Read authentication method and system for securing data stored on RFID tags

• US 7,541,929 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ungs, Kelly J., Zimmerman, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R
• Application Number:
  US11/747,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20070285206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.5, 340/10.51, 340/10.52, 340 521- 527, 340/5.74, 340/5.2, 340/5.3, 340/5.6, 340/5.61, 340/5.8, 340/825.56
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer

Abstract

A system and method for limiting the reading out of data from an RFID tag by requiring a reader of the tag to be authenticated by providing the correct key to the tag, static or rotating, before the tag will transmit data. The limitation of transmission is done irrespective of whether the data is encrypted or not. The system and method may have a segmented or tiered access scheme where segments or portions of the data stored in the RFID tag are accessible by differing keys. Additionally, different encryption keys or schemes may be employed to provide differing encryption methods for the data in the differing segments or portions of the data stored in the RFID tag.

Claims

1. A process for maintaining security of information stored on a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising the steps of:

storing predetermined data on an RFID tag according to a level of security;

interrogating said RFID tag with an RFID tag reader by providing a requesting key to said RFID tag, wherein said requesting key is a changing key in a rotating key authentication system;

comparing said requesting key to a predetermined stored key associated with the level of security and determining if a match exists; and

transmitting said predetermined data in response to and only if said match exists.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a negative acknowledgment in response to and only if said match does not exist.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein said predetermined data is encrypted.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said RFID tag provides restricted privileges for writing portions of said predetermined data.

5. The process of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a negative acknowledgment in response to and only if said match does not exist.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein said predetermined data is not encrypted.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting said predetermined data, based on said requesting key, according to a first encryption scheme; and

transmitting said encrypted predetermined data in response to the interrogation of said RFID tag with said requesting key.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

encrypting said predetermined data, based on the requesting key, according to a second encryption scheme that is different from said first encryption scheme; and

transmitting said encrypted predetermined data according to said second encryption scheme in response to the interrogation of said RFID tag with said requesting key.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of, incident to comparing said requesting key to a predetermined stored key, locking portions of said predetermined data.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein:

the step of storing predetermined data on an RFID tag, further comprising storing different data into predetermined segmented regions of the RFID tag;

the step of comparing said requesting key to a predetermined stored key, further comprising comparing said requesting key to one of a plurality of predetermined stored keys where each key is associated with a different subset of the predetermined segmented regions of the RFID tag; and

the step of transmitting said predetermined data in response to and only if said match exists, further comprising the steps of transmitting only a predetermined subset of said predetermined segmented regions of the RFID tag which has been previously associated with the requesting key.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein one of said plurality of predetermined stored keys is a key which is a master key which allows access to all information on said RFID tag.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein one of said plurality of predetermined stored keys is a limited access key which only allows access to less than all information stored on said RFID tag.

13. A system for providing information to an RFID reader comprising:

an RFID tag comprising;

digital circuitry therein which is configured to at least aid in selectively disabling reading out of one or more predetermined subsets of data from said RFID tag until and unless said RFID tag receives in an interrogation from an RFID reader a reader key which matches a tag key which has been previously assigned to said one or more predetermined subsets of data stored on said RFID tag, wherein said digital circuitry therein is further configured to employ differing encryption schemes for said one or more predetermined subsets of data stored on said RFID tag; and

an antenna for transmitting said predetermined data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said data excludes a negative acknowledgment indicating that no match has occurred between the reader key and the tag key.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said digital circuitry is control logic configured to perform as a state machine.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said digital circuitry is a microprocessor in conjunction with software stored in memory coupled to said microprocessor, which are configured to perform as a state machine.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein a predetermined master reader key provides access to all information stored on said RFID tag.

18. A process for securing functionality of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprising the steps of:

storing predetermined data on an RFID tag;

interrogating said RFID tag with an RFID tag reader by providing a requesting key to said RFID tag;

comparing said requesting key to one or more predetermined stored keys associated with RFID tag functions comprising of reading the stored predetermined data, writing to the stored predetermined data, and locking the stored predetermined data;

determining if one or more matches exists; and

enabling, in response to the one or more determined matches, the associated RFID tag functions.