SECURE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DEVICES

• US 20090167487A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark D. Yarvis, Rahul C. Shah
• Original Assignee: Mark D. Yarvis, Rahul C. Shah
• Inventors: Yarvis, Mark D., Shah, Rahul C.
• Application Number:
  US11/968,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to secure association between devices are described. In one embodiment, devices capable of communicating via a wireless channel may be authenticated via a different channel established based on observation of the same event by sensors present on the devices. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first device having a first sensor to detect a event and logic to generate a first set of data corresponding to the event; and

a second device having a second sensor to detect the event and logic to generate a second set of data corresponding to the event,

wherein each of the first device and the second device are to compare the first set of data and the second set of data to determine whether the first device and the second device are to be associated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication channel to communicate wireless signals between the first device and the second device in response to an authentication between the first device and second device and based on the comparison of the first set of data and the second set of data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication channel comprises a non-secure wireless communication channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication channel is to communicate one or more of:

healthcare related data, entertainment related data, education related data, or telecommunication related data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor comprise one or more of an analog sensor or a digital sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication channel to communicate analog authentication signals between the first device and the second device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor comprise a same type of sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the logic to generate the first set of data or the logic to generate the second set of data comprises a processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor comprises one or more processor cores.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a plurality of sensors.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a plurality of sensors.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor comprises one or more of:

an accelerometer, an image capture device, or a microphone.

13. A method comprising:

generating a shared secret at a first device and at a second device based on an event; and

communicating authentication signals between the first device and the second device based on the shared secret,

wherein a wireless communication channel is to communicate wireless signals between the first device and the second device in response to an authentication between the first device and second device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising exchanging discovery information between the first device and the second device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a session key.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating data between the first device and the second device in accordance with the session key.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the session key is performed in response to the authentication.

18. A computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed on one or more processors configure the one or more processors to:

generate a shared secret at a first device and at a second device based on an event; and

communicate authentication signals between the first device and the second device based on the shared secret,

wherein a wireless communication channel is to communicate wireless signals between the first device and the second device in response to an authentication between the first device and second device

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising one or more instructions that configure the one or more processors to exchange discovery information between the first device and the second device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising one or more instructions that configure the one or more processors to generate a session key.