PERIPHERAL AUTHENTICATION

• US 20120131353A1
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nasir, Irfan, Bourque, Francis P., Gupta, Sanjay, Johnson, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/43 wireless channels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

This document describes techniques (300, 400) and apparatuses (100, 500, 600, 700) for peripheral authentication. These techniques (300, 400) and apparatuses (100, 500, 600, 700) may configure data lines for authentication between host device (102) and peripheral (106), use these configured data lines to authenticate the peripheral (106), and then reconfigure the data lines for use.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, based on information read or received from a peripheral in communication with a host device, that the peripheral is capable of authentication;

configuring data lines to perform an authentication protocol;

performing the authentication protocol using the authentication-configured data lines effective to authenticate the peripheral; and

responsive to the peripheral being authenticated, configuring the authentication-configured data lines for full use, or

responsive to the peripheral not being authenticated, configuring the authentication-configured data lines for limited use or no use.

2. The method as recited in claim 1,

wherein, prior to configuring the data lines to perform the authentication protocol, the data lines are configured for differential signaling;

wherein configuring the data lines to perform the authentication protocol configures the data lines for non-differential signaling; and

wherein configuring the authentication-configured data lines for full use configures the data lines back to the differential signaling.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the non-differential signaling is part of a UART protocol and the differential signaling is part of a USB protocol.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is read from the peripheral via an identification line of a universal serial bus connector having five or more lines.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the identification line has a resistance consistent with the peripheral being capable of authentication, the information utilized to determine that the peripheral is capable of authentication being a resistance value on the identification line.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising configuring a power line of the five or more lines, the configuring effective to receive power from, or transmit power to, the peripheral.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein configuring the data lines to perform the authentication protocol includes configuring the host device to perform a one-wire authentication protocol using the authentication-configured data lines.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is read from the peripheral and identifies a type of the peripheral and the type indicates that the peripheral is capable of authentication.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a type of the peripheral is read or received from the peripheral through the authentication-configured data lines, the type affecting the authentication protocol or the full or limited use.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the peripheral lines being authenticated, launching a software application.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein performing the authentication protocol includes:

requesting an identifier from the peripheral;

receiving the identifier from the peripheral;

determining whether the identifier matches one of a set of authentic identifiers; and

challenging the peripheral through the authentication-configured data lines responsive to the identifier matching one of the set of authentic identifiers.

12. A method, comprising:

making information available to a host device via an identification line of a universal serial bus (USB) connector, the information indicating that a peripheral to the host device is capable of authentication;

receiving an authentication command from the host device via the identification line, the authentication command effective to configure the peripheral to determine a cryptographic response to an authentication challenge;

receiving the authentication challenge from the host device via data lines of the USB connector;

communicating the cryptographic response to the host device via the data lines of the USB connector; and

receiving a use command from the host device via the identification line of the USB connector, the use command effective to configure the peripheral for use.

13. The method as recited in claim 12,

wherein, prior to receiving the authentication challenge from the host device via data lines of the USB connector, the data lines are configured for a universal serial bus (USB) protocol;

wherein, during receiving the authentication challenge from the host device via data lines of the USB connector and communicating the cryptographic response to the host device via the data lines of the USB connector, the data lines are configured for a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) protocol; and

wherein, after receiving the use command from the host device via the identification line of the USB connector, reconfiguring the data lines for the USB protocol.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein making information available to the host device comprises:

increasing a resistance on the identification line.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the information identifies a class of peripheral.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the authentication command closes a switch in the peripheral to complete a circuit that includes the data lines of the USB connector and an authentication module of the peripheral, the authentication module for determining the cryptographic response to the authentication challenge.

17. The method as recited in claim 16,

wherein the authentication command is further effective to disconnect the data lines from a service module, and

wherein the use command disconnects the data lines from the authentication module and connects the data lines to the service module.

18. A peripheral to a host device, the peripheral comprising:

a configuration switch configured to switch one or more data lines of a universal serial bus (USB) connector responsive to a command received via an identification line of the USB connector, the one or more data lines configured to switch between an authentication module of the peripheral and a service module of the peripheral,

wherein the authentication module is configured to determine a cryptographic response to a challenge received from the host device via the one or more data lines, the cryptographic response usable to authenticate the peripheral.

19. The peripheral as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a five-pin USB port communicatively coupled to the identification line, two data lines of the one or more data lines, a power line, and a ground line.

20. The peripheral as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a resistance element coupled to the identification line, the resistance element configured to be determinable as a resistance on the identification line.