BCC enabled key management system

• US 10,136,314 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Henrik, Rodzevski, Aleksandar, Mellqvist, Anders, Weiderstrand, Carl-Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US15/542,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00809 with data transmission through the human body
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses

Abstract

A system with a wireless communication device and one or more wearable communication devices utilizing Body coupled communication, BCC, technology for managing digital keys to a lock. The key management system comprises a wireless communication device and at least one wearable communication device, for managing digital keys, wherein the wireless communication device and the wearable communication device are Body Coupled Communication, BCC, enabled. The method comprises receiving, in the wireless communication device, one or more digital keys to a lock from an external server, detecting, in the wireless communication device, one or more wearable communication devices using BCC, sending, using BCC, the one or more digital keys from the wireless communication device to the detected one or more wearable communication devices and receiving, using BCC, the one or more digital keys from the wireless communication device in the one or more wearable communication devices, thereby enabling the wearable communication device to open the lock.

Claims

1. A method performed in a key management system comprising a wireless communication device and at least one wearable communication device, for managing digital keys of at least one user-operable device that includes a lock, wherein the wireless communication device and the wearable communication device are Body Coupled Communication, BCC, enabled, the method comprises:

receiving, in the wireless communication device, one or more digital keys to a lock of the at least one user-operable device from an external server, wherein the lock comprises at least one of a physical lock or a digital lock that is configured to deny a user access to the at least one user-operable device when in a locked state and, based on the one or more digital keys, unlock the lock and grant the user access to the at least one user-operable device;

detecting, in the wireless communication device, one or more wearable communication devices using BCC;

sending, using BCC, the one or more digital keys from the wireless communication device to the detected one or more wearable communication devices;

receiving, using BCC, the one or more digital keys from the wireless communication device in the one or more wearable communication devices, thereby enabling the wearable communication device to open the lock and gain access to the at least one user-operable device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user of the wireless communication device is different from, or the same as, a user of the wearable communication device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the one or more digital keys to the detected one or more wearable communication devices comprises one of, or any combination of:

sending one digital key to one wearable communication device, sending each one or more digital keys to separate wearable communication devices, sending several digital keys to one wearable communication device and/or sending one digital key to several wearable communication devices.

4. The method according to 1, comprising:

deleting the one or more digital keys if the wearable communication device loses contact with the body of the user of the wearable communication device.

5. A method performed in a Body Coupled Communication, BCC, enabled wireless communication device for managing digital keys of at least one user-operable device that includes a lock, the method comprising:

receiving one or more digital keys to a lock of the at least one user-operable device from an external server, wherein the lock comprises at least one of a physical lock or a digital lock that is configured to deny a user access to the at least one user-operable device when in a locked state and, based on the one or more digital keys, unlock the lock and grant the user access to the at least one user-operable device;

detecting one or more wearable communication device using Body Coupled Communication, BCC;

sending, using BCC, the one or more digital keys from the wireless communication device to the detected one or more wearable communication devices; and

receiving, using BCC, the one or more digital keys from the wireless communication device in the one or more wearable communication devices, thereby enabling the wearable communication device to open the lock and gain access to the at least one user-operable device.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising:

authenticating a user of the wireless communication device in the wireless communication device;

connecting to an external server.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein authenticating comprises to determine that the user has the right to manage a specific digital key.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the sending is automatically performed upon detecting the one or more wearable communication device using BCC.

9. The method according to claim 5, comprising:

receiving input from the user of the first wireless communication device to send the digital key to the one or more wearable communication device.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein authenticating the user comprises any one or several of:

fingerprint authentication, voice authentication and/or passcode authentication.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the external server is a Trusted Service Manager, TSM.

12. The method according to 5, comprising:

deleting the one or more digital keys if the wearable communication device loses contact with the body of the user of the wearable communication device.