Scalable Secure Wireless Interaction enabling Methods, System and Framework

• US 20120084364A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivapathalingham Sivavakeesar
• Original Assignee: Sivapathalingham Sivavakeesar
• Inventors: SIVAVAKEESAR, SIVAPATHALINGHAM
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention proposes methodologies, a system and a secure spontaneous collaboration framework along with a suitable application and services suite for enabling new paradigm of social networking among users of handheld devices by bridging gab between infra-structure-based networks and mobile ad hoc networks. While supporting three different operating modes for the spontaneous collaboration that suits the user preference and network conditions, the proposed solutions hide the complexity of finding the right peer/device for spontaneous collaboration, self-organising the network to be formed on-demand, mitigating the security threat, being aware of user mobility for service continuity across wide variety of networks. Binding a given user to user'"'"'s handheld device and specifying the number of applications/services enabling spontaneous collaborations that a given user is interested in are possible through user-profile creations. By taking a holistic view, the proposed solutions enable very practical, scalable, secure and economical spontaneous collaborations.

Claims

1. There is provided a secure spontaneous collaboration system comprising:

i) two or more existing handheld mobile communication and computing devices (handheld device for short) having the necessary software/hardware capabilities—

each handheld device installing and running a purpose-built client software module (client module for short);

ii) an application and services suite that contains applications/services that enable spontaneous collaboration among users of the said handheld devices—

each handheld device installing and running the said application and services suite;

iii) a centralised server maintaining one or more centralised database, and a server application running continuously, wherein one functionality of the said databases is to maintain details of standard said applications/services that enable spontaneous collaboration among users of the said handheld devices via the communication interface of first type and user-specific profile information pertaining to various applications/services and user groups/forums a user is interested in; and

,

iv) a communication network which allows the said handheld device to maintain necessary communication with the said server via a communication interface of second type;

wherein the said client module employs an operating mode selection procedure to choose the appropriate operating mode out of three different modes enabling any spontaneous collaboration among two or more of the said handheld devices via the said communication interface of first type and the three different operating modes including;

a) Fully distributed approach as in a pure MANET that allows little interactions with any existing infra-structure in priory or during any spontaneous collaboration;

b) Semi-distributed approach that allows communication with any existing infra-structure (i.e., the said centralised server and associated databases) mainly prior to any spontaneous collaboration; and

,

c) Centralised approach that allows intermittent communication with any existing infra-structure (i.e., any centralised server and associated databases) mainly during any spontaneous collaboration. 15

2. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1, wherein the said handheld device expects to maintain a local database which is an exact replica of the said centralised database, and this requires periodic synchronisation of the said local database with the said centralised database prior to any spontaneous collaboration attempt, if possible.

3. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the said operating mode selection procedure of the said client module for its operation comprising the steps of:

1) Sniffing all the available radio channels being used to provide the communication interface of first type and measuring the congestion-level of the least congested channel;

2) deciding whether the current congestion-level is suitable for the fully distributed mode that has no reliance on any infra-structure network, and if so, choosing the fully distributed mode;

3) on the other hand, if the congestion level is too high for the fully distributed mode further checking whether the congestion level is suitable for at least the semi-distributed or centralised modes and if the said local database in the handheld device is up-to-date with the said centralised database, choosing semi-distributed mode or otherwise if infra-structure-based connection is preferred by the user, then choosing the centralised mode; and

,

4) on the other hand, the congestion is too high for any mode to operate satisfactorily aborting the operation,

wherein the said operating mode selection procedure adopts one of three modes of operation to suit the handheld device capabilities, user preferences in terms of connecting to any infra-structure-based network and dynamic load conditions of the network to be formed.

4. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 3, wherein each user of a handheld device needs to create and maintain one or plurality of different categories of profiles per user in the said centralised database or the said local database at the discretion of each user depending on the multitude of the said applications/services the user is interested in and supported by the said client module for the purpose of uniquely identifying either a particular user or a handheld device that tries to spontaneously collaborate with one another, and this process requires:

1) creation, activation and maintenance by every user of the mandatory main profile and one or a multitude of optional profiles per each of the said applications/services a user is interested in;

2) optional introduction of new spontaneous collaboration enabling application/service, special interest groups/forums, if any, to the said application and services suite while specifying the selection criteria and configuration details, if any, and subsequent creation, activation and maintenance of an optional profile per each application/service introduced by the user;

3) storing of all profiles either centrally or locally in a profile database/repository depending on the mode of operations chosen for the spontaneous collaboration by the said operating mode selection procedure;

Wherein a successful main user profile creation and activation assigns a unique alphanumeric identifier called Profile-ID to each user, and expects the user to set his/her own login details by specifying the preferred username and password, and the said Profile-ID is used by the said server application and the said client module to uniquely bind and identify each user and the said handheld device being used.

5. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the said client module needs to be installed and activated on any of the said handheld devices and the activation is possible by signing in using the login credentials such as the Profile-ID, username and password of a user when prompted, wherein the said activation will bind a given user to a given handheld device.

6. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface of first type is any of the short-range radio communication technologies that are both available to date such as WiFi and WiFi-direct (i.e., different variants of IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth (i.e., different variants of IEEE 802.15.1), ZigBee (i.e., different variants of IEEE 802.15.4), WiMedia UWB, Infra Red (IR) and any similar future technologies and chooses the right one on-the-fly depending on channel quality conditions.

7. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface of second type is the main air interface of existing and/or future cellular/wireless technologies such as GPRS, 3G, LTE/LTE-A, WiMAX, WLAN and the like.

8. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the synchronisation of the said local database with the said centralised database is possible, after activating the said client module that is to run in the said handheld device using the said login credentials.

9. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the said system employs various service/peer discovery protocols depending on the operating mode chosen for the possible spontaneous collaboration by the client module together with the network composition and auto-configuration protocol, and any of the said protocol running in each of the said handheld devices comprising the steps of:

1) initiating periodic (e.g., HELLO) packet dissemination with the Profile-ID at regular intervals if the user of the said handheld device maintains an active profile as a way to advertise proactively the list of said applications/services the user provides and is interested in, while seeking relevant peers (i.e., service providers) for active spontaneous collaborations; and

,

2) listening to neighbouring devices'"'"' regular packet (e.g., HELLO) transmissions and on receiving a (e.g., HELLO) packet from the neighbouring user device the said client module running locally in a handheld device performing;

a) authenticating the originator, if possible, and on successful authentication, checking to see whether any of the said application/services provided by the originator is interesting;

b) on seeing the said interesting applications/services of the said application and service suite, sending back positive response;

c) checking to see whether the task-centric network is already established for each of the said application/service being interested in, and if it is the case, joining one or plurality of such networks at the user'"'"'s discretion; and

,

d) On seeing that no relevant task-centric network is already formed, establishing and auto-configuring the necessary task-centric networks per the said application/service being interested in at the user'"'"'s discretion;

wherein the said service, peer and device discovery protocols of the said system enable peers to find each other proactively for a possible spontaneous collaboration when peers are located within each other'"'"'s radio coverage (i.e., range) through periodic (e.g., HELLO) packet dissemination and on successfully authenticated at the reception of the said regular (i.e., HELLO) packet, the service discovery from a given said application/service perspective is accomplished when both the sender and the receiver are interested in particular applications/services of the said application and services suite.

10. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 9, wherein the said client module is robust enough to enable spontaneous collaboration without requiring each handheld device user to connect to the said centralised server and the associated databases, wherein by getting each user to create and maintain active profiles in the said local database and by subsequently forming a pure ad-hoc network, the said system enables users to spontaneously collaborate via the communication interface of first type using some standard applications/services belonging to the said application and services suite.

11. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 10, wherein the said client module, said server application and the said database assign/use a globally unique identifier called service identifier in order to uniquely identify each service/application/group/forum, belonging to the said application and services suite, wherein the said peer and device discovery protocols use the same service identifiers during the peer/device/service discovery, wherein the usage of the said service identifiers enables lightweight operation of the said spontaneous collaborating operation in semi-distributed and centralised mode of operations.

12. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 11, wherein the said service, peer and device discovery protocols allow each user to specify in the said periodic (e.g., HELLO) packets as to how long the given user will be available for a spontaneous collaboration, and such information will be used in the peer discovery.

13. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 12, wherein the said service, peer and device discovery protocols can specify the operating mode preferred for the spontaneous collaboration such that the said service, peer and device discovery mechanisms use mode of operation preferred for the spontaneous collaboration as one of the criteria in the discovery process.

14. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 13, wherein the said system supports two-way authentication and non-repudiation by getting the said server, server application and said centralised database to take an extra functionality of a public key infrastructure, wherein the said server application assigns a public and private (i.e., asymmetric) keys per user on successful creation and activation of the main profile, stores such asymmetric key information in the said centralised database on a per user basis along with each user'"'"'s complete user-specific information and informs each user of the private key assigned in order to ensure secure spontaneous collaborations among sporadic strangers.

15. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 14, wherein the said service, peer and device discovery protocols insert the required asymmetric keys in the said periodic (e.g., HELLO) packets in order to aid mutual user authentication.

16. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 13, wherein the said auto/self-configuration protocol that runs immediately after the service/peer/device discovery, if dynamic network composition of any task-centric network on-the-fly is needed, and the said self-configuration protocol comprising the steps of:

1) getting each successfully self-configured device to disseminate the self-configured (i.e., zeroconf) address in the said periodic (e.g., HELLO) packets; and

,

2) getting each newly joined device to assign itself a zeroconf address while minimising any address related conflict after having promiscuously listened to the said periodic (e.g., HELLO) packet dissemination of the neighbouring devices in priory for a constant period,

Wherein, by getting a newly joined device to promiscuously listen to the said periodic (e.g., HELLO) packet dissemination by other devices in the neighbourhood for a constant time-period and avoiding self-configuring the address that is being currently used by any other device, duplicate address conflict among two or more handheld devices can be partly resolved.

17. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1 or 16, wherein when it is possible for the said auto/self-configuration protocol to have intermittent interaction with the said centralised database, the duplicate address conflict among two or more handheld devices is further resolved using timer-based usage wherein the said auto/self-configuration protocol running on each device has to register its self-configured address with the said central database along with the time-stamp at the time of the self-configured address being first used and whenever address conflict occurs, it will be resolved by one device contacting the said central database for a look up and resolving it based on the duration a given address is used by any device.

18. The said secure spontaneous collaboration system according to claim 1, wherein the system employs a session continuity procedure in order to ensure the session continuity of an on-going multimedia session between two or more of the said handheld devices, wherein the session continuity is ensured from a task-centric ad hoc network formed on-demand to any infra-structure-based network or vice-versa when the said client module adopts either semi-distributed or centralised mode while getting the said centralised server/database to take additional SIP server functionality namely the registration SIP server functionality in priory, and the said session continuity procedure comprising the steps of:

1) checking to see whether there exists one or plurality of infra-structure-based networks;

2) getting the client module running in each participating handheld device of the multimedia session to maintain one SIP stack per user agent for an ad hoc network and another SIP stack per user agent for any infra-structure-based network at the time of session initiation if at least one infra-structure-based network exists in addition to the existence of the ad hoc network, wherein one SIP stack maintained for the ad hoc network is made active whereas the other is made standby/passive;

3) getting both SIP stacks to use the same Call-ID;

4) monitoring the quality of the existing links by liaising with the physical layer of the communication interface of first type being used and performing a seamless handover to any infra-structure-based network using the communication interface of second type and making the passive SIP stack meant for any infra-structure-based network active while making the SIP stack meant for the ad hoc network passive when the signal quality degrades below a threshold;

Wherein, the objective is to let a session that is originated when the users spontaneously collaborate in an ad hoc mode using the communication interface of first type while being within each other'"'"'s communication range continue using different infra-structure-based network employing the communication interface of second type at the user'"'"'s discretion even when the users move away from each other.

19. There is provided a methodology that gets two or more existing handheld mobile communication and computing devices having the necessary hardware and/or software functionalities especially a wireless transceiver supporting a communication interface of first type to take part in spontaneous collaboration among each other and the said methodology further employs an operating mode selection procedure to choose the appropriate operating mode out of three different modes enabling any spontaneous collaboration among two or more of the said handheld devices via the said communication interface of first type and the three different operating modes including:

a) Fully distributed approach as in a pure MANET that allows little interactions with any existing infra-structure in priory or during any spontaneous collaboration;

b) Semi-distributed approach that allows communication with any existing infra-structure (i.e., any centralised server and associated databases) mainly prior to any spontaneous collaboration; and

,

c) Centralised approach that allows intermittent communication with any existing infra-structure (i.e., any centralised server and associated databases) mainly during any spontaneous collaboration,

for its operation in order to enable spontaneous collaboration among users of the said handheld devices mainly using a communication interface of first type both when intermittent communication with any infra-structure-based network is possible and when any reliance on any infra-structure-based network is ruled out and the said operating mode selection procedure prefers periodic synchronisation of the local database maintained in the handheld device by the said methodology with the said centralised database prior to any spontaneous collaboration attempt, if possible.

20. The said methodology that gets two or more existing handheld devices to take part in spontaneous collaboration according to claim 19, wherein the said operating mode selection procedure comprising the steps of:

1) Sniffing all the available radio channels being used to provide the communication interface of first type and measuring the congestion-level of the least congested channel;

2) deciding whether the current congestion-level is suitable for the fully distributed mode that has no reliance on any infra-structure network, and if so, choosing the fully distributed mode;

3) on the other hand, if the congestion level is too high for the fully distributed mode further checking whether the congestion level is suitable for at least the semi-distributed or centralised modes and if the local database in the handheld device is up-to-date with the said centralised database, choosing semi-distributed mode or otherwise if infra-structure-based connection is preferred by the user, then choosing the centralised mode; and

,

4) on the other hand, the congestion is too high for any mode to operate satisfactorily aborting the operation,

wherein the said methodology adopts one of three modes of operation to suit the handheld device capabilities, user preferences in terms of connecting to any infra-structure-based network and dynamic load conditions of the network to be formed.

21. The said methodology that gets two or more existing handheld devices to take part in spontaneous collaboration according to claim 19 or 20 and makes the said handheld device being part of a system framework consisting of:

a) the said centralised server maintaining one or more centralised online databases, and a server application running continuously, wherein one functionality of the said databases is to maintain details of standard applications/services that enable spontaneous collaboration among users of the said handheld devices via the communication interface of first type and user-specific profile information pertaining to various applications/services and user groups/forums a user is interested in; and

,

b) a communication network which allows the said handheld device to maintain necessary communication with the said server via a communication interface of second type.

22. The said methodology according to preceding claims requires each of the said existing handheld devices to install/activate and run a client module, and the said client module incorporates a number of features comprising:

1) a mechanism to create one main or plurality of application specific user profiles;

2) a variety of novel peer user/device and service discovery mechanisms;

3) two-way authentication and non-repudiation mechanism;

4) on-the-fly task-centric network formation and novel self-configuration of the formed network; and

,

5) novel session continuity mechanisms;

wherein the full potential of the methodology is realised by getting each user of one of the said handheld devices;

a) to maintain active profiles in a centralised database (referred to mainly as a profile database/repository), if possible, using either a different personal computer or the handheld device that is going to be used to aid spontaneous collaboration wherein such operation assigns user-specific credentials to ensure mutual authentication and non-repudiation at a global-scale among users who can be total strangers to each other in priory to any spontaneous collaboration;

b) to install and to activate the said client module in any handheld device using the said user-specific credentials; and

c) to install/run a novel applications and services suite consisting of application/services enabling spontaneous collaborations that the said client module can support;

d) to synchronise the local database with the centralised one prior to any spontaneous collaboration, if possible,

Wherein, activating the said client module locally in a handheld device specifies exactly the type of said application/services the user of the given handheld device is interested in and allows the said methodology to find/identify the appropriate peer users for spontaneous collaborations between users of handheld devices and other devices mainly using communication interface of first type as long as the devices are within each other'"'"'s radio ranges of the short-range communication technologies providing the communication interface of first type preferably by forming and self-configuring on-demand task-centric networks which are;

1) pure standalone ad-hoc networks having no dependence on any infra-structure network and thus is of “

anytime, anywhere, anyone”

type by mainly employing the communication interface of first type;

or

2) hybrid networks allowing intermittent interaction with any centralised server via the said communication interface of second type;

with an ability to maintain session continuity by making proactive session handovers either from the formed on-demand network to any fixed cellular or wireless communication network or from any fixed cellular or wireless communication network to an on-demand task-centric network to be formed.

23. The said methodology or said secure spontaneous collaboration system employing the said novel applications and services suite that enables secure and scalable on-the-fly online multi-player gaming among total strangers according to preceding claims, and this comprising the steps of:

1) getting prospective players to activate the gaming specific profile in the centralised database specifying the games being interested in;

2) getting prospective players to first register their new game, if any, with the centralised server/database and getting a new game identifier assigned to the new game that can uniquely and globally identify the new addition; and

,

3) subsequently getting prospective players'"'"' multiplayer online gaming application to synchronise their local database with the centralised database prior to any spontaneous collaboration;

wherein once the said service/peer/device discovery protocol proactively has identified one or plurality of appropriate players within the radio-range while meeting the selection criteria as set out in the gaming profiles of each user in order to play secure smart multiplayer online gaming, the required task-centric network will be formed on-the-fly by the said self-configuration protocol and, if needed, the said session continuity procedure will make attempts to maintain session continuity even when the players move out of each other'"'"'s radio range pertaining to the communication interface of first type as long as the players have the appropriate settings enabled.

