Proxy-based reader authentication by trusted authority
AssigneeImpinj, Inc.
InventorsChristopher J. Diorio, Scott A. Cooper, Matthew Robshaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system including an RFID reader and a reader proxy authenticates itself to a verification authority. The proxy receives a proxy challenge from a verification authority and determines a proxy response based on the proxy challenge and a proxy key known to the proxy. The proxy response is then sent to the verification authority along with an identifier for the reader. The reader then authenticates an RFID tag by sending a tag response to the verification authority, which determines whether the reader is authentic based on the authenticity of the proxy response.
Claims20
A method for a verification authority to authenticate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, the method comprising:
- transmitting a challenge to a proxy connected to a plurality of RFID readers;
- receiving, from the proxy, a response to the proxy challenge;
- verifying the proxy response based on at least the proxy challenge and a proxy key;
- in response to verifying the proxy response, authenticating at least one of:
- the proxy;
- and
- at least a first one of the plurality of RFID readers;
- receiving, from at least one of the proxy and the first authenticated RFID reader, a tag-authentication request including at least a tag identifier and a tag response;
- verifying, using at least a tag challenge and a tag key determined from at least the tag identifier, whether the tag response is computed based on the tag challenge and the tag key;
- and
- transmitting a tag-authenticity message based on verifying the tag response.
A method for a proxy to enable a plurality of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers to authenticate RFID tags, the method comprising:
- transmitting an authentication request to a verification authority;
- receiving a proxy challenge from the verification authority;
- determining a proxy response based on the proxy challenge and a proxy key;
- transmitting the proxy response to the verification authority;
- and
- at least one of:
- identifying the RFID readers directly to the verification authority to enable the RFID readers to authenticate tags via the verification authority;
- and
- sending tag responses from the RFID readers to the verification authority for authenticating, wherein authenticating tag responses comprises determining whether the tag responses are computed based on a respective tag challenge and a respective tag key.
A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system including a proxy coupled to a plurality of RFID readers to authenticate RFID tags via a verification authority, the method comprising:
- receiving a proxy challenge from the verification authority;
- determining a proxy response based on the proxy challenge and a proxy key;
- transmitting the proxy response to the verification authority to authenticate at least one of:
- the proxy;
- and
- at least a first one of the plurality of RFID readers;
- transmitting a tag-authentication request including at least a tag identifier and a tag response to the verification authority, wherein the tag-authentication request originates from the first one of the RFID readers;
- and
- receiving a tag-authenticity message from the verification authority indicating whether the tag response is computed based on a tag challenge and a tag key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.