Detection of unauthorized tags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10198604-B2
Application number	US-201414892591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2014
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting unauthorized tags are provided. A tag transmission report is received from a tag reader that receives wireless transmissions from a plurality of tags. A tag ID is determined for each tag of the plurality of tags in the tag transmission report. The determined tag IDs are compared to association information indicating associations between tag IDs. A notification is generated responsive to a comparison indicating that ones of the plurality of tags are not associated with other tags of the plurality of tags.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting unauthorized Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags by a detection server, the method comprising:
receiving, by a communication interface of the detection server via a communication network, a tag transmission report from a tag reader, wherein the tag transmission report indicates a plurality of tags, including a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag, from which the tag reader has received wireless transmissions;
determining, by the detection server, a tag identification (ID) for each tag of the plurality of tags indicated in the tag transmission report;
comparing, by the detection server, the determined tag IDs to association information, wherein the association information is maintained by the detection server, wherein the association information comprises ownership information for each tag of the plurality of tags, and wherein the association information comprises a first association between a first tag ID of the first RFID tag and a second tag ID of the second RFID tag, and wherein the comparing comprises determining that a subset of the plurality of tags in the tag transmission report comprises matching ownership information and determining that at least one tag of the plurality of tags in the tag transmission report not in the subset does not have ownership information matching the ownership information of the subset of the plurality of tags;
generating, by the detection server, a notification responsive to the determining that the at least one of the plurality of tags in the tag transmission report not in the subset does not have ownership information matching the ownership information of the subset of the plurality of tags, wherein the notification indicates that the at least one tag of the plurality of tags is not associated with the subset of the plurality of tags; and
sending, by the detection server, a message comprising the notification to an owner of the subset of the plurality of tags.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the subset comprises a majority of the plurality of tags in the tag transmission report.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the association information further comprises ownership information for the tag reader, and wherein the generating comprises generating the notification responsive to a comparison indicating ownership information of at least one of the plurality of tags does not match ownership information of the tag reader.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of the plurality of tags is a first subset of the plurality of tags, wherein the plurality of tags further comprises a second subset of tags distinct from the first subset, wherein the comparing further comprises determining that the first subset of the plurality of tags share a movement pattern and determining that the second subset of tags of the plurality of tags also share the movement pattern,
wherein the generating comprises generating the notification responsive to ownership information of tag IDs of the first subset not matching ownership information of tag IDs of the second subset of tags and responsive to the first subset and the second subset sharing the movement pattern.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving a tag ID in a first tag transmission report from a first tag reader located at a first location at a first time,
receiving the tag ID in a second tag transmission report from a second tag reader located at a second location at a second time later than the first time, and
identifying the movement pattern based on movement of the tag corresponding to the tag ID from the first location to the second location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of the plurality of tags is a first subset of the plurality of tags and wherein the plurality of tags further comprises a second subset of tags distinct from the first subset, wherein the comparing comprises:
(a) determining, during a first time period, that the first subset of the plurality of tags share a first movement pattern and that the second subset of the plurality of tags share a second movement pattern, wherein the first movement pattern does not match the second movement pattern; and
(b) determining, during a second time period, that the first subset of the plurality of tags and the second subset of the plurality of tags share a third movement pattern, and
wherein the generating comprises generating the notification responsive to the first movement pattern not matching the second movement pattern for the first time period and responsive to the first subset of the plurality of tags and the second subset of the plurality of tags sharing the third movement pattern during the second time period.

7. A computer-implemented method for detecting unauthorized Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, the method comprising:
receiving, by a wireless communication interface of a tag reader via a short range wireless communication protocol, wireless transmissions from a plurality of tags including a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag;
determining a tag identification (ID) for each tag of the plurality of tags;
comparing the determined tag IDs to association information, wherein the association information comprises ownership information for each tag of the plurality of tags, and includes a first association between a first tag ID of the first RFID tag and a second tag ID of the second RFID tag, and wherein the comparing comprises determining that a subset of the plurality of tags comprises matching ownership information and determining that at least one tag of the plurality of tags not in the subset does not have ownership information matching the ownership information of the subset of the plurality of tags;
generating a notification responsive to the determining that the at least one of the plurality of tags not in the subset does not have ownership information matching the ownership information of the subset of the plurality of tags, wherein the notification indicates that the at least one tag of the plurality of tags is not associated the subset of the plurality of tags; and
sending a message comprising the notification to an owner of the subset of the plurality of tags.

8. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the subset comprises a majority of the plurality of tags.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the association information comprises ownership information for the tag reader, and wherein the generating comprises generating the notification responsive to a comparison indicating ownership information of at least one tag of the plurality of tags does not match ownership information of the tag reader.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the subset of the plurality of tags is a first subset of the plurality of tags, wherein the plurality of tags further comprises a second subset of tags distinct from the first subset, wherein the comparing further comprises determining that the first subset of the plurality of tags share a movement pattern and determining that the second subset of the plurality of tags also share the movement pattern,
wherein the generating comprises generating the notification responsive to ownership information of tag IDs of the first subset of the plurality of tags not matching ownership information of tag IDs of the second subset of the plurality of tags and responsive to the first subset of the plurality of tags and the second subset of the plurality of tags sharing the movement pattern.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a tag ID from a first tag reader located at a first location at a first time;
receiving the tag ID from a second tag reader at a second location at a second ti

Assignees

• Sony Corp
• Sony Mobile Communications Inc

Inventors

• Wadman Johan
• Ljung Peter

Classifications

• G06K7/10009 Primary

  sensing by radiation using wavelengths larger than 0.1 mm, e.g. radio-waves or microwaves · CPC title

• G06K7/10257 Primary

  arrangements for protecting the interrogation against piracy attacks (computer security in general G06F21/00; jamming of communication, countermeasures H04K3/00; secret communication H04K1/00) · CPC title