TW201346773A - Method and user terminal for authenticating an electronic chip - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for authenticating an electronic chip by a user terminal is provided. For example, the method includes the following steps: accessing an UID and a first verification code pre-stored in the electronic chip by the user terminal; looking up for a second verification code on a database with the UID by the user terminal and determining whether the first verification code matches the second verification code; if the first verification code matches the second verification code, prompting a user message of successful verification and updating the first verification code and the second verification code with a random number.

Description

Method for verifying electronic chip and user terminal

The present invention relates to a method of verifying an electronic wafer and a user terminal, and more particularly to a method of verifying an electronic chip disposed on an RFID tag and a user terminal.

A general RFID tag or an IC card can be widely applied to an identification system by using an electronic chip contained therein. However, in order to avoid counterfeit electronic chips, electronic chips must provide an authentication mechanism. For details, refer to the instructions in "RFID security: techniques, protocols and system-on-chip design" by Paris Kitsos and Yan Zhang. (Special VIII. RFID Anticounterfeiting: An Architectural Perspective, pp. 131-146).

As described in the above documents, in the prior art, complex algorithms are generally used to provide a verification mechanism, resulting in high production cost of the electronic chip. In addition, if the mechanism of the algorithm is accidentally leaked, the electronic chip is copied. It is also easy.

In one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a database is additionally provided outside the electronic wafer. When the user terminal wants to verify the electronic chip, the user terminal compares the verification data read from the electronic chip with the pre-registered reference material in the database, and updates each time after the verification is passed. The verification data in the electronic chip and the reference material in the database, when the user terminal wants to verify the specific electronic chip again, the updated data is used to determine whether the verification is passed.

With the above arrangement, the verification data in the electronic chip and the data in the database can be continuously dynamically updated when the electronic chip does not have the computing power. In general, counterfeit electronic chips copy a large amount of the original verification data, and once the verification data is updated in the above manner, the unupdated verification data in other counterfeit electronic chips is immediately rendered useless.

It should be noted that, even in the worst case, the above-mentioned manner proposed by the embodiments of the present invention allows only one counterfeit electronic chip to pass the verification, and does not allow two or more identical counterfeit electronic chips to pass the verification. Based on this, the field to which the present invention can be applied is known to those skilled in the art. For example, the present invention can be applied to an anti-counterfeiting mechanism for a large number of commodities.

Another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention is to update the verification data in the electronic chip and the data in the database in random numbers after each verification is passed, instead of using any algorithm, thereby avoiding calculation The problem of law leakage.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for verifying an electronic chip by using a user terminal is disclosed, which includes the following steps:

● accessing the pre-stored identification code (UID) and the first verification code in the electronic terminal by the user terminal;

The user terminal uses the identifier to query the second verification code associated with the identifier in the database, and determines whether the first verification code matches the second verification code;

● If the first verification code matches the second verification code, the user terminal prompts the user to verify the pass message and updates the first verification code and the second verification code in a random number.

In another embodiment, a user terminal is further disclosed that includes a processor. The processor is operative to execute an application to perform the method as described above. Optionally, the user terminal may further include a memory unit for setting a database, but the database may also be disposed in a server other than the user terminal for access by the user terminal through the network.

In addition, it is specifically noted that the electronic chip of the present invention can be disposed on various types of carriers, such as a general IC card or an RFID tag, and the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of the appended claims appended claims.

<hardware architecture>

1 shows a hardware architecture in an embodiment that primarily includes a user terminal 10, a server 20, and an RFID tag 30.

First, the user terminal 10 has a display screen 102, a processor 104, a memory 106, a communication module 108, a data input module 110, and an electronic chip access module 112.

The user terminal 10 can be implemented using a general notebook computer or a similar portable information device. Preferably, the user terminal 10 is a mobile telephone system, in addition to the electronic chip access module 112, the basic configuration of system 10 may reference the user terminal's products Apple ^TM iPhone ^TM.

For example, the processor 104 can be a central processing unit for mobile devices produced by the ^ARMTM company; the memory 106 can be a flash memory for storing computer executable instructions of the application AP and for the processor 104 accesses and executes. The basic implementation of the application AP can also refer to the application executed on the existing iPhone ^TM , and the functions provided by the application AP will be described in the flow of FIG. 2 below.

The communication module 108 can provide network connection capabilities such as UMTS, GSM, or Wi-Fi, and is coupled to one or more servers 20. The data input module 110 can be integrated with the display screen 102 as a touch screen for the user to establish data or input commands. In this example, the memory 106 itself may be provided with a database DB, but preferably, but not limited to, the database DB may also be disposed at the server 20, and the processor 104 of the user terminal 10 may execute the application program AP. The database DB of the server 20 is accessed through the communication module 108.

