EVALUATION PAGE

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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

April 2006

Study leader: Mr. D.V. Bhatt

Approved:

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.

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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 RF1 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.
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Radio frequency

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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

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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

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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
11Mbps2 or 54Mbps.

• The server unit (FU3) should be a personnel computer capable of processing high
level cryptographic algorithms. A Pentium III with 256 MB3 RAM4 or higher.
2
Mega bits per second
3
Megabytes
4
Random access memory

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• 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.

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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.

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6. REFERENCES

Kulkarni, A.D., 1993. Artificial Neural Networks for Image Understanding. New York:
Van Nostrand Reinhold.