Method and system for supplying target information

• US 8,981,935 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Falk, Rainer, Seuschek, Hermann, Kpf, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/139,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/10.1, 340/505, 340/539.27, 340/10.51, 340/572.4, 340/5.1, 340/10.4, 340/10.3, 340/5.8, 713/176, 713/156, 713/162, 713/168, 713/158, 713/171, 713/160, 235/383, 709/220, 709/228
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• 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: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838

Abstract

In a method and a system (1) for providing target information of an event message for an event occurring at a tag reader (2), the target information is extracted from a signed digital certificate of a tag (4). The event is triggered at a tag reader (2) and can be evaluated by a target computer (6), for example a server. The method and system enhance reconfiguration flexibility and also increase security against manipulation.

Claims

1. A method for transferring payload data between tags, comprising:

wirelessly communicating a certificate request to a first tag, the certificate request comprising a request for a digital certificate from the first tag,

wirelessly receiving the digital certificate from the first tag, the digital certificate including target information comprising an address of a second tag,

wirelessly receiving payload data from the first tag,

extracting from the received digital certificate of the first tag the target information comprising the address of the second tag, and

transferring the payload data from the first tag to the second tag using the address of the second tag extracted from the digital certificate of the first tag.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating and forwarding an event message associated with an event triggered by the first tag via a network to at least one target computer addressed based on the extracted target information.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the event message has a tag ID of the first tag and a reader ID of tag reader.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the event message contains data which includes location data of the tag reader, an event time and the payload data received from the first tag.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target information extracted from the first tag includes the address of the second tag and an address of a target computer, and wherein the method further comprises:

authenticating the first tag by a tag reader based on a public tag key extracted from the digital certificate, and

reporting an event triggered by the first tag by generating and sending an associated event message to the target computer addressed by the extracted target information.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the event triggered by the first tag comprises a base event in the form of a data access to the first tag or an application-specific event of an application program.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the address of the target commuter comprises a URL address, an IP address, or a MAC address of the target computer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracted target information comprises a compressed mapping value which references a target address stored in a memory.

9. A system for transferring payload data between tags, comprising:

a tag reader configured to;

wirelessly communicate a certificate request to a first tag, the certificate request comprising a request for a digital certificate from the first tag,

wirelessly receive the digital certificate from the first tag, the digital certificate including target information comprising an address of a second tag,

wirelessly receive payload data from the first tag,

extract from the received digital certificate of the first tag the target information comprising the address of the second tag, and

forward the payload data for delivery to the second tag based on the address of the second tag extracted from the digital certificate of the first tag.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein:

the target information extracted from the first tag includes the address of the second tag and an address of a target computer, and

forwarding the payload data for delivery to the second tag comprises generating and forwarding an event message associated with an event triggered by the first tag via at least one network to the target computer addressed by the extracted target information.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the event message contains data which includes location data of the tag reader, an event time and the payload data received from the first tag.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the tag reader is mobile and has a location detection device for generating location data.

13. A tag comprising:

a radio interface for exchanging data with a tag reader,

a nonvolatile memory having a reserved memory area for a signed digital certificate and having an unreserved memory area for payload data, and

an authentication unit for authenticating the tag,

wherein the signed digital certificate includes target information comprising the address of another tag, and

wherein the tag is configured to;

wirelessly receive a certificate request from the tag reader, the certificate request comprising a request for the signed digital certificate from the tag, and

wirelessly transmit to the tag reader (a) the sinned digital certificate including target information comprising the address of the other tag, and (b) payload data, such that the tag reader can forward the payload data for delivery by the other tag using the address of the other tag included in the signed digital certificate.

14. The tag according to claim 13, wherein the tag comprises at least one sensor for generating sensor payload data.

15. The tag according to claim 13, wherein the tag is an RFID tag which is attached to product packaging or to a product, or is integrated in a product.

16. The tag according to claim 13, wherein the event message includes a data packet which may be forwarded via at least one network to a target computer which is addressed by the target information.

17. The tag according to claim 13, wherein the event message contains data which includes location data of the tag reader, an event time and the payload data provided by the first tag.

18. The tag according to claim 13, wherein the tag reader is mobile and has a location detection device for generating location data.