Wireless networking-enabled personal identification system

• US 10,154,461 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Su, David Kuochieh, Zhang, Ning
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US15/296,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A personal identification device may conserve power by delegating one or more operations to another device. For example, the one or more operations may be associated with the authentication of the personal identification device. In one example, the personal identification device may determine an amount of power greater than a power threshold will be consumed by the personal identification device to perform the one or more operations. The personal identification device may determine it can communicate with a mobile device that is capable of performing the one or more operations, and may then delegate the one or more operations to the mobile device to conserve power. In one example, the personal identification device may receive the results of the one or more operations from the mobile device, and may provide data associated with the results to a personal identification device detector for authentication of the personal identification device.

Claims

1. A method for conserving power at a personal identification device, the method comprising:

determining, by the personal identification device, to perform an encryption operation;

determining the personal identification device will consume an amount of power greater than a power threshold to perform the encryption operation;

determining the personal identification device can wirelessly communicate with a first device that is capable of performing the encryption operation;

receiving, by the personal identification device, a beacon message from a second device;

delegating, by the personal identification device, the encryption operation to the first device based, at least in part, on determining the personal identification device will consume the amount of power that is greater than the power threshold to perform the encryption operation, the first device located proximate to the personal identification device within a range for wireless communications;

providing, by the personal identification device, authentication data to the first device for encrypting the authentication data;

receiving, by the personal identification device, encrypted authentication data from the first device after the first device performs the encryption operation; and

responsive to receiving the beacon message and the encrypted authentication data, providing, by the personal identification device, the encrypted authentication data received from the first device to the second device for authentication of the personal identification device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the personal identification device can communicate with a third device that is capable of performing the encryption operation;

determining that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device, wherein

delegating the encryption operation to the first device is in response to determining that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device is based on at least one member of the group consisting of a battery capacity of the first device, a remaining battery life of the first device, a processing power of the first device, a power source of the first device, and an operational state of the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein delegating the encryption operation to the first device comprises providing data for the encryption operation to the first device, wherein the data comprises at least one member of the group consisting of an indication of the encryption operation to perform, the authentication data for the encryption operation, and an indication that results of the encryption operation are to be transmitted to one of the personal identification device or the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a cellphone, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer, and the personal identification device is a keychain device, an electronic credit card, or a watch.

6. A personal identification device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled with the memory, the processor configured to;

determine to perform an encryption operation;

determine the personal identification device will consume an amount of power greater than a power threshold to perform the encryption operation;

determine the personal identification device can wirelessly communicate with a first device that is capable of performing the encryption operation;

receive a beacon message from a second device;

delegate the encryption operation to the first device based, at least in part, on a determination that the personal identification device will consume the amount of power that is greater than the power threshold to perform the encryption operation, the first device located proximate to the personal identification device within a range for wireless communications;

provide authentication data to the first device for encrypting the authentication data;

receive encrypted authentication data from the first device after the first device performs the encryption operation; and

responsive to receipt of the beacon message and the encrypted authentication data, provide the encrypted authentication data received from the first device to the second device for authentication of the personal identification device.

7. The personal identification device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the personal identification device can communicate with a third device that is capable of performing the encryption operation;

determine that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device; and

delegate the encryption operation to the first device in response to determining that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device.

8. The personal identification device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device based on at least one member of the group consisting of a battery capacity of the first device, a remaining battery life of the first device, a processing power of the first device, a power source of the first device, and an operational state of the first device.

9. The personal identification device of claim 6, wherein the processor configured to delegate the encryption operation to the first device comprises the processor configured to provide data for the encryption operation to the first device, wherein the data comprises at least one member of the group consisting of an indication of the encryption operation to perform, the authentication data for the encryption operation, and an indication that results of the encryption operation are to be transmitted to one of the personal identification device or the second device.

10. The personal identification device of claim 6, wherein the first device is a cellphone, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer, and the personal identification device is a keychain device, an electronic credit card, or a watch.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors of a personal identification device cause the personal identification device to:

determine to perform an encryption operation;

determine the personal identification device will consume an amount of power greater than a power threshold to perform the encryption operation;

determine the personal identification device can wirelessly communicate with a first device that is capable of performing the encryption operation;

receive a beacon message from a second device;

delegate the encryption operation to the first device based, at least in part, on determining the personal identification device will consume the amount of power that is greater than the power threshold to perform the encryption operation, the first device located proximate to the personal identification device within a range for wireless communications;

provide authentication data to the first device for encrypting the authentication data;

receive encrypted authentication data from the first device after the first device performs the encryption operation; and

responsive to receipt of the beacon message and the encrypted authentication data, provide the encrypted authentication data received from the first device to the second device for authentication of the personal identification device.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the personal identification device, further cause the personal identification device to:

determine the personal identification device can communicate with a third device that is capable of performing the encryption operation;

determine that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device; and

delegate the encryption operation to the first device in response to determining that the first device is more appropriate to perform the encryption operation than the third device.