RFID tag and reader authentication by trusted authority

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9501675-B1
Application number	US-201514946797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 17, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader containing a reader key authenticates an RFID tag containing a tag key by receiving a tag identifier from the tag; challenging the tag with a tag challenge; receiving a tag response based at least on the tag challenge and the tag key but not including the tag key; sending a second message including at least the tag identifier and the tag response to a verification authority; and receiving a reply from the verification authority. The reader and the verification authority may mutually authenticate each other before, during, or after the tag authentication process. The verification authority may notify a designated party if a response is incorrect.

First claim

We claim:

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader comprising:
a memory; and
a processor block coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive a first tag identifier from a first tag containing a tag key;
challenge the first tag with a tag challenge:
receive a first tag response based at least on the tag challenge and the tag key;
store the first tag response in the memory; and
store a second tag response from a second tag in the memory before sending a first message including at least the first tag identifier and the first tag response to a verification authority.

2. The reader of claim 1 , wherein the processor block is further configured to authenticate the reader to the verification authority.

3. The reader of claim 2 , wherein the processor block is further configured to authenticate the reader by at least one of:
responding to a reader challenge from the verification authority; and
signing the first message with an electronic signature.

4. The reader of claim 3 , wherein:
the memory stores a reader key; and
the processor block is further configured to:
compute a reader response from at least the reader challenge and the reader key using a cryptographic algorithm; and
send the reader response to the verification authority.

5. The reader of claim 1 , wherein the processor block is further configured to at least one of:
receive the tag challenge from the verification authority; and
send the tag challenge to the verification authority.

6. The reader of claim 1 , wherein the verification authority sends a notification to a designated party if at least one of:
the reader is determined to be not authentic; and
the tag is determined to be not authentic.

7. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader comprising a processor block configured to:
simultaneously challenge a plurality of tags with a tag challenge:
receive, from a first tag containing a first tag key, a first tag identifier and a first tag response, the first tag response based at least on the tag challenge and the first tag key;
receive, from a second tag containing a second tag key, a second tag response based at least on the tag challenge and the second tag key; and
send a first message including at least the first tag identifier and the first tag response to a verification authority.

8. The reader of claim 7 , wherein the processor block is further configured to authenticate the reader to the verification authority.

9. The reader of claim 8 , further comprising a memory storing a reader key, wherein the processor block is further configured to authenticate the reader by at least one of:
responding to a reader challenge from the verification authority; and
signing the first message with an electronic signature based on the reader key.

10. The reader of claim 9 , wherein the processor block is further configured to:
compute a reader response from at least the reader challenge and the reader key using a cryptographic algorithm; and
send the reader response to the verification authority.

11. The reader of claim 7 , wherein the processor block is further configured to at least one of:
receive the tag challenge from the verification authority; and
send the tag challenge to the verification authority.

12. The reader of claim 7 , wherein the verification authority sends a notification to a designated party if at least one of:
the reader is determined to be not authentic; and
the tag is determined to be not authentic.

13. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader system comprising:
a reader configured to:
receive a tag identifier from a tag containing a tag key;
challenge the tag with a tag challenge;
receive a tag response based at least on the tag challenge and the tag key but not including the tag key; and
send a first message including at least the tag identifier and the tag response to a verification authority; and

the verification authority configured to send a notification to a designated party if at least one of the reader is determined to be not authentic and the tag is determined to be not authentic.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reader is further configured to store a plurality of tag responses from a plurality of tags before sending at least one of the plurality of tag responses to the verification authority.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reader is further configured to:
challenge a plurality of tags with one tag challenge simultaneously; and
subsequently receive a tag response stored in at least one tag in the plurality of tags.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reader is further configured to authenticate itself to the verification authority.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the reader is further configured to authenticate itself by at least one of:
responding to a reader challenge from the verification authority; and
signing the first message with an electronic signature based on a reader key.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the reader is further configured to:
compute a reader response from at least the reader challenge and the reader key using a cryptographic algorithm; and
send the reader response to the verification authority.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the reader is further configured to at least one of:
receive the tag challenge from the verification authority; and
send the tag challenge to the verification authority.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the verification authority is further configured to electronically sign at least one of the notification and a reply to the reader.

Assignees

• Impinj Inc
• Impinj Inc

Inventors

• Diorio Christopher J
• Cooper Scott A
• Robshaw Matthew

Classifications

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L9/3273

  for mutual authentication (network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869) · CPC title

• H04Q2213/13095

  PIN / Access code, authentication · CPC title

• H04L2209/24

  Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption · CPC title

• H04L2209/805

  Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor · CPC title