Apparatus and method for securing beacons
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A short-range communication tag, comprising:
- a transmitter;
a clock circuit providing a clock value that changes with a period of a clock signal;
a memory storing a unique identification value;
a processor, coupled to the memory, the clock circuit, and the transmitter, the processor configured to;
insert bits of a Salt value into the unique identification value to generate a salted identification value;
generate a sequence of encryption keys, wherein the processor is configured to generate new encryption keys in the sequence of encryption keys with a period of K seconds, according to a schedule, where K is an integer; and
for a current encryption key in the sequence of encryption keys;
encrypt the salted identification value and a checksum value calculated for the salted identification value with the current encryption key, according to a predetermined encryption method, to generate an encrypted tag identification value; and
cause the transmitter to transmit the encrypted tag identification value,wherein the encrypted tag identification value is configured such that when the encrypted tag identification value is received by a mobile listening device, the mobile listening device;
processes at least a portion of the encrypted tag identification value to generate a decrypted value including the salted identification value and the checksum value,extracts the checksum value from the decrypted value, generates a further checksum value of the salted identification value,compares the checksum value and the further checksum value, andin response to the checksum value matching the further checksum value, removes the Salt value from the salted identification value to generate the unique identification value.
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Abstract
A short-range communication tag includes a transmitter, a clock circuit providing a clock value and a memory containing a unique identification value. The tag further includes a processor which generates encryption keys with a period of K seconds and combines the unique identification value with the encryption key, according to a predetermined encryption method, to generate an obfuscated unique identification value. The tag further includes a short-range transmitter to transmit the tag identification value.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A short-range communication tag, comprising:
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a transmitter; a clock circuit providing a clock value that changes with a period of a clock signal; a memory storing a unique identification value; a processor, coupled to the memory, the clock circuit, and the transmitter, the processor configured to; insert bits of a Salt value into the unique identification value to generate a salted identification value; generate a sequence of encryption keys, wherein the processor is configured to generate new encryption keys in the sequence of encryption keys with a period of K seconds, according to a schedule, where K is an integer; and for a current encryption key in the sequence of encryption keys; encrypt the salted identification value and a checksum value calculated for the salted identification value with the current encryption key, according to a predetermined encryption method, to generate an encrypted tag identification value; and cause the transmitter to transmit the encrypted tag identification value, wherein the encrypted tag identification value is configured such that when the encrypted tag identification value is received by a mobile listening device, the mobile listening device; processes at least a portion of the encrypted tag identification value to generate a decrypted value including the salted identification value and the checksum value, extracts the checksum value from the decrypted value, generates a further checksum value of the salted identification value, compares the checksum value and the further checksum value, and in response to the checksum value matching the further checksum value, removes the Salt value from the salted identification value to generate the unique identification value. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A mobile listening device comprising:
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a short-range receiver; a memory storing a plurality of encryption keys; and a processor coupled to the short-range receiver and the memory, the processor being configured to; receive an encrypted tag identification value via the short-range receiver; process at least a portion of the encrypted tag identification value using a predetermined decryption method and one of the plurality of encryption keys to generate a decrypted value including a salted identification value and a checksum value; extract the checksum value from the decrypted value; generate a further checksum value of the salted identification value; compare the checksum value and the further checksum value; and in response to the checksum value matching the further checksum value, remove a Salt value from the salted identification value, as identified by predetermined configuration data, to generate a unique identification value. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A method for encrypting a tag identifier (ID) of a short-range communications tag, comprising:
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retrieving, by a processor of the short-range communications tag, a unique identification value from a memory; inserting, by the processor, bits of a Salt value into the unique identification value to generate a salted identification value; generating, by the processor, a sequence of encryption keys with a period K seconds, as determined by a clock value; encrypting, by the processor, the salted identification value and a checksum value calculated for the salted identification value using a currently generated one of the encryption keys according to a predetermined encryption algorithm to generate an encrypted tag identification value; and broadcasting the encrypted tag identification value by a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the encrypted tag identification value is configured such that when the encrypted tag identification value is received by a mobile listening device, the mobile listening device; processes at least a portion of the encrypted tag identification value to generate a decrypted value including the salted identification value and the checksum value, extracts the checksum value from the decrypted value, generates a further checksum value of the salted identification value, compares the checksum value and the further checksum value, and in response to the checksum value matching the further checksum value, removes the Salt value from the salted identification value to generate the unique identification value. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. An apparatus, comprising:
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a clock generator having a clock value that changes in response to a clock signal; a transceiver; a memory; a processor coupled to the transceiver, the clock signal generator and the memory, the processor configured to; generate a sequence of encryption keys and seed values including, a current encryption key and a current seed value and store at least a portion of the sequence of encryption keys and seed values in the memory; retrieve from the memory the current seed value and the current encryption key; establish a transmission connection with a field service application and a listening device via the transceiver; transmit the current seed value and a current clock value to the field service application via the transmission connection; and transmit the current encryption key to the listening device via the transceiver, wherein the listening device; processes at least a portion of an encrypted tag identification value to generate a decrypted value including a salted identification value and a checksum value, extracts the checksum value from the decrypted value, generates a further checksum value of the salted identification value, compares the checksum value and the further checksum value, and in response to the checksum value matching the further checksum value, removes a Salt value from the salted identification value to generate a unique identification value. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification