Control of Data Exchange

• US 20080157927A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Burbridge, Trevor, Soppera, Andrea, Korgaonkar, Vivekanand
• Granted Patent: US 8,143,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• 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 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A control device, method and system for controlling data exchange between entities and item identification devices associated with said control device; said entities having an associated data exchange means for exchanging data with item identification devices; said data exchange means being arranged to provide authentication data indicative of the entity with which they are associated; and said control device comprising means for enabling exchange of data between said item identification devices and the entity with which said data exchange means is associated in accordance with an applicable access policy for that entity.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling data exchange between entities and item identification devices associated with said control device, each of said entities having associated therewith a data exchange means for exchanging data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated, said data exchange means being arranged to provide authentication data indicative of the entity with which they are associated or indicative of a category of entity with which they are associated, said control device comprising:

access policy storing means for storing data indicative of access policies for one or more entities or categories of entities, said access policies relating to the extent to which an entity or category of entities is to be permitted to exchange data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated;

communication receiving means for receiving authentication data from a data exchange means;

authentication means for establishing from received authentication data and from said access policy storing means an access policy applicable to the entity or category of entities with which said data exchange means is associated;

communication providing means for providing access data to said data exchange means sufficient to enable exchange of data between said item identification devices and the entity with which said data exchange means is associated in accordance with the applicable access policy for that entity.

2. A control device according to claim 1, the control device being arranged to provide and/or receive radio-frequency data.

3. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is an active RFID device.

4. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said item identification devices are radio-frequency devices.

5. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said item identification devices are passive or semi-active RFID devices

6. A control device according to claim 1, said item identification devices being arranged to provide data relating to one or more items with which said item identification devices are associated.

7. A control device according to claim 6, said item identification devices being arranged to provide item identification data.

8. A control device according to claim 6, said item identification devices being arranged to provide item status data.

9. A control device according to claim 6, said item identification devices being arranged to provide other types of data.

10. A control device according to claim 1, said data exchange means being an RF reader device.

11. A control device according to claim 1, said data exchange means being an RF writer device.

12. A control device according to claim 1, said data exchange means being an RF reader/writer device

13. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said access data provided is sufficient to enable decoding of encoded data provided by item identification devices.

14. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said access data provided is sufficient to enable item identification devices to be caused to provide data.

15. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said access data provided is sufficient to cause data to be stored by said item identification devices.

16. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said data exchanged between item identification devices and entities comprises data relating to one or more of a plurality of attributes.

17. A control device according to claim 16, wherein said access policies indicate the attribute or combination of attributes about which an entity or category of entities is to be permitted to exchange data with item identification devices with which said control device is associated.

18. A control device according to claim 16, wherein said access policies indicate whether an entity or category of entities is to be permitted read, write, or read-and-write access in relation to data relating to said one or more attributes.

19. A control device according to claim 1, wherein said access policies indicate whether an entity or category of entities is to be permitted to delegate rights.

20. A method for controlling data exchange between entities and item identification devices associated with said control device, each of said entities having associated therewith a data exchange means for exchanging data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated, said data exchange means being arranged to provide authentication data indicative of the entity with which they are associated or indicative of a category of entity with which they are associated, said method comprising steps of:

storing data indicative of access policies for one or more entities or categories of entities, said access policies relating to the extent to which an entity or category of entities is to be permitted to exchange data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated;

receiving authentication data from a data exchange means;

establishing from received authentication data and from stored access policies an access policy applicable to the entity or category of entities with which said data exchange means is associated;

providing access data to said data exchange means sufficient to enable exchange of data between said item identification devices and the entity with which said data exchange means is associated in accordance with the applicable access policy for that entity.

21. A system for controlling data exchange between entities and item identification devices, said system comprising a control device associated with a plurality of item identification devices, and one or more data exchange means each associated with one or more entities or categories of entities;

wherein the or each data exchange means comprises;

means for exchanging data with one or more of a plurality of item identification devices with which said control device is associated; and

means for providing authentication data indicative of an entity with which the data exchange means is associated or indicative of a category of entity with which the data exchange means is associated;

and wherein said control device comprises;

access policy storing means for storing data indicative of access policies for one or more entities or categories of entities, said access policies relating to the extent to which an entity or category of entities is to be permitted to exchange data with one or more of said item identification devices with which said control device is associated;

communication receiving means for receiving authentication data from said data exchange means;

authentication means for establishing from received authentication data and from said access policy storing means an access policy applicable to the entity or category of entities with which said data exchange means is associated; and

communication providing means for providing access data to said data exchange means sufficient to enable exchange of data between said item identification devices and the entity with which said data exchange means is associated in accordance with the applicable access policy for that entity.