ENFORCING POLICIES IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION USING EXCHANGED IDENTITIES

• US 20100061294A1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Secure Communication Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: James Arthur Proctor, III, James Arthur Proctor, Jr.
• Inventors: Proctor, James Arthur JR., Proctor, James Arthur III
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 : for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 : Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 : Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 : Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 : Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Techniques for facilitating the exchange of information and transactions between two entities associated with two wireless devices when the devices are in close proximity to each other. A first device uses a first short range wireless capability to detect an identifier transmitted from a second device in proximity, ideally using existing radio capabilities such as Bluetooth (IEEE802.15.1-2002) or Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11). The detected identifier, being associated with the device, is also associated with an entity. Rather than directly exchanging application data flow between the two devices using the short range wireless capability, a second wireless capability allows for one or more of the devices to communicate with a central server via the internet, and perform the exchange of application data flow. By using a central server to draw on stored information and content associated with the entities the server can broker the exchange of information between the entities and the devices.

Claims

1. A method for a central server utilizing one or more wireless Wide Area Network connections to exchange information between one or more applications executing on one or more wireless devices, the central server performing the steps of:

receiving information, as collected by a first wireless device from a second wireless device via a separate local wireless link between the first and second wireless devices, and the information communicated from the first wireless device to the server via the wireless Wide Area Network connection;

wherein the information is associated with one or more of;

(a) an identifier for an entity associated with the second wireless device;

(b) behavior preferences of an entity associated with an application running on at least one of the first or second wireless devices; and

/or

(c) an identifier of at least one of the first or second devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the central server performs the further steps of:

receiving information from the application operating on the first device, the information also including identifier information for the first device as well as detected identifiers from other devices having applications operating on such other devices.

3. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

storing account information registered to the applications running on each wireless device, the account information including preferences associated with the account information that specify policies related to the disclosure of that account'"'"'s stored information to other wireless devices associated with their respective accounts and hence to respective applications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein preferences comprise one or more of:

do not allow notification of my presence;

allow notification of my presence;

disclose my name/do not disclose my name;

disclose age/do not disclose age;

or

do or do not disclose personal details.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selected steps are performed in an application layer executing on one or more mobile devices which interfaces to a device driver interface, and further wherein the device driver interface is an NDIS driver.

6. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

making a decision based upon the detected identifiers, the decision depending upon an policy for a selected wireless device regarding privacy for communication with other wireless devices.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the decision is based on at least one of:

a priority of the identifier;

a class the identifier belongs to;

a list the identifier is included on; and

/or

a list the identifier is not included on.

8. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

returning information to the second wireless device, as a result of a policy action function, to cause the second wireless device to limit re-sending of identifiers already reported by the first device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from an application layer on the first device, the request including a detected identifier;

examining both the requesting and the requested identifier'"'"'s identity; and

making a policy decision regarding the release of the requested identifier information related to the respective requesting and requested accounts.

10. A central server utilizing one or more wireless Wide Area Network connections to exchange information between one or more applications executing on one or more wireless devices, the central server comprising:

a receiver, for receiving information, as collected by a first wireless device from a second wireless device via a separate local wireless link between the first and second wireless devices, the information communicated from the first wireless device to the server via the wireless Wide Area Network connection;

wherein the information is associated with one or more of;

(a) an identifier for an entity associated with the second wireless device;

(b) behavior preferences of an entity associated with an application running on at least one of the first or second wireless devices; and

/or

(c) an identifier of at least one of the first or second devices.

11. The server of claim 10 wherein the receiver further receives information from the application operating on the first device, the information also including identifier information for the first device as well as detected identifiers from other devices having applications operating on such other devices.

12. The server of claim 10 additionally comprising:

a storage device, for storing account information registered to the applications running on each wireless device, the account information including preferences associated with the account information that specify policies related to the disclosure of that account'"'"'s stored information to other wireless devices associated with their respective accounts and hence to respective applications.

13. The server of claim 10 wherein the preferences comprise one or more of:

do not allow notification of my presence;

allow notification of my presence;

disclose my name/do not disclose my name;

disclose age/do not disclose age;

or

do or do not disclose personal details.

14. The server of claim 10 additionally comprising:

an application layer executing on one or more mobile devices which interfaces to a device driver interface, and further wherein the device driver interface is an NDIS driver.

15. The server of claim 10 additionally comprising:

a processor, for making a decision based upon the detected identifiers, the decision depending upon an policy for a selected wireless device regarding privacy for communication with other wireless devices.

16. The server of claim 15 wherein the decision is based on at least one of:

a priority of the identifier;

a class the identifier belongs to;

a list the identifier is included on; and

/or

a list the identifier is not included on.

17. The server of claim 10 additionally comprising:

a transmitter, for returning information to the second wireless device, as a result of a policy action function, to cause the second wireless device to limit re-sending of identifiers already reported by the first device.

18. The server of claim 10 wherein the receiver further receives a request from an application layer on the first device, the request including a detected identifier;

and

a processor for examining both the requesting and the requested identifier'"'"'s identity, and making a policy decision regarding the release of the requested identifier information related to the respective requesting and requested accounts.