COMMUNICATIONS METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN COMMUNICATING WITH COMMUNICATIONS PEERS

• US 20100191964A1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Haddad, Wassim Michel, Park, Vincent D., Corson, M. Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to the determination of the trustworthiness of information communicated in a message and/or the exchange of trust information are described. Various described methods and apparatus are well suited to peer to peer wireless communications in an ad-hoc network. At a given time, a communications device may have a trust relationship with a first set of devices. A first communications device determines trustworthiness of a received message from a second device, which is not a member of the first set of devices, based on information received from a third device which is a member of the first set of devices. The first communications device makes an informed decision as to whether or not to act upon the first message based upon its trustworthiness determination.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first communications node, comprising:

receiving a first message from a second communications node, said first message communicating information;

receiving a second message from a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship; and

determining the trustworthiness of the information communicated by the first message based on information communicated by the second message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information communicated by the second message includes message source verification information and information for verifying that the information communicated by the first message has not been altered.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information communicated by the second message further includes a rating level indicator indicating one of a plurality of possible rating levels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a trust confirmation request message to one or more trusted nodes following receipt of said first message, said third communications node being one of said one or more trusted nodes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said second message is in response to said trust confirmation request message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after determining that the information communicated by the first message is trustworthy, sending a response message to the second communications node.

7. A first communications node comprising:

means for receiving a first message from a second communications node, said first message communicating information;

means for receiving a second message from a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship; and

means for determining the trustworthiness of the information communicated by the first message based on information communicated by the second message.

8. The first communications node of claim 7, wherein the information communicated by the second message includes message source verification information and information for verifying that the information communicated by the first message has not been altered.

9. The first communications node of claim 8, wherein the information communicated by the second message further includes a rating level indicator indicating one of a plurality of possible rating levels.

10. The first communications node of claim 7, further comprising:

means for communicating a trust confirmation request message to one or more trusted nodes following receipt of said first message, said third communications node being one of said one or more trusted nodes.

11. A computer program product for use in a first communications node, comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive a first message from a second communications node, said first message communicating information;

code for causing the at least one computer to receive a second message from a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship; and

code for causing the at least one computer to determine the trustworthiness of the information communicated by the first message based on information communicated by the second message.

12. A first communications node comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a first message from a second communications node, said first message communicating information;

receive a second message from a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship; and

determine the trustworthiness of the information communicated by the first message based on information communicated by the second message.

13. The first communications node of claim 12, wherein the information communicated by the second message includes message source verification information and information for verifying that the information communicated by the first message has not been altered.

14. The first communications node of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

communicate a trust confirmation request message to one or more trusted nodes following receipt of said first message, said third communications node being one of said one or more trusted nodes.

15. The first communications node of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

send a response message to the second communications node after determining that the information communicated by the first message is trustworthy.

16. A method of operating a first communications node, comprising:

receiving a first message from a second communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the first message including message source verification information and a message identifier identifying a second message sent from the second communications node; and

transmitting a third message to a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the third message including message source verification information and said message identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving said second message;

validating said second message; and

generating said third message using said message identifier.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a trust confirmation request message from the third communications node prior to said transmitting, said third message being transmitted in response to said trust confirmation request message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said trust confirmation request message includes said message identifier and at least one of a sender signature or a message authentication code.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a response to said second message from the third communications node; and

communicating the response to the second communications node.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said communicating the response to the second communications node comprises communicating the response with security information corresponding to the first communications node.

22. A first communications node comprising:

means for receiving a first message from a second communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the first message including message source verification information and a message identifier identifying a second message sent from the second communications node; and

means for transmitting a third message to a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the third message including message source verification information and said message identifier.

23. The first communications node of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving said second message;

means for validating said second message; and

means for generating said third message using said message identifier.

24. The first communications node of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving a trust confirmation request message from the third communications node prior to said transmitting, said third message being transmitted in response to said trust confirmation request message.

25. The first communications node of claim 24, wherein said trust confirmation request message includes said message identifier and at least one of a sender signature or a message authentication code.

26. A computer program product for use in a first communications node, comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive a first message from a second communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the first message including message source verification information and a message identifier identifying a second message sent from the second communications node; and

code for causing the at least one computer to transmit a third message to a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the third message including message source verification information and said message identifier and;

27. A first communications node comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive a first message from a second communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the first message including message source verification information and a message identifier identifying a second message sent from the second communications node; and

transmit a third message to a third communications node with which there is a trust relationship, the third message including message source verification information and said message identifier; and

a memory coupled to said at least one processor.

28. The first communications node of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive said second message;

validate said second message; and

generate said third message using said message identifier.

29. The first communications node of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a trust confirmation request message from the third communications node prior to said transmitting, said third message being transmitted in response to said trust confirmation request message.

30. The first communications node of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a response to said second message from the third communications node; and

communicate the response to the second communications node.