Patent Application
20090164787
The invention relates to the communication between a write- and/or read installation and at least one portable device which a user carries with him and which serves as an information carrier.
According to the state of the art, such information carriers are designed as transponders and are increasingly applied as identification media for access control with mechatronic locking systems, for ticketing, for person identification and for further applications. Thereby, they replace or supplement mechanically coded keys, paper charge cards, paper tickets, identity document papers read by eye, etc. Integrated solutions with several applications on a single card or the integration of the identification medium into another object—for example a clock or a mechanically coded key—have already been suggested. Generally, the user carries the transponder with him. It is particularly with applications such as ticketing, but also with access control, that the transponder does not need to be linked to a certain person. Rather, it may indeed also be transferable or be designed as an electronic charge card. The transponder often, but not always, has a unique number which characterises it.
Contactless systems are of particular interest where a wireless information transfer between the transponder and a write- and read module takes place. The information transfer is generally reciprocal with such systems.
The disadvantage with contactless systems is the fact that they may not guarantee that the data transmission takes place in a person-selective manner. One may not exclude the write- and read module receiving signals which do not originate from the envisaged person (for example the person obtaining the access) but from another person present in the vicinity. Unauthorised access, collisions or multiple bookings may be the result, depending on the application. This creates a dilemma: for reasons of comfort, on the one hand it would be desirable if the information transfer were to be as far-reaching as possible: the user should not need to hold the transponder actively onto the write- and read module. On the other hand, only by way of a short-range information transmission which is locally limited as much as possible, may one ensure to some extent that the information transfer only takes place between the person obtaining access and the write- and read module.
A likewise known wireless system for information transmission is based on a capacitive coupling between a portable device and a write- and read module via the human body. Such systems for example are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,854, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,701 and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,827. A user carries the portable device with him. Information flows as soon as the user contacts a contact surface coupled to the write-and read module. For example, an unique access code may be transmitted from the portable device to the write- and read module. The disadvantage with this system is the fact that only a limited data quantity may be transmitted on account of the poor signal-to-noise ratio. A good signal-to-noise ratio is only possible with a large amplitude of the transmission signal. A large amplitude (i.e. large voltage) is, however, not tolerated by the user.
Proceeding from this state of the art, it is the object of the invention to provide a method for the transmission of information between at least one write- and/or read installation, and a portable device, which overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art and which in particular acts in a person-selective manner.
According to the invention, this object is essentially achieved in that the information transfer is effected by way of the portable device and a write- and/or read installation via two communication channels. On the one hand a first information transmission takes place in a capacitive manner, wherein a coupling may take place via the human body. On the other hand, the information transmission procedure also includes an information transmission via a second, for example conventional and “contactless” information channel. A “contactless” information channel here means an inductive transmission or a transmission via electromagnetic waves, for example in the radio frequency-, microwave frequency- or infra red range. This does not imply that a contact necessarily needs to take place for the transmission of information via the first communication channel.
Information transmitted via the first communication channel primarily serves for the identification and selection of the user. It contains, for example, an unique identification code. Information transmitted via the second communication channel is, for example, the actual transmitted information which also (under certain circumstances together with user data) is stored on the portable device and/or the write- and/or read installation.
Hereinafter, information transferred via the first communication channel is called “first information” (or “first data”), and the information transferred via the second information channel is called “second information” (or “second data”). This is independent of the sequence of the information transmission procedures, as well as whether the transmission of the first and/or second information only contains the unilateral transfer or the reciprocal exchange of information, and of whether only a single information package is transferred or whether a plurality of information packages, amongst other things in a hierarchised manner, is transferred.
The complete write- and/or read process—the exchange of the first and the second information—preferably takes place in a short time span, for example during a period of maximal 5 s, preferably during a period of maximal 2 s. Only by way of this, may one already ensure, depending on the arrangement of the write- and/or read installation, that the first and second information is exchanged with the same portable device. Further measures for ensuring the person selectivity, which will yet be explained in more detail in this text, are possible alternatively or supplementary to this “rapid” information transfer.
