Intelligent tracking system and methods and systems therefor
An intelligent tracking system generally includes one or more tracking devices, some of which may be passive tracking devices. Each passive tracking device includes one or more transceivers and is energized by an energizing signal. Some of these passive tracking devices may operate in a first communication mode or a second communication mode based on the energizing signal. Some tracking devices may include encryption modules or authentication modules. Some of these devices may incorporate a bulk acoustic wave oscillator.
1. A system for authenticating tracking devices, comprising:
a tracking device that:
generates an encrypted message that indicates a tracking identifier that uniquely identifies the tracking device; and
modulates a response signal that includes the encrypted message for transmission via an antenna of the tracking device;
an authentication server that:
receives the encrypted message;
determines the device identifier based on the encrypted message; and
verifies the device identifier based on a list of known device identifiers, wherein the list of known device identifiers indicates device identifiers of valid tracking devices,
wherein the encrypted message further includes a secret pattern identifier that identifies a secret pattern to the authentication device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device includes an encryption module that:
generates an obscured device identifier based on the device identifier and the secret pattern;
generates a message based on the obscured device identifier;
encrypts the message using a secret key to obtain the encrypted message; and
outputs the encrypted message to the transmission module.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein generating the obscured device identifier includes:
generating a random N-bit string; and
inserting the random N-bit string into the device identifier according to the secret pattern.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the secret pattern defines N different insertion slots, wherein each insertion slot respectively defines a bit position of the device identifier where a respective bit of the random N-bit string is inserted.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the authentication device decrypts the encrypted message using the secret key to obtain the obscured device identifier, and determines the device identifier of the tracking device by removing the random N-bit string from the decrypted message.
6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a reading device that:
receives the response signal from the tracking device; and
transmits the encrypted message contained in the response signal to the authentication server via a communication network.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the tracking device is a passive tracking device and the reading device broadcasts an energizing signal that energizes the passive tracking device.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the passive tracking device is a dual-mode tracking device that selectively operates in a first mode and a second mode based on the frequency band of the energizing signal and contents of the energizing signal.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the encryption module generates the encrypted message only when the dual-mode tracking device operates in the first mode.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first mode corresponds to a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol and the second mode corresponds to RFID communication protocol.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted message includes an encrypted portion and an unencrypted portion, the unencrypted portion including a secret key identifier that identifies the secret key to the authentication device.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the authentication device retrieves the secret key based on the secret key identifier and decrypts the encrypted message using the secret key.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the authentication device confirms a presence of the tracking device in a general location based on the encrypted message.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the secret pattern is included in the unencrypted portion of the encrypted message.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the secret pattern is included in the encrypted portion of the encrypted message.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tracking device includes a power source.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the tracking device transmits the encrypted message to an authentication device directly.
18. A method for authenticating tracking devices, comprising:
generating, by a tracking device, an encrypted message that indicates a tracking identifier that uniquely identifies the tracking device;
modulating, by the tracking device, a response signal that includes the encrypted message for transmission via an antenna of the tracking device;
receiving, by an authentication server, the encrypted message;
determining, by the authentication server, the device identifier based on the encrypted message; and
verifying, by the authentication server, the device identifier based on a list of known device identifiers, wherein the list of known device identifiers indicates device identifiers of valid tracking devices, wherein the encrypted message further includes a secret pattern identifier that identifies a secret pattern to the authentication device.