Disclosure of Invention
The present invention provides a method for wireless transmission of information from a portable device to a Consumer Electronics (CE) device, comprising: (a) storing user identity information and a user password in the portable device comprising a wireless device, the user identity information and the user password for accessing at least one of a media website and a social networking website; (b) bringing the portable device into proximity with the CE device containing a wireless device; and (c) transmitting the user identity information and the user password from the portable device to the CE device via the wireless device of the portable device and the wireless device of the CE device, thereby enabling the CE device to access at least one of the media website and the social networking website.
In a preferred implementation of the method according to the invention, the wireless device is an NFC device, (d) one wireless device gets energy from another wireless device when the portable device is close to the CE device.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (d) storing access code information of a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) device within the portable device; and (e)
Transmitting the access code information to the CE device through a wireless device in the portable device and a wireless device in the CE device when the portable device is placed in substantial contact with the CE device, thereby causing the CE device to access the wireless LAN device using the access code information transmitted from the portable device to the CE device.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (d) prior to step (b), receiving a request on the portable device from the CE device for the user identity and the user password information after the CE device instantiates an application required to access at least one of the media website and the social networking website.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (e) storing content interception settings related to at least one of the media website and the social networking website in the portable device; and (f) transmitting the content interception settings to the CE device via the wireless device in the portable device and the wireless device in the CE device, respectively, thereby causing the CE device to intercept content from the media website.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (e) storing privacy settings related to at least one of the media website application and the social website application in the portable device; and (f) transmitting the privacy settings to the CE device via the wireless device in the portable device and the wireless device in the CE device, respectively, thereby causing the CE device to apply the privacy settings to the social networking application.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (e) receiving, at the portable device, a user identity and user password information request from the CE device relating to at least one of a second media website application and a second social website application; (f) transmitting user identity and user password information relating to at least one of the second media website application and the second social website application from the portable device to the CE device via a wireless device of the portable device and a wireless device of the CE device, respectively, thereby enabling the CE device to access at least one of the second media website and the second social website.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (g) storing content interception settings related to the first media website and the second media website in the portable device; and (h) transmitting the content interception settings to the CE device via the wireless device of the portable device and the wireless device of the CE device, respectively, thereby causing the CE device to intercept content from at least one of the first media website and the second media website.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method further comprises: (g) storing privacy settings related to at least one of the first social networking site application and the second social networking site application in the portable device; and (h) transmitting the privacy settings to the CE device via the wireless device in the portable device and the wireless device in the CE device, respectively, thereby causing the CE device to apply the privacy settings to at least one of the first social networking site application and the second social networking site application.
The present invention also provides a token ID tag comprising: an automatic character generator; and an NFC device coupled to the automatic character generator and configured to transmit characters generated by the automatic character generator to a reader.
In a preferred embodiment of the token ID tag according to the present invention, the token ID tag does not comprise a character display or a character display driver.
In a preferred embodiment of the token ID tag according to the invention, wherein,the automatic character generator is configured to generate characters that conform to at least one of the following NFC/RFID standards: NFC-A, NFC-B, NFC-F, ISO14443A, ISO14443B, ISO 14443B', MIFARETM、FELICATM、TopazTM。
The present invention provides a token ID tag consisting essentially of: an automatic character generator; an NFC device coupled to the automatic character generator and configured to transmit characters generated by the automatic character generator to a reader; a power supply coupled to the automatic character generator to provide power to the automatic character generator; and a housing that houses the automatic character generator, the NFC device, and the power source.
In a preferred embodiment of the token ID tag according to the present invention, wherein said automatic character generator is adapted to generate characters complying with at least one of the following NFC/RFID standards: NFC-A, NFC-B, NFC-F, ISO14443A, ISO14443B, ISO 14443B', MIFARETM、FELICATM、TopazTM。
Detailed Description
The following detailed description sets forth exemplary embodiments consistent with the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. References in the detailed description to "one exemplary embodiment," "an embodiment exemplary embodiment," etc., indicate that the exemplary embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every exemplary embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same exemplary embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an exemplary embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other exemplary embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustration, not limitation. Other exemplary embodiments are possible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the detailed description is not meant to limit the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.
Embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments fully reveals the general concept of the present invention so that others can, by applying ordinary skill in the art knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such exemplary embodiments without undue experimentation, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the exemplary embodiments based on the teachings and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present invention is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings herein.
