the transponder device to create an encrypted reader authentication code,

decrypt, with a transponder device decryption security key, the encrypted transponder device authentication code received from the transponder device to create a decrypted transponder device authentication code, and

decrypt an encrypted account code to facilitate a payment transaction responsive to a decrypted reader authentication signal matching the reader authentication signal; and

a protocol/sequence controller configured to activate the RFID reader authentication circuit in response to the encrypted transponder device authentication code, wherein the protocol sequence controller is configured to activate the communications interface responsive to the RFID reader authentication circuit matching the decrypted transponder device authentication code and the transponder device authentication code.