System and method for active jamming of confidential information transmitted at a point-of-sale reader

• US 8,055,184 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhu, Kevin K., Roche, Elizabeth C., Dreiling, Ryan P., DiMartino, Allison A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US12/022,903
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/406, 455/66.1, 455/557, 455/558, 235379-383, 235/492, 235/375, 235/451, 235/487, 705/40, 705/77, 705/34, 705/17, 705/43, 705/44
• US Class Current: 455/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/32 including a particular configuration of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/28 with jamming and anti-jamming mechanisms both included in a same device or system, e.g. wherein anti-jamming includes prevention of undesired self-jamming resulting from jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming

Abstract

A system for impeding reception of confidential information is disclosed. The system comprises a point-of-sale transceiver configured to receive confidential information transmitted by a mobile device incorporating an electronic wallet and a signal generator in communication with the point-of-sale transceiver and configured to broadcast a jamming signal substantially concurrently with the point-of-sale transceiver receiving the confidential information.

Claims

1. A system for impeding reception of confidential information, comprising:

a point-of-sale transceiver configured to receive a confidential information transmitted by a mobile device incorporating an electronic wallet; and

a signal generator in communication with the point-of-sale transceiver and configured to broadcast a jamming signal substantially concurrent with the point-of-sale transceiver receiving the confidential information, wherein the signal generator is configured to broadcast the jamming signal according to a directional radiation pattern, wherein the radiation pattern substantially directs a null of the directional radiation pattern towards the point-of-sale transceiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the jamming signal is based on an additive white Gaussian noise signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the confidential information is received according to a format that includes a payload portion containing the confidential information and wherein the jamming signal is broadcast according to the format with the payload portion of the jamming signal containing information unassociated with the confidential information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale transceiver communicates with the mobile device using one of a near field communication technology and a radio frequency identity technology.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale transceiver is configured to transmit a transaction initialization signal to the mobile device and wherein the signal generator broadcasts the jamming signal at a higher power level than the power level used by the point-of-sale transceiver to transmit the transaction initialization signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further including radio shielding material located between the point-of-sale transceiver and the signal generator.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the information unassociated with the confidential information is deliberately invalid information.

8. A system for impeding reception of confidential information, comprising:

a point-of-sale transceiver configured to receive a confidential information transmitted by a mobile device incorporating an electronic wallet;

a signal generator in communication with the point-of-sale transceiver and configured to broadcast a jamming signal substantially concurrent with the point-of-sale transceiver receiving the confidential information, wherein the signal generator is configured to broadcast the jamming signal from less than about 5 seconds before the confidential information is transmitted to less than about 5 seconds after the confidential information is transmitted.

9. A system for impeding reception of confidential information, comprising:

a point-of-sale transceiver configured to receive a confidential information transmitted by a mobile device incorporating an electronic wallet;

a signal generator in communication with the point-of-sale transceiver and configured to broadcast a jamming signal substantially concurrent with the point-of-sale transceiver receiving the confidential information; and

an indicator configured to provide a visual indication when the jamming signal is being broadcast.

10. A method of impeding reception of confidential information, comprising:

producing a jamming signal;

broadcasting the jamming signal from a point-of-sale device; and

receiving confidential information at the point-of-sale device, wherein the jamming signal is broadcast substantially concurrently with the reception of the confidential information and wherein the confidential information is received from a portable electronic device containing an electronic wallet, wherein broadcasting the jamming signal produces a directional radiation pattern having at least one null direction and wherein broadcasting includes directing one null direction of the directional radiation pattern towards the point-of-sale device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein producing a jamming signal is based on an additive white Gaussian noise signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein producing a jamming signal is based on producing a first signal similar in structure to a second signal received by the point-of-sale device, wherein the second signal contains the confidential information, and wherein the first signal contains information unassociated with the confidential information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first signal and second signal contain a payload portion and an overhead portion, wherein the payload portion of the second signal contains the confidential information, and wherein the payload portion of the first signal contains information unassociated with the confidential information contained in the payload portion of the second signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information unassociated with the confidential information is deliberately invalid information.

15. A method of impeding reception of confidential information, comprising:

producing a jamming signal;

broadcasting the jamming signal from a point-of-sale device; and

receiving confidential information at the point-of-sale device, wherein the jamming signal is broadcast substantially concurrently with the reception of the confidential information and wherein the confidential information is received from a portable electronic device containing an electronic wallet, wherein broadcasting the jamming signal occurs substantially continuously while the point-of-sale device is ready for service.

16. A method of impeding reception of confidential information, comprising:

producing a jamming signal;

broadcasting the jamming signal from a point-of-sale device; and

receiving confidential information at the point-of-sale device, wherein the jamming signal is broadcast substantially concurrently with the reception of the confidential information and wherein the confidential information is received from a portable electronic device containing an electronic wallet, wherein broadcasting the jamming signal is substantially turned off when the point-of-sale device is not communicating with the portable electronic device.

17. A method of jamming reception of confidential information, comprising:

exchanging handshaking signals between a portable electronic device and a point-of-sale transceiver, wherein the portable electronic device contains an electronic wallet;

the portable electronic device transmitting a preamble sequence during a first time interval;

the point-of-sale transceiver transmitting a cancelling preamble sequence during the first time interval, wherein the cancelling preamble sequence is operable to substantially attenuate the preamble sequence; and

the portable electronic device transmitting a confidential information during a second time interval, wherein the second time interval follows the first time interval in time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the preamble sequence is a training sequence that promotes synchronization between the portable electronic device and the point-of-sale transceiver.

19. The method of claim 17, further including transmitting a jamming signal from a jammer at least during the second time interval.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the jamming signal is based on one of an additive white Gaussian noise signal and a spoofing signal, wherein the spoofing signal has a signal structure similar to the signal structure transmitted by the portable electronic device during the second time interval and wherein the spoofing signal contains information unassociated with the confidential information.