Although the description of the present invention is described in terms of NFC, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be applied to other communications using the near field and/or the far field without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, although the present invention has been described using NFC enabled devices, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the functionality of these NFC enabled devices can be applied to other communication devices using the near field and/or far field without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. .
The present invention is primarily directed to, but not limited to, Digital Televisions (DTVs), Set Top Boxes (STBs), and built-in Near Field Communication (NFC) devices at the time of manufacture and sale and built-in functions for accessing social networking sites (e.g., mention is made ofAndbut only a small fraction of the myriad of social networking sites currently available through internet access). Broad list of social networking sites (but not inclusive)All) can be seen in the subject "social networking site list" of the online encyclopedia "wikipedia". Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference herein to CE devices (e.g., DTV, BD player and STB) refers to CE devices sold to consumers and having built-in functionality to access one or more social networking sites.
CE devices may also be built in at the time of manufacture and sale with access to media websites (e.g., without limitation, online newspapers, retail websites (e.g.,) An auction website (e.g.,) A bank website, etc., an email account or any other website that requires a user to log in with a user ID and password). Unless specifically stated otherwise, references herein to CE devices (e.g., DTV, BD player and STB) refer to CE devices sold to consumers and having built-in functionality for accessing one or more media websites. In addition, the designated social networking sites or media sites referred to below include any and all such sites that require login using a user ID and password.
It is becoming more common for CE devices to have media website and social networking website functionality built into them at the time of manufacture and sale. A customer (e.g., an end user) typically has multiple social profiles. They also typically configure wireless devices (e.g., Local Area Network (LAN) routers and equivalent devices) with a secure access code or key code to enable other devices (e.g., desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook and/or tablet computers, smart phones, digital recording devices, etc.) to access the secure wireless LAN router and equivalent devices. Logging on to each media site and social site is time consuming and requires the user to know or have access to their user ID, password, and access code.
Various embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for an NFC-equipped portable device to: storing information about a social account owned by a user, its password and user ID, an access code of a secure device (e.g., a wireless LAN router), etc.; and interacting with the CE device such that when the NFC equipped portable device is brought into proximity with the CE device, the CE device downloads the required information to enable the CE device to connect to a social networking site and access a secure device (e.g., a wireless LAN router). The information stored in the NFC-equipped portable device may include a user ID, a password, and an access code encrypted with the secure element features of the NFC-equipped device. NFC-equipped portable devices may include, for example, smart phones, notebook computers, laptop computers, and/or tablet computers.
New CE media devices (e.g., Digital Televisions (DTVs) or set-top boxes (STBs)) capable of accessing these, such as social networking sites and internet websites, over wireless LAN connections are purchased by consumers (e.g., end users), and NFC can provide a means to securely configure all passwords and usernames for the DTV or other CE devices and applications available on the portable device, simply by contacting the portable device with the DTV or other CE device. This provides ease of use and convenient activation of registrations for consumers without exposing passwords in a manner that is intercepted by third parties.
By making the application easier to configure, consumers will be more likely to use the application in the manner they desire. Currently, a consumer who does not remember all of his usernames and passwords needs to locate this information and enter it separately for each application. This can take a long time and can cause some consumers to defer or forgo launching these applications. The present invention ensures that applications launched on new CE devices can be launched quickly and easily. In addition, in the case where there are multiple accounts, the present invention ensures that the same account is used on both the cell phone and the CE device. Privacy and other settings may also be synchronized. Now, the user may not remember how these settings are configured on the other device. This ensures that even if privacy setting options are unfamiliar, security is not reduced. In the following disclosure, references to DTV include STB and other CE devices unless specifically stated otherwise.
Improvements in manufacturing technology and digital architecture have resulted in a wide variety of products and product classes that were previously impossible or impractical to implement. New products and product categories are made possible by emerging developments in the field of Near Field Communication (NFC) circuits, systems and applications. Products incorporating NFC communication functionality are sometimes referred to in the art as being NFC equipped. For example, a portable phone, a smart card, or other electronic products having an NFC communication function is called NFC-enabled (NFC-enabled). NFC communication allows data to be communicated from a first device to a second device over a short distance. Although the strict definition of short range is not agreed upon in the art, it is generally accepted that the short range of NFC is less than 4cm, or within one wavelength range of the chosen communication frequency.
