METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VERIFYING BATTERY AUTHENTICITY

• US 20150156016A1
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Moore, William Peter, Floyd, Steven Roger
• Granted Patent: US 9,703,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0841 involving Diffie-Hellman or related key agreement protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A communication channel between a first processor of the receiver and a second processor of the battery assembly is provided using a comparator coupled to second processor of the battery assembly. The receiver or battery assembly transmits a first communication to establish the communication channel. In response, the battery assembly requests a public key from the receiver. The receiver combines the public key with a private key stored in memory, applies a first hash function to combined public key, stores a first hash value in memory and transmits the public key to the battery assembly. The battery assembly combines the public key with a corresponding private key, applies a corresponding hash function to the combined public key and transmits a second hash value to the receiver. The receiver compares the first hash value to the second hash value and enables operations of the receiver when the first hash value equals the second hash value.

Claims

1. A battery authentication system comprising:

a receiver and a battery assembly, the receiver comprising a first processor and a first memory, the battery assembly comprising a second processor and a second memory;

coupling the battery assembly with the receiver, the coupling including providing a communication channel between the first processor of the receiver and the second processor of the battery assembly;

the first processor of the receiver or the second processor of the battery assembly transmitting a first communication to establish the communication channel;

the second processor of the battery assembly requesting a key from the receiver;

the first processor of the receiver transmitting the key to the second processor of the battery assembly;

the first processor of the receiver applying a first function to the key to obtain a first value and storing the first value in the first memory;

the second processor of the battery assembly applying a second function to the key to obtain a second value and transmitting the second value to the first processor of the receiver;

the first processor of the receiver comparing the first value to the second value and enabling one or more operations of the receiver if one or more criteria are met.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery assembly includes a comparator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the providing the communication channel includes using the comparator to read digital data from the receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, the transmitting the key and the second value including using at least one cryptographic key exchange protocol.

5. The system of claim 4, the at least one cryptographic key exchange protocol comprising a Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first function is equal to the second function.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first function is a cryptographic hash function.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second function is a cryptographic hash function.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the key is a public key.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the public key is a 224 bit binary number.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the public key is receiver specific.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the public key comprises information derived from one or more of a product model and a product serial number corresponding to the receiver.

13. The system of claim 11, the first processor of the receiver transmitting the public key to the second processor of the battery assembly including providing a different public key for each request.

14. The system of claim 1, the first processor of the receiver applying the first function including the first processor combining the key with a first private key stored in the first memory to provide a first combined key.

15. The system of claim 14, the applying the first function including applying the first function to the first combined key.

16. The system of claim 15, the second processor of the battery assembly applying the second function including combining the key with a second private key stored in the second memory to provide a second combined key.

17. The system of claim 16, the applying the second function including applying the second function to the second combined key.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first private key is equal to the second private key.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first combined key is equal to the second combined key.

20. The system of claim 1, the transmitting the first communication comprising sending synchronization pulses.

21. The system of claim 20, the transmitting the first communication comprising sending three synchronization pulses per second.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first processor of the receiver transmits the first communication.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the second processor of the battery assembly transmits the first communication.

24. The system of claim 1, the one or more criteria including the first value equaling the second value.

25. A battery authentication system comprising,

a receiver and a battery assembly, the receiver comprising a first processor and a first memory, the battery assembly comprising a second processor, a comparator and a second memory;

connecting the battery assembly to the receiver, the connecting including providing a communication channel between the first processor of the receiver and the second processor of the battery assembly using the comparator;

the first processor of the receiver or the second processor of the battery assembly transmitting a first communication to establish the communication channel;

the second processor of the battery assembly requesting a public key from the receiver;

the first processor of the receiver combining the public key with a first private key stored in the first memory, applying a first hash function to the first combined public key, and storing a first hash value in the first memory;

the first processor transmitting the public key to the second processor of the battery assembly;

the second processor of the battery assembly combining the public key with a second private key stored in the second memory, applying a second hash function to the second combined public key and transmitting a second hash value to the first processor of the receiver, wherein the first private key is equal to the second private key, wherein the first hash function is the same as the second hash function;

the first processor of the receiver comparing the first hash value to the second hash value and enabling operations of the receiver when the first hash value equals the second hash value.