NFC Chip Cryptographic Asset Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for authenticating physical assets are time-consuming, error-prone, and require expertise and expensive equipment, while GPS-based verification is limited in accuracy, especially indoors.
Innovation Solution
A cryptographically-secure NFC chip is used in conjunction with a computing device to authenticate physical assets by obtaining a single-use authentication link, metadata pointer, and hash digest, and verifying these against a public authentication key, allowing for rapid and accurate authentication without specialized hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional techniques are used for authenticating physical assets, then authentication can be performed using existing methods, but the process becomes time-consuming, error-prone, and requires expensive equipment and expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical and manual authentication methods (expert analysis, physical inspection) with a cryptographic system using NFC chips, digital signatures, and hash functions. This substitution enables rapid, automated verification of asset authenticity without requiring expert knowledge or specialized equipment, thereby reducing both time and complexity while maintaining high reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-embedding cryptographic authentication data (digital signatures, hash values, metadata pointers) into NFC chips that are attached to physical assets before authentication is needed. This pre-prepared cryptographic information allows for instant verification when the asset needs to be authenticated, eliminating the need for time-consuming expert analysis at the moment of verification
2Measurement precision
If conventional GPS techniques are used for location verification, then location can be detected, but the accuracy is limited to about 5 meters and is even less accurate indoors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges GPS technology with NFC technology to create a hybrid location verification system. GPS provides broad geographical location data while NFC provides precise proximity detection when devices are in close contact. This combination overcomes the limitations of GPS alone, enabling accurate determination of whether a device is on a specific floor or in a particular room, while maintaining ease of operation through automatic background verification
3Productivity
If cryptographic authentication is implemented using NFC chips, then authentication speed and accuracy are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary trusted application layer that manages the complexity of cryptographic operations. This trusted application acts as a mediator between the simple NFC hardware interface and the complex cryptographic verification processes, handling key management, signature verification, and hash validation. This abstraction allows rapid authentication while shielding users from the underlying system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital cryptographic copy of authentication data in the NFC chip that mirrors the asset's identity and ownership information. This digital copy can be rapidly verified through cryptographic operations without requiring physical inspection or complex analysis of the actual asset, thereby enabling fast authentication while keeping the verification system relatively simple
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for cryptographic authentication of a physical asset are disclosed, including: operating a trusted application, provided by a trusted entity, on a computing device equipped with an NFC reader to: (a) obtain a single-use authentication link from a cryptographically-secure NFC chip attached to a physical asset; (b) obtain a metadata pointer and a hash digest from the single-use authentication link; (c) obtain, via the metadata pointer, metadata associated with the physical asset, the metadata including a cryptographic signature; (d) obtain a public authentication key associated with the trusted entity; and (e) authenticate the cryptographic signature against the public authentication key and verify whether the hash digest is a cryptographic hash of the metadata obtained via the metadata pointer to obtain an authentication result for the physical asset.