An unselective or user-unspecific information exchange for the preparation of the second information transfer, above all conceivable for the synchronisation and for the creation of the second communication channel, may be effected before the first information transfer. Preferably, but not necessarily, the actual second information transmission takes place after the first information transmission. This permits the particularly advantageous embodiment in which the first information transmission is a precondition for the second information transmission. For example, one verifies with the first information by way of the write- and/or read installation, as to whether the portable device is authorised to exchange information at all. Alternatively or supplementarily, by way of the portable device, one may inversely also verify by way of the portable device as to whether the write- and/or read installation is authorised for information exchange (for example for debiting a credit balance, etc). The actual write- and read processes then takes place by way of the—often reciprocal—second information transmission.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the person selectivity on exchange of the second information is ensured by yet additional measures. This is effected in that the second data is at least partly dependent on the first data. The receiver of the respective transmitted second data may then verify whether this originates from that participant which already took part in the first information transmission. The second data may, for example, be a function of the first data. Thus, the first data may be completely or partly contained in each data package of the second data or at least in one information package of the second data. The first data may also permit the write- and read installation to identify the portable device. The second data is then sent to the portable device from the write- and/or read installation and contains an address of the portable device. Alternatively or supplementarily to this, the first data may contain a key which may be used for the at least partial encoding of the second data. As a further alternative, the first data may also contain only a reference to a key present on both sides. Many further variants are conceivable.
Thus for the second data D2, which contains second information I2 (or packages thereof), the following applies:
D
2
=f
D1(I2)
wherein fD1 represents a function which is dependent on the first data D1. This in the simplest case may look like:
D
2=(D1, I2)
i.e. the second data consists merely of a sequence of the first data with the second information to be transmitted. The receiver—thus the write- and/or read installation or the portable device—accepts the second data only on agreement with the first data. Otherwise, the received data do not originate from the “proper” participant.
An heightened security is ensured if the data D1 contains a key K and when the following applies
D
2
={I
2
}
K or D2=(Id, {I2}K) or D2={(Id, I2)}K or D2=(Id, {(Id, I2)}K),
wherein Id represents an identification of the sender and {X}K indicates the information X encoded with the key K. With the reciprocal information exchange, one may use the same key for both directions of the data transmission, or one may use various, under certain circumstances, alternating keys. The applied key is for example specific to the portable device and may be managed on the part of the write- and/or read installation with the “key diversification” procedure. Other encoding- or authentification procedural manners are of course also conceivable, for example also based on the public key/private key principle, etc.
The invention also relates to a system for implementing the method according to the invention, as well as a write- and/or read installation, and a portable device.
Systems for carrying out this method may be applied in a multitude of applications. The following list serves only as an example:
In combination with most of these applications, the method according to the invention, apart from additional security discussed, above also entails significant advantages with regard to the handling by the user. The apparent complication from the technical point of view—two information channels are required rather than only one—leads to a simplification for the user.
Thus, for example, the user may gain access to a property by way of actuating the door latch. He neither needs to fetch a card nor a key, nor does he need to input a code or carry out other manipulations (of course the possibility of a PIN-entry or other manipulation in combination with the method according to the invention for additional security is not ruled out). In contrast to the state of the art (for example “hands free access” to a vehicle) this also applies to a highly secure access control.
As a further example, when crediting or debiting charge cards, it is sufficient for the user to carry out the desired actions via keypad, if the keypad or a coupling surface of this is to be touched (or to be touched in a proximate manner) for activation, comprises an electrode for the capacitive data transmission. Here too, neither a PIN-entry nor the insertion of charge card in a slot, etc. is necessary.
A third example is person identification by way of biometric data. According to the state of the art, a user (in the case of fingerprints as a biometric feature) in a first step, must bring his finger in contact with a sensor, which creates a so-called template of the fingerprint.
