METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATING COMMUNICATION

• US 20120304266A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Smsc Holdings Sarl (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Ramanathan, Hamadani, Hooman Kashef
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for authenticating communication between a plurality of accessory devices or services and one or more media devices by using a single authentication processor. The method includes the steps of establishing a communication of a media device attached to an accessory device with an authentication processor through an authentication processor manager, authenticating the accessory device by the media device based on a digital certificate and a digital signature; and authenticating the media device by the accessory device based on verification of the digital certificate and the digital signature.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating communication between a plurality of accessory devices or services and one or more media devices by using a single authentication processor, the method comprising:

establishing a communication of a media device attached to an accessory device with the authentication processor through an authentication processor manager;

authenticating the accessory device by the media device based on a digital certificate and a digital signature; and

authenticating the media device attached to the accessory device based on verification of the digital certificate and the digital signature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of accessory devices and the media devices comprises a processor, further wherein at least one processor comprises an authentication processor manager.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the communication of the media device with the authentication processor further comprises:

sending a request from a media processor executing at the media device to the authentication manager attached to a switch;

connecting the media processor with the authentication processor by the authentication processor manager; and

accessing one or more services of the authentication processor by the media processor, wherein the authentication manager ensures that only one processor is communicating with the authentication processor at a time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of accessory devices and the one or more media devices comprises a proxy server module, wherein the proxy server module provides services to a plurality of processors executing at the plurality of accessory devices and the media devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one or more of the plurality of processors comprises a client module for interacting with the proxy server module to remotely access one or more services of the authentication processor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing the communication of the media device with the authentication processor further comprises:

communicating, by the media device, with the client module executing at an accessory processor of the accessory device interfacing the media device;

communicating, by the client module, with the proxy server module to access the authentication processor, wherein the proxy server module is executing at a processor of another accessory device interfacing with the authentication processor; and

interacting, by the proxy server module, with the authentication processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the accessory device by the media device further comprises:

supplying, by the authentication processor, an X.509 digital certificate to the media device for public key verification; and

generating, by the authentication processor, a digital signature in response to a challenge from the attached media device, wherein the digital signature is used by the authentication processor for authenticating the accessory device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein authenticating the media device attached to the accessory device further comprises:

verifying, by the authentication processor, the X.509 certificate provided by the media device;

generating, by the authentication processor, a challenge for the media device;

sending, by the authentication processor, the challenge to the media device; and

verifying, by the authentication processor, the digital signature provided by the media device in response to the challenge sent to the media device; and

authenticating, by the authentication processor, the media device based on the verification of the digital signature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital certificate is an X.509 certificate.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of accessory devices and the one or more media devices comprises a processor, further where in at least one processor comprises an authentication processor manager.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein authentication processor is further configured to:

receive one or more request from a media processor executing at the media device to attached to a switch;

connect the media processor with the authentication processor;

enable the media processor to access one or more services of the authentication processor; and

ensure that only one processor is communicating with the authentication processor at a time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of accessory devices and the one or more media devices comprises a proxy server module, wherein the proxy server module provides services to a plurality of processors executing at the plurality of accessory devices and the media devices.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of processors comprises a client module for interacting with the proxy server module to remotely access one or more services of the authentication processor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the authentication processor manager executing at the media device is further configured to:

communicate with the client module executing at an accessory processor of the accessory device interfacing the media device;

communicate with the proxy server module to access the authentication processor through the client module, wherein the proxy server module is executing at a processor of another accessory device interfacing with the authentication processor; and

interact with the authentication processor through the proxy server module.

10. A system for authenticating communication between a plurality of accessory devices or services and one or more media devices, the system comprising:

an authentication processor connected to the plurality of accessory devices and the one or more media devices for;

supplying a digital certificate and a digital signature to the one or more media devices;

authenticating an accessory device based on the digital certificate and the digital signature; and

authenticating the media device attached to the accessory device based on verification of the digital certificate and the digital signature; and

an authentication processor manager for establishing and managing a communication of a media device attached to an accessory device with the authentication processor.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the authentication processor is further configured to:

supply an X.509 digital certificate to the media device for public key verification; and

generate a digital signature in response to a challenge from the attached media device, wherein the digital signature is used for authenticating the accessory device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the authentication processor is further configured to:

verify the X.509 certificate provided by the media device;

generate a challenge for the media device;

send the challenge to the media device;

verify the digital signature provided by the media device in response to the challenge sent to the media device; and

authenticate the media device based on the verification of the digital signature.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the digital certificate is an X.509 certificate.

19. A system for providing communication of data among an authentication processor and a plurality of other processors, the system comprising:

a processor connected to the authentication processor;

a proxy server module operating at the processor connected to the authentication processor connected through a hardware interface, wherein the authentication processor provides services to a plurality of processors through the proxy server module; and

a client executing at each of the plurality of processors for interacting with the proxy server module through a protocol for remotely accessing the services of the authentication processor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of processors are executing at one or more of a plurality of accessory devices and one or more media devices, further wherein the plurality of accessory devices are attached to the one or more media devices.