Various NFC arrangements include a first device acting as a "tag" and a second separate device within near field range of the first device acting as a pair of devices for a "reader". In various embodiments of the present invention, the first device may be equipped with circuitry that acts as both a tag and a reader.
As will be described in more detail below, NFC-equipped devices and applications have utility in at least consumer electronics and industrial products.
In connection with the following illustrative embodiments, it should be noted that any reference to a computing platform is intended to encompass similar computing devices and computers, regardless of form factor or input/output configuration. For example, but not limited to, a smartphone is a computing platform.
In one exemplary process according to the invention, an NFC-equipped device stores information relating to passwords for one or more social accounts of a user and user credits for accessing the social accounts. Additionally, or alternatively, the NFC-equipped device may store a network key for a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) router, wireless remote control, or the like. In this embodiment, if an NFC-equipped device comes within near-field coupling range of a CE device (e.g., a television) equipped with a corresponding NFC functionality, information stored within the NFC-equipped device is near-field communicated to the CE device. I.e. communication by near field coupling.
In an illustrative embodiment, information such as passwords, network keys, etc. is stored in a portable device, such as an NFC equipped smartphone or tablet. The portable device is then placed in proximity or contact with the CE device, adjacent to the NFC device contained in the CE device. As will be discussed in more detail below, one NFC device (either the NFC device in the portable device or the CE device) acts as a reader and the other NFC device acts as a tag. The required information is then transmitted from the portable device to the CE device. The CE device then communicates with, for example, a wireless LAN router and/or media and/or social networking sites on the internet using the password, user identity, and/or network key information.
Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an NFC environment 100 according to an example embodiment. The NFC environment 100 performs wireless communication of information between a first NFC device 102 and a second NFC device 104 in close proximity to each other (typically spaced between 0cm and 4cm apart). The information may include one or more commands to be executed by the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104, data to be transmitted from one or more data storage devices to the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104, or any combination thereof. The data storage device may include one or more contactless transponders, one or more contactless tags, one or more contactless smart cards, or any other machine-readable medium or any combination thereof as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Other machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc., are provided as examples).
The NFC devices 102 and 104 may be any of three devices. One type is a tag or object. The tag is passive. The tag contains data or execution commands. The tag transmits data and/or commands to the second device when communicating with the other device. For example, the tag may be an ID card that allows access to a building when data stored on the tag is read. The second type is a reader, or initiator. The reader generates an electromagnetic field modulated by the tag. An example of the reader may be a unit installed on a wall of a building for reading information stored in the tag. The reader reads the data stored on the tag and can act upon the received information. A controller is a device that combines the features of a tag and a reader. Controllers are generally more "intelligent" than tags. That is, the controller can handle more computing and operational functions than the tag. The controller may act as a tag or a reader or both. For the present invention, the tag, reader and controller are referred to herein individually or collectively as an "NFC device".
The first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 may be implemented as stand-alone or discrete devices, or may be incorporated into or coupled with a larger electrical or host device (e.g., a mobile phone, portable computing device, other computing device (e.g., personal computer, laptop, tablet, or desktop computer), computer peripheral (e.g., printer, portable audio and/or video player, television receiver), payment system, ticket writing system (e.g., parking ticketing system, bus ticketing system, train ticketing system, or ticket ticketing system, provided as examples), or ticket reading system, toy, game, poster, packaging, advertising material, product inventory checking system, and/or any other suitable electronic device that would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention).
The first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 interact with each other to exchange information (e.g., data and/or one or more commands to be executed by the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104). Each NFC device 102 and 104 includes an antenna 106 and 108, respectively, to enable the NFC devices 102 and 104 to communicate with each other. One example of such communication is a peer-to-peer (P2P) communication mode or a read/write (R/W) communication mode. In the P2P communication mode, the first NFC device 102 and the second NFC device 104 may be configured to operate according to an active communication mode and/or a passive communication mode. The first NFC device 102 modulates first information onto a first carrier wave (this is referred to as modulated data communication) and generates a first magnetic field by applying the modulated data communication to the first antenna 106 to provide a first data communication 110. In the active communication mode, the first NFC device 102 stops generating the first magnetic field after transmitting the first information to the second NFC device 104 via the second antenna 108. Alternatively, in the passive communication mode, once the first information has been transmitted to the second NFC device 104, the first NFC device 102 continues to apply the first carrier wave without the first information (referred to as an unmodulated data communication) to continue to provide the first data communication 110.