The server 20 can also be implemented as a high-end workstation, a mainframe, and the like having powerful processing and storage capabilities, such as IBM's System X, Blade Center, or eServer server, and connected to the user terminal 10 through the network, and the server The application and processing capabilities (not shown) on the 20 can assist the needs of the application AP on the user terminal 10 as a "cloud resource" that can be used by the application AP.

In this article, "network" can also be implemented as any type of connection, including a fixed-connection local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) connection, or using an internet service provider to temporarily dial into the Internet. The network is not limited to various connection methods such as wired and wireless. In addition, it should be understood, however, that other hardware and software components (such as additional computer systems, routers, firewalls, etc.) may be included in the network, although not shown.

The electronic chip access module 112 is an electronic chip 32 that is disposed on a carrier 30 (eg, an RFID tag) in addition to the user terminal 10. In a preferred embodiment, the electronic chip access module 112 is an RFID access module that can transmit and receive RF signals. The basic structure can be referred to the GENTAG, INC. product GT-601 NFC Cell Phone RFID storage. Take the module.

The RFID tag 30 serves as a carrier for the electronic chip 32. The RFID tag 30 also has an antenna for communicating with the electronic chip access module 112 via RF signals. For details on the RFID tag 30 and the electronic chip 32 therein, refer to EPCglobal or The SO organization's standards for RFID are not described here.

In particular, the electronic chip 32 may not have logic operation capability, and thus the cost is also low. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that this is not a limitation of the invention. Further, the RFID tag 30 may be further attached to other articles (not shown) according to different uses, such as anti-counterfeiting, etc., and the present invention also does not intend to limit the use of the RFID tag 30.

<Example Process>

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the method, and the present invention will be further described in conjunction with the hardware architecture shown in FIG. 1.

<1. Initialization>

Step 200: Write an identification code UID and a first verification code (ie, wafer verification code) CA to the electronic chip 32 in the RFID tag 30. For identification purposes, the value of the identification code UID is unique to the RFID tag 30 and generally cannot be modified, and is generally given by the manufacturer of the RFID tag 30. In this step, the value of the chip verification code CA is preferably a random number, which is generally given when the RFID tag 30 is to be used (or when the card is opened). Alternatively, when the identification code UID and/or the wafer verification code CA are written, it may be separately encrypted to improve security, but this is not essential to the present invention.

Step 202: The database DB (which can be set on the user terminal 10 or the remote server 20 (ie, "cloud") stores the identification code UID of the electronic chip 30 and the second verification code corresponding to the chip verification code CA (ie, Referring to the verification code) RA, and associating the identification code UID with the reference verification code RA. Preferably, the reference verification code RA in step 202 has the same value as the wafer verification code CA in step 200, as a correspondence between the two. In addition, the database DB can additionally record the related information IF of the items attached to the RFID tag 30 for later verification of the query.

<2. Verification>

Step 204: The user terminal 10 activates the application AP to perform verification on the RFID tag 30, wherein the application AP first sends an RF signal through the electronic chip access module 112 (RFID access module), thereby The electronic chip 32 on the RFID tag 30 issues a read request and receives the identification code UID and the wafer verification code CA returned by the electronic chip 32. If the returned identification code UID and the chip verification code CA are encrypted, the application AP needs to additionally decrypt the identification code UID and the wafer verification code CA.

Step 206: This step determines whether the chip verification code CA matches the reference verification code RA. In this example, after the application AP obtains the identification code UID and the chip verification code CA, the reference verification code RA associated with the identification code UID in the database DB is queried by the identification code UID, and the chip verification code CA and the reference verification code are determined. Whether the RA matches. Here, if the application program program AP determines that the wafer verification code CA has the same value as the reference verification code RA, it is determined that the wafer verification code CA matches the reference verification code RA, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment in which the database DB is disposed in the server 20 (ie, "cloud"), the application 20 may be assisted by the server 20 to perform the above determination. In this embodiment, the application AP only needs to The identification code UID and the chip verification code CA are transmitted to the server 20 through the communication module 108, and the server 20 detects the chip verification code CA instead of the application program AP, and determines whether the wafer verification code CA matches the reference verification code RA. Then pass the judgment result back to the application AP.

Step 208: If the result of the determination in step 206 is the match, the application AP generates a verification pass message (not shown) on the display screen 102, and optionally, the RFID tag 30 recorded in the database DB. The related material IF of the attached item is displayed on the display screen 102.

<3. Update verification code>

Step 210: In addition to step 208, if the result of the determination in step 206 is a match, the application AP randomly generates another random number RN (or through the server 20 (ie, "cloud")), and based on the chaos The number RN updates the values of the wafer verification code CA and the reference verification code RA. For example, the random number RN can be directly used as the updated value of the chip verification code CA and the reference verification code RA. In addition, the application program AP writes the updated wafer verification code CA to the electronic chip 32 through the electronic chip access module 112 (RFID access module) to replace the old wafer verification code CA. When steps 204-208 are performed later, the values of the updated wafer verification code CA and the reference verification code RA are used.

Preferably, the generation of the random number RN in step 210 is random and is not generated based on any algorithm, and the updated value of the chip verification code CA and the reference verification code RA is irreversible, in other words, the updated wafer verification. The values of the code CA and the reference verification code RA have no rules to follow and cannot be predicted, thus greatly improving security and eliminating the computational resources required to perform the algorithm.

The general electronic chip copying method copies the specific electronic chip 32 identification code UID and the initial wafer verification code CA in a large number of counterfeit wafers, but since the wafer verification code CA is updated after each verification, it is not The updated initial wafer verification code CA is ineffective, so the embodiment of the present invention allows only one of the counterfeit electronic wafers to pass verification, which is sufficient for the purpose of preventing mass production of counterfeit wafers.

On the other hand, preferably, in order to avoid the problem caused by the failure of the updated wafer verification code CA when writing to the electronic chip 32, the electronic chip 32 and the database DB have backup fields, after the application AP confirms the update. The wafer verification code CA is successfully written to the electronic chip 32, and the application program AP performs the update operation of the reference verification code RA in the database DB.

In other embodiments, step 204 and step 208 are allowed to be repeated, without necessarily updating the step 210 after each determination in step 208, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. Conversely, the application AP provides a counter (not shown) by itself (or through the server 20 (ie, "cloud"). If the match is determined in step 208, the count is incremented by one, and if the count reaches one. The preset value (for example, 5) updates the wafer verification code CA and the reference verification code RA with the random number RN, thereby reducing the load on the system.

It should be noted that, in the above embodiment, the action performed by the application AP by the user terminal 10 itself or by the assistance of the server 20 (ie, "cloud") should be considered as equal in the present invention. All of them can be considered to be executed by the user terminal 10, even though most of the data storage and processing is handled by the server 20.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The aspects of the specific embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather All changes that fall within the meaning and scope of the patent application are deemed to fall within the scope of the patent application.

10. . . User terminal

20. . . server

30. . . RFID tag

32. . . Electronic chip

102. . . Display screen

104. . . processor

106. . . Memory

108. . . Communication module

110. . . Data input module

112. . . Electronic chip access module

AP. . . application

DB. . . database

In order to immediately understand the advantages of the present invention, the present invention briefly described above will be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is described with additional clarity and detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG.

1 is a schematic diagram of a hardware architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a flow chart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (10)

A method for verifying an electronic chip by using a user terminal, the electronic chip being pre-set in a carrier, the method comprising: (a) accessing, by the user terminal, one of the pre-stored identification codes (UID) in the electronic chip And a first verification code; (b) the user terminal queries the identification code for a second verification code associated with the identification code in a database; and (c) if the first verification code and the second If the verification code matches, the user terminal prompts the user to verify the pass message, and updates the first verification code and the second verification code based on a random number. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) further comprises: the user terminal updating the second verification code after waiting for the first verification code to be updated successfully. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) further comprises: the user terminal providing a counter, if the result of the comparison between the first verification code and the second verification code in step (b) is The count is incremented by one. If the count reaches a preset value, the first verification code and the second verification code are updated by the random number. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic chip is an RFID chip, and the step (a) further comprises: the user terminal accessing the electronic chip through the RF signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic chip is an RFID chip, and the step (c) further comprises: the user terminal updating the first verification code by using an RF signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) further comprises: generating the random number is random and not generated based on any algorithm, and the updated first verification code and the second verification code have Irreversible. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is disposed in a server outside the user terminal, and the step (b) further comprises: the user terminal connecting the server to access the database. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic chip does not have the computing power to process the first verification code. A user terminal comprising: a processor for executing an application to perform the method of any one of claims 1-7. A user terminal, comprising: a processor for executing an application to implement the method of any one of claims 1-6; and a memory unit for setting the database.