24. The said methodology or the said secure spontaneous collaboration system employing the said novel applications and services suite that enables secure and scalable on-the-fly real-time dating among sporadic-strangers according to preceding claims, and this comprising the steps of:

1) getting each user to set up and activate his/her smart dating profile in the centralised database; and

,

2) subsequently getting dating users'"'"' smart dating application to synchronise their local database with the centralised database prior to any spontaneous collaboration;

wherein once the said service/peer/device discovery protocol proactively has identified the appropriate one or plurality of matching soul-mates within the radio-range pertaining to the communication interface of first type while meeting the selection criteria as set out in the dating profiles of each user, the said methodology/system will require the said client module of any handheld device to pop up message along with a beep in order to draw the attention of the user and at the user'"'"'s discretion and based on the users'"'"' privacy settings, this message may contain the photographs and other important contact details of the matching profile for immediate identification in the local neighbourhood.

25. The said methodology or the said secure spontaneous collaboration system employing the said novel applications and services suite that enables secure and scalable on-the-fly inter-vehicle interaction facility between the first user and the second user who can be a total stranger to each other according to preceding, and this comprising the steps of:

1) getting both users to set up and activate the respective profiles specific to inter-vehicle interaction mechanism in the centralised database indicating the user preference and privacy settings for the inter-vehicle interaction facility after having registered the users'"'"' respective vehicle registration numbers;

2) subsequently getting both users inter-vehicle interaction application to synchronise their local database with the centralised database prior to any spontaneous collaboration; and

,

wherein whenever the first user wants to interact with the unknown second user who currently travels/stays in his/her vehicle and the vehicle is currently located within the radio-range of the first user pertaining to the communication interface of first type, the first user can initiate any type of interaction with the second user by entering the vehicle registration number belonging to the second user in the appropriate UI provided by the said application as long as the privacy settings of the second user allows the first user to interact in the chosen way, and the said methodology/system hides the underlying communication set up without divulging the personal Profile-IDs to each other and such interaction is possible by binding each user'"'"'s Profile-ID with his/her vehicle registration number, and, if needed, the said session continuity procedure will make attempts to maintain session continuity even when the users move out of each other'"'"'s radio range as long as the users have the appropriate settings enabled.

26. The said methodology or the said secure spontaneous collaboration system employing the said novel applications and services suite that enables sporadic strangers to identify peers having the same professional, religious, political, racial interests or the like according to preceding claims, and this comprising the steps of:

1) getting each user to set up and activate his/her profile required for the ad-hoc friend finder application in the centralised database; and

,

2) subsequently getting both users of the ad-hoc friend finder application to synchronise their local database with the centralised database prior to any spontaneous collaboration;

wherein once the said service/peer/device discovery protocol has identified one or plurality of people having similar professional, religious, political, racial interests or the like within the radio-range while meeting the selection criteria as set out in the profile specific to the ad-hoc friend finder of each user, the said client module will pop up message along with a beep in the handheld device to draw the attention of the user in a large public gathering and at the user'"'"'s discretion and based on the users'"'"' privacy settings, this message may contain the photographs and other important contact details of the matching profile for immediate further direct/multicast communications using the handheld device of each user.

27. The said methodology or the said secure spontaneous collaboration system launches a novel applications and services suite according to preceding claims, wherein the said methodology allows a handheld device of a user to connect securely after having been authenticated to devices like television, monitor, smart-home central controller, overhead projector, printer, burglar alarm control, door/gate control and similar plurality of devices on the fly with an objective to manipulate the connected devices depending on a given user requirements as long as devices are within each other'"'"'s radio range.

28. A hybrid network comprising:

1) a plurality of infra-structure-base networks; and

2) one or more handsets having the said client module and application and services suite installed, activated and run locally according to preceding claims;

Wherein, a user handheld device running the said client module, and the said applications and services suite can connect to any fixed device connected to the infra-structure-based network in order enable one or plurality of user-to-device collaborations comprising;

1) getting directions to the nearest police post, security point, toilets, restaurants, favourite departmental stores/shops, taxi/bus stand, telephone booth and the like in a shopping mall, public place and the like;

2) getting bus, train and/or flight information;

3) getting the direction details and services of local photo-printer and the like in a shopping mall.