Method of fighting ticket theft, corresponding ticket, deactivation device and activation device

1. Field of the Invention

p0001The field of the invention is that the fight against the flight ticket.

p0002More particularly, the invention applies to the security of transport tickets (bills, concert tickets, etc.) implementing electronic tags or RFID tags.

2. Background Art

2.1 Fight against theft

p0003There are several ticket transport security techniques, especially for banknotes.

p0004Currently, bank notes of the transport is through funds of transport companies and require costly implementation, and induce significant risks to the employees of these companies responsible for ensuring the safety of the transport.

p0005However, it often happens that these transportation funds suffer robberies, sometimes violent, and in any financially harmful cause (for the merchant, banker and fund-carrier).

p0006Different solutions, in addition to securing carriers (armor, weapons ...) have been proposed, such as the use of special bags depositor indelible ink on tickets. However, this approach is expensive and destructive.

p0007The same problems exist, sometimes at lower levels, for other types of tickets, such as those for shows or sporting events.

2.1 Fight against counterfeiting

p0008Moreover, to ensure the security of the Notes is expected that these tickets themselves have marks to authenticate and to limit or prevent their infringement.

p0009Generally, tickets labeling techniques are very advanced and updated regularly according to technical progress in the field, with the use of such serial numbers, watermarks, holograms, magnetic strips, etc. .

p0010On banknotes, several studies are underway to equip a radio identification system in the marking of tickets.

p0011This system, commonly known as RFID (for "Radio Frequency Identification" in English), consists of markers, or RFID tags, themselves composed of a chip and an antenna, the chip is not powered and operator the energy of a received signal to restore a response signal, and receivers or readers.

p0012In one of these studies, including company by the European Bank for improving the security of banknotes in Euros, it is proposed to incorporate RFID tags banknotes, as additional marking, then for locating stolen tickets or to detect counterfeit notes.

p0013These obstacles to the fraudulent reproduction are of course essential to prevent the dissemination of false currencies. They help fight against counterfeiters, but unfortunately strengthens the interest for bad people, theft of real money, in particular during transport or storage.

3. Objectives of the invention

p0014The invention particularly aims to overcome these disadvantages of the prior art.

p0015Specifically, an object of the invention to provide a technique to fight against ticket flight, including during transport or storage, efficiently and reliably.

p0016Another object of the invention is to provide such a control technique against the flight ticket, which is relatively inexpensive and simple to implement.

4. Summary of the Invention

p0017The invention proposes a new solution that does not have all these disadvantages of the prior art, as a method of control against ticket theft equipped with a radio type authenticity check element -Label, adapted to return an authenticity information in response to an authentication request sent by a control device.

p0018According to the invention, such a method comprises the following steps:<ul><li>transmission (20) to said control element of at least one inactivation request, rendering it invalid ticket;</li><li>issuing by said ticket to at least one activation code or at least one information enabling the reconstruction of said activation code;</li><li>secure transmission (23) of said at least one activation code or said at least one information enabling the reconstruction of said activation code, to an activation device;</li><li>storage and / or transportation (24) of the invalid ticket;</li><li>reactivation (25) of said control element by said activation device, with said at least one activation code, rendering said valid ticket.</li></ul>

p0019Thus, the invention relies on a novel and inventive approach to the fight against the theft of tickets, making them invalid or inactive, temporarily, in particular during transport, for example between a trader and a banking organization. According to a particular characteristic of the invention, these tickets are rendered non-reactive, non authenticatable or by any of their authenticity testing device.

p0020The method according to the invention is non-destructive. It can of course make new valid tickets, to be recirculated. So, once these tickets transported and received by the bank for example, they are reactivated to again be valid. However, it may provide an additional specific code, making the ticket permanently inactive.

p0021In particular, the method according to the invention may comprise a step of secure transmission of at least one activation code or at least one information enabling the reconstruction of said activation code, to an activation device.

p0022Thus, to allow for example the banking organization to reactivate notes received to deliver the outstanding, a reactivation device transmits a code, or information, to each ticket. This information may include one or more data corresponding to or used to reconstruct the activation code.

p0023According to a particular characteristic of the invention, said step of secure transmission may be effected via the Internet.

p0024Other modes of transmission (telephone network, dedicated network storage medium such as a CD or USB key, ...) can certainly be used. It is also possible that the banking organization intended tickets to know in advance the codes assigned to the merchant, or has the tools to rebuild.

