Networked device authentication, pairing and resource sharing

• US 10,104,183 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven N., Meistrich, Jason Alexander, Hinckley, Kenneth, Multerer, Boyd Cannon, Cox, Anthony, Saretto, Casare John
• Primary Examiner(s): Thieu, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US12/820,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,038 Days
• Field of Search: 709225, 709220, 709208, 709237, 455 411- 413
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 system and method are disclosed for pairing computing devices using an authentication protocol that allows an initiating computing device to gain access to a secure, encrypted network of a target computing device.

Claims

1. A method of pairing a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

a) receiving an indication to pair the first computing device with the second computing device, said indication based on a contextual circumstance defined for the first and second computing devices, said indication to pair the first computing device with the second computing device generated automatically upon an occurrence of the contextual circumstance without a user initiating the indication to pair, the contextual circumstance comprising detecting concurrent instances of the same application running on the first and second computing devices, wherein said receiving further comprises receiving an indication of parameters to be associated with the pairing of the first computing device with the second computing device, the parameters including an access control list specifying at least one of;

types of computing devices allowed to pair with one of the first computing device or the second computing device, identifications of computing devices allowed to pair with one of the first computing device or the second computing device, or user identities allowed to pair with one of the first computing device or the second computing device;

b) negotiating the pairing of the first computing device with the second computing device, the negotiating including receiving an identification of at least one of the user and the first computing device and receiving an authentication authenticating an association of the user with the first computing device;

c) granting the first computing device access to secure resources available to the second computing device if the identification and authentication of said step b) verify an association between the user and the first computing device, wherein content accessible via the secure resources is displayed via a user interface that is divided between the first computing device and the second computing device; and

d) denying the first computing device access to secure resources available to the second computing device if the identification and authentication of said step b) fail to verify an association between the user and the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is a mobile computing device and the second computing device is a public terminal having a connection to a backend server with secure user records, said step a) of receiving the indication comprises receiving an indication that the first computing device was bumped against the second computing device, the method further comprising accessing and displaying at least some the secure user records by the mobile computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of a gesture performed with the first computing device in combination with the indication to pair the first computing device with the second computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, communications between the first and second computing devices in said steps b) and c) taking place directly between the first and second computing devices via at least one of:

Bluetooth communication, infrared communications, radiofrequency communications and near field communications.

5. The method of claim 1, communications between the first and second computing devices in said steps b) and c) taking place indirectly between the first and second computing devices via an intermediary through a network connection between the first computing device, the second computing device and the intermediary.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of restrictions on the pairing and denying the first computing device access to the secure resources available to the second computing device if the restrictions are not satisfied.

7. The method of claim 1, said authentication provided by providing a fingerprint of the user.

8. A method of pairing a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

detecting different instances of the same software application running on the first and second computing devices, the software application not directed to pairing devices;

receiving an indication to pair the first computing device with the second computing device based on the detection of different instances of the same software application running on the first and second computing devices;

identifying parameters for pairing the first computing device with the second computing device, wherein the parameters include an access control list specifying at least one of;

types of computing devices allowed to pair with one of the first computing device or the second computing device, identifications of computing devices allowed to pair with one of the first computing device or the second computing device, or user identities allowed to pair with one of the first computing device or the second computing device;

receiving a request from the first computing device to the second computing device for the first computing device to pair with the second computing device, the request from the first computing device including both identification and authentication information relating to the first computing device and a user of the first computing device; and

granting the first computing device access to secure resources available to the second computing device if the identification and authentication information satisfies the parameters for pairing, wherein content accessible via the secure resources is displayed via a user interface that is divided between the first computing device and the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the indication is based on the user searching for another computing device to pair with.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising decaying a pairing between the first and second computing devices upon detection of one or more predefined termination indicators comprising at least one of:

an owner of the second computing device indicating that the pairing is to terminate upon passage of a predetermined period of time;

an indication that the pairing is to terminate if a distance between the first and second computing devices exceeds a threshold distance;

an indication that the pairing is to terminate if an idle period of no communication between the first and second computing devices exceeds some predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 8, the second computing device comprising a public terminal associated with a secure server, the secure server having secure information relating to the user of the first computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, the first computing device comprising a mobile telephone, wherein the request is received based on bumping the mobile phone against the public terminal or bumping the mobile phone in an area adjacent to the public terminal.

13. A method of pairing a first computing device to a second computing device, comprising:

receiving an indication to pair the first computing device with the second computing device, said indication generated automatically, without user action, based upon detecting concurrent instances of a same application running on the first and second computing devices;

negotiating the pairing of the first computing device with the second computing device, the negotiating including receiving an identification of at least one of a user of the first computing device or the first computing device and determining that the identification is included on an access control list associated with a session of the application running on the first and second computing devices, wherein the access control list specifies at least one of;

identifications of computing devices allowed to pair with the second computing device or user identities allowed to pair with the second computing device; and

granting the first computing device access to secure resources available to the second computing device based on the determination that the identification is included on the access control list, wherein content accessible via the secure resources is displayed via a user interface that is divided between the first computing device and the second computing device.

14. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising;

receiving an indication to pair with another computing device, the indication generated based upon detecting concurrent instances of a same application running on the computing device and the other computing device;

receiving an identification of at least one of the other computing device or a user of the other computing device;

determining that the identification is included on an access control list associated with a session of the application running on the computing device and the other computing device, wherein the access control list specifies at least one of;

identifications of computing devices allowed to pair with the computing device or user identities allowed to pair with the computing device;

granting the other computing device access to resources available to the computing device based on the determination that the identification is included on the access control list; and

displaying a user interface of the application, the user interface being divided between the computing device and the other computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling the other device to join the session of the application; and

causing a download of state information from the computing device to the other computing device.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise initiating pairing of the computing device with the other computing device by receiving authentication information relating to the at least one of the other computing device or the user of the other computing device.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an indication of a gesture performed by the user of the other computing device, the gesture representing a desire to pair the other computing device with the computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the indication is generated automatically, without user action.