Method and apparatus for a privacy enabling radio frequency identification (RFID) reader

• US 20060226969A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bandy, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,283,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07336 Active means, e.g. jamming or scrambling of the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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 3/41 characterized by the control of the jamming activation or deactivation time control of jamming activation and deactivation time only for the purpose of alternating between jamming mode and target monitoring mode H04K3/45
• 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 3/825 by jamming

Abstract

In an aspect of the present invention, an individual carries a mobile communications device, such as a cell phone, that listens for readers attempting to read tags associated with the individual. In a further aspect of the present invention, the mobile communications device operates to mask the transmissions of these readers, to prevent them from reading the tags.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a receiver capable of detecting an interrogation signal transmitted by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader device; and

an indicator device that provides an indication to a user if said interrogation signal is detected.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reader module capable of reading RFID tags to determine identification numbers corresponding to said RFID tags; and

a memory device, wherein said memory device stores said determined identification numbers.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said receiver is further capable of detecting a response by an RFID tag to said detected interrogation signal.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said indicator device provides a second indication to a user if said response by an RFID tag is detected.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said indicator device provides a third indication to a user if said response is detected and if said responding RFID tag responds with a string of bits that match a corresponding portion of one of said stored identification numbers.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein said indicator device provides a third indication to a user if said response is detected and an identification number of said responding RFID tag matches one of said stored identification numbers.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter that transmits a masking signal to mask at least a portion of a response by a RFID tag that responds to said detected interrogation signal.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving and transmitting a cellular telephone call.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the device is a cell phone.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a handheld computing device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a laptop computer.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna coupled to said receiver.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said first antenna receives signals of a first frequency range, the device further comprising:

a second antenna that transmits and receives signals of a second frequency range.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

a housing; and

a plug-in module;

wherein said receiver is positioned in said plug-in module and said first antenna is mounted to said plug-in module, and

wherein said second antenna is mounted to said housing.

15. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a housing, wherein said receiver is positioned in said housing and said first antenna is mounted to said housing.

16. A method for a providing unwanted interrogation by a reader, comprising:

monitoring for an interrogation signal transmitted by a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader device; and

if the interrogation signal is detected, providing an indication to a user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

reading RFID tags to determine identification numbers corresponding to the RFID tags; and

storing the determined identification numbers.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

monitoring for a response by an RFID tag to the interrogation signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

if an RFID tag response to the interrogation signal is detected, providing a second indication to a user.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

if an RFID tag response to the interrogation signal is detected and the responding RFID tag responds with a string of bits that match a corresponding portion of a stored identification number, providing a second indication to a user that the response was detected and the match occurred.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

if the response to the interrogation signal is detected and the match occurred, transmitting a masking signal to mask further response by the responding RFID tag.