p0025According to one advantageous embodiment, the at least one activation code is issued by said ticket upon receipt of said inactivation request.

p0026Thus, the ticket itself provide the activation code to reactivate it later. This activation code is preferably unique and based on the request of inactivation, so that the ticket agrees to be reactivated by this activation code. The ticket can have this code, for example stored from the circulation of the ticket, or calculate, especially depending on the request of inactivation.

p0027In a second advantageous embodiment of the invention, which may where applicable be combined with the first, said inactivation request comprises at least one inactivation code, intended to be stored by said ticket to the reception of said request inactivation. Said activation code is a function of said inactivation code.

p0028In this case, the ticket compares (according to a suitable algorithm), upon reactivation, the activation code on the basis of the inactivation code stored, received in the inactivation request.

p0029In other words, according to the embodiments, the activation code may be supplied by the ticket and / or the inactivating device.

p0030In particular, said inactivation codes and / or activation may be obtained using an algorithm belonging to the group comprising:<ul><li>encryption algorithms;</li><li>MAC type algorithms;</li><li>hash algorithms.</li></ul>

p0031For example, AES algorithms ( "Advanced Encryption Standard"), DES ( "Data Encryption Standard") or HMAC-SHA ( "keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code - Secure Hash Algorithm" can be used.

p0032Preferably, said tickets can take at least two states belonging to the group comprising:<ul><li>an active state, in which a ticket is able to return an authenticity information in response to an authentication request;</li><li>an inactive state in which a ticket does not return a response, following an authentication request, or issue a response not authenticity.</li></ul>

p0033So a ticket in the active state is able to properly respond to an authentication request issued by example when buying through the payment terminal responsible for checking the validity of tickets. A ticket in the inactive state is however not able to respond correctly to an authentication request.

p0034For example, during an authenticity check of a ticket, a ticket in the inactive state can not meet, or else send information to non authenticity or fraudulent ticket, and then be recognized as coming from flight during transportation of invalid tickets.

p0035We can also provide, in the presence of an inactive post, a traceability step of determining from which (of which flight) ticket concerned.

p0036In addition, when said note equipped with said control element is in the active state, it is preferentially responsive to at least one request from the group comprising:<ul><li>an authentication request;</li><li>an inactivation request.</li></ul>

p0037Thus, conventionally, a ticket in the active state can thus respond correctly to an authentication request. According to the invention there is further capable of receiving and processing a particular query inactivation.

p0038Especially when said note equipped with said control element is in the active state and receives an inactivation request, the method preferably includes a step of inhibition, by said control element, the ability to respond to a request authentication, causing the tilting of said ticket in the inactive state.

p0039So when the ticket in the active state, receives an inactivation request, the radio-tag he has starts in an off mode, in which it will not respond to an authentication request or issue an information non-authenticity.

p0040When said ticket is in the inactive state and receives an activation request, including at least one activation code, the activation and / or ticket is implementing the following steps:<ul><li>checking the validity of the activation code received based on the activation code provided by said ticket and issue of validity information, positive or negative, reactivation;</li><li>tilting said bill in the active state if said validity information is positive.</li></ul>

p0041Thus, when the radio-tag of a ticket in the inactive state receives an activation request, it implements a mechanism for verifying the validity of the activation code received, for example based on the activation code issued by the ticket. This verification may also be a combination of the activation code received in the activation request and the code stored inactivation during the inactivation step, using a predetermined algorithm.

p0042If the reactivation request is validated, then the radio-tag ticket gets reactivated in a mode, or valid, allowing the ticket to be used again.

p0043By cons, if the reactivation request is not validated, eg because the activation code received and delivered do not match, then the radio-tag ticket remains in a disabled mode, or invalid. May be provided a permanent locking mechanism in the disabled mode (or passage in a "permanently inactive" mode) in certain conditions, and for example beyond a predetermined number of attempts reactivation, or beyond a predetermined time.

p0044Another aspect of the invention relates to tickets used in the method described above. Such a ticket is equipped with a radio-tag type authenticity check element, capable of returning an authenticity information in response to an authentication request from a control device.

p0045According to the invention this control element comprises:<ul><li>means inactivation, in response to an inactivation request, rendering said invalid ticket;</li><li>means for issuing at least one activation code or at least one information enabling the reconstruction of said activation code;</li><li>reactivation means, with at least one activation code, rendering said valid ticket.</li></ul>

p0046Yet another aspect of the invention relates to an inactivation device of a radio-tag type authenticity check element equipping such a ticket as described above, to be implemented for example in a shop.

