Random-ID function for smartcards

• US 9,092,608 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Gallo, Francesco, Meyn, Hauke, Buhr, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad L
• Assistant Examiner(s): PLECHA, THADDEUS J
• Application Number:
  US13/309,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 380/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0877 using additional device, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard, USB or hardware security module [HSM]

Abstract

A method for low-level security based on the UID. In particular it enhances an RFID system by adding the ability to dynamically modify the UID of the smartcard or to randomly generate a new UID for the smartcard.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically changing a random card identification code associated with a smartcard in a system having a card reader system interacting with the smartcard comprising:

providing a current random card identification code associated with the smartcard from the smartcard to the card reader system at the beginning of an interaction between the smartcard and the card reader system;

verifying whether the current random card identification code is valid in the card reader system; and

providing a new random card identification code from the card reader system to the smartcard if the current random card identification code is valid;

wherein the smartcard comprises a state machine that operates to replace the current random card identification code with the new random card identification code in a non-secure memory of the smartcard when the new random card identification code is provided to the smartcard;

wherein the current random card identification code and the new random card identification code are card identification codes that are used in an anti-collision process to distinguish between multiple smartcards and the current and new random card identification codes are used to encrypt contents of a secure memory of the smartcard.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the current random card identification code associated with smartcard is stored remotely in a network database accessible to the card reader system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the new random card identification code is stored locally in the card reader system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the smartcard comprises an energy storage component.

5. A method for dynamically changing a random card identification code associated with a smartcard in a system having a card reader system interacting with the smartcard comprising:

providing a current random card identification code associated with the smartcard from a non-secure memory of the smartcard to the card reader system at the beginning of an interaction between the smartcard and the card reader system;

generating a new random card identification code using a random number generator in the smartcard;

providing the new random card identification code to the card reader system;

verifying whether the current random card identification code is valid in the card reader system; and

replacing the current random card identification code with the new random card identification code in the non-secure memory of the smartcard if the current random card identification code is verified to be valid in the card reader system;

wherein the current random card identification code and the new random card identification code are card identification codes that are used in an anti-collision process to distinguish between multiple smartcards and the current and new random card identification codes are used to encrypt contents of a secure memory of the smartcard.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the current random card identification code associated with smartcard is stored remotely in a network database accessible to the card reader system.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the new random card identification code is stored locally in the card reader system.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the smartcard comprises a state machine to store and retrieve the random card identification code from the non-secure memory.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the smartcard comprises an energy storage component.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the energy storage component is a capacitor.