SELF-AUTHENTICATING CHIPS

• US 20150295920A1
• Filed: 04/09/2014
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardex Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: De Sonneville International Ltd.
• Inventors: Van Kerrebroeck, Dennis Bernard, Horn, Craig Michael, VAN KERREBROECK, Bernard Marie-Andre
• Granted Patent: US 9,590,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0826 Embedded security module
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• 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: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• 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

A self-authenticating chip includes first and second memory regions storing, respectively, first and second authentication codes. The second memory region is adapted to be unreadable and unmodifiable by the chip or a chip reader. The chip also includes a comparator for providing an indicator of whether given input matches the second authentication code. The chip also includes an authentication circuit that is operable to read the first authentication code from the first memory region, present the first authentication code to the comparator, and in response to receiving an indicator from the comparator indicating that the first and second authentication codes match, unlock at least one of (i) a communication interface of the chip to allow data to be transmitted therethrough to a chip reader and (ii) a third memory region of the chip to allow data to be read therefrom.

Claims

1. A self-authenticating chip comprising:

a first memory region storing a first authentication code;

a second memory region storing a second authentication code, said second memory region adapted to be unreadable and unmodifiable by said chip or a chip reader;

a comparator interconnected to said second memory region for providing an indicator of whether given input matches said second authentication code; and

an authentication circuit interconnected to said comparator and said first memory region;

said authentication circuit operable to;

read said first authentication code from said first memory region;

present said first authentication code to said comparator; and

in response to receiving an indicator from said comparator indicating that said first authentication code matches said second authentication code;

unlock at least one of (i) a communication interface of said chip to allow data to be transmitted therethrough to a chip reader and (ii) a third memory region of said chip to allow data to be read therefrom.

2. The chip of claim 1, wherein said communication interface comprises a radio-frequency transmitter.

3. The chip of claim 1, wherein said chip is operable, upon said unlocking, to transmit data to a chip reader by way of said communication interface.

4. The chip of claim 3, wherein said transmitted data is transmitted in encrypted form.

5. The chip of claim 3, wherein said transmitted data comprises at least one of a unique identifier of said chip, a unique user identifier, a unique account identifier, a unique mobile service subscriber identifier, a unique transaction identifier, an electronic ticket identifier, a voucher code, and a network authentication code.

6. The chip of claim 5, wherein said unique account identifier comprises a credit card number or a debit card number.

7. The chip of claim 5, wherein said network authentication code comprises at least one of a timestamp and a transaction identifier.

8. The chip of claim 5, wherein said authentication circuit is further operable to update said network authentication code at pre-defined time intervals.

9. A card comprising said chip of claim 1.

10. The card of claim 9, wherein said card is an identity card, a payment card, or an access control card.

11. The card of claim 10, wherein said access control card is for gaining access to at least one of a public transportation service, a particular vehicle, and a particular location.

12. The card of claim 10, further comprising a magnetic stripe storing a network authentication code.

13. The card of claim 9, wherein said card is a SIM card.

14. The card of claim 13, wherein said SIM card is a GSM SIM card, USIM card, a CSIM card, a R-UIM card, a Universal Integrated Circuit Card, a high-capacity SIM card, or a MegaSIM card.

15. The card of claim 13, wherein said card, upon said unlocking said chip, is operable to transmit a message to another SIM card by way of said communication interface of said chip.

16. The card of claim 13, wherein said card, upon said unlocking said chip, is operable to transmit payment data to a point-of-sale terminal by way of said communication interface of said chip.

17. A document comprising said chip of claim 1.

18. The document of claim 17, wherein said document is a passport or a travel visa.

19. An electronic device comprising said chip of claim 1.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein said device is a mobile phone, a tablet, a computer, a set-top box, a television, a Smart TV, a modem, a network switch, a network router.

21. A vehicle comprising said chip of claim 1.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein said vehicle, upon said unlocking said chip, is operable to transmit payment data by way of said communication interface of said chip.

32. An authentication system comprising:

a self-authenticating chip of claim 2 or a self-authenticating card of claim 24; and

a computing device comprising;

a radio-frequency receiver;

a network communication interface;

at least one processor; and

memory interconnected to said at least one processor, said memory storing software code that, upon execution by said at least one processor, causes said computing device to;

receive a network authentication code from said self-authenticating chip or said first chip of said self-authenticating card, by way of said radio-frequency receiver; and

transmit said network authentication code to a network-interconnected authentication server by way of said network communication interface.

33. The authentication system of claim 32, wherein said computing device further comprises a peripheral communication port and said radio-frequency receiver is removably attached to said peripheral communication port.

34. The authentication system of claim 33, wherein said peripheral communication port is a Universal Serial Bus port.

35. The authentication system of claim 32, wherein said computing device is a mobile phone or a tablet computer.

23. A self-authenticating card comprising:

a first chip having a first memory region storing a first authentication code, and a communication interface for communicating with a chip reader; and

a second chip having a second memory region storing a second authentication code;

at least one of said first and second chips providing an authentication circuit interconnected with said first memory region and said second memory region, said authentication circuit operable to;

read said first authentication code from said first memory region;

read said second authentication code from said second memory region;

authenticate said card by comparing said first authentication code with said second authentication code; and

upon said authenticating;

unlock at least one of (i) said communication interface to allow data to be transmitted therethrough (ii) a third memory region to allow data to be read therefrom.

24. The card of claim 23, wherein said communication interface comprises at a radio-frequency transmitter.

25. The card of claim 23, wherein said first chip is operable, upon said unlocking, to transmit data to a chip reader by way of said communication interface.

26. The card of claim 25, wherein said transmitted data comprises at least one of a unique identifier of said chip, a unique user identifier, a unique account identifier, a unique mobile service subscriber identifier, a unique transaction identifier, an electronic ticket identifier, a voucher code, and a network authentication code.

27. The card of claim 25, wherein said transmitted data is transmitted in encrypted form.

28. The card of claim 23, wherein said second chip is substantially sealed within said card.

29. The card of claim 23, further comprising a power source that supplies power to said first and second chips.

30. The card of claim 23, wherein said first and second chips are interconnected by carbon nanowires.

31. The card of claim 23, wherein said card is an identity card, a payment card, an access control card, or a SIM card.