US 8,941,469 B1 · RFID tag authentication with public-key cryptography

Abstract

An authentication method includes RFID readers authenticating RFID tags using public-key cryptography. A tag manufacturer or other legitimate authority produces a tag private-public key pair and stores the tag private key in externally unreadable tag memory and the tag public key in externally readable tag memory. The authority produces a master private-public key pair and distributes the master public key to readers in the field. The authority generates a tag-specific electronic signature based on at least the tag public key and the master private key and stores this signature in externally readable tag memory. A reader authenticates the tag by retrieving the tag public key and electronic signature from the tag, verifying the authenticity of the tag public key using the master public key and the electronic signature, challenging the tag, receiving a response from the tag to the challenge, and verifying the response using the tag public key.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader to authenticate an RFID tag, the method comprising:

retrieving a tag public key (TPK), an item identifier (II), and an electronic signature (ES) from the tag, the ES computed over at least the TPK and the II;
retrieving a signing-authority public key (SAPK) associated with the ES from a signing authority;
verifying, using the SAPK and the ES, the TPK and the II;
challenging the tag with a challenge;
receiving a response from the tag;
and
authenticating the tag by verifying the response using the TPK.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

RFID tag authentication with public-key cryptography

Life of this patent

RFID tag authentication with public-key cryptography

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27