Subsequently he must bring a personal data carrier (smart card or likewise) in contact with a reader; here a comparison of the measured biometric data with the stored biometric data takes place. Only then—on authorisation to the user—is the desired object unlocked. The method according to the invention permits the evaluation of a template and a secure data exchange to be carried out simultaneously. The user, thus, needs to carry out only one step, specifically of placing the finger onto a contact surface. The procedure is analogous when using other biometrically measurable body parts (retina etc.); the only condition is that the user brings his body into touch contact with a coupling surface, or a body part or the portable device into the vicinity of this. The maximal distance at which a capacitive coupling is still sufficiently definitive depends on the amplitude of the voltage. It may be 50 cm; with preferably applied amplitudes, it may be a few cm, for example maximally 10 cm, also more depending on the circumstances (relative orientation of the objects, conductivity of the ground and footwear, etc.).
The method according to the invention is specially suitable for systems with security hierarchies: for the lowest security level—for example for opening doors within a building in a business—under certain circumstances, where the transmission of a few bytes is sufficient. The first information transfer is sufficient for this. In contrast, for higher security levels and for protocolling, one operates with the inventive combination of the first and the second information transfer.
Although it was assumed in the preceding examples that a coupling surface is touched by the user by hand or the user holds his hand in the vicinity of this surface, this is not at all necessary. Indeed, the method according to the invention is particularly well suitable for hands-free applications. The user for example may open a door with the shoulder without further ado; the door then has a coupling surface, and the coupling is effected via the shoulder. It is also conceivable for the user to hold the portable device itself in the vicinity of the coupling surface.
Embodiment examples of the invention are hereinafter described in more detail by way of the drawings. In the drawings there are shown in:
Generally, for the method according to the invention, the information transfer is carried out between a unit called here a “write- and/or read installation” and a unit here called “portable device”. This unit may consist of one or more components which are coupled by a communication connection and are arranged together with one another or at different locations. The write- and/or read installation may be coupled to an object (transport means for example) in a stationary manner or be freely transportable. It comprises a means for communication via a capacitive coupling, for example via the human body. In many embodiments, this means is a “capacitive” receiver. A coupling surface is allocated to the write- and/or read installation for the capacitive communication—mostly with the human body as a transmission medium, and this surface is preferably but not necessarily metallic (a metallic surface may also be protected by plastic or glass).
Apart from this, the write- and/or read installation according to a first embodiment of the invention also comprises a module for communication via electromagnetic induction or via electromagnetic waves. This module is hereinafter called “transceiver”. The transceiver may be designed in a known manner as RFID- UHF-, IR- etc. transceiver.
The means for communication via the human body and the receiver are coupled to one another with regard to communication. They may, but need not be arranged in a common housing. The term write- and/or read installation (or write- and/or read device) as a result does not imply that that means for communication via the human body and the transceiver are physically located at the same location.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, a module comprising the transceiver, for communication via electromagnetic waves, may also be present in an apparatus which is completely separate from the means for communication via the human body, i.e. not coupled on-line with regard to communication. A data exchange between the transceiver and the write- and/or read installation then takes place off-line, i.e. at a different point in time than the point in time of the data transmission with the portable device. This will yet be explained in more detail by way of an embodiment example of the invention described in the following.
The portable device or tag, is carried by the user close to the body. It is preferably designed in a thin and card-like manner. It comprises a means for the primary capacitive communication, for example via the human body, as well as an active (i.e. with its own energy supply (battery)) or passive means (transformer), for communication with the transceiver via electromagnetic induction or via electromagnetic waves. In the case of a passive transponder, the means for capacitive communication may likewise be supplied in an inductive manner. In both cases (active-passive), the energy supply of the means for the capacitive communication and of the means for the contactless communication may be a common one (common battery, aerial etc.).
Systems with RFID-, UHF-, IR- etc. transceivers and corresponding passive or active transponders have been known for some time and are obtainable on the market in numerous embodiments, price groups and security levels. The embodiments of the system Legic® are mentioned as such an example. The details of these means for the “contactless” communication are not dealt with in detail hereinafter.