In the P2P communication mode, the first NFC device 102 is close enough to the second NFC device 104 such that the first data communication 110 is inductively coupled to the second antenna 108 of the second NFC device 104. The second NFC device 104 demodulates the first data communication 110 to recover the first information. The second NFC device 104 may respond to the first information by modulating second information onto a second carrier and generating a second magnetic field by applying the modulated data communication to the antenna 108 to provide a second modulated data communication 112 in an active communication mode. Alternatively, the second NFC device 104 may respond to the first information by modulating a first carrier inductively coupled to the second antenna 108 with the second information to provide the second modulated data communication 112 in the passive communication mode.
In the R/W communication mode, the first NFC device 102 is configured to operate in an initiator or reader mode and the second NFC device 104 is configured to operate in a target or tag mode. This example is not limiting. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art(s) that the first NFC device 102 may be configured to operate in a tag mode and the second NFC device 104 may be configured to operate in a reader mode in accordance with the teachings herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The first NFC device 102 modulates first information onto a first carrier and generates a first magnetic field by applying the modulated data communication to the first antenna 106 to provide a first data communication 110. Once the first information has been transmitted to the second NFC device 104, the first NFC device 102 continues to apply the first carrier without the first information to continue to provide the first data communication 110. The first NFC device 102 is close enough to the second NFC device 104 such that the first data communication 110 is inductively coupled to the second antenna 108 of the second NFC device 104.
The second NFC device 104 obtains or harvests energy from the first data communication 110 to recover, process and/or respond to the first information. The second NFC device 104 demodulates the first data communication 110 to recover the first information. The second NFC device 104 processes the first information. The second NFC device 104 may respond to the first information by modulating second information onto a second carrier and generating a second magnetic field by applying the modulated data communication to the second antenna 108 to provide a second modulated data communication 112.
Further description of the operation of the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 can be found in international standard ISO/IE18092:2004(E) published on 4/1/2004, "information technology-intersystem telecommunications and information exchange-near field communication-interface and protocol (NFCIP-1)" and international standard ISO/IE21481:2005(E) published on 15/1/2005, "information technology-intersystem telecommunications and information exchange-near field communication-interface and protocol-2 (NFCIP-2)", both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Fig. 2 is a flow chart of a process of initially configuring a new CE device, such as a Digital Television (DTV) or a set-top box (STB). In step 202, a CE device obtained by a customer (end user) is plugged into a power source and started. In step 204, the end user launches one or more media and social applications built into the CE device software. When first launched, the media or social application most likely requires the user to enter a user ID and password. Users often do not remember their user ID or password for a given media or social application.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the user ID and password required for each media and social networking site that a user often accesses may be stored within a portable device (e.g., a smartphone, or laptop, notebook, or tablet) that has NFC functionality built into it and runs media and social applications. In step 206, the portable device is brought within close proximity to the CE device. One NFC device as a reader; the other NFC device acts as a tag. Although a typical solution is to have the NFC device contained in the portable device as a tag, it is not important which NFC device acts as a reader and which NFC device acts as a tag, since the tag does not need to be connected to a power supply to be activated. The tag draws power from the reader. The reader is typically located within the CE device, which is always connected to a power source.
Once the CE device launches the media and/or social application, the CE device asks the user to enter the user's existing user ID and password. The request is typically displayed on the CE device screen. In step 208, the portable device is contacted with the CE device so that the NFC devices can interact with each other.
In step 210, the user ID and password information stored on the portable device are transmitted to the CE device using NFC. The user ID and password information for each media site and social networking site that users often access on their portable devices may be transmitted to the CE device in one piece at a time. Alternatively, the user ID and password information for each media site and/or social network site may be transmitted independently each time a specified application is first launched on the CE device.
