PAIRING DEVICES USING DATA EXCHANGED IN AN OUT-OF-BAND CHANNEL

• US 20130029596A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Preston, John B., Higgins, Robert J., Khera, Anu W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Two devices (110, 120) can be determined to be within near field communication (NFC) range of each other. Pairing information for a service can be conveyed over an out-of-band channel (114, 124). The out-of-band channel can be a near field communication (NFC) channel. The service can be a BLUETOOTH service provided via an in-band (e.g., BLUETOOTH) channel (112, 122). The conveying of the pairing information can require the first device (110) to request at least one desired service, to provide a device ID, and to provide an authorization code in a single message (150). In response to the single message (150), the second device (120) can either deny the request (160, 162) or can convey resource use parameters for the desired service and an ID for the second device within a second single message (164). Pairing the two devices (110, 120) can require use of the authorization code and the resource use parameters.

Claims

1. A method for pairing two devices comprising:

while in-band transceivers of two devices, a first device and a second device, are in an off state and out-of-band transceivers of the two devices are in an on state, detecting that the two devices are within near field communication (NFC) range of each other;

conveying pairing information over an out-of-band channel requiring use of the out-of-band transceivers, wherein the out-of-band channel is a near field communication (NFC) channel, wherein the conveying of pairing information requires the first device to request at least one desired in-band service, to provide a device ID, and to provide an authorization code in a single message, wherein in response to the single message, the second device either denies in-band service or conveys resource use parameters for the in-band service and provides its device ID, wherein the resource use parameters and device ID are conveyed within a second single message;

responsive to the conveying of pairing information, the two devices turning on the in-band transceivers; and

pairing the two devices over an in-band channel, wherein the pairing uses the authorization code and the resource use parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-bound transceivers and the in-bound channel are compliant with BLUETOOTH version 2.1 protocol standards, and wherein the pairing occurs without violating BLUETOOTH version 2.1 secure simple pairing (SSP) out of band (OOB) pairing standards.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the out-of-band transceivers and the out-of-band channel uses a radio frequency band of 13.56 MHz or 125 Khz, wherein the in-band transceivers and the in-band channel uses a frequency hopping spread spectrum that uses a radio frequency band of 2.4 GHz that is separated into seventy-nine bands of 1 MHz each.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one desired in-band service is a non-standard service that is not defined by a Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) of the two devices, wherein the non-standard service is conducted over a generic service that is defined by the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) of the two devices, wherein the generic service comprises a Serial Port Protocol (SPP) service or a Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the conveying, the turning on of the in-band transceivers, and the pairing occur without requiring any user interactions with the two devices other than bringing the two devices within near field communication range of each other.

6. A method for paring two devices comprising:

receiving at a device having an in-band transceiver and at least one out-of-band transceiver an out-of-band message, wherein the out-of-band message from a different device is received by the out-of-band transceiver, wherein the out-of-band message indicates a desired in-band service, an authorization code, and a device ID for the different device;

determining whether the device is available to satisfy at the desired in-band service, which results in a positive or a negative determination;

when the determination is negative, either ignoring the out-of-bound message or conveying a denial message to the different device via the out-of-band channel;

when the determination is positive, conveying resource use parameters for the desired in-band service to the different device via the out-of-band channel; and

establishing the in-bound service via an in-band channel at the device using the authorization code provided by the different device to establish the in-band service, wherein the different devices uses the resource use parameters conveyed in the out-of-bound channel to establish the in-band service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the in-bound transceiver of the device and the in-bound channel are compliant with BLUETOOTH version 2.1 protocol standards, and wherein the pairing occurs without violating BLUETOOTH version 2.1 secure simple pairing (SSP) Out of band (OOB) pairing standards.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the out-of-band transceiver of the device and the out-of-band channel uses a radio frequency band of 13.56 MHz or 125 Khz, wherein the in-band service, the in-band transceiver and the in-band channel uses a frequency hopping spread spectrum that uses a radio frequency band of 2.4 GHz that is separated into seventy-nine bands of 1 MHz each.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the out-of-band message is received while the in-band transceiver of the device is in an off state, said method comprising:

turning the in-band transceiver of the device to an on state after the determination is positive and before establishing the in-bound service.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving, the determining, and the establishing of the in-bound service occur without requiring any user interactions with the device other than bringing the device within near field communication range of the different device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the out-of-band channel is a Near Field Communication (NFC) channel between the device and the different device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the in-band service is secured via addresses conveyed via the out-of-bound channel, which requires proximity of the device and the different device of less than twelve inches.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the device never sends a complete list of in-bound services available on the device to the different device.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the in-bound service is a non-standard service that is not defined by a Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) of the device, wherein the non-standard service is conducted over a generic service defined by the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) of the device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generic service comprises a Serial Port Protocol (SPP) service or a Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) service

16. The method of claim 6, further comprising

checking the identifier of the different device against a white list or a black list maintained within a data store of the device;

when checking against a white list, only determining that the device is able to provide the in-band service when the different device id is in the white list and when the in-band service is available at the device;

when checking against a black list, automatically having a negative determination the request is negative when the different device is on the black list.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the device is a host device and wherein the different device is an accessory for the host device.

18. A method for pairing two devices comprising:

sending from a device having a BLUETOOTH transceiver and at least one Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver, an out-of-band message via the NFC transceiver, wherein the out-of-band message indicates at least one desired BLUETOOTH service, provides a device ID of the device, and provides an authorization code for the device, wherein the BLUETOOTH transceiver is initially in an off state;

receiving a response from a different device via the NFC transceiver, which provides an ID for the different device and resource use parameters for the BLUETOOTH service;

changing the BLUETOOTH transceiver to an on state;

establishing the at least one desired BLUETOOTH service with the different device using the resource use parameters, wherein the sending, receiving, turning, and establishing of the BLUETOOTH service occur without requiring any user interactions with the device other than bringing the device within near field communication range of the different device, wherein the different device does not send the device a complete list of BLUETOOTH services supported by the device but only provides the response that indicates resource use parameters for the desired BLUETOOTH service in an event that the different device is able to provide the desired BLUETOOTH service to the device, and wherein BLUETOOTH refers to a protocol compliant with BLUETOOTH version 2.1 protocol standards.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one desired BLUETOOTH service is a non-standard service that is not defined by a Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) of the devices, wherein the non-standard service is conducted over a generic service that is defined by the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP), wherein the generic service comprises a Serial Port Protocol (SPP) service or a Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol (L2CAP) service.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein establishing of the at least one desired BLUETOOTH service occurs without violating BLUETOOTH version 2.1 secure simple pairing (SSP) out of band (OOB) pairing standards, and wherein the out-of-band transceiver uses a radio frequency band of 13.56 MHz, wherein the in-band transceiver uses a frequency hopping spread spectrum modulation that uses a radio frequency band of 2.4 GHz that is separated into seventy-nine bands of 1 MHz each.