p0047According to the invention, such an inactivation device comprises the following means:<ul><li>transmission means to said control element of at least one inactivation request, rendering it invalid ticket;</li><li>storing means of at least one activation code or at least one information enabling the reconstruction of said activation code, output from said ticket, to the reactivation of said control element.</li></ul>

p0048Advantageously, such an inactivation device comprises means for transmitting to at least one activation device for an activation code, adapted to make the valid ticket.

p0049The invention also provides an activation device of a radio-tag type authenticity check element equipping such a ticket as described above, which may for example be implemented by a banking organization.

p0050According to the invention, such an activation device comprises:<ul><li>means for receiving at least one activation code or at least one information enabling the reconstruction of said activation code, output from said ticket;</li><li>transmission means to said control element of said at least one activation code, adapted to make the valid ticket.</li></ul>

p0051In some cases, inactivation and activation devices may be provided, comprising the means of the two devices described above. These devices can further comprise means, known in themselves, ticket authentication.

5. List of Figures

p0052Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from reading the following description of a particular embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and not exhaustive, and the accompanying drawings, wherein:<ul><li>1 illustrates an exemplary system embodying the invention;</li><li>2 illustrates an example of the steps of the method of control against the flight ticket according to a particular embodiment of the invention;</li><li>3 shows a block diagram of a method of activation and inactivation of tickets used according to one embodiment of the invention;</li><li>4 shows schematically the means implemented in a post according to the invention;</li><li>Figure 5 shows an example of the various states that can get a ticket in one particular embodiment of the invention.</li></ul>

6. Description of an embodiment of the invention

p0053The general principle of the invention is therefore based on the implementation of an RFID system on tickets and inactivation and reactivation of RFID tags.

p0054Specifically, according to one embodiment of the invention, such a method allows to inactivate a radio tag to make a nonreactive ticket or not authenticated by any of their authenticity testing device.

p0055For simplicity, we will use the following description the term ticket, to designate the ticket itself and the control element, or radio-label, which it is equipped.

p0056will now be presented in connection with Figure 1 an example of a system implementing one embodiment of the invention.

p0057Consider a ticket 10 used for a transaction. This post is equipped according to the invention, a control element 11, allowing in particular to control its authenticity.

p0058Such control element 11, for example a type of RFID radio-label, allows the ticket to take several states, including based on requests received from different devices.

p0059The different states of such a ticket, and the queries it may receive and to which it responds in every state, are illustrated specifically in Figure 5, described below.

p0060In the embodiment taken as an example, a trader wants to secure tickets to transfer to his bank, and uses an inactivation device 12 of each ticket.

p0061Such a device according to this particular embodiment of the invention locks the authentication capabilities of the ticket 10 by transmitting a code C1 inactivation. Pictorially, this inactivation of the ticket corresponds to put a padlock on the ticket, or more precisely on the control element of the ticket, and pass, the device 14 responsible for the reactivation of the ticket, a C2 key to open the lock.

p0062In practice, there may be use an algorithm such as those used for encryption, such as type algorithms AES ( "Advanced Encryption Standard"), DES ( "Data Encryption Standard") or HMAC-SHA ( "keyed- hash Message Authentication Code - Secure hash Algorithm. "

p0063For example, inactivation and reactivation of the ticket may consider an asymmetric algorithm using a public key and a private key. Thus, the inactivation code C1, corresponding to "lock" placed on the ticket, may consider a public key CP 14 sent by the device activation device 12 inactivation. This then transmits, at the time of inactivation of the ticket, a private key C2 to the device 14, such as a function F (Cl, C2) to verify the validity of the reactivation of the ticket.

p0064According to another embodiment of the invention, the inactivation request does not include inactivation code. The bill, when it receives the request, generates a corresponding activation code that will be required for its subsequent reactivation. This code, calculated by the ticket according to the request of inactivation, is transmitted to the transmitter of the request device, and stored in the ticket, to further validate a reactivation request. This code is then transmitted by the inactivating device, the activation device, in parallel with conveyance inactivated tickets.

p0065According to the embodiment described in Figure 1, 10 and inactivated ticket is transported by a fund of 13 transit agency to the bank (which does not need to use an armored car).

