Near field communication (NFC) security apparatus and method

• US 9,014,627 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Joon, Kwon, Ui Kun, Yoon, Seung Keun
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US13/684,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20130178156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/343.1, 455/572
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/822 by detecting the presence of a surveillance, interception or detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/827 using characteristics of target signal or of transmission as countermeasure against jamming H04K3/25, e.g. using direct sequence spread spectrum or fast frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques H04B1/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method and apparatus for security of communication devices that communicate with each other in a near field are provided. A Near Field Communication (NFC) security apparatus may detect the presence of a neighboring device other than communication devices, based on a change in a near field. In response to detecting the presence of the neighboring device, the NFC security apparatus may control an amount of energy transmitted by the communication devices such that the neighboring device may be prevented from accurately receiving a signal transmitted between the communication devices.

Claims

1. A Near Field Communication (NFC) security apparatus to protect a signal transmitted between communication devices, the NFC security apparatus comprising:

a sensing unit configured to detect the presence of a neighboring device other than the communication devices, based on a change in a near field shared by the communication devices; and

a control unit configured to control, in response to the presence of the neighboring device being detected, an amount of energy transmitted by the communication devices such that the neighboring device is prevented, based on energy received by the neighboring device from the communication devices, from accurately receiving the signal.

2. The NFC security apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the communication devices comprises a transmitter or a receiver,

the transmitter comprises a source resonator configured to receive energy from a Direct Current (DC) source, and to transmit the energy received from the DC source through mutual resonance, and

the receiver comprises a target resonator configured to receive the energy transmitted from the source resonator through the mutual resonance.

3. The NFC security apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sensing unit is configured to detect an approach of the neighboring device in the near field, based on a rate of a change in energy stored in either the source resonator or the target resonator.

4. The NFC security apparatus of claim 2, the control unit is configured to control an amount of energy transmitted by the target resonator such that the target resonator transmits a binary random sequence, after an approach of the neighboring device is detected.

5. The NFC security apparatus of claim 1, the control unit is configured to control the amount of the energy transmitted by the communication devices such that the communication devices transmit random sequences, based on a point in time at which an approach of the neighboring device is detected.

6. The NFC security apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the communication devices comprises a transmitter or a receiver,

the transmitter comprises a source resonator configured to receive energy from a DC source, to transmit the energy received from the DC source through mutual resonance, and to receive energy from a target resonator, and

the receiver comprises the target resonator to receive energy from the source resonator through the mutual resonance, and to transmit energy that is supplied from an external source to the source resonator.

7. The NFC security apparatus of claim 6, wherein a direction in which energy is transferred from the source resonator to the target resonator through the mutual resonance is orthogonal to a direction in which energy is transferred from the target resonator to the source resonator through the mutual resonance, due to a linear combination of energy transmission.

8. The NFC security apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to interrupt the transmission of energy by the communication devices, in response to the presence of the neighboring device being detected.

9. A Near Field Communication (NFC) security apparatus, comprising:

a sensing unit configured to detect the presence of a neighboring device within a near field, based on a change in the near field, wherein the near field is formed between a source resonator and a target resonator that resonate with each other, and wherein the neighboring device is a device other than the source resonator and the target resonator; and

a control unit configured to control, in response to detecting the presence of the neighboring device with the near field, an amount of energy transmitted by the source resonator or the target resonator such that the neighboring device is prevented, based on energy received by the neighboring device from the source resonator or the target resonator, from decrypting a signal transmitted and/or received between the source resonator and the target resonator.

10. The NFC security apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

a calculating unit configured to calculate a rate of a change in energy stored in either the source resonator or the target resonator; and

a determining unit configured to determine whether the neighboring device is present, based on the rate of the change calculated by the calculating unit.

11. The NFC security apparatus of claim 9, wherein the control unit is further configured to quantize a level of energy supplied to the source resonator, and quantize a level of energy initially stored in the target resonator, in response to a full-duplex communication being performed between the source resonator and the target resonator.

12. The NFC security apparatus of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control an amount of energy transmitted by the target resonator such that the target resonator transmits a jamming signal, after the presence of the neighboring device is detected, in response to a half-duplex communication being performed between the source resonator and the target resonator.

13. A Near Field Communication (NFC) security method to protect a signal transmitted between communication devices, the NFC security method comprising:

detecting the presence of a neighboring device other than the communication devices, based on a change in a near field shared by the communication devices; and

controlling, in response to the presence of the neighboring device being detected, an amount of energy transmitted by the communication devices such that the neighboring device is prevented, based on energy received by the neighboring device from the communication devices, from accurately receiving the signal.

14. The NFC security method of claim 13, wherein each of the communication devices comprises a transmitter or a receiver,

the transmitter comprises a source resonator configured to receive energy from a Direct Current (DC) source, and to transmit the energy received from the DC source through mutual resonance,

the receiver comprises a target resonator configured to receive energy from the source resonator through the mutual resonance, and

the detecting comprises detecting an approach of the neighboring device to the near field, based on a rate of a change in energy stored in either the source resonator or the target resonator.

15. The NFC security method of claim 14, wherein the controlling comprises controlling the amount of the energy transmitted by the communication devices such that the communication devices transmit random sequences, based on a point in time at which the approach of the neighboring device is detected.

16. The NFC security method of claim 13, wherein each of the communication devices comprises a transmitter or a receiver,

the transmitter comprises a source resonator configured to receive energy from a DC source, to transmit the energy through mutual resonance, and to receive energy from a target resonator,

the receiver comprises the target resonator configured to receive energy from the source resonator through the mutual resonance, and to transmit energy that is supplied from an external source, and

the detecting comprises detecting an approach of the neighboring device to the near field, based on a rate of a change in energy stored in either the source resonator or the target resonator.

17. The NFC security method of claim 16, wherein the controlling comprises quantizing a level of energy supplied to the source resonator, and quantizing a level of energy initially stored in the target resonator.

18. A near field communication (NFC) receiver, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a signal transmitted from a transmitter that is included in a NFC communication network;

a sensing unit configured to detect the presence of a neighboring device within the NFC communication network, wherein the neighboring device is a device other than the transmitter; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit an additional signal to prevent the detected neighboring device from accurately receiving the signal transmitted by the transmitter in the NFC network.

19. The NFC receiver of claim 18, wherein the additional signal transmitted by the transmitting unit comprises a jamming signal.

20. The NFC receiver of claim 18, wherein the additional signal transmitted by the transmitting unit comprises a random binary bit sequence.