System and associated methodology for detecting same-room presence using ultrasound as an out-of-band channel

• US 20140258392A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: BARTH, Ragnvald, HUSEBY, Sverre, ERIKSEN, Dan Peder, SNOKSRUD, Bjornar
• Granted Patent: US 9,241,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• 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: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A telecommunications device includes an electronic memory to store at least a network address and a random number code, and a sound unit to transmit the network address and the random number code via ultrasonic sound waves. The telecommunications device also includes a network interface to communicate via a data network using the network address and a processor to establish a communication session with another device over the data network based upon receipt of a response from the other device via the data network, the response including at least the random number code. The telecommunications device does not establish the communication session with the other device if the random number code is missing from the response or if the random number code in the response does not match the random number code transmitted in the ultrasonic sound waves.

Claims

1. A telecommunications device, comprising:

an electronic memory to store at least a network address and a random number code;

a sound unit to transmit the network address and the random number code via ultrasonic sound waves;

a network interface to communicate via a data network using the network address; and

a processor to establish a communication session with another device over the data network based upon receipt of a response from the other device via the data network, the response including at least the random number code.

2. The telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the processor periodically generates a new random number code and stores the new random number code in the electronic memory, and the sound unit transmits the network address and the new random number code.

3. The telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the processor does not establish the communication session with the other device when the response from the other device does not include the random number code or when the response from the other device includes a random number code that does not match the random number code stored in the electronic memory.

4. The telecommunications device according to claim 2, wherein the processor terminates an existing communication session with another device via the data network when a response from the other device received via the data network does not include the new random number code.

5. The telecommunications device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic memory further stores a digital certificate and certificate fingerprint, and the processor causes the sound unit to transmit the network address, the random number code and the certificate fingerprint via the ultrasonic sound waves.

6. The telecommunications device according to claim 5, wherein the processor establishes a communication session with the other device via a secure connection over the data network when a response via the data network from the other device includes the random number code and the certificate fingerprint, the processor not establishing the communication session when the response does not include the random number code or the certificate fingerprint.

7. A terminal device comprising:

a sound detection device to receive at least ultrasonic sound waves;

a network interface to communicate via a data network; and

a processor to communicate via the network interface and the data network with another device using a network address and a random number code received via the sound detection device.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the sound detection device further receives a certificate fingerprint and the processor establishes a secure communication session over the data network with the other device using the certificate fingerprint.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display to display a warning message when a request to terminate an existing communication session is received from the other device, the warning message indicating that the terminal device is outside a permitted communication range of the other device.

10. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the processor establishes the secure communication session over a secure sockets layer (SSL) of the data network.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting a network address and a random number code from a telecommunications device to a terminal device via ultrasonic sound waves;

receiving, at the telecommunications device, a response from the terminal device via a data network, the response including at least the random number code;

establishing a communication session between the telecommunications device and the terminal device over the data network when the random number code received matches the random number code transmitted.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

periodically generating a new random number code at the telecommunications device; and

transmitting the new random number code and the network address via the ultrasonic sound waves.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

terminating a communication session with a terminal device when the new random number code is not received by the telecommunications device from the terminal device via the data network after the telecommunications device transmits the new random number code via the ultrasonic sound waves.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting a digital certificate fingerprint from the telecommunications device to the terminal device via the ultrasonic sound waves; and

establishing a secure communication session between the telecommunications device and the terminal device when the digital certificate fingerprint is received from the terminal device via the data communications network.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

establishing communication sessions between the telecommunications device and a first subset of plurality of terminal devices when the random number code is received by the telecommunications device via the data network from each of the first subset of the plurality of terminal devices; and

denying or terminating a communication session between the telecommunications device and a second subset of the plurality of terminal devices when the telecommunications device does not receive the random number code via the data network from the subset of the plurality of terminal devices.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer-readable instructions thereon, the computer readable instructions when executed by a telecommunications device cause the telecommunications device to perform a method comprising:

transmitting a network address and a random number code from the telecommunications device to a terminal device via ultrasonic sound waves;

receiving a response from the terminal device via a data network, the response including at least the random number code;

establishing a communication session between with the terminal device over the data network when the random number code received matches the random number code transmitted.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising:

periodically generating a new random number code; and

transmitting the network address and the new random number code via the ultrasonic sound waves,

wherein an existing communication session over the data network with the terminal device is terminated when the new random number code is not received over the data network from the terminal device after transmission thereof via the ultrasonic sound waves.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

re-establishing a terminated communication session over the data network with the terminal device when the new random number code is received via the data network from the terminal device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a digital certificate fingerprint via the ultrasonic sound waves and together with the network address and the random number code; and

establishing a secure communication session with the terminal device over the data network when the random number code and the digital certificate fingerprint are received from the terminal device over the data network.