Directional sensing mechanism and communications authentication

• US 9,208,306 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Inventors: Davis, Michael Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US13/867,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20130234836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07336 Active means, e.g. jamming or scrambling of the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10267 the arrangement comprising a circuit inside of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0062 in RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] Systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• 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 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• 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

The present invention is directed toward an RFID device that includes a motion sensing mechanism. The motion sensing mechanism is adapted to sense motion of the RFID device and then selectively allow or restrict the RFID device'"'"'s ability to transmit messages, which may include sensitive data, when the RFID device is placed in an RF field. Thus, the motion sensing mechanism is utilized to control access to data on the RFID device to only instances when the holder of the RFID device moves the RFID device in a predefined sequence of motion(s).

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

an Integrated Circuit; and

a privacy module, the privacy module comprising;

a directional sensing mechanism configured to detect a motion of the communication device and translate the detected motion into an electrical signal which is analyzed by an analysis module and used to control operations of a switch which controls whether or not the Integrated Circuit is enabled to communicate via an antenna, and

transponder componentry which enables power to be provided from an external Radio Frequency (RF) field to components of the privacy module, the transponder componentry including a microprocessor and non-volatile memory, the transponder componentry enabling the analysis module to be programmed with one or more permissible inputs without exposing data from the Integrated Circuit.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the transponder componentry is also connected to the switch such that when the Integrated Circuit is connected to the antenna via the switch, the transponder componentry is not connected to the antenna via the switch and when the Integrated Circuit is not connected to the antenna via the switch, the transponder componentry is connected to the antenna via the switch.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the switch is contained in the privacy module.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein switch is external to the privacy module.

5. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the transponder componentry is configured to exchange communications via RF.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the transponder componentry is configured to exchange communications via Near Field Communications (NFC).

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the transponder componentry is configured to exchange communications via Bluetooth.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the switch is configured to short the Integrated Circuit and antenna so as to inhibit the Integrated Circuit from communicating via the antenna.

9. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.

10. A Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) device, comprising:

an Integrated Circuit;

a privacy module comprising transponder componentry that includes a microprocessor and non-volatile memory, the transponder componentry enabling the privacy module to be programmed with one or more permissible inputs without exposing data from the Integrated Circuit; and

a directional sensing mechanism configured to detect a motion of the communication device and translate the detected motion into an electrical signal which is analyzed by the privacy module and, based on the analysis performed by the privacy module, used to control operations of the Integrated Circuit via a switch.

11. The RFID device of claim 10, wherein the directional sensing mechanism is integral to the privacy module.

12. The RFID device of claim 10, wherein the switch, in a first position, shorts the Integrated Circuit across an antenna, thereby prohibiting the Integrated Circuit from exchanging communications via the antenna.

13. The RFID device of claim 10, wherein the switch, in a second position, removes a short between the Integrated Circuit and an antenna, thereby enabling the Integrated Circuit to exchange communications via the antenna.

14. The RFID device of claim 10, wherein the RFID device is incorporated into a mobile communication device.

15. The RFID device of claim 10, wherein the analysis comprises comparing one or more motion inputs to a predetermined sequence of motions.

16. A communication device, comprising:

an Integrated Circuit; and

a privacy module comprising;

a directional sensing mechanism configured to detect a motion of the communication device and translate the detected motion into an electrical signal which is analyzed by an analysis module and used to control operations of a switch which controls whether or not the Integrated Circuit is enabled to communicate via an antenna; and

transponder componentry including a microprocessor and non-volatile memory, the transponder componentry enabling the analysis module to be programmed with one or more permissible inputs without exposing data from the Integrated Circuit.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the transponder componentry is also connected to the switch such that when the Integrated Circuit is connected to the antenna via the switch, the transponder componentry is not connected to the antenna via the switch and when the Integrated Circuit is not connected to the antenna via the switch, the transponder componentry is connected to the antenna via the switch.

18. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the switch is contained in the privacy module.

19. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the switch is external to the privacy module.

20. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the transponder componentry is configured to exchange communications via RF.

21. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the transponder componentry is configured to exchange communications via Near Field Communications (NFC).

22. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the transponder componentry is configured to exchange communications via Bluetooth.

23. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the switch is configured to short the Integrated Circuit and antenna so as to inhibit the Integrated Circuit from communicating via the antenna.

24. The communication device of claim 16, further comprising a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.