Pairing of devices for far-field wireless communication

• US 10,305,692 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Peterson, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dada, Beemnet W
• Application Number:
  US15/439,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20180241564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0471 Key exchange
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

In one example, a method includes transitioning, responsive to determining that a charging coil of wireless charger is in proximity of an implantable medical device (IMD) and by the IMD, from operating in a non-pairing mode into a pairing mode of a far-field wireless communication protocol. In this example, operating in the paring mode comprises: receiving, by the IMD and via a transceiver of the far-field wireless communication protocol, a public encryption key from another device that is different than the wireless charger; and determining, based on the public encryption key of the other device and a public encryption key of the IMD, a link encryption key for future communication between the IMD and the other device. In this example, the method further includes communicating, by the IMD and based on the link encryption key, with the other device via the far-field wireless communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

responsive to determining that a charging coil of a wireless charger is in proximity of an implantable medical device, transitioning, by the implantable medical device, from a non-pairing mode into a pairing mode of a far-field wireless communication protocol, wherein operating in the pairing mode comprises;

receiving, by the implantable medical device and via a transceiver of the far-field wireless communication protocol, a public encryption key from another device that is different than the wireless charger; and

determining, based on the public encryption key of the other device and a public encryption key of the implantable medical device, a link encryption key for future communication between the implantable medical device and the other device, the method further comprising;

communicating, by the implantable medical device and based on the link encryption key, with the other device via the far-field wireless communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein operating in the pairing mode comprises:

operating in the pairing mode for a predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein operating in the pairing mode for the predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode comprises:

operating, regardless of the proximity of the charging coil of the wireless charger to the implantable medical device, in the pairing mode for the predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the charging coil of the wireless charger is not in proximity of the implantable medical device, transitioning, by the implantable medical device, into the non-pairing mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the charging coil of the wireless charger is in proximity of the implantable medical device comprises:

determining that the implantable medical device is receiving power from the charging coil of the wireless charger.

7. An implantable medical device comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to operate in accordance with a far-field wireless communication protocol; and

one or more processors configured to;

transition, responsive to determining that a charging coil of a wireless charger is in proximity of the implantable medical device, from operating in a non-pairing mode into a pairing mode of the far-field wireless communication protocol in which the one or more processors are configured to;

receive, via the transceiver, a public encryption key from another device that is different than the wireless charger; and

determine, based on the public encryption key of the other device and a public encryption key of the implantable medical device, a link encryption key for future communication between the implantable medical device and the other device, the one or more processors further configured to;

communicate, based on the link encryption key, with the other device via the far-field wireless communication protocol.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate in the pairing mode for a predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate in the pairing mode for the predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode regardless of the proximity of the charging coil of the wireless charger to the implantable medical device.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein, responsive to determining that the charging coil of the wireless charger is not in proximity of the implantable medical device, the one or more processors are configured to transition from operating in the pairing mode into the non-pairing mode.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine that the charging coil of the wireless charger has been brought into proximity of the implantable medical device in response to determining that the implantable medical device is receiving power from the charging coil of the wireless charger.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an implantable medical device to:

transition, responsive to determining that a charging coil of a wireless charger is in proximity of an implantable medical device, from operating in a non-pairing mode into a pairing mode of a far-field wireless communication protocol, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to operate in the paring mode comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to;

receive, via a transceiver of the far-field wireless communication protocol, a public encryption key from another device that is different than the wireless charger; and

determine, based on the public encryption key of the other device and a public encryption key of the implantable medical device, a link encryption key for future communication between the implantable medical device and the other device, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to;

communicate, based on the link encryption key, with the other device via the far-field wireless communication protocol.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to transition in the pairing mode comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to operate in the pairing mode for a predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein instructions that cause the one or more processors to operate in the pairing mode for the predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to operate in the pairing mode for the predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode regardless of the proximity of the charging coil of the wireless charger to the implantable medical device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to transition in the pairing mode comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to transition from operating in the pairing mode into the non-pairing mode in response to determining that the charging coil of the wireless charger is not in proximity of the implantable medical device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the charging coil of the wireless charger has been brought into proximity of the implantable medical device in response to determining that the implantable medical device is receiving power from the charging coil of the wireless charger.

19. An implantable medical device comprising:

means for transitioning, responsive to determining that a charging coil of a wireless charger is in proximity of the implantable medical device, the implantable medical device from operation in a non-pairing mode into a pairing mode of a far-field wireless communication protocol;

means for operating the implantable medical device in the pairing mode that comprise;

means for receiving, via a transceiver of the far-field wireless communication protocol, a public encryption key from another device that is different than the wireless charger; and

means for determining, based on the public encryption key of the other device and a public encryption key of the implantable medical device, a link encryption key for future communication between the implantable medical device and the other device, the implantable medical device further comprising;

means for communicating, based on the link encryption key, with the other device via the far-field wireless communication protocol.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 19, wherein the means for operating the implantable medical device in the pairing mode further comprise:

means for operating the implantable medical device in the pairing mode for the predetermined amount of time before transitioning into the non-pairing mode regardless of the proximity of the charging coil of the wireless charger to the implantable medical device.