For example, assume that a consumer purchases a new DTV with NFC functionality and is pre-loaded with Netflx and Facebook access functionality. The first time the consumer attempts to access Netflix on a new DTV, the screen appears to ask the consumer to set up a new account or sign in their user ID and password. The user will have this information stored on their portable device (e.g., tablet or smartphone), thereby accessing their Netflix account. It is also possible that the user does not have a user ID and password for a Netflix account that is convenient to use. But perhaps their portable device is nearby. If the portable device has NFC functionality, i.e., has an NFC device built into it, the user holds the portable device close to the DTV in a position that allows the two NFC devices to "talk" to each other. The user's Netflix account information (including their user ID and password) is transmitted from the portable device to the DTV without further input from the user.
Similarly, when a user wants to access his Facebook account on the DTV, first the user invokes the application, which may appear on the screen requesting the user to set up a new account or log into his existing account. Again, if the user's portable device has an NFC function, the user contacts his portable device with the DTV having an NFC device built therein. The user's Facebook account information, including his user ID and password, is transmitted from the portable device to the DTV without further input from the user.
In the above example, the user ID and password information are transmitted from the portable device to the DTV when the application is first started. In another embodiment, all user ID and password information for all media and social applications stored on the portable device is transmitted to the DTV at once. The DTV then applies the user ID and password information associated with the specified media and social applications upon launching the application.
In yet another example, the CE device may display a list of media and/or social networking sites available for access. The user may be provided with an option to select one or more websites from the displayed list. When the portable device is brought close to the CE device, user ID and password information relating to the selected website are transmitted to the CE device and applied to the selected application program when the selected application is started.
In both of the above examples, once the relevant user ID and password information has been transferred from the portable device to the DTV by the respective NFC devices in the portable device and DTV, the application will apply the appropriate user ID and password information to enable the application to access the available media and social networking sites.
Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a process of initially configuring a DTV (or other CE device) with content interception information. In step 302, a DTV (or other CE device) obtained by a customer (end user) is plugged into the power supply and started. In step 304, the end user first launches (or turns on) one or more media applications built into the DTV software. The first time it is started, the media application will likely request the user to enter a user ID and password. This information may be transmitted from the portable device to the DTV (or STB or other CE device) through the NFC device contained in the DTV and portable device, as described above.
Once the user ID and password information has been transmitted from the portable device to the DTV, the media application will likely request the user to configure the application with a filter (such as, but not limited to, a parental filter) to prevent the display of specific content (such as, but not limited to, adult or pornographic content) in step 306. In step 308, the same content interception (or filtering) settings on the portable device are transmitted to the DTV using the NFC technology described above.
In step 310, the same process is then performed to transfer the user ID, password information, and content interception filter from the portable device to the DTV (or other CE device) as a new media application currently available on the portable device is downloaded onto the DTV (or other CE device).
Fig. 4 is a flow diagram of a process of initially configuring a DTV (or other CE device) with privacy settings of a social application. In step 402, a DTV (or other CE device) obtained by a customer (end user) is plugged into a power supply and started. In step 404, the end user first launches (or turns on) one or more social applications built into the DTV software. The first time it is launched, the social application will likely request the user to enter a user ID and password. This information may be transmitted from the portable device to the DTV (or STB or other CE device) through the NFC device contained in the DTV and portable device, as described above.
Once the user ID and password information has been transferred from the portable device to the DTV, the media application will likely require the user to configure the application with privacy settings in step 406. In step 408, the same privacy settings on the portable device are transmitted to the DTV using the NFC technology described above, as described above.
In step 410, the same process is then performed to transfer the user ID, password information, and privacy settings from the portable device to the DTV (or other CE device) as a new social application currently available on the portable device is downloaded onto the DTV (or other CE device).
Fig. 5 is a flow chart of a process of logging in to the same application on a DTV (or other CE device) by different users (e.g., different family members) having different login information. In step 502, a media or social application on the DTV (or other CE device) is launched. In step 504, the application asks the user to enter their user ID and password to log in. A portable device that is dedicated to the user and contains only the user's login information is brought close to the DTV (or other CE device). In step 506, the user login information is transmitted from the portable device to the DTV (or other CE device) using NFC technology, as described above. In step 508, if the login is successful, the application runs. If the login is unsuccessful, the application may continue to request correct login information until shut down.
In addition to the above embodiments, another application of NFC involves the use of NFC devices in conjunction with token ID tags or devices. As shown in fig. 6, an existing token ID (or security ID) tag (e.g., a conventional tag 600 is provided as an example) typically includes a battery, a random number generator associated with an encryption number algorithm, and an LCD display. The embodiment of the invention shown in fig. 7 removes the LCD display and replaces the display with an NFC device coupled to a random number generator.
