METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR IMPROVING SECURITY FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20150373749A1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: PALIN, Arto, REUNAMAKI, Jukka, KIUKKONEN, Niko
• Granted Patent: US 9,635,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an apparatus, one or more wireless discovery messages; determining, by the apparatus, whether a wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus based on information obtained from the one or more received wireless discovery messages; exchanging, by the apparatus, messages with the wireless device in response to having determined that the wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus; measuring, by the apparatus, signal strength of the exchanged messages while distance changes to the wireless device; and determining, by the apparatus, whether changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an apparatus, one or more wireless discovery messages;

determining, by the apparatus, whether a wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus based on information obtained from the one or more received wireless discovery messages;

exchanging, by the apparatus, messages with the wireless device in response to having determined that the wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus;

measuring, by the apparatus, signal strength of the exchanged messages while distance changes to the wireless device; and

determining, by the apparatus, whether changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchanged messages are wireless discovery messages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more wireless discovery messages are at least one of a Bluetooth inquiry response message or a Bluetooth Low Energy advertising message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the apparatus, a wireless connection with the wireless device in response to determining that the wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus, wherein the messages are exchanged over the established wireless connection while the apparatus changes its distance from the wireless device and obtains signal information from the wireless connection messages usable for estimating the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

invoking, by the apparatus, a secure application in the apparatus if the changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the information obtained from one or more wireless discovery messages and the signal information obtained from the exchanged messages, includes at least RSSI information corresponding the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device.

7. A method, comprising:

establishing, by an apparatus, a wireless connection with a wireless device in close proximity to the apparatus, wherein wireless messages are exchanged over the established wireless connection while distance between the apparatus and the wireless device changes;

obtaining, by the apparatus, signal information regarding the wireless messages for estimating the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device;

determining, by the apparatus, whether changes in the obtained signal information satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies;

receiving, by the apparatus, a request from the wireless device for conducting a secure communications session with the wireless device; and

invoking, by the apparatus, a secure application in the apparatus if the changes in the obtained signal information satisfy the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

increasing, by the apparatus, a quantity of the wireless messages exchanged with the wireless device to enhance the determining whether the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies is satisfied, wherein the wireless connection messages are at least one of a Bluetooth basic rate/enhanced data rate data connection packet or a Bluetooth Low Energy data connection packet.

9. A apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive one or more wireless discovery messages;

determine whether a wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus based on information obtained from the one or more received wireless discovery messages;

exchange messages with the wireless device in response to having determined that the wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus;

measure signal strength of the exchanged messages while distance changes to the wireless device; and

determine whether changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the exchanged messages are wireless discovery messages.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more wireless discovery messages are at least one of a Bluetooth inquiry response message or a Bluetooth Low Energy advertising message.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

establish a wireless connection with the wireless device in response to determining that the wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus, wherein the messages are exchanged over the established wireless connection while the apparatus changes its distance from the wireless device and obtains signal information from the wireless connection messages usable for estimating the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

invoke a secure application in the apparatus if the changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the information obtained from one or more wireless discovery messages and the signal information obtained from the exchanged messages, includes at least RSSI information corresponding the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device.

15. A apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

establish a wireless connection with a wireless device in close proximity to the apparatus, wherein wireless messages are exchanged over the established wireless connection while distance between the apparatus and the wireless device changes;

obtain signal information regarding the wireless messages for estimating the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device;

determine whether changes in the obtained signal information satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies;

receive a request from the wireless device for conducting a secure communications session with the wireless device; and

invoke a secure application in the apparatus if the changes in the obtained signal information satisfy the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

increase a quantity of the wireless messages exchanged with the wireless device to enhance the determining whether the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies is satisfied, wherein the wireless connection messages are at least one of a Bluetooth basic rate/enhanced data rate data connection packet or a Bluetooth Low Energy data connection packet.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for receiving, by an apparatus, one or more wireless discovery messages;

code for determining, by the apparatus, whether a wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus based on information obtained from the one or more received wireless discovery messages;

code for exchanging, by the apparatus, messages with the wireless device in response to having determined that the wireless device is in close proximity to the apparatus;

code for measuring, by the apparatus, signal strength of the exchanged messages while distance changes to the wireless device; and

code for determining, by the apparatus, whether changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

code for invoking, by the apparatus, a secure application in the apparatus if the changes in the measured signal strength of the exchanged messages satisfy the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for establishing, by an apparatus, a wireless connection with a wireless device in close proximity to the apparatus, wherein wireless messages are exchanged over the established wireless connection while distance between the apparatus and the wireless device changes;

code for obtaining, by the apparatus, signal information regarding the wireless messages for estimating the distance between the apparatus and the wireless device;

code for determining, by the apparatus, whether changes in the obtained signal information satisfy a predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies;

code for receiving, by the apparatus, a request from the wireless device for conducting a secure communications session with the wireless device; and

code for invoking, by the apparatus, a secure application in the apparatus if the changes in the obtained signal information satisfy the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

code for increasing, by the apparatus, a quantity of the wireless messages exchanged with the wireless device to enhance the determining whether the predetermined behavior expected for signal strength as distance varies is satisfied, wherein the wireless connection messages are at least one of a Bluetooth basic rate/enhanced data rate data connection packet or a Bluetooth Low Energy data connection packet.