p0066The bank therefore receives an inactive post, that is, on which was placed a "lock" corresponding to an inactivation code C1. To get to the new active ticket, the activation device 14 of the bank then sends an activation request to the ticket, including a C2 code securely received from the inactivation device 12.

p0067The ticket that receives this activation request must combine the C1 and C2 codes, ie whether "the C2 key allows many open padlock C1" to validate the activation request and thus recover in active.

p0068If the request is validated, the ticket is therefore in a state where its authentication capabilities are active again.

p0069According to another particular embodiment in which only one activation code is used, generated by the ticket at the time of inactivation request, the ticket validates the activation request by comparing the activation code that a memory and that transmitted with the activation request. If these two codes match, then the request is validated and the ticket is found in the active state.

p0070These two examples ticket inactivation and activation help ensure that only the holder of the right code activation can reactivate an inactive post. Indeed, in one case as in the other, the ticket validates the activation request that it recognizes the activation code that corresponds to the inactivation request.

p00712 illustrates an example of the process steps according to a particular embodiment of the invention, corresponding to the example described in Figure 1.

p0072Consider a first step 20 of transmitting an inactivation code to an active ticket, step may for example be implemented by an inactivating device at a merchant.

p0073The method then comprises a storage step 21 of the inactivation by the ticket code, for a subsequent reactivation.

p0074Once the inactivation code stored, the ticket control element goes into a disabled mode at a step 22 inhibition and the ticket is then in the inactive state.

p0075The merchant must also convey to the recipient banking institution of the ticket activation code corresponding to the invalidated ticket, at a step 23 of transmitting the activation code.

p0076To do this, a secure communication mode is used, for example via the Internet.

p0077In parallel with the transmission of the activation code, the idle ticket is transported to the banking organization, during a transport stage 24. The transfer of the ticket in this case does not require special security, transported ticket being rendered non-reactive to an authentication request. Indeed, an inactive ticket stolen during transport, can not respond correctly to an authentication request and thus be recognized as a stolen ticket.

p0078In a variant of this embodiment, the method can also be used for securing the storage of banknotes. Indeed, the merchant may need to disable (or "sleep") Notes to store, for example Scent of a Woman, and then reactivate them to put them into circulation. In this case, the trader can use inactivation devices and ticket activation, communicating with each other to transmit the activation codes. The activation and inactivation may also be functions of the same device, which can also ensure the authentication mechanism.

p0079Once the ticket transferred to the banking organization, it can reactivate it using the activation code obtained in parallel. To do this, the method according to the invention comprises a ticket reactivation step 25, implemented by an activation device. It then issues a specific activation request, to the inactive post, including in particular the activation code received corresponding to the disabled ticket.

p0080The bill, if it recognizes the validity of the activation code, thanks to a combination of both inactivation and activation codes, will begin again in an active state.

p0081In another particular embodiment, the step 20 corresponds to the transmission of an inactivation request, without inactivation code, and step 21 is the generation of the ticket, a code activation for subsequent reactivation. The following steps, 22, 23 and 24, are the same, the reactivation step 25 not implementing a comparison of an inactivation code and an activation code, but a comparison of the code activation stored at 21 and that transmitted the reactivation request in step 25.

p0082Will now be described in relation to Figure 3, a schematic of a process for activation and inactivation of tickets used according to one embodiment of the invention.

p0083Consider a ticket 10 is fitted with a control element according to the invention. Such a ticket is able to respond to an authentication request 300 issued by a control device 30, such an authentication sensor at a merchant to verify the validity of a ticket used in a transaction or a detector authentication used during a check of a ticket at the entrance of a sports event or a show by example.

p0084This authentication technique is known per se, as indicated in the preamble.

p0085The ticket 10 sends a response to this authentication request 300, or challenge, in the form of a 301 authenticity information Depending on whether the ticket is in the active or inactive state, this information can take 301 different values, such as a valid authenticity information (in the active state) or an invalid authenticity information (in the inactive state). In the case of an inactive ticket, it may also not transmitting a response to an authentication request.

p0086The same ticket is also capable of receiving an inactivation request including a C1 code, issued by an inactivation device 12, for example from a trader wishing to inactivate tickets before passing them to a bank, or to store securely.

p0087Finally, such a ticket can be reactivated when in the inactive state by an activation device 14 sends them an activation request, including an activation code C2 corresponding to C1 inactivation code received by the ticket previously.