Existing token ID tags have a number of disadvantages. First, they require LCD drive electronics and power supplies for the LCD display. Second, it requires that the battery be permanent to power the LCD display. Third, it has a relatively large form factor, and therefore requires the use of large amounts of material to manufacture it. Finally, there are inevitable human error factors. In addition to the user ID and password, the user is required to enter multiple numbers (typically six, but the required number of digits may be more or less) on the display. The numbers on the display typically change every 10-30 seconds or so (depending on the token ID tag's setting, which may be less than 10 seconds or more than 30 seconds), the setting of the token ID tag is typically made by the company or institution that the user wants to visit.
As shown in fig. 7, the LCD display is removed from the conventional tag 600 and replaced by an NFC tag. Removing the LCD display has several advantages. First, the display electronics are removed. Second, the size of the battery is greatly reduced because it does not require power to the LCD display. Still further, the size of the token ID tag 700 is also greatly reduced because it is only required to contain the NFC tag and its associated antenna, a token number generator connected to the NFC tag, and a small battery to power the token number generator.
Embodiments of the present invention transmit cryptographic data (i.e., numbers generated by a number generator in the token ID tag 700) to a commercial card reader, NFC reader, or the like via NFC. The user then enters only his username and password. The random number is generated by the protocol in the token ID tag 700. The form factor of the token ID tag 700 may be changed to a desired or desired small size depending on the antenna size (i.e., NFC or RFID antenna requirements). Any protocol may be used, and thus different approaches may be used depending on the security system used. The random number generator is co-located with the NFC/RFID controller so that the information generated by the existing random number generator is consistent with the secure server. All the user has to do is place the token ID tag 700 on the reader and provide its unique login/security details. The reader then reads the number generated by the number generator in the token ID tag 700 now containing the NFC tag and checks it against the server number. The two numbers should be identical. The user does not need to worry about getting any wrong number because the reader has read the password digits from the token ID tag 700.
The user carries with him a code generator with a small form factor. The reader generates a magnetic field that is picked up by the NFC tag in the token ID tag 700 when the NFC tag comes into contact with the reader. The magnetic field obtained by the NFC tag energizes the NFC tag to transmit to the reader a code generated by a code generator connected to the NFC tag in the token ID tag 700. The reader automatically reads the code generated by the code generator in the token ID tag 700. The user then only needs to enter his fixed username and password. All required information is passed back to the secure server, which is consistent with the current user ID and the token ID currently read by the reader. If the password and the user ID match, a connection is established.
This embodiment eliminates the need to enter a token ID number. When the token ID tag 700 approaches the reader, the NFC reader automatically reads the token ID number from the token ID tag 700. The reader is located within the device that establishes a secure connection to a server, VPN, etc. The device containing the reader may be a laptop or desktop computer, a financial institution terminal, a tablet, or any other peripheral device capable of obtaining and maintaining a secure connection. This is also useful for banking systems, home security systems, etc., in addition to secure computer systems accessing VPNs. When the system is set up, the token ID tag 700 is adjusted by initialization. Over time, the token ID tag 700 should remain consistent with the host system. The reader is required to read data from the tag. The reader may be built into the computer or other reading device, or may be an additional unit connected to the computer which is then connected to the network.
An advantage of this system is that the code generated by the code generator is no longer limited to a few characters (e.g., six bits). The token ID tag 700 may cover all RFID/NFC standards, including NFC-A, NFC-B, NFC-F, ISO14443A, ISO14443B, ISO 14443B', MIFARETM、FELICATM、TopazTMAnd the like.
In summary, this embodiment provides convenience of use to the user. More and more peripheral devices (e.g., payment terminals, laptop computers, mobile phones, printers, door entry, etc.) incorporate NFC readers inside. Not having to enter a specified number of digits within a particular time period makes it easy for a user to establish a secure connection with their user ID, password, and automatically generated token ID number. The removal of the LCD display, display driving electronics, and large battery allows the token ID tag 700 to be smaller in form factor and less costly to manufacture. In addition, the token ID tag 700 of this embodiment has lower power requirements than the conventional tag 600.
Embodiments have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specific functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.