Authentication of a terminal by an electromagnetic transponder

• US 8,922,341 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stmicroelectronics Rousset SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Stmicroelectronics Rousset SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Wuidart, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/900,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 340/5.8, 324/260, 324/144, 32475427-75429
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07336 Active means, e.g. jamming or scrambling of the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10108 interrogating only those RFIDs that fulfill a predetermined requirement, e.g. selecting all RFIDs having the same speed and moving in a cloud like fashion, e.g. on the same train; interrogating only RFIDs having a certain predetermined temperature, e.g. in the same fridge, another possibility being the active ignoring of a group of tags that fulfill a predetermined requirement, equivalent to the Boolean NOT operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID

Abstract

A method of authentication of a terminal generating a magnetic field by a transponder including an oscillating circuit from which a D.C. voltage is generated, wherein at least one quantity depending on the coupling between the transponder and the terminal is compared with at least one reference value.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic transponder comprising:

an oscillator configured to provide a signal in response to an electromagnetic field of a terminal; and

a processor configured to use the signal provided by the oscillator and variation of a load resistance on the oscillator to determine an authenticity of the terminal without demodulating the signal provided by the oscillator.

2. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein:

determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining that the terminal is authentic, and

the processor is further configured to establish communication with the terminal in response to determining that the terminal is authentic.

3. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using modulation to transmit data to the terminal.

4. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by decrypting the signal.

5. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 4, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by decrypting any signal transmitted by the terminal.

6. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by demodulating any signal transmitted by the terminal.

7. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without demodulating any signal transmitted by the terminal.

8. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic transponder includes one or more circuits configured to form a resistive load on the oscillator, and wherein establishing communication with the terminal comprises using the resistive load to perform retromodulation.

9. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein:

using the signal provided by the oscillator to determine the authenticity of the terminal comprises comparing a quantity to a reference value, the quantity depending on the signal and on a coupling between the transponder and the terminal.

10. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 9, wherein the quantity depends on a voltage of the signal.

11. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 9, wherein the signal provided by the oscillator is a first signal, wherein the oscillator is further configured to provide a second signal in response to the electromagnetic field of the terminal when a specified coupling exists between the transponder and the terminal, and wherein the reference value depends on a voltage of the second signal.

21. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without decrypting any signal transmitted by the terminal.

22. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 1, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal independent of decrypting any signal transmitted by the terminal.

23. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 3, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without transmitting data to the terminal.

12. A method comprising:

providing a signal of an oscillator in response to an electromagnetic field of a terminal; and

using the signal provided by the oscillator and variation of a load resistance on the oscillator to determine an authenticity of the terminal without demodulating the signal provided by the oscillator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining that the terminal is authentic, and

the method further comprises establishing communication with the terminal in response to determining that the terminal is authentic.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using modulation to transmit data to the terminal.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by decrypting the signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

using the signal to determine the authenticity of the terminal comprises comparing a quantity to a reference value, the quantity depending on the signal and on a coupling between a transponder and the terminal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the quantity depends on a voltage of the signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal is a first signal, wherein the method further comprises providing a second signal in response to the electromagnetic field of the terminal when a specified coupling exists between the transponder and the terminal, and wherein the reference value depends on a voltage of the second signal.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by decrypting any signal transmitted by the terminal.

25. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by demodulating any signal transmitted by the terminal.

26. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without demodulating any signal transmitted by the terminal.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without decrypting any signal transmitted by the terminal.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal independent of decrypting any signal transmitted by the terminal.

29. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without transmitting data to the terminal.

19. An electromagnetic transponder comprising:

an oscillator configured to provide a signal in response to an electromagnetic field of a terminal; and

means for using the signal provided by the oscillator and variation of a load resistance on the oscillator to determine an authenticity of the terminal without demodulating the signal provided by the oscillator.

20. A system comprising:

a terminal including a first oscillator configured to generate an electromagnetic field; and

a transponder including;

a second oscillator configured to provide a signal in response to the electromagnetic field, and

a processor configured to use the signal provided by the second oscillator and variation of a load resistance on the second oscillator to determine an authenticity of the terminal without demodulating the signal provided by the second oscillator.

30. An electromagnetic transponder comprising:

an oscillator configured to provide a signal in response to an electromagnetic field of a terminal; and

a processor configured to use the signal provided by the oscillator and variation of a load resistance on the oscillator to determine an authenticity of the terminal without using modulation to transmit data to the terminal.

31. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 30, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without transmitting data to the terminal.

32. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 30, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without demodulating the signal.

33. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 30, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without using information obtained by demodulating any signal transmitted by the terminal.

34. The electromagnetic transponder of claim 30, wherein determining the authenticity of the terminal comprises determining the authenticity of the terminal without demodulating any signal transmitted by the terminal.