ACCESSORY AUTHENTICATION FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES
First Claim
1. An accessory device for a portable electronic device, comprising:
- an input/output port for interacting with the portable electronic device;
an authentication controller, operatively connected to said input/output port, for performing authentication operations; and
accessory circuitry configured to access a limited set of functions of the portable electronic device through the input/output port in response to a failed authentication and the accessory circuitry being configured to access a full set of functions of the portable electronic device through the input/output port in response to a successful authentication, wherein the limited set of functions includes fewer functions than the full set of functions, and wherein the limited set of functions includes at least one function.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved techniques to control utilization of accessory devices with electronic devices are disclosed. The improved techniques can use cryptographic approaches to authenticate electronic devices, namely, electronic devices that interconnect and communicate with one another. One aspect pertains to techniques for authenticating an electronic device, such as an accessory device. Another aspect pertains to provisioning software features (e.g., functions) by or for an electronic device (e.g., a host device). Different electronic devices can, for example, be provisioned differently depending on different degrees or levels of authentication, or depending on manufacturer or product basis. Still another aspect pertains to using an accessory (or adapter) to convert a peripheral device (e.g., USB device) into a host device (e.g., USB host). The improved techniques are particularly well suited for electronic devices, such as media devices, that can receive accessory devices. One example of a media device is a media player, such as a hand-held media player (e.g., music player), that can present (e.g., play) media items (or media assets).
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An accessory device for a portable electronic device, comprising:
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an input/output port for interacting with the portable electronic device; an authentication controller, operatively connected to said input/output port, for performing authentication operations; and accessory circuitry configured to access a limited set of functions of the portable electronic device through the input/output port in response to a failed authentication and the accessory circuitry being configured to access a full set of functions of the portable electronic device through the input/output port in response to a successful authentication, wherein the limited set of functions includes fewer functions than the full set of functions, and wherein the limited set of functions includes at least one function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for authorizing an accessory device for use with an electronic device, the method being performed by the accessory device, said method comprising:
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(a) receiving a random number from the electronic device; (b) encrypting the random number using at least a private cryptographic key provided within the accessory device, thereby producing an encrypted value; (c) performing authentication operations by sending the encrypted value to the electronic device through an input/output port; and (d) subsequent to act (c), accessing a limited set of authorized functions at the electronic device in response to a failed authentication result and accessing a full set of authorized functions at the electronic device in response to a successful authentication result, wherein the limited set of authorized functions includes fewer functions than the full set of functions, and wherein the limited set of authorized functions includes at least one function. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An accessory device comprising:
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communication means for communicating with a portable media player; authentication means for authenticating the accessory device with the portable media player through the communication means; and operation means for executing a limited set of functions at the portable media player through the communication means, wherein the functions within the limited set of functions are authorized based on a failed authentication performed by the authentication means and for executing a full set of functions at the portable media player through the communication means, wherein the functions within the full set of functions are authorized based on a successful authentication performed by the authentication means, wherein the limited set of functions includes at least one function. - View Dependent Claims (14, 22)
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15. An accessory device comprising:
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a device identifier; communication means for communicating with a portable media player; authentication means for authenticating the accessory device with the portable media player; and operation means for executing a limited set of functions at the portable media player through the communication means in the event the authentication fails, wherein the functions within the limited set of functions depend at least on the device identifier, and for executing a full set of functions at the portable media player through the communication means in the event the authentication succeeds, wherein the functions within the full set of functions depend at least on the device identifier, and wherein the limited set of functions includes at least one function. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. The accessory device according to claim 55, wherein said authentication means includes at least one of an authentication key, an authentication algorithm or an authentication controller.
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23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with program code for controlling operation of a electronic device, the program code including:
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program code for receiving a random number from the electronic device; program code for creating a encrypted valued by encrypting the random number; program code for performing authentication operations by sending the encrypted value and a device identifier to the electronic device; and program code for accessing a limited set of authorized functions at the electronic device in response to a failed authentication result and accessing a full set of authorized functions at the electronic device in response to a successful authentication result subsequent to sending the encrypted value and device identifier, wherein the limited set of functions includes at least one function. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification