EVALUATION PAGE Format/10 Afrikaans group Revision no: 0 Content/10 Computer Engineering Must revise: Yes No Final mark/20 Must proofread: Yes No Development of a wireless home anti theft asset management system Project Proposal P.D. Ehlers 21017914 Study leader: Mr. D.V. Bhatt Evaluation of content Mark/20: Acceptable: Yes No Problem statement 4 3 2 1 0 User requirement statement 4 3 2 1 0 Functional analysis 4 3 2 1 0 System specifications 4 3 2 1 0 Deliverables 4 3 2 1 0 Comments (also see inside): Proofreader: D.P. Visser Date
Development of a wireless home anti theft asset management system Project Proposal P.D. Ehlers 21017914 Submitted as partial fulfilment of the requirements of Project EPR402 in the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering University of Pretoria Approved: April 2006 Study leader: Mr. D.V. Bhatt Mr. D.V. Bhatt (Study leader) Date Approved: Prof. J.J. Hanekom (Project lecturer) Date
1. PROBLEM STATEMENT With the ongoing and rapidly increasing acts of crime and theft in our society, an ever growing need arise to secure ourselves and our possessions. The main reason fueling these acts of theft is the unlimited demand for stolen goods on the black market. In order to eliminate these malicious acts of theft, one has to eliminate the market. The project addresses this problem and will assist the user in managing his/her domestic assets in a home environment. This system will easily be integrated in any electronic device in a home environment. The envisioned system will consist mainly of the following three elements; firstly, a wireless management module (WMM) that will be integrated in an electronic device. Secondly, wireless server that will act as an interface between the user and the WMM, and finally a radio frequency identification tag and reader. A device equipped with the WMM will, when powered, be non-functional until the user disables the WMM remotely over a computer network or manually with a authentication tag. The user will be in possession of a unique authentication code which will only entitle him/her to enable/disable the WMM. The engineering challenge faced in this project is the development of hardware and software needed to construct a wireless anti-theft asset management system. Challenges include the interfacing of a microprocessor to Zigbee 802.15.4 transceiver and to a smart card reader. This task includes the physical realization of the circuitry as well as the development of the control firmware to be loaded on the microprocessor. Cryptographic firmware must also be developed and loaded on the microprocessor to ensure secure data transmissions to and from the WMM. Server side software must be developed which will include cryptographic algorithms to secure transmissions between client and server using the IEEE 802.11 protocol as well as between the server and the WMM using the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol. Limitations of this project are available hardware, the size of the WMM, the material of the enclosure of the electronic device to be equipped with the WMM and the RF range of a Zigbee transceiver. The transceiver required must incorporate encryption but the available transceivers do not support encryption. Thus, to compensate from this shortcoming, encryption firmware must be developed and loaded onto a powerful microprocessor which will be interfaced to the transceiver instead. The design requires a contact smart card but due to size and adaptability requirements a contactless smart card must be used. The size of the WMM is extremely important and therefore, the smallest components available will be used. The material of which the electronic device is manufactured of also plays a role when considering the RF range of the Zigbee transceiver as well as the RF contactless smart card reader. To accommodate this limitation certain modifications should be made to antennas of these components. 1
2. USER REQUIREMENT STATEMENT A durable WMM integrated into an electronic domestic device, which render the device non-functional when enabled and functional when disabled, is required. The life-cycle, durability, size, shape and working of the electronic domestic device should not be impaired by the WMM. The WMM should have wireless capabilities to connect to a wireless server through which the user can remotely change the state of the WMM. When the WMM comes into contact with an RF 1 authentication tag it should toggle between enable and disable. The WMM should by default be enabled, disabling the electronic domestic device. The domestic device should remain non-functional until the user disables the WMM with a unique authentication code, either sent through the wireless network or with a unique authentication tag. The user should at any time be able to check or change the status of the device given the device is powered. A flag should be toggled inside the WMM to store the current state on any specific time. 2.1 SYSTEM MISSION REQUIREMENTS The following list provides the mission requirements of the design. The WMM to be integrated in an electronic domestic device should in no way impair the device size, shape, life-cycle, durability and operation. To maintain the durability of the domestic device, it is critical that the WMM should be robust and durable. Integration of the WMM into a domestic device should limit tampering possibilities. The communication ability of the WMM should not be impaired by the noise generated by the domestic device. A power converter must be included in the WMM to convert the operating power of the electronic device to the operating power required by the WMM. The WMM should be enabled by default and should only change status when a user with a unique authentication code commands it. After a power failure, the WMM should adapt the enabled state. The wireless server and planted WMM should be able to work within a large home environment. 1 Radio frequency 2
2.2 VALUE SYSTEM The following aspects constitute the value system used in the design: functionality, cost, reliability, size and shape. 3. FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS The system works in two directions, from the electronic device to the end user and from the end user to the electronic device, as shown in the functional diagrams(figure 1a and Figure 1b). When the user desires to query or change the status of a domestic device, the working direction will be from the end user to the electronic device (figure 1a). Figure 1a. Functional block diagram for user to electronic device communication. The user will access a web based user interface (FU3.2) located on the server unit (FU3) through the private wireless channel (FU2) with his/her wireless device (FU1). User input received from the user interface unit will be processed by the server processing unit (FU3.3). User input comprises of a device identification code, status command and 3
