METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATING AND OPERATING PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES OVER PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORKS

• US 20140187189A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: PATEL, HEMANG F., REITSMA, KATRIN, GILBERT, STEVEN S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A public safety (PS) person having a PS communications device is able to authenticate and authorize operation of a non-PS, personal communications device over a PS network. The PS device issues a challenge, and the personal device responds to the challenge, when the devices are in close proximity. A conditional token having specified conditions is sent to the personal device, which captures information at an incident scene. The personal device attaches the conditional token to the captured information, and uploads the captured information with the attached token to the PS device to permit distribution of the captured information in accordance with the specified conditions of the attached conditional token.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a public safety (PS) person having a PS communications device operative over a PS network, to authenticate and authorize operation of a non-PS, personal communications device over the PS network, the method comprising:

generating a challenge;

issuing the challenge over a first, wireless channel by operation of the PS device;

issuing a response to the challenge over a second, wireless channel different from the first channel by operation of the personal device;

verifying the response;

generating a conditional token having specified conditions under which the personal device is permitted to be operated over the PS network;

sending the conditional token to the personal device for acknowledgement;

capturing information at an incident scene by operation of the personal device; and

attaching the conditional token to the captured information, and uploading the captured information with the attached conditional token to permit distribution of the captured information in accordance with the specified conditions of the attached conditional token.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the issuing of the challenge and the issuing of the response are performed when the PS device and the personal device are in close proximity to each other, and wherein the first channel and the second channel are short-range wireless channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying of the response, the issuing of the conditional token, and the sending of the conditional token are performed by the PS device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the challenge, the verifying of the response, the issuing of the conditional token, and the sending of the conditional token are performed by an authentication server remote from the PS device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the issuing of the conditional token is performed by configuring the specified conditions to include at least one of an expiration time after which the personal device is automatically prevented from distributing the captured information over the PS network, a geographical location of the incident scene, a timestamp, an identifier of the incident scene, an identifier of the jurisdiction, an identifier of the PS device, an identifier of the personal device, and an identifier of the PS person operating the PS device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the captured information with the attached conditional token is sent to the PS device over the second channel for distribution over a third wireless channel different from the first and second channels over the PS network to other PS devices operated by other PS persons at the incident scene.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the captured information with the attached conditional token is sent to the PS device over a third wireless channel different from the first and second channels for distribution over the third channel over the PS network to other PS devices operated by other PS persons at the incident scene.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the captured information with the attached conditional token is sent to a database of an incident media server remote from the PS device for distribution over the PS network to other PS devices operated by other PS persons at the incident scene.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the PS device is operated by the PS person, and wherein the personal device is operated by one of the PS person and an authorized person at the incident scene.

10. A system for enabling a public safety (PS) person having a PS communications device operative over a PS network, to authenticate and authorize operation of a non-PS, personal communications device over the PS network, the system comprising:

the PS device being operated for issuing a challenge over a first, wireless channel;

the personal device being operated for issuing a response to the challenge over a second, wireless channel different from the first channel;

the system being operative for verifying the response, for generating a conditional token having specified conditions under which the personal device is permitted to be operated over the PS network, and for sending the conditional token to the personal device for acknowledgement;

the personal device being operated for capturing information at an incident scene; and

the personal device being operated for attaching the conditional token to the captured information, and for uploading the captured information with the attached conditional token to permit distribution of the captured information in accordance with the specified conditions of the attached conditional token.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the PS device is operative for issuing the challenge, and wherein the personal device is operative for issuing the response, when the PS device and the personal device are in close proximity to each other, and wherein the first channel and the second channel are short-range, wireless channels.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first channel is one of a visual, acoustic, mechanical, and radio frequency channel, and wherein the second channel is one of a Bluetooth®

channel and a near field communication (NFC) channel.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the PS device is operative for verifying the response, generating the conditional token, and sending the conditional token to the personal device.

14. The system of claim 10, and an authentication server remote from the PS device and operative for verifying the response, generating the conditional token, and sending the conditional token to the personal device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the specified conditions include at least one of an expiration time after which the personal device is automatically prevented from distributing the captured information over the PS network, a geographical location of the incident scene, a timestamp, an identifier of the incident scene, an identifier of the jurisdiction, an identifier of the PS device, an identifier of the personal device, and an identifier of the PS person operating the PS device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the personal device is operative for the uploading of the captured information with the attached conditional token to the PS device over the second channel for distribution over a third wireless channel different from the first and second channels over the PS network to other PS devices operated by other PS persons at the incident scene.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the personal device is operative for the uploading of the captured information with the attached conditional token to the PS device over a third wireless channel different from the first and second channels for distribution over the third channel over the PS network to other PS devices operated by other PS persons at the incident scene.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the third channel is a secure, protected, wireless channel.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the personal device is operative for the uploading of the captured information with the attached conditional token to a database of an incident media server remote from the PS device for distribution over the PS network to other PS devices operated by other PS persons at the incident scene.