Authentication apparatus and method for universal appliance communication controller

• US 20040064699A1
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hooker, John Kenneth, Larouche, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

An authentication algorithm and apparatus for communication between a first device and a second device over a network carrier is provided. The algorithm includes encoding, in response to a message from the second device, a first authentication value upon receipt of the message; sending the encoded value to the second device; decoding, in response to a reply from the second device, a second authentication value upon receipt of the reply; and comparing the first and second authentication values to determine the authenticity of the reply.

Claims

1. An authentication algorithm for communication between a first device and a second device over a network carrier, said algorithm comprising:

encoding, in response to a message from the second device, a first authentication value upon receipt of the message;

sending the encoded value to the second device;

decoding, in response to a reply from the second device, a second authentication value upon receipt of the reply; and

comparing the first and second authentication values to determine the authenticity of the reply.

2. An algorithm in accordance with claim 1 wherein said encoding an authentication value comprises encoding the authentication value with a first encryption key.

3. An algorithm in accordance with claim 2 wherein said decoding an authentication value comprises decoding the second authentication value with a second encryption key.

4. An algorithm in accordance with claim 1 further comprising randomly generating the first authentication value.

5. An algorithm in accordance with claim 1 wherein decoding a second authentication value comprises decoding a second authentication value if the reply is received within a predetermined time after sending the encoded value.

6. An authentication algorithm for an appliance communication controller in communication with an external host controller, said algorithm comprising:

encoding a first authentication counter value upon receipt of a first message from the external host controller;

sending the encoded counter value to the external host controller;

decoding a second authentication counter value upon receipt of a second message from the external host controller;

comparing the first and second authentication counter values;

responding to the first message if the first and second authentication values match; and

ignoring the first message if the first and second authentication values do not match.

7. An algorithm in accordance with claim 6, further comprising incrementing the authentication counter value before encoding the authentication counter value.

8. An algorithm in accordance with claim 6 further comprising sending an authentication failure message if the first and second authentication values do not match.

9. An algorithm in accordance with claim 8 further comprising:

starting an authentication timer; and

if the first and second authentication values do not match before the expiration of the timer, sending an authentication failure message.

10. An algorithm in accordance with claim 6 further comprising:

starting an authentication timer; and

sending an authentication timeout message if the second message is not received within a predetermined time.

11. An authentication algorithm for an appliance communication controller in communication with an external host controller through a network carrier, said algorithm comprising:

maintaining an authentication counter value;

incrementing the counter value in response to a received message from the external host controller;

encoding the incremented authentication counter value with a first encryption key upon receipt of a message from the external host controller;

sending the encoded counter value to the external host controller;

decoding, with a second encryption key, a reply authentication counter value from the external host controller in response to the sent encoded value if the reply authentication value is received within a predetermined time period;

comparing the first and second authentication counter values;

responding to the first message if the first and second authentication values match; and

ignoring the first message if the first and second authentication values do not match.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising sending an authentication time out message to the external host controller if the reply is not received within the predetermined time period.

13. A controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a power line carrier transceiver operatively coupled to said processor;

said processor programmed to execute a two-way authentication algorithm utilizing at least a first encryption key and a second encryption key to determine authenticity of messages received by said transceiver.

14. A controller in accordance with claim 13, said processor programmed to encode an authentication value and generate an authentication request.

15. A controller in accordance with claim 14, said processor programmed to decode an authentication value from an authentication reply with said second encryption key.

16. A controller in accordance with claim 15 wherein processor is programmed to generate an authentication timeout if the authentication reply is not received within a predetermined time.

17. A controller in accordance with claim 15 wherein said processor is programmed to:

compare the encoded authentication value with the decoded authentication value; and

respond to the authentication reply if the encoded authentication value matches the decoded authentication value.

18. An appliance communication controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a transceiver operatively coupled to said processor, said processor configured to;

generate an authentication request in response to an incoming message through said transceiver, said authentication request comprising an encoded authentication value;

decode an authentication reply received in response to the authentication request; and

based upon the decoded reply, to respond to or ignore the incoming message.

19. An appliance communication controller in accordance with claim 18, said processor configured to encode said encode authentication value with a first encryption key.

20. An appliance communication controller in accordance with claim 18, said processor configured to decode said authentication reply with a second encryption key.

21. An appliance communication controller in accordance with claim 18 wherein said processor is configured to accept an authentication reply only within a predetermined time period after generating the authentication request.

22. An appliance communication controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a power line carrier transceiver operatively coupled to said processor, said processor configured to;

generate an authentication request in response to an incoming message through said transceiver, said authentication request comprising a first encoded authentication counter value encoded with a first encryption key;

decode an authentication reply with a second encryption key, when said authentication reply is received within a predetermined time period;

said authentication reply comprising a second encoded authentication counter value;

compare the first counter value with the second counter value; and

respond to the incoming message if the first counter value matches the second counter value.