Device communication management in a communication system

• US 10,149,157 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cha, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ambaye, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US14/994,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20170201880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to one or more systems, methods, and/or devices for secure communication between devices, such as devices within a vehicle. For example, some vehicles have integrated mobile computing platforms that enable communication with an extended productivity device. However, communication between the mobile computing platform and the extended productivity device may lack sufficient security. As such, the present disclosure provides for secure communication between the mobile computing platform and the extended productivity device by verifying, for example, an identity of the extended productivity device.

Claims

1. A method of secure communication between devices, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device and via a second communication channel different from a first communication channel, a first set of device identifiers from a host entity, the first set of identifiers including a first device identifier associated with a first device, wherein the first device is remote from the electronic device and the host entity;

generating a device identifier whitelist including one or more device identifiers from the first set of device identifiers in response to receiving the first set of device identifiers from the host entity, wherein the device identifier whitelist permits any device having an associated device identifier within the device identifier whitelist to securely communicate with the electronic device;

detecting, at the electronic device, that the first device is within a communication range of the electronic device according to one or more communication protocols;

establishing a restricted communication session with the first device based on detecting that the first device is within communication range of the electronic device;

receiving, via the first communication channel associated with the one or more communication protocols, an authentication request including the first device identifier from the first device in response to establishing the restricted communication session with the first device;

determining whether the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier in response to receiving the authentication request;

in accordance with a determination that the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier, permitting an unrestricted communication session using a communication token with the first device, wherein the communication token enables one or both of a synchronization of data between the electronic device and the first device or a status retrieval of one or more messages or files of the first device; and

in accordance with a determination that the device identifier whitelist does not include the first identifier, terminating the restricted communication session with the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein permitting an unrestricted communication session with the first device includes:

generating the communication token that enables secure communication between the electronic device and the first device; and

sending one or more of the communication token, an address of the electronic device, a driver identifier scanning enablement indication, or a workflow task message to the first device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic device, a second set of identifiers from a host entity, the second set of identifiers including a second device identifier associated with a second device different from the first set of identifiers;

determining whether one or more device identifiers including the first identifier from the first set of device identifiers are absent from the second set of identifiers; and

adjusting the device identifier whitelist based on determining that one or more device identifiers including the first identifier from the first set of device identifiers are absent from the second set of identifiers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the device identifier whitelist includes removing the one or more device identifiers including the first identifier from the device identifier whitelist.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the first set of device identifiers including the first device identifier and the second set of device identifier including the second device identifier is one of a mobile directory number or a device identifier generated by a host entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first set of device identifiers includes receiving a configuration message including the first set of device identifiers from the host entity via the first communication channel or a provisioning message including the first set of identifiers from a second host entity via the second communication channel respectively different from the first host entity and the first communication channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication request includes a version identifier of an application running on the first device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier includes determining whether the version identifier of the application running on the first device satisfies a compatible version identifier at the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein permitting the unrestricted communication session with the first device includes permitting communication in accordance with a determination that the version identifier of the application running on the first device satisfies the compatible version identifier at the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the set of device identifiers includes receiving according to an over-the-air communication protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the over-the-air communication protocol includes one of a wide local area network protocol or a terrestrial protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication protocols include one of Bluetooth or a wide local area network protocol.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is coupled to a vehicle.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling an operation of the first device based at least on the host entity adding one or more operator profiles; and

disabling the operation of the first device based at least on the host entity deleting the one or more operator profiles.

14. An apparatus for secure communication between devices, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, via a second communication channel different from a first communication channel, a first set of device identifiers from a host entity, the first set of identifiers including a first device identifier associated with a first device, wherein the first device is remote from the electronic device and the host entity;

generate a device identifier whitelist including one or more device identifiers from the first set of device identifiers in response to receiving the first set of device identifier from the host device, wherein the device identifier whitelist permits any device having an associated device identifier within the device identifier whitelist to securely communicate with the electronic device;

detect that the first device is within a communication range of the electronic device according to one or more communication protocols;

establish a restricted communication session with the first device based on detecting that the first device is within communication range of the electronic device;

receive, via the first communication channel associated with the one or more communication protocols, an authentication request including the first device identifier from the first device in response to establishing the restricted communication session with the first device;

determine whether the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier in response to receiving the authentication request;

in accordance with a determination that the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier, permit an unrestricted communication session using a communication token with the first device, wherein the communication token enables one or both of a synchronization of data between the electronic device and the first device or a status retrieval of one or more messages or files of the first device; and

in accordance with a determination that the device identifier whitelist does not include the first identifier, terminate the restricted communication session with the first device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein to permit an unrestricted communication session with the first device, the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to:

generate the communication token that enables secure communication between the electronic device and the first device; and

send one or more of the communication token, an address of the electronic device, a driver identifier scanning enablement indication, or a workflow task message to the first device.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

enable an operation of the first device based at least on the host entity adding one or more operator profiles; and

disable the operation of the first device based at least on the host entity deleting the one or more operator profiles.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium for secure communication between devices, wherein the computer readable medium comprises code for:

receiving, via a second communication channel different from a first communication channel, a first set of device identifiers from a host entity, the first set of identifiers including a first device identifier associated with a first device, wherein the first device is remote from the electronic device and the host entity;

generating a device identifier whitelist including one or more device identifiers from the first set of device identifiers in response to receiving the first set of device identifier from the host device, wherein the device identifier whitelist permits any device having an associated device identifier within the device identifier whitelist to securely communicate with the electronic device;

detecting that the first device is within a communication range of the electronic device according to one or more communication protocols;

establishing a restricted communication session with the first device based on detecting that the first device is within communication range of the electronic device;

receiving, via the first communication channel associated with the one or more communication protocols, an authentication request including the first device identifier from the first device in response to establishing the restricted communication session with the first device;

determining whether the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier in response to receiving the authentication request;

in accordance with a determination that the device identifier whitelist includes the first device identifier, permitting an unrestricted communication session using a communication token with the first device, wherein the communication token enables one or both of a synchronization of data between the electronic device and the first device or a status retrieval of one or more messages or files of the first device; and

in accordance with a determination that the device identifier whitelist does not include the first identifier, terminating the restricted communication session with the first device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein permitting an unrestricted communication session with the first device, the computer readable medium comprises code for:

generating the communication token that enables secure communication between the electronic device and the first device; and

sending one or more of the communication token, an address of the electronic device, a driver identifier scanning enablement indication, or a workflow task message to the first device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code for:

enabling an operation of the first device based at least on the host entity adding one or more operator profiles; and

disabling the operation of the first device based at least on the host entity deleting the one or more operator profiles.