System and method for secure communication between electronic devices

• US 20040003250A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Kan, Kindberg, Timothy Paul James G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management

Abstract

A system of securing communications, comprising a plurality of computer peripheral resources, a beacon in signal communication with and located proximate each computer peripheral resource and configured to communicate using RF signals and ultrasound signals, and a portable device configured to request a listing of the computer peripheral resources using wireless network communication and to guide a user to a selected one of the computer peripheral resources using the RF and the ultrasound signals by way of the corresponding beacon, the portable device and the selected computer peripheral resource being configured to exchange encryption keys validated using signals from the beacon and to communicate with each other using encrypted network communication. Also provided is a communication system, comprising first and second portable devices respectively configured to use RF signals and ultrasound signals and to exchange encryption keys and to communicate with each other using encrypted network communication.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of computer peripheral resources;

a beacon in signal communication with and located proximate each computer peripheral resource and configured to communicate using RF signals and ultrasound signals; and

a portable device configured to request a listing of the plurality of computer peripheral resources using wireless signals, the portable device and a computer peripheral resource selected from the listing being configured to exchange encryption keys with the participation of the beacon by way of signal source validation.

2. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the computer peripheral device comprises a printer.

3. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the encrypted network communication follows an infrared signal protocol.

4. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the encrypted network communication comprises infrared wireless signals.

5. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the beacon is further configured to display a barcode.

6. A communication system in accordance with claim 5 wherein the portable device is further configured to scan the barcode and determine a session encryption key responsive to the scanning.

7. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the RF signals comprise RF signals transmitted with negligible latency.

8. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the encrypted network communication follows a Bluetooth protocol.

9. A communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the encrypted network communication follows an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

10. A method of using a computer peripheral resource, comprising:

providing a plurality of computer peripheral resources and beacons and coupling each of the computer peripheral resources in signal communication with one of the beacons;

providing a portable device;

issuing a wireless discovery request from the portable device to the computer peripheral resources;

displaying a listing of the computer peripheral resources using the portable device, responsive to the discovery request;

exchanging encryption keys between the portable device and a selected one of the plurality of computer peripheral resources, validated using signals emitted from the beacon coupled to the selected computer peripheral resource; and

communicating data between the portable device and the selected computer peripheral resource using encrypted network communication.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 and further comprising issuing a locate wireless signal from the portable device to the selected computer peripheral resource, issuing guidance signals from the selected computer peripheral resource to the portable device using RF signals and ultrasound signals by way of the beacon coupled to the selected computer peripheral resource responsive to the locate signal, and providing an output display on the portable device to guide a user to the selected computer peripheral resource responsive to the RF signals and the ultrasound signals.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 and further comprising displaying a barcode using the beacon, scanning the barcode using the portable device, and establishing a session encryption key between the selected computer peripheral resource and the portable device responsive to the scanning.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10 and further comprising establishing a session encryption key between the selected resource device and the portable device using the RF signals and the ultrasound signals by way of the beacon and the wireless signals.

14. A beacon, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive RF signals;

a transmitter configured to transmit ultrasound signals; and

circuitry configured to couple the beacon to a computer-related resource;

circuitry configured to provide guidance signals to a portable device using the RF signals and the ultrasound signals; and

circuitry configured to participate in the exchange of encryption keys between the resource and the portable device using the RF signals and the ultrasound signals.

15. A beacon in accordance with claim 14 and further comprising a display coupled to the circuitry and configured to output a barcode.

16. A portable device, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive RF signals;

a plurality of receivers respectively configured to receive ultrasound signals;

a wireless network interface configured to transmit and receive wireless signals;

a display; and

circuitry configured to issue a wireless request for a listing of computer-related resources using the wireless network interface, to issue a wireless locate signal using the wireless network interface, to output guidance information on the display responsive to receiving the RF and ultrasound signals using the transceiver and the plurality of receivers, to cause the portable device to selectively exchange encryption keys with a selected computer-related resource chosen from the listing, and to communicate with the selected computer-related resource using encrypted wireless signals using the wireless network interface.

17. A portable device in accordance with claim 16 wherein the protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol.

18. A portable device in accordance with claim 16 wherein the protocol comprises an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

19. A communication system, comprising:

first and second portable devices respectively configured to transmit and receive RF and ultrasound signals, wherein the first and second portable devices are further respectively configured to display guidance information used to locate each other using certain of the RF and ultrasound signals, and wherein the first and second portable devices are further respectively configured to exchange encryption keys and to communicate with each other using encrypted wireless signals.

20. A communication system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the encrypted wireless signals include a Bluetooth protocol.

21. A communication system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the encrypted wireless signals include an IEEE 802.11 protocol.

22. A communication system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the encrypted wireless signals include an infrared signal protocol.