Contactless Document Security via Dual Antenna Energy Threshold
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Contactless secure documents, such as passports and identity cards, face issues with unauthorized data access due to inadequate signal attenuation methods, which can lead to untimely reading of personal information, especially when the documents are not in a closed position or are of varying thickness.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a secondary contactless device with a secondary antenna and electric circuit that consumes less energy than the main chip, ensuring it is powered before the main chip, thereby scrambling data signals and preventing unauthorized reading by mixing them with random data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a passive masking element is used to attenuate the signal between the transponder and reader, then the coupling is minimized in a closed position, but the attenuation level varies with document thickness and holding manner, leading to unreliable security
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the active control function from the passive masking element and places it in the reader device. The reader now actively manages the electromagnetic field to control which antenna is powered, replacing the unreliable passive attenuation approach with an active selection mechanism that ensures only the intended antenna receives power.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements feedback by having the transponder send identification signals that allow the reader to determine which antenna is being used. Based on this feedback, the reader adjusts the electromagnetic field to power only the appropriate antenna, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures reliable security.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the antenna is placed close to the reader for optimal communication, then sufficient energy is received to operate the chip, but unauthorized reading becomes possible when the document is not in a closed position
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the reading function into two separate antennas with distinct functions: one antenna optimized for communication when the document is closed, and another for when it is open. This segmentation allows each antenna to be positioned and configured optimally for its specific use case, eliminating the security risk of unauthorized reading.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention makes the system dynamic by allowing the reader to actively switch between powering different antennas based on the document's position and the transponder's identification signals. This dynamic control ensures that only the appropriate antenna is powered at any given time, preventing unauthorized reading while maintaining optimal energy reception.
3Loss of information
If signal attenuation is increased to prevent unauthorized reading, then confidentiality is improved, but the reading distance varies and communication reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter being controlled from signal attenuation to active antenna selection. Instead of varying the attenuation level (which affects reading distance and reliability), the system changes which antenna is powered, maintaining consistent communication parameters while ensuring data confidentiality through physical separation of the antennas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively prevents untimely data reading by ensuring that only the main chip is powered when the document is intentionally presented for reading, while maintaining confidentiality of personal data even when the document is not in a closed position or is of varying thickness.
Implementation Method 1
The chip is usually not powered by batteries and receives its energy by an electromagnetic coupling between the antenna of the reader and the antenna of the RFID
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a contactless portable object (10, 30, 60) featuring a main radiofrequency device made up of a main chip (18, 38, 68) and a main antenna (16, 36, 66) connected together so that, when the portable object enters the magnetic field of a suitable reader, the main radiofrequency device provides power to the chip and ensures communication between the chip and the reader. According to the main characteristic of the invention, the portable object includes a secondary contactless device featuring a secondary antenna (12, 32, 62) and an electric circuit set up in such a way that, when the two antennas enter the magnetic field of a suitable reader at the same time, the amount of energy required to power the electric circuit and have it operational being less than the amount of energy required to power the main chip (18, 38, 68) and have it operational, the electric circuit is powered and makes the reading of data of the main chip impossible.