Systems and methods for initial authentication of wireless communication
First Claim
1. A method, comprising using at least one programmable integrated circuit of a first wireless device to determine whether to initially authenticate a wireless connection with a second wireless device based on a comparison between an angle of arrival (AoA) of a first wireless signal received from the second wireless device to a predefined range of allowable AoA values;
- and then to establish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if it is determined to initially authenticate the wireless connection with the second wireless device;
where the method further comprises;
receiving the first wireless signal from the second wireless device at the first wireless device while the first wireless device and second wireless device are communicating across an unauthenticated wireless connection; and
using the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the first wireless device to;
determine the AoA of the received first wireless signal relative to a reference vector defined to extend from a position of the first wireless device,compare the determined AoA of the received first wireless signal to a predefined range of allowable AoA values that define a cone of allowable values for the first wireless device centered about and extending outward from all sides of the reference vector to determine if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device, andestablish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device and to deny an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless devices if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is not within the cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device; and
where the cone of allowable values for the first wireless device are non-overlapping with a cone of allowable values centered about and extending outward from all sides of a reference vector that extends from a position of a third wireless device that is positioned adjacent to the first wireless device;
where the method further comprises receiving the first wireless signal from the second wireless device at the third wireless device while the second wireless device is simultaneously in wireless communication range with both the first wireless device and the third wireless device, and while the third wireless device and second wireless device are communicating across an unauthenticated wireless connection, and using at least one programmable integrated circuit of the third wireless device to;
determine the AoA of the received first wireless signal relative to the reference vector defined to extend from a position of the third wireless device,compare the determined AoA of the received first wireless signal to a predefined range of allowable AoA values that define the cone of allowable values for the third wireless device centered about and extending outward from all sides of the reference vector extending from the position of the third wireless device to determine if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the cone of allowable AoA values for the third wireless device, andestablish an authenticated wireless connection between the third and second wireless device and deny an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless devices only if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the third wireless device while at the same time the AoA of the received first wireless signal is not within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to use angle of arrival (AoA) of a signal transmitted between two Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless devices to initially authenticate a connection between the two BLE devices. In one example, bonding or pairing with a first BLE device may be restricted to only those other BLE devices having an antenna currently positioned to transmit a signal to the first BLE device from an allowed direction and within a predefined permitted range of AoA relative to the first BLE device.
39 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method, comprising using at least one programmable integrated circuit of a first wireless device to determine whether to initially authenticate a wireless connection with a second wireless device based on a comparison between an angle of arrival (AoA) of a first wireless signal received from the second wireless device to a predefined range of allowable AoA values;
- and then to establish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if it is determined to initially authenticate the wireless connection with the second wireless device;
where the method further comprises;receiving the first wireless signal from the second wireless device at the first wireless device while the first wireless device and second wireless device are communicating across an unauthenticated wireless connection; and using the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the first wireless device to; determine the AoA of the received first wireless signal relative to a reference vector defined to extend from a position of the first wireless device, compare the determined AoA of the received first wireless signal to a predefined range of allowable AoA values that define a cone of allowable values for the first wireless device centered about and extending outward from all sides of the reference vector to determine if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device, and establish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device and to deny an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless devices if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is not within the cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device; and where the cone of allowable values for the first wireless device are non-overlapping with a cone of allowable values centered about and extending outward from all sides of a reference vector that extends from a position of a third wireless device that is positioned adjacent to the first wireless device; where the method further comprises receiving the first wireless signal from the second wireless device at the third wireless device while the second wireless device is simultaneously in wireless communication range with both the first wireless device and the third wireless device, and while the third wireless device and second wireless device are communicating across an unauthenticated wireless connection, and using at least one programmable integrated circuit of the third wireless device to; determine the AoA of the received first wireless signal relative to the reference vector defined to extend from a position of the third wireless device, compare the determined AoA of the received first wireless signal to a predefined range of allowable AoA values that define the cone of allowable values for the third wireless device centered about and extending outward from all sides of the reference vector extending from the position of the third wireless device to determine if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the cone of allowable AoA values for the third wireless device, and establish an authenticated wireless connection between the third and second wireless device and deny an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless devices only if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the third wireless device while at the same time the AoA of the received first wireless signal is not within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- and then to establish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if it is determined to initially authenticate the wireless connection with the second wireless device;
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13. A system, comprising:
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a first wireless device, a second wireless device, and a third wireless device, the first wireless device including at least one programmable integrated circuit coupled to radio circuitry and an antenna, the second wireless device including at least one programmable integrated circuit coupled to radio circuitry and an antenna, and the third wireless device including at least one programmable integrated circuit coupled to radio circuitry and an antenna, where the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the second wireless device is programmed to transmit a first wireless signal to the first wireless device and the third wireless device; and where the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the first wireless device is programmed to; determine whether to initially authenticate a wireless connection with the second wireless device based on a comparison between an angle of arrival (AoA) of the first wireless signal received from the second wireless device to a predefined range of allowable AoA values, and then to establish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if it is determined to initially authenticate the wireless connection with the second wireless device; where the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the first wireless device is further programmed to; determine the AoA of the received first wireless signal relative to a reference vector defined to extend from a position of the first wireless device when the first wireless signal is received from the second wireless device at the first wireless device while the first wireless device and second wireless device are communicating across an unauthenticated wireless connection, compare the determined AoA of the received first wireless signal to a predefined range of allowable AoA values that define a cone of allowable values for the first wireless device centered about and extending outward from all sides of the reference vector to determine if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device, and establish an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless device only if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device and to deny an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless devices if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is not within the cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device; where the cone of allowable values for the first wireless device are non-overlapping with a cone of allowable values centered about and extending outward from all sides of a reference vector that extends from a position of a third wireless device that is positioned adjacent to the first wireless device; and where the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the third wireless device is further programmed to; determine the AoA of the received first wireless signal relative to the reference vector defined to extend from a position of the third wireless device when the first wireless signal is received from the second wireless device at the third wireless device while the second wireless device is simultaneously in wireless communication range with both the first wireless device and the third wireless device and while the third wireless device and second wireless device are communicating across an unauthenticated wireless connection, compare the determined AoA of the received first wireless signal to a predefined range of allowable AoA values that define the cone of allowable values for the third wireless device centered about and extending outward from all sides of the reference vector extending from the position of the third wireless device to determine if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the cone of allowable AoA values for the third wireless device, and establish an authenticated wireless connection between the third and second wireless device while the at least one programmable integrated circuit of the first wireless device denies an authenticated wireless connection between the first and second wireless devices only if the AoA of the received first wireless signal is within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the third wireless device while at the same time the AoA of the received first wireless signal is not within the predefined cone of allowable AoA values for the first wireless device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification