METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR USER FRIENDLY DEVICE AUTHENTICATION

• US 20090307748A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Nerbrant, Per-Olof, Näslund, Mats, Blom, Rolf
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions

Abstract

The present invention relates to fraud prevention and authentication of a device to a user. The method of authenticating a personal device according to the invention comprises a set up sequence, wherein at least a first preferred output format is selected by the user, and a device configuration verification sequence. In the device configuration verification sequence a checksum is calculated and converted to a user friendly output format based on the user selected preferred output format. In addition the checksum may be calculated based on variable, and user selectable, keying material. The personal device, after being authenticated according to the above, may be used to authenticate a second device.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating at least a first device to a user, the method comprising a conversion of a checksum generated within the first device to a user friendly output format, the method characterized by:

a set up sequence, comprising a step of

receiving and storing at least a first preferred output format selected from at least two user friendly output formats; and

a device configuration verification sequence comprising the steps of;

calculating the checksum;

converting the checksum to a user friendly output format, said conversion at least partly based on the selected preferred output format.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the first preferred output format is entered to the first device by the user.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the conversion to a user friendly format is further based on the current configuration of the first device.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least a first and a second preferred output format are selected by the user and received and stored by the first device, and the first preferred output format is used if the first device is in a first configuration, and the second preferred output format is used if the first device is in a second configuration.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the checksum is calculated based on a plurality of keying material provided within the first device, and the selection of keying material is variable and selectable.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conversion to a user friendly output format comprises a conversion to one, or a combination, of the following:

an image, a sound or a text.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the set up sequence executed in the first device, comprises the steps of:

receiving and storing at least one preferred output format; and

receiving and storing the specification of the keying material to be included in the checksum calculation,

and the device configuration verification sequence executed in the first device, comprises the steps of;

extracting the selected keying material from at least one identification module comprised in the personal device;

calculating a checksum based on the keying material;

determining which user friendly output format to use, said determination at least partly based on the preferred output format; and

converting (the checksum to the selected user friendly output format.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the configuration verification part is repeated during the operation of the first device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the configuration verification part can be activated manually.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the set-up sequence can be activated manually.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first device have executed the set-up sequence and the device configuration sequence at least once and thus being authenticated, and said first device is used to authenticate a second device.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an external checksum transferred from the second device to the first device; and

converting in the first device the transferred external checksum to a user friendly output format.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the user friendly output format is pre-selected.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein an initial part of the method, to be performed on an initial encounter between the first device and the second device, comprises the steps of:

receiving an initial checksum transferred from the second device; and

converting in the first device the transferred initial checksum to a user friendly output format,

and a consecutive part of the method, to be performed on consecutive encounters between the first device and the second device, comprises the steps of;

receiving a consecutive checksum transferred from the second device and

converting in the first device the transferred consecutive checksum to a user friendly output format.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein an initial part of the method, to be performed on an initial encounter between the first device and the second device, comprises the steps of:

receiving an initial checksum transferred from the second device; and

storing a representation of the transferred initial checksum in the first device,

and an consecutive part of the method, to be performed on consecutive encounters between the first device and the second device, comprises the steps of;

receiving (a consecutive checksum transferred from the second device; and

comparing in the first device the consecutive checksum with the initial checksum, and if the initial and consecutive checksums do not agree, issue a warning message.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of representations of initial checksums corresponding to a plurality of different second devices is stored by the first device, and on consecutive encounters with one of the plurality of second devices the comparing step comprises:

comparing the transferred consecutive checksum with the plurality of stored initial checksum, and

issuing a warning message if the transferred consecutive checksum does not agree with any of the stored initial checksums.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the representations of the transferred initial checksums, are obtained by encryption transformation of the transferred initial checksums.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein an initial part of the method, to be performed on an initial encounter between the first device and the second device, comprises the steps of:

receiving an initial checksum transferred from the second device;

storing a representation comprising the transferred initial checksum and a value representing a set of devices,

and an consecutive part of the method, to be performed on consecutive encounters between the first device and the second device, comprises the steps of;

receiving a consecutive checksum transferred from the second device;

extracting in the first device, a value based on the consecutive checksum and the stored representation comprising the transferred initial checksum and a value representing a set of devices, and converting said value to a user friendly output format.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein an XOR-operation is used to form the representation, and to extract the initial checksum and/or the value representing a set of devices.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the said representation is obtained by an encryption transformation.

21. A personal device provided with a plurality of man-machine communication interfaces, and adapted for communication with other devices, the personal communication device comprising a plurality of identification modules adapted to provide keying material, means for calculating a checksum based on the keying material, and means for converting a checksum to a user friendly format, characterized by user preference specification means adapted for receiving and storing a user selection of at least one preferred output format, said user preference specification means connected to the checksum calculating means and to at least one converting means.

22. The personal device according to claim 21, wherein the preference specification means is further adapted for receiving and storing a user selection of keying material.

23. The personal device according to claim 21, further comprising receiving means adapted for receiving an external checksum from a second device, comparison means adapted to compare received and stored external checksums, and storage means adapted to store a plurality of external checksums.

24. The personal device according to claim 21, further comprising receiving means connected to the user preference module and adapted for receiving an external checksum from a second device and transferring the external checksum to the user preference module for further conversion in one of the converting means.

25. A public device adapted for communication with personal devices, said public device provided with input means for receiving a code from a personal device or a user, characterized by checksum calculation means in connection with communication means and the code receiving means, said checksum calculation means adapted to calculate a checksum based on a received code and internally retrieved keying material, and said communication means adapted for transferring the checksum to the personal device, whereby facilitating an authentication of the public device utilizing the personal device.

26. The public device according to claim 25, further comprising means for identification in connection with the checksum calculation means and adapted to provided the checksum calculation means with keying material.