METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SECURELY ADVERTISING IDENTIFICATION AND/OR DISCOVERY INFORMATION

• US 20090327391A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vanderveen, Michaela, Park, Vincent D., Corson, M. Scott, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1057 involving pre-assessment of levels of reputation of peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to a peer to peer wireless communications system supporting secure advertisement of identification and/or discovery information e.g., upper layer discovery information, are described. Air interface timing and/or other information received from a third device, e.g., a beacon or GPS transmitter is incorporated in the computation of identification/discovery information which is communicated from a first device to a second device. The second device stores some identification/discovery credentials corresponding to the first device, which have been communicated out of band from the first device to the second device. Upon receipt of a identifier from a first device, the second device determines if the stored information corresponds to the device that transmitted the identifier. Various embodiments facilitate secure advertisement of identification and/or discovery information and discovery, e.g., selective discovery by trusted peers.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first device to communicate identification information to a second device, comprising:

receiving a signal from a third device;

computing a first identifier from a first value derived from the received signal and stored identification information stored in said first device; and

transmitting said first identifier to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first identifier includes fewer bits than said stored identification information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting said first identifier includes transmitting a broadcast signal over an airlink, said broadcast signal communicating said first identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an additional signal;

computing a second identifier from a second value derived from the received additional signal and said stored identification information to generate a second identifier; and

transmitting said second identifier to the second device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first and second values are time dependent values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said third device is one of a beacon transmitter and a GPS transmitter.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said computing of said first and second identifiers is performed according to a function known to said second device, said stored identification information also being known to said second device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said first and second devices are wireless peer to peer communications devices.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said identification information identifies one of a fact, preference, association, product, service, software application, interest, network, entity, and user.

10. A first device, comprising:

a receiver module configured to receive a signal from a third device;

a computation module configured to compute a first identifier from a first value derived from the received signal and stored identification information stored in said first device; and

a transmitter module configured to transmit said first identifier to a second device.

11. The first device of claim 10, wherein said first identifier includes fewer bits than said stored identification information;

and

wherein said transmitter module is a wireless transmitter for transmitting said first identifier.

12. The first device of claim 10,

wherein said receiver module is further configured to receive an additional signal;

wherein said computation module is further configure to compute a second identifier from a second value derived from the received additional signal and said stored identification information to generate a second identifier; and

wherein said transmitter module is further configured to transmit said second identifier to the second device.

13. The first device of claim 12, wherein said third device is one of a beacon transmitter and a GPS transmitter.

14. The first device of claim 12, further comprising:

a memory module including said stored identification information; and

wherein said computation module is configured to compute said first and second identifiers according to a function known to said second device, said stored identification information also being known to said second device.

15. The first device of claim 12, further comprising:

a control module used to control said transmitter module to transmit said second identifier at a fixed time offset from a time at which said first identifier is transmitted; and

wherein said first and second devices are wireless peer to peer communications devices.

16. A first device, comprising:

receiver means for receiving a signal from a third device;

computation means for computing a first identifier from a first value derived from the received signal and stored identification information stored in said first device; and

transmitter means for transmitting said first identifier to a second device.

17. The first device of claim 16, wherein said first identifier includes fewer bits than said stored identification information.

18. The first device of claim 16, wherein said transmitter means is a wireless transmitter for transmitting said first identifier.

19. The first device of claim 16, wherein said receiver means is one of a GPS receiver and a bacon receiver;

and

wherein said first device further includes;

means for receiving peer to peer signals.

20. A computer program product for use in a first device, comprising:

computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to receive a signal from a third device;

code for causing a computer to compute a first identifier from a first value derived from the received signal and stored identification information stored in said first device; and

code for causing a computer to transmit said first identifier to the second device.

21. A method of operating a second device, comprising:

receiving a signal from a third device;

receiving a first identifier signal communicating a first identifier from a first device;

computing a first discovery value from a value derived from the signal received from the third device and stored identification information stored in said second device; and

determining, based on the computed first discovery value and said first identifier, if the stored identification information corresponds to the first device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining if the stored identification information corresponds to the first device includes determining if the computed first discovery value matches said first identifier.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining including making a probabilistic determination;

and

wherein said first identifier includes fewer bits than said stored identification information.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an additional signal;

receiving a second identifier signal communicating a second identifier from the first device;

computing a second discovery value from a valued derived from the additional signal and said stored identification information stored in said second device; and

making, as a function of the first and second computed discovery values and the communicated first and second identifiers, a determination as to whether or not the stored identification information corresponds to the first device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

generating an alert indicating that the first device is of interest because the stored identification information has been determined to correspond to the first device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said first and second values are time dependent values;

and

wherein said third device is one of a beacon transmitter and a GPS transmitter.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said computing of said first and second discovery values is performed according to a function known to devices corresponding to said stored identification information.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said first and second devices are wireless peer to peer communications devices.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein said identification information identifies one of a fact, preference, association, product, service, software application, interest, network, entity, and user.

30. A second device, comprising:

a receiver module configured to receive a signal from a third device and a first identifier signal communicating a first identifier from a first device;

a computation module configured to compute a first discovery value from a value derived from the signal received from the third device and stored identification information stored in said second device; and

a determination module configured to determine, based on the computed first discovery value and said first identifier, if the stored identification information corresponds to the first device.

31. The second device of claim 30, wherein said determination module includes a comparison module configured to determine if the computed first discovery value matches said first identifier;

wherein said determination module makes a probabilistic determination; and

wherein said first identifier includes fewer bits than said stored identification information.

32. The second device of claim 30, wherein said receiver module is a wireless receiver module configured to receive a broadcast signal communicated over an airlink, said broadcast signal communicating said first identifier.

33. The second device of claim 30,

wherein said receiver module is further configured to receive an additional signal and a second identifier signal communicating a second identifier from the first device;

wherein said computation module is further configured to compute a second discovery value from a valued derived from the additional signal and said stored identification information stored in said second device; and

wherein said determination module is further configured to determine if the computed second discovery value matches said second identifier.

34. The second device of claim 30, further comprising:

a memory module including said stored identification information; and

an alert signal generation module configured to generate an alert signal indicating that the first device is of interest because the stored identification information has been determined to correspond to the first device.

35. A second device, comprising:

receiver means for receiving a signal from a third device and a first identifier signal communicating a first identifier from a first device;

computation means for computing a first discovery value from a value derived from the signal received from the third device and stored identification information stored in said second device; and

determination means for determining, based on the computed first discovery value and said first identifier, if the stored identification information corresponds to the first device.

36. The second device of claim 35, wherein said determination means includes comparison means for determining if the computed first discovery value matches said first identifier.

37. The second device of claim 36, wherein said determination means makes a probabilistic determination.

38. The second device of claim 35, wherein said receiver means includes at least one of a GPS receiver and a beacon receiver.

39. The second device of claim 38, further comprising:

memory means for storing said identification information; and

alert signal generation means for generating an alert signal indicating that the first device is of interest because the stored identification information has been determined to correspond to the first device.

40. A computer program product for use in a second device, comprising:

computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to receive a signal from a third device;

code for causing a computer to receive a first identifier signal communicating a first identifier from a first device;

code for causing a computer to compute a first discovery value from a value derived from the signal received from the third device and stored identification information stored in said second device; and

code for causing a computer to determine, based on the computed first discovery value and said first identifier, if the stored identification information corresponds to the first device.