Security system and method

• US 9,407,445 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dominic M. Kotab
• Original Assignee: Dominic M. Kotab
• Inventors: Stewart, Roger Green, Paley, Daniel Noah
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Application Number:
  US14/586,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20150113274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A method for exchanging data according to one embodiment includes transmitting a packet of data from a first device to a second device, the packet of data comprising an unencrypted command and an encrypted payload.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, in a first register of a first Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device, a secret code associated with a second RFID device;

generating, at the first RFID device, a first random number;

storing, in a second register of the first RFID device, the first random number;

storing, in the second register of the first RFID device, a second random number generated at the second RFID device;

receiving output from the first and second registers;

applying an exclusive OR (XOR) application to the output from the first register and the output from the second register to generate a random number sequence for data encryption;

feeding the random number sequence into the second register of the first RFID device in a subsequent cycle, wherein a plurality of cycles are executed prior to transmission of data to the second RFID device; and

transmitting a packet of data from the first RFID device to the second RFID device, the packet of data comprising a command and an encrypted payload, wherein at least a portion of the command is unencrypted,

wherein the command is configured to instruct the second RFID device to perform a function,

wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of;

read;

write;

acknowledge;

select;

send; and

combinations thereof.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a bit length of the command indicates a type of encryption.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the packet of data also includes a preamble, a bit length of the preamble indicating a type of encryption.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of the command is encrypted.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the secret code is a 32 bit secret code.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first random number and the second random number each comprise 16 bits.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the packet of data also includes an unencrypted preamble.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the packet of data is a plain message.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first RFID device is a RFID reader, and wherein the second RFID device is a RFID tag.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request from the first RFID device to the second RFID device for identification information associated with the second RFID device;

receiving, at the first RFID device, identification information associated with the second RFID device; and

selecting, at the first RFID device, the secret code associated with the first RFID device based on the received identification information.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

generating, at the first RFID device, a first challenge code using the first random number and the secret code via implementation of a XOR application;

transmitting the first challenge code from the first RFID device to the second RFID device;

receiving, at the first RFID device, a second challenge code from the second RFID device, wherein the second challenge code comprises;

the second random number generated at the second RFID device, and the first random number extracted from the first challenge code by the second RFID device using the secret code via implementation of an inverse XOR application, wherein the second challenge code is generated at the first RFID device via implementation of a XOR application; and

extracting, at the first RFID device, the second random number from the second challenge code using the first random number via implementation of an inverse XOR application.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising transmitting a cyclic redundancy check from the first RFID device to the second RFID device for verification of the first random number.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising receiving, at the first RFID device, a cyclic redundancy check from the second RFID device for verification of the second random number.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first register is a shifting register.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising controlling shifting of the first register using a clock signal, wherein the first register is clocked differently than the second register.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor for exchanging data; and

logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to;

store, in a first register of a first Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device, a secret code associated with a second RFID device;

generate a first random number;

store, in a second register of the first RFID device, the first random number;

store in the second register of the first RFID device, a second random number generated at the second RFID device;

generate a random number sequence for encrypting data, wherein generation of the random number sequence comprises;

applying an exclusive OR (XOR) application to output from the first register and output from the second register; and

wirelessly transmit a packet of data from the first RFID device to the second RFID device, the packet of data comprising an unencrypted command and an encrypted payload,

wherein the command is configured to instruct the second RFID device to perform a function,

wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of;

read;

write;

acknowledge;

select;

send; and

combinations thereof.

18. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

feed the random number sequence into the second register of the first RFID device in a subsequent cycle, wherein a plurality of cycles are executed prior to output of data.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer code embodied therewith, the computer code readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

store, in a first register of a first Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device, a secret code associated with a second RFID device;

generate a first random number;

store, in a second register of the first RFID device, the first random number;

store in the second register of the first RFID device, a second random number generated at the second RFID device;

generate a random number sequence for encrypting data, wherein generation of the random number sequence comprises;

applying an exclusive OR (XOR) application to output from the first register and output from the second register; and

wirelessly transmit a packet of data from the first RFID device to the second RFID device, the packet of data comprising an unencrypted command and an encrypted payload,

wherein the command is configured to instruct the second RFID device to perform a function,

wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of;

read;

write;

acknowledge;

select;

send; and

combinations thereof.