PROTOCOL FOR ANONYMOUS WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20100062746A1
• 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: Proxicom Wireless LLC
• Inventors: Proctor, James Arthur JR., Proctor, James Arthur III
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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 exchange information between one or more applications executing on at least two wireless devices, the method comprising the steps of:

providing identification information, to the central server, 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, wherein the information is associated with an identity of a user associated with the second wireless device; and

upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, changing the identification information within a specific application on the second wireless device to enhance the privacy of the identity of the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined event is one or more of

an elapsed time;

and/or

a number of uses of the identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of changing the identification information is further:

effected by a rule-based generation local to the application,

downloaded from the server directly, or

synchronized such that it is coordinated with predetermined receiving and transmitting times.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an identifier from a central server, the identifier taken from a pool of identifiers determined by the central server.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using an identity manager within a server to assign identifiers to devices by sending the same over a WWAN cellular data link; and

wherein the identifiers are changed over time.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the identifiers are one of:

a media access control (MAC) addresses of a short range wireless network adapter;

a SSID in a IBSS in IEEE-802.11 network beacon;

a BSSID of the IEEE802.11 network adapter;

a IEEE802.15.1 Inquiry Response Message as a BD_ADDR associated with a inquiry response message.

a device name in a Bluetooth name response packet;

or

multiple identifiers listed in a services list as provided in a LMP_features_req message or LMP_features_req_ext message for a Bluetooth device.

7. A server for exchanging information between one or more applications executing on at least two wireless devices, the server comprising:

a receiver, for receiving identification 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, wherein the information is associated with an identity of a user associated with the second wireless device; and

upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, a transmitter, for sending a message to change the identification information within a specific application on the second wireless device to enhance the privacy of the identity of the second device.

8. The server of claim 7 wherein the predetermined event is one or more of

an elapsed time;

and/or

a number of uses of the identifier.

9. The server of claim 7 wherein the change of identification information is further:

effected by a rule-based generation local to the application,

downloaded from the server directly, or

synchronized such that it is coordinated with predetermined receiving and transmitting times.

10. The server of claim 7 further comprising:

a receiver, for receiving an identifier from a central server, the identifier taken from a pool of identifiers determined by the central server.

11. The server of claim 7 further comprising:

an identity manager, to assign identifiers to devices by sending the same over a WWAN cellular data link, and wherein the identifiers are changed over time.

12. The server of claim 11 wherein the identifiers are one of:

a media access control (MAC) addresses of a short range wireless network adapter;

a SSID in a IBSS in IEEE-802.11 network beacon;

a BSSID of the IEEE802.11 network adapter;

a IEEE802.15.1 Inquiry Response Message as a BD_ADDR associated with a inquiry response message.

a device name in a Bluetooth name response packet;

or

multiple identifiers listed in a services list as provided in a LMP_features_req message or LMP_features_req_ext message for a Bluetooth device.

13. A method to manage the anonymity of one or more wireless devices, each having at least a local wireless link and applications executing on each wireless device, the method comprising the steps of:

upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, changing identification information related to the local wireless link on the at least one wireless device to enhance the privacy of the identity of the wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the predetermined event is one or more of

an elapsed time;

and/or

a number of uses of the identifier.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of changing the identification information is further:

effected by a rule-based generation local to the application,

downloaded from the server directly, or

synchronized such that it is coordinated with predetermined receiving and transmitting times.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving an identifier from a central server, the identifier taken from a pool of identifiers determined by the central server.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

using an identity manager within a server to assign identifiers to devices by sending the same over a WWAN cellular data link; and

wherein the identifiers are changed over time.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the identifiers are one of:

a media access control (MAC) addresses of a short range wireless network adapter;

a SSID in a IBSS in IEEE-802.11 network beacon;

a BSSID of the IEEE802.11 network adapter;

a IEEE802.15.1 Inquiry Response Message as a BD_ADDR associated with a inquiry response message;

a device name in a Bluetooth name response packet;

or

multiple identifiers listed in a services list as provided in a LMP_features_req message or LMP_features_req_ext message for a Bluetooth device.