Event Triggered Pairing of Wireless Communication Devices Based on Time Measurements

• US 20110126009A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Camp, Willliam O. JR., Bloebaum, Leland Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

An event-triggered pairing mechanism allows pairing wireless devices having short range interfaces (e.g., Bluetooth devices) by bumping the wireless devices together. A wireless device being paired with a connecting device detects a bump event; exchanges time information about the bump event with the connecting device; authenticates the connecting device based on the exchanged time information; and allows exchange of user data with the connecting device based on verification of the exchanged time information. Once the devices are paired, user content can be securely exchanged between the devices.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a wireless device of pairing with a connecting device, the method comprising:

detecting a bump event;

exchanging time information about the bump event with the connecting device;

authenticating the connecting device based on the exchanged time information;

allowing exchange of user data with the connecting device if the connecting device is successfully authenticated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a bump event comprises detecting at least one of sound or motion associated with the bump event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the time information comprises one of the time of the bump event, an elapsed time from the bump event;

or a time interval between the first and second bumps in the bump event.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a private session key from the first time information and encrypting/decrypting data exchanged with the connecting device using the private session key.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein exchanging time information about the bump event with a connecting device comprises:

sending an authentication request to the connecting device responsive to the bump event; and

receiving first time information from the connecting device responsive to the authentication request.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein exchanging time information about the bump event with a connecting device comprises sending second time information to the connecting device responsive to authentication of the connecting device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating a private session key from at least one of the first and second time information; and

encrypting/decrypting data exchanged with the connecting device using the private session key.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the second time information comprises one of the detected time of the bump event, an elapsed time from the bump event;

or a time interval between the first and second bumps in the bump event.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein exchanging time information about the bump event with a connecting device comprises:

receiving an authentication request from the connecting device; and

sending an authentication response containing first time information about the bump event to the connecting device responsive to the authentication request to authenticate the wireless device to the connecting device; and

receiving an authentication reply from the connecting device responsive to the authentication response indicating successful authentication of the wireless device by the connecting device, the authentication reply containing second time information; and

authenticating the connecting device based on the second time information.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein each of the first and second time information comprise one of the time of the first bump event, an elapsed time from the first bump event;

or a time interval between first and second bumps in the bump event.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input indicating selection of user content to be exchanged with the connecting device; and

transmitting the selected user content responsive to the bump event.

12. A wireless device capable of exchanging data with a connecting device, the wireless device comprising:

a short-range radio transceiver for communicating with other wireless devices;

a processing circuit unit operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to;

detect a bump event;

exchange time information about the bump event with the connecting device;

authenticate the connecting device based on the exchanged time information;

allow exchange of user data with the connecting device if the connecting device is successfully authenticated.

13. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit detects at least one of sound or motion associated with the bump event.

14. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the time information comprises one of the time of the bump event, an elapsed time from the bump event;

or a time interval between the first and second bumps in the bump event.

15. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to generate a private session key from the first time information and encrypting/decrypting data exchanged with the connecting device using the private session key.

16. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit is configured to exchange first time information with the connecting device by sending an authentication request to the connecting device responsive to the bump event;

and receive the first time information from the connecting device responsive to the authentication request.

17. The wireless device of claim 16 wherein the processing circuit is configured to exchange second time information with the connecting device by sending the second time information to the connecting device responsive to authentication of the connecting device.

18. The wireless device of claim 17 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

generate a private session key from at least one of the first and second time information; and

encrypt/decrypt data exchanged with the connecting device using the private session key.

19. The wireless device of claim 17 wherein the second time information comprises one of the detected time of the bump event, an elapsed time from the bump event;

or a time interval between the first and second bumps in the bump event.

20. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit is configured to exchange time information with the connecting device by:

receiving an authentication request from the connecting device;

sending an authentication response containing first time information about the bump event to the connecting device responsive to the authentication request to authenticate the wireless device to the connecting device; and

receiving an authentication reply from the connecting device responsive to the authentication response indicating successful authentication of the wireless device by the connecting device, the authentication reply containing second time information; and

authenticating the connecting device based on the second time information.

21. The wireless device of claim 20 wherein each of the first and second time information comprise one of the time of the first bump event, an elapsed time from the first bump event;

or a time interval between first and second bumps in the bump event.

22. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive user input indicating selection of user content to be exchanged with the connecting device; and

transmit the selected user content responsive to the bump event.

23. A method implemented by a wireless device of pairing with a connecting device, the method comprising:

detecting a bump event;

receiving an authentication request from a connecting device responsive to the bump event;

sending, responsive to the authentication request, an authentication response containing first time information about the bump event to the connecting device to authenticate the wireless device to the connecting device.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

receiving, from the connecting device, an authentication reply responsive to the authentication response, the authentication reply containing second time information about the bump event;

authenticating the connecting device based on the second time information; and

allowing exchange of user data with the connecting device if the connecting device is successfully authenticated.

25. A wireless device comprising:

a short-range radio transceiver for communicating with a other wireless devices;

a processing circuit unit operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to;

detect a bump event;

receive an authentication request from a connecting device responsive to the bump event;

send, responsive to the authentication request, an authentication response containing first time information about the bump event to the connecting device to authenticate the wireless device to the connecting device.

26. The wireless device of claim 25 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive, from the connecting device, an authentication reply responsive to the authentication response, the authentication reply containing second time information about the bump event;

authenticate the connecting device based on the second time information; and

allow exchange of user data with the connecting device if the connecting device is successfully authenticated.