BATTERY AUTHENTICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20150078553A1
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Seethaler, Kenneth Scott, Springfield, Randall Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,755,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

Improved handling of battery recognition tasks in an electronic device such as a cell phone, smart phone, computer system, recording device or others is facilitated. Recognition of a battery so as to enable exchange of power between the device and the battery is determined by a match between one of a plurality of number strings stored in the device and the decrypted response to an encrypted challenge derived from the one of stored number string.

Claims

1. A device accommodating line and battery power, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing a plurality of digitally encoded number strings operatively coupled to the processor;

a cryptographic element operatively coupled to the memory; and

a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to;

detect coupling of a battery;

send, using the cryptographic element, an encrypted message derived from one of the plurality of digitally encoded number strings to the battery;

receive, from the battery, an indication of recognition; and

manipulate an exchange of power with the battery based upon the indication of recognition received.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein to manipulate an exchange of power with the battery is an action selected from the group consisting of:

enabling an exchange of power with the battery and blocking an exchange of power with the battery.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of recognition comprises a returned number string and the instructions are further executable by the processor to compare the returned number string to a stored number string.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the returned number string matches the stored number string and wherein to manipulate an exchange of power with the battery comprises enabling an exchange of power with the battery.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the returned number string does not match the stored number string and wherein to manipulate an exchange of power with the battery comprises blocking an exchange of power with the battery.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of recognition comprises no response and wherein to manipulate an exchange of power with the battery comprises blocking an exchange of power with the battery.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device supports a plurality of power states.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein to send an encrypted message is responsive to a transition from one power state to another power state.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of digitally encoded number strings is encrypted responsive to a transition from one power state to another power state.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the encrypted message comprises one of the plurality of digitally encoded number strings encrypted using a public key.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronic device accommodating line and battery power and incorporating a first cryptographic element and digital memory;

a plurality of digitally encoded number strings stored in said electronic device digital memory; and

an element that is connectable to a battery;

said first cryptographic element cooperating to exchange encrypted messages derived from one of the digitally encoded number strings with a battery so that a matched exchange enables the electronic device to recognize a battery and exchange electrical power with the battery; and

said apparatus supporting a plurality of power states;

wherein exchange of encrypted messages occurs in response to a transition from one power state of the apparatus to another power state.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a failure of a matched exchange enables the electronic device to block exchange of electrical power with the battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein exchange of encrypted messages comprises an asymmetric exchange of a challenge and response between paired public and private keys.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the matched exchange comprises a returned response matching a number string stored by the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a failure of a matched exchange comprises a returned response not matching a number string stored by the apparatus and wherein the failure enables the electronic device to block exchange of electrical power with the battery.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a failure of a matched exchange comprises an unreturned response and wherein the failure enables the electronic device to block exchange of electrical power with the battery

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the encrypted messages are derived from one of the digitally encoded number strings responsive to a transition from one power state to another power state.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the encrypted message comprises one of the plurality of digitally encoded number strings encrypted using a public key.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said electronic device further comprises a processor communicating with said memory and memory and code stored in said electronic device and effective when executing on said processor to:

store a plurality of unencrypted number strings;

generate an encrypted number string from each of the plurality of unencrypted number strings; and

store the plurality of encrypted number strings.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the encrypted message is selected from among the plurality of encrypted number strings;

and

wherein said code stored in said electronic device and effective when executing on said processor further comprises code to select from among the plurality of encrypted number strings differing ones of the encrypted number strings to be used in exchanges initiated on successive transitions from one power state to another power state.