Proxy authentication for tethered devices

• US 20050039005A1
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Dyck, Jeffrey Alan, Lioy, Marcello
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are presented herein for allowing a wireless communication device to perform a proxy authentication on behalf of a tethered device.

Claims

1. A method for performing a proxy authentication of a device tethered to a wireless unit, comprising:

intercepting a challenge directed to the tethered device;

generating an appropriate response to the challenge without waiting for input from the tethered device;

forwarding the challenge to the tethered device; and

ignoring a challenge response received from the tethered device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the appropriate response to the challenge comprises using password information associated with the wireless unit to generate the appropriate response rather than using password information associated with the tethered device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication is a challenge/response authentication procedure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the challenge/response authentication procedure is the Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol.

5. Apparatus within a wireless unit for performing a proxy authentication of a device tethered to the wireless unit, comprising:

at least one memory element; and

at least one processing element configured to execute a set of instructions stored upon the at least one memory element, the set of instructions for;

intercepting a challenge directed to the tethered device;

generating an appropriate response to the challenge without waiting for input from the tethered device;

forwarding the challenge to the tethered device; and

ignoring a challenge response received from the tethered device.

6. Apparatus for performing a proxy authentication of a device tethered to a wireless unit, comprising:

means for intercepting a challenge directed to the tethered device;

means for generating an appropriate response to the challenge without waiting for input from the tethered device;

means for forwarding the challenge to the tethered device; and

means for determining to ignore a challenge response received from the tethered device.

7. A method for performing a proxy authentication of a device tethered to a wireless unit, comprising:

intercepting a challenge directed to the tethered device;

forwarding the challenge to the tethered device;

generating an appropriate response to the challenge without waiting for input from the tethered device; and

ignoring a challenge response received from the tethered device.

8. Apparatus within a wireless unit for performing a proxy authentication of a device tethered to the wireless unit, comprising:

at least one memory element; and

at least one processing element configured to execute a set of instructions stored, upon the at least one memory element, the set of instructions for;

intercepting a challenge directed to the tethered device;

forwarding the challenge to the tethered device;

generating an appropriate response to the challenge without waiting for input from the tethered device; and

ignoring a challenge response received from the tethered device.