unique authentication code. Processed user input will be broadcast over the wireless channel with the wireless unit (FU3.1) to all the wireless management modules (FU4) in the domestic domain. The WMM consists of a wireless transceiver (FU4.1), a WMM processing unit (FU4.2), an enable/disable unit (FU4.3) and an authentication tag reader(fu4.4). All the wireless management modules in the domestic devices receive the broadcast with there wireless transceivers (FU4.1) and sends the received data to their processing units. The WMM processing unit compare it s device identification code to the received identification code. If the codes match, the received data is further processed, otherwise discarded. After confirmation on the authentication code is established, the received command is processed and executed. A control signal will be sent to the enable/disable unit (FU4.3) rendering the device functional or non-functional depending on the received command. If the system replies on a status check or confirms a status change, the system will operate in a reversed direction (figure 1b). Figure 1b. Functional block diagram for electronic device to user communication. After the WMM received and processed a status check or change command, the WMM processing unit sends a device identification code and a current status back to the server unit over the wireless channel. After data was received by the server it is sent to it s processing unit to update the user interface accordingly. An alternative to WMM disabling/enabling is the use of a unique authentication tag (FU5). The code read from the authentication tag will be sent to the WMM processor 4
unit where it will be matched to the stored code in the processing unit. The authentication tags will be read by the tag reader (FU4.4) in the WMM. If they match, the data processor unit will command the enable/disable unit to toggle the device functional or non-functional. A status change confirmation will be sent to the server unit (FU3) after a WMM status change occurred. 4. SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS The following is a list of the specifications that this system has to comply with. 4.1 GLOBAL SPECIFICATIONS The wireless management module (WMM) should by default disable the device and it should stay in this state until a valid user authenticates it. The WMM should stay authenticated until the user commands it otherwise or it experience a power failure. A smart card and wireless network must be the only two methods of authentication. The wireless network will be the transmission medium for data sent, on the user s command, from a centralized server which will host the WMM control software. The WMM should be small enough to fit into the electronic device s enclosure. Devices equipped with a WMM should not be impaired by the WMM. The wireless communication network (FU2) must provide a reliable RF link over a diametrical distance of 20 meters. 4.2 DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS The WMM must not have an alternative power source other than the power source of the electronic device. The WMM in the electronic device should be able to cope with the noise generated by a device. The user s wireless device (FU1) should be able to communicate with the wireless server (FU3) using the and should IEEE 802.11 standard and should operate at 11Mbps 2 or 54Mbps. The server unit (FU3) should be a personnel computer capable of processing high level cryptographic algorithms. A Pentium III with 256 MB 3 RAM 4 or higher. 2 Mega bits per second 3 Megabytes 4 Random access memory 5
The server wireless unit (FU3.1) must consist of 802.11 and 802.15.4 wireless devices capable of communicating with the different standard networks. The web based user interface unit must display a encrypted login web page which requires a username and password of a valid user stored in a secured database. After a secure login, the user is routed to a secure web page displaying the wireless module command software. The server unit (FU3) must communicate with the planted module (FU4) using the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The WMM (FU4) should consist of an 802.15.4 zigbee transceiver, microprocessor and a smart card reader. The processing unit (FU4.2) must handle all the cryptographic calculations and the data processing required for data transmissions. An affordable RF tag (FU5) should be uniquely programmed to be the only tag which can enable/disable the WMM. 5. DELIVERABLES 5.1 TECHNICAL DELIVERABLES The following need to be delivered on completion of the project. A fully functional asset management system comprised of a WMM, a wireless server and a unique authentication tag. The WMM will contain a printed circuit board with an off-the-shelf wireless zigbee transceiver, microprocessor and a smart card reader etched on it. The smart card reader will require an antenna which will be designed and developed from first principles. A smart card programmed to authenticate the WMM. A server unit which will comprise of a personal computer and wireless access devices for different standards. The wireless access devices will be off-the-shelf products. Web based user interface software developed in C# and loaded on the server for easy remote access. The low level machine code (assembly code) to be loaded on the microprocessor will be developed from first principles. 6
5.2 ADDITIONAL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS In addition to the final product described above, a user manual for the system will also be provided. 5.3 DEMONSTRATION The following will be demonstrated at the exam. A working wireless home anti-theft asset management system will be demonstrated. This system will consist of a WMM integrated into a electronic domestic device and a wireless server which will handle all communication between user and WMM. The demonstration will show that when a device, equipped with the WMM, is powered, it will by default be non-functional till the user disables the WMM. It will be demonstrated that the user will be able to enable/disable the WMM through the wireless channel in a specific device or in all the devices simultaneously, as well as to check the status of any or all of the devices. It will also show that the device will be non-functional when the WMM is enabled and functional when the WMM is disabled. The demonstration will show that the user can enable/disable the WMM with a unique authentication tag when it makes physical contact with the device. 7
6. REFERENCES Kulkarni, A.D., 1993. Artificial Neural Networks for Image Understanding. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 8