p0088The activation device 14 can be implemented eg by a central service for the first issue of the ticket (which can also, by default, be from the beginning in the active state), followed by banking entities, to reactivate a ticket.

p0089In another particular embodiment, in which only an activation code is used, the C1 code is replaced by a query without inactivation inactivation code and the C2 code is generated by the ticket sent to device activation at the request of inactivation. Then it transmits this code C2 waking device.

p0090Of course, batch ticket processing can be implemented, using appropriate algorithms.

p0091Now be presented schematically in connection with Figure 4, the means implemented in a post in a particular embodiment of the invention.

p0092Consider a ticket with a control element allowing it to receive and respond to various requests, including authentication requests, inactivation and activation.

p0093The ticket has first means for receiving various requests and separate means of response to these requests.

p0094The average response to an authentication request to allow the ticket to send an authenticity information, when in the active state.

p0095The ticket also has management means an inactivation request, whether or not an inactivation code C1 (corresponding to a lock) as the embodiment implemented to lock the means for responding to a request authentication.

p0096It also has means to store this code C1 inactivation, for the subsequent verification of the validity of an activation request.

p0097According to another embodiment, the ticket has means for generating an activation code and to store it.

p0098The ticket also implements ways to manage a reactivation request, including an activation code C2. Such management means include means for validating the request, ie combining means inactivation of the C1 code stored, received and C2 activation code. Thus, these validation means determine whether "the C2 key allows well to unlock the padlock C1." If that is the case, then the reactivation request management means taking into account this request and reactivate the means for responding to a request to an authentication request. Otherwise, the reactivation request management means do not take into account this request and the ticket remains in the inactive state.

p0099In another embodiment, the application of the validation means are in fact means of comparing the activation code received in the request and the activation code generated and stored at the time of inactivation.

p0100We present now, in relation to Figure 5, an example of the various states that can get a ticket in one particular embodiment of the invention, and the various applications that can receive and process.

p0101Consider a ticket in the active state A, or valid, can accommodate at least two types of queries:<ul><li>an authentication request 50;</li><li>a request for inactivation 52.</li></ul>

p0102The ticket can also receive an activation request, which he will not respond as already being in the active state.

p0103In the case of the authentication request 50, the ticket is activated, it emits in response to information of authenticity 51, allowing the transmitter device of the request to validate the use of the ticket.

p0104In the case of a request inactivation 52, the first ticket stores at least an inactivating code, during a step 53 of storing, for subsequent reactivation.

p0105In a variation on this embodiment, the ticket can store information allowing him to later rebuild the inactivation code, and validate an activation request.

p0106In yet another embodiment, the ticket itself generates an activation code, it stores and emits in response to the inactivation request.

p0107Once this code, or information enabling him to reconstruct the code, stored, the ticket inhibits its response capabilities to an authentication request, at a predetermined idle mode, and is then in the inactive state I, or invalid.

p0108This predetermined inactivity mode defines the response of the 54 ticket to an authentication request 50, may take the following forms:<ul><li>no answer: the ticket is "silent" and does not respond to an authentication request;</li><li>wrong answer: the note emits incorrect information authenticity, not corresponding to any expected response;</li><li>non authenticity response: the note emits an explicit information not authentic or fraudulent ticket.</li></ul>

p0109In the inactive state, the ticket can receive two types of requests:<ul><li>an authentication request 50;</li><li>an activation request 55.</li></ul>

p0110If the bill receives a request from inactivation, there is no answer, as already being in the inactive state.

p0111The possible answers in the case of an authentication request 50 have already been described above, according to the predetermined idle mode, and are known to those skilled in the art.

p0112In the case of an activation request 55, the ticket first determines the validity of the request, in a step 56 of verification of validity. For this, it uses the inactivation code, or the information enabling it to rebuild its inactivation code stored (es) during the inactivation step, and compares it to the activation code received in the query reactivation.

p0113In another embodiment, the ticket using the activation code previously stored, to compare the activation code received in the activation request.

p0114If the request is validated, then the ticket is found in the active state A, and finds its capacity to respond to authentication requests and queries inactivation.

p0115If the request is not validated, because the activation code is not recognized, for example, the ticket remains in the inactive state I.

p0116In the particular case of a definitive inactivation request, not shown in this figure, the ticket, whatever his condition, inhibits all response functions and becomes silent whatever the request which he is subject.