NFC tags with proximity detection

• US 9,767,329 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Inventors: Forster, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US13/803,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 3406866, 340 106, 340 1051, 340 101, 340 104, 3405727, 3405721, 3408548, 455 411, 455 412, 455 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10128 the step consisting of detection of the presence of one or more record carriers in the vicinity of the interrogation device
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/20 for contactless carriers, e.g. RFID carriers record carriers with integrated circuit chips including means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or to record carriers by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07318; arrangements for sensing record carriers including arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks G06K7/10257
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/86 related to preventing deceptive jamming or unauthorized interrogation or access, e.g. WLAN access or RFID reading record carriers with integrated circuit chips including means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or to record carriers by hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07318; arrangements for sensing record carriers including arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks G06K7/10257
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods provide for detecting the proximate placement of an external NFC reader to a specific location on a display surface. The display surface can be intended for viewing indicia and enabling interaction with an NFC communication device embedded within the display. A circuit can control an NFC security system that can scan for unauthorized tags affixed to the surface of a display. The NFC security system may be activated by an NFC enabled mobile phone placed proximate to the indicated region for receiving an NFC coded message from the display. An NFC security scan can be performed prior to the mobile phone reading the message from the intended NFC tag in the display. Enabling interactive display modes can allow for making selections indicated on the display or detecting motion gestures across the face of the display.

Claims

1. A NFC security system for an advertising display, comprising:

a display;

a NFC detector circuit having a security controller and at least one NFC detector positioned on a portion of a surface of the display;

at least one authorized NFC tag in proximity to the display;

an external NFC reader placed in proximity to the at least one NFC detector to form an NFC reading zone;

the at least one NFC detector having an inductive coil, the inductive coil distributing a magnetic energy over a surface of the display; and

where an internal NFC reader detects an unauthorized tag applied to the display and creates a signal with the inductive coil to disable the unauthorized tag.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises generating an alert upon detecting the unauthorized tags.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises

an RF demodulator;

a threshold detector that may activate an NFC security system when an external NFC reader is placed proximate to an NFC reading zone that contains an NFC tag; and

an impedance matching element.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the coil includes a distributed inductor adapted to be receptive to alternating magnetic fields in a vicinity of the coil.

5. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the impedance matching element is a capacitor.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the capacitor forms an impedance matching circuit between the inductive receiver coil and a transmission line.

7. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the detector circuit is provided on a surface of an advertising display.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the display detects a user'"'"'s movement of the external NFC reader and a message is generated for a user.

9. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the threshold detector generates energy to interrogate NFC tags in a NFC reader proximity.

10. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the threshold detector operates between a disabled state and an enabled state.