METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION AUTHENTICATION FROM EXTERNAL SENSORS TO SECURE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20130243189A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ekberg, Jan-Erik, Haikonen, Mikko Sakari
• Application Number:
  US13/423,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243189A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes

Abstract

An approach is provided for providing information authentication from external sensors to secure environments. An authentication support platform causes, at least in part, a generation of at least one cryptographic key for use by (a) at least one secure environment, (b) one or more sensors that are associated with at least one device and that are external to the at least one secure environment, or (c) a combination thereof. The authentication support platform further causes, at least in part, an authentication of sensor information transmitted by the one or more sensors to the at least one secure environment based, at least in part, on the cryptographic key.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a generation of at least one cryptographic key for use by (a) at least one secure environment, (b) one or more sensors that are associated with at least one device and that are external to the at least one secure environment, or (c) a combination thereof; and

an authentication of sensor information transmitted by the one or more sensors to the at least one secure environment based, at least in part, on the cryptographic key.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

an initiation of a boot cycle of the at least one device,

wherein the at least one cryptographic key is valid for a duration of the boot cycle.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of whether the one or more sensors are in an active state at the initiation of the boot cycle; and

a transport of the at least one cryptographic key to the one or more sensors (a) at the initiation of the boot cycle if the one or more sensors are in the active state, or (b) when the one or more sensors enter the active state if the one or more sensors are not in the active state.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the sensor information is transmitted to the at least one secure environment as one or more messages, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of a message counter information based, at least in part, on a number of the one or more messages generated by the one or more sensors,

wherein the message counter information is included, at least in part, in the one or more messages.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a generation, a verification, or a combination thereof of a cryptographic checksum based, at least in part, on the message counter information, contextual information associated with determination of the sensor information, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 4, wherein the at least one secure environment processes and/or facilitates a processing of the sensor information for transport ticketing.

7. A method of claim 6, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of an order of one or more events based, at least in part, on time stamp information associated with the one or more messages; and

an authentication of one or more activities associated with the transport ticketing based, at least in part, on the order of one or more events.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the sensor information to determine one or more activity patterns associated with the at least one device; and

an auditing of one or more activities associated with the device based, at least in part, on a comparison of the one or more activity patterns against one or more activity models.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein the one or more activity patterns, the one or more activities, the one or more activity models, or a combination thereof relate, at least in part, to transport ticketing using one or more proximity means including, at least in part, near field communications, short range wireless, or a combination thereof.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors consists, at least in part, one or more location sensors including one or more satellite location receiver;

and wherein the at least one cryptographic key is transported to the one or more sensors via one or more commands of a sensor communication protocol.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

cause, at least in part, a generation of at least one cryptographic key for use by (a) at least one secure environment, (b) one or more sensors that are associated with at least one device and that are external to the at least one secure environment, or (c) a combination thereof; and

cause, at least in part, an authentication of sensor information transmitted by the one or more sensors to the at least one secure environment based, at least in part, on the cryptographic key.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine an initiation of a boot cycle of the at least one device,

wherein the at least one cryptographic key is valid for a duration of the boot cycle.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether the one or more sensors are in an active state at the initiation of the boot cycle; and

cause, at least in part, a transport of the at least one cryptographic key to the one or more sensors (a) at the initiation of the boot cycle if the one or more sensors are in the active state, or (b) when the one or more sensors enter the active state if the one or more sensors are not in the active state.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensor information is transmitted to the at least one secure environment as one or more messages, the apparatus further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a determination of a message counter information based, at least in part, on a number of the one or more messages generated by the one or more sensors,

wherein the message counter information is included, at least in part, in the one or more messages.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a generation, a verification, or a combination thereof of a cryptographic checksum based, at least in part, on the message counter information, contextual information associated with determination of the sensor information, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one secure environment processes and/or facilitates a processing of the sensor information for transport ticketing.

17. An apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine an order of one or more events based, at least in part, on time stamp information associated with the one or more messages; and

cause, at least in part, an authentication of one or more activities associated with the transport ticketing based, at least in part, on the order of one or more events.

18. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the sensor information to determine one or more activity patterns associated with the at least one device; and

cause, at least in part, an auditing of one or more activities associated with the device based, at least in part, on a comparison of the one or more activity patterns against one or more activity models.

19. An apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more activity patterns, the one or more activities, the one or more activity models, or a combination thereof relate, at least in part, to transport ticketing using one or more proximity means including, at least in part, near field communications, short range wireless, or a combination thereof.

20. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more sensors consists, at least in part, one or more location sensors including one or more satellite location receiver;

and wherein the at least one cryptographic key is transported to the one or more sensors via one or more commands of a sensor communication protocol.

21-48. -48. (canceled)