The means for the capacitive and contactless communication of the portable device are preferably integrated in a single element, which may be designed as a card or a comparable object, as is illustrated in
According to a special embodiment, the portable device 11 is designed two-dimensionally thin and pliable, for example in the manner of a bank note, which is shown very schematically in
Other designs of the portable device are also conceivable. The “tag” may, for example, be designed as a module which may be installed into a higher-ranking portable device (wrist watch, palmtop, mobile telephone, etc.) and communicates with this higher-ranking portable device—for example in the described manner- and is preferably fed by this. The single-part design of the portable device although being preferred, is however not a necessity. Thus, under certain circumstances, the means for the capacitive information transmission may be arranged in an element which is separate to the means for contactless information transmission. It must then be ensured in a suitable manner that the user always carries along the elements belonging to one another—for example by way of corresponding instructions and by labelling the elements.
In the
According to
Depending on the application, it may also be requested that an identification code C be transmitted from the write- and/or read installation to the portable device, or that an identification is effected on both sides by way of two identification codes C1, C2, before the write- and/or read processes.
The surface to be touched by the user may be a metal surface which is distinguished as such, for example a metal surface which is marked by way of a frame which is highlighted with regard to color. Alternatively, it may also be part of the surface of an object which is touched in any case by the user within the framework of the executed action, for example of a door latch, a door knob or a means acting in a similar manner, a keypad or a touch screen, etc.
In the above embodiment, it is yet to be ensured that the system is indeed active at the moment of touching by the user. The portable device or the write- and/or read installation may, for example, be set up such that they continuously and periodically emit an identification signal. The respective receiver, i.e. the write and/or read installation or the portable device may likewise be continuously active and in a receiving mode, or the identification signal also serves as a wake-up signal for the receiver. Other embodiments for the waking-up of the portable device and/or write- and/or read installation electronics are of course also conceivable, for example the continuous and periodic emission of weak wake-up signals. However, the embodiment in which the write- and/or read installation is woken up by a contact sensor is particularly preferred. Such an embodiment is for example based on the fact that a human body acts as an aerial which captures a multitude of disturbances in the electromagnetic field of the surroundings. With a capacitive coupling between the surface—this acts as an electrode—and the user (for example with a touching of the surface or its covering by the user), the disturbance signals on this increase massively compared to the contactless condition. These disturbance signals may be used as a trigger, by way of which the electronics of the write- and/or read installation may be shifted from a standby mode into an operating mode.
The activated write- and/or read installation, if necessary, may “wake up” the electronics of the portable device by way of a suitable signal R. An explicit wake-up signal is, however, not absolutely necessary at least in the cases of short-range systems with portable devices without batteries. Rather, in such systems, under certain circumstances, it is sufficient for the activated write- and/or read installation to begin emitting an excitation signal. The portable device may be designed and programmed such that it is always in an active condition on receipt of an excitation signal.
The above-described possibilities for the “wake-up” method as well as further methods known per se may be applied in the embodiment form according to
A first embodiment which has implemented this principle of a wake-up device is drawn in
The embodiment of
As in the embodiment according to
This principle of the additional security by way of encoding a capacitively transmitted key may be extended further.
“Verif” in FIG. 6—just as with the other figures—indicates a verification, for example in the form of a comparison, “St” indicates a write process, “Rec” a recording of a completed procedure.
As in the embodiment according to
The procedure according to the invention permits the use of the application of practically any authentication/authentification- or encoding method, which are known per se or are yet to be developed, or other types of secured information exchange. The example of the access control by way of a challenge response method known per se is yet drawn in
In the shown example, the transmission of the “challenge” is effected in a capacitive manner, that of the “response” in a contactless manner, i.e. inductively or via electromagnetic waves. Depending on the application, information is yet exchanged subsequent to the authentification of the portable device—under circumstances also prior to this—for example together with a clearance result, preferably in a contactless manner. In such cases the “response” may be transmitted capacitively.
Selected applications of the method according to the invention in its various designs are discussed hereinafter. Simultaneously, the preferred procedure for implementing these applications and the advantages of this procedure are explained. The invention however is in no way limited to the selected applications cited hereinafter.
