Enhancing the Security of Short-Range Communication in Connection with an Access Control Device

• US 20140342667A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Aarnio, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 9,485,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for enhancing the security of short-range communication in connection with an access control device may be provided. The system includes a mobile device and an application executing thereon. The application is configured to store a user-defined authentication for permitting short-range communication with the associated access control device and configured to control access to a secure location. The authentication is related to an action of an end user of the mobile device. The application is configured to determine when the devices are in proximity to one another, detect a movement of a user of the mobile device, and permit short-range communication between the devices when the devices are in proximity to one another and the detected movement is substantially similar to the defined authentication. The permitted short-range communication is related to information for permitting the user to access the secure location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a mobile device enabled as a first short-range communication device with an access control device enabled as a second short-range communication device, the access control device configured to control access to a secure location;

receiving, via the mobile device, a user authentication for permitting short-range communication with the access control device, the user authentication related to a movement of an end user of the mobile device;

determining whether the mobile device and the access control device are in proximity to one another; and

permitting short-range communication between the mobile device and the access control device when a detected movement of a user of the mobile device is substantially similar to the user authentication and the access control device and the associated mobile device are in proximity to one another, the short-range communication related to access information for permitting the user to access the secure location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user authentication comprises providing the user authentication, the user authentication comprising a gesture of the end user of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user authentication comprises providing the user authentication, the user authentication comprising a movement, relative to the mobile device, of a body part of the end user of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the user authentication comprises providing the user authentication comprising a plurality of movements performed by the end user of the mobile device on a display of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically initiating, via the mobile device, a user interface configured to request performance of the user authentication when it is determined that the mobile device and the access control device are in proximity to one another.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, via the mobile device, a code based on the detected movement; and

transmitting the code from the mobile device to the access control device,

wherein permitting the short-range communication comprising permitting the short-range communication when the code substantially matches an authentication code associated with the user authentication.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via the mobile device, a second user authentication, different from the user authentication, for permitting short-range communication with a second access control device, the second access control device associated with a second secure location different from the secure location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the user authentication at a pre-determined frequency of time.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile device operable as a first short-range communication device; and

a mobile application executing on the mobile device and configured to store a user defined authentication for permitting short-range communication with an associated access control device operable as a second short-range communication device and configured to control access to a secure location, the user defined authentication related to an action of an end user of the mobile device,

wherein the mobile application is configured to determine when the mobile device and the access control device are in proximity to one another, detect an action of a user of the mobile device, and permit short-range communication between the mobile device and the access control device when the mobile device and the access control device are in proximity to one another and the detected action is substantially similar to the defined user authentication, the short-range communication related to access information for permitting the user to access the secure location.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the access control device is configured to control access to a location or a vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user defined authentication comprises a movement of the end user performed on the mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user defined authentication comprises a movement, relative to the mobile device, of a head, arm, or finger of the end user of the mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mobile application is configured to automatically provide a user interface on a display of the mobile device when the mobile device and the access control device are in proximity to one another, the user interface being configured to request performance of the user defined authentication.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is registered with the access control device.

15. A method comprising:

determining, at an access control device enabled as a first short-range communication device and configured to control access to a secure location, whether a mobile device enabled as a second short-range communication device is in proximity to the access control device;

verifying, at the access control device, when the mobile device is in proximity to the access control device, that the mobile device is linked with the access control device;

requesting, when the mobile device is linked with the access control device, performance of a user authentication by a user of the mobile device, the user authentication defined by an end user of the mobile device and related to a movement of the end user of the mobile device;

receiving, at the access control device, data indicative of the performance of the user authentication by the user of the mobile device, the data received from the mobile device; and

controlling, at the access control device, access to the secure location based on the received data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein requesting comprises initiating, via the mobile device, a user interface for the performance of the user authentication by the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving comprises receiving data comprising a code generated by the mobile device based on the performance of the user authentication.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising comparing the code with an authentication code associated with the user authentication.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling comprises permitting access to the secure location when the code received from the mobile device substantially matches the authentication code.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically requesting, when it is determined that the mobile device is in proximity to the access control device, the provisioning of the user authentication via a user interface of the mobile device.