Framework and authentication protocols for smartphone, NFC, and RFID in retail transactions

Abstract

As automation gains increasing popularity in supply chains and retail stores for processes such as inventory management, there is an increasing interest in automating processes in retailing environments to facilitate overall improved customer shopping experience. Advances in identification and communication technologies such as RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification), NFC (Near Field Communication) and smartphones as well as the ability to respond in real-time have opened up the possibility for seamless integration of these technologies. We consider automated check-out in a retail shopping environment with NFC-enabled smartphones. Specifically, we propose a framework for a transaction system that operates in such a retail environment and a set of protocols that enable mutual authentication between the customer and the store system.