Facilitating a secure session between paired devices

• US 10,085,153 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Boettcher, Jesse W., Federighi, Craig, James, Bryan J., Mason, James Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Phuoc H
• Application Number:
  US15/582,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 455411, 726 8, 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A wearable device can establish a verified session with a host device. For example, if a user wearing the wearable device unlocks the host device (e.g., by entering a credential), the devices can create a verified session, which can persist across lock and unlock events at the host device. For the duration of the verified session, a host device can request session confirmation from the wearable device at any time to confirm that the verified session is still in progress. While the session is in progress, the host can make features available such as bypassing re-entry of a credential during unlock operations.

Claims

1. A wearable device, comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with a host device; and

one or more processors coupled to the communication interface, the one or more processors configured to;

receive, via the communication interface, a notification of a first sign-in event at the host device;

establish a verified session with the host device in accordance with a determination that the wearable device is in a trusted state and in response to the notification of the first sign-in event;

receive, from the host device, a request for confirmation that the verified session is still in progress, identification of the confirmation configuring the host device to bypass a second sign-in event; and

transmit an indication of the confirmation to the host device in accordance with a determination that the verified session is still in progress.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect that the host device is within a threshold distance of the wearable device.

3. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein a wireless communication with the host device is established based at least in part on the detection.

4. The wearable device of claim 2, wherein the verified session is maintained based at least in part on the detection.

5. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to detect that the wearable device is being worn, and wherein the verified session is maintained based at least in part on the detection.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to access at least one function of the host device that are only accessible to the wearable device during the verified session.

7. A wearable device, comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with a host device; and

one or more processors coupled to the communication interface, the one or more processors configured to;

receive a notification of a sign-in event at the host device via a wireless pairing established via the communication interface in accordance with a determination that the host device is within a threshold distance of the wearable device;

establish a verified session with the host device in accordance with a determination that the wearable device is in a trusted state and in response to the notification of the sign-in event;

receive, from the host device, a request for a confirmation that the verified session is still in progress, the confirmation requested based at least in part on an attempt to access a function of the host device; and

transmit, to the host device, a response to the confirmation in accordance with a determination of whether the verified session is in progress.

8. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the response is usable by the host device to allow the attempt to access the function.

9. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the one or more processers are further configured to access a first function of the host device in accordance with the verified session having ended.

10. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the one or more processers are further configured to access a first function of the host device and a second function of the host device in accordance with the verified session being in progress.

11. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the response is based at least in part on a session key.

12. The wearable device of claim 11, wherein the request for confirmation comprises a random nonce, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to encrypt the random nonce based at least in part on the session key, and wherein the response comprises the encrypted random nonce.

13. A host device, comprising one or more processors configured to:

enter an unlocked state in response to detecting a first unlock-triggering event;

establish a verified session with a wearable device in accordance with a determination that the wearable device is in a trusted state;

enter a locked state during the verified session;

in response to detecting a second unlock-triggering event, transmit a session confirmation request to the wearable device;

receive, from the wearable device, a response to the session confirmation request; and

provide access to at least a subset of a plurality of functions of the host device in accordance with the response.

14. The host device of claim 13, wherein providing access to at least the subset of the plurality of functions comprises entering the unlocked state in accordance with the response confirming the verified session.

15. The host device of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to bypass a sign-in requirement for entering the unlocked state.

16. The host device of claim 13, wherein providing access to at least the subset of the plurality of functions of the host device comprises providing access to less than all of the plurality of functions in accordance with the response confirming the verified session has ended.

17. The host device of claim 16, wherein the access is provided to the wearable device.

18. The host device of claim 13, wherein providing access to at least the subset of the plurality of functions of the host device comprises providing access to all of the plurality of functions in accordance with the response confirming the verified session.

19. The host device of claim 13, wherein the one or processors are further configured to end the verified session in accordance with a determination that the wearable device is not being worn.

20. The host device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of functions comprises configuring a settings menu.