The application “access control” for the simplest case is illustrated in
The means for the communication via the human body and the module for the contactless communication may be locally separated from one another for the application “access control” and also for other application, as is illustrated in
The write- and/or read installation 41 of the system according to
The embodiment example of
The access code may authorise the access to an object, said access being unlimited or limited with regard to time, one-off, repeated or unlimited. It may be dependent on the portable device and only be utilised by this, in that this device, for example, further transmits the access code in a manner which is dependent of the identification code C specific to the device.
The checking of the access authorisation is effected by way of data transmission from the portable device to the write- and/or read installation on the first communication channel, i.e. in a capacitive manner.
This embodiment may be used, for example, to book a hotel room directly via the telephone, for example mobile phone. An access code is transferred from the central unit to the personal portable device, and this authorises the access to a hotel room for a certain time. The locking devices of the hotel room may be in constant communication connection with the central unit, by which means the central unit directly manages the access authorisations and, as the case may be, may also protocol access and irregularities. In this case, the write- and/or read installation is composed of a module of the locking device as well as the central unit. As an alternative, one may also do away with a constant communication connection between the central unit and the locking devices. The write- and/or read installation is then located (only) in the closure device. The (under certain circumstances indirect) communication between the closure device and the central unit is effected “offline”, for example by way of programming a number of codes authorising access, into the write- and/or read installation, which are also known to the central unit. This “offline” communication is indicated in the figure by way of the finely dotted arrow.
A second application example of this embodiment is the trade with properties. In some countries, it is common to provide prospective buyers with access to a property for a certain time. This at present is often effected by informing the prospective buyer of a code which he must then enter via a keypad field at the location of the property. The invention permits an access code to be transmitted directly to the portable device, and the prospective buyer only need to carry the portable device with him in order to obtain access to the property.
One may yet optionally envisage a protocol of the access—where appropriate in combination with a debit confirmation, a validation (stamping), etc. is to be transmitted to the central unit. This, as is shown in the Figure, may be effected via the second communication channel—this for example via a telecommunication connection—after a confirmation has been confirmed to the portable device by the write- and/or read installation.
Such a key simultaneously serving as a portable device has many application possibilities. Thus the access authorisation in a building may for example be controlled such that at least some of the doors within the building as well as possibly also outer accesses to the building may be opened without a key, at least during the day. This may be effected in that information is transmitted between a write- and/or read device of the lock cylinder in the manner according to the invention, and the door is released depending on this. The user may, thus, move in the building and enter the rooms to which he has access, without having to have the key in his hand. At least during the night, one may envisage a door lock having to be activated mechanically and/or mechatronically with the key on doors with an increased security requirement.
Of course, individual properties may also be accessible only by way of capacitive information transmission, others only in a conventional manner.
The information transfer between the key 51 and a cylinder lock may also take place via the second communication channel in the manner of the already known safety modules communicating inductively and/or via electromagnetic waves, wherein—for selected applications—information transferred via the first communication channel may serve as a necessary precondition for the transmission of information via the second communication channel.
The embodiment of the portable device according to
Many further embodiments are also conceivable.
Induction/electromagnetic waves (preferred media for the second information transmission channel): even if a coupling (inductively/electromagnetic waves) dominates at a certain distance between the write- and/or read installation and the portable device, it is however to be understood that the two information transmission types merge into one another depending on the selected carrier-frequency/distance. Furthermore, the invention does not rule out the information being transmitted at different frequencies, so that mainly inductive as well as mainly electromagnetic information transmission may take place simultaneously or one after the other. The information transmission by way of induction and/or electromagnetic waves may correspond to the information transmission on an existing information transmission channel, and where appropriate use its protocols and/or auxiliary means. The information transfer may in particularly be effected via GSM, UTMS or with comparable means.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1568/05 | Sep 2005 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CH2006/000518 | 9/26/2006 | WO | 00 | 9/30/2008 |
